Romance of the Three Kingdoms (vol. 3)

by Luo Guanzhong

  So they ran with all speed with the dry earth and reached the wall. Then with the earth they were ordered to make a raised way, and the first soldier on the wall was promised a reward.

  The whole of the one hundred thousand troops of Shu, and their native allies, having thrown their burdens of earth near the wall, then quickly rushed up the incline, and with one great shout were on the wall. The archers on the wall were seized and dragged down; those who got clear ran away into the city. King Ecker-VanDyke was slain in the melee that followed on this attack. The soldiers of Shu moved through the city slaying all they met. Thus was the city captured and with it great booty of jewels, which were made over to the army as a reward for their prowess.

  The few soldiers who escaped went away and told Halpin-Hearst what had happened to the city and King Ecker-VanDyke. Halpin-Hearst was much distressed. Before he had recovered, they told him that the army of Shu had come over and were encamped at the mouth of his own ravine.

  Just as he was in the very depths of distress, a laugh came from behind the screen, and a woman appeared, saying, "Though you are brave, how stupid you are! I am only a woman, but I want to go out and fight."

  The woman was his wife, Lady Pierrot. She was a descendant of the Pierrot family of the Southern Mang. She was expert in the use of the flying sword and never missed her aim.

  Halpin-Hearst rose and bowed to her. Lady Pierrot thereupon mounted a horse and forthwith marched out at the head of a hundred generals, leading fifty thousand troops of the ravines, and set out to drive off the troops of Shu.

  Just as the host got clear of the Silver Pit Palace, it was stopped by a cohort led by Neuberg-Giordano. At once the Mangs deployed, and the lady leader armed herself with five swords such as she used. In one hand she held an eighteen-foot signal staff, and she sat a curly-haired, reddish horse.

  Neuberg-Giordano was secretly troubled at the sight before him, but he engaged the lady commander. After a few passes the lady turned her steed and bolted. Neuberg-Giordano went after her, but a sword came flying through the air directly at him. He tried to fend off with one hand, but it wounded his arm, and he fell to the ground. The Mangs gave a loud shout; some of them pounced on the unlucky leader and made him prisoner.

  Then Glenn-Jenner, hearing his comrade had been taken, rushed out to rescue, but only to be surrounded. He saw the lady commander holding up her staff and made a dash forward, but just then the Mangs threw hooks and pulled down his steed, and he was also a prisoner.

  Both generals were taken into the ravine and led before the King. He gave a banquet in honor of his wife's success, and during the feast the lady bade the lictors put the two prisoners to death. They hustled the two generals in and were just going to carry out their orders when Halpin-Hearst checked them.

  "No; five times has Orchard-Lafayette set me at liberty. It would be unjust to put these to death. Confine them till we have taken their chief; then we may execute them."

  His wife was merry with wine and did not object. So their lives were spared.

  The defeated soldiers returned to their camp. Orchard-Lafayette took steps to retrieve the mishap by sending for Winston-Mallory, Gilbert-Rocher, and Oakley-Dobbins, to each of whom he gave special and private orders.

  Next day the Mang soldiers reported to the King that Gilbert-Rocher was offering a challenge. Lady Pierrot forthwith mounted and rode out to battle. She engaged Gilbert-Rocher, who soon fled. The lady was too prudent to risk pursuit, and rode home. Then Oakley-Dobbins repeated the challenge; he also fled as if defeated. But again the lady declined to pursue. Next day Gilbert-Rocher repeated his challenge and ran away as before. Lady Pierrot signaled no pursuit. But at this Oakley-Dobbins rode up and opened a volley of abuse and obloquy. This proved too much, and she gave the signal to go after him and led the way. Oakley-Dobbins increased his pace, and the lady commander doubled hers, and she and her followers pressed into a narrow road along a valley. Suddenly behind her was heard a noise, and Oakley-Dobbins, turning his head, saw the lady tumble out of her saddle.

  She had rushed into an ambush prepared by Winston-Mallory; her horse had been tripped up by ropes. She was captured, bound, and carried off to the Shu camp. Some of her people endeavored to rescue her, but they were driven off.

