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the battering engines shook the walls above, and the miners sapped 

 their foundations below. Alarmed at length by these violent and 

 terrific movements, and seeing the utter impossibility of maintaining 

 an equal contest with troops so well disciplined in the science of 

 war, the Cathasans and their allies began to think of securing their 

 present safety by flight; trusting, if that could be effected, that 

 they should be able, by other modes of offensive operation, to 

 harass his troops and retard his farther progress on Indian ground. 

 The lake that partly environed their city was, in some places, 

 fordable ; by this way, therefore, they hoped to effect their escape 

 into the adjacent country ; and, in consequence, at the dead of 

 night, throwing open the gates in that quarter, the whole body of 

 the besieged attempted to force a passage through the surrounding 

 enemy. This they would in all probability have effected, had only 

 the ordinary guard been on duty there; but Alexander, having 

 cause to suspect their intention, had that very evening strengthened 

 the force on that station by a numerous squadron of horse, giving 

 orders to Ptolemy Lagos, who commanded that squadron, that, 

 the instant any such attempt should be made, all the trumpets 

 should sound to arms, when he himself, with the whole army not 

 immediately occupied in the defence of the lines, would repair to 

 the spot. Alexander had given orders that additional redoubts 

 should be thrown upon the side nearest the lake, and that the 

 roads should be blocked up by the carriages taken from the enemy 

 in the late engagement, laid across them, to obstruct the progress 

 of those who might escape the vigilance of the troops. These 

 orders were all punctually executed, and the fugitive troops found 

 that they had no sooner escaped the danger of being ingulphed in 

 the lake, than they were surrounded by great bodies of cavalry, to 

 whom resistance was unavailing, and who slaughtered them without 

 mercy. The first ranks being thus unexpectedly cut off, and the 



