sing the ravine which led to
this mountain, the Karduchians on the top immediately began to roll down
vast masses of rock, which bounded and dashed down the roadway in such a
manner as to render it unapproachable. They continued to do this all
night, and the Greeks heard the noise of the descending masses long
after they had returned to their camp for supper and rest.

Meanwhile the detachment of 2000, marching by the circuitous road, and
reaching in the night the elevated position (though there was another
above yet more commanding) held by the Karduchians, surprised and
dispersed them, passing the night by their fires. At daybreak, and under
favor of a mist, they stole silently towards the position occupied by
the other Karduchians in front of the main Grecian army. On coming near
they suddenly sounded their trumpets, shouted aloud, and commenced the
attack, which proved completely successful. The defenders, taken
unprepared, fled with little resistance, and scarcely any loss, from
their activity and knowledge of the country; while Cheirisophus and the
main Grecian force, on hearing the trumpet which had been previously
concerted as the signal, rushed forward and stormed the height in front;
some along the regular path; others climbing up as they could and
pulling each other up by means of their spears. The two bodies of Greeks
thus joined each other on the summit, so that the road became open for
farther advance.

Xenophon, however, with the rear-guard marched on the circuitous road
taken by the 2000, as the most practicable for the baggage animals, whom
he placed in the centre of his division--the whole array covering a
great length of ground, since the road was very narrow. During this
interval the dispersed Karduchians had rallied, and reoccupied two or
three high peaks, commanding the road--from whence it was necessary to
drive them. Xenophon's troops stormed successively these three
positions, the Karduchians not daring to come to close combat, yet
making destructive use of their missiles. A Grecian guard was left on
the hindermost of the three peaks, until all the baggage train should
have passed by. But the Karduchians, by a sudden and well-timed
movement, contrived to surprise this guard, slew two out of the three
leaders with several soldiers, and forced the rest to jump down the
crags as they could, in order to join their comrades in the road.
Encouraged by such success the assailants pressed nearer to the