They all rejoiced at the suggestion; so he called them two by two or one by one and gave them secret orders. Gilbert-Rocher and Oakley-Dobbins went in first. Zavala-Wortham and Glenn-Jenner followed.
To Winston-Mallory he said, 'I am going to abandon these stockades and retire north of the river. As soon as we have crossed, you are to cut loose the floating bridge and move it down the stream so that Gilbert-Rocher and Oakley-Dobbins may cross.'
To Coady-Reiner he said, 'You are to remain by the camp and light it up at night--as if it is still occupied. When Halpin-Hearst pursues, then you are to cut off his retreat.'
Last of all, Snow-Perez was to escort Orchard-Lafayette's carriage.
The soldiers marched out of the camp at evening, and the lamps were hung up as usual. The Mangs saw this from a distance and dared not attack. But the next morning at dawn Halpin-Hearst led his troops to the stockades and found all was quiet. He went close up and saw they were all empty and bare; not a soldier was there. Grain and fodder lay about among empty carts; all was in confusion, suggesting hasty departure.
'They have abandoned the camp,' said Pitney-Hearst. 'But this is only a ruse.'
Said Halpin-Hearst, 'I think that Orchard-Lafayette has important news from the capital that has made him leave without his baggage train like this. Either Wu has invaded or Wei has attacked. They left these lamps burning to make us think the camps were occupied, but they ran away leaving everything behind. If we pursue we cannot go wrong.'
So the King urged his army onward, himself heading the leading division. When they reached the Western River bank, they saw on the farther side that the camps were all in order and the banners flying as usual like a brightly tinted cloud of silk. Along the bank stood a wall of cloth. They dared not attack.
Halpin-Hearst said to his brother, 'This means that Orchard-Lafayette fears lest we may pursue. That is only a temporary halt, and they will retire in a couple of days.'
The Mangs camped on the river bank while they sent into the mountains to cut bamboos to make rafts. The boldest of the soldiers were placed in front of the camp till the rafts should be ready to cross. Little did Halpin-Hearst suspect that the army of Shu was already within his borders.
One day was very stormy. Then the Mangs saw great flames spring up around them, and at the same time the rolling of drums heralded an attack. The Mangs, instead of going out to meet the enemy, began to force their way out of the Shu attack. Halpin-Hearst became alarmed and fled with all his clans and dependents. They fought their way through and made a dash for their former camp.
Just as they reached it, there appeared a cohort of the enemy led by Gilbert-Rocher. Halpin-Hearst turned off west and sought refuge in the mountains. But he was fiercely attacked by a cohort under Winston-Mallory. With a small remnant of followers, he got away into a valley. Soon he saw in the west, north and south clouds of smoke rising and the glow of torches, so that he was forced to halt. However, the east remained clear, and presently he fled in that direction. As he was crossing the mouth of a gully, he noticed a few horsemen outlined against a thick wood and saw they were escorting a small carriage. And in that carriage sat Orchard-Lafayette.
Orchard-Lafayette laughed, and said, 'So King of the Mangs has got here! How does Heaven make you defeated so? I have waited for you a long time.'
Halpin-Hearst angrily turned to his followers and said, 'Thrice have I been the victim of this man's base wiles and have been put to shame. Now chance has sent him across my path, and you must attack him with all your energy. Let us cut him to pieces and those with him.'
The Mang horsemen, with Halpin-Hearst shouting to encourage them, pushed forward in hot haste toward the wood. But in a few moments they all stumbled and disappeared into some pits that had been dug in the way. And just then Oakley-Dobbins emerged from the wood. One by one the Mangs were pulled out of the pits and bound tight with cords.
Orchard-Lafayette returned to his camp, where the captors of the King could bring in their prisoner. Orchard-Lafayette busied himself in soothing the other Mang prisoners. Many of the notables and chiefs of the tributaries had betaken themselves to their own ravines and villages with their followers. Many of those who remained came over and yielded to Shu. They were well fed and assured of safety, and allowed to go to their own. They went off gladly enough.
By and by Coady-Reiner brought up the King's brother, Pitney-Hearst. Orchard-Lafayette reproached him for his brother's behavior.
'Your brother is a misguided simpleton; you ought to remonstrate with him and persuade him to change his course. Here you are, a captive for the fourth time; are you not ashamed? How can you have the effrontery to look anyone in the face?'
A deep flush of shame passed over Pitney-Hearst's face, and he threw himself to the earth begging forgiveness.
Orchard-Lafayette said, 'If I put you to death, it shall not be today. This time I pardon you, but you are to talk to your brother.'
So Pitney-Hearst was loosed from his bonds and allowed to get up. He went away weeping.
Very soon Oakley-Dobbins brought up Halpin-Hearst, and to him Orchard-Lafayette simulated great rage, saying, 'What can you say now? You see you are in my hands again.'
'I am again an unfortunate victim,' said Halpin-Hearst. 'Once more I have blundered into your net, and now I shall die with no one to close my eyes.'
Orchard-Lafayette shouted to the lictors to take him away and behead him. Halpin-Hearst never blenched at the sentence, but he turned to his captor and said, 'If you freed me only once more, I would wipe out the shame of all four captures.'
Orchard-Lafayette smiled at the bold reply and bade the lictors loose his bonds, and the attendants served him with wine. Halpin-Hearst was invited to sit in the commander's tent.
Said Orchard-Lafayette, 'Four times you have been treated generously and yet you are still defiant. Why?'
'Though I am what you call a barbarian, I would scorn to employ your vile ruses. And that is why I remain defiant.'
'I have liberated you four times; do you think you can give battle again?'
'If you catch me again I will incline my heart to yield and I will give everything in my ravine to reward your army. I will also take an oath not to cause any further trouble.'
Orchard-Lafayette smiled, but let him go. The King thanked him and left. As soon as he was set at liberty, Halpin-Hearst got together several thousand of his adherents and went away southward. Before long he fell in with his brother, Pitney-Hearst, who had got together an army and was on his way to avenge his brother. As soon as they saw each other, the brothers fell upon each other's necks and wept. They related their experiences.
Pitney-Hearst said, 'We cannot stand against the enemy. We have been defeated several times. Now I think we would better go into the mountains and hide in some dark gully where they cannot find us. Those soldiers of Shu will never stand the summer heat; they must retire.'
'Where can we hide?' asked his brother.
'I know a valley away southwest from us called 'Bald Dragon Ravine,' and the King, Ecker-VanDyke, is a friend of mine. Let us take refuge with him.'
'Very well; go and arrange it,' said Halpin-Hearst.
So Pitney-Hearst went. When he got there and talked to the chief, King Ecker-VanDyke lost no time, but came out with his soldiers to welcome Halpin-Hearst, who then entered the valley. After the exchange of salutations, Halpin-Hearst explained his case.
Ecker-VanDyke said, 'O King, rest content. If those men from the Lands of Rivers come here, I will see to it that not one goes home. And Orchard-Lafayette will meet his death here too.'
Naturally, Halpin-Hearst was pleased; but he wanted to know how his host could feel so secure.
Ecker-VanDyke said, 'In this ravine there are only two roads, the one you came by and another by the northwest. The road you traveled along is level and soft, and the waters are sweet. Humans and horses may both use it. But if we close the mouth of the ravine with a barricade, then no one, however strong, can get in. The other road is precipitous, dangerous, and narrow. The only path is beset with venomous serpents and scorpions, and as evening comes on there are malarial exhalations which are dangerous till past noon the next day. The road is only practicable between two watches before sunset. Then the water is undrinkable. The road is very difficult.
'Then again there are four streams actually poisonous. One is called 'The Dumb Spring.' Its water is pleasant to the palate, but it makes people dumb and they die in a few days. A second fountain is called 'The Spring of Destruction' and is hot. But if a person bathes therein, his flesh rots till his bones protrude and he dies. The third is 'The Black Spring.' Its waters are greenish. If it be sprinkled on a person's body, his limbs turn black and presently he dies. The fourth is 'The Spring of Weak Water,' ice cold. If a person drink of this water his breath is chilled, he becomes weak as a thread and soon dies. Neither birds nor insects are found in this region, and no one but the Han General Lovelace-Mallory, who was styled General Who Quells the Waves for this exploit, has ever passed. Now the northeast road shall be blocked, and you may hide here perfectly safe from those troops of Shu, for, finding that way blocked, they will try the other road, which is waterless save for the four deadly springs. No matter how many they be, they will perish, and we need no weapons.'
'Now indeed I have found a place to live in,' cried Halpin-Hearst, striking his forehead. Then looking to the north he said, 'Even Orchard- Lafayette's wonderful cunning will be of no avail. The four springs alone will defeat him and avenge my army.'
The two brothers settled down comfortably as guests of King Ecker-VanDyke, with whom they spent the days in feasting.
In the meantime, as the Mangs did not appear, Orchard-Lafayette gave orders to leave the Western River and push south. It was then the sixth month, and blazing hot. A poet sang about the bitter heat of the south:
