But when Cheirisophus saw that this ridge was occupied, he summoned Xenophon from the rear, bidding him at the same time to bring up peltasts to the front.  That Xenophon hesitated to do, for Tissaphernes and his whole army were coming up and were well within sight.  Galloping up to the front himself, he asked:  “Why do you summon me?” The other answered him:  “The reason is plain; look yonder; this crest which overhangs our descent has been occupied.  There is no passing, 39 until we have dislodged these fellows; why have you not brought up the light infantry?” Xenophon explained:  he had not thought it desirable to leave the rear unprotected, with an enemy appearing in the field of view.  “However, it is time,” he added, “to decide how we are to dislodge these fellows from the crest.”  At this moment his eye fell on the peak of the mountain, rising immediately above their army, and he could see an approach leading from it to the crest in question where the enemy lay.  He exclaimed:  “The best thing we can do, Cheirisophus, is to make a dash at the height itself, and with what speed we may.  If we take it, the party in command of the road will never be able to stop.  If you like, stay in command of the army, and I will go; or, if you prefer, do you go to the mountain, and I will stay here.”—­“I leave it to you,” Cheirisophus answered, “to choose which you like best.”  Xenophon remarking, “I am the younger,” elected to go; but he stipulated for a detachment from the front to accompany him, since it was a long way to fetch up troops from the rear.  Accordingly Cheirisophus furnished him with the light infantry from the front, reoccupying their place by those from the centre.  He also gave him, to form part of the detachment, the three hundred of the picked corps[10] under his own command at the head of the square.

[10] Some think that these three hundred are three of the detached
    companies described above; others, that they were a picked corps
    in attendance on the commander-in-chief.

They set out from the low ground with all the haste imaginable.  But the enemy in position on the crest no sooner perceived their advance upon the summit of the pass than they themselves set off full tilt in a rival race for the summit too.  Hoarse were the shouts of the Hellenic troops as the men cheered their companions forwards, and hoarse the answering shouts from the troops of Tissaphernes, urging on theirs.  Xenophon, mounted on his charger, rode beside his men, and roused their ardour the while.  “Now for it, brave sirs; bethink you that this race is for Hellas!—­now or never!—­to find your boys, your wives; one small effort, and the rest of the march we shall pursue in peace, without ever a blow to strike; now for it.”  But Soteridas the Sicyonian said:  “We are not on equal terms, Xenophon; you are mounted 47 on a horse; I can hardly get along with my shield to carry;” and he, on hearing the reproach, leapt from his horse.