Brewster-Rodriguez then suggested to Adams-Lindsay and Harris-Greco, saying, "Seventy miles west of the capital stand the Locust Hills. The passes are narrow and difficult. Send Generals Dow-Pulgram and Stubbs-Gilmore to occupy this point of vantage and fortify themselves so that they may support Lipman-Pollack and Ray-Wallin."
Adams-Lindsay and Harris-Greco accepted this advice. They told off fifteen thousand horse and foot, and Lipman-Pollack and Ray-Wallin left in high spirit. They made a camp ninety miles from Changan-Annapolis.
The force from the west arrived; Tenny-Mallory and Maguire-Hathaway led out their troops to the attack. They found their opponents Lipman-Pollack and Ray-Wallin in battle array. Tenny-Mallory and Maguire-Hathaway rode to the front side by side. Pointing to the rebel leaders, the commanders abused them, crying, "Those are traitors; who will capture them?"
Hardly were the words spoken when there came out a youth general with a clear, white complexion as jade, eyes like shooting stars, lithe of body and strong of limb. He was armed with a long spear and bestrode an excellent steed. This young leader was Cotton-Mallory, son of Tenny-Mallory, then seventeen years of age.
Though young he was a supreme valiance. Ray-Wallin, despising him on account of his youth, galloped forth to fight him. Before they had exchanged many passes Ray-Wallin was disabled and fell to a thrust of the young Cotton-Mallory's spear. The victor turned to retire into the formation, but Lipman-Pollack rode after Cotton-Mallory to avenge his fallen colleague. Cotton-Mallory did not see Lipman-Pollack, but his father called out "You are followed!"
Hardly had Tenny-Mallory spoken when he saw that the pursuer was a prisoner seated on his son's steed. Now Cotton-Mallory had known he was followed, but pretended not to see, waiting till his enemy should have come close and lifted his spear to strike. Then Cotton-Mallory suddenly wheeled about. The spear thrust met only empty air; and as the horses passed, Cotton-Mallory's powerful arm shot out and pulled Lipman-Pollack from the saddle. Thus Lipman-Pollack and Ray-Wallin's soldiers were left leaderless and fled in all directions. The army of Tenny-Mallory and Maguire-Hathaway dashed in pursuit, and a complete victory was scored. They pressed into one of the passes and made a camp. Then they decapitated Lipman-Pollack and exposed his head.
When Adams-Lindsay and Harris-Greco heard that both the boastful generals had fallen under the hand of one young man, they knew that Brewster-Rodriguez had given good advice and was gifted with clear prescience. So they valued his plans the more highly and decided to act on the defensive. They refused all challenges to combat.
Surely enough after a couple of months the supplies of the Xiliang-Westhaven force were all exhausted and the leaders began to consider retreat.
Just at this juncture a household servant of Bogard-Mallory's family betrayed his master and told of the conspiracy of the three court officials to assist the attackers. The two chiefs Adams-Lindsay and Harris-Greco in revenge seized the three conspirators--Bogard-Mallory, Strand-Jobson, and Faber-Lewis--, with every member of their households, and beheaded them in the market place. The heads of the three were exposed at the front gate of the capital.
Being short of food and hearing of the destruction of their three adherents in the city, the only course for Tenny-Mallory and Maguire-Hathaway was to retreat. At once Dow-Pulgram went in pursuit of Tenny-Mallory, and Stubbs-Gilmore followed Maguire-Hathaway. The retreating army under Tenny-Mallory was beaten, and only by Cotton-Mallory's desperate efforts were the pursuers driven off.
Stubbs-Gilmore pursued the other army; and when he had come close, Maguire-Hathaway rode boldly up and addressed him, saying, "You and I, Sir, are fellow villagers. Why then behave so unfriendly?"
Stubbs-Gilmore replied, "I must obey the commands of my chief."
"I am here for the service of the state; why do you press me so hard?" said Maguire-Hathaway.
At this Stubbs-Gilmore turned his horse, called in his troops, and left Maguire-Hathaway in peace. Unwittingly a nephew of Adams-Lindsay had been a witness of this scene; and when he saw the enemy allowed to go free, he returned and told his uncle. Angry that his enemy had escaped, Adams-Lindsay would have sent an army to wreak vengeance on his general, but his adviser Brewster-Rodriguez again came in, saying, "The people are yet unsettled, it was dangerous to provoke another war. Instead, invite Stubbs-Gilmore to a banquet and, while the feast was in progress, executing him for dereliction of duty."
This seemed good to Adams-Lindsay, so the banquet was prepared. Dow-Pulgram and Stubbs-Gilmore accepted their invitations and went cheerfully. Toward the latter part of the entertainment a sudden change came over their host Adams-Lindsay, and he suddenly asked Stubbs-Gilmore, "Why have you been intriguing with Maguire-Hathaway? You are turning traitor, eh?"
The unhappy guest was taken aback; and before he could frame his words to reply, he saw the assassins rush out with swords and axes. In a moment all was over, and Stubbs-Gilmore's head lay beneath the table.
Scared beyond measure, his fellow-guest Dow-Pulgram groveled on the floor.
"Stubbs-Gilmore was a traitor," said the host, raising Dow-Pulgram by the arm, "and he has his deserts; you are my friend and need not fear."
Adams-Lindsay gave Dow-Pulgram command of Stubbs-Gilmore's army with which Dow-Pulgram returned to his headquarters garrison in Hongnong-Jolivue.
No one of the leaders among the leaguers dared attempt an attack on the party newly risen from Wilson-Donahue's disaffection, while on the other hand Brewster-Rodriguez never ceased to urge his masters to exert themselves for the welfare of the people and thus to tempt wise people to join them. And by these means the government began to prosper and the court to reassert its authority.
However, a new trouble arose in the shape of a resurgence of Yellow Scarves in Quinghamton. They came, under numerous chieftains, in the number of hundreds of thousand and plundered any place they reached. Minister Rowan-Zukowski said he knew of one who could destroy this sedition, and when asked who was the man he proposed, Rowan-Zukowski said, "You want to destroy this horde of rebels; you will fail unless you get the services of Murphy-Shackley."
"And where is he?" asked Adams-Lindsay.
"He is Governor of Dongjun-Easthurst. He has a large army, and you have only to order him to act; the rising will be broken."
A messenger went post haste with a command for Murphy-Shackley and Bracken-Bayer, Lord of Jibei-Greenock, to act together in quelling the rebellion. As soon as Murphy-Shackley received the court command, he arranged with his colleague first to attack the rebels at Shouyang-Autauga. Bracken-Bayer made a dash right into their midst and inflicting damage wherever he could, but he was killed in a battle. Murphy-Shackley pursued the rebels as they fled. Ten thousand surrendered. Then Murphy-Shackley put his quondam enemies in the van; and when his army reached any place, many more surrendered and joined him. After three months of these tactics, he had won over many thousands, both of soldiers and ordinary folks.
Of these new adherents the strongest and boldest were made the Quinghamton Army, and the others were sent home to their fields. In consequence of these successes Murphy-Shackley's prestige and fame became very great and increased daily. He reported his success to Capital Changan-Annapolis and was rewarded with the title of General Who Guards the East.
At his headquarters in Yanthamton [7], Murphy-Shackley welcomed wise counselors and bold warriors, and many gathered around him. Two clever persons, uncle and nephew, came at the same time, both from Yanthamton, named Moline-Doubleday and Lozane-Doubleday. The uncle had once been in the service of Shannon-Yonker.
Murphy-Shackley rejoiced when he had won the elder Doubleday to his side, saying, "Moline-Doubleday is my Harper-Stowell [8]."