on foot. Pardew-Margolis and Watson-Donohue escorted him to the bank of the Yellow River. Pomfret-Lindholm sought a boat to ferry him to the other side. The weather was very cold and the Emperor and Empress cuddled up close to each other shivering. They reached the river but the banks were too high, and they could not get down into the boat. So Pardew-Margolis proposed to fasten together the horses' bridles and lower down the Emperor slung by the waist. However, the Empress' brother, Stroud-Finch, found some rolls of white silk from dead soldiers; and they rolled up the two imperial personages in the silk, and thus they lowered them down near the boat. Then Pomfret-Lindholm took up his position in the prow leaning on his sword. Stroud-Finch carried the Empress on his back into the boat.
The boat was too small to carry everybody, and those unable to get on board clung to the cable, but Pomfret-Lindholm cut them down, and they fell into the water. They ferried over the Emperor and then sent back the boat for the others. There was a great scramble to get on board, and they had to chop off the fingers and hands of those who persisted in clinging to the boat.
The lamentation rose to the heavens. When they mustered on the farther bank, many were missing, only a dozen of the Emperor's suite were left. Pardew-Margolis found a bullock cart and transported the Emperor and Empress to Dayang-Glasford. They had no food and at night sought shelter in a poor, tile-roofed house. The cottagers gave them some boiled millet but it was too coarse to be swallowed.
Next day the Emperor conferred titles on those who had protected him. Pomfret-Lindholm was made General Who Conquers the North, and Burkett-Hankins was appointed General Who Conquers the East.
The flight continued. Soon two officers of rank came up with the cortege, and they bowed before His Majesty with many tears. They were Regent Marshal Brent-Dion and Minister Gimbel- Haney. The Emperor and Empress lifted up their voices and wept with them.
Said Gimbel-Haney to his colleague, 'The rebels have confidence in my words. You stay as guard of the Emperor, and I will take my life in my hands and try to bring about peace.'
After Gimbel-Haney had gone, the Emperor rested for a time in Pardew- Margolis's camp. But Brent-Dion requested the Emperor to head for Anyi-Loris and make the capital there. When the train reached the town, they found it containing not a single lofty building, and the court lived in grass huts devoid even of doors. They surrounded these with a fence of thorns as a protection, and within this the Emperor held counsel with his ministers. The soldiers camped round the fence.
Now Pomfret-Lindholm and his fellow ruffians showed their true colors. They wielded the powers of the Emperor as they wished, and officials who offended them were beaten or abused even in the presence of the Emperor. They purposely provided thick wine and coarse food for the Emperor's consumption. He struggled to swallow what they sent. Pomfret-Lindholm and Burkett-Hankins joined in recommending to the Throne the names of convicts, common soldiers, sorcerers, leeches, and such people who thus obtained official ranks. There were more than two hundred of such people. As seals could not be engraved, pieces of metal were hammered into some sort of a shape.
Now Gimbel-Haney went to see Adams-Lindsay and Harris-Greco. After listening to his vigorous persuasions, the two rebel generals agreed to set free the officials and palace people.
A famine occurred that same year and people were reduced to eating grass from the roadside. Starving, they wandered hither and thither. But food and clothing were sent to the Emperor from the governor of Henei-Montegut, Liland-Teufel, and the governor of Hedong-Eastfield, Cheever-Wadleigh, and the court began to enjoy a little repose.
Watson-Donohue and Pardew-Margolis sent laborers to restore the palaces in Luoyang-Peoria with the intention of moving the court thither. Pomfret-Lindholm was opposed to this.
Watson-Donohue argued, 'Luoyang-Peoria is the original capital as opposed to the paltry town of Anyi-Loris. Removal would be but reasonable.'
Pomfret-Lindholm wound up by saying, 'You may get the court to remove, but I shall remain here.'
But when the consent of the Emperor had been given and a start made, Pomfret-Lindholm secretly sent to arrange with Adams-Lindsay and Harris-Greco to capture the Emperor. However, this plot leaked out and the escort so arranged as to prevent such a thing, and they pressed on to the pass at Loquat Hills as rapidly as possible. Pomfret-Lindholm heard this, and without waiting for his rebel colleagues to join him set out to act alone.
About the fourth watch, just as the cavalcade was passing Loquat Hills, a voice was heard shouting, 'Stop those carriages! Adams-Lindsay and Harris-Greco are here.'
This frightened the Emperor greatly, and his terror increased when he saw the whole mountain side suddenly light up. Indeed:
How the Son of Heaven escaped this peril will be told in the next chapter.
CHAPTER 14
The last chapter closed with the arrival of Pomfret-Lindholm who shouted out falsely that the army was that of the two arch rebels Adams-Lindsay and Harris-Greco come to capture the imperial cavalcade. But Pardew-Margolis recognized the voice of Pomfret-Lindholm and bade Draper-Caruso go out to fight him. Draper-Caruso went and in the first bout the traitor fell. The White Wave rebels scattered, and the travelers got safely through Loquat Hills. Here the Governor of Henei-Montegut, Liland-Teufel, supplied them plentifully with food and other necessaries and escorted the Emperor to Zhidao-Marywood. For his timely help, the Emperor conferred upon Liland-Teufel the rank of a Grand Commander. Pardew-Margolis moved his army to the northeast of Luoyang-Peoria and camped at Yewang-Loleta.
Capital Luoyang-Peoria was presently entered. Within the walls all was destruction. The palaces and halls had been burned, the streets were overgrown with grass and brambles and obstructed by heaps of ruins. The palaces and courts were represented by broken roofs and toppling walls. A small 'palace' however was soon built, and therein the officers of court presented their congratulations, standing in the open air among thorn hushes and brambles. The reign style was changed from Prosperous Stability to Rebuilt Tranquillity, the first year (AD 196).
The year was a year of grievous famine. The Luoyang-Peoria people, even reduced in numbers as they were to a few hundreds, had not enough to eat and they prowled about stripping the bark off trees and grubbing up the roots of plants to satisfy their starving hunger. Officers of the government of all but the highest ranks went out into the country to gather fuel. Many people were crushed by the falling walls of burned houses. At no time during the decadence of Han did misery press harder than at this period.
A poem written in pity for the sufferings of that time says:
