"What was the country?" they asked: he
replied, "Armenia." And again, "For whom are the horses being bred?"
"They are tribute for the king," he replied. "And the neighbouring
country?" "Is the land of the Chalybes," he said; and he described the
road which led to it. So for the present Xenophon went off, taking the
headman back with him to his household and friends. He also made him a
present of an oldish horse which he had got; he had heard that the
headman was a priest of the sun, and so he could fatten up the beast
and sacrifice him; otherwise he was afraid it might die outright, for
it had been injured by the long marching. For himself he took his pick
of the colts, and gave a colt apiece to each of his fellow-generals
and officers. The horses here were smaller than the Persian horses,
but much more spirited. It was here too that their friend the headman
explained to them, how they should wrap small bags or sacks around the
feet of the horses and other cattle when marching through the snow,
for without such precautions the creatures sank up to their bellies.

VI

When a week had passed, on the eighth day Xenophon delivered over the 1
guide (that is to say, the village headman) to Cheirisophus. He left
the headman's household safe behind in the village, with the exception
of his son, a lad in the bloom of youth. This boy was entrusted to
Episthenes of Amphipolis to guard; if the headman proved himself a
good guide, he was to take away his son also at his departure. They
finally made his house the repository of all the good things they
could contrive to get together; then they broke up their camp and
commenced to march, the headman guiding them through the snow
unfettered. When they had reached the third stage Cheirisophus flew 2
into a rage with him, because he had not brought them to any villages.
The headman pleaded that there were none in this part. Cheirisophus
struck him, but forgot to bind him, and the end of it was that the
headman ran away in the night and was gone, leaving his son behind
him. This was the sole ground of difference between Cheirisophus and
Xenophon during the march, this combination of ill-treatment and
neglect in the case of the guide. As to the boy, Episthenes conceived
a passion for him, and took him home with him, and found in him the
most faithful of friends.

After this they marched seven stages at the rate of five parasangs a
day, to the banks of the river Phasis (1), wh