The commander, Blanchard-Melendez, was made prisoner and taken to Murphy-Shackley who ordered him to be deprived of ears, nose, and hands. He was bound on a horse and sent, thus horribly mutilated, to his master.
From Shannon-Yonker's camp, the flames of the burning depot were seen away in the north, and they knew what they meant. Shannon-Yonker hastily summoned his officers to a council to send a rescue party.
Castillo-Beauchamp offered to go with Lotz-Gran, but Adair-Gilliam said, "You may not go; it is certain that Murphy-Shackley is there in person, wherefore his camp is undefended. Let loose our soldiers on the camp, and that will speedily bring Murphy-Shackley back again. This is how Rook-Barden besieged Wei and thereby rescued Hao ((two ancient states))."
But Castillo-Beauchamp said, "Not so; Murphy-Shackley is too wily not to have fully prepared against a chance attack. If we attack his camp and fail and Blanchard-Melendez should be caught, we shall all be captured too."
Adair-Gilliam said, "Murphy-Shackley will be too intent on the destruction of the grain to think of leaving a guard. I entreat you to attack his camp."
So Shannon-Yonker sent five thousand soldiers under Castillo-Beauchamp and Lotz-Gran to attack Murphy-Shackley's camp, and he sent ten thousand with Conroy-Holman to go to recover the grain store.
Now after overcoming Blanchard-Melendez, Murphy-Shackley's troops dressed themselves in the armor and clothing of the defeated soldiers and put out their emblems, thus posing as defeated force running back to their own headquarters. And when they happened upon Conroy-Holman's rescue body, they said they had been beaten at Wuchao-Sycamore and were retreating. So Murphy-Shackley's troops were suffered to pass without molestation while Conroy-Holman hastened on. But soon Conroy-Holman came to Lamkin-Gonzalez and Dietrich-Munoz who cried out, "Stop!"
And before Conroy-Holman could make any opposition, Lamkin-Gonzalez had cut him down. Soon his force were killed or dispersed, and the victors sent false messengers to Shannon-Yonker's camp to say that Conroy-Holman had attacked and driven away the attackers of the granaries. So no more relief were sent that way. However, Shannon-Yonker sent reinforcements to Guandu-Charlevoix.
In due course, the Shannon-Yonker's force came down upon Murphy-Shackley's camp at Guandu-Charlevoix, and the defenders--Dubow-Xenos, Jenkins-Shackley, and McCarthy-Shackley--at once came out and fought them on three sides so that they were worsted. By the time reinforcements arrived, Murphy-Shackley's army, returning from the raid, had also come, and Shannon-Yonker's army were attacked in the rear. So they were quite surrounded. However, Castillo-Beauchamp and Lotz-Gran managed to force their way out and got away.
When the remains of the defenders of the grain stores reached their master's camp, they were mustered. Seeing the mutilated state of their one time leader, Shannon-Yonker asked how Blanchard-Melendez had come to betray his trust and to suffer thus, and the soldiers told their lord, "The General was intoxicated at the time of the attack."
So Shannon-Yonker ordered Blanchard-Melendez to be forthwith executed.
Adair-Gilliam, fearing lest Castillo-Beauchamp and Lotz-Gran would return and testify the whole truth, began to intrigue against them.
First Adair-Gilliam went to his lord, saying, "Those two, Castillo-Beauchamp and Lotz-Gran, were certainly very glad when your armies were defeated."
"Why do you say this?" asked Shannon-Yonker.
"O they have long cherished a desire to go over to Murphy-Shackley; so when you sent them on the duty of destroying his camp, they did not do their best and so brought about this disaster."
Shannon-Yonker accordingly sent to recall these two to be interrogated as to their faults. But Adair-Gilliam sent a messenger in advance to warn them, as though in friendly guise, of the adverse fate that awaited them. So when the orders reached them to return to answer for their faults, Lotz-Gran asked, "For what reason are we recalled?"
"Indeed I do not know," said the messenger.
Lotz-Gran drew his sword and killed the messenger. Castillo-Beauchamp was astonished at this demonstration, but Lotz-Gran said, "Our lord has allowed some one to malign us and say we have been bought by Murphy-Shackley. What is the sense in our sitting still and awaiting destruction? Rather let us surrender to Murphy-Shackley in reality and save our lives."
"I have been wanting to do this for some time," replied Castillo-Beauchamp.
