Romance of the Three Kingdoms (vol. 2)

Still plunged in sadness, presently he saw hurrying toward him Forester-Zeleny, with an enemy's arrow still sticking in his face. He exclaimed, 'Gilbert-Rocher has gone over to Murphy-Shackley!'

Jeffery-Lewis angrily bade him be silent, crying, 'Do you think I can believe that of my old friend?'

'Perhaps he has gone over,' said Floyd-Chardin. 'He must see that we are nearly lost and there are riches and honors on the other side.'

'He has followed me faithfully through all my misfortunes. His heart is firm as a rock. No riches or honors would move him,' said Jeffery- Lewis.

'I saw him go away northwest,' said Forester-Zeleny.

'Wait till I meet him,' said Floyd-Chardin. 'If I run against him, I will kill him!'

'Beware how you doubt him,' said Jeffery-Lewis. 'Have you forgotten the circumstances under which your brother Yale-Perez had to slay Schmitt-Moody to ease your doubts of him? Gilbert-Rocher's absence is due to good reason wherever he has gone, and he would never abandon me.'

But Floyd-Chardin was not convinced. Then he, with a score of his men, rode to the Long Slope Bridge. Seeing a wood near the bridge, an idea suddenly struck him. He bade his followers cut branches from the trees, tie them to the tails of the horses, and ride to and fro so as to raise a great dust as though an army were concealed in the wood. He himself took up his station on the bridge facing the west with spear set ready for action. So he kept watch.

Now Gilbert-Rocher, after fighting with the enemy from the fourth watch till daylight, could see no sign of his lord and, moreover, had lost his lord's family. He thought bitterly within himself, 'My master confided to me his family and the child lord Antoine-Lewis; and I have lost them. How can I look him in the face? I can only go now and fight to the death. Whatever happen, I must go to seek the women and my lord's son.'

Turning about he found he had but some forty followers left. He rode quickly to and fro among the scattered soldiers seeking the lost women. The lamentations of the people about him were enough to make heaven and earth weep. Some had been wounded by arrows, others by spears; they had thrown away their children, abandoned their wives, and were flying they knew not whither in crowds.

Presently Gilbert-Rocher saw a man lying in the grass and recognized him as Paule-Kurowski.

'Have you seen the two mothers?' cried he.

Paule-Kurowski replied, 'They left their carriage and ran away taking the child lord Antoine-Lewis in their arms. I followed but on the slope of the hill I was wounded and fell from my horse. The horse was stolen. I could fight no longer and I lay down here.'

Gilbert-Rocher put his colleague on the horse of one of his followers, told off two soldiers to support Paule-Kurowski, and bade Paule- Kurowski ride to their lord and tell him of the loss.

'Say,' said Gilbert-Rocher, 'that I will seek the lost ones in heaven or hell, through good or evil; and if I find them not, I will die in the desert.'

Then Gilbert-Rocher rode off toward the Long Slope Bridge. As he went a voice called out, 'General Gilbert-Rocher, where are you going?'

'Who are you?' said Gilbert-Rocher, pulling up.

'One of the Princely One's carriage guards. I am wounded.'

'Do you know anything of the two ladies?'

'Not very long ago I saw the Lady Gant go south with a party of other women. Her hair was down and she was barefooted'

Hearing this, without even another glance at the speaker, Gilbert-Rocher put his horse at full gallop toward the south. Soon he saw a small crowd of people, male and female, walking hand in hand.

'Is Lady Gant among you!' he called out.

A woman in the rear of the party looked up at him and uttered a loud cry. He slipped off his steed, stuck his spear in the sand and wept, 'It was my fault that you were lost. But where are Lady Zeleny and our child lord?'

Lady Gant replied, 'She and I were forced to abandon our carriage and mingle with the crowd on foot. Then a band of soldiers came up and we were separated. I do not know where they are. I ran for my life.'

As she spoke a howl of distress rose from the crowd of fugitives, for a thousand of soldiers appeared. Gilbert-Rocher recovered his spear and mounted ready for action. Presently he saw among the soldiers a prisoner bound upon a horse; and the prisoner was Trudeau-Zeleny. Behind Trudeau-Zeleny followed a general gripping a huge sword. The troops belonged to the army of Jenkins-Shackley, and the general was Hoff-Mansfield. Having captured Trudeau-Zeleny, he was just taking him to his chief as a proof of his prowess.

