The Twitter Herodotus

4.131 Now the Scythians sent Darius gifts: a bird, a mouse, a frog, and five arrows. The messenger didn't tell Darius what the gifts meant.

4.132 D. thought the S. were surrendering. Gobryas thought it meant they'd be shot if they didn't fly away or go underground or under water.

4.133 The Scythians who'd gone to see the Ionians said they should do as Darius bid them and go home after 60 days. The Ionians agreed.

4.134 Darius soon realized Gobryas was right about the gifts. They decided to withdraw at night, leaving some of their own soldiers behind.

4.135 Darius left the weak behind, saying he was going to attack the enemy & they should guard the camp, & he hightailed it to the Ister.

4.136 In the A.M. those left behind surrendered to the S., who beat Darius to the Ister and told the Ionians, who'd stayed > 60 days, to go.

4.137 The Ionians talked. The Athenian tyrant of the Chersonese, Miltiades, wanted to leave/free Ionia. Histiaeus of Miletus wanted to stay.

4.138 The Ionian leaders sided with Histiaeus and decided to stay and hold the bridge.

4.139 They told the Scythians they would dismantle the bridge (but in fact they only dismantled half the bridge and waited).

4.140 The Scythians believed them & rode off, but couldn't find Darius. The Persians got to the Ister, didn't see the bridge, & were scared.