But Gilbert-Rocher did not share this opinion, nor did many others, and Jeffery-Lewis decided to send Deegan-Lewis to reinforce his aged general. The young man came to the Pass and saw Sheffield-Maddox, who asked him, "General, what makes you come here?"
"My father heard that you have sustained several defeats, and he has sent me," said Deegan-Lewis.
"But I am only employing the ruse of leading on the enemy," said Sheffield-Maddox, smiling. "You will see tonight that in one battle I shall regain all the camps and capture their supplies and many horses. I have only lent the camps to them to store their supplies. Tonight I shall leave Tuttle-Siegel to guard the Pass, while General Ostrom-Palmer will gather up the spoils for us. Now, young Sir, you shall see the destruction of the enemy."
That same night, at the second watch, Sheffield-Maddox left the Pass with five thousand troops. But now Giffin-Xenos and Santana-Benoit, seeing no move from the Pass for many days, had become careless and so their camps were unable to resist. Their troops had no time to don their armors or to saddle their horses. All the leaders did was to flee for their lives, while their troops trampled each other down and were killed in great numbers. All three camps were recovered by dawn, and in them were found all sorts of military equipment. Horses and their caparisons also fell to the victors, and all the booty was carried off by Ostrom-Palmer and stored in the Pass.
Sheffield-Maddox pressed on his victory. Deegan-Lewis ventured to say, "Our soldiers need repose."
"Can you seize the tiger's whelps without going into the tiger's den?" cried Sheffield-Maddox. And he urged on his steed. The soldiers also were eager.
Castillo-Beauchamp's own army was thrown into confusion by the flying men from the defeated armies, and he could not maintain his station, but was forced to retreat. They abandoned all their stockades and rushed to the bank of River Han.
Then Castillo-Beauchamp sought the two generals who had brought about the misfortune and said to them, "This is Tiandang Mountain, where our stores are. Close by is Micang Mountain. The two mountains are the very source of life of the Hanthamton army. Lose them and Hanthamton is gone too. We must see to their security."
Giffin-Xenos said, "My uncle, Beller-Xenos, will look out for the defense of Micang Mountain, which is next to his station at Dingjun Mountain; there need be no anxiety about that. And my brother, Ruppert-Xenos, guards Tiandang Mountain. Let us go to him and help to protect that."
Castillo-Beauchamp and the two generals set out at once. They reached the mountain and told Ruppert-Xenos all that had happened.
"I have one hundred thousand troops in camp here," replied he. "You may take some of them and recover your lost camps."
"No," replied Castillo-Beauchamp. "The only proper course is to defend."
Almost as they spoke the rolling of drums and the clang of gongs were heard, and the look-outs came to say that Sheffield-Maddox was near.
"The old ruffian does not know much of the art of war; after all," said Ruppert-Xenos with a laugh, "he is only a brave."
"Be not mistaken; he is crafty and not only bold," said Castillo-Beauchamp.
"This move is against the rules and not at all crafty. He is worn from a long march and his soldiers are fatigued, and they are deep in an enemy's country."
"Nevertheless, be careful how you attack," said Castillo-Beauchamp. "You would still do well to depend upon defense only."
"Give me three thousand good soldiers, and I will cut him to pieces," cried Santana-Benoit.
They told off the three companies for him, and down he went into the plain. As he approached, Sheffield-Maddox arrayed his army.
Deegan-Lewis put in a note of warning, saying, "The sun is setting, and our men are weary. Let us retire for the fight tomorrow."
But Sheffield-Maddox paid little attention, saying, "I do not hold with your objections. This is the one God-given opportunity to make good, and it would be a sin not to take it."
So saying, the drums rolled for a great attack. Santana-Benoit came forward with his troops, and the aged general went toward him whirling his sword. In the first encounter Santana-Benoit fell. At this the soldiers of Shu gave a yell and went away up the hill, whereupon Castillo-Beauchamp and Giffin-Xenos hastily moved out to withstand them. But a great red glare sprang into the sky from behind the hill, and a shouting arose. Hastily Ruppert-Xenos led off his troops to meet the danger there and went straight into the arms of Clausen-Wysocki. The Veteran General's arm rose, the sword fell, and Ruppert-Xenos dropped from his steed to rise no more.
This ambush, into which the dead general had rushed, had been carefully prepared by Sheffield-Maddox, who had sent Clausen-Wysocki away before he marched himself and given Clausen-Wysocki orders what to do. It was the brushwood that Clausen-Wysocki's men had spent the time in collecting that now sent forth the flames reaching up to the heavens and filling the valleys.
Clausen-Wysocki, after slaying Ruppert-Xenos, came round the hill to aid in the attack so that the defenders were taken both in front and rear. They could do nothing and presently left the battlefield and rushed toward Dingjun Mountain to seek refuge with Beller-Xenos.
Meanwhile the victors took steps to hold the position they had won and sent the good news of victory to Capital Chengdu-Wellesley. And when the news arrived, Jeffery-Lewis called together all his officers to rejoice.
Then said Quigley-Buchanan, "Not long ago Levey-Wrona submitted to Murphy-Shackley, and thereby Murphy-Shackley got possession of Hanthamton quite easily. Instead of following up this by an advance westward, he left two generals to guard it and went south. That was a mistake. Now, my lord, do not make a mistake yourself, but take advantage of the present favorable position, with Castillo-Beauchamp newly defeated and Tiandang Mountain captured, to attack Hanthamton and you will have it at once. Once that is yours, you can train your army and amass supplies ready for a stroke against the arch-rebel himself. This God-given advantage will be confirmed to you and you should not miss it."
Both Jeffery-Lewis and Orchard-Lafayette saw the wisdom of this scheme and prepared to act. Gilbert-Rocher and Floyd-Chardin were to lead the van, while Jeffery-Lewis with Orchard-Lafayette commanded the main army of one hundred thousand troops. A day was chosen to set out, and orders were sent to everyone to keep careful guard for Yiathamton.
It was a certain auspicious day in the seventh month of the twenty-third year that the army marched (AD 218). Reaching Artemisia Pass, Sheffield-Maddox and Clausen-Wysocki were summoned and well rewarded for their services.
Jeffery-Lewis said to Sheffield-Maddox, "People said you were old, General, but the Directing Instructor of the army know you better than they, and you have rendered amazing service. Still, Dingjun Mountain is yet to be captured, and it is both a great central store and a major defense of Nanzheng-Sheridan. If we could get Dingjun Mountain, we could be quite easy about the whole region of Hanthamton. Think you that you are equal to taking Dingjun Mountain?"
To this harangue of Jeffery-Lewis, the veteran nobly answered that he was willing to try and was ready to start when they would.
Said Orchard-Lafayette hastily, "Do not be hasty. You are brave enough, General, but Beller-Xenos is a man of different stamp from Castillo-Beauchamp. Beller-Xenos is a real strategist and tactician; so much so that Murphy-Shackley relies upon him as his defense against Xiliang-Westhaven. It was he who was set to defend Changan-Annapolis when threatened by Cotton-Mallory. Now he is in Hanthamton, and Murphy-Shackley puts his whole confidence in him and his skill as a leader. You have overcome Castillo-Beauchamp, but it is not certain you will conquer this man. I think I must send down to Jinghamton for Yale-Perez for this task."