238 HISTORICAL TALES.

whom many had accompanied the army through all
its career.

Crossing the Great Zab River, the Greeks con-
tinued their march, though surrounded by enemies,
many of them horsemen, who cast javelins and
arrows into their ranks, and fled when pursued.
That night they reached some villages, bearing their
wounded, who were many, and deeply discouraged.
During the night the Greeks organized a small body
of cavalry and two hundred Rhodian slingers, who
threw leaden bullets instead of stones. The next day
they were attacked by a body of four thousand confi-
dent Persians, who expected an easy victory. Yet
when the few horsemen and slingers of the Greeks
attacked them they fled in dismay, and many of
them were killed in a ravine which they were forced
to traverse.

On went the fugitives, day by day, still assailed,
still repelling their foes. On the fifth day they saw
a palace, around which lay many villages. To reach
it they had high hills to pass, and here their enemies
appeared on the summits, showering down arrows,
darts, and stones. The Greeks finally dislodged
them by mounting to higher points, and by night
had fought their way to the villages, where they
found abundance of food and wine, and where they
rested for three days.

On starting again the troops of Tissapbhernes an-
noyed them as before. They now adopted a new
plan. Whenever the enemy came up they halted at
some village and fought them from their camp.
Each night the Persians withdrew about ten miles,