The fight was to begin with a duel between about six thousand men.
"Good!" muttered the warrior who was nearest me.

"They are in our bag." "Aye," answered another, "those little boys" (used as a term of contempt) "are going to learn their last lesson." For a few seconds there was silence, while the long ranks leant forward between the hedges of lean and cruel spears.

A whisper went down the line; it sounded like the noise of wind among trees, and was the signal to prepare.

Next a far-off voice shouted some word, which was repeated again and again by other voices before and behind me.

I became aware that we were moving, quite slowly at first, then more quickly.