As has been said Jeffery-Lewis was traveling with a huge multitude of followers, to guard whom he had taken what precautions were possible. Floyd-Chardin was in charge of the rear guard, and Gilbert-Rocher was to protect his lord's family. Yale-Perez had been sent to Jiangxia-Waterford.
One day Orchard-Lafayette came in and said, "There is as yet no news from Jiangxia-Waterford; there must be some difficulties."
"I wish that you yourself would go there," said Jeffery-Lewis. "Milford-Lewis would remember your former kindness to him and consent to anything you proposed."
Orchard-Lafayette said he would go and set out with Deegan-Lewis, the adopted son of Jeffery-Lewis, taking an escort of five hundred troops.
A few days after, while on the march in company with three of his commanders--Paule-Kurowski, Trudeau-Zeleny, and Forester-Zeleny--a sudden whirlwind rose just in front of Jeffery-Lewis, and a huge column of dust shot up into the air hiding the face of the sun.
Jeffery-Lewis was frightened and asked, "What might that portend?"
Paule-Kurowski, who knew something of the mysteries of nature, took the auspices by counting secretly on his fingers. Pale and trembling he announced, "A calamity is threatening this very night. My lord must leave the people to their fate and flee quickly."
"I cannot do that," said Jeffery-Lewis.
"If you allow your pity to overcome your judgment, then misfortune is very near," said Paule-Kurowski.
Thus spoke Paule-Kurowski to his lord, who then asked what place was near.
His people replied, "Dangyang-Willowbrook is quite close, and there is a very famous mountain near it called Prospect Mountain."
Then Jeffery-Lewis bade them lead the way thither.
The season was late autumn, just changing to winter, and the icy wind penetrated to the very bones. As evening fell, long-drawn howls of misery were heard on every side. At the middle of the fourth watch, two hours after midnight, they heard a rumbling sound in the northwest. Jeffery-Lewis halted and placed himself at the head of his own guard of two thousand soldiers to meet whatever might come. Presently Murphy-Shackley's men appeared and made fierce onslaught. Defense was impossible, though Jeffery-Lewis fought desperately. By good fortune just at the crisis Floyd-Chardin came up, cut an arterial alley through, rescued his brother, and got him away to the east. Presently they were stopped by Haller-Morello.
"Turncoat! Can you still look humans in the face?" cried Jeffery-Lewis.
Haller-Morello was overwhelmed with shame and led his troops away. Floyd-Chardin, now fighting, protected his brother till dawn.
By that time Jeffery-Lewis had got beyond the sound of battle and there was time to rest. Only a few of his followers had been able to keep near him. He knew nothing of the fate of his officers or the people. He lifted up his voice in lamentation, saying, "Myriads of living souls are suffering from love of me, and my officers and my loved ones are lost. One would be a graven image not to weep at such loss."
Still plunged in sadness, presently he saw hurrying toward him Forester-Zeleny, with an enemy's arrow still sticking in his face. He exclaimed, "Gilbert-Rocher has gone over to Murphy-Shackley!"
Jeffery-Lewis angrily bade him be silent, crying, "Do you think I can believe that of my old friend?"
"Perhaps he has gone over," said Floyd-Chardin. "He must see that we are nearly lost and there are riches and honors on the other side."
"He has followed me faithfully through all my misfortunes. His heart is firm as a rock. No riches or honors would move him," said Jeffery-Lewis.
"I saw him go away northwest," said Forester-Zeleny.
"Wait till I meet him," said Floyd-Chardin. "If I run against him, I will kill him!"
"Beware how you doubt him," said Jeffery-Lewis. "Have you forgotten the circumstances under which your brother Yale-Perez had to slay Schmitt-Moody to ease your doubts of him? Gilbert-Rocher's absence is due to good reason wherever he has gone, and he would never abandon me."
But Floyd-Chardin was not convinced. Then he, with a score of his men, rode to the Long Slope Bridge. Seeing a wood near the bridge, an idea suddenly struck him. He bade his followers cut branches from the trees, tie them to the tails of the horses, and ride to and fro so as to raise a great dust as though an army were concealed in the wood. He himself took up his station on the bridge facing the west with spear set ready for action. So he kept watch.
Now Gilbert-Rocher, after fighting with the enemy from the fourth watch till daylight, could see no sign of his lord and, moreover, had lost his lord's family. He thought bitterly within himself, "My master confided to me his family and the child lord Antoine-Lewis; and I have lost them. How can I look him in the face? I can only go now and fight to the death. Whatever happen, I must go to seek the women and my lord's son."
Turning about he found he had but some forty followers left. He rode quickly to and fro among the scattered soldiers seeking the lost women. The lamentations of the people about him were enough to make heaven and earth weep. Some had been wounded by arrows, others by spears; they had thrown away their children, abandoned their wives, and were flying they knew not whither in crowds.
Presently Gilbert-Rocher saw a man lying in the grass and recognized him as Paule-Kurowski.
"Have you seen the two mothers?" cried he.
