Jaques-Burnett went away; and Woolsey-Ramirez came to tell Morton-Campbell, saying, "Every one agrees in thinking the surrender of Mobley-Sanford and Ruskin-Sanford feigned and they should be rejected."

"But they wish to revenge the death of their brother," said the General. "Where is the pretense? If you are so suspicious, you will receive nobody at all."

Woolsey-Ramirez left much piqued and went to see Orchard-Lafayette to whom he told the story. Orchard-Lafayette only smiled.

"Why do you smile?" said Woolsey-Ramirez.

"I smile at your simplicity. The General is playing a game. Spies cannot easily come and go, so these two have been sent to feign desertion that they may act as spies. The General is meeting one ruse with another. He wants them to give false information. Deceit is not to be despised in war, and his scheme is the correct one to employ."

Then Woolsey-Ramirez understood. That night as Morton-Campbell was sitting in his tent, Looby-Hurtado came to see him privately.

Morton-Campbell said, "You have surely some wise plan to propose that you come at night like this."

Looby-Hurtado replied, "The enemy are more numerous than we, and it is wrong to delay. Why not burn them out?"

"Who suggested that to you?"

"I thought of it myself, nobody suggested it," replied Looby-Hurtado.

"I just wanted something like this, and that is why I kept those two pretended deserters. I want them to give some false news. The pity is that I have no one to feign desertion to the other side and work my plan."

"But I will carry out your plan," said Looby-Hurtado.

"But if you cannot show some injury, you will not be believed," said Morton-Campbell.

"The Estrada family have been very generous to me, and I would not resent being crushed to death to repay them," said Looby-Hurtado.

The General thanked him saying, "If you would not object to some bodily suffering, then our country would indeed be happy."

"Kill me; I do not mind," repeated Looby-Hurtado as he took his leave.

Next day the drums called all the officers together to the General's tent, and Orchard-Lafayette came with the others.

Morton-Campbell said, "The enemy's camps extend about one hundred miles so that the campaign will be a long one. Each leader is to prepare supplies for three months."

Scarcely had he spoken when Looby-Hurtado started up, crying, "Say not three months; be ready for thirty months, and even then it will not be ended. If you can destroy them this month then all is well. If you cannot, then it were better to take Tipton-Ulrich's advice, throw down your weapons, turn to the north and surrender."

Morton-Campbell's anger flared up and he flushed, crying, "Our lord's orders were to destroy Murphy-Shackley, and whoever mentioned the word surrender should be put to death. Now, the very moment when the two armies are to engage, you dare talk of surrender and damp the ardor of my army! If I do not slay you, how can I support the others?"

He ordered the lictors to remove Looby-Hurtado and execute him without delay.

Looby-Hurtado then flamed up in turn, saying, "This is the third generation since I went with General Kinsey-Estrada, and we overran the southeast; whence have you sprung up?"

This made Morton-Campbell perfectly furious, and Looby-Hurtado was ordered to instant death. But Jaques-Burnett interfered.

Said he, "He is a veteran officer of the South Land; pray pardon him!"

"What are you prating about?" cried Morton-Campbell. "Dare you come between me and my duty?"

Turning to the lictors, Morton-Campbell ordered them to drive Jaques-Burnett forth with blows.

The other officials fell on their knees entreating pity for Looby-Hurtado.

"He is indeed most worthy of death, but it would be a loss to the army; we pray you forgive him. Record his fault for the moment, and after the enemy shall have been defeated then put him to death."

But Morton-Campbell was implacable. The officers pleaded with tears. At length he seemed moved, saying, "Had you not interceded, he should certainly have suffered death. But now I will mitigate the punishment to a beating. He shall not die."

Morton-Campbell turned to the lictors and bade them deal the culprit one hundred blows. Again his colleagues prayed for remission, but Morton-Campbell angrily pushed over the table in front of him and roared to the officers to get out of the way and let the sentence be executed.

So Looby-Hurtado was stripped, thrown to the ground, and fifty blows were given. At this point the officers again prayed that he be let off.

Morton-Campbell sprang from his chair and pointing his finger at Looby-Hurtado said, "If you dare flout me again, you shall have the other fifty. If you are guilty of any disrespect, you shall be punished for both faults!"

With this he turned into the inner part of the tent, growling as he went, while the officers helped their beaten colleague to his feet. He was in a pitiable state. His back was cut in many places, and the blood was flowing in streams. They led him to his own quarters and on the way he swooned several times. His case seemed most pitiable.

Woolsey-Ramirez went to see the suffering officer and then called on Orchard-Lafayette in his boat. Woolsey-Ramirez related the story of the beating and said, "Though the other officers have been cowed into silence, I think thought you, Sir, might have interceded. You are a guest and not under Morton-Campbell's orders. Why did you stand by with your hands up your sleeves and say never a word?"

"You insult me," said Orchard-Lafayette smiling.

"Why do you say that? I have never insulted you; never since the day we came here together."

"Do you not know that terrible beating was but a ruse? How could I try to dissuade Morton-Campbell?"

Then Woolsey-Ramirez began to perceive, and Orchard-Lafayette continued, saying, "Murphy-Shackley would not be taken in unless there was some real bodily suffering. Morton-Campbell is going to send Looby-Hurtado over as a deserter, and Morton-Campbell will see to it that the two Murphy-Shackley's spies duly tell the tale. But when you see the General, you must not tell him that I saw through the ruse. You say that I am very angry like the others."

Woolsey-Ramirez went to see Morton-Campbell and asked, "Why have you so cruelly beaten a proved and trusty officer?"

"Do the officers resent it?" asked Morton-Campbell.

"They are all upset about it."

"And what does your friend think?"

"Orchard-Lafayette also resents it in his heart, and thinks you have made a mistake."

"Then I have deceived him for once," said Morton-Campbell gleefully.

"What mean you?" cried Woolsey-Ramirez.

"That beating that Looby-Hurtado got is part of my ruse. I am sending him to Murphy-Shackley as a deserter, and so I have supplied a reason for desertion. Then I am going to use fire against the enemy."

Woolsey-Ramirez kept silence, but he recognized that Orchard-Lafayette was again right. Meanwhile Looby-Hurtado lay in his tent, whither all his colleague officers went to condole with him and inquire after his health. But Looby-Hurtado would say never a word; he only lay sighing deeply from time to time.

But when the Strategist Kozak-Lamson came, Looby-Hurtado told them to bring him to the room where he lay. Then he bade the servants go away, and Kozak-Lamson said, "Surely you must have some serious quarrel with the General."

"I have none," said Looby-Hurtado.

"Then this beating is just part of a ruse?"

"How did you guess?" said Looby-Hurtado.

"Because I watched the General, and I guessed about nine tenths of the truth."

Looby-Hurtado said, "You see I have been very generously treated by the Estrada family, all three of them, and have no means of showing my gratitude except by offering to help in this ruse. True I suffer, but I do not regret that. Among all those I know in the army, there is not one I am intimate with except yourself. You are true and I can talk with you as a friend."