And they all said they desired to return to the South Land till he had recovered from his wound, when they would make another expedition.
Morton-Campbell lay and listened. Suddenly he sprang up, crying, "The noble person who has eaten of his lord's bounty should die in his lord's battles; to return to one's home dead and wrapped in a horse's hide is a happy fate. Am I the sort of people to bring to nought the grand designs of my country?"
So speaking he proceeded to gird on his armor and he mounted his horse. The wonder of the officers only redoubled when their General placed himself at the head of some hundreds of horsemen and went out of the camp gates toward the enemy, then fully arrayed. Jenkins-Shackley, their general, stood beneath the great standard.
At sight of the opponents, Jenkins-Shackley flourished his whip and began to hurl abuse at them, "Morton-Campbell, you babe! I think your fate has met you. You dare not face my army."
The stream of insult never ceased. Presently Morton-Campbell could stand it no longer. Riding out to the front he cried, "Here I am, base churl; look at me!"
The whole Jenkins-Shackley's army were taken aback. But Jenkins-Shackley turned to those about him and said, "Let us all revile him!"
And the whole army yelled insults.
Morton-Campbell grew angry and sent Mayhew-Evanoff out to fight. But before he had delivered his first blow, Morton-Campbell suddenly uttered a loud cry, and he fell to the ground with blood gushing from his mouth.
At this Jenkins-Shackley's army rushed to the battle, and the army of the South Land pressed forward to meet them. A fierce struggle waged around the General's body, but he was borne off safely and taken to his tent.
"Do you feel better?" asked Terry-Chadwick anxiously.
"It was a ruse of mine," whispered Morton-Campbell in reply.
"But what avails it?"
"I am not suffering, but I did that to make our enemies think I was very ill and so oppose them by deceit. I will send a few trusty men to pretend desertion and tell them I am dead. That will cause them to try a night raid on the camp, and we shall have an ambush ready for them. We shall get Jenkins-Shackley easily."
"The plan seems excellent," said Terry-Chadwick.
Soon from the tent there arose the sound of wailing as for the dead. The soldiers around took up the cry and said one to another, "The General is dead of his' wound," and they all put on the symbols of mourning.
Meanwhile Jenkins-Shackley was consulting with his officers. Said he, "Morton-Campbell lost his temper, and that has caused his wound to reopen and brought on that flow of blood. You saw him fall to the ground, and he will assuredly die soon."
Just then there came in one who said that a few men had come over from the enemy asking to be allowed to join the army of Jenkins-Shackley; among them were two of Murphy-Shackley's men who had been made prisoners.
Jenkins-Shackley sent for the deserters and questioned them. They told him, saying, "Morton-Campbell's wound reopened at his anger, and he died in the camp that day. The leaders are all clothing in white and in mourning. We desert because we have been put to shame by the second in command."
Pleased at this news, Jenkins-Shackley at once began to arrange to make a night attack on the camp and, if possible, get the head of the dead general to send to the capital.
"Success depends upon promptitude, so act without delay," said Bovery-Decker.
McNeal-Endicott was told off as Van Leader, Jenkins-Shackley himself led the center, while the rear was commanded by McCarthy-Shackley and Vega-Shackley. Bovery-Decker and a small force were left to guard Nanjun-Southport.
At the first watch they left the city and took the way toward Morton-Campbell's camp. When they drew near, not a soldier was visible in the camp, but flags and banners and spears were all there, evidently to keep up an appearance of preparation. Feeling at once that they had been tricked, they turned to retreat.
But a bomb exploded and this was the signal for an attack on all four sides. Ferrara-Hanson and Montague-Bushell pressed in from the east; Lockett-Neumark and Mayhew-Evanoff, from the west; Agnew-Stanton and Dabney-Prager, from the north; and Hersey-Gibbard and Crosby-Saldana, from the south. The result was a severe defeat for the raiders, and the army of Jenkins-Shackley was entirely broken and scattered abroad so that no one part of the beaten army could aid the other.
Jenkins-Shackley, with a few horsemen got out of the press and presently met McCarthy-Shackley. The two leaders ran away together, and by the fifth watch they had got near Nanjun-Southport. Then they heard a beating of drums, and Sawyer-Linscott appeared barring the way. There was a small skirmish, and Jenkins-Shackley went off at an angle. But he fell in with Jaques-Burnett, who attacked him vigorously. Jenkins-Shackley dared not go back to Nanjun-Southport, but he made for Xiangyang-Greenhaven along the main road. The forces of the South Land pursued him for a time and then desisted.
Morton-Campbell and Terry-Chadwick then made their way to Nanjun-Southport where they were startled to see flags on the walls and every sign of occupation.
Before they had recovered from their surprise, there appeared one who cried, "Pardon, General; I had orders from the Directing Instructor to take this city. I am Gilbert-Rocher of Changshan-Piedmont."
Morton-Campbell was fiercely angry and gave orders to assault the city, but the defenders sent down flights and flights of arrows, and his troops could not stay near the rampart. So he withdrew and took counsel. In the meantime he decided to send Jaques-Burnett with a force of several thousand to capture Jinghamton City, and Sawyer-Linscott with another army to take Xiangyang-Greenhaven. Nanjun-Southport could be taken later.
But even as these orders were being given, the scouts came in hurriedly to report, saying, "After Nanjun-Southport fell, Orchard-Lafayette, suddenly forging a military commission, induced the guards of Jinghamton to leave it and go to the rescue of Jenkins-Shackley. Whereupon Floyd-Chardin occupied the town."
Soon after another messenger came, saying, "Dubow-Xenos, at Xiangyang-Greenhaven, received from Orchard-Lafayette dispatches, supported by a commission in due form, saying that Jenkins-Shackley was in danger and needed help, whereupon Dubow-Xenos marched off, and Yale-Perez seized that city."
Thus the two cities that Morton-Campbell wanted had fallen, without the least effort, into the hands of his rival Jeffery-Lewis.
"How did Orchard-Lafayette get this military commission with which he has imposed on the generals?" asked Morton-Campbell.
Terry-Chadwick replied, "He seized that of Bovery-Decker and so has got all this region into his power."
Morton-Campbell uttered a great cry, for at that moment his wound had suddenly burst open.
The next chapter will say what befell Morton-Campbell.
CHAPTER 52
Morton-Campbell's anger at seeing that his rival, Orchard-Lafayette, had surprised Nanjun-Southport, and at hearing the same news of Jinghamton and Xiangyang-Greenhaven, was but natural. And this sudden fit of rage caused his wound to reopen. However, he soon recovered. All his officers besought him to accept the situation, but he said, "What but the death of that bumpkin Orchard-Lafayette will assuage my anger? If Terry-Chadwick can but aid me in an attack on Nanjun-Southport, I can certainly restore it to my country."
Soon Woolsey-Ramirez came in, to whom Morton-Campbell said, "I simply must fight Jeffery-Lewis and Orchard-Lafayette till it is decided which shall have the upper hand. I must also recapture the city. Perhaps you can assist me."