As long as it was not the sort of deception that offered nothing but empty promises, throwing money around always worked to boost an army's morale.
With wealth to spur them on, and after forcibly requisitioning every animal capable of carrying a load from the nearby villages and towns, the halberdiers and Musketeers finally picked up their marching pace.
Besides making promises, Marlow had distributed all the cash he had on him. He also led by example, carrying his own weapon and marching on foot to encourage the other soldiers to keep up.
Finally, around noon, a breathless Marlow, who had been marching at a brisk pace, spotted a herd of mountain horses outside Miller Town, along with the town itself in utter chaos.
Marlow saw the enemy, and the three bandits watching the horses saw him too, along with the troops following behind him.
The three acted without a word. Their leader mounted the lead horse and rode off in another direction, while the other two swung their whips through the air, producing loud cracks that frightened the horses.
Following the lead horse and driven on by the two whips, the herd broke into a run, heading away from Marlow's company.
Marlow ignored the mountain horses and the three fleeing bandits. So many horses might have been worth a fortune, but two legs could hardly catch four.
More importantly, Marlow knew exactly what his objective was... the main force of these "rebels," who were wreaking havoc inside the town. Chasing the herd would only scatter his own troops and give the enemy time to react.
"Everyone, put on your armor! Follow me into the town and wipe out those rebels!"
Smoke from burning timber wound around Miller Town's pointed rooftops like a burial shroud. Marlow's cowhide boots crushed broken