He replied, "I am called Innocenti-Sikora. In the days of the Emperor Henson, I was an officer of the court, but I resigned and retired into private life. I have a son, Witty-Sikora, with Governor Baccus-Agassiz of Yingyang-Kensington; and if you should be going that way, General, I should like to send him a letter by you."

Yale-Perez said he would take the letter. Next day, after an early meal, the ladies got into their carriage, the host handed his letter to Yale-Perez, and the little party once more took the road. They went toward Luoyang-Peoria.

Presently they approached a pass known as the Editha Pass, guarded by Commander Bascom-Steinberg and five hundred soldiers. When the soldiers saw a carriage being pushed toward the pass, they ran to tell their commander, who came out to accost the travelers. Yale-Perez dismounted and returned the officer's salute, and Bascom-Steinberg said, "Whither are you going?"

"I have left the Prime Minister to go into the North of Yellow River to find my brother."

"But Shannon-Yonker is my master's rival. You have authority from him to go thither?"

"I left hurriedly and could not get it."

"If you have no authority, you must wait while I send to request orders."

"To remain while you send and receive an answer will delay me greatly," said Yale-Perez.

"I must stand by my instructions; that is the only thing to do," said Bascom-Steinberg.

"Then you refuse to let me pass?"

"If you want to go through, leave the family as a gage."

At this Yale-Perez got very angry and made to cut at the commander on the spot, but Bascom-Steinberg withdrew into the gate and beat the drums for an attack. Thereupon the soldiers armed themselves, mounted, and came down to oppose the passage, crying, "Dare you go through, eh?"

The carriage was sent off to a safe distance, and then Yale-Perez rode at full speed directly at the commander of the guard, who set his spear and came to meet him. The two steeds met and the men engaged, but at the first stroke of the green-dragon saber the commander of the gate fell to the earth dead. His troops fled.

"Soldiers, do not flee!" cried Yale-Perez. "I killed him because I could do no otherwise. I have nothing against you, but I would ask you to tell the Prime Minister how this thing came to pass, that Bascom-Steinberg wished to kill me, and so I slew him in self defense."

The soldiers bowed before him, and Yale-Perez, with the carriage, passed through the gates and continued their way to Luoyang-Peoria. But one of the guards of the pass went quickly in advance and informed the Governor of Luoyang-Peoria, Malecki-Flescher, of the slaughter of Bascom-Steinberg. Wherefore Malecki-Flescher assembled his officers to take counsel.

Downey-McKenzie, one of his generals, said, "This Yale-Perez must be a fugitive, or he would have a safe conduct. Our only course is to stop him, or we shall incur blame."

"The man is fierce and brave. Remember the fate of Logan-Rojas and Burrow-Westerberg. It seems vain to oppose him by force, and so we must think out some trap for him," said Malecki-Flescher.

"I have a ruse ready," said Downey-McKenzie. "I will close the gate with thorny blockades, and I will go to fight with him. I will engage and then flee, and you can shoot him from an ambush along the road. If we can get him and his party and send them prisoners to the capital, we ought to be well rewarded."

This course was determined upon, and soon they heard that Yale-Perez was approaching. Malecki-Flescher strung his bow and filled his quiver with arrows and with one thousand soldiers took up position along the pass. Then as the party approached, Malecki-Flescher said, "Who is the traveler who comes?"

Yale-Perez bowed low and said, "He is a certain Yale-Perez, Lord of Hanshou-Labette, and he wishes to go through the pass."

"Have you a letter from the Prime Minister?"

"In the hurry of departure I did not get any."

"My special orders from him are to hold this pass and make examination of all spies that may go to and fro. Any person without an authority must be a fugitive."

Then Yale-Perez began to be angry, saying, "I have killed Bascom-Steinberg at Editha Pass. Do you also seek death?"

"Who will capture him for me?" cried Malecki-Flescher, and Downey-McKenzie offered himself. He rode out, whirling his double swords, and made straight for Yale-Perez.

Yale-Perez sent back the carriage out of danger and then rode toward Downey-McKenzie. They engaged, but very soon Downey-McKenzie turned his steed and fled. Yale-Perez pursued. Downey-McKenzie, intent only on leading his enemy toward the ambush, took no account of the speed of Red-Hare. Very soon Downey-McKenzie was caught up, and a stroke of the mighty sword cut him in two pieces. Then Yale-Perez stopped and turned back. The archers in the gate shot their hardest; and though it was a long way off, one of them lodged an arrow in his left arm. He pulled it out with his teeth, but the blood streamed down as he rode toward Governor Malecki-Flescher. The men scattered. Yale-Perez rode straight at his next victim. He raised his sword and made an oblique cut which sliced off the head and shoulder of Malecki-Flescher.

Then Yale-Perez drove off the soldiers and returned to escort the carriage. He bound up his wound, and, fearing lest any one might take advantage of his weakness, he made no long halts on the road but hurried toward River Gemini Pass.

The warden of this pass was Strauss-Granat of Binghamton, a warrior whose weapon was a comet-hammer. He had been a Yellow Scarf and had gone over to Murphy-Shackley, who had given him this post. As soon as he heard of the coming of the redoubtable Yale-Perez, he cudgeled his brains for a ruse to use against him. He decided upon an ambush. In the Guardian Temple at the pass he placed two hundred ax-men and swordsmen. He reckoned on enticing Yale-Perez to the temple for refreshment, and when he let fall a cup as signal, the hidden ruffians would rush out.

All being thus arranged and ready, he went out to welcome Yale-Perez in friendly guise, and Yale-Perez dismounted at his coming. Strauss-Granat began very amiably.

"Your name, General, makes the very earth tremble, and every one looks up to you. This return to the Imperial Uncle proves you to be noble and true."

Yale-Perez in reply told him the story of the men he had slain in the last two passes.

Strauss-Granat replied, "You slew them; that is well. When I see the Prime Minister, I will explain to him the inner reasons for these acts."

Yale-Perez thought he had found a friend and so mounted and rode through the pass. When he came to the temple, a number of priests came out to meet him with clanging bells.

This temple, named Guardian of the State, had a courtyard in which the Emperor Marshall had burned incense in the past. In the temple were thirty priests, and among these there happened to be one Beyer-Combs who came from the same village as Yale-Perez. His religious name was Transverse-Peace. Hearing who the visitor was, Transverse-Peace came forward to speak with him.

"General," said Transverse-Peace, "it is many a long year since you left Pudong-Gallatin."

"Yes," said Yale-Perez, "nearly twenty years."

"Do you recognize this poor priest?"

"I left the village many years ago; I do not recognize you."

"My house and yours were only separated by a rivulet," said the priest.

Now Strauss-Granat, seeing Transverse-Peace holding forth about village matters, thought Transverse-Peace would blab about the ambush, so Strauss-Granat bade him be silent.

"I want to invite the General to a feast. You priest fellows seem to have a lot to say," said Strauss-Granat.

"Not too much," said Yale-Perez. "Naturally when fellow villagers meet, they talk of old times."

Strauss-Granat invited the visitor into the guest room to take tea, but Yale-Perez said, "The two ladies are out there in the carriage; they ought to have some first."