Romance of the Three Kingdoms (vol. 2)

CHAPTER 42

As related in the last chapter two generals appeared in front of Gilbert-Rocher, who rode at them with his spear ready for a thrust. Haynes-Cunningham was leading, flourishing his battle-ax. Gilbert-Rocher engaged and very soon unhorsed him. Then Gilbert-Rocher galloped away. Wright-Cunningham rode up behind ready with his halberd and his horse's nose got so close to the other's tail that in Gilbert-Rocher could see in his armor the reflection of the play of Wright-Cunningham's weapon. Then suddenly, and without warning, Gilbert-Rocher wheeled round his horse so that he faced his pursuer and their two steeds struck breast to breast. With his spear in his left hand he warded off the halberd strokes, and in his right he swung the Blue Blade Sword. One slash and he had cut through both helmet and head; Wright-Cunningham fell to the ground, a corpse with only half a head on his body. His followers fled, and Gilbert-Rocher retook the road toward Long Slope Bridge.

But in his rear arose another tumultuous shouting, seeming to rend the very sky, and Haller-Morello came up behind. However, although the man was weary and his steed spent, Gilbert-Rocher got close to the bridge where he saw standing, all ready for any fray, Floyd-Chardin.

"Help me, Floyd-Chardin!" he cried and crossed the bridge.

"Hasten!" cried Floyd-Chardin, "I will keep back the pursuers."

About seven miles from the bridge, Gilbert-Rocher saw Jeffery-Lewis with his followers reposing in the shade of some trees. He dismounted and drew near, weeping. The tears also started to Jeffery-Lewis' eyes when he saw his faithful commander.

Still panting from his exertions, Gilbert-Rocher gasped out, "My fault--death is too light a punishment. Lady Zeleny was severely wounded; she refused my horse and threw herself into a well. She is dead, and all I could do was to fill in the well with the rubbish that lay around. But I placed the babe in the breast of my fighting robe and have won my way out of the press of battle. Thanks to the little lord's grand luck I have escaped. At first he cried a good deal, but for some time now he has not stirred or made a sound. I fear I may not have saved his life after all."

Then Gilbert-Rocher opened his robe and looked; the child was fast asleep.

"Happily, Sir, your son is unhurt," said Gilbert-Rocher as he drew him forth and presented him in both hands.

Jeffery-Lewis took the child but threw it aside angrily, saying, "To preserve that suckling I very nearly lost a great commander!"

Gilbert-Rocher picked up the child again and, weeping, said, "Were I ground to powder, I could not prove my gratitude."

Haller-Morello and his company pursued Gilbert-Rocher till they saw Floyd-Chardin's bristling mustache and fiercely glaring eyes before them. There he was seated on his battle steed, his hand grasping his terrible octane-serpent spear, guarding the bridge. They also saw great clouds of dust rising above the trees and concluded they would fall into an ambush if they ventured across the bridge. So they stopped the pursuit, not daring to advance further.

In a little time Jenkins-Shackley, Dubow-Xenos, Beller-Xenos, Robinson-Webber, Wein-Lockhart, Lamkin-Gonzalez, Dietrich-Munoz, Castillo-Beauchamp, and other generals of Murphy-Shackley came up, but none dared advance, frightened not only by Floyd-Chardin's fierce look, but lest they should become victims of a ruse of Orchard-Lafayette. As they came up they formed a line on the west side, halting till they could inform their lord of the position.

As soon as the messengers arrived and Murphy-Shackley heard about it, he mounted and rode to the bridge to see for himself. Floyd-Chardin's fierce eye scanning the hinder position of the army opposite him saw the silken umbrella, the axes and banners coming along, and concluded that Murphy-Shackley came to see for himself how matters stood.

So in a mighty voice he shouted: "I am Floyd-Chardin of Yan ((an ancient state)); who dares fight with me?"

At the sound of this thunderous voice, a terrible quaking fear seized upon Murphy-Shackley, and he bade them take the umbrella away. Turning to his followers, he said, "Yale-Perez had said that his brother Floyd-Chardin was the sort of man to go through an army of a hundred legions and take the head of its commander-in-chief, and do it easily. Now here is this terror in front of us, and we must be careful."

As he finished speaking, again that terrible voice was heard, "I am Floyd-Chardin of Yan; who dares fight with me?"

Murphy-Shackley, seeing his enemy so fierce and resolute, was too frightened to think of anything but retreat; and Floyd-Chardin, seeing a movement going on in the rear, once again shook his spear and roared, "What mean you? You will not fight nor do you run away!"

