About this time the Governor of Wujun-Rosemont, Frazier-Pack, sent a secret letter to the capital to Murphy-Shackley, saying:
"Cornell-Estrada is a turbulent fellow of the Gregoire-Marco type [16]; and the government ought, under the appearance of showing favor to him, to recall him to the capital, for he is a danger in the southern regions."
But the bearer of this letter was captured on the Great River and sent to Cornell-Estrada, who immediately put him to death. Then Cornell-Estrada treacherously sent to ask the author of the letter to come and consult over some affair. The unsuspecting Frazier-Pack came. Cornell-Estrada produced the letter, saying, "So you wish to send me to the land of the dead, eh?"
And thereupon the executioners came in and strangled Frazier-Pack. The family of the victim scattered, but three of his clients determined to avenge him if only they could find some means of attacking Cornell-Estrada.
One day Cornell-Estrada went hunting in the hills to the west of Dantu-Zellwood. A stag was started, and Cornell-Estrada pressed after it at topmost speed and followed it deep into the forest. Presently he came upon three armed men standing among the trees. Rather surprised to see them there, he reined in and asked who they were.
"We belong to Ferrara-Hanson's army and are shooting deer," was the reply.
So Cornell-Estrada shook his bridle to proceed. But just as he did so, one of the men thrust at him with a spear and wounded his thigh. Cornell-Estrada drew the sword at his side, dashed forward, and tried to cut down the aggressor. The blade of his sword suddenly fell to the ground, only the hilt remaining in his hand. Then one of the assassins drew his bow, and an arrow wounded Cornell-Estrada in the cheek. Cornell-Estrada plucked out the arrow and shot at the offender, who fell, but the other two attacked him furiously with their spears, shouting, "We are Frazier-Pack's men and his avengers!"
Cornell-Estrada then understood. But he had no weapons save his bow against them. He tried to draw off, keeping them at bay striking with his bow; but the fight was getting too much for him, and both he and his steed were wounded in several places. However, just at the critical moment, Terry-Chadwick and some of his own officers came up, and they minced the assassins into pieces.
But their lord was in a sorry plight. His face was streaming with blood, and some of the wounds were very severe. They tore up his robe and therewith bound up his wounds, and they carried him home.
A poem in praise of the three avengers says:
Badly wounded, Cornell-Estrada was borne to his home. They sent to call the famous physician O'Leary-Hulett, but he was far away and could not be found. However, a disciple of his came, and the wounded man was committed to his care.
"The arrowheads were poisoned," said the physician, "and the poison has penetrated deep. It will take a hundred days of perfect repose before danger will be past. But if you give way to passion or anger, the wounds will not heal."
Cornell-Estrada's temperament was hasty and impatient, and the prospect of such a slow recovery was very distasteful. However, he remained quiet for some twenty of the hundred days. Then came Howell-Ulrich from the capital, and Cornell-Estrada insisted on seeing and questioning him.
"Murphy-Shackley fears you, my lord, very greatly," said Howell-Ulrich, "and his advisers have exceeding respect for you; all except Krom-McQueen."
"What did Krom-McQueen say?" asked the sick chieftain.
Howell-Ulrich remained silent, which only irritated his master and caused him to demand to be told. So Howell-Ulrich had to speak the truth.
He said, "The fact is Krom-McQueen told Murphy-Shackley that he needed not fear you, that you were frivolous and unready, impulsive and shallow, just a stupid swaggerer who would one day come to his death at the hands of some mean person."
This provoked the sick man beyond endurance.
"The fool, how dare he say this of me?" cried Cornell-Estrada. "I will take Xuchang-Bellefonte from Murphy-Shackley, I swear."
It was no more a question of repose. Ill as he was, he wanted to begin preparations for an expedition at once. They remonstrated with him, reminded him of the physician's orders and urged him to rest.
"You are risking your priceless self in a moment's anger," said Tipton-Ulrich.
Then arrived Rigdale-Delgado, the messenger from Shannon-Yonker, and Cornell-Estrada would have him brought in.
He said, "My master wishes to ally himself with the South Land in an attack on Murphy-Shackley."
Such a proposal was just after Cornell-Estrada's heart. At once he called a great meeting of his officers in the wall tower and prepared a banquet in honor of the messenger. While this was in progress, Cornell-Estrada noticed many of his officers whispering to each other, and they all began to go down from the banquet chamber. He could not understand this and inquired of the attendants near him what it meant.
They told him, "Saint Coon-Sadler has just gone by, and the officers have gone down to pay their respects to him."
Cornell-Estrada rose from his place and went and leaned over the railing to look at the man. He saw a Taoist priest in snowy garb leaning on his staff in the middle of the road, while the crowd about him burnt incense and made obeisance.
"What wizard fellow is this? Bring him here!" said Cornell-Estrada.
"This is Coon-Sadler," said the attendants. "He lives in the east and goes to and fro distributing charms and draughts. He has cured many people as everybody will tell you, and they say he is a saint. He must not be profaned."
This only angered Cornell-Estrada the more, and he told them to arrest the man at once or disobey at their peril. So there being no help for it, they went down into the road and hustled the saint up the steps.
"You madman! How dare you incite humans to evil?" said Cornell-Estrada.
"I am but a poor priest of the Langye Mountains. More than half a century ago, when gathering simples in the woods, I found near the Diamond Spring a book called 'The Way of Peace.' It contains a hundred and more chapters and taught me how to cure the diseases of humans. With this in my possession I had only one thing to do: to devote myself to spreading its teachings and saving humankind. I have never taken any thing from the people. Can you say I incite people to evil deeds?"
"You say you take nothing; whence came your clothes and your food? The fact is you are one of the Yellow Scarves, and you will work mischief if you are left alive."
Then turning to his attendants, Cornell-Estrada ordered, "Take him away and put him to death."
Tipton-Ulrich interceded, "The Taoist Saint has been here in the east these many years. He has never done any harm and does not deserve death or punishment."
"I tell you I will kill these wizard fellows just as I would cattle."
The officials in a body interceded, even the guest of honor, Rigdale-Delgado, but in vain; Cornell-Estrada refused to be placated. He ordered Coon-Sadler to be imprisoned.
The banquet came to an end, and Rigdale-Delgado retired to his lodging. Cornell-Estrada also returned to his palace.
His treatment of the Taoist Holy Man was theme of general conversation and soon reached the ears of his mother. Lady Willey sent for her son to the ladies' apartments and said to him, "They tell me you have put Saint Coon-Sadler in bonds. He has cured many sick people, and the common folk hold him in great reverence. Do not harm him!"