he other,--each being encouraged
by shouts and clamor from the two armies respectively.

As Xenophon was riding by the side of his soldiers, cheering them on and
reminding them that their chance of seeing their country and their
families all depended upon success in the effort before them, a
Sikyonian heavy-armed foot-soldier in the ranks, named Soteridas, said
to him--"You and I are not on an equal footing, Xenophon. You are on
horseback:--I am painfully struggling upon foot, with my shield to
carry." Stung with this taunt, Xenophon sprang from his horse, pushed
Soteridas out of his place in the ranks, took his shield as well as his
place, and began to march forward afoot along with the rest. Though thus
weighed down at once by the shield belonging to a heavy-armed
foot-soldier, and by the heavy cuirass[55] of a horseman (who carried no
shield), he nevertheless put forth all his strength to advance under
such double incumbrance, and to continue his incitement to the rest. But
the soldiers around him were so indignant at the proceeding of
Soteridas, that they reproached and even struck him, until they
compelled him to resume his shield as well as his place in the ranks.
Xenophon then remounted and ascended the hill on horseback as far as the
ground permitted; but was obliged again to dismount presently, in
consequence of the steepness of the uppermost portion. Such energetic
efforts enabled him and his detachment to reach the summit first. As
soon as the enemy saw this, they desisted from their ascent, and
dispersed in all directions; leaving the forward march open to the main
Grecian army, which Cheirisophus accordingly conducted safely down into
the plain. Here he was rejoined by Xenophon on descending from the
summit. All found themselves in comfortable quarters, amidst several
well-stocked villages on the banks of the Tigris. They acquired moreover
an additional booty of large droves of cattle, intercepted when on the
point of being transported across the river; where a considerable body
of horse was seen assembled on the opposite bank.

Though here disturbed only by some desultory attacks on the part of the
Persians, who burnt several of the villages which lay in their forward
line of march, the Greeks became seriously embarrassed whither to direct
their steps; for on their left flank was the Tigris, so deep that their
spears found no bottom,--and on their right, mountains of exceeding
height. As the generals and