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

672 EUMENES' SECOND RUSE.severity ofthe weather was such that he could no longer preventthe men from kindling fires at some part of the longwinter night. Eumenes was not careless. He had been onthe watch.Fully aware of the danger he ran from the dispersionof his troops, he sent out a large number of patrolsand spies, who soon brought him in word that numerouscamp-fires had been seen in the mountain region to the north.This gave him ample warning ofEumenes' lieutenants advised him toAntigonus' approach.speedily withdraw toanother part of Cambasene. But Eumenes assured themthat he could stop Antigonus' advance long enough toallowthe troops to concentrate — three or four days in any event.He hurriedly gathered the nearest bodies of troops, and stationedthem along the mountain across the path on whichAntigonus was approaching, and ordered other bodies up onthe right and left to occupy the most salient parts of thefoothills at considerable intervals, as if they had come fromdifferent directions. To all these bodies he gave orders tolight numerous fires close together, as would be usual in acamp, and keep these fires very bright in the first watch(6-9 p. M.) — this being the time when the soldiers werewont to rub their bodies with oil before the fires, as well ascook their meals — then less so in the second watch (9-12P. M.), and to let them gradually go out after midnight. Hethus counterfeited the presence of large bodies oftroops.Antigonus was duly informed of the existence of thesecamp-fires, and was persuaded that Eumenes had concentrated.Unwilling to encounter Eumenes' better army, unless by asurprise, he gave up his attempt, and headed in thedirectionby which he could reach a territory which would afford himrest and shelter and food before seeking: battle with the enemy.Eumenes gained abundant time to concentrate, andwent into an intrenched camp in a favorable location.Twice,