The whole city had become a scene of riot and
wassail, and if the order were given to march, it was but too evident
that not a man would obey. Baffled in this direction, the keen-witted
Syracusan hit upon another plan, which he at once proceeded to carry
into effect.
Hermocrates was not mistaken in his conjecture. The beaten and
dispirited Athenians had now but one thought,--to break up their camp
with all despatch, and make their escape by land. They had still sixty
triremes left, and Demosthenes proposed to make one more attempt to
force the entrance of the Great Harbour; but when his suggestion was
made known to the crews, they broke into open mutiny, and flatly
refused to go on board. The generals were therefore compelled to adopt
the only alternative, and it was resolved to set out on that very
night. But Fortune had not yet exhausted her malice against the
hapless Athenians. The order to strike camp had been issued, and the
soldiers were busy preparing for the march, when a party of horsemen
rode up to the Athenian outposts, and hailing the sentinels, said that
they had a message to Nicias from his friends in Syracuse. "Tell him,"
said the spokesman of the party, "That he must not attempt to stir to-
night, for all the roads are held by strong detachments of the
Syracusans.
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