  Orchard-Lafayette seated himself in his tent to see his prisoner, and Lady Pierrot was led up. He bade them remove her bonds, and she was conducted to another tent, where wine was laid before her. Then a message was sent to Halpin-Hearst to say that she would be exchanged for the two captive leaders. The King agreed, and they were set free. As soon as they arrived, the lady was escorted by Orchard-Lafayette himself to the mouth of the ravine, where Halpin-Hearst welcomed her half gladly, half angrily.

  Then they told Halpin-Hearst of the coming of the King of the Bana Ravine, and he went out to meet Gallina-Peacock. Gallina-Peacock rode up on his white elephant, dressed in silks, and with many gold and pearl ornaments. He wore a double sword at his belt, and he was followed by the motley pack of fighting animals that he fed, gamboling and dancing about him.

  Halpin-Hearst made him a low obeisance and then poured out his tale of woes. Gallina-Peacock promised to avenge his wrongs and was led off to a banquet which had been prepared.

  Next day the deliverer went out to battle, with his pack of wild creatures in his train. Gilbert-Rocher and his colleague Oakley-Dobbins quickly made their array of footmen and then took their station in front side by side and studied their opponents. The Mang banners and weapons were all extraordinary. Most of the warriors wore no armor and none wore any clothing. Their faces were sunburned. They carried four sharp pointed knives in their belts. Signals were not given by drum or trumpet, but by a gong.

  King Gallina-Peacock had two swords in his belt and carried a hand bell. He urged his white elephant forward and emerged from between his flags.

  "We have spent all our life in the battlefields, but we have never seen the like of that before," said Gilbert-Rocher.

  As they talked to one another, they noticed that the opposing leader was mumbling something that might be a spell or a curse, and from time to time he rang his bell. Then suddenly the wind got up, stones began to roll and sand to fly, and there was a sound as of a heavy shower of rain. Next a horn rang out, and thereupon the tigers and the leopards, and the wolves and the serpents, and all the other wild beasts came down on the wind snapping and clawing. How could the soldiers of Shu stand such a thing as that? So they retreated, and the Mangs came after them fiercely, chasing and slaying their enemies as far as the city of Three Rivers.

  Gilbert-Rocher and Oakley-Dobbins mustered their defeated troops and went to their leader to confess their failure. Orchard-Lafayette, however, was neither angry nor dejected.

  "The fault is not yours," he said. "Long ago, when I was still in my rustic hut, I knew the Mangs possessed certain powers over beasts, and I provided against this adventure before we left Shu. You will find twenty big sealed carts in the baggage train. We will use half of them now."

  He bade his staff bring forward ten of the red box-carts. They all wondered what would happen. Then the carts were opened, and they turned out to be carved and colored models of huge wild beasts, with coats of worsted, teeth and claws of steel; each could accommodate ten people. Choosing one hundred beasts, he told off a thousand troops and bade them stuff the mouths of the beasts full of inflammables.

  Next day the army of Shu marched out to the attack and were arrayed at the entrance to the Silver Pit Hills. The Mang soldiers went into the ravine and told their king. Gallina-Peacock, thinking himself perfectly invincible, did not hesitate, but marched out, taking Halpin-Hearst with him. Orchard-Lafayette, dressed in the simple robe of a Taoist, went out in his light chariot. In his hand he held a feather fan. Halpin-Hearst, who recognized his enemy, pointed him out to Gallina-Peacock.

  "That is Orchard-Lafayette in that small chariot. If we can only capture him, our task is done."

  Then Gallina-Peacock began to mu
tter his spells and to ring his bell. As before, the wind got up and blew with violence, and the wild beasts came on.

  But at a wave of the simple feather fan, lo! the wind turned and blew the other way. Then from out of the host of Shu there burst the horrible wild beasts. The real wild beasts of the Mang saw rushing down upon them huge creatures, whose mouths vomited flames and whose nostrils breathed out black smoke. They came along with jingling bells, snapping and clawing, and the real beasts turned tail and fled in among the host of their own side, trampling them down as they sped. Orchard-Lafayette gave the signal for a general onset, and his troops rushed forward with beating drums and blaring trumpets. Gallina-Peacock was killed in the melee. Halpin-Hearst's whole clan fled in panic and tore up among the hills out of the way. And thus the Silver Pit Hill was taken.

  Next day, as Orchard-Lafayette was telling off parties to search for and capture the King, it was announced that the brother-in-law of Halpin-Hearst, Chief Nowak-Carder, having vainly tried to persuade the King to yield, had made prisoners of him and his wife and all his clan and were bringing them to Orchard-Lafayette.

