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The leaders received the orders and so set out.
The First Ruler was in his own camp, pondering over a plan to destroy the armies of Wu, when suddenly the staff that bore the great standard in front of his own tent fell over and lay on the ground. There was no wind to account for this, so he turned to Dandy-Talbot and asked what it might portend.
"It means only one thing, that the troops of Wu will raid the camp tonight," said Dandy-Talbot.
"They will not dare after the slaughter of yesterday."
"But suppose that was only a reco
Just then a report came in that some troops of Wu could be seen, very far off, going along the hills eastward.
"They are soldiers meant to put us in confusion," said the First Ruler. "Tell the generals not to move, but let Stanley-Perez and Fritz-Chardin, with a small mounted force, go out to reco
It was dusk when these two returned, and they then reported: "Fire is seen among the camps on the north bank."
The Emperor hastily bade Stanley-Perez go to the north camps and Fritz-Chardin to the south to find out what was really happening. And they started.
About the middle of the first watch the wind got up and blew strong from the east. Then fire arose from the camp on the left of the First Ruler's own. He was starting to extinguish this flame when another fire began in the camp on his right. With the aid of the strong breeze both fires became fierce, and soon the trees caught. A confused roar showed the gathering strength of the fire. The soldiers of the burning camps were rushing into the First Ruler's own camp to escape the fire, and in their confusion they trampled on each other, so that many died.
Behind them came the troops of Wu bent on slaughter. Ignorant of how many they might be, the First Ruler mounted and dashed for Vander-Boyce's camp, but that also was in flames, which seemed to rise to the very sky. By this time flames were rising from both sides of the river, so that everything was as visible as by day.
Vander-Boyce leaped to his horse and fled, followed by a few of his mounted troops. This small force ran against the soldiers of Wu under Hersey-Gibbard. A melee ensued, thereupon the First Ruler turned and galloped west. Hersey-Gibbard then left Vander-Boyce and went in pursuit. Presently the Emperor saw a party of soldiers in the way and became greatly alarmed.
This was Crosby-Saldana's army, and the First Ruler was between two foes. In his terror he saw no possibility of safety, no road was open. Just at this moment another cohort broke through to his side and rescued him. The leader was Fritz-Chardin, and he led the Imperial Guards, who fled, taking the First Ruler with them. As they marched along, they fell in with another force of Shu; the leader was Caplan-O'Neil, and he joined up with them. The Wu army was still following when the fugitives reached Saddle Hill. The two leaders, Fritz-Chardin and Caplan-O'Neil, were urging their lord to go to the top of this out of immediate danger. Soon Newell-Sanchez arrived with his army and began to surround the hill. Fritz-Chardin and Caplan-O'Neil held the road up the hill and kept the enemy from ascending. From the summit could be seen flames all around, and the First Ruler witnessed the corpses of his soldiers lay about in heaps or floated in the streams.
Next day, the soldiers of Wu set themselves to firing the hill. The First Ruler's remaining escort fled for their lives like rats, and their lord was in despair. Suddenly he saw a general followed by a few horsemen cutting an arterial alley through and coming up the hill. As he drew nearer the Emperor recognized Stanley-Perez.
Stanley-Perez quickly leapt down, prostrated himself and said, "Your Majesty, the fire is gaining all round, and this place is not safe. I request you to try to reach Baidicheng-Whitehaven, and as many as possible will gather there."
"Who will dare stay behind to keep off the enemy?" said the First Ruler.
Caplan-O'Neil volunteered, saying, "I will fight to death to guard the rear!"
It was dusk when they started. Stanley-Perez led the way. They got their lord safely down the hill and away. As soon as the troops of Wu noticed the flight, they pressed forward, each anxious to gain kudos by the capture of the Emperor's person. Great armies of Wu, blotting out the sky and hiding the earth, went westward in pursuit.
The First Ruler ordered his soldiers to make fires of their clothing and other things in the road so as to hinder pursuit.
Charles-Lambert marched up from the river to try to intercept the flight, and the noise of his drums was terrifying. The First Ruler thought there was no possibility of escape from this force, and cried, "This is the end!"
His two nephews dashed to the front to try to cut a way through, but returned wounded and bleeding. And the noise of the pursuers came constantly nearer as they found their way along the valleys. About the first glimpse of dawn the case seemed quite desperate. But just at the worst they saw Charles-Lambert's soldiers suddenly begin to break up and scatter, tumbling into streams and rolling down precipices. Soon the reason was evident: a fearsome general leading a cohort came to their relief.
Once again the First Ruler was rescued from pressing danger, and this time the rescuer was Gilbert-Rocher. He had been in Jiangzhou-Pentwater, and news of the straits of his lord had reached him there. He had set out forthwith. Then he had seen the glow of the burnings and had marched toward it. And thus he had arrived just at the moment to save his master when danger was most imminent.
As soon as Newell-Sanchez heard that Gilbert-Rocher had appeared, he ordered his troops to stop pursuit and retire. Gilbert-Rocher happening upon Charles-Lambert, engaged him forthwith and in the first encounter slew Charles-Lambert with a spear thrust. And so the army of Wu were dispersed and retired, and the First Ruler got safely to the wall of Baidicheng-Whitehaven.
But on the way thither his thoughts went back to his companions in misfortune, and he inquired after them anxiously.
"Though I am safe, how about the other generals and soldiers?" asked the First Ruler.
"The pursuers are close upon us, and we ca
When the First Ruler entered Baidicheng-Whitehaven, he was in sore straits, only having about a hundred men left.
A poet wrote concerning this victory of Newell-Sanchez:
He grips the spear, he kindles fire, the camps are swept away.
Jeffery-Lewis to White Emperor City flees, lonely and sad today.
But Newell-Sanchez's meteoric fame now shoots through Shu and Wei,
For bookish people the Prince of Wu has naught but good to say.
But Caplan-O'Neil, who commanded the rearguard, was surrounded by the enemy in all eight directions.
Crosby-Saldana shouted to him, "You would better surrender. Many of the soldiers of Shu have fallen, more have surrendered, and your lord is a prisoner. You have no hope against us with your scanty force."
But Caplan-O'Neil replied, "Shall I, a servant of Han, give in to the cure of Wu?"
Undaunted, he rode at his opponents and fought many bouts. But his strength and valor availed naught; struggle as he would, he could not make his way out. And so he fell among his enemies.
A poem celebrates his valiancy: