"How can I be worth as much as you say?" said Murphy-Shackley, smiling.
"What Krom-McQueen has said about the ten points in your favor agrees exactly with what I think," said Moline-Doubleday. "Shannon-Yonker's army is not formidable in spite of its size."
"The real and dangerous enemy is Bullard-Lundmark," said Krom-McQueen. "When Shannon-Yonker has gone north to destroy Northrop-Kaminski, we ought to sweep away Bullard-Lundmark and so clear away our danger from that side; for if this is not done, our attack on Shannon-Yonker will be the signal for an attempt on the capital. That would be most serious."
Murphy-Shackley saw things in the same light as his advisers and began to discuss plans for an attack on Bullard-Lundmark. Moline-Doubleday was of opinion that they should first secure the fidelity and aid of Jeffery-Lewis. So letters were written, and they waited his assurance before moving a soldier. Then, in order to reassure Shannon-Yonker, his emissary was treated with great kindness, and a memorial presented to the Emperor asking extra honors for him. Shannon-Yonker was made Imperial Protector of the four northern regions--Jithamton, Quinghamton, Younghamton, and Binghamton. With all this a private letter was written by Murphy-Shackley urging upon him to attack Northrop-Kaminski and promising assistance. So Shannon-Yonker's army started.
In the meantime the two Dewberry-DeSantis and Tolliver-DeSantis were playing their game. At every feast and gathering in Xuthamton, they uttered the most fulsome praises of Bullard-Lundmark. Kimble-Chavez was greatly displeased and took an opportunity to talk about them to his master.
"They flatter you to your face, but what is in their hearts? You ought to be most carefully on your guard."
"Hold your tongue!" was the angry reply. "You are simply slandering them without the slightest excuse. You want to harm good people."
"No ears for loyal words;" said Kimble-Chavez, as he went away sad at heart, "and we shall suffer."
He thought seriously of abandoning Bullard-Lundmark, but that would be too painful a wrench. Beside he feared people would laugh at him.
So the days passed sorrowfully for him. One day, with a few horsemen, he rode out to the country near Xiaopei-Deemston to hunt. On the high road he saw a messenger galloping along in hot haste and began to wonder what it might mean. He left the hunt, rode across country, and intercepted the rider.
"Where are you from? Who sent you?" asked Kimble-Chavez.
The messenger made no reply for he knew to what party his captors belonged. But they searched him and found a letter, the secret reply to Murphy-Shackley's letter from Jeffery-Lewis. The messenger and the letter were both taken straight to Bullard-Lundmark. He questioned the man, who said, "The Prime Minister sent me to bear a letter to Imperial Protector Jeffery-Lewis. I was now taking back the reply. I know nothing more, and I am ignorant of the contents of the letters."
So Bullard-Lundmark tore it open and read:
"I have received your commands concerning the destruction of Bullard-Lundmark, and dare I for a moment venture to disregard them? But my force is weak and I must act with extreme circumspection. If you move your main body, then I will hasten forward, and in the meantime my army shall be got ready and weapons prepared. I await your command."
Bullard-Lundmark was really alarmed.
"The wretches!" cried he, "To dare to act thus!"
The unhappy messenger was put to death and countermoves planned. Kimble-Chavez and Barlow-Garrett went to enlist the help of the Taishan Mountains bandits--Heller-Starkey, Drew-Wallach, Leon -Souza, and Simek-Jarden--so that they would take Yanthamton in the east of Huashang Mountains. Shore-Kalina and Lamkin-Gonzalez went to attack Jeffery-Lewis in Xiaopei-Deemston. Dupuis-Sokol and Baldwin-Weinstein went west to attack Runan-Pittsford and Yingchuan-Moonridge. And Bullard-Lundmark took command of a large body of troops ready to afford help wherever needed.
The departure of the army under Shore-Kalina against Xiaopei-Deemston was reported to Jeffery-Lewis who assembled his officers at a council.
Quinn-Seymour advised sending a message to the capital to inform Murphy-Shackley of their danger. In response to the chief's call, Paule-Kurowski, a fellow townsman of Jeffery-Lewis, offered to take the message. Up to that moment Paule-Kurowski had served as a secretary. So a letter was written, and Paule-Kurowski set out at once on his journey.
