ng, Darius III., to poison him.

After reading the letter, Alexander slipped it under his pillow, and
calmly waited for the return of his doctor. When Philip brought the cup
containing the promised remedy, Alexander took it in one hand, and gave
him the letter with the other. Then, while Philip was reading it, he
drank every drop of the medicine.

When the physician saw the accusation, he turned deadly pale, and looked
up at his master, who smilingly handed back the empty cup. Alexander's
great trust in his doctor was fully justified; for the medicine cured
him, and he was soon able to go on with his conquests.

XCVII. ALEXANDER'S ROYAL CAPTIVES.

Alexander was marching southward, and Darius was hastening northward
with a vast army, hoping to meet him and to prevent his advancing any
farther.

By a singular chance it happened that the two armies missed each other,
and passed through separate defiles in the same range of mountains.
Alexander became aware of this first, and retraced his steps without
delay, for he was anxious to find and defeat the enemy.

The two armies soon met at a place called Is'sus, where the Persians
were routed. Darius was forced to flee, and his mother, wife, and family
were made captives.

As soon as the battle was over, Alexander went to visit the royal ladies
in their tent, to assure them that they would be treated with all
respect. He was accompanied by his friend Hephaestion, who was somewhat
taller and larger than he.

As they entered the tent, in their plain armor, the queen mother,
Sis-y-gam'bis, mistook Hephaestion for the king, and fell down upon her
knees before him, begging his mercy for herself and her children. When
she found out her mistake, she was greatly dismayed; but Alexander
kindly reassured her by leaning upon his friend's shoulder, and saying
of him, "He is my other self."

The young conqueror treated the Persian ladies with the utmost kindness,
and often visited them in their own tent, to talk for a while with them.
As he always found them idle, he fancied that time must hang very
heavily upon their hands, and once offered to have them taught to spin
and weave, as the Greek ladies were wont to do.

At this proposal, Sisygambis burst into tears, and asked if he wished to
make slaves of them, for Persian ladies considered any labor a disgrace.
Alexander, seeing her grief, hastened to comfort her, and tried to
explain how happy the Greek ladies always seem