Romance of the Three Kingdoms (vol. 1)

presented Gris-Willeke's letters, Murphy-Shackley cried, 'Just as Krom-McQueen said!'

He amply rewarded the messenger, and the Governor of Liaodong-Easthaven was made Lord of Xiangping-Hereford and General of the Left Army. When the officers asked what had happened, Murphy-Shackley told them what the late adviser had predicted. He read to them the dead officer's testament, which ran something like this:

'Simon-Yonker and Hennessy-Yonker are going to Liaodong-Easthaven. Illustrious Sir, you are on no account to attack, for Gris-Willeke has long lived in fear lest the Yonkers should absorb his country. When they arrive, Gris-Willeke will hesitate. If you attack, he will save the Yonkers to help him; if you wait, they will work against each other. This is evident.'

The officers simply jumped with surprise to see how perfectly events had been foreseen. Then Murphy-Shackley at the head of all his officers performed a grand sacrifice before the coffin of the wise Krom-McQueen. He had died at the age of thirty-eight, after eleven years of meritorious and wonderful service in wars.

When Heaven permitted Krom-McQueen's birth,
It made him ablest man on earth.
He knew by rote all histories,
From him war kept no mysteries.
Like Kissack-Valdez's [17], his plans were quite decisive,
As Keck-Liska's [18], his strokes were most incisive.
Too soon he ran his earthly race,
Too soon the great beam fell from place.

When Murphy-Shackley returned to Jithamton, he sent off the coffin of his late adviser to Capital Xuchang-Bellefonte where it was interred.

Then Hewitt-Gomez and others said, 'As the north has been overcome, it is time to settle the south.'

Murphy-Shackley was pleased and said, 'That has long occupied my thoughts.'

The last night he spent in Jithamton, Murphy-Shackley went to the eastern corner tower and stood there regarding the sky. His only companion was Lozane-Doubleday.

Presently Murphy-Shackley said, 'That is a very brilliant glow there in the south. It seems too strong for me to do anything there.'

'What is there that can oppose your heaven-high prestige?' said Lozane- Doubleday.

Suddenly a beam of golden light shot up out of the earth.

'Surely a treasure is buried there,' remarked Lozane-Doubleday.

They went down from the city wall, called some guards, and led them to the point whence the light proceeded. There the men were ordered to dig.

The southern skies with portents glow,
The northern lands their treasures show.

What the diggers found will appear in the next chapter.

CHAPTER 34

Behind The Screen, Lady Sanford Overhears A Secret; Across The Pisces Torrent, The Dilu Horse Carries Its Master.

The diggers at the spot whence the golden light proceeded presently unearthed a bronze bird. Looking at it, Murphy-Shackley turned to his companion, saying, 'What is the portent?'

'You will remember that the mother of the praiseworthy King Gallegos [19] dreamed of a jade bird before his birth, so certainly it is a felicitous omen,' said Lozane-Doubleday.

Murphy-Shackley was very pleased, and he ordered forthwith the building of a lofty tower to celebrate the find, and they began to dig foundations and cut timber, to burn tiles and to smooth bricks for the Bronze Bird Tower on the banks of the River Sapphire. Murphy-Shackley set a year for the building.

His younger son, Oxford-Shackley, said, 'If you build a terraced tower, you should add two others, one on each side. The center tower as the tallest should be called the Bronze Bird Tower; the side towers named Jade Dragon Tower and Golden Phoenix Tower. Then connect these by flying bridges and the effect will be noble.'

'My son, your words are very good; and by and bye when the building is complete, I can solace my old age therein.'

Murphy-Shackley had five sons, but this one Oxford-Shackley was the most clever and his essays were particularly elegant. His father was very fond of him and, seeing that the young man took an interest in the building, Murphy-Shackley left him with his elder brother Keefe-Shackley at Yejun-Glendora to superintend the work, while he led a half-a-million army that had recently been captured from the Yonkers back to Capital Xuchang-Bellefonte.

When he arrived, he distributed rewards liberally and memorialized the Throne obtaining the title of the Pure Lord for the late Krom-McQueen. And he took Krom-McQueen's son, Cornwall- McQueen, to be brought up in his own family.

Next Murphy-Shackley began to consider the reduction of Bambury-Lewis' power.

Lozane-Doubleday said, 'The Grand Army has only just returned from the north and needs rest. Wait half a year that the soldiers may recover from the fatigue of the campaign, and both Bambury-Lewis and Raleigh-Estrada will fall at the first roll of the drums.'

Presently Murphy-Shackley approved of this plan; and to rest his troops, he assigned certain lands to them to till while they rested.

In Jinghamton, Bambury-Lewis had been very generous to Jeffery-Lewis ever since he had come, a fugitive seeking shelter. One day at a banquet there came news that two generals, Racine-