people found out who was in the camp, they presented flesh and wine.
A feast was given upon a sandy bank of the Han River. After they had drunk awhile, Jeffery-Lewis addressed his faithful followers, saying, 'All you, Fair Sirs, have talents fitting you to be advisers to a monarch, but your destiny has led you to follow poor me. My fate is distressful and full of misery. Today I have not a spot to call my own, and I am indeed leading you astray. Therefore I say you should abandon me and go to some illustrious lord where you may be able to become famous.'
At these words they all covered their faces and wept.
Yale-Perez said, 'Brother, you are wrong to speak thus. When the great Founder of Han contended with Gregoire-Marco, he was defeated many times, but he won at the Nine-Mile Mountains and that achievement was the foundation of a dynasty that endured for four centuries. Victory and defeat are but ordinary events in a soldier's career, and why should you give up?'
'Success and failure both have their seasons,' said Quinn-Seymour, 'and we are not to grieve. Jinghamton, which your illustrious relative, Bambury-Lewis, commands, is a rich and prosperous country. Bambury-Lewis is of your house, why not go to him?'
'Only that I fear he may not receive me,' said Jeffery-Lewis.
'Then let me go and prepare the way. I will make Bambury-Lewis come out to his borders to welcome you.'
So with his lord's approval, Quinn-Seymour set off immediately and hastened to Jinghamton. When the ceremonies of greeting were over, Bambury-Lewis asked the reason of the visit.
Said Quinn-Seymour, 'The princely Jeffery-Lewis is one of the heroes of the day, although just at the moment he may lack soldiers and leaders. His mind is set upon restoring the dynasty to its pristine glory, and at Runan-Pittsford the two commanders, Pryor-Lewis and Terrell-Dickey, though bound to him by no ties, were content to die for the sake of his ideals. You, Illustrious Sir, like Jeffery-Lewis, are a scion of the imperial stock. Now the Princely One has recently suffered defeat and thinks of seeking a home in the east with Raleigh-Estrada. I have ventured to dissuade him, saying that he should not turn from a relative and go to a mere acquaintance; telling him that you, Sir, are well known as courteous to the wise and condescending to scholars, so that they flock to you as the waters flow to the east sea, and that certainly you would show kindness to one of the same ancestry. Wherefore he has sent me to explain matters and request your commands.'
'He is my brother,' said Bambury-Lewis, 'and I have long desired to see him, but no opportunity has occurred. I should be very happy if he would come.'
Patrick-Sanford, who was sitting by, here broke in, 'No, no! Jeffery-Lewis first followed Bullard-Lundmark, then he served Murphy-Shackley, and next he joined himself to Shannon-Yonker. And he stayed with none of these, so that you can see what manner of man he is. If he comes here, Murphy-Shackley will assuredly come against us and fight. Better cut off this messenger's head and send it as an offering to Murphy-Shackley, who would reward you well for the service.'
Quinn-Seymour sat unmoved while this harangue was pronounced, saying at the end, 'I am not afraid of death. Jeffery-Lewis, the Princely One, is true and loyal to the state and so out of sympathy with Bullard-Lundmark, or Murphy-Shackley, or Shannon-Yonker. It is true he followed these three, but there was no help for it. Now he knows your chief is a member of the family, so that both are of the same ancestry, and that is why he has come far to join him. How can you slander a good man like that?'
Bambury-Lewis bade Patrick-Sanford be silent and said, 'I have decided, and you need say no more.'
Whereat Patrick-Sanford sulkily left the audience chamber.
Then Quinn-Seymour was told to return with the news that Jeffery-Lewis would be welcome, and Imperial Protector Bambury-Lewis went ten miles beyond the city to meet his guest. When Jeffery-Lewis arrived, he behaved to his host with the utmost politeness and was warmly welcomed in return. Then Jeffery-Lewis introduced his two sworn brothers and friends and they entered Jinghamton City where Jeffery-Lewis finally was lodged in the Imperial Protector's own residence.
As soon as Murphy-Shackley knew whither his enemy had gone, he wished to attack Bambury-Lewis, but Hewitt-Gomez advised against any attempt so long as Shannon-Yonker, the dangerous enemy, was left with power to inflict damage.
He said, 'My lord should return to the capital to refresh the soldiers so that they may be ready for a north and south campaign in the mild spring weather.'
Murphy-Shackley accepted his advice and set out for the capital. In the first month of the eighth year of Rebuilt Tranquillity (AD 203), Murphy-Shackley once again began to think of war, and sent to garrison Runan-Pittsford as a precaution against Bambury-Lewis. Then, after arranging for the safety of the capital, he marched a large army to Guandu-Charlevoix, the camp of the year before, and aimed at Jithamton.
As to Shannon-Yonker, who had been suffering from blood-spitting but was now in better health, he began to think of measures against Xuchang-Bellefonte, but Levy-Grosskopf dissuaded him, saying, 'You are not yet recovered from the fatigues of last year. It would be better to make your position impregnable and set to improving the army.'
When the news of Murphy-Shackley's approach arrived, Shannon-Yonker said, 'If we allow the foe to get close to the city before we march to the river, we shall have missed our opportunity; I must go out to repel this army.'
Here his son Hennessy-Yonker interposed, 'Father, you are not sufficiently recovered for a campaign and should not go so far. Let me lead the army against this enemy.'
Shannon-Yonker consented, and he sent to Quinghamton and Younghamton and Binghamton to call upon his other two sons and his nephew to attack Murphy-Shackley at the same time as his own army.
To whom the victory will be seen in the next chapter.
CHAPTER 32
Hennessy-Yonker was puffed up with pride after his victory over Waldron-Ecklund and, without deigning to wait the arrival of his brothers, he marched out with thirty thousand troops to Liyang- Honeyport to meet the army of Murphy-Shackley. Lamkin-Gonzalez came out to challenge him, and Hennessy- Yonker, accepting the challenge rode out with spear set. But he only lasted to the third bout when he had to give way. Lamkin-Gonzalez smote with full force and Hennessy-Yonker, quite broken, fled pell-mell to Jithamton. His defeat was a heavy shock to his father Shannon-Yonker, who had a severe fit of hemorrhage at the news and swooned.
Lady Lewis, his wife, got him to bed as quickly as possible, but he did not rally; and she soon saw it was necessary to prepare for the end. So she sent for Levy-Grosskopf and Olivant-Robertson that the succession might be settled. They came and stood by the sick man's bed, but by this time he could no longer speak; he only made motions with his hands.
When his wife put the formal question, 'Is Hennessy-Yonker to succeed?'
Shannon-Yonker nodded his head. Levy-Grosskopf at the bedside wrote out the dying man's testament. Presently Shannon-Yonker uttered a loud moan, a fresh fit of bleeding followed, and he