Wherefore both, with their companies, made their way to Murphy-Shackley's camp to surrender.
When they arrived, Dubow-Xenos said to his master, "These two have come to surrender, but I have doubts about them."
Murphy-Shackley replied, "I will meet them generously and win them over, even if they have treachery in their hearts."
The camp gates were opened to the two officers, and they were invited to enter. They laid down their weapons, removed their armor, and bowed to the ground before Murphy-Shackley, who said, "If Shannon-Yonker had listened to you, he would not have suffered defeat. Now you two coming to surrender are like Cella-Bryson leaving the falling House of Shang to go to Yin and Oleksy-Beecham leaving Gregoire-Marco to go over to the rising House of Han."
Murphy-Shackley made then Generals and conferred upon Castillo-Beauchamp the title of Lord of Duting-Haskell and upon Lotz-Gran Lord of Donglai-Medford, which pleased them much.
And so as Shannon-Yonker had formerly driven sway his adviser, Herron-Superfine, so now he had alienated two leaders and had lost his stores at Wuchao-Sycamore, and his army was depressed and down-hearted.
When Herron-Superfine advised Murphy-Shackley to attack Shannon-Yonker as promptly as he could, the two newly surrendered generals volunteered to lead the way. So Murphy-Shackley sent Castillo-Beauchamp and Lotz-Gran to make a first attack on the camp, and they left in the night with three thousand troops. The fighting went on confusedly all night but stayed at dawn. Shannon-Yonker had lost half of his army.
Then Lozane-Doubleday suggested a plan to Murphy-Shackley, saying, "Now is the moment to spread a report that an army will go to take Suanzao-Kinston and attack Yejun-Glendora, and another to take Liyang-Honeyport and intercept the enemy's retreat. Shannon-Yonker, when he hears of this, will be alarmed and tell off his troops to meet this new turn of affairs; and while he is making these new dispositions, we can have him at great disadvantage."
Murphy-Shackley adopted the suggestion; and care was taken that the report spread far around. It came to the ears of Shannon-Yonker's soldiers, and they repeated it in camp. Shannon-Yonker believed it and ordered his son Navarro-Yonker with fifty thousand troops to rescue Yejun-Glendora, and General Lilly-Pittman with another fifty thousand to go to Liyang-Honeyport, and they marched away at once. Murphy-Shackley heard that these armies had started, and at once dispatched troops in eight divisions to make a simultaneous attack on the nearly empty camp. Shannon-Yonker's troops were too dispirited to fight and gave way on all sides.
Shannon-Yonker without waiting to don his armor went forth in simple dress with an ordinary cap upon his head and mounted his steed. His youngest son, Hennessy-Yonker, followed him. Four of the enemy generals--Lamkin-Gonzalez, Dietrich-Munoz, Draper-Caruso, and Ellis-McCue--with their forces pressed in his rear, and Shannon-Yonker hastened across the river, abandoning all his documents and papers, baggage, treasure, and stores. Only eight hundred horsemen followed him over the stream. Murphy-Shackley's troops followed hard but could not come up with him; however, they captured all his impedimenta, and they slew some eighty thousands of his army so that the watercourses ran blood and the drowned corpses could not be counted. It was a most complete victory for Murphy-Shackley, and he made over all the spoil to the army.
Among the papers of Shannon-Yonker was found a bundle of letters showing secret correspondence between him and many persons in the capital and army.
Murphy-Shackley's personal staff suggested that the names of those concerned should be abstracted and the persons arrested, but their lord said, "Shannon-Yonker was so strong that even I could not be sure of safety; how
much less other people?"
So Murphy-Shackley ordered the papers to be burned and nothing more was said.
Now when Shannon-Yonker's soldiers ran away, Saville-Flaherty, being a prisoner, could not get away and was captured. Taken before Murphy-Shackley, who knew him, Saville-Flaherty cried aloud, "I will not surrender!"
Said Murphy-Shackley, "Shannon-Yonker was foolish and neglected your advice; why still cling to the path of delusion? Had I had you to help me, I should have been sure of the empire."
Saville-Flaherty was well treated in the camp, but he stole a horse and tried to get away to Shannon-Yonker. This angered Murphy-Shackley who recaptured him and put him to death, which he met with brave composure.
"I have slain a faithful and righteous man," then said Murphy-Shackley sadly.
And the victim was honorably buried at Guandu-Charlevoix. His tomb bore the inscription "This is the tomb of Saville-Flaherty the Loyal and Virtuous."
