Alexander : a history of the origin and growth of the art of war from ...

HereSECOND SORTIE. 267But the Halicarnassians were none the less in parlous case.They foresaw a speedy prospect of surrender unless they couldfidly destroy the besiegers' works, and resolved upon anothergeneral and desperate sortie.This was made from two placesat one and the same time, the breach, and what was called thetriple gate. The former was under charge of Ephialtes, andwas so sharp and unexpected that the young Macedoniantroops, who were on guard at the demi-lune works, were atfirst driven in, and it was with some effort that the heavy firefrom the towers, and Philip's veterans, under the personallead of the king, reestablished the matter. ,Ephialteswas killed. The Halicarnassians were well pro\dded withtorches and combustibles of all kinds, and came near to accomplishingtheir purpose.But they tried to fire the towers andengines at the place where Alexander was himself superintendingthe work, and had, as usual, some of the best troops.They were met fiercely and hustled back. The breach wasnarrow, and the defeated enemy could not easily make hisway through the debris. His loss was heavy. The secondparty issued from the so-called triple gate, where one of thePtolemies (not the son of Lagus) was posted. This sortiewas also driven back ; and as the Halicarnassians in crowdswere retiring over a bridge which they had thrown acrosstheditch, it broke under the excess of weight, and many fell in,and were there slain. Seeing the rout of their comrades, thegarrison shut the gates lest the besiegers should enter pellmellwith them ; and the Macedonians cut to pieces a numberwho remained outside without weapons, horror-struck andincapable of defense. The city could doubtless have beentaken, had not the king ordered the recall to be blown, for hehoped now for surrender, and desired toavoid delivering upthe ancient city to plunder. About one thousand of thegarrison were killed, and of the Macedonians some forty, in-