des。　It　is　clear　that　we　must　march　where　we　can　get　provisions。　Now；　I　am　told　there　are　some　splendid　villages　not　more　than　two　miles　and　a　half　distant。　I　should　not　be　surprised；　then；　if　the　enemy　were　to　hang　on　our　heels　and　dog　us　as　we　retire；　like　cowardly　curs　which　rush　out　at　the　passer…by　and　bite　him　if　they　can；　but　when　you　turn　upon　them　they　run　away。　Such　will　be　their　tactics；　I　take　it。　It　may　be　safer；　then；　to　march　in　a　hollow　square；　so　as　to　place　the　baggage　animals　and　our　mob　of　sutlers　in　greater　security。　It　will　save　time　to　make　the　appointments　at　once；　and　to　settle　who　leads　the　square　and　directs　the　vanguard；　who　will　take　command　of　the　two　flanks；　and　who　of　the　rearguard；　so　that；　when　the　enemy　appears；　we　shall　not　need　to　deliberate；　but　can　at　once　set　in　motion　the　machinery　in　existence。
  〃If　any　one　has　any　better　plan；　we　need　not　adopt　mine；　but　if　not；　suppose　Cheirisophus　takes　the　lead；　as　he　is　a　Lacedaemonian；　and　the　two　eldest　generals　take　in　charge　the　two　wings　respectively；　whilst　Timasion　and　I；　the　two　youngest；　will　for　the　present　guard　the　rear。　　37　For　the　rest；　we　can　but　make　experiment　of　this　arrangement；　and　alter　it　with　deliberation；　as　from　time　to　time　any　improvement　suggests　itself。　If　any　one　has　a　better　plan　to　propose；　let　him　do　so。〃　。　。　。　No　dissentient　voice　was　heard。　Accordingly　he　said：　〃Those　in　favour　of　this　resolution；　hold　up　their　hands。〃　The　resolution　was　carried。　〃And　now；〃　said　he；　〃it　would　be　well　to　separate　and　carry　out　what　we　have　decreed。　If　any　of　you　has　set　his　heart　on　seeing　his　friends　again；　let　him　remember　to　prove　himself　a　man；　there　is　no　other　way　to　achieve　his　heart's　wish。　Or　is　mere　living　an　object　with　any　of　you；　strive　to　conquer；　if　to　slay　is　the　privilege　of　victory；　to　die　is　the　doom　of　the　defeated。　Or　perhaps　to　gain　money　and　wealth　is　your　ambition；　strive　again　for　mastery；　have　not　conquerors　the　double　gain　of　keeping　what　is　their　own；　whilst　they　seize　the　possessions　of　the　vanquished？〃
  III
  The　speaking　was　ended；　they　got　up　and　retired；　then　they　burnt　the　　　　1　wagons　and　the　tents；　and　after　sharing　with　one　another　what　each　needed　out　of　their　various　superfluities；　they　threw　the　remnant　into　the　fire。　Having　done　that；　they　proceeded　to　make　their　breakfasts。　While　they　were　breakfasting；　Mithridates　came　with　about　thirty　horsemen；　and　summoning　the　generals　within　earshot；　he　thus　addressed　them：　〃Men　of　Hellas；　I　have　been　faithful　to　Cyrus；　as　you　know　well；　and　to…day　I　am　your　well…wisher；　indeed；　I　am　here　spending　my　days　in　great　fear：　if　then　I　could　see　any　salutory　course　in　prospect；　I　should　be　disposed　to　join　you　with　all　my　retainers。　Please　inform　me；　then；　as　to　what　you　propose；　regarding　me　as　your　friend　and　well…wisher；　anxious　only　to　pursue　his　march　in　your　company。〃　The　generals　held　council；　and　resolved　to　give　the　following　answer；　Cheirisophus　acting　as　spokesman：　〃We　have　resolved　to　make　our　way　through　the　country；　inflicting　the　least　possible　damage；　provided　we　are　allowed　a　free　passage　homewards；　but　if　any　one　tries　to　hinder　　　　3　us；　he　will　have　to　fight　it　out　with　us；　and　we　shall　bring　all　the　force　in　our　power　to　bear。