About this time one of the king's shepherds, while taking care
of cattle in the fields, noticed blood dripping from the foot of
one of the oxen. The shepherd followed the streak of blood through
the grass and at last found the sharp point of a sword sticking
out of the earth. He dug out the weapon, carried it to the palace,
and gave it to King Attila. The king declared it was the sword of
Tiew, the god of war. He then strapped it to his side and said
he would always wear it.
[Illustration: A HUNNIC INVASION]
"I shall never be defeated in battle," he cried, "as long as I fight
with the sword of Tiew."
As soon as his army was ready he marched with it into countries
which belonged to Rome. He defeated the Romans in several great
battles and captured many of their cities. The Roman Emperor
Theodosius had to ask for terms of peace. Attila agreed that
there should be peace, but soon afterwards he found out that
Theodosius had formed a plot to murder him. He was so enraged at
this that he again began war. He plundered and burned cities
wherever he went, and at last the emperor had to give him a
large sum of money and a portion of country south of the Danube.
This made peace, but the peace did not last long. In a few years
Attila appeared at the head of an army of 700,000 men. With this
great force he marched across Germany and into Gaul. He rode on a
beautiful black horse, and carried at his side the sword of Tiew.
He attacked and destroyed towns and killed the inhabitants without
mercy. The people had such dread of him that he was called the
"Scourge of God" and the "Fear of the World."