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

650 FOR CIS DECEIVED.As the cavalry emerged from the water, Alexander broughtthe agema and the best of the other horse forward into linefor the right wing, tin-owing out the horse-archers in theirfront, and placing the royal sliield-bearing guards, under Seleucus,in front of the other infantry.the other hypaspists, and on each side ofNext the agema camethe phalanx he stationedthe archers, Agrianians, and javelin-throwers.The body of infantry which he had with him, some six thousandstrong, he ordered to follow slowly and in regular orderwith his five thousand cavalry, which he knew to be his rightarm, he set out towards Porus, ordering Tauron to follow withthe archers, — there may have been three or four thousandlight troops, — and keep up with the cavalry as best he might.Alexander was confident that, even if Porus should attackwith his whole force, he would be able to hold him till theinfantry came up, if not worst him with the cavalry force inhand ; and he knew that if Porus retired, he ought to be onhand with his cavalry to follow him up and harass his retreat.He therefore started in the direction of the Indian camp ata sharp trot, hazardous though an advance with so small aforce undoubtedly was.Porus, who had been watching Craterus' feints, at firstimaginedthat the troops which his scouts reported as crossingabove might be those of Abisares, his ally ;but he was speedilyundeceived. As he could see the large body of Macedoniansunder Craterus, and thedetachments under Meleagerand the others still on the farther side, he must have knownthat the body in his front was but a part of Alexander'sarmy, and he ought unquestionably to have gone in personwith a substantial part of his force to cut it out, particularlyassome elephants, backed by infantry, could readily protectthe fords for the time being.But Porus seems to have wishedto put off a decisive battle until Abisares joined him, and