se them closed again; Glaucon leaned on a capstan. All the
strength for the moment was gone out of him.

"You rowed and wrought too much last night, Critias," spoke Themistocles,
who had eyes for everything. "To the cabin, Sicinnus, bring a cup of
Chian."

"No wine, for Athena's sake!" cried the outlaw, drawing himself together,
"it is passed. I am strong again."

A great shout from the shores and the waiting fleet made him forget even
the sight of Hermione.

"They come! The Persians! The Persians!"

The fleet of the Barbarians was advancing from the havens of Athens.

* * * * * * *

The sun rose higher. He was far above Hymettus now, and shooting his
bright javelins over mainland, islands, and waters. With his rising the
southern breeze sang ever clearer, making the narrow channel betwixt
Salamis and Attica white, and tossing each trireme merrily. Not a cloud
hung upon Pentelicus, Hymettus, or the purple northern range of Parnes.
Over the desolate Acropolis hovered a thin mist,--smoke from the
smouldering temple, the sight of which made every Attic sailor blink hard
and think of the vengeance.

Yonder on the shore of the mainland the host of the Persian was moving:
horsemen in gilded panoply, Hydarnes's spearmen in armour like suns. They
stood by myriads in glittering masses about a little spur of Mt. AEgaleos,
where a holy close of Heracles looked out upon the sea. To them were
coming more horsemen, chariots, litters, and across the strait drifted the
thunderous acclamation, "Victory to the king!" For here on the ivory
throne, with his mighty men, his captains, his harem, about him, the "Lord
of the World" would look down on the battle and see how his slaves could
fight.

Now the Barbarians began to move forth by sea. From the havens of Peiraeus
and their anchorages along the shore swept their galleys,--Phoenician,
Cilician, Egyptian, and, sorrow of sorrows, Ionian--Greek arrayed against
Greek! Six hundred triremes and more they were, taller in poop and prow
than the Hellenes, and braver to look upon.

Each vied with each in the splendour of the scarlet, purple, and gold upon
stern and foreship. Their thousands of white oars moved like the onward
march of an army as they trampled down the foam. From the masts of their
many admirals flew innumerable gay signal-flags. The commands shouted
through trumpets in a dozen strange tongues--the shrill pipings of the oar
masters, the hoa