halted until all the army came up, in order that the generals might take
counsel. Here Kleanor began by advising that they should storm the pass
with no greater delay than was necessary to refresh the soldiers. But
Xenophon suggested that it was far better to avoid the loss of life
which must be incurred, and to amuse the enemy by feigned attack, while
a detachment should be sent by stealth at night to ascend the mountain
at another point and turn the position. "However (continued he, turning
to Cheirisophus), stealing a march upon the enemy is more your trade
than mine. For I understand that you the full citizens and peers at
Sparta, practise stealing from your boyhood upward; and that it is held
noway base, but even honorable, to steal such things as the law does not
distinctly forbid. And to the end that you may steal with the greatest
effect, and take pains to do it in secret, the custom is, to flog you if
you are found out. Here then, you have an excellent opportunity of
displaying your training. Take good care that we be not found out in
stealing an occupation of the mountain now before us; for if we _are_
found out, we shall be well beaten."

"Why, as for that (replied Cheirisophus), you Athenians also, as I
learn, are capital hands at stealing the public money--and that too in
spite of prodigious peril to the thief: nay, your most powerful men
steal most of all--at least if it be the most powerful men among you who
are raised to official command. So that this is a time for _you_ to
exhibit _your_ training, as well as for me to exhibit mine."

We have here an interchange of raillery between the two Grecian
officers, which is not an uninteresting feature in the history of the
expedition. The remark of Cheirisophus, especially, illustrates that
which I noted in a former chapter as true both of Sparta and Athens--the
readiness to take bribes, so general in individuals clothed with
official power; and the readiness, in official Athenians, to commit such
peculation, in spite of serious risk of punishment. Now this chance of
punishment proceeded altogether from those accusing orators commonly
called demagogues,[67] and from the popular judicature whom they
addressed. The joint working of both greatly abated the evil, yet was
incompetent to suppress it. But according to the pictures commonly
drawn of Athens, we are instructed to believe that the crying public
evil was,--too great a license of accusation, and too much