first business must be to fight. We have nothing to eat, and
no man should talk to Greeks about a truce without first providing them
with a dinner."

The result of this bold answer was that food was provided, a truce
declared, and Tissaphernes, a Persian satrap, with a body of troops,
undertook to conduct the Greeks out of the country. Crossing the Tigris,
they marched for fifteen days up its east side, until the Great Zab
River, in the country of Media, was reached. Here the treachery which
Tissaphernes had all along intended was consummated. He invited
Clearchus, the Greek leader, and the other generals to a conference with
him in his tent,--three miles from their camp. They incautiously
accepted, and on arriving there were immediately seized, the captains
and soldiers who had accompanied them cut down, and the generals sent in
chains to the king, who ordered them all to be put to death.

This loss of their leaders threw the Greeks into despair. Ruin appeared
inevitable. In the midst of a hostile country, more than a thousand
miles from Grecian soil, surrounded by enemies, blocked up by deep
rivers and almost impassable mountains, without guides, without
provisions, without cavalry, without generals to give orders, what were
they to do? A stupor of helplessness seized upon them. Few came to the
evening muster; few lighted fires to cook their suppers; every man lay
down to rest where he was; yet fear, anguish, and yearning for home
drove sleep from every eye. The expectation of the Persians that they
would now surrender seemed likely to be realized, for without a guiding
head and hand there seemed to many of the disheartened host nothing else
to do.

Yet they were not all in that mood. One among them, a volunteer, with
no rank in the army, but with ample courage, brought back by brave words
hope to their souls. This man, an Athenian, Xenophon by name, and one of
the disciples of Socrates the philosopher, had an encouraging dream in
the night, and at once rose, called into council the captains of the
host, and advised them to select new generals to take the place of the
four who had been seized. This was done, Xenophon being one of the new
leaders. At daybreak the soldiers were called together, told what had
been done in the night, and asked to confirm the action of their
captains. This they did.

Xenophon, the orator of the army, now made them a stirring speech. He
told them that they need not fear the Persians, w