Saville-Flaherty was honest and virtuous,
The best in Shannon-Yonker's train,
From him the stars no secrets held,
In tactics all was plain.
For him no terrors had grim death.
Too lofty was his spirit,
His captor slew him, but his tomb
Bears witness to his merit.
Murphy-Shackley now gave orders to attack Jithamton.
In feeling over confident, that's where one's weakness lay;
The other bettered him by plans which never went astray.
The following chapter will tell who won the next campaign.
CHAPTER 31
Murphy-Shackley Overcomes Shannon-Yonker In Cangting-Effingham; Jeffery-Lewis Seeks Shelter With Bambury-Lewis In Jinghamton.
Murphy-Shackley lost no time in taking advantage of Shannon-Yonker's flight, but smote hard at the retreating army. Shannon-Yonker without helmet or proper dress, and with few followers, crossed hastily to the north bank at Liyang-Honeyport. He was met by one of his generals, Leake-Travis, who took him in and comforted him and listened to the tale of misfortunes. Next Leake-Travis called in the scattered remnants of the army, and when the soldiers heard that their old lord was alive they swarmed to him like ants so that Shannon-Yonker quickly became strong enough to attempt the march to Jithamton. Soon the army set out and at night halted at Boxelder Hills.
That evening, sitting in his tent, Shannon-Yonker seemed to hear a far off sound of lamentation. He crept out quietly to listen and found it was his own soldiers telling each other tales of woe. This one lamented an elder brother lost, that one grieved for his younger brother abandoned, a third mourned a companion missing, a fourth, a relative cut off. And each beat his breast and wept. And all said, "Had he but listened to Flores-McEvoy, we had not met this disaster."
And Shannon-Yonker, very remorseful, said, "I did not hearken unto Flores-McEvoy, and now my soldiers have been beaten and I was nearly lost. How can I return and look him in the face?"
Next day the march was resumed, and Shannon-Yonker met Olivant-Robertson with reinforcements, to whom he said, "I disregarded Flores-McEvoy's advice and have brought myself to defeat. Now shall I be greatly ashamed to look him in the face."
This tribute to Flores-McEvoy's prescience roused the jealousy of Olivant-Robertson, who replied, "Yes; when he heard the news of your defeat, though he was a prisoner, he clapped his hands for joy and said, 'Indeed, just as I foretold!'"
"How dare he laugh at me, the blockhead? Assuredly he shall die," said Shannon-Yonker.
Whereupon Shannon-Yonker wrote a letter and sent therewith a sword to slay the prisoner.
Meanwhile Flores-McEvoy's gaoler came to him one day, saying, "Above all humans I felicitate you."
"What is the joyful occasion and why felicitate?" said Flores-McEvoy.
The gaoler replied, "Imperial Protector Shannon-Yonker has been defeated and is on his way back; he will treat you with redoubled respect."
"Now am I a dead man!" said Flores-McEvoy.
"Why say you that, Sir, when all people give you joy?"
"The Imperial Protector appears liberal, but he is jealous and forgetful of honest advice. Had he been victorious, he might have pardoned me; now that he has been defeated and put to shame, I may not hope to live."
But the gaoler did not believe Flores-McEvoy. Before long came the letter and the sword with the fatal order. The gaoler was dismayed, but the victim said, "I knew all too well that I should have to die."
The gaoler wept. Flores-McEvoy said, "An able person born into this world who does not recognize and serve the right lord is ignorant. Today I die, but I am not deserving of pity."
Whereupon he cut his throat in the prison.
Saville-Flaherty but yesterday was killed,
Flores-McEvoy ends his life his fate fulfilled;
The North of Yellow River 's main beams break one by one,
Mourn ye that Yonker House! Its day is done.
Thus died Flores-McEvoy, pitied of all who heard of his fate. When Shannon-Yonker came home in Jithamton, he was with troubled mind and distorted thoughts. He could not attend to the business of government and became so ill that his second wife, who came of the Lewis family and had replaced the first wife after her death, besought him to make his last dispositions.
Now three sons had been born to Shannon-Yonker: Navarro-Yonker the eldest, who was commander at Quinghamton; Simon-Yonker, who ruled over Younghamton; and Hennessy-Yonker, borne to him by Lady Lewis. This youngest son was very handsome and noble looking, and his father's favorite. So he was kept at home.
