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and find you last night,’ said Callias, ‘but nobody was allowed to leave camp.’
    â€˜And it had been quite a day,’ said Lucius.
    â€˜You wouldn’t have found us anyhow,’ said Nycilla. She explained how they were taking refuge in the cave.
    Lucius and Callias brought them up to date with the news from Athens since Philip left.
    Many people had wanted to build up defences round the Acropolis and collect food supplies to stand a siege until the Spartans and other Greeks could march to their help.
    Others, led by the famous soldier Miltiades, said it would be better to march out and bar the way of the invaders and stop them before they got near to Athens. Surely the Spartans would arrive in time to help?
    The Athenian army had ten generals. These generals took it in turns, a day each at a time, to command the whole Athenian army of about ten thousand men. After much argument the generals voted by aslight majority to risk a battle in the open. Five of them agreed to give up their own day of command to Miltiades.
    â€˜Very sensible,’ said Callias. ‘He’s quite the best. He knows what he’s doing.’
    â€˜Too many cooks spoil the broth,’ said Nycilla wisely.
    The young men had to parade. ‘Give our love to everybody,’ Lucius called, as he seized shield and spear. ‘Tell them to lie low and take care. As soon as the Spartans get here—’
    He sounded confident.
    When he slipped over to the cave on the following evening, the Persians had not shown much sign of moving. They were very likely resting after the strenuous time they had had in Euboea. Cavalry patrols had galloped about across the plain, they had plundered and pulled down some empty huts, but they had kept their distance from the Athenians on their wooded slopes.
    â€˜Lucky for us,’ said Lucius.
    â€˜Shouldn’t the Spartans be here?’ Nearchus asked.
    â€˜That’s the trouble.’
    Pheidippides had got through to them with that message. He had covered that stupendous run of 140 miles and got back with the answer. It was rumoured that Pan had appeared to him on the road and given him super-human strength. Certainly from that day the god Pan was more popular in Athens than ever before.
    Unfortunately the Spartans were just then celebrating an important sacred festival in honour of the god Apollo.
    â€˜Very religious people, the Spartans.’ Lucius sounded bitter, almost disgusted. ‘They said they had to obey the holy law. They must wait till the moon is full before they can march over to help us.’
    By themselves the Athenians were hopelessly outnumbered. The strength of the Persian forces – judging by all those ships – might be 30,000. It was a wonder that they had not already advanced against the Athenians.
    Lucius thought they did not fancy attacking heavily armed infantry in a strong position. They hoped to lure them down into the open plain where the Persiancavalry could make rings round them.
    Next day brought sudden hope. Looking up into the mountains Philip caught the welcome glitter of armour. It was as though a giant metal snake was winding its way down from the skyline. Could it be the Spartans after all?
    The newcomers however turned out to be from the loyal Athenian ally, the little city of Plataea, over in the west above the Gulf of Corinth. Plataea had sent its entire army, only a thousand men, but a great encouragement.
    â€˜Every man counts,’ said Lichas. He and Nycilla’s other two brothers went over to the Athenian camp, with a handful of young neighbours who came down from the hills.
    They had no arms but their knives and hunting spears. ‘If the fighting starts,’ Lichas pointed out, ‘there will soon be shields and weapons scattered around. And the men they belong to may be in no state to pick them up!’ His sister shuddered. ‘We’ll soon equip ourselves,’ he assured her.