Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

368 THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT
cerning all that had befallen Darius at the hands
of Alexander, and how he had conquered him,
and slain him, and how he had become king over
his country, and what manner of man Darius was,
and how numerous were his soldiers, and how
great was his wealth. And he said unto them,
"Do ye yourselves come under the authority of
"Alexander, and lay upon yourselves tribute which
"shall be paid unto him each year, and then he
"will turn away from doing battle with you;" but
they refused to do this thing, and he gave orders
for his soldiers to join battle with them.
And it came to pass that when the armies were
drawn up in battle array to fight, Alexander's general
saw that the Indian soldiers were more numerous
than his own, and that there were in front of
The Indian them elephauts which carried upon their backs
elephants.
jg^j.g.g numbers of men; and it came to pass that
when the elephants drew nigh the horses of
Alexander's army were terrified and fled, and
the army was scattered. Then Salkeros and the
soldiers who were with him returned to their tents,
and he wrote a letter and sent it to Alexander
and acquainted him with that matter.
Then Alexander rose up with his army and
marched to where Salkeros was, and he and his
soldiers joined themselves to his army. And
Alexander took counsel with the governors of
Alexander his klugdom couceming the elephants, and [p. 216]
Chants ^
of they advised him to make elephants of brass and
brass.
^^^^ which could run upon iron wheels, and he