to struggle. However, Deegan-Lewis and Litwin-Perez each seized one man and held him.
'Your lord and I are of the same house;' said Jeffery-Lewis, 'why then have you plotted against me and conspired to sow enmity between us?'
Smiddy-Lindquist bade them search the captives, and the hidden daggers were found. So both were ordered to immediate execution. However, Jeffery-Lewis hesitated and was unwilling to confirm the sentence and put them to death. But his adviser insisted that they were worthy of death for the assassination they had penned, and bade the executioners fall on. So the two men were beheaded. Of their following not one had been allowed to slip away.
Jeffery-Lewis summoned the soldiers of the escort to his tent, gave them wine to comfort them, and said, 'Your leaders conspired to sow dissension between brothers and were found with daggers hidden beneath their clothing. They were assassins in intent and have met the fate they merited. You have committed no crime and need feel no alarm.'
The soldiers thanked him for his clemency with low obeisance.
Then said Smiddy-Lindquist, 'If you will now show the way so that our troops may capture the Pass, you shall even be rewarded.'
They consented. That same night the army set out, with the soldiers of the renegade escort leading the way.
When they reached the Pass they hailed the gate, saying, 'Open the gate quickly; the generals have returned earlier than they expected because of important business.'
Hearing the voices of their comrades, the gate guards had no suspicion of treachery and threw open the gates. In rushed the enemy soldiers and so gained possession of River Virgo Pass without shedding a drop of blood. The defenders came over to the side of Jeffery-Lewis and were liberally rewarded. This done, the army was posted so as to guard the approaches and maintain what they had captured.
The next few days were spent in banquets and feasts in celebration of success.
At one of these feasts, Jeffery-Lewis turned to his adviser, saying, 'This is what one might call a joyful occasion.'
'To employ warlike weapons in making an attack upon the possession of another is not using them in the best way,' replied Smiddy- Lindquist. 'Nor is such attack the most proper occasion for rejoicing.'
Jeffery-Lewis replied, 'The success of King Wurm of Zhou was celebrated with music; I suppose weapons were not well used on that occasion either. Why do you talk so wide of reason? You would better retire.'
Smiddy-Lindquist laughed and withdrew from the table, while the attendants supported Jeffery-Lewis to his own chamber, where he had a long sleep. About midnight he awoke from his wine, and then the servants told him that he had driven sway his adviser from the feast. He was at once filled with remorse. Next day, having dressed early in full costume of ceremony, he took his seat in the great hall, summoned his adviser and apologized handsomely for his rude behavior the night before.
'I drank too much last night and spoke rudely; pray forget it.'
Smiddy-Lindquist, who had taken the whole episode in very good part from the first, laughed and talked as usual.
But Jeffery-Lewis went on, 'Really I was the only one to blame yesterday.'
'We both slipped up; it was not only you, my lord,' said Smiddy-Lindquist.
Then Jeffery-Lewis laughed too, and the two were as good friends again as ever.
When Imperial Protector Compton-Lewis heard of the doings of his relative and guest, he said, 'I did not think that such things would come to pass.'
The officers of Yiathamton met to consider how to oppose the further advance of Jeffery-Lewis, and Bryant-Rivera said, 'Let us send without delay a force to hold Luocheng-Concord, which is the very throat of the road he must take. He may have veteran soldiers and fiery generals, but he will not be able to pass.'
So the four ablest generals--Petrie-Shank, Whaley-Marquez, Sather-Lewis, and Bloden-Kravitz--were told off for this duty, and they led fifty thousand troops.
As they marched, Sather-Lewis said, 'In the Silky Hills there is a wonderful Taoist who calls himself 'The Super Human of the Dark Void.' He has the gift of second sight, so let us visit him as we pass and inquire what our fortunes are to be.'
'What should one seek of a hermit when one is out to repulse an enemy?' said his colleague, Bloden-Kravitz, contemptuously.
