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

402 AN AMBUSCADE.by direct assault.The description in Arrian reads somewhatas if the king had stumbled into a species of ambuscade.Even Alexander was not beyond committing an occasionalblunder. He had before him no common antagonist, norindeed an ordinary line of defense. The rapidity of his.^,!;.SOperations at Persian Gates.marches, which had so often snatched the prize of victoryfrom the grasp of his unsuspecting enemies, was here of noavail.Ariobarzanes had fully anticipated him, and lay preparedat every point to dispute his passage, in the best chosenposition, fortified by nature and by art as no obstacle Alexanderhad yet encountered had been. He allowed the Macedoniansto march up the defile, which some modern travelersliken to the St. Gothard, without making the least demonstration.Barely three men could march abreast through thiscontracted path.When the head of column had reached thenarrowest and most dangerous part, before it had got nearthe wall, while the Macedonians were marching between twoperpendicidar walls, suddenly they were startled by a bitter