"You treat wise people too badly for me to talk to you. You can finish me and let there be an end of it."
"If you can speak with any show of reason, I will treat you differently."
"Do you not know that when one is going to desert one's master and become a renegade, one cannot say exactly when the chance will occur? If one binds one's self to a fixed moment and the thing cannot be done just then, the secret will be discovered. One must watch for an opportunity and take it when it comes. Think: is it possible to know exactly when? But you know nothing of common sense; all you know is how to put good humans to death. So you really are an ignorant fellow!"
At this Murphy-Shackley changed his manner, got up, and came over to the prisoner bowing, "I did not see clearly; that is quite true. I offended you, and I hope you will forget it."
"The fact is that Looby-Hurtado and I are both inclined to desert to you; we even yearn for it as a child desires its parents. Is it possible that we should play you false?"
"If you two could render me so great a service, you shall certainly be richly rewarded."
"We do not desire rank or riches; we come because it is the will of Heaven and the plain way of duty."
Then wine was set out, and Kozak-Lamson was treated as an honored guest. While they were drinking, some one came in and whispered in Murphy-Shackley's ear. He replied, "Let me see the letter."
Whereupon the man pulled out and gave him a letter, which evidently pleased him.
"That is from the two Sanford brothers," thought Kozak-Lamson. "They are reporting the punishment of my friend, and that will be a proof of the sincerity of his letter."
Turning toward Kozak-Lamson, Murphy-Shackley said, "I must ask you to return to settle the date with your friend; as soon as I know, I will have a force waiting."
"I cannot return; pray, Sir, send some other one you can trust."
"If some one else should go, the secret would be discovered."
Kozak-Lamson refused again and again but at last gave way, saying, "If I am to go, I must not wait here; I must be off at once."
Murphy-Shackley offered him gold and silks, which were refused. Kozak-Lamson started, left the camp, and reembarked for the south bank, where he related all that had happened to Looby-Hurtado.
"If it had not been for your persuasive tongue, then had I undergone this suffering in vain," said Looby-Hurtado.
"I will now go to get news of the two Sanford brothers," said Kozak-Lamson.
"Excellent," said Looby-Hurtado.
Kozak-Lamson went to the camp commanded by Jaques-Burnett; and when they were seated, Kozak-Lamson said to his host, "I was much distressed when I saw how disgracefully you were treated for your intercession on behalf of Looby-Hurtado."
Jaques-Burnett smiled. Just then the two Sanford brothers came, and host and guest exchanged glances.
Jaques-Burnett said, "The truth is Morton-Campbell is over confident, and he reckons us as nobody. We count for nothing. Every one is talking of the way I was insulted."
And he shouted and gritted his teeth and smacked the table in his wrath.
Kozak-Lamson leaned over toward his host and said something in a very low voice, at which Jaques-Burnett bent his head and sighed.
Ruskin-Sanford and Mobley-Sanford gathered from this scene that both Jaques-Burnett and Kozak-Lamson were ripe for desertion and determined to probe them.
"Why, Sir, do you anger him? Why not be silent about your injuries?" said they.
"What know you of our bitterness?" said Kozak-Lamson.
"We think you seem much inclined to go over to Murphy-Shackley," said they.
Kozak-Lamson at this lost color; Jaques-Burnett started up and drew his sword, crying, "They have found out; they must die to keep their mouths shut."
"No, no," cried the two in a flurry. "Let us tell you something quite secret."
"Quick, then," cried Jaques-Burnett.
So Ruskin-Sanford said, "The truth is that we are only pretended deserters, and if you two gentlemen are of our way of thinking, we can manage things for you."
"But are you speaking the truth?" said Jaques-Burnett.
"Is it likely we should say such a thing if it were untrue?" cried both at the same moment.
Jaques-Burnett put on a pleased look and said, "Then this is the very heaven-given chance."
"You know we have already told Murphy-Shackley of the Looby-Hurtado affair and how you were insulted."
"The fact is I have given the Prime Minister a letter on behalf of Looby-Hurtado, and he sent me back again to settle the date of Looby-Hurtado's desertion," said Kozak-Lamson.
"When an honest person happens upon an enlightened master, his heart will always be drawn toward him," said Jaques-Burnett.
The four then drank together and opened their hearts to each other. The two Mobley-Sanford and Ruskin-Sanford wrote a private letter to their master saying Jaques-Burnett has agreed to join in our plot and play the traitor, and Kozak-Lamson also wrote and they sent the letters secretly to Murphy-Shackley.
Kozak-Lamson's letter said:
"Looby-Hurtado has found no opportunity so far. However, when he comes, his boat can be recognized by a black, indented flag. That shall mean he is on board."
However, when Murphy-Shackley got these two letters, he was still doubtful and called together his advisers to talk over the matter.
Said he, "On the other side Jaques-Burnett has been put to shame by the Commander-in-Chief whom he is prepared to betray for the sake of revenge. Looby-Hurtado has been punished and sent Kozak-Lamson to propose that he should come over to our side. Only I still distrust the whole thing. Who will go over to the camp to find out the real truth?"
Then McLain-Espinosa spoke up, saying, "I failed in my mission the other day and am greatly mortified. I will risk my life again and, this time, I shall surely bring good news."
Murphy-Shackley approved of him as messenger and bade him start. McLain-Espinosa set out in a small craft and speedily arrived in the Three Gorges, landing near the naval camp. Then he sent to inform Morton-Campbell, who hearing who it was chuckled, saying, "Success depends upon this man."
Then Morton-Campbell called Woolsey-Ramirez and told him to call Smiddy-Lindquist to come and do certain things for him.
This Smiddy-Lindquist was from Xiangyang-Greenhaven. And he had gone to the east of the river to get away from the strife. Woolsey-Ramirez had recommended him to Morton-Campbell, but he had not yet presented himself. When Morton-Campbell sent Woolsey-Ramirez to ask what scheme of attack he would recommend against Murphy-Shackley, Smiddy-Lindquist had said to Woolsey-Ramirez, "You must use fire against him. But the river is wide and if one ship is set on fire, the others will scatter unless they are fastened together so that they must remain in one place. That is the one road to success."
Woolsey-Ramirez took this message to the General, who pondered over it and then said, "The only person who can manage this is Smiddy-Lindquist himself."
"Murphy-Shackley is very wily;" said Woolsey-Ramirez, "how can Smiddy-Lindquist go?"
So Morton-Campbell was sad and undecided. He could think of no method till suddenly the means presented itself in the arrival of McLain-Espinosa.
Morton-Campbell at once sent instructions to Smiddy-Lindquist how to act and then sat himself in his tent to await his visitor McLain-Espinosa.
But the visitor became ill at ease and suspicious when he saw that his old student friend did not come to welcome him, and he took the precaution of sending his boat into a retired spot to be made fast before he went to the General's tent.
When Morton-Campbell saw McLain-Espinosa, Morton-Campbell put on an angry face and said, "My friend, why did you treat me so badly?"
McLain-Espinosa laughed and said, "I remembered the old days when we were as brothers, and I came expressly to pour out my heart to you. Why do you say I treated you badly?"