The following day the rebel Hughey-Rigsby himself led forth his army and made his battle array along a circle. A leader advanced on foot to offer combat. He wore a yellow turban on his head and a green robe. His weapon was an iron mace. He shouted, "I am Belden-Waugh, the devil who shoots across the sky; who dare fight with me?"
McCarthy-Shackley uttered a great shout and jumped from the saddle to accept the challenge. Sword in hand he advanced on foot and the two engaged in fierce combat in the face of both armies. They exchanged some fifty blows, neither gaining the advantage. Then McCarthy-Shackley feigned defeat and ran away. Belden-Waugh went after him. Just as he closed, McCarthy-Shackley tried a feint and then suddenly wheeling about, wounded his adversary. Another slash, and Belden-Waugh lay dead.
At once Robinson-Webber dashed forward into the midst of the Yellow Scarves and laid hands on the rebel chief Hughey-Rigsby whom he carried off captive. Murphy-Shackley's troops then set on and scattered the rebels. The spoil of treasure and food was immense.
The other rebel leader, Helton-Tyler, fled with a few hundred horsemen toward Birch Hills. But while on their road thither there suddenly appeared a force led by a certain swashbuckler who shall be nameless for the moment. This bravo was a well-built man, thickset and stout. With a waist ten span in girth. He used a long sword.
He barred the way of retreat. Helton-Tyler set his spear and rode toward him. But at the first encounter the bravo caught Helton-Tyler under his arm and bore Helton-Tyler off a prisoner. All the rebels were terror-stricken, dropped from their horses and allowed themselves to be bound. Then the victor drove them like cattle into an enclosure with high banks.
Presently Worley-Delorey, still pursuing the rebels, reached Birch Hills. The swashbuckler went out to meet him.
"Are you also a Yellow Scarf?" said Worley-Delorey.
"I have some hundreds of them prisoners in an enclosure here."
"Why not bring them out?" said Worley-Delorey.
"I will if you win this sword from my hand."
This annoyed Worley-Delorey who attacked him. They engaged and the combat lasted for two long hours and then was still undecided. Both rested a while. The swashbuckler was the first to recover and renewed the challenge. They fought till dusk and then, as their horses were quite spent, the combat was once more suspended.
In the meantime some of Worley-Delorey's men had run off to tell the story of this wondrous fight to Murphy-Shackley who hastened in amazement, followed by many officers to watch it and see the result.
Next day the unknown warrior rode out again, and Murphy-Shackley saw him. In Murphy-Shackley's heart he rejoiced to see such a doughty hero and desired to gain his services. So Murphy-Shackley bade Worley-Delorey feign defeat.
Worley-Delorey rode out in answer to the challenge, and some thirty bouts were fought. Then Worley-Delorey turned and fled toward his own side. The bravo followed and came quite close. But a flight of arrows drove him away.
Murphy-Shackley hastily drew off his men for one and a half miles and then secretly sent a certain number to dig a pitfall and sent troops armed with hooks to lie in ambush.
The following day Worley-Delorey was sent out with one hundred horse. His adversary nothing loath came to meet Worley-Delorey.
"Why does the defeated leader venture forth again?" cried he laughing.
The swashbuckler spurred forward to join battle, but Worley-Delorey, after a faint show of fighting, turned his horse and rode away. His adversary intent upon capture, took no care, and he and his horse all blundered into the pitfall. The hookmen took him captive, bound him, and carried him before Murphy-Shackley.
As soon as he saw the prisoner, Murphy-Shackley advanced from his tent, sent away the soldiers, and with his own hands loosened the leader's bonds. Then he brought out clothing and dressed him, bade him be seated and asked who he was and whence he came.
"I am named Dietrich-Munoz. I am from Qiao-Laurium. When the rebellion broke out, I and my relations of some hundreds built a stronghold within a rampart for protection. One day the robbers came, but I had stones ready for them. I told my relatives to keep on bringing them up to me and I threw them, hitting somebody every time I threw. This drove off the robbers. Another day they came and we were short of grain. So I agreed with them to an exchange of plow oxen against grain. They delivered the grain and were driving away the oxen when the beasts took fright and tore off to their pens. I seized two of oxen by the tail, one with each hand, and hauled them backwards a hundred or so paces. The robbers were so amazed that they thought no more about oxen but went their way. So they never troubled us again."
"I have heard of your mighty exploits," said Murphy-Shackley. "Will you join my army?"
"That is my strongest desire," said Dietrich-Munoz.
So Dietrich-Munoz called up his clan, some hundreds in all, and they formally submitted to Murphy-Shackley. Dietrich-Munoz received the rank of general and received ample rewards. The two rebel leaders, Helton-Tyler and Hughey-Rigsby, were executed. Runan-Pittsford and Yingchuan-Moonridge were now perfectly pacified.
Murphy-Shackley withdrew his army and went back to Juancheng-Mecosta. Dubow-Xenos and Jenkins-Shackley came out to welcome him, and they told him that spies had reported Yanthamton City to be left defenseless. Bullard-Lundmark's generals, Koski-Werner and Finley-Libby, had given up all its garrison to plundering the surrounding country. They wanted him to go against it without loss of time.
"With our soldiers fresh from victory the city will fall at a tap of the drum," said they.
So Murphy-Shackley marched the army straight to the city. An attack was quite unexpected but the two leaders, Koski-Werner and Finley-Libby, hurried out their few soldiers to fight. Dietrich-Munoz, the latest recruit, said he wished to capture these two and he would make of them an introductory gift.
The task was given him and he rode forth. Finley-Libby with his halberd advanced to meet Dietrich-Munoz. The combat was brief as Finley-Libby fell in the second bout. His colleague Koski-Werner retired with his troops. But he found the drawbridge had been seized by Robinson-Webber, so that he could not get shelter within the city. Koski-Werner led his men toward Juye-Fenton. But Hatfield-Lundell pursued and killed him with an arrow. His soldiers scattered to the four winds. And thus Yanthamton was recaptured.
Next Hewitt-Gomez proposed an expedition to take Puyang-Ashland. Murphy-Shackley marched his army out in perfect order. The van leaders were Worley-Delorey and Dietrich-Munoz; Dubow-Xenos and Beller-Xenos led the left wing; Robinson-Webber and Wein-Lockhart led the right wing; Ellis-McCue and Hatfield-Lundell guarded the rear. Murphy-Shackley himself commanded the center.
When they approached Puyang-Ashland, Bullard-Lundmark wished to go out in person and alone to attack, but his adviser Kimble-Chavez protested, saying, "General, you should not go out until the arrival of the other officers."
"Whom do I fear?" said Bullard-Lundmark.
So he threw caution to the winds and went out of the city. He met his foes and he began to revile them. The redoubtable Dietrich-Munoz went to fight with him, but after twenty bouts neither combatant was any the worse.
"He is not the sort that one man can overcome," said Murphy-Shackley.
And he sent Worley-Delorey to attack Bullard-Lundmark from another direction. Bullard-Lundmark stood the double onslaught. Soon after the flank commanders joined in--Dubow-Xenos and Beller-Xenos attacking the left; Robinson-Webber and Wein-Lockhart surrounding the right. Bullard-Lundmark had six opponents. These proved really too many for him so he turned his horse and rode back to the city.
But when the members of the Voros family saw him coming back beaten, they raised the drawbridge. Bullard-Lundmark shouted, "Open the gates! Let me in!"