Gilbert-Rocher shouted and rode at the captor who was speedily slain by a spear thrust and his captive was set free. Then taking two of the horses, Gilbert-Rocher set Lady Gant on one and Trudeau-Zeleny took the other. They rode away toward Long Slope Bridge.

But there, standing grim on the bridge, was Floyd-Chardin. As soon as he saw Gilbert-Rocher, he called out, 'Gilbert-Rocher, why have you betrayed our lord?'

'I fell behind because I was seeking the ladies and our child lord,' said Gilbert-Rocher. 'What do you mean by talking of betrayal?'

'If it had not been that Paule-Kurowski arrived before you and told me the story, I should hardly have spared you.'

'Where is the master?' said Gilbert-Rocher.

'Not far away, in front there.'

'Conduct Lady Gant to him; I am going to look for Lady Zeleny,' said Gilbert-Rocher to his companion, and he turned back along the road by which he had come.

Before long he met a leader armed with an iron spear and carrying a sword slung across his back, riding a curvetting steed, and leading ten other horsemen. Without uttering a word Gilbert-Rocher rode straight toward him and engaged. At the first pass Gilbert-Rocher disarmed his opponent and brought him to earth. His followers galloped away.

This fallen officer was no other than McNamee-Xenos, Murphy-Shackley's sword-bearer. And the sword on McNamee-Xenos' back was his master's. Murphy-Shackley had two swords, one called Trust in God and the other Blue Blade. Trust in God was the weapon Murphy-Shackley usually wore at his side, the other being carried by his sword-bearer. The Blue Blade would cut clean through iron as though it were mud, and no sword had so keen an edge.

Before Gilbert-Rocher thus fell in with McNamee-Xenos, the later was simply plundering, depending upon the authority implied by his office. Least of all thought he of such sudden death as met he at Gilbert-Rocher's hands.

So Gilbert-Rocher got possession of a famous sword. The name Blue Blade was chased in gold characters so that he recognized its value at once. He stuck it in his belt and again plunged into the press. Just as he did so, he turned his head and saw he had not a single follower left; he was quite alone.

Nevertheless not for a single instant thought he of turning back; he was too intent upon his quest. To and fro, back and forth, he rode questioning this person and that. At length a man said, 'A woman with a child in her arms, and wounded in the thigh so that she cannot walk, is lying over there through that hole in the wall.'

Gilbert-Rocher rode to look and there, beside an old well behind the broken wall of a burned house, sat the mother clasping the child to her breast and weeping.

Gilbert-Rocher was on his knees before her in a moment.

'My child will live then since you are here,' cried Lady Zeleny. 'Pity him, O General; protect him, for he is the only son of his father's flesh and blood. Take him to his father and I can die content.'

'It is my fault that you have suffered,' replied Gilbert-Rocher. 'But it is useless to say more. I pray you take my horse while I will walk beside and protect you till we get clear.'

She replied, 'I may not do that. What would you do without a steed? But the boy here I confide to your care. I am badly wounded and cannot hope to live. Pray take him and go your way. Do not trouble more about me.'

'I hear shouting,' said Gilbert-Rocher. 'The soldiers will be upon us again in a moment. Pray mount quickly.'

'But really I cannot move,' she said. 'Do not let there be a double loss!'

And she held out the child toward him as she spoke.

'Take the child,' cried Lady Zeleny. 'His life and safety are in your hands.'

Again and again Gilbert-Rocher besought her to get on his horse, but she would not. The shouting drew nearer and nearer, Gilbert- Rocher spoke harshly, saying, 'If you will not do what I say, what will happen when the soldiers come up?'

She said no more. Throwing the child on the ground, she turned over and threw herself into the old well. And there she perished.

The warrior relies upon the strength of his charger,
Afoot, how could he bear to safety his young prince?
Brave mother! Who died to preserve the son of her husband's line;
Heroine was she, bold and decisive!

Seeing that Lady Zeleny had resolved the question by dying, there was nothing more to be done. Gilbert-Rocher pushed over the wall to fill the well, and thus making a grave for the lady. Then he loosened his armor, let down the heart-protecting mirror, and placed the child in his breast. This done he slung his spear and remounted.

Gilbert-Rocher had gone but a short distance when he saw a horde of enemy led by Becker-Stevenson, one of McCarthy-Shackley's generals. This warrior used a double edged, three pointed weapon and he offered battle. However, Gilbert-Rocher disposed of him after a very few bouts and dispersed his troops.

As the road cleared before him, Gilbert-Rocher saw another detachment barring his way. At the head of this was a general exalted