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Under the walls, too, the vast numbers of boulders which had been thrown down, the debris of broken weapons, long and jaggedly barbed iron spear-points and so on, indicated the military ardor and the boldness of the fighting men he now had to dominate and master.
Though thus clad as in time of peace and walking all the way on foot, he was hedged about by his faithful six hundred, every man stepping alertly, helmet-plumes waving, helmets glittering, shields gleaming, spear-points asparkle, kilt-straps flapping, scabbards clanking, a grim advertisement of irresistible power.
With the sharp spears long they laboured and tilted at each other, if perchance they might anywhere spy a part of the flesh unarmed. But ere either was wounded the spear-points were broken, fast stuck in the linden shields. Then both drew their swords from the sheaths, and again devised each the other's slaying, and there was no truce in the fight.
Their play, however, was not like the games of to-day. We might, perhaps, call the principal game of the boys "Playing Man," for the little stone implements that were their toys were only miniatures of the great stone axes and long spear-points of their fathers.
All at once there was a fluttering of pennons, and the lances of the little Mexican force dropped from the perpendicular to the level, the spear-points glistening like lightning in the evening sun. This evolution startled the Apaches, some of whom began to draw rein, others rode over them, and the great cloud of horsemen began to exhibit signs of confusion.
The fingers held an arrow-head of flint. "There's been a battle here, that's sure," said he. "Look, spear-points shattered!" He had already uncovered three obsidian blades. The broken tips proved how forcibly they had been driven against the stone in the long ago. "What? His fingers closed on a small, hollow shell of gold. "A molar, so help me!
The Scottish soldiers were nearly all on foot. Wallace arranged them in hollow squares spearmen on the outside, bowmen within. The English horsemen dashed vainly against the walls of spear-points. But King Edward now brought his archers to the front. Thousands of arrows flew from their bows and thousands of Wallace's men fell dead. The spears were broken and the Scotch were defeated.
Deliberately, while men fell dying, he walked to his post on the right wing. Deliberately, while heaven seemed shaking with the Barbarians’ clamour, his hand went up again. Through a lull in the tumult pealed a trumpet. Then the Spartans marched. Slowly their lines of bristling spear-points and nodding crests moved on like the sea-waves.
It is true the position of the hands was changed, for after the second day they had been bound in front of them, but this did not render their toil easy, though it was thereby made a little less laborious. By this time the captives had learned from experience that if they wished to avoid the spear-points they must walk in advance of their captors at a very smart pace.
His battle-call pealed even above the hellish din. The Persian nobles who had never ridden to aught save victory turned again. Their last charge was their fiercest. They bent the phalanx back like an inverted bow. Their footmen, reckless of self, plunged on the Greeks and snapped off the spear-points with their naked hands. Mardonius was never prouder of his host than in that hour.
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