e saw that his master had revolted
from Assyria, thought to himself, "If anything should happen to him, I
myself could get from the king all that he possessed."

Accordingly he sent forward a man he could trust, with instructions
that, if he found the Assyrian army already in the territory of Gadatas,
he was to tell the king that he could capture Gadatas and all who were
with him, if he thought fit to make an ambuscade. [2] And the messenger
was also to say what force Gadatas had at his command and to announce
that Cyrus was not with him. Moreover, the officer stated the road by
which Gadatas was coming. Finally, to win the greater confidence, he
sent word to his own dependents and bade them deliver up to the king of
Assyria the castle which he himself commanded in the province, with all
that it contained: he would come himself, he added, if possible, after
he had slain Gadatas, and, even if he failed in that, he would always
stand by the king.

[3] Now the emissary rode as hard as he could and came before the king
and told his errand, and, hearing it, the king at once took over the
castle and formed an ambuscade, with a large body of horse and many
chariots, in a dense group of villages that lay upon the road. [4]
Gadatas, when he came near the spot, sent scouts ahead to explore,
and the king, as soon as he sighted them, ordered two or three of his
chariots and a handful of horsemen to dash away as though in flight,
giving the impression that they were few in number and panic-stricken.
At this the scouting party swept after them, signalling to Gadatas, who
also fell into the trap and gave himself up to the chase.

The Assyrians waited till the quarry was within their grasp and then
sprang out from their ambuscade. [5] The men, with Gadatas, seeing
what had happened, turned back and fled, as one might expect, with
the Assyrians at their heels, while the officer who had planned it all
stabbed Gadatas himself. He struck him in the shoulder, but the blow was
not mortal. Thereupon the traitor fled to the pursuers, and when
they found out who he was he galloped on with them, his horse at full
stretch, side by side with the king. [6] Naturally the men with the
slower horses were overtaken by the better mounted, and the fugitives,
already wearied by their long journey, were at the last extremity when
suddenly they caught sight of Cyrus advancing at the head of his army,
and were swept into safety, as glad and thankful, we ma