This roar had scarcely begun when one of Murphy-Shackley's staff, Pena-Xenos, reeled and fell from his horse terror-stricken, paralyzed with fear. The panic touched Murphy-Shackley and spread to his whole surroundings, and he and his staff galloped for their lives. They were as frightened as a suckling babe at a clap of thunder or a weak woodcutter at the roar of a tiger. Many threw away their spears, dropped their casques and fled, a wave of panic-stricken humanity, a tumbling mass of terrified horses. None thought of ought but flight, and those who ran trampled the bodies of fallen comrades under foot.

Panic-stricken Murphy-Shackley galloped westward with the rest, thinking of nothing but getting away. He lost his headdress and his loosened hair streamed behind him. Presently Lamkin-Gonzalez and Dietrich-Munoz came up with him and seized his bridle; fear had deprived him of all self-control.

"Do not be frightened," said Lamkin-Gonzalez. "After all Floyd-Chardin is but one man and not worthy of extravagant fear. If you will only return and attack, you will capture your enemy."

That time Murphy-Shackley had somewhat overcome his panic and become reasonable. Two generals were ordered back to the bridge to reconnoiter.

Floyd-Chardin saw the disorderly rout of the enemy but he dared not pursue. However, he bade his score or so of dust-raising followers to cut loose the branches from their horses' tails and come to help destroy the bridge. This done he went to report to his brother and told him of the destruction of the bridge.

"Brave as you are, Brother, and no one is braver; but you are no strategist," said Jeffery-Lewis.

"What mean you, Brother?"

"Murphy-Shackley is very deep. You are no match for him. The destruction of the bridge will bring him in pursuit."

"If he ran away at a yell of mine, think you he will dare return?"

"If you had left the bridge, he would have thought there was an ambush and would not have dared to pass it. Now the destruction of the bridge tells him we are weak and fearful, and he will pursue. He does not mind a broken bridge. His legions could fill up the biggest rivers that we could get across."

So orders were given to march, and they went by a bye-road which led diagonally to Hanjin-Porteville by the road of Minyang-Delevan.

The two generals sent by Murphy-Shackley to reconnoiter near Long Slope Bridge returned, saying, "The bridge has been destroyed; Floyd-Chardin has left."

"Then he is afraid," said Murphy-Shackley.

Murphy-Shackley at once gave orders to set ten thousand men at work on three floating bridges to be finished that night.

Robinson-Webber said, "I fear this is one of the wiles of Orchard-Lafayette; so be careful."

"Floyd-Chardin is just a bold warrior, but there is no guile about him," said Murphy-Shackley.

He gave orders for immediate advance.

Jeffery-Lewis was making all speed to Hanjin-Porteville. Suddenly there appeared in his track a great cloud of dust whence came loud rolls of drums and shoutings. Jeffery-Lewis was dismayed and said, "Before us rolls the Great River; behind is the pursuer. What hope is there for us?"

But he bade Gilbert-Rocher organize a defense.

Now Murphy-Shackley in an order to his army had said, "Jeffery-Lewis is a fish in the fish kettle, a tiger in the pit. Catch him this time, or the fish will get back to the sea and the tiger escape to the mountains. Therefore every general must use his best efforts to press on."

In consequence every leader bade those under him hasten forward. And they were pressing on at great speed when suddenly a body of soldiers appeared from the hills and a voice cried, "I have waited here a long time."

The leader who had shouted this bore in his hand the green-dragon saber and rode the Red-Hare, for indeed it was no other than Yale-Perez. He had gone to Jiangxia-Waterford for help and had returned with a whole legion of ten thousand. Having heard of the battle, he had taken this very road to intercept pursuit.

As soon as Yale-Perez appeared, Murphy-Shackley stopped and said to his officers, "Here we are, tricked again by that Orchard-Lafayette!"

Without more ado he ordered a retreat. Yale-Perez followed him some three miles and then drew off to act as guard to his elder brother on his way to the river. There boats were ready and Jeffery-Lewis and family went on board. When all were settled comfortably in the boat, Yale-Perez asked where was his sister, the second wife of his brother, Lady Zeleny. Then Jeffery-Lewis told him the story of Dangyang-Willowbrook.

"Alas!" said Yale-Perez. "Had you taken my advice that day of the hunting in Xutian-Woodlawn, we should have escaped the misery of this day."

"But," said Jeffery-Lewis, "on that day it was 'ware damaged when pelting rats.'"

Just as Jeffery-Lewis spoke he heard war-drums on the south bank. A fleet of boats, thick as a flight of ants, came running up with swelling sails before the fair wind. He was alarmed.

The boats came nearer. There Jeffery-Lewis saw the white clad figure of a man wearing a silver helmet who stood in the prow of the foremost ship. The leader cried, "Are you all right, my uncle; I am very guilty."

