Philos had got to his feet and stood unsteadily, looking round over the stricken remnants of our companies. Then a new throng of Kyrlos’s folk passed over us, Andros sword in hand, his eagle plumes gay in his steel cap ahead of them. Seeing us, he waved on his men and stopped. “Sore hurt, Harilek?” he queried, as I lay on the ground, while Payindah and my standard-bearer tied up my leg, which was bleeding freely. “I think not gravely, but enough to keep me quiet a bit,” said I, feeling, indeed, very limp. “You have suffered here, I see. But Paulos’s banner will be sung of in all Sakaeland, and with it will be remembered your name so long as the story is told. Harilek, I envy you your fortune. We hold them, and in another half-hour we will drive them over the river, and presently across the border. They fall back already. And ’tis you we have to thank.” He considered me thoughtfully. “You ought to have been born among us Sakae, Harilek. Such a fight has not been fought since the old, old days. First you save Aryenis, and now you fight to a finish in a battle to help a people whom you hardly know, sword to sword in our own fashion, too, it seems, and not with your noise weapons. You are to be envied, I think.” “And to be thanked also, Harilek,” said Philos. “I am dazed still, but it seems that I owe you my life. We are all your debtors.” “The fight had nothing much to do with me, Andros. It was fought by Paulos’s folk. I am to be envied in that I had the fortune to be with such men, that only. And as for your matter, Philos, in such a close fight every man owes something to every one else. I in turn owe my life to my man here. But how many of our people are left?” “I go and see now. Not over-many, I fear. I think my cousin is dead also, and he was to have been married next month.” He went off, still walking rather shakily. Luckily the axe had glanced from his cap, and, barring a very sore and aching head, he was none the worse next day. “I must go on, Harilek, since you are all right,” said Andros. “I see your friends coming up, so you will be looked after. I am sorry you will not see the enemy really punished, for I fear you will lie abed some time. Nevertheless, although you are laid by the heels, I envy you.” He smiled a farewell, and went off after his troops. Then came Forsyth and Wrexham, the former somewhat battle-worn, but cheerful, as befits a man who has dealt properly with a superior force of enemy all day and seen their backs at last. “Heard you’d copped it, Harry,” said Forsyth as he knelt down to examine my leg. “Luckily I brought along a haversack of dressings and things on my pony. What is it? Arrow? Sword?” He pulled off Payindah’s crude bandage as he spoke. “Spear, worse luck. It seems to have made a largish hole, doesn’t it?” “Might be worse, and it’s clean-looking. No arteries touched, which is the chief thing. I’ll get a first dressing on, and then we’ll get you back to Aornos. Feeling limp?”