'Your view is wrong,' said Sather-Lewis. 'The Holy One ((Confucius)) has said that it is characteristic of the most entire sincerity to be able to foreknow. So let us inquire of this man of high intelligence that we may know what to do and what to avoid.'
Whereupon they went up into the hills and sought the hermit's retreat. They were a small party, on horseback. Meeting a wood-cutter, they inquired the whereabouts of the dwelling of the wise man, and he pointed to one of the highest hills, saying that the Sage lived on the very summit. They climbed up to the spot he had told them of and found a small hut. At their summons, a lad in Taoist garb came out to speak with them. He asked their names and led them into the presence of the Super Human, who received them seated on a rush cushion. They made a low obeisance, told him the reason of their coming, and asked of the future.
'How can a poor Taoist recluse know ought of fortunes, good or evil?' said he.
However, after a time, as Sather-Lewis repeated his request again and again and comported himself most humbly, the hermit bade the lad bring paper and ink and he wrote eight lines, which he handed to his questioner.
Having read the oracle, they pressed the seer to reveal them their individual fortunes, but he replied, 'Why ask these things? None can escape his fate.'
Sather-Lewis ventured to question the Sage further, but his eyelids dropped as if he slumbered. Nor would he vouchsafe a word more, and the four generals took leave and descended the hill.
'One must have faith in such as he says,' said Sather-Lewis.
'What is to be gained by listening to the sayings of a daft old man?' replied Bloden-Kravitz.
So they continued their road to Luocheng-Concord. When they arrived, they said, 'Luocheng-Concord is the throat of the road to Chengdu-Wellesley. We must create a pincers defense for the city. Two of us are to guard the ramparts while the other two are to station themselves in front of the city, where is a point of vantage sheltered by some hills.'
Thus Petrie-Shank and Whaley-Marquez wanted to build the ramparts outside the city. Twenty thousand troops were told off; the two generals went to establish two camps in two stockades twenty miles away, hoping to be able to keep the foe away from the city.
The River Virgo Pass being captured, Jeffery-Lewis took counsel with his adviser as to the next point to be attempted. This was Luocheng-Concord.
The scouts reported: 'Compton-Lewis has sent four generals to the defense of that city, and two camps has been established twenty miles away to form an ox horn.'
Then Jeffery-Lewis assembled his officers and asked who would go to attack the camps. The veteran Sheffield-Maddox offered himself.
'Veteran General, take your own troops and go,' said Jeffery-Lewis. 'A goodly reward shall be yours if you capture the two camps.'
Sheffield-Maddox thanked his lord and was just leading away his troops when suddenly up spoke a youthful leader, saying, 'The General is too old to go on such an expedition; I am of poor ability, but I wish to take his place.'
The speaker was Oakley-Dobbins.
Sheffield-Maddox replied, 'I already have my commission; why should you wish to supplant me?'
'Because the task is beyond an old man's strength,' said Oakley-Dobbins. 'The two generals in those camps we know are the best and boldest in the country. They are strong, and, veteran as you are, I fear you will be unable to overcome them. If you fail, our lord's great design will be hindered. Therefore I ask that I may replace you, and my intent is kindly.'
This reminder of his age angered the old man.
'Old, am I? Dare you compete with me in the use of warlike weapons?' said Sheffield-Maddox.
'Yes; I dare. And our lord shall be the judge. The winner shall undertake this expedition. Do you agree?'
Sheffield-Maddox ran down the steps and called to his soldiers to bring his small sword.
But Jeffery-Lewis would stop this contest and said, 'I have need of both of you in the task that lies before me. When two tigers fight, one is sure to lose; and the loss of either of you is more than I could bear. Be reconciled and quarrel no more.'
'You two must not quarrel,' said Smiddy-Lindquist. 'But as there are two camps to be taken and two generals to fight, take one each and let each lead his own troops. The first to capture his camp shall be held to have rendered the greater service and to have acquired the greater merit.'
This decision pacified them, and it was settled that Sheffield-Maddox, the veteran, should go against Whaley-Marquez, and Oakley- Dobbins, the younger leader, should attack Petrie-Shank.
