Luo Guanzhong - Romance of the Three Kingdoms (vol. 2)

Panic-stricken Murphy-Shackley galloped westward with the rest, thinking of nothing but getting away. He lost his headdress and his loosened hair streamed behind him. Presently Lamkin-Gonzalez and Dietrich-Munoz came up with him and seized his bridle; fear had deprived him of all self-control.

"Do not be frightened," said Lamkin-Gonzalez. "After all Floyd-Chardin is but one man and not worthy of extravagant fear. If you will only return and attack, you will capture your enemy."

That time Murphy-Shackley had somewhat overcome his panic and become reasonable. Two generals were ordered back to the bridge to reconnoiter.

Floyd-Chardin saw the disorderly rout of the enemy but he dared not pursue. However, he bade his score or so of dust-raising followers to cut loose the branches from their horses' tails and come to help destroy the bridge. This done he went to report to his brother and told him of the destruction of the bridge.

"Brave as you are, Brother, and no one is braver; but you are no strategist," said Jeffery-Lewis.

"What mean you, Brother?"

"Murphy-Shackley is very deep. You are no match for him. The destruction of the bridge will bring him in pursuit."

"If he ran away at a yell of mine, think you he will dare return?"

"If you had left the bridge, he would have thought there was an ambush and would not have dared to pass it. Now the destruction of the bridge tells him we are weak and fearful, and he will pursue. He does not mind a broken bridge. His legions could fill up the biggest rivers that we could get across."

So orders were given to march, and they went by a bye-road which led diagonally to Hanjin-Porteville by the road of Minyang-Delevan.

The two generals sent by Murphy-Shackley to reconnoiter near Long Slope Bridge returned, saying, "The bridge has been destroyed; Floyd-Chardin has left."

"Then he is afraid," said Murphy-Shackley.

Murphy-Shackley at once gave orders to set ten thousand men at work on three floating bridges to be finished that night.

Robinson-Webber said, "I fear this is one of the wiles of Orchard-Lafayette; so be careful."

"Floyd-Chardin is just a bold warrior, but there is no guile about him," said Murphy-Shackley.

He gave orders for immediate advance.

Jeffery-Lewis was making all speed to Hanjin-Porteville. Suddenly there appeared in his track a great cloud of dust whence came loud rolls of drums and shoutings. Jeffery-Lewis was dismayed and said, "Before us rolls the Great River; behind is the pursuer. What hope is there for us?"

But he bade Gilbert-Rocher organize a defense.

Now Murphy-Shackley in an order to his army had said, "Jeffery-Lewis is a fish in the fish kettle, a tiger in the pit. Catch him this time, or the fish will get back to the sea and the tiger escape to the mountains. Therefore every general must use his best efforts to press on."

In consequence every leader bade those under him hasten forward. And they were pressing on at great speed when suddenly a body of soldiers appeared from the hills and a voice cried, "I have waited here a long time."

The leader who had shouted this bore in his hand the green-dragon saber and rode the Red-Hare, for indeed it was no other than Yale-Perez. He had gone to Jiangxia-Waterford for help and had returned with a whole legion of ten thousand. Having heard of the battle, he had taken this very road to intercept pursuit.

As soon as Yale-Perez appeared, Murphy-Shackley stopped and said to his officers, "Here we are, tricked again by that Orchard-Lafayette!"

Without more ado he ordered a retreat. Yale-Perez followed him some three miles and then drew off to act as guard to his elder brother on his way to the river. There boats were ready and Jeffery-Lewis and family went on board. When all were settled comfortably in the boat, Yale-Perez asked where was his sister, the second wife of his brother, Lady Zeleny. Then Jeffery-Lewis told him the story of Dangyang-Willowbrook.

"Alas!" said Yale-Perez. "Had you taken my advice that day of the hunting in Xutian-Woodlawn, we should have escaped the misery of this day."

"But," said Jeffery-Lewis, "on that day it was 'ware damaged when pelting rats.'"

Just as Jeffery-Lewis spoke he heard war-drums on the south bank. A fleet of boats, thick as a flight of ants, came running up with swelling sails before the fair wind. He was alarmed.

The boats came nearer. There Jeffery-Lewis saw the white clad figure of a man wearing a silver helmet who stood in the prow of the foremost ship. The leader cried, "Are you all right, my uncle; I am very guilty."

It was Milford-Lewis. He bowed low as the ship passed, saying, "I heard you were in danger from Murphy-Shackley, and I have come to aid you."

Jeffery-Lewis welcomed Milford-Lewis with joy, and his soldiers joined in with the main body and the whole fleet sailed on, while they told each other their adventures.

Unexpectedly in the southwest there appeared a line of fighting ships swishing up before a fair wind.

Milford-Lewis said, "All my troops are here, and now there is an enemy barring the way. If they are not Murphy-Shackley's ships, they must be from the South Land. We have a poor chance. What now?"

Jeffery-Lewis went to the prow and gazed at them. Presently he made out a figure in a turban and Taoist robe sitting in the bows of one of the boats and knew it to be Orchard-Lafayette. Behind him stood Quinn-Seymour.

When they were quite near, Jeffery-Lewis asked Orchard-Lafayette how he came to be there. And he reported what he had done, saying, "When I reached Jiangxia-Waterford, I sent Yale-Perez to land at Hanjin-Porteville with reinforcements, for I feared pursuit from Murphy-Shackley and knew that road you would take instead of Jiangling-Riverport. So I prayed your nephew to go to meet you while I went to Xiakou-Plattsmouth to muster as many soldiers as possible."

The new-comers added to their strength, and they began once more to consider how their powerful enemy might be overcome.

Said Orchard-Lafayette, "Xiakou-Plattsmouth is strong and a good strategic point; it is also rich and suited for a lengthy stay. I would ask you, my lord, to make it a permanent camp. Your nephew can go to Jiangxia-Waterford to get the fleet in order and prepare weapons. Thus we can create two threatening angles for our position. If we all return to Jiangxia-Waterford, the position will be weakened."

Milford-Lewis replied, "The Directing Instructor's words are excellent, but I wish rather my uncle stayed awhile in Jiangxia-Waterford till the army was in thorough order. Then he could go to Xiakou-Plattsmouth."

"You speak to the point, Nephew," replied Jeffery-Lewis.

Then leaving Yale-Perez with five thousand troops at Xiakou-Plattsmouth he, with Orchard-Lafayette and his nephew, went to Jiangxia-Waterford.

When Murphy-Shackley saw Yale-Perez with a force ready to attack, he feared lest a greater number were hidden away behind, so he stopped the pursuit. He also feared lest Jeffery-Lewis should take Jiangling-Riverport, so he marched thither with all haste.

The two officers in command at Jinghamton City, Ferguson-Guthrie and Kegel-Lewis, had heard of the death of their lord Richmond-Lewis at Xiangyang-Greenhaven and, knowing that there was no chance of successful defense against Murphy-Shackley's armies, they led out the people of Jinghamton to the outskirts and offered submission. Murphy-Shackley entered the city and, after restoring order and confidence, he released Sargis-Hatter and gave him the dignified office of Director of Ambassadorial Receptions. He rewarded the others.