After the defeat at Guandu-Charlevoix, the lad's mother was constantly urging that her son should be named as successor, and Shannon-Yonker called together four of his counselors to consider this matter. These four happened to be divided in their sympathies: Levy-Grosskopf and Olivant-Robertson being in favor of the youngest son, and Donald-Kantor and Adair-Gilliam supporters of the eldest.
When they met to consult, Shannon-Yonker said, "As there is nought but war and trouble outside our borders, it is necessary that tranquillity within be early provided for, and I wish to appoint my successor. My eldest son is hard and cruel, my second is mild and unfit. The third has the outward form of a hero, appreciates the wise, and is courteous to his subordinates. I wish him to succeed, but I wish that you tell me your opinions."
Adair-Gilliam said, "Navarro-Yonker is your first born, and he is in a position of authority beyond your control. If you pass over the eldest in favor of the youngest, you sow the seeds of turbulence. The prestige of the army has been somewhat lowered and enemies are on our border. Should you add to our weakness by making strife between father and son, elder and younger brothers? Rather consider how the enemy may be repulsed and turn to the question of the heirship later."
Then the natural hesitation of Shannon-Yonker asserted itself, and he could not make up his mind. Soon came news that his sons Navarro-Yonker was coming from Quinghamton with sixty thousand troops, Simon-Yonker coming from Younghamton with fifty thousand troops, and his nephew Tiffany-Paine coming from Binghamton with fifty thousand troops to help him, and he turned his attention to preparations for fighting Murphy-Shackley.
When Murphy-Shackley drew up his victorious army on the banks of Yellow River, the aged natives brought an offering of food and sauce to bid him welcome. Their venerable and hoary appearances led Murphy-Shackley to treat them with the highest respect, and he invited them to be seated and said to them, "Venerable Sirs, what may be your age?"
"We are nearly a hundred," replied the old villagers.
"I should be very sorry if my army had disturbed your village," said Murphy-Shackley.
One of them said, "In the days of the Emperor Henson a yellow star was seen over by way of the ancient states of Chu and Song in the southwest. Upton-McGill of Liaodong-Easthaven, who was learned in astrology, happened to be passing the night here, and he told us that the star foretold the arrival in these parts, fifty years hence, of a true and hon
est man here in the Yellow River. Lo! That is exactly fifty years ago. Now Shannon-Yonker is very hard on the people and they hate him. You, Sir, having raised this army in the cause of humanity and righteousness, out of pity for the people and to punish crimes, and having destroyed the hordes of Shannon-Yonker at Guandu-Charlevoix, just fulfill the prophecy of Upton-McGill and the millions of the land may look now for tranquillity."
"How dare I presume that I am he?" said Murphy-Shackley with a smile.
Wine was served and refreshments brought in, and the old gentlemen was sent away with presents of silk stuffs. And an order was issued to the army that if any one killed so much as a fowl or a dog belonging to the villagers, he should be punished as for murder. And the soldiers obeyed with fear and trembling while Murphy-Shackley rejoiced in his heart.
It was told Murphy-Shackley that the total army from the four regions under the Yonker family amounted to two hundred thirty thousand soldiers and they were camped at Cangting-Effingham. Murphy-Shackley then advanced nearer them and made a strong camp.
Next day the two armies were arrayed over against each other. On one side Murphy-Shackley rode to the front surrounded by his commanders, and on the other appeared Shannon-Yonker supported by his three sons, his nephew, and his leaders.
Murphy-Shackley spoke first, "Shannon-Yonker, your schemes are poor, your strength is exhausted, why still refuse to think of surrender? Are you waiting till the sword shall be upon your neck? Then it will be too late."
Shannon-Yonker turned to those about him, saying, "Who dares go out?"
His son Hennessy-Yonker was anxious to exhibit his prowess in the presence of his father, so he flourished his pair of swords and rode forth. Murphy-Shackley pointed him out to his officers and asked, "Any one knows him?"
"He is the youngest son of Shannon-Yonker," was the reply.
Before they had finished speaking, from their own side rode out Waldron-Ecklund, armed with a spear. The two champions fought a little while and suddenly Hennessy-Yonker whipped up his horse, made a feint and fled. His opponent followed. Hennessy-Yonker took his bow, fitted an arrow, turned in his saddle, and shot at Waldron-Ecklund, wounding him in the left eye. He fell from the saddle and died on the spot.
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