The Ionians consulted together on the subject, doubtful, at first, what to do. They concluded that they would not comply with the Scythian proposals, while yet they determined to pretend to comply with them, in order to avoid the danger of being attacked. They accordingly began to take the bridge to pieces, commencing on the Scythian side of the stream. The Scythians, seeing the work thus going on, left the ground, and marched back to meet the Persians. The armies, however, fortunately for Darius, missed each other, and the Persians arrived safely at the river, after the Scythians had left it. They arrived in the night, and the advanced guard, seeing no appearance of the bridge on the Scythian side, supposed that the Ionians had gone. They shouted long and loud on the shore, and at length an Egyptian, who was celebrated for the power of his voice, succeeded in making the Ionians hear. The boats were immediately brought back to their positions, the bridge was reconstructed, and Darius's army recrossed the stream. The Danube being thus safely crossed, the army made the best of its way back through Thrace, and across the Bosporus into Asia, and thus ended Darius's great expedition against the Scythians. CHAPTER X. THE STORY OF HISTIAEUS. B.C. 504 Histiaeus at the bridge on the Danube.--Darius's anxiety.--Darius's gratitude.--Scythia abandoned.--Darius sends for Histiaeus.--Petition of Histiaeus.--Histiaeus organizes a colony.--The Paeonians.--Baseness of the Paeonian chiefs.--Their stratagem.--The Paeonian maiden.--Multiplicity of her avocations.--Darius and the maiden.--He determines to make the Paeonians slaves.--Capture of the Paeonians.--Megabyzus discovers Histiaeus's city.--Histiaeus sent for.--Darius revokes his gift.--Histiaeus goes to Susa.--Artaphernes.--Island of Naxos.--Civil war there.--Action of Aristagoras.--Co-operation of Artaphernes.--Darius consulted.--His approval.--Preparations.--Sailing of the expedition.--Plan of the commander.--Difficulty in the fleet.--Cruel discipline.--Dissension between the commanders.--The expedition fails.--Chagrin of Aristagoras.--He resolves to revolt.--Position of Histiaeus.--His uneasiness.--Singular mode of communication.--Its success.--Revolt of Aristagoras.--Feigned indignation of Histiaeus.--The Ionian rebellion.--Its failure.--Death of Histiaeus. The nature of the government which was exercised in ancient times by a royal despot like Darius, and the character of the measures and management to which he was accustomed to resort to gain his political ends, are, in many points, very strikingly illustrated by the story of Histiaeus.