THE DANCING HORSES OF SYBARIS II9 



of a pipe, the Crotoniate general saw his oppor- 

 tunity at once. He sent into the Sybarite terri- 

 tories a company of shepherds and fifers armed 

 with nothing but flutes and shepherd's pipes, 

 while a little way behind them marched the rank 

 and file of the Crotoniate army. When the Syba- 

 rites heard that the enemy's forces were com- 

 ing, they marshaled their cavalry — the finest in 

 the world at that time — and sallied forth to meet 

 them. 



They thought it would be fine sport to send the 

 Crotoniates scampering back across the fields 

 into their own country, and half of Sybaris went 

 out to see the fun. What an odd sight it must 

 have been — a thousand fancifully dressed horse- 

 men, splendidly mounted, riding out to meet an 

 array of unarmed shepherds and a handful of 

 ragged foot-soldiers! 



The Sybarite ladies wave their handkerchiefs 

 and cheer their champions to the charge. The 

 horsemen sit proudly in their saddles, ready at a 

 word to make the grand dash — when, hark! a 

 thousand pipes begin to play, not " Yankee 

 Doodle " nor " Rule Britannia," but the national 

 air of Crotona, whatever that may be. The or- 

 der is given to charge; the Sybarites shout and 



