Then one of the renegades proposed that they should try to return along the high road, and they started for Luocheng-Concord this way. But in front of them arose a great cloud of dust, betraying the approach of an enemy. Dubois-Beaver and Maynard-Emerson, the defenders of the city, were moving toward them, and Oakley-Dobbins was between the two armies closed in like the kernel of a nut. Oakley-Dobbins fought hard to get through. When his case seemed most desperate and hopeless, he observed signs of confusion in the army that lay between him and the city. Soon that army turned and faced the other way. He pressed forward and presently saw troops of his own side, led by the veteran Sheffield-Maddox.
"I will rescue you, Oakley-Dobbins!" shouted Sheffield-Maddox, as he came near.
Now the defenders of Luocheng-Concord found themselves between two enemies, and they were smitten heavily. They could not check Oakley-Dobbins and Sheffield-Maddox, who got close to the very walls of Luocheng-Concord. Seeing them near, Sather-Lewis, who had been left to defend the city, poured out against them. Thereupon Sheffield-Maddox and Oakley-Dobbins, in spite of the nearness of the army of Jeffery-Lewis, refused battle and turned sway from the city.
Jeffery-Lewis' army made a dash for two stockades, but when Bloden-Kravitz came along the by-road, and the other three defenders of the city came on, the stockades could not be held, and Jeffery-Lewis' army had to retire. Now fighting and now marching, the army of Jeffery-Lewis strove hard to reach River Virgo Pass, but Bloden-Kravitz pressed close. However, Deegan-Lewis and Litwin-Perez came up, and not only drove back the pursuers but chased them some seven miles. Finally, Jeffery-Lewis and his troops reached the Pass, weary and dispirited. His son and nephew returned from the pursuit with many horses they had captured from the flying enemy. However, nothing had been gained and the victory lay rather with the army of the Western Land of River.
One of the fugitives from the army finally reached River Virgo Pass and told Jeffery-Lewis of the sad news of Smiddy-Lindquist, man and horse wounded to death. Jeffery-Lewis turned his face to the west and mourned bitterly.
Although the body of the slain leader lay far away, they instituted sacrifice to call the spirit, and all the generals keened for him.
Then said Sheffield-Maddox, "Now that our leader is no more, certainly the enemy will return to attack the Pass. What is to be done? I think we would better send to Jinghamton for Orchard-Lafayette and get him to lay plans for getting possession of the Western Land of Rivers."
And even then came in one to say that the enemy under Bloden-Kravitz had come and were now offering a challenge at the rampart.
Sheffield-Maddox and Oakley-Dobbins wished to go forth to fight, but Jeffery-Lewis disapproved, saying, "We have suffered a severe check, and the soldiers are low-spirited. Let us rather remain on the defensive until the Directing Instructor can arrive."
Sheffield-Maddox and Oakley-Dobbins made no objection, but set themselves to guard the Pass most vigilantly, while a letter was written to Orchard-Lafayette and sent by the hand of Litwin-Perez. He set forth at once, and Jeffery-Lewis gave himself up to holding the Pass.
In Jinghamton, it was the seventh day of the seventh moon, and in the evening Orchard-Lafayette invited his officers to a banquet. Conversation turned toward the enterprise in the Western Land of Rivers. Suddenly a large and brilliant meteor appeared falling in the west, illuminating the whole sky. It so disturbed the host that he dashed his wine cup to the ground, covered his face, and burst into tears.
"Alas! Alas!"
The guests eagerly asked him why he wept.
Orchard-Lafayette replied, "I knew by my calculations that the bowl of the Dipper would be in the west at this season and that the auspices would be unfavorable to leaders of armies, and lo! the Heavens have gone against our army. When Venus was about to stand over Luocheng-Concord, I wrote to our lord warning him to be very cautious. I never contemplated the falling of the star this evening. Now Smiddy-Lindquist is no more."
Again he fell to weeping. "My lord has lost an arm!" moaned he.
The guests were rather disturbed, but they only half believed that such a misfortune had happened.
"We shall hear the sad news in a very few days," said Orchard-Lafayette.