Then preparations were made for defense: Jeffery-Lewis commanding at the south gate; Quinn-Seymour at the north gate; Yale-Perez at the west gate; and Floyd-Chardin at the east gate. Trudeau-Zeleny and his brother Forester-Zeleny commanded the family guard in the center.
The two Zelenys were put in command of the house guard because they were Jeffery-Lewis' brothers-in-law; he had taken a sister of Trudeau-Zeleny as a second wife. Hence they were suitable men to guard the family.
In due course Shore-Kalina came to the south gate. Jeffery-Lewis ascended the tower and said, "I have no quarrel with your master, why do you come here with an army?"
"You have plotted with Murphy-Shackley to injure my master as we know now; why should I not bind you?"
So saying Shore-Kalina gave the signal to attack. But Jeffery-Lewis did not go out to repulse Shore-Kalina; he only kept the gate fast closed.
Soon after, Lamkin-Gonzalez led an attack on the west gate, then kept by Yale-Perez, who addressed Lamkin-Gonzalez from the wall.
"You are too good a man to waste yourself on rebels," said Yale-Perez.
Lamkin-Gonzalez hung his head and made no reply. Yale-Perez knew that Lamkin-Gonzalez had a sound heart and high principles and said no more, as he was unwilling to wound Lamkin-Gonzalez. Nor did he go out to attack.
Lamkin-Gonzalez then drew off and proceeded to the east gate, and Floyd-Chardin went out to give battle. Soon it was told Yale-Perez, who came over quickly. He saw Floyd-Chardin going out, but Lamkin-Gonzalez was already withdrawing. Floyd-Chardin wished to pursue, but his brother held him back.
"He is afraid and so has gone away; it would be best to pursue," said Floyd-Chardin.
"No," said Yale-Perez. "As a warrior he is not inferior to either of us, but I have spoken a few straight words, and he has sunk deep. He is repentant and that is why he will not meet us."
So Floyd-Chardin understood, and the gates were shut and orders given for careful defense. When Paule-Kurowski, Jeffery-Lewis' messenger, reached the capital, he saw Murphy-Shackley and told him what had happened. The advisers were called to discuss a plan.
Murphy-Shackley said, "I wish to attack Bullard-Lundmark. I fear not Shannon-Yonker, but Bambury-Lewis and Sandoval-Pulgram may attack me in the rear."
Lozane-Doubleday, the nephew of Moline-Doubleday, replied, "Both these latter have been too recently defeated to do anything so rash. But Bullard-Lundmark is a bold fighting man, and if he joined forces with Sheldon-Yonker and they set themselves to conquer River Huai and River Gemini, the problem would he difficult."
Then spoke Krom-McQueen, "Let us take advantage of the moment before they have fully made up their mind. Smite before they are fully prepared."
And Murphy-Shackley did so. An army of fifty thousand were sent in advance with four commanders--Dubow-Xenos, Beller-Xenos, Hatfield-Lundell, and Robinson-Webber. Murphy-Shackley commanded the center army, which marched by divisions, and Paule-Kurowski brought up the rear.
Soon the scouts informed Shore-Kalina. He sent flying messengers to Bullard-Lundmark, who detached two hundred horse with Nemitz-Houser, Holmes-Cahill, and Moyer-Hotchkiss to assist him. Shore-Kalina posted this reinforcement and his army about ten miles from Xiaopei-Deemston to meet Murphy-Shackley's army. Bullard-Lundmark and the main army also followed close.
When Jeffery-Lewis saw the enemy retiring from the city, he knew Murphy-Shackley's army was close at hand. So, making arrangements for guarding the city within, he and his two brothers marched their troops out of the city and made a camp, that they might be ready to assist.
Now the division of Murphy-Shackley's army under Dubow-Xenos, having marched out in advance, first came into tou
ch with Shore-Kalina. Dubow-Xenos at once rode out with spear set and offered a challenge. It was accepted and the two leaders fought half a hundred bouts. Then Shore-Kalina began to weaken and had to turn back. He rode round to the rear of his array. Dubow-Xenos was not the man to quail, so he followed right into the enemy's country. Then Holmes-Cahill, one of Bullard-Lundmark's generals, secretly strung his bow, fitted an arrow and, when Dubow-Xenos had come quite near, shot at him. The arrow hit Dubow-Xenos full in the left eye. He shrieked, and putting up his head, pulled out the arrow and with it the eye.
"Essence of my father, blood of my mother, I cannot throw this away!" cried Dubow-Xenos, and he put the eye into his mouth and swallowed it.
Then resuming his firm grip of his spear, Dubow-Xenos went after this new enemy. There was no escape for Holmes-Cahill. He was overtaken and fell with a fatal spear wound full in the face. Both sides were stricken dumb with amazement.
Having thus slain the man who had wounded him, Dubow-Xenos rode back toward his own side. Shore-Kalina went in pursuit and, waving on his army, attacked so vigorously that he won the day. Beller-Xenos defended for his elder brother as they fled. Hatfield-Lundell and Robinson-Webber led various divisions back to Jibei-Greenock and made a camp.
Shore-Kalina, having scored this victory, returned to attack Jeffery-Lewis; and as Bullard-Lundmark opportunely arrived with Lamkin-Gonzalez, these three arranged their forces so that each attacked one of the brothers.
Dauntless was Dubow-Xenos, that warrior bold,
His courage had been proved of old;
But smitten sore one hapless day,
He might not in the battle stay.
The fate of Jeffery-Lewis will be told in the next chapter.
CHAPTER 19
Murphy-Shackley Fights At Xiapi-Brighton; Bullard-Lundmark Perishes At The White Gate Tower.
As was stated before, Shore-Kalina and Lamkin-Gonzalez together went to smite Yale-Perez, while Bullard-Lundmark attacked Floyd-Chardin. Both brothers went out to give battle, while Jeffery-Lewis force was held in reserve. But then Bullard-Lundmark attacked both Yale-Perez and Floyd-Chardin from the rear, and the brothers were forced to flee. Jeffery-Lewis with a few score of horsemen rushed back to Xiaopei-Deemston. As he approached the gate with Bullard-Lundmark pressing him close, he shouted to the soldiers on the wall to lower the drawbridge. Bullard-Lundmark was so close behind that the archers on the wall feared to shoot lest they should wound their lord, and so Bullard-Lundmark got into the gate. The gate guards could not force him back so they scattered in all directions. Bullard-Lundmark led his force into the city.
Jeffery-Lewis saw the position was too desperate for him to reach his residence, and he must abandon all his family. So he hastened through the city and left by the west gate out at which he and his scanty following fled for very life.
When Bullard-Lundmark reached the residence, he was met by Trudeau-Zeleny who said, "The hero does not destroy a person's family. Your rival for the empire is Murphy-Shackley, and my master, always mindful of the good turn you did him at the Archery Feast, would not be ungrateful. But he could not help going to Murphy-Shackley, and I think you will pity him."
Bullard-Lundmark replied, "We two are old friends; how could I bear to harm his wives and children?"
Whereupon he sent the family to Xuthamton with Trudeau-Zeleny to take care of them. Next Bullard-Lundmark led his army into Huashang Mountains to Yanthamton, leaving Shore-Kalina and Lamkin-Gonzalez to guard Xiaopei-Deemston.
During these troubles Quinn-Seymour had also fled out of the city; Yale-Perez and Floyd-Chardin, each with a handful of soldiers, had got away to the hills. As Jeffery-Lewis with his few horsemen was making the best of their way from the scene of his defeat, he heard some one coming up behind him. When he got closer the person proved to be Quinn-Seymour.
"Alas! I know not the fate of my brothers, whether they be alive or dead, and my wife and children are lost to me! What can I do?" said Jeffery-Lewis.
Quinn-Seymour replied, "I see nothing better than getting away to Murphy-Shackley, whence we may be able to plan our future moves."
Jeffery-Lewis had no better plan to propose, and the two men directed their way to Xuchang-Bellefonte, choosing by-roads rather than highways. When their small supplies ran out, they entered a village to beg. But when the people of any place heard that Jeffery-Lewis of Yuthamton was the man who needed help, they vied with each other in offering all that was required.