〃　Thereat　Mithridates　set　himself　to　prove　to　them　that　their　deliverance；　except　with　the　king's　good　pleasure；　was　hopeless。　Then　the　meaning　of　his　mission　was　plain。　He　was　an　agent　in　disguise；　in　fact；　a　relation　of　Tissaphernes　was　in　attendance　to　keep　a　check　on　his　loyalty。　After　that；　the　generals　resolved　that　it　would　be　better　to　proclaim　open　war；　without　truce　or　herald；　as　long　as　they　were　in　the　enemy's　country；　for　they　used　to　come　and　corrupt　the　soldiers；　and　they　were　even　successful　with　one　officerNicarchus＇1＇；　an　Arcadian；　who　went　off　in　the　night　with　about　twenty　men。
  ＇1＇　Can　this　be　the　same　man　whose　escape　is　so　graphically　described　　　　　above？
  After　this；　they　breakfasted　and　crossed　the　river　Zapatas；　marching　in　regular　order；　with　the　beasts　and　mob　of　the　army　in　the　middle。　They　had　not　advanced　far　on　their　route　when　Mithridates　made　his　appearance　again；　with　about　a　couple　of　hundred　horsemen　at　his　back；　and　bowmen　and　slingers　twice　as　many；　as　nimble　fellows　as　a　man　might　hope　to　see。　He　approached　the　Hellenes　as　if　he　were　friendly；　but　when　they　had　got　fairly　to　close　quarters；　all　of　a　sudden　some　of　them；　whether　mounted　or　on　foot；　began　shooting　with　their　bows　and　arrows；　and　another　set　with　slings；　wounding　the　men。　The　rearguard　of　the　Hellenes　suffered　for　a　while　severely　without　being　able　to　retaliate；　for　the　Cretans　had　a　shorter　range　than　the　Persians；　and　at　the　same　time；　being　light…armed　troops；　they　lay　cooped　up　within　the　ranks　of　the　heavy　infantry；　while　the　javelin　men　again　did　not　shoot　far　enough　to　reach　the　enemy's　slingers。　This　being　so；　Xenophon　thought　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　charge；　and　charge　they　did；　some　of　the　heavy　and　light　infantry；　who　were　guarding　the　rear；　with　him；　but　for　all　their　charging　they　did　not　catch　a　single　man。
  The　dearth　of　cavalry　told　against　the　Hellenes；　nor　were　their　infantry　able　to　overhaul　the　enemy's　infantry；　with　the　long　start　they　had；　and　considering　the　shortness　of　the　race；　for　it　was　out　of　the　question　to　pursue　them　far　from　the　main　body　of　the　army。　On　the　　10　other　hand；　the　Asiatic　cavalry；　even　while　fleeing；　poured　volleys　of　arrows　behind　their　backs；　and　wounded　the　pursuers；　while　the　Hellenes　must　fall　back　fighting　every　step　of　the　way　they　had　measured　in　the　pursuit；　so　that　by　the　end　of　that　day　they　had　not　gone　much　more　than　three　miles；　but　in　the　late　afternoon　they　reached　the　villages。