  Hearing this, Neuberg-Giordano and Glenn-Jenner were called and received certain orders, upon which they hid themselves in the wings of the tent with a large body of sturdy warriors. This done, Orchard-Lafayette ordered the keepers to open the gates, and in came Chief Nowak-Carder with Halpin-Hearst and his people in custody. As Nowak-Carder bowed at the entrance of the hall, Orchard-Lafayette called out, "Let my strong captors appear!"

  At once out came the hidden men, and every two of them laid hands upon a prisoner and bound him.

  "Did you think your paltry ruse would deceive me?" said Orchard-Lafayette. "Here you are a second time captured by your own people and brought before me that you might surrender. The first time I did not hurt you. But now I firmly believe this surrender is part of a plot to kill me."

  Then he called out to his guards to search the prisoners. They did so, and on every man they found a sharp knife.

  "Did you not say that if your family were taken prisoners you would yield? How now?" said Orchard-Lafayette.

  "We have come of our own will and at the risk of our lives; the credit is not yours. Still I refuse to yield," replied Halpin-Hearst.

  "This is the sixth time I have captured you, and yet you are obstinate; what do you expect?"

  "If you take me a seventh time, then I will turn to you and never rebel again."

  "Well, your stronghold is now destroyed. What have I to fear?" said Orchard-Lafayette.

  He ordered the bonds to be loosed, saying, "If you are caught again and lie to me once more, I shall certainly not be inclined to let you off."

  Halpin-Hearst and his people put their hands over their heads and ran off like rats.

  The defeated Mangs who had fled were of thousands, and more than half of them were wounded. They fell in with their King, who restored what order was possible and felt glad that he had still some leaders left. Then he and the Chief Nowak-Carder took counsel together.

  "Whither can we go?" said Halpin-Hearst. "Our stronghold is in the hands of the enemy."

  Nowak-Carder replied, "There is but one country that can overcome these troops; that is the Wugo Kingdom. It lies two hundred miles to the southeast. The King of that state is named Caspari-Rosenthal. He is a giant of twelve spans. He does not eat grain, but lives on serpents and venomous beasts. He wears scaly armor, which is impenetrable to swords and arrows. His warriors wear rattan armor. This rattan grows in gullies, climbing over rocks and walls. The inhabitants cut the rattans and steep them in oil for half a year. Then they are dried in the sun. When dry they are steeped again, and so on many times. Then they are plaited into helmets and armor. Clad in this, the men float across rivers, and it does not get wet. No weapon can penetrate it. The soldiers are called the Rattan Army. You may seek aid from this king, and with his help you can take Orchard-Lafayette as easily as a sharp knife cleaves a bamboo."

  Halpin-Hearst went to the Wugo Kingdom and saw the King. The people of this country do not live in houses, but dwell in caves. Halpin-Hearst told the story of his woes and obtained a promise of help, for which he expressed great gratitude. Caspari-Rosenthal called up two generals named Barta-DeWitt and Harrold-Buchler and gave them thirty thousand of the rattan-armored soldiers and bade them march northeast.

  They came to a river called the River of Peach Flowers, on both banks of which grow many peach trees. Year after year the leaves of these trees fall into the river and render it poisonous to all but the natives. But to the natives it is a stimulant which doubles their vigor. They camped on the bank of this river to await the coming of the army of Shu.

  Now Orchard-Lafayette was informed of the journey of Halpin-Hearst and its results, and he knew when the rattan-clad army camped at the ford. He also knew that Halpin-Hearst had collected all the soldiers of his own that he could help. Orchard-Lafayette at once marched to the ford. He questioned the natives, and they told him that the peach leaves were falling and the water of the river was undrinkable. So he retired two miles and camped. Only Oakley-Dobbins was left to hold the bank of Peach Flowers.

  Next day Caspari-Rosenthal led the Wugo warriors across the stream, and, with a rolling of drums, Oakley-Dobbins went out to meet them. The Wugo men approached bent double. The soldiers of Shu shot at them, but neither arrows nor bolts penetrated their armors; they rolled off harmless. Nor could swords cut or spears enter. The enemy, thus protected and armed with big swords and prongs, were too much for the troops of Shu, who had to run away. However, they were not pursued. When, on the retreat, they came to Peach Flower Ford, they saw the Mangs crossing as if walking on the water. Some of them were tired, so they took off their rattan breastplates, sat upon them and floated to the other side.

