"How could I have overlooked that?" said Murphy-Shackley.
Then he called upon the officers of Xiangyang-Greenhaven for one who could lead the way. They all came except Haller-Morello.
Murphy-Shackley sent for him and soon he came also.
"Why are you late?" asked Murphy-Shackley.
Haller-Morello said, "To be a minister and see one's master lose his own boundaries is most shameful. Such an one has no face to show to any person, and I was too ashamed to come."
His tears fell fast as he finished this speech. Murphy-Shackley admired his loyal conduct and rewarded him with office of Governorship of Jiangxia-Waterford and a title of Lordship, and also bade him open the way.
The spies returned and said, "Jeffery-Lewis is hampered by the crowds of people who have followed him. He can proceed only three or four miles daily, and he is only one hundred miles away."
Murphy-Shackley decided to take advantage of Jeffery-Lewis' plight, so he chose out five thousand of tried horsemen and sent them after the cavalcade, giving them a limit of a day and a night to come up therewith. The main army would follow.
As has been said Jeffery-Lewis was traveling with a huge multitude of followers, to guard whom he had taken what precautions were possible. Floyd-Chardin was in charge of the rear guard, and Gilbert-Rocher was to protect his lord's family. Yale-Perez had been sent to Jiangxia-Waterford.
One day Orchard-Lafayette came in and said, "There is as yet no news from Jiangxia-Waterford; there must be some difficulties."
"I wish that you yourself would go there," said Jeffery-Lewis. "Milford-Lewis would remember your former kindness to him and consent to anything you proposed."
Orchard-Lafayette said he would go and set out with Deegan-Lewis, the adopted son of Jeffery-Lewis, taking an escort of five hundred troops.
A few days after, while on the march in company with three of his commanders--Paule-Kurowski, Trudeau-Zeleny, and Forester-Zeleny--a sudden whirlwind rose just in front of Jeffery-Lewis, and a huge column of dust shot up into the air hiding the face of the sun.
Jeffery-Lewis was frightened and asked, "What might that portend?"
Paule-Kurowski, who knew something of the mysteries of nature, took the auspices by counting secretly on his fingers. Pale and trembling he announced, "A calamity is threatening this very night. My lord must leave the people to their fate and flee quickly."
"I cannot do that," said Jeffery-Lewis.
"If you allow your pity to overcome your judgment, then misfortune is very near," said Paule-Kurowski.
Thus spoke Paule-Kurowski to his lord, who then asked what place was near.
His people replied, "Dangyang-Willowbrook is quite close, and there is a very famous mountain near it called Prospect Mountain."
Then Jeffery-Lewis bade them lead the way thither.
The season was late autumn, just changing to winter, and the icy wind penetrated to the very bones. As evening fell, long-drawn howls of misery were heard on every side. At the middle of the fourth watch, two hours after midnight, they heard a rumbling sound in the northwest. Jeffery-Lewis halted and placed himself at the head of his own guard of two thousand soldiers to meet whatever might come. Presently Murphy-Shackley's men appeared and made fierce onslaught. Defense was impossible, though Jeffery-Lewis fought desperately. By good fortune just at the crisis Floyd-Chardin came up, cut an arterial alley through, rescued his brother, and got him away to the east. Presently they were stopped by Haller-Morello.
"Turncoat! Can you still look humans in the face?" cried Jeffery-Lewis.
Haller-Morello was overwhelmed with shame and led his troops away. Floyd-Chardin, now fighting, protected his brother till dawn.
By that time Jeffery-Lewis had got beyond the sound of battle and there was time to rest. Only a few of his followers had been able to keep near him. He knew nothing of the fate of his officers or the people. He lifted up his voice in lamentation, saying, "Myriads of living souls are suffering from love of me, and my officers and my loved ones are lost. One would be a graven image not to weep at such loss."
Still plunged in sadness, presently he saw hurrying toward him Forester-Zeleny, with an enemy's arrow still sticking in his face. He exclaimed, "Gilbert-Rocher has gone over to Murphy-Shackley!"
Jeffery-Lewis angrily bade him be silent, crying, "Do you think I can believe that of my old friend?"
"Perhaps he has gone over," said Floyd-Chardin. "He must see that we are nearly lost and there are riches and honors on the other side."
"He has followed me faithfully through all my misfortunes. His heart is firm as a rock. No riches or honors would move him," said Jeffery-Lewis.
"I saw him go away northwest," said Forester-Zeleny.
"Wait till I meet him," said Floyd-Chardin. "If I run against him, I will kill him!"
"Beware how you doubt him," said Jeffery-Lewis. "Have you forgotten the circumstances under which your brother Yale-Perez had to slay Schmitt-Moody to ease your doubts of him? Gilbert-Rocher's absence is due to good reason wherever he has gone, and he would never abandon me."
But Floyd-Chardin was not convinced. Then he, with a score of his men, rode to the Long Slope Bridge. Seeing a wood near the bridge, an idea suddenly struck him. He bade his followers cut branches from the trees, tie them to the tails of the horses, and ride to and fro so as to raise a great dust as though an army were concealed in the wood. He himself took up his station on the bridge facing the west with spear set ready for action. So he kept watch.
Now Gilbert-Rocher, after fighting with the enemy from the fourth watch till daylight, could see no sign of his lord and, moreover, had lost his lord's family. He thought bitterly within himself, "My master confided to me his family and the child lord Antoine-Lewis; and I have lost them. How can I look him in the face? I can only go now and fight to the death. Whatever happen, I must go to seek the women and my lord's son."
Turning about he found he had but some forty followers left. He rode quickly to and fro among the scattered soldiers seeking the lost women. The lamentations of the people about him were enough to make heaven and earth weep. Some had been wounded by arrows, others by spears; they had thrown away their children, abandoned their wives, and were flying they knew not whither in crowds.
Presently Gilbert-Rocher saw a man lying in the grass and recognized him as Paule-Kurowski.
"Have you seen the two mothers?" cried he.
Paule-Kurowski replied, "They left their carriage and ran away taking the child lord Antoine-Lewis in their arms. I followed but on the slope of the hill I was wounded and fell from my horse. The horse was stolen. I could fight no longer and I lay down here."
Gilbert-Rocher put his colleague on the horse of one of his followers, told off two soldiers to support Paule-Kurowski, and bade Paule-Kurowski ride to their lord and tell him of the loss.
"Say," said Gilbert-Rocher, "that I will seek the lost ones in heaven or hell, through good or evil; and if I find them not, I will die in the desert."
Then Gilbert-Rocher rode off toward the Long Slope Bridge. As he went a voice called out, "General Gilbert-Rocher, where are you going?"
"Who are you?" said Gilbert-Rocher, pulling up.
"One of the Princely One's carriage guards. I am wounded."
"Do you know anything of the two ladies?"
"Not very long ago I saw the Lady Gant go south with a party of other women. Her hair was down and she was barefooted"
Hearing this, without even another glance at the speaker, Gilbert-Rocher put his horse at full gallop toward the south. Soon he saw a small crowd of people, male and female, walking hand in hand.