  Here　there　was　a　return　of　the　old　despondency。　Cheirisophus　and　the　eldest　of　the　generals　blamed　Xenophon　for　leaving　the　main　body　to　give　chase　and　endangering　himself　thereby；　while　he　could　not　damage　the　enemy　one　whit　the　more。　Xenophon　admitted　that　they　were　right　in　blaming　him：　no　better　proof　of　that　was　wanted　than　the　result。　〃The　fact　is；〃　he　added；　〃I　was　driven　to　pursue；　it　was　too　trying　to　look　on　and　see　our　men　suffer　so　badly；　and　be　unable　to　retaliate。　However；　when　we　did　charge；　there　is　no　denying　the　truth　of　what　you　say；　we　were　not　a　whit　more　able　to　injure　the　enemy；　while　we　had　considerable　difficulty　in　beating　a　retreat　ourselves。　Thank　heaven　they　did　not　come　upon　us　in　any　great　force；　but　were　only　a　handful　of　men；　so　that　the　injury　they　did　us　was　not　large；　as　it　might　have　been；　and　at　least　it　has　served　to　show　us　what　we　need。　At　present　the　enemy　shoot　and　sling　beyond　our　range；　so　that　our　Cretan　archers　are　no　match　for　them；　our　hand…throwers　cannot　reach　as　far；　and　when　we　pursue；　it　is　not　possible　to　push　the　pursuit　to　any　great　distance　from　the　main　body；　and　within　the　short　distance　no　foot…soldier；　however　fleet　of　foot；　could　overtake　another　foot…soldier　who　has　a　bow…shot　the　start　of　him。　If；　then；　we　are　to　exclude　them　from　all　possibility　of　injuring　us　as　we　march；　we　must　get　slingers　as　soon　as　possible　and　cavalry。　I　am　told　there　are　in　the　army　some　Rhodians；　most　of　whom；　they　say；　know　how　to　sling；　and　their　missile　will　reach　even　twice　as　far　as　the　Persian　slings　（which；　on　account　of　their　being　loaded　with　stones　as　big　as　one's　fist；　have　a　comparatively　short　range；　but　the　Rhodians　are　skilled　in　the　use　of　leaden　bullets＇2＇）。　Suppose；　then；　we　investigate　and　　　　　18　find　out　first　of　all　who　among　them　possess　slings；　and　for　these　slings　offer　the　owner　the　money　value；　and　to　another；　who　will　plait　some　more；　hand　over　the　money　price；　and　for　a　third；　who　will　volunteer　to　be　enrolled　as　a　slinger；　invent　some　other　sort　of　privilege；　I　think　we　shall　soon　find　people　to　come　forward　capable　of　helping　us。　There　are　horses　in　the　army　I　know；　some　few　with　myself；　others　belonging　to　Clearchus's　stud；　and　a　good　many　others　captured　from　the　enemy；　used　for　carrying　baggage。　Let　us　take　the　pick　of　these；　supplying　their　places　by　ordinary　baggage　animals；　and　equipping　the　horses　for　cavalry。　I　should　not　wonder　if　our　troopers　gave　some　annoyance　to　these　fugitives。〃
  ＇2＇　These　words　sound　to　me　like　an　author's　note；　parenthetically；　　　　　and　perhaps　inadvertently；　inserted　into　the　text。　It　is　an　　　　　〃aside〃　to　the　reader；　which　in　a　modern　book　would　appear　as　a　　　　　footnote。
  These　proposals　were　carried；　and　that　night　two　hundred　slingers　were　enrolled；　and　next　day　as　many　as　fifty　horse　and　horsemen　passed　muster　as　duly　qualified；　buff　jackets　and　cuirasses　were　provided　for　them；　and　a　commandant　of　cavalry　appointed　to　commandLycius；　the　son　of　Polystratus；　by　name；　an　Athenian。
  IV
  That　day　they　remained　inactive；　but　the　next　they　rose　earlier　than　　　　1　usual；　and　set　out　betimes；　for　they　had　a　ravine　to　cross；　where　they　feared　the　enemy　might　attack　them　in　the　act　of　crossing。　When　they　were　across；　Mithridates　appeared　again　with　one　thousand　horse；　and　archers　and　slingers　to　the　number　of　four　thousand。　This　whole　body　he　had　got　by　request　from　Tissaphernes；　and　in　return　he　undertook　to　deliver　up　the　Hellenes　to　Tissaphernes。　He　had