Parmenio lost no time in executing his commission. His main body would require two or three days’ preparation before it could march; but some light horse was sent on at once to cut off any fugitives11 who might be making their way from the field of Issus to the Syrian capital. It was at one of the fords of the Upper Orontes that this detachment came in sight of Artabazus and his companions. The river had been swollen13 by a heavy fall of rain among the hills, and was rolling down in a turbid14 and dangerous-looking stream. The troopers, catching15 sight of the Macedonian cavalry16, as it came in sight over the brow of a neighbouring hill, rushed helter-skelter into the ford12, without giving a thought either to their chief or their prisoner. The leader’s horse, a young untrained animal, refused to enter the water. Twice, thrice was he brought to the brink17, but he could not be induced to go in. Meanwhile the pursuers had come within a stone’s-throw of the water. Artabazus saw that escape was hopeless, and he disdained18 to surrender. He turned his horse from the stream, drew his scymetar from its gilded19 sheath, and threw himself furiously upon the nearest horseman. The man raised his shield to ward9 off the blow, but the good Damascus blade sheared20 off three or four inches of the tough bull’s hide, and inflicted21 a deadly wound on the spot so often fatal,[152] where the lappet of the helmet joined the coat-of-mail. The next moment the Persian’s horse was brought to the ground by the thrust of a lance, and the rider, as he lay entangled22 in its trappings, received a mortal wound from a second blow of the same weapon.
Charidemus, who had been sitting on his horse, a passive spectator of the scene just described, now came forward to report himself to the officer in command. There was no need, he found, to explain who he was, for the officer happened to be an old acquaintance, and warmly congratulated him on his escape. “Many thanks,” said Charidemus, “but see whether you cannot save your prisoner there alive. He is of one of the Seven Houses, and should be worth a ransom23 almost royal.”
The officer leapt from his horse, and examined the prostrate24 man. “He is past all help,” was the verdict, after a brief examination, “Not ?sculapius himself could heal him. But he seems to want to speak to you; I thought I heard him whisper your name.”
In a moment Charidemus was on his knees by the dying man’s side, and put his ear to his lips. The words that he caught were these: “Damascus—the street of the coppersmiths—Manasseh the Jew.” With that his utterance25 failed; there were a few convulsive gasps26 for breath, a faint shiver, and then all was over.
[153]
It was not a time for much funeral ceremony. A shallow grave was scooped27 in the sand by the river side, and the body, stripped of armour28 and weapons, but allowed to retain cloak, tunic29, and sandals, was hastily covered over. All the valuables that were found upon the dead were considered to be the booty of the troop; but Charidemus purchased a bracelet30, a chain, and a ring. He could not help thinking that the dying man had wished to entrust31 some commission to him. These articles might at least help to identify him.
After crossing the Orontes, the party halted for the night, and by the bivouac-fire Charidemus told his story, and heard, in his turn, many particulars of the great fight which it had been his strange fortune to see from the side of the vanquished32. “We gave you up for lost,” said his new companion, who, by the way, was no less distinguished33 a person than Philotas, son of Parmenio. “A few poor wretches34 found their way back into the camp; but those brute-like barbarians had shorn off noses, ears, and hands. Many died of loss of blood on the way, and some only just lived long enough to get within the lines. The survivors35 told us that all the officers had been killed. But you seem a special favourite of the gods. They must surely be keeping you for something great. And your Theban friend—what of him? I hope that Pylades escaped as well as Orestes.”
“Yes, by good luck,” said Charidemus, “a Theban[154] exile who was with Darius recognized him, and saved his life. He is, I take it, at Damascus by this time.”
“Where we shall soon find him, I hope,” returned Philotas. “That is the place we are bound for; and if the stories that the deserters tell us are only half true, we shall have rare sport then. My father is in command of the main body; but we will take care to keep well ahead of the old man, and have the first sight of the good things.”
The party had yet more than two hundred miles to ride before reaching their journey’s end. Weak as they were—for they did not number in all more than two hundred men—they pushed on in supreme36 indifference37 to any possible danger. Danger indeed there was none. The country was stripped of troops, for every available soldier had been swept off by the levies38 to swell39 the host that had been gathered only to be scattered40 to the winds at Issus. A few indeed had found their way back, but these were glad to bury their weapons, and to forget that they had ever wielded41 them for so unlucky a cause. As for raising them again against these wonderful warriors42 from the west, before whom the armies of the Great King had melted as snow melts in the sun, that would be madness indeed. Philotas’s party met with no opposition43; indeed, as far as the Syrian population showed any feeling at all, the new-comers seemed to be welcomed. The Persians had not made themselves[155] beloved, and a change of masters might, it was felt, be a change for the better.
It was about a fortnight after crossing the Orontes that the detachment came in sight of Damascus. They were gazing with delight, as so many travellers have gazed, at the City of Gardens, when a Syrian lad came up to the party, and contrived44 with some difficulty to make them understand that he had a message to deliver to their chief. Accordingly he was conducted into the presence of Philotas, and put into his hands a small roll of paper. It proved to be a communication from the Persian governor of Damascus. The lad, when further questioned by the help of a peasant who acted as interpreter, said that he had been sent with orders to deliver the letter into the hands of the first Macedonian officer whom he might be able to find. It was thus:—
“Oxathres, Governor of Damascus, to the Lieutenant45 of the Great and Victorious46 Alexander, into whose hands this may fall. Seeing that the Gods have so manifestly declared that they adjudge the kingdom of Asia to the great Alexander, it becomes the duty of all their dutiful servants and worshippers to respect their decree. Know, therefore, that great treasures of King Darius, lately deposited by him in this city of Damascus, are now about to be conveyed away by certain disloyal and ill-disposed persons by way of Tadmor.”
“We shall have plenty of time to cut them off,”[156] remarked Philotas on reading the communication, “for they have the longer distance to travel, and must move slowly. How will they travel, Philip?” he went on, addressing a sub-officer, who had been in the country before.
“If they go by way of Tadmor,” replied the man, “they must cross the desert, and will use camels; we had best be beforehand with them, before they get far on the way.”
Philotas accordingly gave orders to his troop to start immediately. They took an eastward47 direction, and by sunset had reached a point on the road which would necessarily have to be passed by a caravan48 journeying from Damascus. The keeper of the inn, one of the shelters for travellers which the Persian Government had provided along the principal roads, informed them that nothing of the kind described had as yet passed.
THE TREASURE CARAVAN.
It was about sunset next day before the caravan appeared. It was accompanied by a small escort of Persian soldiers, who, however, made no attempt to defend their charge. Indeed, they showed so little surprise or alarm at the appearance of the Macedonian troops that Philotas could hardly help suspecting that the whole business had been contrived, the removal of the treasure being only a feint, by means of which the governor of the city hoped to get some credit with his new masters. The packages with which the animals were loaded bore the royal[157] seal. These Philotas thought it best not to disturb. The Persian soldiers were disarmed49, and, as it would cause the party inconvenient50 delay were they to be encumbered51 with prisoners, dismissed. They gave a promise not to serve again, and as they were all of the unwarlike Syrian race, were very likely to keep it. The caravan was then turned back by the way on which it had come, and Damascus was reached without any further incident.
Philotas had been right when he anticipated that the city would be a prey52 of extraordinary richness. The camp which had fallen into the hands of the conquerors at Issus had seemed to these simple and frugal53 soldiers the ne plus ultra of luxury, while Darius and his nobles probably fancied that they had limited what they had brought with them to the very narrowest and most necessary requirements in furniture and followers54. It was at Damascus that the invaders55 discovered in what sort of state the Great King travelled when he was not actually in the face of the enemy. There was a vast amount of gold,[45] though this was small in comparison with what afterwards fell into Alexander’s hands; but it was the extraordinary number of ministers to the pleasures of the court that struck the new-comers with astonishment56.[158] Parmenio, giving a catalogue of his captures to the king, enumerates57 the following:
329 Singing-girls.
77 Cooks.
29 Kitchen-helpers, perhaps turnspits (“pot-boilers”
is the word in the original).
13 Makers of milk puddings.
17 Strainers of wine.
40 Perfume makers.
And these belonged to the royal establishment alone! The great nobles had establishments, not, indeed, on so large a scale, but still incredibly magnificent and costly59. The booty in treasure and slaves that was at the disposal of the conquerors was simply beyond all reckoning.
After an interview with the governor, whom he thanked with perfect gravity for his timely communication, Philotas thought it better to encamp his men outside the city, and there await the arrival of the main body under his father. Some disaster might happen if he allowed his frugal campaigners free access to a place so full of temptations.
Charidemus, who indeed was not strictly60 under his command, was not prevented from visiting the city. His first inquiries61 were for Charondas, whom he found in the company of his compatriot, and[159] whose release from the nominal62 custody63 in which he had been kept he obtained without difficulty.
