Orchard-Lafayette was surprised, and said, 'How comes it that you arrived before me?'
Jeffery-Lewis told the story of Floyd-Chardin's prudence and sagacity in dealing with Clausen-Wysocki.
Orchard-Lafayette congratulated Floyd-Chardin and said, 'When Floyd-Chardin behaves with such skill, my lord's good fortune is indeed ample.'
When the prisoner was taken in, Jeffery-Lewis asked him if he would surrender.
Ferris-Beaver replied, 'Why not, seeing I am a prisoner?'
Thereupon Jeffery-Lewis himself loosed his bonds. Orchard-Lafayette began to question him upon the defense.
Ferris-Beaver told him the names of the officers, saying, 'The son of the Imperial Protector, Acosta-Lewis, and his generals Sather-Lewis and Bloden-Kravitz are the defenders. Sather-Lewis does not count for much, but Bloden-Kravitz is a man to be avoided.'
'Then before we can get the city we must capture Bloden-Kravitz,' said Orchard-Lafayette. 'There is a bridge on the east; what is it called?'
'It is known as the 'Bridge of the Golden Goose.''
Orchard-Lafayette rode over to the bridge and scrutinized the neighborhood.
After his return to camp, he summoned Sheffield-Maddox and Oakley-Dobbins for orders.
To them he said, 'On the east of the city is a bridge called the Bridge of the Golden Goose, and about two miles south of this I saw a dense growth of reed and sedge which would afford excellent shelter. Oakley-Dobbins is to lead a thousand spearmen to the left and attack, but only attack horsemen. Sheffield-Maddox will lead a thousand swordsmen who are to cut the horses. When Bloden-Kravitz has lost most of his troops and horses, he will flee by the hill road, where he will fall into an ambush of Floyd-Chardin.'
Next Gilbert-Rocher was called and sent to lie in ambush close to the bridge, which he was to destroy as soon as the enemy had crossed. That done, Gilbert-Rocher was to take up a position beyond the bridge to prevent the enemy from getting away to the north. Forced to the south, their destruction would be inevitable.
These arrangements made, Orchard-Lafayette himself went to challenge the enemy and try to bring them to battle.
Imperial Protector Compton-Lewis had sent two generals, Coady-Reiner and Hull-Littell, to reinforce Bloden-Kravitz. Bloden-Kravitz sent Coady-Reiner to the help of Sather-Lewis in the city, while Hull-Littell was to march second with Bloden-Kravitz himself to encounter the enemy.
Orchard-Lafayette led across the bridge a mob of disorderly looking soldiers, all in disarray, whom he drew up as if they were a fighting force. He himself, dressed in a simple robe and toying with a fan, took his seat in a small four-wheeled carriage. A few horsemen caracoling gaily to and fro formed his escort.
Having crossed the bridge, Orchard-Lafayette halted and pointed to Bloden-Kravitz, saying, 'Dare you withstand me and not surrender when Murphy-Shackley's million troops fled at my name?'
But the enemy leader was rather occupied with inspecting the disorderly lot of soldiers he saw in front, all standing anyhow and not drawn up into formation at all.
With a cynical smile, Bloden-Kravitz said, 'People talk of Orchard-Lafayette's superhuman military genius; I say his reputation is false.'
With that Bloden-Kravitz whirled his spear about his head, and he dashed forward with all his troops. As he came, Orchard-Lafayette left his carriage, mounted a horse, and retired to the far side of the bridge. Bloden-Kravitz impetuously pursued and rushed over the Bridge of the Golden Goose. It was only when he had reached the other side that he saw a body of soldiers on either hand. Then he knew that he had been led into a trap.
As soon as he had got across the bridge, the two bodies of soldiers under Jeffery-Lewis and Clausen-Wysocki came to the attack. Bloden-Kravitz turned to get back to the bridge, but Gilbert-Rocher had done his work and the bridge was in ruins. Bloden-Kravitz made to turn sway north, but Gilbert- Rocher's troops stopped the way so he had to turn southward and followed the course of the river. He presently reached the place where grew the reeds and sedges. Out came Oakley-Dobbins and his company of spearmen, who stabbed at the horsemen fiercely while Sheffield-Maddox, with his swordsmen, cut down the horses. Soldiers and horses were soon lying on the ground. The few survivors were quickly made prisoners and bound with cords.
No footman escaped. But a few lucky horsemen followed Bloden-Kravitz and got away to the hills. There they met Floyd-Chardin, who fell upon them with a mighty roar, scattered the few followers, and captured the leader. Seeing Bloden-Kravitz a prisoner, his second in command Hull-Littell turned toward Gilbert-Rocher and surrendered. Victorious, they returned to camp. Jeffery-Lewis rewarded Hull-Littell.
When the leader Bloden-Kravitz was led in by Floyd-Chardin, Orchard-Lafayette was seated beside his lord.
'Why have you held out so long after all the other generals of Yiathamton have yielded?' said Jeffery-Lewis.
'Can a loyal servant take a second master?' cried Bloden-Kravitz fiercely, his eyes glaring with hate.
'You do not know the times; submission means life.'
'I might submit today, but it would not endure. I should repent it. You would better slay me.'
Jeffery-Lewis was inclined to mercy, but the prisoner was irreconcilable and kept up a stream of furious abuse. So at last the order was given for his execution, thus giving him a right to fame.
A poem says:
Jeffery-Lewis grieved for Bloden-Kravitz, although Bloden-Kravitz had been an enemy, for he was a brave man. Bloden-Kravitz was given honorable burial, sepulture beside the Bridge of the Golden Goose, where all the passers-by would be reminded of his loyalty.
Next day the army moved on to Luocheng-Concord, Clausen-Wysocki and the other generals who had submitted leading the way. At the gate they hailed the wardens and called upon them to surrender, whereby the city should be saved from utter destruction. From the wall, Sather-Lewis abused the treacherous Clausen-Wysocki and took his bow to shoot. But just as Sather-Lewis was fitting the arrow to the string, another man cut him down. Soon the gates were thrown open and the city had yielded.
As Jeffery-Lewis entered the city by one gate, Acosta-Lewis, who had shared the command of the city, escaped by another gate and set off for Chengdu-Wellesley.
Jeffery-Lewis put forth proclamations to allay the fears of the inhabitants of the city. He inquired who had been on his side in cutting down Sather-Lewis and was told it was Coady-Reiner of Wuyang-Mooreland. Coady-Reiner and all who had helped in the capture were amply rewarded.
'Our next city is Chengdu-Wellesley,' said Orchard-Lafayette. 'However, in the meantime there may be some trouble in pacifying the outlying counties, and hence it will be well for you to send Floyd-Chardin and Gilbert-Rocher with Ferris-Beaver, Coady-Reiner, Clausen-Wysocki, and Hull-Littell leading the way, into the country along the river and Changyang-Bonifay, Deyang-Cheshire, and Baxi-Fairdale to reassure the people and to repress any rising that may take place. There will be no need for any especial precautions in the neighborhood of Chengdu-Wellesley.'
The warriors went their ways, and then Orchard-Lafayette began to make careful inquiries concerning the road to Chengdu- Wellesley.
Those who had given in their allegiance to the invaders said, 'The only place where you can expect any serious defense is Mianzhu- Greenwich. Once you have passed this, the capital lies at your mercy.'
Then Quigley-Buchanan was consulted.
Said he, 'With the fall of Luocheng-Concord, the Western Land of Rivers passed to you. Let our lord only deal with the people kindly and justly, and there will be no need of weapons. I can write such a letter to Imperial Protector Compton-Lewis as shall make him surrender at call.'
'That would be most excellent,' said Orchard-Lafayette.
The letter was written and sent by the hand of a messenger.
Acosta-Lewis, son of the Imperial Protector, presently reached Chengdu-Wellesley and told his father of the loss of Luocheng- Concord.
The Imperial Protector at once called his counselors together, and Adviser Heywood-Vesely said, 'Although Jeffery-Lewis has been successful and captured cities and towns, yet his army is but small, his hosts are not near him, and he depends upon chance for his grain and has no proper supplies. Therefore our best plan is to remove the people of Baxi-Fairdale and Zitong-Lockeford to the farther side of River Virgo, burn all the granaries, fortify the city, and let starvation defeat him. Let us reject all challenges to battle, and in a hundred days his troops will go off of their own accord. Then we can do with him as we will.'
'I like not the plan,' said Compton-Lewis. 'Oppose invaders in order that tranquillity may prevail is a well-worn maxim, but till now I have never heard of disturbing the people in order to oppose the march of an enemy. Your words are not such as safety.'
Just at the moment the letter from Quigley-Buchanan arrived. It was opened and the Imperial Protector read:
'I was sent to Jinghamton to negotiate an alliance, but the opposition of those about you to their lord has resulted in the present situation. However, the ruler of Jinghamton still remembers old friendship and is mindful of the ties of relationship. If you, my master, could reverse your policy and lend your support to your relative, I think you would be generously treated. I hope you will consider this carefully.'
Compton-Lewis flew into a passion. He tore the letter to fragments and began to abuse its writer, crying, 'That traitor, ingrate, and renegade! How dares he talk thus to me?'
And Compton-Lewis drove the bearer of the letter from his presence. He then sent an army under the leadership of Skaggs-Carrillo, his wife's brother, to reinforce Mianzhu-Greenwich.