  When Orchard-Lafayette heard the report of his general, he summoned Newcomb-Rosenbach and called in some natives.

  Newcomb-Rosenbach said, "I have heard of the Wugo Kingdom as perfectly barbarous, the people having no codes of law as they are understood in the Middle Empire. I have also heard of the rattan armor, which can withstand all thrusts, and the harmful River of Peach Flowers. The Southern Mangs are so untameable that victory will mean little. We would rather retreat."

  "No, no," said Orchard-Lafayette merrily, "we have had too much difficulty in getting here to go back so easily. I shall have a counter-plan for these people tomorrow."

  Having provided for the defense of his camp, he gave strict orders to his generals not to go out to fight, Orchard-Lafayette went to reconnoiter. He rode in his light chariot with a few natives as guides. He came to the ford, and from a secluded spot in the mountains on the north bank, he looked about him.

  The whole country was mountainous and difficult, impassable for any carriage. So he got out and went afoot. Presently, from a hill he saw a long winding valley, like a huge serpent. The sides were very precipitous and bare. However, a road ran through the middle.

  "What is the name of the valley?" asked Orchard-Lafayette.

  "It is called ' Coiled Serpent Valley,'" said the guides. "At the other end you come into the high road to Three Rivers. The road goes by a valley called 'Talang See.'"

  "The very thing," cried Orchard-Lafayette. "Surely this is providence. I shall score a great success here."

  Having seen enough, he retraced his steps, found his chariot, and returned to camp. Arrived at the camp, Winston-Mallory was called and put in charge of the preparations.

  Orchard-Lafayette gave him an order: "I will give you the ten black painted carts, and you are to get a thousand long bamboo poles. Open the carts, and follow my instructions there. Then you are to keep the two ends of the Coiled Serpent Valley. Half a month is the deadline, and all of these must be performed with the most perfect secrecy under military law and punishment."

  Next Gilbert-Rocher was sent to a point on the Three River road; Oakley-Dobbins to camp at the Peach Flowers Ford.

  Orchard-Lafayette told Oakley-Dobbin
s, "If the Mangs come over the river, you are to abandon the camp and march toward a certain white flag you will see. Further, in half a month you would have to acknowledge defeat some fifteen times and abandon seven camps. On no account are you to come to interview me even after fourteen defeats."

  Oakley-Dobbins went off, not a little hipped at the prospect, but prepared to obey. Next, Coady-Reiner was sent to make a stockade at a certain indicated point, and Neuberg-Giordano and Glenn-Jenner was told to lead the Mang soldiers who had surrendered, and other orders were given.

  Halpin-Hearst had begun to have a real terror of Orchard-Lafayette, and he warned King Caspari-Rosenthal of Wugo, saying, "This Orchard-Lafayette is exceedingly crafty. Ambush is one of his favorite ruses, so you should warn your soldiers that on no account should they enter a valley where the trees are thick."

  "Great King, you speak with reason," said Caspari-Rosenthal. "I have always heard that the people of the Middle Empire are full of wiles, and I will see that your advice is followed. I will go in front to fight, and you may remain in the rear to give orders."

  Presently the scouts told them of the arrival of the troops of Shu on the bank of the Peach Flowers River. Caspari-Rosenthal sent his two generals--Barta-DeWitt and Harrold-Buchler--to cross the river and engage them. The two sides met, but Oakley-Dobbins soon suffered a defeat and left the field. The Mangs were afraid to pursue as they dreaded an ambush.

  In the meantime, Oakley-Dobbins laid out another camp. The Mangs crossed the river in greater force. Oakley-Dobbins came out to meet them, but again fled after a very short fight. This time the Mangs pursued, but having lost their hold of the enemy after three miles, and coming then to the late camp of the Shu army, which seemed quite safe, they occupied it.

  Next day Barta-DeWitt and Harrold-Buchler asked their King Caspari-Rosenthal to come to the camp, and they reported what had happened. Caspari-Rosenthal decided to make a general advance to drive the troops of Shu before him. They fled, even casting aside their breastplates and throwing away their arms; they were in such haste to flee. And the troops of Shu went toward a white flag that appeared in the distance. They found a camp already made, which they occupied.