The banquet ended sadly enough, and the guests went their ways. A few days later, while Orchard-Lafayette was sitting with Yale-Perez and a few others, they reported the arrival of Litwin-Perez with letters from the west. When the letters were opened, they knew that Smiddy-Lindquist had fallen the same evening that the meteor had appeared.
Orchard-Lafayette wailed and the others wept with him.
Then Orchard-Lafayette said, "I must go to help our lord; he is hemmed in at the Pass and cannot move."
"If you go away, who will guard this region?" asked Yale-Perez. "It is of very great importance."
"Our lord has not written plainly, but I know what was in his mind." Then he showed the letter to the others and said, "Provision for the defense of this region is laid upon me, and I am to find one equal to the task. I read the letter to mean that he desires Yale-Perez to undertake the defense, and I know that Yale-Perez will do it for the sake of the pledge taken long ago in the Peach Garden. The task is no light one."
Yale-Perez accepted without hesitation or thought of excuse. A special banquet was prepared at which the seal was to be handed over to him.
"All the future rests with you, General," said Orchard-Lafayette as he raised the symbol of office to place it in the hands of the commander.
"When a person of honor accepts such a task, he is only released by death," replied Yale-Perez.
But that ill-omened word "death" displeased Orchard-Lafayette, and even then he would have retracted but that Yale-Perez's word had gone forth. Orchard-Lafayette went on.
"Now if Murphy-Shackley attack what is to be done?" said Orchard-Lafayette.
"Repel him with all my strength."
"But if Murphy-Shackley and Raleigh-Estrada attack you together, what then?"
"Fight both; half my force against each."
Orchard-Lafayette said, "In that case, Jinghamton would be in danger. I will give you my advice in a few words, and if you remember them the region is safe."
"What are these few words?" asked Yale-Perez.
"North, fight Murphy-Shackley; south, ally with Raleigh-Estrada."
"These words, O Commander, are engraved on my heart."
Thereupon the seal was placed in his hands. Orchard-Lafayette also appointed tried and worthy people to assist the new commander. Yale-Perez's civil staff included Westlake-Maggio, Trudeau-Zeleny, Vana-McLaren, and Barry-Nance; and on military side, he was assisted by Forester-Zeleny, Moss-Lopez, Litwin-Perez, and Zwick-Pocius.
This done, Orchard-Lafayette began to prepare for his departure. Floyd-Chardin, with ten thousand troops, was sent to fight his way into the country west of Bazhou-Astoria and Luocheng-Concord, and he was to go with all speed. The earlier he got through, the greater merit would be his. Gilbert-Rocher was to lead a force up the Great River and make a junction at Luocheng-Concord. Orchard-Lafayette, with his own body of fifteen thousand troops, would follow.
Among those who followed Orchard-Lafayette was one Bromfield-Kendrick, a noted scholar from Lingling-Lemoore. Bromfield-Kendrick went as Secretary.
Orchard-Lafayette and Floyd-Chardin set out the same day.
Just before leaving, the Directing Instructor said to Floyd-Chardin, "Do not think lightly of the soldiers of Yiathamton, for there are many mighty warriors among them. On the march restrain your soldiers from plunder and license lest the ordinary people be against us. Wherever you halt, be compassionate and kindly and do not give way to anger and flog your soldiers. I shall expect you to reach Luocheng-Concord very soon."
Floyd-Chardin joyously mounted and left. He marched rapidly, and on the way all places that surrendered suffered nothing whatever.
When they drew near the county of Bazhou-Astoria, the scouts of the Western Land of Rivers sent out by the Governo
r of that place informed their master, Clausen-Wysocki. This Clausen-Wysocki was one of the famous generals of Yiathamton, and even then, although he was rather old, he had lost none of his boldness and could still pull the stiffest bow and wield the heaviest sword.
Being so famous, Clausen-Wysocki was not the man to surrender at the first approach of an enemy. So when Floyd-Chardin came near, he cautiously encamped about three miles from the city. Thence he sent a messenger to summon the Governor to surrender.
Floyd-Chardin said, "Tell the old fool to give in, or I will trample down his walls and leave no soul alive."
