The Twitter Herodotus

4.121 They sent an advance cavalry guard to meet the Persians, and they sent their women and children away, together with their livestock.

4.122 The Scythian cavalry found the Persians & stayed a day's march ahead of them. The Persians pursued them through Sauromatian territory.

4.123 The Persians couldn't find much to destroy, but they did burn the town of the Budini. Beyond the Budini there is a desert.

4.124 Darius stopped there to build forts. Meanwhile the Scythians he'd been following disappeared: in fact they'd looped around behind him.

4.125 Darius turned west and met up w/the Scythians, who again retreated, leading the Persians into the land of those who'd refused to help.

4.126 Darius sent a message to the Scythian king, Idanthyrsus: stop running away and fight or give gifts of earth & water [i.e., submit]!

4.127 Idanthyrsus said he wasn't fleeing: he was just being a nomad. He wouldn't give earth and water but he would send something more apt.

4.128 Some Scythians went to talk to the Ionians at the bridge. The rest started attacking the Persians when they were gathering provisions.

4.129 There are no asses or mules in Scythia, so the sound of the Persians' animals confused the Scythians' horses when they attacked.

4.130 The Scythians sometimes left animals behind for the Persians to find. They wanted Darius to stay longer and so be in greater danger.