He had not, we may be sure, forgotten Barsiné, and, still less, the young Clearista; and he had good reason for believing that they were both in Damascus. Memnon, he remembered, had spoken of sending his wife and his niece to Susa, nominally64 as hostages, really to remove them as far as possible from the scene of war. Doubtless this had been done. But Darius, he heard, had carried the hostages with him in his train, and when he had resolved to risk a battle, had sent them to Damascus. The difficulty was in finding them. Not only was the city so crowded with the harems of the great Persian nobles that the search would in any case have been difficult, but it was impossible to ask questions. The Persians shut up their wives and daughters with a jealous care, and the Greeks about the Court had adopted their customs. Even intimate friends never spoke to each other about the women of their families. For two young soldiers to go about making inquiries about certain high-born ladies was a thing not to be thought of. If they were so rash as to do it, they certainly would get no answer. The idea of meeting them in public only suggested itself to be put aside. At any time it would have been most unlikely. Ladies of high rank never went out but in carriages, and then they were closely veiled. As things were then, with an invading army in possession of the[160] town, it was extremely unlikely that they would go out at all.
THE SWING.
Once, indeed, our hero fancied that chance had given him a clue. The two friends had wandered down a lane shaded on either side by the trees that overhung it from two high-walled gardens, and leading down to one of the streams that make Damascus a mass of greenery. A flash of something bright moving amidst the foliage65 of the trees caught the eye of Charidemus. It disappeared, and then again became visible, to disappear once more as quickly. It was a minute or two before the young man realized that what he saw shining so brightly in the sunshine was the hair of a girl who was swinging between two trees. More he could not see from where he stood, or from any part of the lane, so thick, except in one small spot, was the foliage. Even to climb the wall would not have served him. But the glimpse was enough. Charondas was both incredulous and amused when his friend asserted that this particular tint66 of auburn was to be found on no head throughout Persia and Greece save on Clearista’s alone. They were arguing the point when a huge negro, carrying some gardening tools, issued from a door in the wall of the opposite garden. He made a clumsy salutation to the two young soldiers, but eyed them with an expression of suspicion and dislike. The next time, and that was not later than the following day, that the friends[161] sought to make their way to the same spot, they found the entrance to the lane barred by a quite impracticable gate. That flash of auburn hair in the sunshine might have been a clue; but if so, the clue seemed to have been lost.
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1
guardians
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| 监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者 | |
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2
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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3
fluency
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| n.流畅，雄辩，善辩 | |
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4
barbarians
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| n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 )；外国人；粗野的人；无教养的人 | |
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5
exasperated
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| adj.恼怒的 | |
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6
scruple
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| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 | |
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7
wreaking
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| 诉诸（武力），施行（暴力），发（脾气）( wreak的现在分词 ) | |
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8
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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9
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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10
conquerors
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| 征服者，占领者( conqueror的名词复数 ) | |
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11
fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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12
Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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13
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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14
turbid
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| adj.混浊的，泥水的，浓的 | |
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15
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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16
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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17
brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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18
disdained
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| 鄙视( disdain的过去式和过去分词 )； 不屑于做，不愿意做 | |
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19
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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20
sheared
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| v.剪羊毛( shear的过去式和过去分词 )；切断；剪切 | |
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21
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
entangled
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| adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
ransom
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| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 | |
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24
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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25
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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26
gasps
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| v.喘气( gasp的第三人称单数 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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27
scooped
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| v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
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28
armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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29
tunic
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| n.束腰外衣 | |
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30
bracelet
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| n.手镯，臂镯 | |
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31
entrust
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| v.信赖，信托，交托 | |
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32
vanquished
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| v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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33
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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34
wretches
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| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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35
survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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36
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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37
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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38
levies
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| （部队）征兵( levy的名词复数 )； 募捐； 被征募的军队 | |
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39
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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40
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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41
wielded
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| 手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的过去式和过去分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响） | |
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42
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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43
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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44
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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45
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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46
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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47
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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48
caravan
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| n.大蓬车；活动房屋 | |
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49
disarmed
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| v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 )；使息怒 | |
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50
inconvenient
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| adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的 | |
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51
encumbered
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| v.妨碍，阻碍，拖累( encumber的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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53
frugal
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| adj.节俭的，节约的，少量的，微量的 | |
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54
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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55
invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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56
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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57
enumerates
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| v.列举，枚举，数( enumerate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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58
makers
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| n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式） | |
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59
costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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60
strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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61
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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62
nominal
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| adj.名义上的；(金额、租金)微不足道的 | |
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63
custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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64
nominally
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| 在名义上，表面地； 应名儿 | |
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65
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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66
tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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