302 HISTORICAL TALES.

to break the enemy’s line, proved useless. Some of
the horses were killed; others refused to face the
Macedonian pikes; some were scared by the noise
and turned back; the few that reached the Greek
lines found the ranks opened to let them pass.

The chariots thus disposed of, the whole Mace-
donian line charged. Alexander, at the head of his
cavalry, pushed straight for the person of Darius.
He could not get near the king, who was well pro-
tected, but he got near enough to fill his dastard
soul with terror. The sight of the serried ranks of
the Macedonian phalanx, the terrific noise of their
war-cries, the failure of the chariots, all combined to
destroy his late confidence and replace it by dread.
As at Issus, he suddenly had his chariot turned
round and rushed from the field in full flight.

His attendants followed. The troops around him,
the best in the army, gave way. Soon the field was
dense with fugitives. So thick was the cloud of
dust raised by the flying multitude that nothing
could be seen. Amid the darkness were heard a
wild clamor of voices and the noise of the whips
of the charioteers as they urged their horses to
speed. The cloud of dust alone saved Darius from
capture by the pursuing horsemen. The left of
the Persian army fought bravely, but at length it
too gave way. Hverything was captured,—camp,
treasure, the king’s equipage, everything but the
king himself. How many were killed and taken is
not known, but the army, as an army, ceased to
exist. As at Issus, so at Arbela, it was so miserably
managed that three-fourths of it had nothing what-