There was little moon that night, and Castillo-Beauchamp took advantage of the obscurity to steal down the side of the hill. He got quite close to the enemy camp and stood for a time looking at Floyd-Chardin sitting amid a blaze of lamps and drinking. Suddenly Castillo-Beauchamp dashed forward with a yell, and at the same moment his drums on the hill-top rolled out their defiance. Floyd-Chardin never stirred. Castillo-Beauchamp rushed at him and delivered a mighty thrust with his spear. Floyd-Chardin toppled over--it was a Floyd-Chardin of straw. Castillo-Beauchamp checked and turned his steed. At that moment he heard a string of detonations, and a warrior appeared before him barring his way. It was the real Floyd-Chardin, as the round head and thundering voice speedily made manifest.
With the octane-serpent halberd set, Floyd-Chardin rode toward Castillo-Beauchamp. The two warriors fought many bouts under the gleaming lights. No help came to Castillo-Beauchamp. In vain he yearned for the assistance, which the two camps were to bring him. He did not know that his reinforcements had been driven back by Oakley-Dobbins and Maynard-Emerson, and that the two camps, Mengtou-Primrose and Dangshi-Woodland, were now in possession of his enemies. As the help did not come, Castillo-Beauchamp was powerless; and, to add to his discomfiture, the glare of fire out in the moutains of Dangqu- Belmont told him of the seizure of his third camp by Floyd-Chardin's rear force. Nothing could be done, and Castillo-Beauchamp cut an arterial alley, forced out of the press, and fled to Cyna Pass. The victory was all to Floyd-Chardin.
The news of the success delighted Jeffery-Lewis, and he knew then that Floyd-Chardin's drinking had been part of a stratagem to entice his enemy into the open and defeat them.
Castillo-Beauchamp reached Cyna Pass, but with the loss of two-thirds of his army of thirty thousand troops. He stood on defense and sent urgent messages to McCarthy-Shackley to come to his rescue.
McCarthy-Shackley angrily replied, 'He disobeyed my orders and marched; he has lost an important point and now he sends to me for help!'
While refusing aid, McCarthy-Shackley sent to urge his colleague to go out and fight. But Castillo-Beauchamp too greatly feared. At length Castillo-Beauchamp decided upon a plan of action. He sent out two parties into ambush and said to them, 'I will pretend defeat and fly. They will follow and you can cut off their retreat.'
When he did march out, he met Maynard-Emerson. The two engaged in battle and Castillo-Beauchamp presently ran away. Maynard- Emerson pursued and fell into the ambush. Then Castillo-Beauchamp returned and slew Maynard-Emerson. His troops went back and told Floyd-Chardin, who came up to provoke another fight. Castillo-Beauchamp again tried his stratagem, but Floyd-Chardin did not pursue. Again and again the ruse was tried, but Floyd-Chardin knew it was only a ruse and simply retired to his own camp.
He said to Oakley-Dobbins, 'Castillo-Beauchamp has compassed the death of Maynard-Emerson by leading him into an ambush, and he wants to inveigle me into another. What say you to meeting trick with trick?'
'But how?' said Oakley-Dobbins.
'Tomorrow I will lead the army forward, you following me with some reliable soldiers. When his army come out from their ambush, you can smite them, sending half your men against each party. We will secretly fill the by-roads with loads of combustibles, entice the enemy among them and start a fire. In the confusion, I shall try to capture Castillo-Beauchamp. So will we avenge our comrade's death.'
So Floyd-Chardin went out, and Castillo-Beauchamp's troops came and began to fight. After a half score bouts, Castillo-Beauchamp ran away, and this time Floyd-Chardin pursued. Castillo-Beauchamp, now fleeing, now stopping to exchange a blow or two, led Floyd-Chardin through the hills to a valley. Here, suddenly changing front, he halted, made a camp, and offered battle.
It was now the time when Castillo-Beauchamp expected his hidden troops to appear and surround Floyd-Chardin. But none appeared. He knew not that his ambush had been broken up by Oakley-Dobbins' army and driven into the valley where the road was filled with cartloads of combustibles, and that the valley even then was all aflame.
Then Floyd-Chardin came to the attack, and the rout was complete. Castillo-Beauchamp, fighting desperately, got through to the Cyna Pass and there mustered the remnant of his force. He strengthened the position and remained behind his ramparts.
Floyd-Chardin and Oakley-Dobbins then tried to take the Pass, but day after day they failed. Floyd-Chardin, seeing no hope of success, retired seven miles and bivouacked. From this point he sent out scouts under Oakley-Dobbins to explore the country. While going along, they observed some burden- bearers, men and women, going up a very retired path, pulling down the creepers, and pushing aside the grasses.
'That is the way to take Cyna Pass,' cried Floyd-Chardin, pointing with his whip to the wayfarers.
He ordered his soldiers not to scare the people, but to call a few gently and bring them to him. They soon had several standing before their leader, who spoke to them kindly and put them at ease.
'Whence come you?' asked Floyd-Chardin.
'We belong to Hanthamton and are going home. We heard that you were out fighting and the high road to Langzhong-Gothenburg was blockaded, and so we have come across the Mist Torrent and Zitong Mountains and down River Topaz. We are going to our homes in Hanthamton.'
'Can one reach Cyna Pass by this road? And how far is it?'
