Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

ALEXANDER'S EPISTLE TO ARISTOTLE, 1 49
of wood and to set it down in the jungle. And
they cut down the trees and piled them up to an The jungie
is set on fire.
exceedingly great height, and I commanded them
to set them on fire, and the wild beasts rushed
out upon us, and some' of them were consumed
in the flames and some of them rushed out wildly^
seeking to escape, and we slew them as they fled.
And on the second night, behold, [there came] a monster
1
a
m
beast
1*1
which was
1
larger
1
than
11
an elephant,
invades
and,^ camp.
the
when it drew nigh to the ditch within which we
had entrenched ourselves it wished to escape, but
it was not able to do so. Now when I saw this,
I commanded that herald to go round about
through the camp [and to order the soldiers] to
put on their armour and to protect themselves
that night, and I informed them concerning the
beast the like of which I had never seen before;
and I commanded them, moreover, to light fires
round about them, and that each man should
abide in his own place the whole of that night.
And when the beast saw the fighting men it lifted it is trapped
itself up and betook itself to flight, but as it was
fleeing, by reason of its mighty rage it fell into
the ditch within which we had entrenched our-
selves; and I commanded thirty of our mighty
warriors to rise up against it and to slay it, and
they slew^ that beast.
^ Read fflfl '-
' The word H'f'A'fl'Vfl ' is written over an erasure, and
the reading is uncertain.
3 Read (D^^^^P :
in a ditch
and killed.