Thyestes smote his thigh. "Furies take the great stirk!" he shouted. "Gin he want it back up, let him put it up hissel!"
The Indians scolded the elephant, who hung his head and drooped his eyelids in shame. Nirouphar talked to him, explaining the error of his ways and patting his rough leathery trunk, until he was cheered up again. Then it was not hard to put the tent back up a second time.
The light faded; the deer was done. The cook was making ready to serve it when a sentry said: "Troop Leader! Here comes our picket!"
Spargapithas rode in and dismounted. Vardanas said: "He says you forgot to relieve him."
It was true; between the elephant tent and the deer, I had left the Daha out longer than I meant to. On the other hand, he ought not to have left his post while he still could stand. I began a terrific scolding, with Vardanas translating.
"He smelt the deer," said Vardanas, "and feared you had broken your word not to eat it before he arrived."
I cut off a piece and gave it to Madouas, whose turn at picket duty it now was. "Eat this on your guard," I said.
The Daha was mounting his horse when a sentry yelled. Ere we could reach for our weapons, a swarm of armed men sprang out of the earth, it seemed, and rushed upon us.
They were Kappadokian hillmen, clad in loose trousers, high boots, and sheepskin coats, with felt hats or fur caps on their heads. They bore bows and spears; a few had shields or helmets. There were at least a hundred.
Never was a surprise attack more skillfully planned or more adroitly carried out. They had crept up from two directions, hiding behind knolls and crags, until a sudden rush brought them breast to breast with us in a few heartbeats.
A man who ran with the rest, but fell behind because he was weighed down by a coat of scale mail, called out: "Yield!"
Some of my men, who had grasped swords or javelins, cast them down. Thyestes, on the other hand, drew his sword, shouted, "Eleleleu!" and ran towards the leader. Perhaps he was being heroic. But, without wishing to cast any slight on his memory, I think he merely did the first thing that came to his mind, as men will when surprised.
Ere I could move, bows twanged and javelins flew. One arrow, shot at close range, drove through Thyestes' canvas corselet. Such was the force of the shaft that the cruel point pierced through his body and out the other side. Another arrow struck his neck and a javelin his leg, but the body wound was the one that did for him. He staggered and fell, his sword flying out of his hand. Behind me a slave cried out as another arrow, missing Thyestes, wounded him in the thigh.
Taken unawares and outnumbered five to one, the rest of my men cast down their arms. I followed their example, seeing no advantage in adding my death to Thyestes'.
"Who is the leader?" said the armored man in good if accented Attic.
"Leon of Atrax, troop leader for King Alexander and commander of this hipparchia. Pray, sir, who are you?"
"Arivarates son of King Arivarates of Katpatouka," said the Kappadokian. Pie was a young man, his beard a mere down. "What is your mission?"
"If you'll let us take down yonder tent, you will see."
"Stand still."
Arivarates the younger motioned to a couple of his men, who cut the ropes holding up the elephant tent. Down fell the tent. The men who had cut the ropes leapt back with yells of terror at the sight of Aias. The other Kappadokians wavered.
Now was the time, had we been ready, to have seized our arms and set upon these foreigners, whilst the Indians drove the elephant at them. I looked around, but none of the Thessalians met my eye. All sat or stood with hanging heads, in that dazed state of shame and wretchedness that seizes a man first captured; for everybody knows that in four cases out of five, capture means lifelong slavery.
Ere I could form a plan, Arivarates shouted in his own, tongue. The Kappadokians rallied. Several bows were trained upon my midriff.
"Hold still, all," said Arivarates. He strolled forward and looked up at the elephant. "For the love of Ma! I have heard my father tell of seeing these beasts at Dareios' court, but this is the first one I have seen with my own eyes." He turned upon me and said in stern notes: "A mighty reinforcement for that all-daring knave Antigonos!"
"Nay," I said. "This is but a peaceful scientific expedition."
"How so?"
I told the Kappadokian prince the tale of our mission. When I had finished, he said: "A fetching tale, could one but credit it. However, it is my father's place to decide what shall be done with you. You must come to Mazaka."
"Where is that?"
"Forty leagues hence."
"Herakles! That's no afternoon's stroll."
"There is no help for it. Gather your gear and ready yourselves to march. You will have to walk."
"At least let us take care of our comrade," I said, pointing to Thyestes.
"Then be quick."
I hastened to Thyestes. As I thought, he was dead. We buried him on the spot, and Pyrron preached a short eulogy on the Poet's text:
The lot of man; to suffer and to die.
We all wept, though many of the Thessalians had not liked Thyestes because of his strictness and rough ways. Some had even held his base birth against him, resenting, as they put it, "being ordered about by one who is no better than we are."
As for me, I felt lost without him. He was a simple soldier, with neither Vardanas' charm nor Pyrron's wisdom. He had his faults, being lustful and sometimes cruel. But he was brave and trusty and hardy, with a good practical mind for military matters, virtues sorely needed in an enterprise like ours.
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Book Eight
ANATOLIA
Arivarates told off one of his men to walk with each of the Thessalians and Dahas and two with each of the officers and Pyrron. We stumbled through the mud whilst the women, children, and servants, weeping and wailing, rode the mules and carts. Others of Arivarates' men led the horses. Siladites was allowed to ride the elephant, as there was no other way to guide the beast; but Kanadas was forced to stamp through the slush behind me. Nirouphar rode in the booth on Aias' back.
After the first few hours, we suffered the torments of sinners in Tartaros. This was not from cruelty on Arivarates' part, for he was a kindly captor despite his gruff manner, but because our legs were unused to all-day walking and our shoes were not soled for icy mud.
Happily for us, not much was left of the first day of our captivity. When darkness came, Kanadas sat down wearily by me and said: "Now you learn what slavery is like, Leon. After while you do not think it good thing any more."
"Would I had as long a pair of shanks as yours, man," I said.
"What is this?" barked Arivarates. "Keep apart and do not talk to each other unless I am there to listen. I know what you are thinking of: plans of escape. You had better give up any such hopes."
"My dear prince," I said, "I can think of nought the now save the pain in my legs. If I ran, I couldn't go ten paces ere they folded under me."
"Oh!" said Arivarates. "Let me see. You need the muscles kneaded to limber them, like this."
He dug his fingers into my calf with such force that I yelled.
"That is how to do it," he said. "You and the Indian shall massage each other's legs, and I will make the other prisoners do the same."
The next day we tottered off on our road again. The Kappadokians strode easily beside us, watching us closely. We had no converse with them because of the differences of language, but they did not even talk much amongst themselves. Like the other folk of inner Anatolia— the Paphlagonians, Lykaonians, and Phrygians—they are stocky, hairy, and hook-nosed like the Armenians. In manner they are slow, stolid, and silent. But, if they lack the liveliness of Hellenes and Syrians, they are more honest and true than either.