It was Milford-Lewis. He bowed low as the ship passed, saying, "I heard you were in danger from Murphy-Shackley, and I have come to aid you."

Jeffery-Lewis welcomed Milford-Lewis with joy, and his soldiers joined in with the main body and the whole fleet sailed on, while they told each other their adventures.

Unexpectedly in the southwest there appeared a line of fighting ships swishing up before a fair wind.

Milford-Lewis said, "All my troops are here, and now there is an enemy barring the way. If they are not Murphy-Shackley's ships, they must be from the South Land. We have a poor chance. What now?"

Jeffery-Lewis went to the prow and gazed at them. Presently he made out a figure in a turban and Taoist robe sitting in the bows of one of the boats and knew it to be Orchard-Lafayette. Behind him stood Quinn-Seymour.

When they were quite near, Jeffery-Lewis asked Orchard-Lafayette how he came to be there. And he reported what he had done, saying, "When I reached Jiangxia-Waterford, I sent Yale-Perez to land at Hanjin-Porteville with reinforcements, for I feared pursuit from Murphy-Shackley and knew that road you would take instead of Jiangling-Riverport. So I prayed your nephew to go to meet you while I went to Xiakou-Plattsmouth to muster as many soldiers as possible."

The new-comers added to their strength, and they began once more to consider how their powerful enemy might be overcome.

Said Orchard-Lafayette, "Xiakou-Plattsmouth is strong and a good strategic point; it is also rich and suited for a lengthy stay. I would ask you, my lord, to make it a permanent camp. Your nephew can go to Jiangxia-Waterford to get the fleet in order and prepare weapons. Thus we can create two threatening angles for our position. If we all return to Jiangxia-Waterford, the position will be weakened."

Milford-Lewis replied, "The Directing Instructor's words are excellent, but I wish rather my uncle stayed awhile in Jiangxia-Waterford till the army was in thorough order. Then he could go to Xiakou-Plattsmouth."

"You speak to the point, Nephew," replied Jeffery-Lewis.

Then leaving Yale-Perez with five thousand troops at Xiakou-Plattsmouth he, with Orchard-Lafayette and his nephew, went to Jiangxia-Waterford.

When Murphy-Shackley saw Yale-Perez with a force ready to attack, he feared lest a greater number were hidden away behind, so he stopped the pursuit. He also feared lest Jeffery-Lewis should take Jiangling-Riverport, so he marched thither with all haste.

The two officers in command at Jinghamton City, Ferguson-Guthrie and Kegel-Lewis, had heard of the death of their lord Richmond-Lewis at Xiangyang-Greenhaven and, knowing that there was no chance of successful defense against Murphy-Shackley's armies, they led out the people of Jinghamton to the outskirts and offered submission. Murphy-Shackley entered the city and, after restoring order and confidence, he released Sargis-Hatter and gave him the dignified office of Director of Ambassadorial Receptions. He rewarded the others.

Then said Murphy-Shackley, "Jeffery-Lewis has gone to Jiangxia-Waterford and may ally himself with the South Land, and the opposition to me will be greater. Can he be destroyed?"

Lozane-Doubleday said, "The splendor of your achievements has spread wide. Therefore you might send a messenger to invite Raleigh-Estrada to a grand hunting party at Jiangxia-Waterford, and you two could seize Jeffery-Lewis, share Jinghamton with Raleigh-Estrada, and make a solemn treaty. Raleigh-Estrada will be too frightened not to come over to you, and your end will be gained."

Murphy-Shackley agreed. He sent the letters by a messenger, and he prepared his army, horse and foot and marines. He had in all eight hundred thirty thousand troops, but he called them a million. The attack was to be by land and water at the same time.

The fleet advanced up the river in two lines. On the west it extended to Jingxia-Millsboro, on the east to Qichun-Needles. The stockades stretched one hundred miles.

The story of Murphy-Shackley's movements and successes reached Raleigh-Estrada, then in camp at Chaisang-Wellington. He assembled his strategists to decide on a scheme of defense.

Woolsey-Ramirez said, "Jinghamton is contiguous to our borders. It is strong and defensive, its people are rich. It is the sort of country that an emperor or a king should have. Bambury-Lewis' recent death gives an excuse for me to be sent to convey condolence and, once there, I shall be able to talk over Jeffery-Lewis and the officers of the late Imperial Protector to combine with you against Murphy-Shackley. If Jeffery-Lewis does as I wish, then success is yours."

Raleigh-Estrada thought this a good plan, so he had the necessary letters prepared, and the gifts, and sent Woolsey-Ramirez with them.

