When he had listened to these remarks, Cleander replied that if such had been the conduct of Dexippus, he could not congratulate him.  “But still,” he added, turning to the generals, “were Dexippus ever so great a scamp he ought not to suffer violence; but in the language of your own demand he was entitled to a fair trial, and so to obtain his deserts.  What I have to say at present therefore is:  leave your friend here and go your way, and when I give the order be present at the trial.  I have no further charge against the army or any one, since the prisoner himself admits that he rescued the man.”  Then the man who had been rescued said:  “In behalf of myself, Cleander, if possibly you think that I was being taken up for some misdeed, it is not so; I neither struck nor shot; I merely said, ’The sheep are public property;’ for it was a resolution of the soldiers that whenever the army went out as a body any booty privately obtained was to be public property.  That was all I said, and thereupon yonder fellow seized me 28 and began dragging me off.  He wanted to stop our mouths, so that he might have a share of the things himself, and keep the rest for these buccaneers, contrary to the ordinance.”  In answer to that Cleander said:  “Very well, if that is your disposition you can stay behind too, and we will take your case into consideration also.”

Thereupon Cleander and his party proceeded to breakfast; but Xenophon collected the army in assembly, and advised their sending a deputation to Cleander to intercede in behalf of the men.  Accordingly it was resolved to send some generals and officers with Dracontius the Spartan, and of the rest those who seemed best fitted to go.  The deputation was to request Cleander by all means to release the two men.  Accordingly Xenophon came and addressed him thus:  “Cleander, you have the men; the army has bowed to you and assented to do what you wished with respect to these two members of their body and themselves in general.  But now they beg and pray you to give up these two men, and not to put them to death.  Many a good service have these two wrought for our army in past days.  Let them but obtain this from you, and in return the army promises that, if you will put yourself at their head and the gracious gods approve, they will show you how orderly they are, how apt to obey their general, and, with heaven’s help, to face their foes unflinchingly.  They make this further request to you, that you will present yourself and take command of them and make trial of them.  ‘Test us ourselves,’ they say, ’and test Dexippus, what each of us is like, and afterwards assign to each his due.’” When Cleander heard these things, he answered:  “Nay, by the twin gods, I will answer you quickly enough.  Here I make you a present of the two men, and I will as you say present myself, and then, if the gods vouchsafe, I will put myself at your head and lead you into Hellas.  Very different is your language from the tale I used to hear concerning you from certain people, that you wanted to withdraw the army from allegiance to the Lacedaemonians.”