The Macedonians now swarmed round him, snatched him up just as he
fainted away, and carried him insensible to his tent. A rumour now ran
through the camp that he was dead, and his attendants with great
difficulty sawed through the wooden shaft of the arrow, and so got off
his corslet. They next had to pluck out the barbed head of the arrow,
which was firmly fixed in one of his ribs. This arrow-head is said to
have measured four fingers-breadths[424] in length, and three in
width. When it was pulled out, he swooned away, so that he nearly
died, but at length recovered his strength. When he was out of danger,
though still very weak, as he had to keep himself under careful
treatment for a long time, he heard a disturbance without, and
learning that the Macedonians were anxious to see him, took his cloak
and went out to them. After sacrificing to the gods for the recovery
of his health, he started again on his journey, and passed through a
great extent of country and past many considerable cities, all of
which he subdued.
LXIV. He captured ten of the Indian philosophers called
Gymnosophistae;[425] who had been instrumental in causing Sabbas to
revolt, and had done much mischief to the Macedonians. These men are
renowned for their short, pithy answers, and Alexander put difficult
questions to all of them, telling them that he would first put to
death the man who answered him worst, and so the rest in order.
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