He hoped to fall upon the enemy while scattered in their
winter quarters, and defeat them before their generals could rally
them into a compact mass. But as he marched through a desert region
his army met with strong winds and bitter cold, so that the men were
forced to light large fires to warm themselves, and these gave notice
of their arrival to the enemy; for the natives who inhabited the
mountains near the line of Antigonus's march, when they saw the
numerous fires lighted by his troops, sent messengers on swift camels
to tell Peukestas what they had observed. He was much alarmed at the
news, and, noticing that the rest of the satraps shared his fears,
proposed to retreat to the opposite extremity of the province, where
they might at least reassemble a part of their force before the enemy
came up. Eumenes, however, calmed their fears by promising that he
would stop the progress of Antigonus, and prevent his coming to attack
them until three days after they expected him. His counsels prevailed,
and he at once despatched messengers to call the troops together out
of their winter quarters, and collect all the available force, while
he himself with the other generals rode to the front, and selecting a
spot which was plainly visible to those crossing the desert, ordered
fires to be lighted at intervals, as though an army were encamped
along the frontier awaiting the attack of Antigonus.
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