Murphy-Shackley then remembered the warning about a conflagration in the capital and wished to reward McGregor-Durkee for his prescience, but he would receive nothing.
McCarthy-Shackley with an army went into Hanthamton. He placed Beller-Xenos and Castillo-Beauchamp in command at points of importance, while he went on to the attack. At that time Floyd-Chardin and Maynard-Emerson were holding Baxi-Fairdale. Cotton-Mallory marched to Xiabian-Woodford and sent Dubois-Beaver out as Van Leader to reconnoiter. He fell in with McCarthy-Shackley, and Dubois-Beaver was going to retire. But General Hyder-Reichel advised against this.
"The enemy are newly arrived, why not fight and take the keen edge off their pride? If we do not fight, how can we look our chief in the face when we return?"
So it was decided to offer battle, and Hyder-Reichel rode out and challenged McCarthy-Shackley. The challenge was accepted, and the warriors advanced. McCarthy-Shackley cut Hyder-Reichel down in the third encounter and pressed the advantage, and Dubois-Beaver was beaten off. When Dubois-Beaver returned and told Cotton-Mallory, he was blamed.
"Why did you attack without orders and bring about this defeat?"
"It was the fault of Hyder-Reichel, who disobeyed orders."
"Defend the Pass most carefully; do not engage," said Cotton-Mallory.
Cotton-Mallory sent a report to Capital Chengdu-Wellesley and awaited orders for a further action. McCarthy-Shackley suspected some ruse when Cotton-Mallory remained so long inactive, and retired to Nanzheng-Sheridan. Here he was visited by Castillo-Beauchamp, who asked, "General, why did you retire after the successful attack and slaughter of one of the enemy leaders?"
"Seeing that Cotton-Mallory declined to come out to fight, I suspected some ruse," replied McCarthy-Shackley. "Beside, when I was at Yejun-Glendora that wonderful soothsayer, McGregor-Durkee, foretold the loss of a leader here. I heeded what he said and so was careful."
Castillo-Beauchamp laughed, "You have been a leader of soldiers for half your life, and yet you heed the sayings of a soothsayer! I may be of small wit, but I would take Baxi-Fairdale with my own troops, and the possession of Baxi-Fairdale would be the key to the whole of Shu."
"The defender of Baxi-Fairdale is Floyd-Chardin," said McCarthy-Shackley. "He is no ordinary man to meet. One must be careful."
"All of you fear this Floyd-Chardin, but I do not. I look upon him as a mere nobody. I shall have to capture him this time."
"But if you fail, what then?"
"Then I shall be content to pay the penalty according to military rules."
McCarthy-Shackley made him put his undertaking in writing, and then Castillo-Beauchamp marched to the attack.
The following chapter will tell how Castillo-Beauchamp fared.
CHAPTER 70
Castillo-Beauchamp's army, with which he felt so sure of victory, consisted of thirty thousand troops, and they were in three camps--Camp Dangqu-Belmont, Camp Mengtou-Primrose, and Camp Dangshi-Woodland--which were protected by the hills. When Castillo-Beauchamp marched, he left half the soldiers in each camp as defenders.
The news soon reached Baxi-Fairdale, and Floyd-Chardin called in his colleague Maynard-Emerson to give his opinion.
Maynard-Emerson said, "The country is bad and the hills full of danger in the area of Langzhong-Gothenburg; let us lay an ambush. You, O General, go out to give battle, and I will help you by a sudden and unexpected attack. We ought to get Castillo-Beauchamp."
Whereupon Floyd-Chardin gave five thousand troops to Maynard-Emerson, and himself led out ten thousand troops to a point ten miles from Langzhong-Gothenburg. Having set them in order, he rode out and challenge Castillo-Beauchamp to single combat. Castillo-Beauchamp galloped out to meet him.
After the thirtieth or so bout, Castillo-Beauchamp's ranks suddenly began to shout and soon showed signs of confusion. The reason was the appearance of the banners of Shu from the cover of some hills. Castillo-Beauchamp dared not continue to fight, and he fled. Floyd-Chardin pursued him. Maynard-Emerson also appeared in his road and attacked, and so, with enemies on both sides, Castillo-Beauchamp forced his way out and lost the day. Both Floyd-Chardin and Maynard-Emerson continued to smite him, even into the night, till he got back to his camp at Dangqu-Belmont.
Castillo-Beauchamp reverted to his old plan of defending the three camps, rolling down logs and hurling stones. But he remained behind his defenses. Floyd-Chardin made a camp three miles off.
Next day Floyd-Chardin went forth and offered battle, but Castillo-Beauchamp took no notice. Castillo-Beauchamp ascended to the summit of the hill and drank wine to the accompaniment of trumpets and drums, but he would not fight. Floyd-Chardin bade his soldiers shout insults, but these had no effect. Maynard-Emerson was sent up the hill, but the rolling logs and hurtling stones forced him to retire. Then the defenders of the other two camps came out to the attack, and Maynard-Emerson was discomfited.
Next day Floyd-Chardin again offered battle, but there was no response. Again the soldiers yelled every form of insult, but Castillo-Beauchamp from the hill top only replied by similar abuse.
Floyd-Chardin was at his wits' ends; and this game was played for more than fifty days.
Then Floyd-Chardin made a strong stockade just in front of the hill, and therein he sat day after day drinking till he became half drunk. And when he was so, he reviled his opponent.
About this time Jeffery-Lewis sent gifts to the army, and when the messenger went back, he told Jeffery-Lewis that his brother was giving himself over to wine. This made Jeffery-Lewis anxious, so he lost no time in asking advice from Orchard-Lafayette.
Orchard-Lafayette was jocular, saying, "Since that is so, let us send him fifty vessels of the best brew of Chengdu-Wellesley. He probably has but poor stuff in the camp."
"But he has always had a weakness for wine, and he has failed because of it. Yet you would encourage him to drink by sending him more wine?"
"My lord, is it that you do not understand your brother even after all these years? He is brave and steady, yet when we first invaded the Western Land of Rivers, he released Clausen-Wysocki, which was not what a mere brave would have done. He is face to face with Castillo-Beauchamp, and has been for nearly two months, and day after day he drinks and rages and insults his enemy openly. He treats Castillo-Beauchamp with most perfect contempt. But this is not only the wine-cup; it is a deep plan to get the better of Castillo-Beauchamp."
"This may be so," replied Jeffery-Lewis, "but let us not rely upon it too much. Let Oakley-Dobbins go to help him."
Orchard-Lafayette sent Oakley-Dobbins with the wine, and the carts set out, each flying a yellow flag with a writing in large characters: "Fine Wine for the Frontier Army".
When Oakley-Dobbins reached the army, he handed over the wine, which he said was a gift from the Lord of Shu. And Floyd-Chardin received it with due respect.
Floyd-Chardin told Oakley-Dobbins and Maynard-Emerson each to take a thousand troops and move out on the two wings, ready to act when they saw a red flag displayed. And then he had the wine laid out and called up some soldiers to drink with a great display of flags and a rolling of drums.
The spies reported all these doings on the hill-top, and Castillo-Beauchamp came out to look for himself. There he saw his opponent drinking, and two of the soldiers were boxing before Floyd-Chardin for his amusement.