The Commanders of the Pass were Ostrom-Palmer and Tuttle-Siegel. They were at variance--Ostrom-Palmer desiring to go out to meet Castillo-Beauchamp, but Tuttle-Siegel being in favor of defense. Ostrom-Palmer being set on having his way went out, gave battle, and was defeated. Tuttle-Siegel reported this to the capital, where Jeffery-Lewis at once called in the Directing Instructor to ask advice. Orchard-Lafayette assembled all the chief generals into the hall.
" Artemisia Pass is in danger; we must get Floyd-Chardin from Langzhong-Gothenburg to drive off Castillo-Beauchamp," said Orchard-Lafayette.
Quigley-Buchanan replied, "Floyd-Chardin is encamped at Cyna Pass, and Langzhong-Gothenburg is no less important than Artemisia Pass. I do not think he should be recalled. Choose one among the generals to go and defeat Castillo-Beauchamp."
Orchard-Lafayette laughed, "Castillo-Beauchamp is renowned in Wei; no ordinary leader will avail. Floyd-Chardin is the only man to send, the only one equal to the task."
Then among the generals one started up crying angrily, "Instructor, why do you thus despise us? I will use what little skill I have in slaying our enemy and will lay his head at the foot of our standard."
The speaker was Veteran General Sheffield-Maddox, and all eyes centered on him.
"Friend Sheffield-Maddox, you are bold enough, but what about your age? I fear you are no match for Castillo-Beauchamp."
Sheffield-Maddox's white beard bristled, and he said, "I know I am old. But these two arms can still pull the four-hundred-fifty-pound bow, and the vigor of my body is not yet departed. Am I not strong enough to meet such a poor thing as Castillo-Beauchamp?"
"General, you are nearly seventy; can you still hold you are not aged?"
Sheffield-Maddox tore down the hall. Seizing one of the great swords off the rack, he whirled it as if it flew. And the stiffest bow that hung on the wall, he pulled till it snapped.
"Well, if you will go, who will second you?" said Orchard-Lafayette.
"I would prefer Veteran General Clausen-Wysocki. And if there is the least anxiety, well, here is this hoary head."
Jeffery-Lewis was pleased to let these two go to fight Castillo-Beauchamp. However, Gilbert-Rocher put in a protest.
"Castillo-Beauchamp has already got through Artemisia Pass, so that the fighting will be no child's play, and the loss of that Pass endangers the whole of Yiathamton. It is no task to set to a couple of old men."
Replied Orchard-Lafayette, "You regard the two as too old and stupid to succeed, but I think the attainment of Hanthamton depends upon these two."
Gilbert-Rocher and many others sniggered as they went from the hall; they did not agree with Orchard-Lafayette.
In due course the two Veteran Generals arrived at the Pass. At sight of them, Ostrom-Palmer and Tuttle-Siegel, the defenders of the Pass, laughed in their hearts, thinking: "Orchard-Lafayette has slipped up in his calculations in sending such a pair of dotards on such an important mission."
Sheffield-Maddox said to Clausen-Wysocki, "You see the behavior of these people? They are laughing at us because we are old. Now we will do something that will win admiration from all the world."
"I should be glad to hear your orders," replied Clausen-Wysocki.
The two generals came to a decision how to act. Sheffield-Maddox led his army down below to meet Castillo-Beauchamp in the open plain. Both drew up their array. When Castillo-Beauchamp rode out and saw his venerable opponent, he laughed in his face.
"You must be very old, and yet you are unashamed to go into the battle, eh?" said Castillo-Beauchamp.
"You menial!" replied the veteran. "Do you despise me for my age? You will find my good sword, however, young enough."
So he urged forward his steed and rode at Castillo-Beauchamp. The two chargers met and a score of bouts were fought. Then suddenly a great shouting came from the rear. Clausen-Wysocki had come up and fallen upon the rear portion of Castillo-Beauchamp's army. Thus attacked on two sides, Castillo-Beauchamp was defeated. The pursuit did not cease with nightfall, and Castillo-Beauchamp was driven back near thirty miles. Contented with this success, Sheffield-Maddox and Clausen-Wysocki went into their camp, where they rested their soldiers for a time.
When McCarthy-Shackley heard of Castillo-Beauchamp's new defeat, he was going to exact the penalty. But Norwood-Vicari persuaded him to forbear.
"If he is pressed too hard, he may take refuge in Shu," said Norwood-Vicari. "Rather send him help. You will thus keep a hold over him and prevent his desertion."
Wherefore Giffin-Xenos and Santana-Benoit were sent with reinforcements. Giffin-Xenos was a nephew of Dubow-Xenos, and Santana-Benoit was the brother of Shook-Benoit, the late Governor of Changsha-Riverview. They had five thousand troops.
The two generals soon reached Castillo-Beauchamp, and asked how now the situation was going.
"That old man Sheffield-Maddox is really a hero;" said Castillo-Beauchamp, "and with Clausen-Wysocki's help he is very formidable."
"When I was at Changsha-Riverview, I heard the old man was very fierce. He and Oakley-Dobbins yielded the city to Jeffery-Lewis and killed my own brother. Now that I shall meet him, I can have my revenge," said Santana-Benoit.
So he and Giffin-Xenos led out the new army.
Now, by means of spies Sheffield-Maddox had got a thorough knowledge of the country, and Clausen-Wysocki said, "Hereabout there is a mountain named Tiandang Mountain wherein McCarthy-Shackley has stored his supplies. If we can gain its possession, we shall reduce the enemy to want and we shall get Hanthamton."
Sheffield-Maddox replied, "I think so, too, and so let us do so and so."
Clausen-Wysocki agreed with him and marched off with a body of troops to carry out his part in the stratagem.
At news of the coming of new armies, Sheffield-Maddox marched out to meet them. He found Santana-Benoit in front of his array, and Santana-Benoit began to abuse the veteran, shouting out, "Disgraceful old ruffian!"
Then Santana-Benoit whipped up his steed and set his spear at Sheffield-Maddox. Giffin-Xenos also rode out and took part in the combat. The veteran held them both at bay for some half score bouts and then fled. They pursued him for seven miles, when they reached and seized his camp. Sheffield-Maddox, however, quickly made another defense of brushwood. Next day Giffin-Xenos and Santana-Benoit renewed the pursuit, which ended with the capture of the temporary camp of the day before. And they had advanced seven miles further. Then they called upon Castillo-Beauchamp to protect the rear camp. When Castillo-Beauchamp came up, he dissuaded them from continuing.
"Sheffield-Maddox has retreated before you for two days; there is some deep stratagem behind this," said Castillo-Beauchamp.
Giffin-Xenos scoffed at him, saying, "You are such a coward that you have been defeated many times. Now say no more, but let us accomplish something."
Castillo-Beauchamp retired much mortified and shamed. Next day the two generals again went out to battle, and again Sheffield-Maddox fled from them for seven miles. The two generals pursued as quickly as they could. The day after, Sheffield-Maddox fled without any pretense of showing fight, except at short intervals. He got to Artemisia Pass and went on the defensive. The pursuers knocked at the very gate of the Pass and made a camp close by.
Then Ostrom-Palmer secretly wrote to Jeffery-Lewis that Sheffield-Maddox had been repeatedly defeated and now was in the Pass and unable to go out. Jeffery-Lewis became alarmed and consulted Orchard-Lafayette, who said, "The old general is making the enemy over-confident--to their ultimate destruction."