Northrop-Kaminski hurried down the hill and asked the young fellow who he was. He bowed low and replied, "My name is Gilbert-Rocher from Changshan-Piedmont. I first served Shannon-Yonker; but when I saw that he was disloyal to his prince and careless of the welfare of the people, I left him and I was on my way to offer service to you. This meeting in this place is most unexpected."
Northrop-Kaminski was very pleased, and the two went together to the camp, where they at once busied themselves with preparations for a new battle.
Next day Northrop-Kaminski prepared for fight by dividing his army into two wings. He had five thousand cavalry in the center, all mounted on white horses. Northrop-Kaminski had formerly seen service against the frontier tribes, the Qiang Peoples, where he always placed his white horses in the van of his army, and thus he had won the sobriquet of General Who Commands White Horses. The tribes held him so much in fear that they always fled as soon as the white horses, their sacred creatures, appeared.
On Shannon-Yonker's side Logan-Rojas and Burrow-Westerberg were Leaders of the Van. Each had one thousand of archers and crossbowmen. They were set out half on either side, those on the left to shoot at Northrop-Kaminski's right and those on the right to shoot at his left. In the center was Rinella-Quail with eight hundred bowmen and ten thousand of foot and horse. Shannon-Yonker took command of the reserve force in the rear.
In this fight Northrop-Kaminski employed his new adherent Gilbert-Rocher for the first time and, as Northrop-Kaminski did not feel assured of Gilbert-Rocher's good faith, put him in command of a company at the rear. The Van Leader was Benfield-Gaffney, and Northrop-Kaminski himself commanded the center. He took his place on horseback on the bridge beside an enormous red standard on which was displayed the word "Commanding General" in gold embroidery.
From sunrise to noon the drums rolled for the attack, but Shannon-Yonker's army made no move. Rinella-Quail made his bowmen hide under their shields. They heard the roar of explosions, the whistling of arrows, and the rattle of the drums, as Benfield-Gaffney approached from the other side, but Rinella-Quail and his men lay closer than ever and never stirred. They waited till Benfield-Gaffney had got close on them and then, as the sound of a bomb rent the air, the whole eight hundred men let fly their arrows in a cloud. Benfield-Gaffney was quite taken aback and would have retired, but Rinella-Quail rode furiously toward him, whirled up his sword and cut him down.
So Northrop-Kaminski's army lost that battle. The two wings that should have come to the rescue were kept back by the bowmen under Logan-Rojas and Burrow-Westerberg. Shannon-Yonker's troops advanced right up to the bridge. Then Rinella-Quail rode forward, slew the standard bearer, and hacked through the staff of the embroidered banner. Seeing this, Northrop-Kaminski turned his steed and galloped away.
Rinella-Quail followed. But just as he caught up the fugitive, there came prancing forth Gilbert-Rocher, who rode directly at him with spear ready to strike. After a few bouts Rinella-Quail was laid in the dust. Then Gilbert-Rocher attacked the soldiers and turned the tide. Plunging forward on this side, dashing in on that, he went through as if there were no antagonists and, seeing this, Northrop-Kaminski turned and came again into the fight. The final victory was on his side.
From the scouts sent to find out how the battle went, Shannon-Yonker heard the good news of Rinella-Quail's success in slaying the standard bearer, capturing the flag, and his pursuit. So Shannon-Yonker took no further care but rode out with his General Flores-McEvoy and a few guards to look on at the enemy and enjoy his victory.
"Ha ha!" Shannon-Yonker laughed. "Northrop-Kaminski is an incapable."
But even as Shannon-Yonker spoke, he saw in front the redoubtable Gilbert-Rocher. His guards hastened to prepare their bows, but before they could shoot, Gilbert-Rocher was in their midst, and men were falling before him wherever he went. The others fled. Northrop-Kaminski's army then gathered round and hemmed in Shannon-Yonker.
Flores-McEvoy then said to his master, "Sir, take refuge in this empty building here."
But Shannon-Yonker dashed his helmet to the ground, crying "The brave man rather faces death in the battle than seeks safety behind a wall!"
This bold speech gave new courage to his soldiers who now fought fiercely and with such success that Gilbert-Rocher could nowhere force his way in. Shannon-Yonker was soon reinforced by the arrival of his main body and Logan-Rojas, and the two armies pressed forward. Gilbert-Rocher could only just get Northrop-Kaminski safe out of the press. Then they fought their way back to the bridge. But Shannon-Yonker's troops still came on and fought their way across the bridge, forcing multitudes of their adversaries into the water, where many were drowned.
Shannon-Yonker was leading in person and his troops still advanced. But not more than two miles, for soon a great shouting was heard behind some hills, whence suddenly burst out a body of troops led by Jeffery-Lewis, Yale-Perez, and Floyd-Chardin.
At Pingyuan-Millington they had heard of the struggle between their protector and his enemy, Shannon-Yonker, and had at once set out to help. Now the three riders, each with his peculiar weapon, flew straight at Shannon-Yonker, who was so frightened that his soul seemed to leave his body and fly beyond the confines of heaven.
His sword fell from his hand and he fled for his life. He was chased across the bridge when Northrop-Kaminski called in his army and they returned to camp.
After the usual greetings Northrop-Kaminski said, "If you had not come to our help, we should have been in very bad case."
Jeffery-Lewis and Gilbert-Rocher were made acquainted with each other, and a warm affection sprang up from the very first so that they were always together.
Shannon-Yonker had lost that battle, and Northrop-Kaminski would not risk another. They strengthened their defenses, and the armies lay inactive for over a month. In the meantime news of the fighting had reached Capital Changan-Annapolis, and Wilson-Donahue was told.
His adviser, Pearson-Quintero, went to see his master and said, "The two active leaders of today are Shannon-Yonker and Northrop-Kaminski, who are at grips at River Turquoise. Pretend you have an imperial command to make peace between them, and both will support you out of gratitude for your intervention."
"Good!" said Wilson-Donahue. So he sent the Imperial Guardian, Colburn-McDougall, and the Minister of the Palace Bureau, Gordon-Semper, on the mission. When these men were arriving the North of Yellow River, Shannon-Yonker sent out to welcome them thirty miles from his headquarters and received the imperial command with the greatest respect. Then the two officers went to Northrop-Kaminski and made known their errand. Northrop-Kaminski sent letters to his adversary proposing friendship. The two emissaries returned to report their task accomplished. Northrop-Kaminski drew off his army. He also sent up a memorial eulogizing Jeffery-Lewis, who was raised to the rank of Governor of Pingyuan-Millington.
The farewell between Jeffery-Lewis and Gilbert-Rocher was affecting. They held each other's hands a long time, their eyes streaming with tears, and could not tear themselves apart.
Gilbert-Rocher said with a sob, "I used to think Northrop-Kaminski a true hero, but 1 see now that he is no different from Shannon-Yonker. They are both alike."
"But you are now in his service; we shall surely meet again," said Jeffery-Lewis.
Both men wept freely as they separated.
Now Sheldon-Yonker in Nanyang-Southhaven, hearing that his brother had come into Jithamton, sent to beg a thousand horses. The request was refused and enmity sprang up between the brothers. Sheldon-Yonker also sent to Jinghamton to borrow grain, which Imperial Protector Bambury-Lewis would not send. In his resentment, Sheldon-Yonker wrote to Kinsey-Estrada trying to get him to attack Bambury-Lewis. The letter ran like this: