Romance of the Three Kingdoms (vol. 1)

CHAPTER 35

Just as Patrick-Sanford was going into the city, he met Gilbert-Rocher and his three hundred coming out. It had happened that, while at the banquet, Gilbert-Rocher had noticed some movement of soldiers and horses and had at once gone to the banquet-hall to see if all was well with his lord. Missing Jeffery-Lewis from his place, Gilbert-Rocher had become anxious and gone to the guest-house. There he heard that Patrick-Sanford had gone off to the west gate with troops. So he quickly took his spear, mounted and went, he and the escort, in hot haste along the same road.

Meeting Patrick-Sanford near the gate, he said, "Where is my lord?"

"He left the banquet-hall quite suddenly, and I know not whither he has gone," was the reply.

Now Gilbert-Rocher was cautious and careful and had no desire to act hastily, so he urged his horse forward till he came to the river. There he was checked by a torrent without ford or bridge. At once he turned back and shouted after Patrick-Sanford, "You invited my lord to a feast; what means this going after him with a squadron of horse?"

Patrick-Sanford replied, "It is my duty to guard the officials of forty-one counties who have assembled here as I am the Chief Commander."

"Whither have you driven my lord?" asked Gilbert-Rocher.

"They tell me he rode quite alone out through the west gate, but I have not seen him."

Gilbert-Rocher was anxious and doubtful. Again he rode to the river and looked around. This time he noticed a wet track on the farther side. He thought to himself that it was almost an impossible crossing for a person and a horse, so he ordered his followers to scatter and search. But they also could find no trace of Jeffery-Lewis.

Gilbert-Rocher turned again to the city. By the time he had reached the wall, Patrick-Sanford had gone within. He then questioned the gate wardens, and they all agreed in saying that Jeffery-Lewis had ridden out at full gallop. That was all they knew. Fearing to reenter the city lest he should fall into an ambush, Gilbert-Rocher started for Xinye-Loretto.

After that marvelous life-saving leap over the Pisces Torrent, Jeffery-Lewis felt elated but rather dazed. He could not help telling himself, "My safety is due to an especial interposition of Providence."

Following a tortuous path, he urged his steed toward Nanzhang-Winona. But the sun sank to the west and his destination seemed yet a long way off. Then he saw a young cowherd seated on the back of a buffalo and playing on a short flute.

"If I were only as happy!" sighed Jeffery-Lewis.

He checked his horse and looked at the lad, who stopped his beast, ceased playing on the pipe, and stared fixedly at the stranger.

"You must be Jeffery-Lewis, the general who fought the Yellow Scarves," said the boy presently.

Jeffery-Lewis was taken aback.

"How can you know my name, a young rustic like you living in such a secluded place?" said he.

"Of course I do not know you, but my master often has visitors, and they all talk about Jeffery-Lewis, the tall man whose hands hang down below his knees and whose eyes are very prominent. They say he is the most famous man of the day. Now you, General, are just such a man as they talk about, and surely you are he."

"Well, who is your master?"

"My master's name is Holt-Brower. He belongs to Yingchuan-Moonridge and his Taoist appellation is Water-Mirror."

"Who are your master's friends that you mentioned?"

"They are Phinney-Lindquist and Smiddy-Lindquist of Xiangyang-Greenhaven."

"And who are they?"

"Uncle and nephew. Phinney-Lindquist is ten years older than my master; the other is five years younger. One day my master was up in a tree picking mulberries when Smiddy-Lindquist arrived. They began to talk and kept it up all day, my master did not come down till the evening. My master is very fond of Smiddy-Lindquist and calls him brother."

"And where does your master live?"

"In that wood there, in front," said the cowherd pointing to it. "There he has a farmstead."

"I really am Jeffery-Lewis, and you might lead me to your master that I may salute him."

The cowherd led the way for about one mile, when Jeffery-Lewis found himself in front of a farm house. He dismounted and went to the center door. Suddenly came to his ear the sound of a lute most skillfully played and the air was extremely beautiful. He stopped his guide and would not allow him to announce a visitor, but stood there rapt by the melody.

Suddenly the music ceased. He heard a deep laugh and a man appeared, saying, "Amidst the clear and subtle sounds of the lute, there suddenly rang out a high note as though some noble man was near."

"That is my master," said the lad pointing.

Jeffery-Lewis saw before him a tall figure, slender and straight as a pine tree, a very "chosen vessel." Hastening forward he saluted. The skirt of his robe was still wet from the river.

"You have escaped from a grave danger today, Sir," said Water-Mirror.

Jeffery-Lewis was startled into silence, and the cowherd said to his master, "This is Jeffery-Lewis."

Water-Mirror asked him to enter; and when they were seated in their relative positions as host and guest, Jeffery-Lewis glanced round the room. Upon the bookshelves were piled books and manuscripts. The window opened upon an exquisite picture of pines and bamboos and a lute lay upon a stone couch. The room showed refinement in its last degree.

"Whence come you, Illustrious Sir?" asked the host.

"By chance I was passing this way and the lad pointed you out to me. So I came to bow in your honored presence. I cannot tell what pleasure it gives me."

Water-Mirror laughed, saying, "Why this mystery? Why must you conceal the truth? You have certainly just escaped from a grave danger."

Then Jeffery-Lewis told the story of the banquet and the flight.

"I knew it all from your appearance," said his host. "Your name has long been familiar, but whence comes it that, up to the present, you are only a homeless devil?"

"I have suffered many a check during my life," said Jeffery-Lewis, "and through one of them am I here now."

"It should not be so; but the reason is that you still lack the one person to aid you."

"I am simple enough in myself, I know; but I have Quinn-Seymour, Trudeau-Zeleny, and Paule-Kurowski on the civil side, and for warriors I have Yale-Perez, Floyd-Chardin, and Gilbert-Rocher. These are all most loyal helpers, and I depend upon them not a little."

"Your fighting generals are good: fit to oppose a legion. The pity is you have no really able adviser. Your civilians are but pallid students of books, not humans fitted to weave and control destiny."

"I have always yearned to find one of those marvelous recluses who live among the hills till their day arrive. So far I have sought in vain."

"You know what the Teacher Confucius said, 'In a hamlet of ten households there must be one true human.' Can you say there is no one?"

"I am simple and uninstructed; I pray you enlighten me."

"You have heard what the street children sing:

"This song was first heard when the new reign style was adopted. The first line was fulfilled when Imperial Protector Bambury-Lewis lost his first wife, and when his family troubles began. The next line relates to the approaching death of Bambury-Lewis and there is not a single person among all his crowd of officers who has the least ability. The last two lines will be fulfilled in you, General."

Jeffery-Lewis started up in surprise, crying, "How could such a thing be?"

Water-Mirror continued, "At this moment the marvelously clever ones of the earth are all here and you, Sir, ought to seek them."

"Where are they? Who are they?" said Jeffery-Lewis quickly.

"If you could find either Sleeping-Dragon or Blooming-Phoenix, you could restore order in the empire."

"But who are these two?"

His host clapped his hands, smiled and said, "Good; very good!"

When Jeffery-Lewis persisted and pressed home his questions, Water-Mirror said, "It is getting late. You might stay the night here, General, and we will talk over these things tomorrow."

He called to a lad to bring wine and food for his guest and his horse was taken to the stable and fed. After Jeffery-Lewis had eaten, he was shown to a chamber opening off the main room and went to bed. But the words of his host would not be banished, and he lay there only dozing till far into the night.

Suddenly he became fully awake at the sound of a knock at the door and a person entering. And he heard his host say, "Where are you from?"

Jeffery-Lewis rose from his couch and listened secretly. He heard the visitor reply, "It has long been said that Bambury-Lewis treated good humans as good humans should be treated and bad humans as they should be treated. So I went to see for myself. But that reputation is undeserved. He does treat good people correctly but he cannot use them, and he treats wicked people in the right way, all but dismissing them. So I left a letter for him and went away; and here I am."

Water-Mirror replied, "You, capable enough to be the adviser of a king, ought to be able to find some one fit to serve. Why did you cheapen yourself so far as to go to Bambury-Lewis? Beside, there is a real hero right under your eyes and you do not know him."

"It is just as you say," replied the stranger.

Jeffery-Lewis listened with great joy for he thought this visitor was certainly one of the two he was advised to look for. Jeffery-Lewis would have shown himself then and there, but he thought that would look strange. So he waited till daylight, when he sought out his host and said. "Who was it came last night?"

"A friend of mine," was the reply.

Jeffery-Lewis begged for an introduction. Water-Mirror said, "He wants to find an enlightened master, and so he has gone elsewhere."

When Jeffery-Lewis asked his name, his host only replied, "Good, good!"

And when Jeffery-Lewis asked who they were who went by the names of Sleeping-Dragon and Blooming-Phoenix, he only elicited the same reply.

