The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 / Page 140 (Color Image)

0140	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2

Boox II.

11~

MARCO POLO

IO2

was. And when he had completed all his arrangements

he began to advance to engage the enemy. The Tartars,

seeing the foe advance, showed no dismay, but came

on likewise with good order and discipline to meet

them. And when they were near and nought remained

but to begin the fight, the horses of the Tartars took

such fright at the sight of the elephants, that they could

not be got to face the foe, but always swerved and

turned back ; whilst all the time the king and his

forces, and all his elephants, continued to advance upon

them.'

And when the Tartars perceived how the case stood,

they were in great wrath, and wist not what to say or do ;

for well enough they saw that unless they could get their

horses to advance, all would be lost. But their Captain

acted like a wise leader who had considered everything

beforehand. He immediately gave orders that every

man should dismount and tie his horse to the trees of the

forest that stood hard by, and that then they should take

to their bows, a weapon that they know how to handle

better than any troops in the world. They did as he

bade them, and plied their bows stoutly, shooting so

many shafts at the advancing elephants that in a short

space they had wounded or slain the greater part of them

as well as of the men they carried. The enemy also shot

at the Tartars, but the Tartars had the better weapons,

and were the better archers to boot.

And what shall I tell you ? Understand that when

the elephants felt the smart of those arrows thatp elted

them like rain, they turned tail and fled, and nothing on

earth would have induced them to turn and face the

Tartars. So off they sped with such a noise and

uproar that you would have trowed the world was coming

to an end ! And then too they plunged into the wood

and rushed this way and that, dashing their castles

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