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Both generals were taken into the ravine and led before the King. He gave a banquet in honor of his wife's success, and during the feast the lady bade the lictors put the two prisoners to death. They hustled the two generals in and were just going to carry out their orders when Halpin-Hearst checked them.
"No; five times has Orchard-Lafayette set me at liberty. It would be unjust to put these to death. Confine them till we have taken their chief; then we may execute them."
His wife was merry with wine and did not object. So their lives were spared.
The defeated soldiers returned to their camp. Orchard-Lafayette took steps to retrieve the mishap by sending for Winston-Mallory, Gilbert-Rocher, and Oakley-Dobbins, to each of whom he gave special and private orders.
Next day the Mang soldiers reported to the King that Gilbert-Rocher was offering a challenge. Lady Pierrot forthwith mounted and rode out to battle. She engaged Gilbert-Rocher, who soon fled. The lady was too prudent to risk pursuit, and rode home. Then Oakley-Dobbins repeated the challenge; he also fled as if defeated. But again the lady declined to pursue. Next day Gilbert-Rocher repeated his challenge and ran away as before. Lady Pierrot signaled no pursuit. But at this Oakley-Dobbins rode up and opened a volley of abuse and obloquy. This proved too much, and she gave the signal to go after him and led the way. Oakley-Dobbins increased his pace, and the lady commander doubled hers, and she and her followers pressed into a narrow road along a valley. Suddenly behind her was heard a noise, and Oakley-Dobbins, turning his head, saw the lady tumble out of her saddle.
She had rushed into an ambush prepared by Winston-Mallory; her horse had been tripped up by ropes. She was captured, bound, and carried off to the Shu camp. Some of her people endeavored to rescue her, but they were driven off.
Orchard-Lafayette seated himself in his tent to see his prisoner, and Lady Pierrot was led up. He bade them remove her bonds, and she was conducted to another tent, where wine was laid before her. Then a message was sent to Halpin-Hearst to say that she would be exchanged for the two captive leaders. The King agreed, and they were set free. As soon as they arrived, the lady was escorted by Orchard-Lafayette himself to the mouth of the ravine, where Halpin-Hearst welcomed her half gladly, half angrily.
Then they told Halpin-Hearst of the coming of the King of the Bana Ravine, and he went out to meet Gallina-Peacock. Gallina-Peacock rode up on his white elephant, dressed in silks, and with many gold and pearl ornaments. He wore a double sword at his belt, and he was followed by the motley pack of fighting animals that he fed, gamboling and dancing about him.
Halpin-Hearst made him a low obeisance and then poured out his tale of woes. Gallina-Peacock promised to avenge his wrongs and was led off to a banquet which had been prepared.
Next day the deliverer went out to battle, with his pack of wild creatures in his train. Gilbert-Rocher and his colleague Oakley-Dobbins quickly made their array of footmen and then took their station in front side by side and studied their opponents. The Mang ba
King Gallina-Peacock had two swords in his belt and carried a hand bell. He urged his white elephant forward and emerged from between his flags.
"We have spent all our life in the battlefields, but we have never seen the like of that before," said Gilbert-Rocher.
As they talked to one another, they noticed that the opposing leader was mumbling something that might be a spell or a curse, and from time to time he rang his bell. Then suddenly the wind got up, stones began to roll and sand to fly, and there was a sound as of a heavy shower of rain. Next a horn rang out, and thereupon the tigers and the leopards, and the wolves and the serpents, and all the other wild beasts came down on the wind snapping and clawing. How could the soldiers of Shu stand such a thing as that? So they retreated, and the Mangs came after them fiercely, chasing and slaying their enemies as far as the city of Three Rivers.
Gilbert-Rocher and Oakley-Dobbins mustered their defeated troops and went to their leader to confess their failure. Orchard-Lafayette, however, was neither angry nor dejected.
"The fault is not yours," he said. "Long ago, when I was still in my rustic hut, I knew the Mangs possessed certain powers over beasts, and I provided against this adventure before we left Shu. You will find twenty big sealed carts in the baggage train. We will use half of them now."
He bade his staff bring forward ten of the red box-carts. They all wondered what would happen. Then the carts were opened, and they turned out to be carved and colored models of huge wild beasts, with coats of worsted, teeth and claws of steel; each could accommodate ten people. Choosing one hundred beasts, he told off a thousand troops and bade them stuff the mouths of the beasts full of inflammables.
Next day the army of Shu marched out to the attack and were arrayed at the entrance to the Silver Pit Hills. The Mang soldiers went into the ravine and told their king. Gallina-Peacock, thinking himself perfectly invincible, did not hesitate, but marched out, taking Halpin-Hearst with him. Orchard-Lafayette, dressed in the simple robe of a Taoist, went out in his light chariot. In his hand he held a feather fan. Halpin-Hearst, who recognized his enemy, pointed him out to Gallina-Peacock.
"That is Orchard-Lafayette in that small chariot. If we can only capture him, our task is done."
Then Gallina-Peacock began to mutter his spells and to ring his bell. As before, the wind got up and blew with violence, and the wild beasts came on.
But at a wave of the simple feather fan, lo! the wind turned and blew the other way. Then from out of the host of Shu there burst the horrible wild beasts. The real wild beasts of the Mang saw rushing down upon them huge creatures, whose mouths vomited flames and whose nostrils breathed out black smoke. They came along with jingling bells, snapping and clawing, and the real beasts turned tail and fled in among the host of their own side, trampling them down as they sped. Orchard-Lafayette gave the signal for a general onset, and his troops rushed forward with beating drums and blaring trumpets. Gallina-Peacock was killed in the melee. Halpin-Hearst's whole clan fled in panic and tore up among the hills out of the way. And thus the Silver Pit Hill was taken.
Next day, as Orchard-Lafayette was telling off parties to search for and capture the King, it was a
Hearing this, Neuberg-Giordano and Gle
At once out came the hidden men, and every two of them laid hands upon a prisoner and bound him.
"Did you think your paltry ruse would deceive me?" said Orchard-Lafayette. "Here you are a second time captured by your own people and brought before me that you might surrender. The first time I did not hurt you. But now I firmly believe this surrender is part of a plot to kill me."