THE ROUT OF THE ARMY OF IX.
The next day was a busy one in the city of Nole. The ten-foot lord high
general marched his seven thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven men
out of the city gates and formed them in line of battle on the brow of a
hill. Then he asked Aunt Rivette to fly over the top of the mountain and
see where the enemy was located.
The old woman gladly undertook the mission. She had by this time become
an expert flier, and, being proud to resemble a bird, she dressed
herself in flowing robes of as many colors as a poll-parrot could boast.
When she mounted into the air, streamers of green and yellow silk
floated behind her in quite a beautiful and interesting fashion, and she
was admired by all beholders.
Aunt Rivette flew high above the mountain-top, and there she saw the
great army of Queen Zixi climbing up the slope on the other side. The
army also saw her, and stopped short in amazement at seeing a woman fly
like a bird. They had before this thought their queen sure of victory,
because she was a witch and possessed many wonderful arts; but now they
saw that the people of Noland could also do wonderful things, and it
speedily disheartened them.
Zixi ordered them to shoot a thousand arrows at Aunt Rivette, but
quickly countermanded the order, as the old woman was too high to be
injured, and the arrows would have been wasted.
When the army of Ix had climbed the mountain and was marching down again
toward Nole, the lord high steward sent his dog Ruffles to them to make
more mischief. Ruffles trotted soberly among the soldiers of Ix, and
once in a while he would pause and say in a loud voice:
“The army of Noland will conquer you.”
Then all the soldiers would look around to see who had spoken these
fearful words, but could see nothing but a little dog; and Ruffles would
pretend to be scratching his nose with his left hind foot, and would
look so innocent that they never for a moment suspected he could speak.
[Illustration: “AND RUFFLES WOULD PRETEND TO BE SCRATCHING HIS NOSE WITH
HIS LEFT HIND FOOT.”]
“We are surrounded by invisible foes!” cried the soldiers; and they
would have fled even then had not Queen Zixi called them cowards and
stubbornly declared that they only fancied they had heard the voices
speak. Some of them believed her, and some did not; but they decided to
remain and fight, since they had come so far to do so.
Then they formed in line of battle again and marched boldly toward the
army of Noland.
While they were still a good way off, and the generals were riding in
front of their soldiers, the lord high executioner suddenly stretched
out his long arm and pulled another general of Ix from his horse, as he
had done the day before, dragging him swiftly over the ground between
the opposing armies until he was seized by the men of Nole and tightly
bound with cords.
The soldiers of Ix uttered murmurs of horror at this sight, and stopped
again.
Immediately the long arm shot out, and pulled another general from their
ranks, and made him prisoner.
Queen Zixi raved and stormed with anger; but the lord high executioner,
who was enjoying himself immensely, continued to grab officer after
officer and make them prisoners: and so far there had been no sign of
battle; not an arrow had been fired nor an ax swung.
Then, to complete the amazement of the enemy, the gigantic ten-foot
general of the army of Nole stepped in front of his men and waved around
his head a flashing sword six feet in length, while he shouted in a
voice like a roar of thunder, that made the army of Ix tremble:
“Forward, soldiers of Noland—forward! Destroy the enemy, and let none
escape!”
[Illustration: “THE GIGANTIC TEN-FOOT GENERAL OF THE ARMY OF NOLE
STEPPED IN FRONT OF HIS MEN.”]
[Illustration: “BUD WAS SO AMUSED AT THE SIGHT OF THE FLYING FOE THAT HE
ROLLED ON THE GROUND IN LAUGHTER.”]
It was more than the army of Ix could bear. Filled with terror, the
soldiers threw down their arms and fled in a great panic, racing over
the mountain-top and down the other side and then scattering in every
direction, each man for himself and as if he feared the entire army of
Noland was at his heels.
But it wasn’t. Not a soldier of Nole had moved in pursuit. Every one was
delighted at the easy victory, and King Bud was so amused at the sight
of the flying foe that he rolled on the ground in laughter, and even the
fierce-looking General Tollydob grinned in sympathy.
Then, with bands playing and banners flying, the entire army marched
back into the city, and the war between Noland and Ix was over.
[Illustration: “‘WHY DO YOU WAIL SO LOUDLY?’ SHE ASKED.”]