were lined
with his cavalry and infantry to oppose their passage; a precaution,
which if Tissaphernes had taken at the Great Zab at the moment when he
perfidiously seized Klearchus and his colleagues, the Greeks would
hardly have reached the northern bank of that river. In the face of such
obstacles, the Greeks nevertheless attempted the passage of the
Kentrites, seeing a regular road on the other side. But the river was
200 feet in breadth (only half the breadth of the Zab), above their
breasts in depth, extremely rapid, and with a bottom full of slippery
stones; insomuch that they could not hold their shields in the proper
position, from the force of the stream; while if they lifted the shields
above their heads, they were exposed defenceless to the arrows of the
satrap's troops. After various trials, the passage was found
impracticable, and they were obliged to resume their encampment on the
left bank. To their great alarm, they saw the Karduchians assembling on
the hills in their rear, so that their situation, during this day and
night, appeared nearly desperate. In the night Xenophon had a dream--the
first which he has told us since his dream on the terrific night after
the seizure of the generals--but on this occasion, of augury[62] more
unequivocally good. He dreamt that he was bound in chains, but that his
chains on a sudden dropt off spontaneously; on the faith of which, he
told Cheirisophus at daybreak that he had good hopes of preservation;
and when the generals offered sacrifice, the victims were at once
favorable. As the army were taking their morning meal, two young Greeks
ran to Xenophon with the auspicious news that they had accidentally
found another ford near half a mile up the river, where the water was
not even up to their middle, and where the rocks came so close on the
right bank that the enemy's horse could offer no opposition. Xenophon,
starting from his meal in delight, immediately offered libations[63] to
those gods who had revealed both the dream to himself in the night, and
the unexpected ford afterwards to these youths; two revelations which he
ascribed to the same gods.

Presently they marched in their usual order, Cheirisophus commanding the
van and Xenophon the rear, along the river to the newly-discovered ford;
the enemy marching parallel with them on the opposite bank. Having
reached the ford, halted, and grounded arms, Cheirisophus placed a
wreath on his head, took off his clothes, an