Page:From Constantinople to the home of Omar Khayyam.djvu/328

 182 EXCURSIONS FROM DAMGHAN TO FRAT AND TAK

before an hour should elapse, a terrific sand-storm, which almost obliterated the trail, would be blowing like a blast in our teeth. Shower after shower of stinging dust filled the air and sifted down in clogging masses upon forgotten Shahr-i Kumis, and I could understand how, when once the ruin had begun, the city could gradually sink into oblivion.

By evening we reached Damghan again and found a hearty welcome awaiting us from the Prince Governor after our long day's ride of nine hours over an area of more than fifty miles that formed a historic part of his large domain.

That night I could not sleep, for my mind was too full of Alexander and of the closing stage of his forced marches in pursuit of Darius. The very part of the route ahead of us to the east on the way to Shahrud was ' the road which was desert because of lack of water,' as Alexander's historian Arrian told (3. 21. 7). That was the tract traversed at breakneck speed, to end in an overwhelming victory at dawn over the straggling remains of the retreating Persian host. The futile resistance that was attempted, the wild panic that ensued, and the closing scene of the tragedy — Darius slain by the traitorous weapons of his own generals, and deserted of all, save his faithful dog — were pictures that were as vivid in my mind as" if enacted the day before. 1 The body of the dead king was accorded royal honors by the victor and was sent to Persepolis. Alexander turned back to Hecatompylos to unite his forces and to give his soldiers some days' rest, at the same time celebrating his triumph, before proceeding to take vengeance upon the regicides, Bessus and Nabarzanes. The former arch-conspirator had fled east- ward towards Bactria ; the latter, northward into Hyrcania. Alexander chose to follow Nabarzanes at once, leaving the fate of Bessus to be decided later, and accordingly he struck north- ward from Hecatompylos into Tabaristan and Hyrcania. On

1 The incident of the dog that alone Animalium^ 6. 25 (ed. Hercher, Leip- remained faithful to Darius even in zig, 1864). For references to Darius's death is told by Aelian, De Natura death see p. 117, n. 6.

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