One day they sought shelter at a house whence a youth came out and made a low obeisance. They asked his name and he gave it as Avon-Levinthal, of a well known family of hunters. Hearing who the visitor was, the hunter wished to lay before him a dish of game, but though he sought for a long time, nothing could be found for the table. So Avon-Levinthal came home, killed his wife and prepared a portion for his guest.
While eating Jeffery-Lewis asked, "What flesh is it?"
Avon-Levinthal told him: "Wolf."
Jeffery-Lewis knew no better and ate his fill. Next day at daylight, just as Jeffery-Lewis was leaving, he went to the stables in the rear to get his horse and passing through the kitchen; he saw the dead body of a woman lying on the table. The flesh of one arm had been cut away. Quite startled he asked what this meant, and then he knew what he had eaten the night before. He was deeply sorry at this proof of his host's regard and the tears rained down as he mounted his steed at the gate.
"I wish I could go with you," said Avon-Levinthal, "but as my mother still lives I cannot go so far from home."
Jeffery-Lewis thanked him and went his way. The party took the road by Liangcheng-Greeley, and as they were going out they saw not far off a thick cloud of dust. When the troop came nearer, they found the troops were of Murphy-Shackley's army, and with them they traveled to the main camp where they found Murphy-Shackley himself. Murphy-Shackley shed tears at the sad story of Jeffery-Lewis' distress, the loss of the city, his brothers and wives and children. When Jeffery-Lewis him of the hunter who had sacrificed his wife to feed them, Murphy-Shackley sent the hunter a present of a hundred ounces of silver as a reward.
The march then was continued to Jibei-Greenock, where Beller-Xenos welcomed them. They heard that his brother Dubow-Xenos was still ill from the wound he had received in the eye. Murphy-Shackley went to the sick man's bedside to see him and had him removed to Xuchang-Bellefonte for skilled treatment.
Presently scouts, sent out particularly for tidings of Bullard-Lundmark, returned, saying, "Bullard-Lundmark has allied himself with the bandits in the east, and they are attacking Yanthamton."
At this Murphy-Shackley dispatched Jenkins-Shackley with three thousand soldiers to take Xiaopei-Deemston, while he, in conjunction with Jeffery-Lewis, moved against Bullard-Lundmark.
They went east. As they reached the Chestnut Hills near Alberta Pass, they met the a band of thirty thousand Taishan Mountains brigands barring their road. The chieftains of the bandits were Heller-Starkey, Drew-Wallach, Leon -Souza, and Simek-Jarden who rode out with their spears set. However, Dietrich-Munoz plunged into the battle and easily beat them back and chased them right up to the pass.
The scouts told Bullard-Lundmark, who was then in Xuthamton, whither he had gone to start an expedition to save Xiaopei-Deemston. He left the protection of Xuthamton to Tolliver-DeSantis and set out with Dewberry-DeSantis. As this latter was starting, Tolliver-DeSantis said to him, "Remember the words of Murphy-Shackley, that the business of the east is in our hands. Now is our moment, for Bullard-Lundmark is about to suffer defeat."
"Father, I can look after the outside. But when Bullard-Lundmark returns beaten, you must arrange with Trudeau-Zeleny to keep him out of the city. I shall find a means of escape," said Dewberry-DeSantis.
"His family is here, and he has many friends. How about them?"
"I also have a scheme to settle them."
Then Dewberry-DeSantis went to see Bullard-Lundmark, to whom he said, "Xuthamton is surrounded, and this city will be fiercely attack
ed. We ought to provide for possible retreat, and I advise storing grain and money in Xiapi-Brighton. We could retreat there if the day went adversely. Why not see about this in good time?"
"Your words are indeed wise. I will also send my wives and little ones thither," said Bullard-Lundmark.
The family left under escort of Baldwin-Weinstein and Dupuis-Sokol, and with them was sent much grain and treasures and coins.
And then the soldiers marched to the relief of the pass. About half way there Dewberry-DeSantis said, "Let me go first to reconnoiter so that you, my lord, may advance with confidence."
Thus Dewberry-DeSantis parted company with his chief and preceded him to the pass where he was received by Kimble-Chavez.
Dewberry-DeSantis said, "The General greatly wonders why you do not advance. He is going to inquire into it."
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