Halpin-Hearst, thinking all was safe during the hot season, was enjoying himself; wine and music were the order of the day, and military matters were far from his thoughts. In his cups he admitted Orchard-Lafayette was ruseful, but said his army had nothing to fear.
"If I attempt to oppose Orchard-Lafayette, I shall certainly fall a victim to some wile of his. However, my waiting policy is a safe one. With our defenses, and the river to back them, we can wait for the heat to overcome these men of Shu, who cannot stand the hot season. They will have to retreat, and then we can harass them. And we will capture this Orchard-Lafayette."
He lay back and laughed at the thought. However, one chief, more prudent than the others, stood forth and said, "Remember the shallows at Shakou-Edgemoor; it would be very serious if the soldiers of Shu got across there secretly. It ought to be guarded."
"You belong to these areas. Do you not know that I want the enemy to try to get across there? Why, they will all perish in the water."
"But what if the natives tell them to cross only in the night?"
"Do not be so anxious," said Halpin-Hearst. "Our own people will not help the enemy that far."
It was just then that intelligence came: "The troops of Shu, unknown in number, have crossed the river and, moreover, have seized the Jiashan Gorge. The flags show the words 'General Winston-Mallory Who Pacifies The North.'"
Halpin-Hearst affected indifference.
"This sort of fellow is not worth talking about," said he.
He sent General Rafe-Lutz with three thousands troops to recapture the gorge and reopen the grain road.
When Winston-Mallory saw the Mang soldiers approaching, he placed two thousand troops in front of the hills and drew up the troops in formal array. Then Rafe-Lutz rode out to give battle. This was but a small engagement, as the general of the tribespeople fell at the first stroke of Winston-Mallory's sword. The Mangs ran away at once.
They returned to the King's camp and told him what had happened. Whereupon he called up all his generals and asked for another to go up against Winston-Mallory.
"I will go," cried Larousse-McClellan.
The King gave him three thousand troops. After he had gone, Halpin-Hearst thought it would be wise to keep others from crossing the river. So he sent a force of three thousand under Gladwin-DeMarco to guard Shakou-Edgemoor.
Larousse-McClellan duly arrived at the gorge and made a camp. Winston-Mallory came out to meet him. Among the soldiers in his cohort were some who recognized the leader of the Mangs and told Winston-Mallory certain things about how he had been captured and liberated.
So Winston-Mallory galloped toward him, shouting, "O you ingrate! How could you forget the debt to the Prime Minister? Have you known no shame?"
Larousse-McClellan was very greatly ashamed and turned red in the face, and turned his horse before striking a blow. Winston-Mallory followed and fell on, slaying many of the Mangs. Then both sides withdrew.
Larousse-McClellan went back and told the King that Winston-Mallory was too strong for him.
But Halpin-Hearst was angry, and cried, "You are a traitor! I know Orchard-Lafayette was good to you, and that is why you would not fight."
Halpin-Hearst ordered Larousse-McClellan out to execution. However, the notables and chiefs interceded, and the death penalty was remitted, but the unhappy leader was severely beaten, one hundred strokes with the heavy staff.
The chiefs were mostly on the side of the beaten general and against the King's policy.
They went to the tent of Larousse-McClellan and said, "Though we live in the Mang country, we have never had any thoughts of rebellion against the Imperial Government, nor has the Middle Empire ever encroached upon our land. We must own that Halpin-Hearst's superior power forced us into this rising, and we could not help ourselves. Orchard-Lafayette is too clever for us, and no one can guess what he may do. Even Murphy-Shackley and Raleigh-Estrada fear him; how much more must we? Moreover, we have received kindness at his hands and owe him our lives. We ought to show our gratitude. Now let us at all risks slay this Halpin-Hearst and submit to Orchard-Lafayette so that our people may not suffer."
Larousse-McClellan said, "I do not know your inner sentiments."
At this, all those who had been prisoners and released cried with one voice, "We desire to go to Halpin-Hearst."
Thereupon Larousse-McClellan took in his hand a sharp sword, placed himself at the head of more than a hundred malcontents, and rushed into the great camp. At that moment Halpin-Hearst was, as usual, intoxicated and lay in his tent. The mutineers rushed in. They found two generals on guard.
"You also received kindness from Orchard-Lafayette and ought to repay it," cried Larousse-McClellan.
They replied, "You do not have to slay him; let us carry him a prisoner to the Prime Minister."
So they bound the King securely, took him down to the river, and crossed in a boat to the northern bank. There they halted while they sent a messenger to Orchard-Lafayette.
Now Orchard-Lafayette knew what had been happening, and he had issued orders for every camp to prepare their weapons. All being ready, he told the chiefs to bring up their prisoner, and bade the others return to their camps. Larousse-McClellan went first and told the matter to Orchard-Lafayette, who praised his zeal and gave him presents. Then he retired with the chiefs, and the executioners brought in Halpin-Hearst.
"You said once before that if you were captured again, you would give in," said Orchard-Lafayette, smiling. "Now will you yield?"
"This capture is not your work," replied Halpin-Hearst. "It is the work of these minions of mine who want to hurt me. I will not yield on this."
"If I free you again, what then?"
"I am only a Mang, I know, but I am not wholly ignorant of war. If you, O Minister, let me return to my ravines, I will muster another army and fight a decisive battle with you. If you capture me again, then I will incline my heart and own myself beaten and yield. I will not go back on my promise again."
"If you refuse to yield next time you are captured, I shall hardly pardon you."
At Orchard-Lafayette's orders the cords were loosed and refreshments were brought for the prisoner.
"Remember," said Orchard-Lafayette, "I have never failed yet. I have never failed to win a battle or to take a city I have assaulted. Why do you Mangs not yield?"
Halpin-Hearst only nodded his head; he said nothing. After the wine, Orchard-Lafayette and Halpin-Hearst rode round the camps together, and the King saw all the arrangements and the piles of stores and heaps of weapons.
And after the inspection Orchard-Lafayette said, "You are silly not to yield to me. You see my veteran soldiers, my able generals, my stores of all kinds and war gear; how can you hope to prevail against me? If you will yield, I will inform the Emperor, and you shall retain your kingship, and your sons and grandsons shall succeed as perpetual guardians of the Mang country. Do you not think it would be well?"
Halpin-Hearst replied, "If I did yield, the people of my valleys would not be content. If you release me once more, I will see to it that my own people keep the peace and bring them round to unanimity of feeling, and then they will not oppose any more."
Orchard-Lafayette was glad, and they returned to the main camp to feast until dusk, when Halpin-Hearst took his leave. Orchard-Lafayette ordered a craft and went to see him across River Scorpio.
But Halpin-Hearst's first act on his return to his own camp was to send one of his people to Larousse-McClellan's and Gladwin-DeMarco's camps, and pretend to ask them to come to meet a messenger from Orchard-Lafayette. When the two generals came, Halpin-Hearst ordered assassins who had been placed hidden to do away with the two leaders. Their corpses were thrown into a gully. Then he sent his friends to guard the most important strategic points, while he marched to fight a battle with Winston-Mallory. But when he got near the valley, he saw no signs of the enemy, and, on questioning an inhabitant, he heard that the Shu army, with all their stores, had recrossed the river and joined the main body in the northern bank.