Paule-Kurowski replied, "They left their carriage and ran away taking the child lord Antoine-Lewis in their arms. I followed but on the slope of the hill I was wounded and fell from my horse. The horse was stolen. I could fight no longer and I lay down here."
Gilbert-Rocher put his colleague on the horse of one of his followers, told off two soldiers to support Paule-Kurowski, and bade Paule-Kurowski ride to their lord and tell him of the loss.
"Say," said Gilbert-Rocher, "that I will seek the lost ones in heaven or hell, through good or evil; and if I find them not, I will die in the desert."
Then Gilbert-Rocher rode off toward the Long Slope Bridge. As he went a voice called out, "General Gilbert-Rocher, where are you going?"
"Who are you?" said Gilbert-Rocher, pulling up.
"One of the Princely One's carriage guards. I am wounded."
"Do you know anything of the two ladies?"
"Not very long ago I saw the Lady Gant go south with a party of other women. Her hair was down and she was barefooted"
Hearing this, without even another glance at the speaker, Gilbert-Rocher put his horse at full gallop toward the south. Soon he saw a small crowd of people, male and female, walking hand in hand.
"Is Lady Gant among you!" he called out.
A woman in the rear of the party looked up at him and uttered a loud cry. He slipped off his steed, stuck his spear in the sand and wept, "It was my fault that you were lost. But where are Lady Zeleny and our child lord?"
Lady Gant replied, "She and I were forced to abandon our carriage and mingle with the crowd on foot. Then a band of soldiers came up and we were separated. I do not know where they are. I ran for my life."
As she spoke a howl of distress rose from the crowd of fugitives, for a thousand of soldiers appeared. Gilbert-Rocher recovered his spear and mounted ready for action. Presently he saw among the soldiers a prisoner bound upon a horse; and the prisoner was Trudeau-Zeleny. Behind Trudeau-Zeleny followed a general gripping a huge sword. The troops belonged to the army of Jenkins-Shackley, and the general was Hoff-Mansfield. Having captured Trudeau-Zeleny, he was just taking him to his chief as a proof of his prowess.
Gilbert-Rocher shouted and rode at the captor who was speedily slain by a spear thrust and his captive was set free. Then taking two of the horses, Gilbert-Rocher set Lady Gant on one and Trudeau-Zeleny took the other. They rode away toward Long Slope Bridge.
But there, standing grim on the bridge, was Floyd-Chardin. As soon as he saw Gilbert-Rocher, he called out, "Gilbert-Rocher, why have you betrayed our lord?"
"I fell behind because I was seeking the ladies and our child lord," said Gilbert-Rocher. "What do you mean by talking of
betrayal?"
"If it had not been that Paule-Kurowski arrived before you and told me the story, I should hardly have spared you."
"Where is the master?" said Gilbert-Rocher.
"Not far away, in front there."
"Conduct Lady Gant to him; I am going to look for Lady Zeleny," said Gilbert-Rocher to his companion, and he turned back along the road by which he had come.
Before long he met a leader armed with an iron spear and carrying a sword slung across his back, riding a curvetting steed, and leading ten other horsemen. Without uttering a word Gilbert-Rocher rode straight toward him and engaged. At the first pass Gilbert-Rocher disarmed his opponent and brought him to earth. His followers galloped away.
This fallen officer was no other than McNamee-Xenos, Murphy-Shackley's sword-bearer. And the sword on McNamee-Xenos' back was his master's. Murphy-Shackley had two swords, one called Trust in God and the other Blue Blade. Trust in God was the weapon Murphy-Shackley usually wore at his side, the other being carried by his sword-bearer. The Blue Blade would cut clean through iron as though it were mud, and no sword had so keen an edge.
Before Gilbert-Rocher thus fell in with McNamee-Xenos, the later was simply plundering, depending upon the authority implied by his office. Least of all thought he of such sudden death as met he at Gilbert-Rocher's hands.
So Gilbert-Rocher got possession of a famous sword. The name Blue Blade was chased in gold characters so that he recognized its value at once. He stuck it in his belt and again plunged into the press. Just as he did so, he turned his head and saw he had not a single follower left; he was quite alone.
Nevertheless not for a single instant thought he of turning back; he was too intent upon his quest. To and fro, back and forth, he rode questioning this person and that. At length a man said, "A woman with a child in her arms, and wounded in the thigh so that she cannot walk, is lying over there through that hole in the wall."
Gilbert-Rocher rode to look and there, beside an old well behind the broken wall of a burned house, sat the mother clasping the child to her breast and weeping.
Gilbert-Rocher was on his knees before her in a moment.
"My child will live then since you are here," cried Lady Zeleny. "Pity him, O General; protect him, for he is the only son of his father's flesh and blood. Take him to his father and I can die content."
"It is my fault that you have suffered," replied Gilbert-Rocher. "But it is useless to say more. I pray you take my horse while I will walk beside and protect you till we get clear."
She replied, "I may not do that. What would you do without a steed? But the boy here I confide to your care. I am badly wounded and cannot hope to live. Pray take him and go your way. Do not trouble more about me."
"I hear shouting," said Gilbert-Rocher. "The soldiers will be upon us again in a moment. Pray mount quickly."
