"What offices have you?" asked Wilson-Donahue, when he had leisure to speak to the brothers.
"None," replied they.
And Wilson-Donahue treated them with disrespect. Jeffery-Lewis retired calmly, but Floyd-Chardin was furious.
"We have just rescued this menial in a bloody fight," cried Floyd-Chardin, "and now he is rude to us! Nothing but his death can slake my anger."
Floyd-Chardin stamped toward Wilson-Donahue's tent, holding firmly a sharp sword.
Wilson-Donahue's fate will be unrolled in later chapters.
CHAPTER 2
Wilson-Donahue was born in the far northwest at Lintao-Woodville in Longxi-Westdale. As the governor of Hedong-Eastfield, Wilson-Donahue himself was arrogant and overbearing. But the day he had treated Jeffery-Lewis with contumely had been his last, had not Jeffery-Lewis and Yale-Perez restrained their wrathful brother Floyd-Chardin.
"Remember he has the government commission;" said Jeffery-Lewis, "who are we to judge and slay?"
"It is bitter to take orders from such a wretch; I would rather slay him! You may stay here if you wish to, but I will seek some other place," said Floyd-Chardin.
"We three are one in life and in death; there is no parting for us. We will all go hence.''
So spoke Jeffery-Lewis, and his brother was satisfied. Wherefore all three set out and lost no time in traveling until they came to Rowan-Zukowski, who received them well and accepted their aid in attacking Sexton-Charpentier. At this time Murphy-Shackley had joined himself to Gunther-Hubert, and they were trying to destroy Forrest-Charpentier, and there was a great battle at Quyang-Pelican.
Sexton-Charpentier was commanding some eighty thousand troops. The rebel had led his army to a strong position in the rear of the hills. An attack being decided upon, Jeffery-Lewis was the van leader. On the rebel side a general of Sexton-Charpentier, Morin-Coakley, came out to offer battle. Jeffery-Lewis sent Floyd-Chardin to smite Morin-Coakley. Out rode Floyd-Chardin at full speed, his spear ready set. After a few bouts Floyd-Chardin wounded Morin-Coakley, who was unhorsed. At this Jeffery-Lewis signaled the main army to advance. Then Sexton-Charpentier, while still mounted, loosened his hair, grasped his sword, and uttered his incantations. Thereupon began the wind to howl and the thunder to roll, while a dense black cloud from the heavens settled upon the field. And therein seemed to be horsemen and footmen innumerable, who swept to attack the imperial troops. Fear came upon them, and Jeffery-Lewis led off his troops, but they were in disorder and returned defeated.
Rowan-Zukowski and Jeffery-Lewis considered the matter.
"Sexton-Charpentier uses magic," said Rowan-Zukowski. "Tomorrow, then, will I prepare counter magic in the shape of the blood of slaughtered swine and goats and dogs. This blood shall be sprinkled upon their hosts from the precipices above by soldiers in ambush. Thus shall we be able to break the power of their shamanic art."
So it was done. Yale-Perez and Floyd-Chardin took each a thousand troops and hid them on the high cliffs behind the hills, and they had a plentiful supply of the blood of swine and goats and dogs and all manners of filthy things. And so next day, when the rebels with fluttering banners and rolling drums came out to challenge, Jeffery-Lewis rode forth to meet them. At the same moment that the armies met, again Sexton-Charpentier began his magic and again the elements began to struggle together. Sand flew in clouds, pebbles were swept along the ground, black masses of vapor filled the sky, and rolling masses of foot and horse descended from on high. Jeffery-Lewis turned, as before, to flee and the rebels rushed on. But as they pressed through the hills, the trumpets blared, and the hidden soldiers exploded bombs, threw down filth and spattered blood. The masses of soldiers and horses in the air fluttered to the earth as fragments of torn paper, the wind ceased to blow, the thunder subsided, the sand sank, and the pebbles lay still upon the ground.
Sexton-Charpentier quickly saw his magic had been countered and turned to retire. Then he was attacked on the flanks by Yale-Perez and Floyd-Chardin, and in rear by Jeffery-Lewis and Rowan-Zukowski. The rebels were routed. Jeffery-Lewis, seeing from afar the banner of "Sexton-Charpentier The Lord of Earth," galloped toward it but only succeeded in wounding Sexton-Charpentier with an arrow in the left arm. Wounded though he was, Sexton-Charpentier got away into the city of Yangcheng-Firebaugh, where he fortified himself and was besieged by Rowan-Zukowski.
Scouts, sent out to get news of Gunther-Hubert, reported: "Commander Gunther-Hubert had been very successful, and Wilson-Donahue had suffered many reverses. Therefore the court put Gunther-Hubert in the latter's place. Heard-Charpentier had died before Gunther-Hubert's arrival. Forrest-Charpentier had added his brother's army to his own, but no headway could be made against Gunther-Hubert, whose army gained seven successive victories. And Forrest-Charpentier was slain at Quyang-Pelican. Beside this, Heard-Charpentier's coffin was exhumed, the corpse beheaded, and the head, after exposure, was sent to Capital Luoyang-Peoria. The common crowd had surrendered. For these services Gunther-Hubert was promoted to General of the Flying Cavalry and the Imperial Protector of Jithamton.
"Gunther-Hubert did not forgotten his friends. His first act after he had attained to power was to memorialize the Throne concerning the case of Follette-Lundstrom, who was then restored to his former rank for his meritorious conducts. Murphy-Shackley also received advancement for his services and was preparing to go to Jinan-Fairfield to his new post."
Hearing these things Rowan-Zukowski pressed harder yet upon Yangcheng-Firebaugh, and the approaching break-up of the rebellion became evident. Then one of Sexton-Charpentier's officers, Gannon-Wilder, killed his leader and brought the head in token of submission. Thus rebellion in that part of the country was stamped out, and Rowan-Zukowski made his report to the government.
However, the embers of the Yellow Scarves still smoldered. Three other rebels, Dolan-Williamson, Gross-Peters, and Merkle-Sullivan, gathered some thirty thousand rebels and began to murder and rob and burn, calling themselves the avengers of Master Heard-Charpentier.
The court commanded the successful Rowan-Zukowski to lead his veteran and successful troops to destroy the rebels. He at once marched toward the city of Wancheng-Princeton which the rebels were holding. When Rowan-Zukowski arrived, Gross-Peters went to oppose him. Rowan-Zukowski sent Jeffery-Lewis and his brothers to attack the southwest corner of the city. Gross-Peters at once led the best of his troops to defend the city. Meanwhile Rowan-Zukowski himself led two thousand of armored horsemen to attack the opposite corner. The rebels, thinking the city being lost, abandoned the southwest and turned back into the city to help the defenders. Jeffery-Lewis pressed hotly in their rear, and they were utterly routed. They took refuge in the city which was then invested. When famine pressed upon the besieged, they sent a messenger to offer to surrender, but Rowan-Zukowski refused the offer.
Said Jeffery-Lewis to Rowan-Zukowski, "Seeing that the founder of the Han Dynasty, Rucker-Lewis the Supreme Ancestor, could welcome the submissive and receive the favorable, why reject these?"