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

TACTICS OF THE ELEPHANTS. 559the Indian cavalry was obliged to make a double front, butthe largest body remained facing Alexander. It was whilethey were wheeling into this front and rear formation, thatAlexander drove his own stoutest charge home upon theIndian horse. The latter at once gave ground, and retiredupon the elephants, " as to a friendly wall, for refuge," saysArrian. A number of these monsters were made to wheelabout to the left to sustain the cavalry by charging uponAlexander's body of horse.As anticipated, Alexander's horsecould by no means be made to approach them. But the elephants,by facing Alexander, were exposing themselves, andthe Macedonian infantry, by now advancing, was enabled totake in flank those elephants which had wheeled to sustainthe Indian horse.This they did with a will, wounded many,and slew a number of the drivers, so that the animals werewithout control, and rushed purposeless to and fro, equallydangerous to friend and foe.But some of them again wheeledabout to the right, and urged forward by their drivers threatenedto tread the phalangites under foot. Luckily the menstood in open order, so that they could the more readily avoidthese creatures, and drive them back with wounds.The Indian cavalry rallied somewhat under the diversionthus created by the movements of the elephants, and advancedagain to oppose the Macedonian horse ; but anothercharge by Alexander's stronger and better disciplinedmenbroke their formation, huddled them up under the heels ofthe elephants, and increased the confusion tenfold. Whatthe one hundred and fifty chariots on the left were doing allthis while does not appear. There is no mention of them inthe authorities beyond their place in line.There may be anerror in this, or perhaps the confused mixture of elephants,cavalry and foot had prevented their making any chargewhatever, as they needed space to do efficient work.Perhaps