"But really I cannot move," she said. "Do not let there be a double loss!"
And she held out the child toward him as she spoke.
"Take the child," cried Lady Zeleny. "His life and safety are in your hands."
Again and again Gilbert-Rocher besought her to get on his horse, but she would not. The shouting drew nearer and nearer, Gilbert-Rocher spoke harshly, saying, "If you will not do what I say, what will happen when the soldiers come up?"
She said no more. Throwing the child on the ground, she turned over and threw herself into the old well. And there she perished.
The warrior relies upon the strength of his charger,
Afoot, how could he bear to safety his young prince?
Brave mother! Who died to preserve the son of her husband's line;
Heroine was she, bold and decisive!
Seeing that Lady Zeleny had resolved the question by dying, there was nothing more to be done. Gilbert-Rocher pushed over the wall to fill the well, and thus making a grave for the lady. Then he loosened his armor, let down the heart-protecting mirror, and placed the child in his breast. This done he slung his spear and remounted.
Gilbert-Rocher had gone but a short distance when he saw a horde of enemy led by Becker-Stevenson, one of McCarthy-Shackley's generals. This warrior used a double edged, three pointed weapon and he offered battle. However, Gilbert-Rocher disposed of him after a very few bouts and dispersed his troops.
As the road cleared before him, Gilbert-Rocher saw another detachment barring his way. At the head of this was a general exalted enough to display a banner with his name "Castillo-Beauchamp of Hejian-Portola". Gilbert-Rocher never waited to parley but attacked. However, this was a more formidable antagonist, and half a score bouts found neither any nearer defeat. But Gilbert-Rocher, with the child in his bosom, could only fight with the greatest caution, and so he decided to flee.
Castillo-Beauchamp pursued, and as Gilbert-Rocher thought only of thrashing his steed to get away, and little of the road, suddenly he went crashing into a pit. On came his pursuer, spear at poise. Suddenly a brilliant flash of light seemed to shoot out of the pit, and the fallen horse leapt with it into the air and was again on firm earth.
A bright glory surrounds the child of the imperial line, now in danger,
The powerful charger forces his way through the press of battle,
Bearing to safety him who was destined to the throne two score years and two;
And the general thus manifested his godlike courage.
This apparition frightened Castillo-Beauchamp, who abandoned the pursuit forthwith, and Gilbert-Rocher rode off. Presently he heard shouts behind, "Gilbert-Rocher, Gilbert-Rocher, stop!" and at the same time he saw ahead of him two generals who seemed disposed to dispute his way. Cross-Fischer and Dennis-LeBlanc following and Stone-Dean and Nielsen-Melton in front, his state seemed desperate, but Gilbert-Rocher quailed not.
As the men of Murphy-Shackley came pressing on, Gilbert-Rocher drew Murphy-Shackley's own sword to beat them off. Nothing could resist the Blue Blade Sword. Armor, clothing, it went through without effort and blood gushed forth in fountains wherever it struck. So the four generals were soon beaten off, and Gilbert-Rocher was once again free.
Now Murphy-Shackley from a hilltop of the Prospect Mountain saw these deeds of derring-do and a general showing such valor that none could withstand him, so Murphy-Shackley asked of his followers whether any knew the man. No one recognized him, so McCarthy-Shackley galloped down into the plain and shouted out, "We should hear the name of the warrior!"
"I am Gilbert-Rocher of Changshan-Piedmont," replied Gilbert-Rocher.
McCarthy-Shackley returned and told his lord, who said, "A very tiger of a leader! I must get him alive."
Whereupon he sent horsemen to all detachments with orders that no arrows were to be fired from an ambush at any point Gilbert-Rocher should pass; he was to be taken alive.
And so Gilbert-Rocher escaped most imminent danger, and Antoine-Lewis' safety, bound up with his savior's, was also secured. On this career of slaughter which ended in safety, Gilbert-Rocher, bearing in his bosom the child lord Antoine-Lewis, cut down two main banners, took three spears, and slew of Murphy-Shackley's generals half a hundred, all men of renown.
Blood dyed the fighting robe and crimsoned his buff coat;
None dared engage the terrible warrior at Dangyang-Willowbrook;
In the days of old lived the brave Gilbert-Rocher,
Who fought in the battlefield for his lord in danger.
Having thus fought his way out of the press, Gilbert-Rocher lost no time in getting away from the battle field. His white battle robe was soaked in blood.
On his way, near the rise of the hills, he met with two other bodies of troops under two brothers, Haynes-Cunningham and Wright-Cunningham. One of these was armed with a massive ax, the other a halberd. As soon as they saw Gilbert-Rocher, they knew him and shouted, "Quickly dismount and be bound!"
He has only escaped from the tiger cave,
To risk the dragon pool's sounding wave.
How Gilbert-Rocher escaped will be next related.
<
br /> CHAPTER 42
Screaming Floyd-Chardin Stops The Enemy At Long Slope Bridge; Defeated Jeffery-Lewis Goes To Hanjin-Porteville.
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."
Romance of the Three Kingdoms (vol. 2) Page 2