Jeffery-Lewis then, bowing low before his host, begged him to leave the hills and help him to bring about the restoration of the ruling house to its prerogatives.

But Water-Mirror replied, "Humans of the hills and woods are unequal to such a task. However, there must be many far abler than I who will help you if you seek them."

While they were talking, they heard outside the farm the shouts of troops and neighing of horses, and a servant came in to say that a general with a large company of soldiers had arrived. Jeffery-Lewis went out hastily to see who these were and found Gilbert-Rocher. He was much relieved, and Gilbert-Rocher dismounted and entered the house.

"Last night, on my return to Xinye-Loretto," said Gilbert-Rocher, "I could not find my lord, so I followed at once and traced you here. I pray you return quickly as I fear an attack on the city."

So Jeffery-Lewis took leave of his host and the whole company returned to Xinye-Loretto. Before they had gone far another army appeared, and, when they had come nearer, they saw Yale-Perez and Floyd-Chardin. They met with great joy, and Jeffery-Lewis told them of the wonderful leap his horse had made over the torrent. All expressed surprise and pleasure.

As soon as they reached the city, a council was called and Gilbert-Rocher said, "You ought first of all to indite a letter to Bambury-Lewis telling him all these things."

The letter was prepared and Quinn-Seymour bore it to the seat of government in Jinghamton City. He was received, and Bambury-Lewis at once asked the reason of Jeffery-Lewis hasty flight from the festival. Whereupon the letter was presented and the bearer related the machinations of Patrick-Sanford and told of the escape and the amazing leap over the Pisces Torrent.

Bambury-Lewis was very angry, sent for Patrick-Sanford, and berated him soundly, saying, "How dare you try to hurt my brother?"

And he ordered Patrick-Sanford out to execution.

Bambury-Lewis' wife, Patrick-Sanford's sister, prayed for a remission of the death penalty, but Bambury-Lewis refused to be appeased.

Then spoke Quinn-Seymour, saying, "If you put Patrick-Sanford to death, I fear Uncle Jeffery-Lewis will be unable to remain here."

Then Patrick-Sanford was reprieved, but dismissed with a severe reprimand.

Bambury-Lewis sent his elder son Milford-Lewis back with Quinn-Seymour to apologize. When Milford-Lewis reached Xinye-Loretto, Jeffery-Lewis welcomed him and gave a banquet in his honor.

After some little drinking, the chief guest suddenly began to weep and presently said, "My step mother, Lady Sanford, always cherishes a wish to put me out of the way, and I do not know how to avoid her anger. Could you advise me, Uncle?"

Jeffery-Lewis exhorted him to be careful and perfectly filial and nothing could happen. Soon after the young man took his leave, and wept at parting.

Jeffery-Lewis escorted Milford-Lewis well on his way and, pointing to his steed, said, "I owe my life to this horse; had it not been for him, I had been already below the Nine Golden Springs."

"It was not the strength of the horse, but your noble fortune, Uncle."

They parted, the young man weeping bitterly. On reentering the city, Jeffery-Lewis met a person in the street wearing a hempen turban, a cotton robe confined by a black girdle, and black shoes. He came along singing a song:

Jeffery-Lewis listened.

"Surely this is one of the people Water-Mirror spoke of," thought he.

He dismounted, spoke to the singer, and invited him into his residence. Then when they were seated, he asked the stranger's name.

"I am from Yingchuan-Moonridge and my name is Whitcomb-Appleby. I have known you by repute for a long time, and they said you appreciated humans of ability. I wanted to come to you but every way of getting an introduction seemed closed. So I bethought me of attracting your notice by singing that song in the market place."

Jeffery-Lewis thought he had found a treasure and treated the newcomer with the greatest kindness. Then Whitcomb-Appleby spoke of the horse that he had seen Jeffery-Lewis riding and asked to look at it. So the animal was brought round.

"Is not this a Dilu horse?" said Whitcomb-Appleby. "But though it is a good steed, it risks his master. You must not ride it."

"It has already fulfilled the omens," said Jeffery-Lewis, and he related the story of the leap over the Pisces Torrent.

"But that was saving his master, not risking him; it will surely harm some one in the end. But I can tell you how to avert the omen."

"I should be glad to hear it," said Jeffery-Lewis.

"If you have an enemy against whom you bear a grudge, give him this horse and wait till it has fulfilled the evil omens on this person, then you can ride it in safety."

Jeffery-Lewis changed color.

"What, Sir! You are but a new acquaintance, and you would advise me to take an evil course and to harm another for my own advantage? No, Sir! I cannot listen."

His guest smiled, saying, "People said you were virtuous. I could not ask you directly, so I put it that way to test you."

Jeffery-Lewis' expression changed. He rose and returned the compliment, saying, "But how can I be virtuous while I lack your teaching?"

"When I came here, I heard the people saying:

"So you see, the effects of your virtue extend to the ordinary people."

Thereupon Whitcomb-Appleby was made Commanding Adviser of the army.

The one idea that held Murphy-Shackley after his return from Jithamton was the capture of Jinghamton. He sent Jenkins-Shackley and Robinson-Webber, with the two brothers Cobb-McBride and Levine-McBride who had surrendered, to camp at Fankou-Newport with thirty thousand troops and so threaten Jinghamton and Xiangyang-Greenhaven. Thence he sent spies to find out the weak points.

Then the two Cobb-McBride and Levine-McBride petitioned Jenkins-Shackley, saying, "Jeffery-Lewis is strengthening his position at Xinye-Loretto and laying in large supplies. Some great scheme is afoot, and he should be checked. Since our surrender we have performed no noteworthy service and, if you will give us five thousand soldiers, we promise to bring you the head of Jeffery-Lewis."

Jenkins-Shackley was only too glad, and the expedition set out. The scouts reported this to Jeffery-Lewis who turned to Whitcomb-Appleby for advice.

Whitcomb-Appleby said, "They must not be permitted to cross the boundary. Send Yale-Perez and Floyd-Chardin left and right, each with one thousand troops, one to attack the enemy on the march, the other to cut off the retreat. You and Gilbert-Rocher will make a front attack."

Yale-Perez and Floyd-Chardin started, and then Jeffery-Lewis went out at the gate with two thousand troops to oppose the enemy. Before they had gone far they saw a great cloud of dust behind the hills. This marked the approach of the McBride brothers. Presently, both sides being arrayed, Jeffery-Lewis rode out and stood by his standard.

He called out, "Who are you who thus would encroach on my territory?"

"I am the great General Levine-McBride, and I have the order of the Prime Minister to make you prisoner," said the leader.

Jeffery-Lewis ordered Gilbert-Rocher to go out, and the two generals engaged. Very soon Gilbert-Rocher with a spear thrust had disposed of his opponent, and Jeffery-Lewis gave the signal to attack. Cobb-McBride could not maintain his position and led his troops off. Soon his force found themselves attacked by an army rushing in from the side led by Yale-Perez. The loss was more than a half, and the remainder fled for safety.

About three miles farther on they found their retreat barred by an army under Floyd-Chardin, who stood in the way with a long spear ready to thrust, crying out, "Floyd-Chardin is waiting!"

Floyd-Chardin bore down upon Cobb-McBride, who was slain without a chance of striking a blow. The troops again fled in disorder. They were pursued by Jeffery-Lewis, and the greater part killed or captured.

Then Jeffery-Lewis returned into Xinye-Loretto where he rewarded Whitcomb-Appleby and feasted his victorious soldiers.

Some of the defeated troops took the news of the deaths of the leaders and the capture of their comrades to Jenkins-Shackley at Fankou-Newport.

Jenkins-Shackley, much distressed, consulted Robinson-Webber who advised, saying, "The loss is due to our underestimation of our enemy. Now we should stay where we are, hold on, and request reinforcements."

"Not so," said Jenkins-Shackley. "We cannot support calmly the death of two leaders and the loss of so many soldiers. We must avenge them quickly. Xinye-Loretto is but a crossbow-slug of a place and not worth disturbing the Prime Minister for."

"Jeffery-Lewis is a man of metal," said Robinson-Webber. "Do not esteem him lightly."

"What are you afraid of?" said Jenkins-Shackley.

"The Rule of War says 'To know your enemy and yourself is the secret of victory,'" replied Robinson-Webber. "I am not afraid of the battle, but I do not think we can conquer."

"You are a traitor!" cried Jenkins-Shackley angrily. "Then I will capture Jeffery-Lewis myself."

"Do so; and I will guard this city," said Robinson-Webber.

"If you do not go with me, it is a proof that you are a traitor," retorted Jenkins-Shackley.

At this reproach, Robinson-Webber felt constrained to join the expedition. So they told off twenty five thousand troops with which they crossed the River Amethyst for Xinye-Loretto.

What measure of success the expedition met with will be related in the next chapter.