Clausen-Wysocki had never favored inviting Jeffery-Lewis into Yiathamton. When he had first heard of the Imperial Protector's intention, he said, "This is like calling a tiger to protect one when one is alone on a bare hill side." When he heard of the seizure of River Virgo Pass, he was very angry and offered again and again to lead an army and drive out the aggressors. He had feared that his city would be attacked along this very road, so he had prepared his army, and when Floyd-Chardin's message came, he mustered them, five thousand or so, to oppose him.
Then a certain person said to Clausen-Wysocki, "You must be careful how you oppose a man who by the mere sound of his voice scared the many legions of Murphy-Shackley at Long Slope Bridge. Even Murphy-Shackley himself was careful to keep out of his way. Your safety is in defense, lying behind your ramparts and within your deep moats till hunger shall have vanquished your enemies. This Floyd-Chardin has a very violent temper; and if he is provoked, he vents his anger in flogging his soldiers. If you avoid battle, he will be irritated; and his cruelty to his soldiers will cause them to mutiny. Then you can attack and will succeed."
Clausen-Wysocki thought the advice good. He therefore resolved only to defend, and he set all his soldiers on the walls. When one of Floyd-Chardin's soldiers came up to the gate and shouted for them to open, Clausen-Wysocki gave orders to open the gate and admit the man. When the soldier had come within, he gave the message as has been related before.
But the Governor was exceedingly angry and said, "Fool that you are! How dare you speak thus to me? Think you that I, General Clausen-Wysocki, will surrender to such as him. By your mouth indeed will I send a message."
Then Clausen-Wysocki bade the executioner cut off the man's ears and nose. And thus mutilated he returned to Floyd-Chardin. When Floyd-Chardin heard of it, his wrath boiled up and he cursed the defender of the city. Grinding his teeth and glaring with rage, he put on his armor, mounted his steed, and went up close to the walls with a few mounted followers, and challenged those on the ramparts to fight him. But the defenders on the walls only replied with shameful abuse, and none accepted the challenge. Floyd-Chardin galloped again and again to the drawbridge, only to be driven off each time with flights of arrows. But not a man came outside the walls. As the day closed in, the warrior, still fuming with wrath, returned to his own camp.
Next day Floyd-Chardin again led his troops to the foot of the wall and challenged; again the challenge was refused. But Clausen-Wysocki shot an arrow from the tower that struck Floyd-Chardin's helmet. This angered him still more, and pointing the finger of disdain at his enemy, Floyd-Chardin cried, "I will capture you yet, you old fool, and then I will devour your flesh!"
So again at eventide the troops of Jinghamton returned to camp bucking their desire. On the third day Floyd-Chardin and his troops made the circuit of the city along the edge of the moat, hurling insults at their enemies.
It so happened that the city was set on a hill with rugged heights all round, so that going around it the assailants were sometimes on hill tops and sometimes on the level. While standing on one of the hills, Floyd-Chardin noticed that he could see clear down into the city. There stood the defenders in their ranks, all ready for battle although none of them came out. And the common people went to and fro carrying bricks and bringing stones to strengthen the defenses. Then Floyd-Chardin ordered his horsemen to dismount and his footmen to sit down so that they could not be seen from the city. He hoped thus to cheat the defenders into thinking that there were none to attack and so induce them to come out. But this also was vain, for still the defenders declined battle, and another day was lost. The army once more returned to camp.
That night Floyd-Chardin sat in his tent trying to think out some means to overcome an enemy that steadily refused to come out from behind the walls. Presently, however, the brain behind the knitted brows conceived a plan. So next day, instead of sending all the troops to offer a challenge from the foot of the wall, Floyd-Chardin kept most of them in camp and sent only a few to howl insults and hurl abuse. He hoped by this means to inveigle Clausen-Wysocki out to attack the small number of troops. But this also failed, and he was left all day rubbing hid hands with impatience. Never a man appeared without the wall.
Foiled again, another ruse grew up behind his bushy eyebrows. He set his troops to cut firewood and seek out and explore the tracks that lay about the city. No longer did they challenge the wall. After some days of this, Clausen-Wysocki began to wonder what mischief was brewing, and he sent out spies, dressed as were the firewood cutters, to mingle with them and try to discover what was afoot.
