A Discovery of Riches-And Other Stories (Part 1)

Prologue

The sunlight was fast receding and he’d finally made up his mind. Rearing around to face his commanders, he called out:

‘Thats far enough for today’, signalling an end to the days march. The soldiers would dutifully set up camp for the night. Their irritatingly slow homebound journey would have to wait until daybreak tomorrow. There would be many such infuriating stops along the way. The price you pay for ambition.

He was a man of few words now. What is left to say when you’ve mastered countless opposing armies, 3000 miles of land and its inhabitants? That said, his last battle at the Hydaspes River had proved to be the toughest in his campaign so far. King Porus-the local ruler, had really tested the Macedonian army with an elephant infantry! He’d survived and won the historic battle, but not without heavy casualties.

He had wanted to press further east, but his loyal, battle weary men had refused to go further. The greatest conqueror of the world had finally succumbed–to his own men. Smoking his pipe while taking a stroll through this latest campsite, he couldn’t help ignore the irony of his defeat.

Before turning in for the night, he made his way to the makeshift stable, wanting to check in on Bucephalus, his beloved war horse. He had tamed Bucephalus at the age of thirteen and some claimed he was more close to the horse than any human being. His critics got a lot of things wrong. This observation was not one of them.

What he saw next blew his mind. Becephalus and other horses of the Companion Cavalry, who had already been fed their quota of hay for the night, were furiously licking the ground. He bent down and tracked his finger across the strange red rock that glowed when he brought his torch up close. Instinctively, he licked his finger to taste what the fuss was all about. Amazed, he slowly rose up and cast his torch along the area behind the stable. The strange glowing red rock was everywhere! As far as his eye could see.

Alexander the Great had just discovered what to this day is considered the second largest salt mine deposit in the world.

The area?

The site was not too far from from the Hydaspes river. But that was 326 BC.

Today, the river is known by another name. ‘Darya-e-Jehlum’ and the salt mines are in a town known as Khewra.

In modern day Pakistan.

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Originally published at khashmi.wordpress.com on March 5, 2015.