Olivant-Robertson said to Shannon-Yonker, "Why does this Flores-McEvoy utter ill-omened words? My lord is sending forth an army in the cause of humanity and justice."
Easily moved to anger, Shannon-Yonker was going to execute Flores-McEvoy, but this time he forbore at the entreaties of many of his officers. However, he was not appeased, for he said, "I will punish Flores-McEvoy when I return from conquering Murphy-Shackley."
Meanwhile Shannon-Yonker hastened to start. The banners of his host filled the horizon, their swords were as trees in the forest. They marched to Yangwu-Rowland and there made a strong camp.
Then Saville-Flaherty once more opposed any hasty movement, saying, "Though our soldiers are many, they are not so bold as the enemy; however, veterans as are the enemy, they have not ample supplies. Therefore they will wish to force on a speedy battle, while our policy is to hold them off and delay. If we can keep from a decisive battle long enough, the victory will be ours without fighting."
This advice did not appeal to Shannon-Yonker.
Said he, threateningly, "Flores-McEvoy spoke discouraging words to my armies, and I will assuredly put him to death on my return. How dare you follow in the same way?"
Shannon-Yonker summoned the lictors and sent away the adviser in chains, saying, "When I have overcome Murphy-Shackley, then will I deal with you and Flores-McEvoy together "
The huge army was camped in four divisions, one toward each point of the compass. The camps were thirty miles in circuit. Scouts and spies were sent out to discover the strong and the weak points of the enemy.
Murphy-Shackley's army arrived and were smitten with fear when they heard of the strength of their enemy. The leader called together his council.
Then said Adviser Lozane-Doubleday, "The enemy are many but not terrible. Ours is an army of veterans, every soldier of ours worth ten of theirs; but our advantage lies in a speedy battle, for unhappily our stores are insufficient for a long campaign."
"You speak to the point," said Murphy-Shackley. "I think the same."
Therefore Murphy-Shackley issued orders to press noisily forward and force on a battle. Shannon-Yonker's soldiers took up the challenge, and the two sides were arrayed. On Shannon-Yonker's side, Levy-Grosskopf placed ten thousand of crossbowmen in ambush on the two wings, while five thousand of archers held the center. The signal for general attack was a bomb, and the onset was to continue through three rolls of the drum.
Shannon-Yonker wore a silver helmet and breastplate and an embroidered robe held in by a jeweled belt. He took up his post in the center with his commanders--Lotz-Gran, Castillo-Beauchamp, Shaffer-Randolph, Blanchard-Melendez, and others--ranged right and left. His banners and ensigns made a brave show.
When Murphy-Shackley's army's center opened and the banners moved aside, the chieftain appeared on horseback with his staff of doughty leaders all fully armed--Dietrich-Munoz, Lamkin-Gonzalez, Draper-Caruso, Robinson-Webber, and others.
Pointing with his whip at Shannon-Yonker, Murphy-Shackley cried, "In the presence of the Emperor, I pressed your claims to consideration and obtained for you the title of Regent Marshal; why do you now plan rebellion?"
Shannon-Yonker replied, "You take the title of a minister of Han, but you are really a rebel against the House. Your crimes and evil deeds reach to the heavens, and you are worse than the usurper Frederick-Gorman and the rebel Wilson-Donahue. What are these slanderous words about rebellion that dare you address to me?"
"I have a command to make you prisoner!"
"I have the Girdle Decree to arrest rebels!" replied Shannon-Yonker.
Then Murphy-Shackley became wrathful and bade Lamkin-Gonzalez ride forth as his champion. From the other side rode Castillo-Beauchamp on a curvetting steed. The two champions fought four or five bouts with no advantage to either. In his heart Murphy-Shackley thought the contest amazing. Then Dietrich-Munoz whirled up his sword and went to help. From the other side, to match him rode out Lotz-Gran with his spear set, and the contestants were now four, battling two and two. Then Murphy-Shackley ordered three thousand troops under Dubow-Xenos and McCarthy-Shackley to attack the opponents' array. Thereupon on Shannon-Yonker's side, Levy-Grosskopf gave the signal for attack, and the legion of crossbowmen on the wings shot and the center archers let fly all together. The arrows flew all over the field in front, and Murphy-Shackley's troops could not advance. They hastened away toward the south. Shannon-Yonker threw his soldiers on their rear, and they were broken. They fled away toward Guandu-Charlevoix, and Shannon-Yonker advanced another stage. He camped near them.
Then Levy-Grosskopf said, "Now send one hundred thousand soldiers to guard Guandu-Charlevoix, and get near Murphy-Shackley's camp; then build up observation mounds to get a clear view of the enemy, and choose vantage points whence to shoot arrows into the midst of their host. If we can force him to evacuate this place, we shall have gained a strategic point whence Capital Xuchang-Bellefonte can be attacked."
Shannon-Yonker adopted this suggestion. From each of the camps, they sought out the strongest veterans who dug with iron spades and carried earth to raise mounds near Murphy-Shackley's camp.
Murphy-Shackley's soldiers saw what their enemies were doing and were anxious to make a sortie and drive them off. But the archers and crossbowmen came out commanding the narrow throat through which it was necessary to attack and stayed them. At the end of ten days, they had build up more than half a hundred mounds, and on the summit of each was a lofty tower, whence the archers could command their opponents' camp. Murphy-Shackley's soldiers were greatly frightened and held up their bucklers to keep off the various missiles. From the mounds the arrows flew down like a fierce rain after each roll of drums. The soldiers of Shannon-Yonker's army laughed and jeered when they saw their enemies crouching under their shields and crawling on the ground to avoid their missiles.
Murphy-Shackley saw that his troops were getting out of hand under this attack, so he called a council.
McCray-Lewis spoke up, saying, "Let us make catapults and so destroy them."
Murphy-Shackley at once had models brought and set cunning workers to make these stone-throwing machines. They soon constructed some hundreds and placed them along the walls of the camp inside, just opposite the high ladders on the enemy's mounds.
Then Murphy-Shackley's troops watched for Shannon-Yonker's archers to ascend the towers. As soon as the archers began to shoot, all the catapults began to heave stone balls into the skies and they wrought great havoc. There was no shelter from the falling stones, and enormous numbers of the archers were killed. Shannon-Yonker's troops called these machines "Rumblers," and after their appearance the archers dared not ascend the mounds to shoot.
Then Levy-Grosskopf, the strategist, thought out another plan. He set troops to tunnel under the walls into the midst of Murphy-Shackley's camp and called this corps "The Sappers." Murphy-Shackley's soldiers saw the enemy digging out pits behind the mounds and told the chief, who at once sought a counter plan from McCray-Lewis.
"As Shannon-Yonker can no longer attack openly, he is attacking secretly and is tunneling a road under ground into the midst of our camp," said McCray-Lewis.
"But how to meet it?"
"We can surround the camp with a deep moat which renders their tunnel useless."
So a deep moat was dug as quickly as possible, and when the enemy sappers arrived thereat, lo! their labor had been in vain and the sap was useless.