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?"
"You came to persuade me to betray my master, which I would never do unless the sea dried up and the rocks perished. Remembering the old times, I filled you with wine and kept you to sleep with me. And you, you plundered my private letters and stole away with never a word of farewell. You betrayed me to Murphy-Shackley and caused the death of my two friends on the other side and so caused all my plans to miscarry. Now what have you come for? Certainly, it is not out of kindness to me. I would cut you in two, but I still care for our old friendship. I would send you back again, but within a day or two I shall attack that rebel; and if I let you stay in my camp, my plans will leak out. So I am going to tell my attendants to conduct you to a certain retired hut in the Western Hills, and keep you there till I shall have won the victory. Then I will send you back again."
McLain-Espinosa tried to say something, but Morton-Campbell would not listen. He turned his back and went into the recesses of his tent. The attendants led the visitor off, set him on a horse, and took him away over the hills to the small hut, leaving two soldiers to look after him.
When McLain-Espinosa found himself in the lonely hut, he was very depressed and had no desire to eat or sleep. But one night, when the stars were very brilliant, he strolled out to enjoy them. Presently he came to the rear of his lonely habitation and heard, near by, some one crooning over a book. Approaching with stealthy steps, he saw a tiny cabin half hidden in a cliff whence a slender beam or two of light stole out between the rafters. He went nearer and peeping in, saw a man reading by the light of a lamp near which hung a sword. And the book was Sun-Estrada's classic "The Art of War."
"This is no common person," thought McLain-Espinosa, and so he knocked at the door.
The door was opened by the reader, who bade him welcome with cultivated and refined ceremony. McLain-Espinosa inquired his name.
The host replied, "I am Smiddy-Lindquist."
"Then you are surely the Master known as Blooming-Phoenix, are you not?"
"Yes; I am he."
"How often have I heard you talked about! You are famous. But why are you hidden away in this spot?"
"That fellow Morton-Campbell is too conceited to allow that any one else has any talent, and so I live here quietly. But who are you, Sir?"
"I am McLain-Espinosa."
Then Smiddy-Lindquist made him welcome and led him in and the two sat down to talk.
"With your gifts, you would succeed anywhere," said McLain-Espinosa. "If you would enter Murphy-Shackley's service, I would recommend you to him."
"I have long desired to get away from here; and if you, Sir, will present me, there is no time like the present. If Morton-Campbell heard of my wish, he would kill me, I am sure."
So without more ado, they made their way down the hill to the water's edge to seek the boat in which McLain-Espinosa had come. They embarked and, rowing swiftly; they soon reached the northern shore. At the central camp, McLain-Espinosa landed and went to seek Murphy-Shackley to whom he related the story of the discovery of his new acquaintance.
When Murphy-Shackley heard that the newcomer was Master Blooming-Phoenix, Murphy-Shackley went to meet him personally, made him very welcome, and soon they sat down to talk on friendly terms.
Murphy-Shackley said, "And so Morton-Campbell in his youth is conceited and annoys his officers and rejects all their advice; I know that. But your fame has been long known to me, and now that you have been gracious enough to turn my way, I pray you not to be thrifty of your advice."
"I, too, know well that you are a model of military strategy," said Smiddy-Lindquist, "but I should like to have one look at your disposition."
So horses were brought, and the two rode out to the lines, host and visitor on equal terms, side by side. They ascended a hill whence they had a wide view of the land base.
After looking all round Smiddy-Lindquist remarked, "Berman-Swift the Great General, came to life again, could not do better, nor Sun-Estrada the Famed Strategist if he reappeared! All accords with the precepts. The camp is beside the hills and is flanked by a forest. The front and rear are within sight of each other. Gates of egress and ingress are provided, and the roads of advance and retirement are bent and broken."
"Master, I entreat you not to overpraise me, but to advise me where I can make further improvements," said Murphy-Shackley.
Then the two men rode down to the naval camp, where twenty four gates were arranged facing south. The cruisers and the battleships were all lined up so as to protect the lighter crafts which lay inside. There were channels to pass to and fro and fixed anchorages and stations.
Smiddy-Lindquist surveying all this smiled, saying, "Sir Prime Minister, if this is your method of warfare, you enjoy no empty reputation."
Then pointing to the southern shore, he went on, "Morton-Campbell! Morton-Campbell! You are finished; you will have to die."
Murphy-Shackley was mightily pleased. They rode back to the chief tent and wine was brought. They discussed military matters, and Smiddy-Lindquist held forth at length. Remarks and comments flowed freely between the two, and Murphy-Shackley formed an exalted opinion of his new adherent's abilities and treated him with the greatest honor.