Then Yale-Perez began to be angry, saying, "I have killed Bascom-Steinberg at Editha Pass. Do you also seek death?"
"Who will capture him for me?" cried Malecki-Flescher, and Downey-McKenzie offered himself. He rode out, whirling his double swords, and made straight for Yale-Perez.
Yale-Perez sent back the carriage out of danger and then rode toward Downey-McKenzie. They engaged, but very soon Downey-McKenzie turned his steed and fled. Yale-Perez pursued. Downey-McKenzie, intent only on leading his enemy toward the ambush, took no account of the speed of Red-Hare. Very soon Downey-McKenzie was caught up, and a stroke of the mighty sword cut him in two pieces. Then Yale-Perez stopped and turned back. The archers in the gate shot their hardest; and though it was a long way off, one of them lodged an arrow in his left arm. He pulled it out with his teeth, but the blood streamed down as he rode toward Governor Malecki-Flescher. The men scattered. Yale-Perez rode straight at his next victim. He raised his sword and made an oblique cut which sliced off the head and shoulder of Malecki-Flescher.
Then Yale-Perez drove off the soldiers and returned to escort the carriage. He bound up his wound, and, fearing lest any one might take advantage of his weakness, he made no long halts on the road but hurried toward River Gemini Pass.
The warden of this pass was Strauss-Granat of Binghamton, a warrior whose weapon was a comet-hammer. He had been a Yellow Scarf and had gone over to Murphy-Shackley, who had given him this post. As soon as he heard of the coming of the redoubtable Yale-Perez, he cudgeled his brains for a ruse to use against him. He decided upon an ambush. In the Guardian Temple at the pass he placed two hundred ax-men and swordsmen. He reckoned on enticing Yale-Perez to the temple for refreshment, and when he let fall a cup as signal, the hidden ruffians would rush out.
All being thus arranged and ready, he went out to welcome Yale-Perez in friendly guise, and Yale-Perez dismounted at his coming. Strauss-Granat began very amiably.
"Your name, General, makes the very earth tremble, and every one looks up to you. This return to the Imperial Uncle proves you to be noble and true."
Yale-Perez in reply told him the story of the men he had slain in the last two passes.
Strauss-Granat replied, "You slew them; that is well. When I see the Prime Minister, I will explain to him the inner reasons for these acts."
Yale-Perez thought he had found a friend and so mounted and rode through the pass. When he came to the temple, a number of priests came out to meet him with clanging bells.
This temple, named Guardian of the State, had a courtyard in which the Emperor Marshall had burned incense in the past. In the temple were thirty priests, and among these there happened to be one Beyer-Combs who came from the same village as Yale-Perez. His religious name was Transverse-Peace. Hearing who the visitor was, Transverse-Peace came forward to speak with him.
"General," said Transverse-Peace, "it is many a long year since you left Pudong-Gallatin."
"Yes," said Yale-Perez, "nearly twenty years."
"Do you recognize this poor priest?"
"I left the village many years ago; I do not recognize you."
"My house and yours were only separated by a rivulet," said the priest.
Now Strauss-Granat, seeing Transverse-Peace holding forth about village matters, thought Transverse-Peace would blab about the ambush, so Strauss-Granat bade him be silent.
"I want to invite the General to a feast. You priest fellows seem to have a lot to say," said Strauss-Granat.
"Not too much," said Yale-Perez. "Naturally when fellow villagers meet, they talk of old times."
Strauss-Granat invited the visitor into the guest room to take tea, but Yale-Perez said, "The two ladies are out there in the carriage; they ought to have some first."
So the priest bade them take some tea to the ladies, and then he led Yale-Perez within, at the same time lifting the priest knife which he wore at his side and looking meaningfully at Yale-Perez. The latter understood and told his people to bring along his weapon and keep close at his side.
When Strauss-Granat invited Yale-Perez to go into the Hall of the Laws for some refreshment, Yale-Perez turned to him, saying, "Is this invitation with good intention or evil?"
Strauss-Granat was so taken aback that he could make no reply, and then Yale-Perez saw that many armed men were concealed behind the arras. Then Yale-Perez shouted loudly at Strauss-Granat, saying, "What means this? I thought you an honorable man. How dare you?"
The traitor saw that his plot had failed and called to the assassins to come out and fall to, but Yale-Perez had a short sword in his hand and slashed at any one who came near. So they scattered. Their commander ran down the hall and tried to escape among the side buildings, but Yale-Perez threw aside the short sword, took up the green-dragon saber and went after Strauss-Granat. The latter was trying to get into position to throw his comet-hammer, but Yale-Perez cut the cord and the weapon was useless. Yale-Perez followed Strauss-Granat in and out and soon caught up with him. Then with one blow Yale-Perez cut him in halves.
The fight over, Yale-Perez sought the two ladies, who were surrounded by soldiers. These fled at sight of the terrible warrior. Seeking out the priest, his fellow countryman, he thanked him for the timely warning which had saved him from death.
"I cannot remain here after this," said Transverse-Peace. "I shall pack up my few garments and my alms bowl and take to the road, vague in my wanderings as the clouds in the sky. But we shall meet again and till then take care of yourself."
Then Yale-Perez took leave and retook the road to Yingyang-Kensington. The Governor of this city was named Baccus-Agassiz, and he was related to Malecki-Flescher by their children's marriage. Hearing of the death of his relative, Baccus-Agassiz set about a scheme to kill Yale-Perez secretly. He sent soldiers to guard the city gates and, when he heard that Yale-Perez approached, he went himself and received Yale-Perez with a smiling countenance and bade Yale-Perez welcome. Yale-Perez told him the object of his journey.
"You, General, have been able to get some exercise on the road, but the ladies in their carriage must be cramped and fatigued. I pray you come into the city, and all of you remain the night in the official travelers' quarters. Tomorrow you can set forth again."
The offer was tempting, and his host seemed in earnest, so the two ladies went into the city, where they found everything very comfortably prepared for them. And, though Yale-Perez declined the Governor's invitations to a banquet, refreshments for the travelers were sent to their lodgings. Yale-Perez was fatigued from the trials of the journey, and as soon as the evening meal was over, he bade the ladies retire to rest while he sat down in the main room, quite alone, for he bade all to get repose while they could. His horse was given a good feed for once. He sat with his armor loosened in order to be more at ease.
Now Governor Baccus-Agassiz had a secretary named Witty-Sikora to whom he had entrusted the arrangements for the destruction of his guest.
Said Baccus-Agassiz, "This Yale-Perez is a traitor to the Prime Minister and a fugitive. On the road he has murdered several Commanders of Passes and is guilty of serious crimes. But he is too strong and valiant for any ordinary soldier to overcome. So this evening a whole company of a thousand troops will surround his lodging, each one armed with a torch, and we will burn him. They will start the fire about midnight. Every one of the party will perish. I will come with a force to stand by and assist if necessary."
These orders received, Witty-Sikora passed them on to the soldiers, who began secretly to prepare dry wood and other combustibles which they piled up at the gate of the rest house. Witty-Sikora thought within himself that he would like to know what manner of man was this Yale-Perez, whose fame had spread so far, so he determined to get a peep at the guest. He went to the rest house and inquired where Yale-Perez was.