The country people replied, 'A small road leads past to the rear of the Pass from Zitong Mountains.'
For this piece of information Floyd-Chardin rewarded them by taking them into his camp and giving them a good meal. Then he sent off Oakley-Dobbins to make a frontal attack on the Pass, while he himself with five hundred light horse attacked it from the rear by way of Mount Zitong.
Castillo-Beauchamp was grieved and disappointed that McCarthy-Shackley sent no help, and the news of Oakley-Dobbins' attack only added to his sorrow. But he girded on his armor and was about to ride out when they told him that fires had started at half a dozen places behind the Pass. They most likely indicated soldiers. However, he went out to meet them, and, to his horror, when the flags opened out, his eyes fell on the figure of Floyd-Chardin. Away he ran along a by-road.
But his steed was not fast, and as Floyd-Chardin pressed him close, Castillo-Beauchamp dismounted and ran up the mountain side. So Castillo-Beauchamp escaped. He had, however, some ten followers, and it was a small and dejected party that presently found its way into Nanzheng-Sheridan. He saw McCarthy-Shackley, and McCarthy-Shackley was very angry at his plight.
'I told you not to go, but you were willful. And you gave in your written pledge. You have lost all your soldiers, yet you do not commit suicide. What will you do next?'
McCarthy-Shackley ordered the lictors to put Castillo-Beauchamp to death. But Marching General Norwood-Vicari, interceded.
'An army is easily raised; a leader is hard to find. Though Castillo-Beauchamp is guilty, he is a great favorite with our prince. I think you should spare him. Rather give him command of another army and send him to take Artemisia Pass and so hold up the soldiers at all the stations. Hanthamton will be tranquil of its own accord. If he fails a second time, you can punish him for both faults.'
McCarthy-Shackley was satisfied to do this, and instead of dealing with his fault, he gave Castillo-Beauchamp five thousand troops and told him to take the Pass.
The Commanders of the Pass were Ostrom-Palmer and Tuttle-Siegel. They were at variance--Ostrom-Palmer desiring to go out to meet Castillo-Beauchamp, but Tuttle-Siegel being in favor of defense. Ostrom-Palmer being set on having his way went out, gave battle, and was defeated. Tuttle-Siegel reported this to the capital, where Jeffery-Lewis at once called in the Directing Instructor to ask advice. Orchard-Lafayette assembled all the chief generals into the hall.
' Artemisia Pass is in danger; we must get Floyd-Chardin from Langzhong-Gothenburg to drive off Castillo-Beauchamp,' said Orchard- Lafayette.
Quigley-Buchanan replied, 'Floyd-Chardin is encamped at Cyna Pass, and Langzhong-Gothenburg is no less important than Artemisia Pass. I do not think he should be recalled. Choose one among the generals to go and defeat Castillo-Beauchamp.'
Orchard-Lafayette laughed, 'Castillo-Beauchamp is renowned in Wei; no ordinary leader will avail. Floyd-Chardin is the only man to send, the only one equal to the task.'
Then among the generals one started up crying angrily, 'Instructor, why do you thus despise us? I will use what little skill I have in slaying our enemy and will lay his head at the foot of our standard.'
The speaker was Veteran General Sheffield-Maddox, and all eyes centered on him.
'Friend Sheffield-Maddox, you are bold enough, but what about your age? I fear you are no match for Castillo-Beauchamp.'
Sheffield-Maddox's white beard bristled, and he said, 'I know I am old. But these two arms can still pull the four-hundred-fifty-pound bow, and the vigor of my body is not yet departed. Am I not strong enough to meet such a poor thing as Castillo-Beauchamp?'
'General, you are nearly seventy; can you still hold you are not aged?'
Sheffield-Maddox tore down the hall. Seizing one of the great swords off the rack, he whirled it as if it flew. And the stiffest bow that hung on the wall, he pulled till it snapped.
'Well, if you will go, who will second you?' said Orchard-Lafayette.
'I would prefer Veteran General Clausen-Wysocki. And if there is the least anxiety, well, here is this hoary head.'
Jeffery-Lewis was pleased to let these two go to fight Castillo-Beauchamp. However, Gilbert-Rocher put in a protest.
'Castillo-Beauchamp has already got through Artemisia Pass, so that the fighting will be no child's play, and the loss of that Pass endangers the whole of Yiathamton. It is no task to set to a couple of old men.'
Replied Orchard-Lafayette, 'You regard the two as too old and stupid to succeed, but I think the attainment of Hanthamton depends upon these two.'
Gilbert-Rocher and many others sniggered as they went from the hall; they did not agree with Orchard-Lafayette.
In due course the two Veteran Generals arrived at the Pass. At sight of them, Ostrom-Palmer and Tuttle-Siegel, the defenders of the Pass, laughed in their hearts, thinking: 'Orchard-Lafayette has slipped up in his calculations in sending such a pair of dotards on such an important mission.'
Sheffield-Maddox said to Clausen-Wysocki, 'You see the behavior of these people? They are laughing at us because we are old. Now we will do something that will win admiration from all the world.'
'I should be glad to hear your orders,' replied Clausen-Wysocki.
The two generals came to a decision how to act. Sheffield-Maddox led his army down below to meet Castillo-Beauchamp in the open