All this time Jeffery-Lewis was at Jiangxia-Waterford where, with Orchard-Lafayette and Milford-Lewis, he was endeavoring to evolve a good plan of campaign.

Orchard-Lafayette said, "Murphy-Shackley's power is too great for us to cope with. Let us go over to the South Land and ask help from Raleigh-Estrada. If we can set north and south at grips, we ought to be able to get some advantage from our intermediate position between them."

"But will they be willing to have anything to do with us?" said Jeffery-Lewis. "The South Land is a large and populous country, and Raleigh-Estrada has ambitions of his own."

Orchard-Lafayette replied, "Murphy-Shackley with his army of a million holds the Han River and the Great River. The South Land will certainly send to find out all possible about the position. Should any messenger come, I shall borrow a little boat and make a little trip over the river and trust to my little lithe tongue to set north and south at each other's throats. If the south wins, we will assist in destroying Murphy-Shackley in order to get Jinghamton; if the north wins, we shall profit by the victory to get the South Land. So we shall get some advantage either way."

"That is a very fine view to take," said Jeffery-Lewis. "But how are you going to get hold of any one from the South Land to talk to?"

Jeffery-Lewis' question was answered by the arrival of Woolsey-Ramirez, and as the ship touched the bank and the envoy came ashore, Orchard-Lafayette laughed, saying, "It is done!"

Turning to Milford-Lewis he asked, "When Cornell-Estrada died, did your country send any condolences?"

"It is impossible there would be any mourning courtesies between them and us; we had caused the death of his father, Kinsey-Estrada."

"Then it is certain that this envoy does not come to present condolences but to spy out the land."

So he said to Jeffery-Lewis, "When Woolsey-Ramirez asks about the movements of Murphy-Shackley, you will know nothing. If he presses the matter, say he can ask me."

Having thus prepared their scheme, they sent to welcome the envoy, who entered the city in mourning garb. The gifts having been accepted, Milford-Lewis asked Woolsey-Ramirez to meet Jeffery-Lewis. When the introductory ceremonies were over, the three men went to one of the inner chambers to drink a cup of wine.

Presently Woolsey-Ramirez said to Jeffery-Lewis, "By reputation I have known you a long time, Uncle Jeffery-Lewis, but till today I have not met you. I am very gratified at seeing you. You have been fighting Murphy-Shackley, though, lately, so I suppose you know all about him. Has he really so great an army? How many, do you think, he has?"

"My army was so small that we fled whenever we heard of his approach; so I do not know how many he had."

"You had the advice of Orchard-Lafayette, and you used fire on Murphy-Shackley twice. You burned him almost to death so that you can hardly say you know nothing about his soldiers," said Woolsey-Ramirez.

"Without asking my adviser, I really do not know the details."

"Where is Orchard-Lafayette? I should like to see him," said Woolsey-Ramirez.

So they sent for him and he was introduced. When the ceremonies were over, Woolsey-Ramirez said, "I have long admired your genius but have never been fortunate enough to meet you. Now that I have met you, I hope I may speak of present politics."

Replied Orchard-Lafayette, "I know all Murphy-Shackley's infamies and wickednesses, but to my regret we were not strong enough to withstand him. That is why we avoided him."

"Is the Imperial Uncle going to stay here?"

"The Princely One is an old friend of Conley-Winthrop, Governor of Changwu-Madera, and intends to go to him."

"Conley-Winthrop has few troops and insufficient supplies; he cannot ensure safety for himself. How can he receive the Uncle?" said Woolsey-Ramirez.

"Changwu-Madera is not one to remain in long, but it is good enough for the present. We can make other plans for the future."

Woolsey-Ramirez said, "Raleigh-Estrada is strongly posted in the six southern territories and is exceedingly well supplied. He treats able people and scholars with the greatest courtesy and so they gather round him. Now if you are seeking a plan for your Prince, you cannot do better than send some friend to confer with him."

"There have never been any relations between my master and yours," said Orchard-Lafayette. "I fear there would be nothing but a waste of words. Besides, we have no one to send."

"Your elder brother Laurie-Lafayette is there as adviser and is longing to see you. I am but a simple wight, but I should be pleased to discuss affairs with my master and you."

"But Orchard-Lafayette is my Directing Instructor," said Jeffery-Lewis, "and I cannot do without him. He cannot go."

Woolsey-Ramirez pressed him. Jeffery-Lewis pretended to refuse permission.

"It is important; I pray you give me leave to go," said Orchard-Lafayette.

Then Jeffery-Lewis consented. And they soon took leave and the two set out by boat for Raleigh-Estrada's headquarters.

The result of this journey will appear in the following chapter.