Helaman’s forces do what the Lamanites most likely expected them to do. They broke and ran in front of the Lamanite assault. Since they were operating under intelligence that told them that this was the whole of the Nephite army, they pursued. Had they any indication that this was not the full army, they might have suspected a trap and not followed. The hidden Nephite troops rise up, and the first thing they do is kill the spies. These spies were the eyes and ears of the military force, in this case, they wanted the element of surprise as they attack Manti.
Historical: There is an interesting phrase used in the description of the actions of Gid and Teomner’s men. It says that they “did rise up from their secret places.” This doesn’t tell us much, but the idea of rising up from a secret place is tantalizingly close to another favorite tactic of the Aztec army.
“One feint described many times in the historical accounts involved the use of foxholes and cover. During the war with Tecuantepec, King Axayacatl advanced at the front of his army. When the opponents attacked, he fell back to a place where his soldiers were hidden by straw, whereupon they attacked and won. In the war against the Huaxtecs, King Moteuczomah Ilhuicamina formed his units and attacked, before feigning a retreat. This drew the Huaxtecs forward until two thousand armed cuahchicqueh and otontin warriors, camouflaged with grass, arose and destroyed them. The same basic tactic was used in many other wars. In the war against Tolocan (Toluca), King Axayacatl and eight of his generals concealed themselves in straw-covered holds in the ground. When the Aztec army retreated past their location, they leaped out, killed the Toloca lords, and routed the army.” (Hassig, 1988, p. 103).
Helaman does not tell us if there were a covering of grass, nor does he specifically mention foxholes, though the idea of rising up would strongly suggest that they may have used this type of strategy. In any case, they had to be aware of the passage of the Lamanite army, and yet be concealed so as not to be seen. Knowing that this was a tactic that was later used effectively by a Mesoamerican army suggests that it is not out of the question that it was also the tactic employed here. It is also interesting to note in passing the correlation between the hidden unit of two thousand that King Moteuczomah Ilhuicamina used and Helaman’s unit of two thousand (and the reinforcement unit of two thousand).