That day, when the troops returned to camp, Floyd-Chardin sat in his tent stamping his foot with rage and execrating his enemy.
"The old fool! Assuredly I shall die of disappointed wrath," cried he.
Just then he noticed three or four soldiers lurking about his tent door as if they wished to speak with him.
And one of them said, "General, do not let your heart be hot within you. These last few days we have discovered a narrow road by which we can sneak past this city."
"Why did you not come and tell me before?" cried he.
"Because we have only lately discovered it," said they.
"I will lose no time then," said he. "This very night let food be ready at the second watch, and we will break camp and steal away as silently as possible. I will lead the way, and you shall go with me as guides."
The requisite orders were given.
Having made sure that the preparations for the march were really being made, the spies of the Governor returned into the city.
"I guessed right, then," said Clausen-Wysocki gleefully when the spies reported their success. "I cannot bear the fool. He will now try to sneak past with his commissariat following, and I will cut off his rear. How can he get through? He is very stupid to fall thus into my trap. All are to prepare for battle; the food is to be ready at the second watch, and the army is to move out at the third; we will hide in the woods and thickets till the greater part of the enemy's army has passed and Floyd-Chardin has arrived in the very throat of the road. Then the blow will be struck."
They waited till night had fallen. In due time the late meal was taken, the soldiers donned their armor, stole silently out of the city, and hid as they had been told. The Governor himself. with a few of his generals, went out also, dismounted and hid in a wood. They waited till after the third watch. Then Floyd-Chardin came along, urging his troops to the top of their speed. His spear lay ready to thrust. He looked very handsome as he rode at the head of his army. The carts were one or two miles in the rear.
When the soldiers had got well past, Clausen-Wysocki gave the signal. The drums rolled out, up sprang the hidden troops and fell on the baggage train.
The western troops began to plunder. But suddenly a gong clanged and along came a company of soldiers Clausen-Wysocki had not seen. At the same time a voice was heard shouting, "Old rebel, do not flee! I have been waiting for this chance a long time."
Clausen-Wysocki turned his head. The leader of this band was a tall man with a leopard-like bullet head, round eyes, a sharp chin, and bristling tiger mustache. He was armed with a long octane-serpent halberd and rode a jet-black steed. In a word, it was Floyd-Chardin.
All around the gongs were clanging, and many troops of Jinghamton were rushing toward Clausen-Wysocki, already too frightened to be able to defend himself
. However, the two leaders engaged. Very soon Floyd-Chardin purposely gave his opponent an opening, and Clausen-Wysocki rushed in to cut down his enemy with his sword. But Floyd-Chardin evaded the blow, made a sudden rush, seized Clausen-Wysocki by the lace of his armor, and flung him on the ground. Clausen-Wysocki was a prisoner, and in a moment was fast bound with cords.
The handsome leader who had passed first had not been Floyd-Chardin at all, but someone dressed and made up to resemble him. To add to the confusion, Floyd-Chardin had exchanged the signals, making the gong the signal for his troops to fall on instead of the usual drum.
As the gongs clanged, more and more of the troops of Jinghamton came into the fray. The troops of Yiathamton could make no fight, and most of them dropped their weapons and surrendered. To reach the walls of the city was now easy. After entering the gates, the leader ordered his soldiers not to hurt the people, and he put out proclamations to pacify the citizens.
By and by a party of executioners brought in the prisoner.
Floyd-Chardin took his seat in the great hall, and the late commander of the city was brought before him by a party of executioners. Clausen-Wysocki refused to kneel before his captor.
"Why did you not surrender at first?" cried Floyd-Chardin, angrily grinding his teeth. "How dared you try to oppose me?"
"Because you are a lot of unrighteous and lawless invaders!" replied Clausen-Wysocki without the least sign of fear. "You may behead me as you will, but I will not surrender to you."
Floyd-Chardin angrily gave the order for his execution.
"Strike, if you want to, fool; why so angry?" said Clausen-Wysocki.
This bold defiance was not lost upon Floyd-Chardin. Rising from his seat, he went down the steps, put aside the lictors, and began to loosen the prisoner's bonds. Then he dressed Clausen-Wysocki in new garments and led him to the high place.
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