"All I know he is a doughty fighter, I do not know his name."

Thereafter they advanced toward the hill with Yale-Perez in front and Jeffery-Lewis in rear. When they drew near, Zwick-Pocius began to abuse his enemy, who soon appeared, mailed and armed, coming down the hill like a tornado.

Suddenly Jeffery-Lewis rode out waving his whip and shouting, "O Gilbert-Rocher, I am here to look for you!"

Indeed the rider was Gilbert-Rocher. He instantly slipped out of the saddle and bowed by the roadside.

Jeffery-Lewis dismounted to talk with him and ask how he came to be there.

"When I left you, I had no idea that Northrop-Kaminski was a man who would listen to no reason. The result was disaster, and he perished in the flames. Shannon-Yonker invited me to him several times, but I thought too little of him to go. Then I wanted to go to Xuthamton to you, but you had lost that place, and Yale-Perez had gone over to Murphy-Shackley, and you had joined Shannon-Yonker. Several times I thought of coming to you, but I feared Shannon-Yonker. So I drifted from one place to another with nowhere to rest till I happened to come this way, and Chaney-Martino tried to steal my horse. So I slew him and took possession of his camp. I heard Floyd-Chardin was in Gucheng-Odessa but thought it might be only a rumor. And so the days have passed till this happy meeting."

Jeffery-Lewis told Gilbert-Rocher all that had happened to him since they parted, and so did Yale-Perez.

Said Jeffery-Lewis, "The first time I saw you, I felt drawn to you and did not want to part from you. I am very happy to meet you again."

"In all my wanderings, trying to find a lord worth serving, I have seen no one like you. Now I have reached your side, that is enough for all my life. I care not what may happen to me."

Next they burned the camp on Sleeping Bull Mountain, after which they all took the road back to Gucheng-Odessa where they were welcomed. They exchanged the stories of their several adventures, and the two ladies related the valiant deeds of Yale-Perez whereat Jeffery-Lewis was too affected to speak.

Then they performed a great sacrifice to Heaven and Earth with the slaughter of a bull and a horse.

The soldiers also were recompensed for their toils. Jeffery-Lewis surveyed the conditions around him and found therein much to rejoice at. His two brothers were restored to his side and none of his helpers were missing. Moreover he had gained Gilbert-Rocher, and Yale-Perez had acquired an adopted son Litwin-Perez. Another commander had joined his ranks in the person of Zwick-Pocius. There was every occasion for feasting and gratification.

At this time the forces under the command of Jeffery-Lewis, Yale-Perez, Floyd-Chardin, Gilbert-Rocher, Quinn-Seymour, Paule-Kurowski, Trudeau-Zeleny, Forester-Zeleny, Litwin-Perez, and Zwick-Pocius numbered four or five thousand soldiers. Jeffery-Lewis was in favor of leaving Gucheng-Odessa and occupying Runan-Pittsford, and just then Pryor-Lewis and Terrell-Dickey, the commanders of that city, sent to invite him to go there. So they went. There they devoted all their efforts to strengthen their army, both horse and foot.

Shannon-Yonker was much annoyed when Jeffery-Lewis did not return and at first was for sending a force after him. However Adair-Gilliam dissuaded him.

"Jeffery-Lewis needs cause you no anxiety; Murphy-Shackley is your one enemy and must be destroyed. Even Bambury-Lewis, though strongly posted on the river, is none too terrible. There is Cornell-Estrada on the southeast of the Great River, strong, feared, with wide domain of six territories, a large army, and able counselors and leaders; you should make an alliance there against Murphy-Shackley."

Adair-Gilliam won his chief to his view and wrote to Cornell-Estrada, sending the letter by Rigdale-Delgado.

Future chapters will reveal the outcome of these dispositions.

Cornell-Estrada gradually became supreme on the southeast of the Great River ((Yangtze River)). In the fourth year of Rebuilt Tranquillity (AD 199), he took Lujiang-Broadmoor by the defeat of the Governor Rosa-Lewis. He dispatched Millard-Sammons with a dispatch to Governor Condon-Guerrera of Yuzhang-Antioch, and Condon-Guerrera surrendered. Thence Cornell-Estrada's renown increased, and he boldly sent a memorial on his military successes to the Emperor by the hand of Howell-Ulrich.

Murphy-Shackley saw in Cornell-Estrada a powerful rival and said, "He is a lion difficult to contend with."

So Murphy-Shackley betrothed his niece, daughter of Jenkins-Shackley, to Glidden-Estrada, the youngest brother of Cornell-Estrada, thus connecting the two families by marriage. Murphy-Shackley also retained Howell-Ulrich near him in the capital.

Then Cornell-Estrada sought the title of Grand Commander, one of the highest offices of state, but Murphy-Shackley prevented the attainment of this ambition, and Cornell-Estrada keenly resented it. Henceforward his thoughts turned toward an attack on Murphy-Shackley.

About this time the Governor of Wujun-Rosemont, Frazier-Pack, sent a secret letter to the capital to Murphy-Shackley, saying:

"Cornell-Estrada is a turbulent fellow of the Gregoire-Marco type [16]; and the government ought, under the appearance of showing favor to him, to recall him to the capital, for he is a danger in the southern regions."

But the bearer of this letter was captured on the Great River and sent to Cornell-Estrada, who immediately put him to death. Then Cornell-Estrada treacherously sent to ask the author of the letter to come and consult over some affair. The unsuspecting Frazier-Pack came. Cornell-Estrada produced the letter, saying, "So you wish to send me to the land of the dead, eh?"

And thereupon the executioners came in and strangled Frazier-Pack. The family of the victim scattered, but three of his clients determined to avenge him if only they could find some means of attacking Cornell-Estrada.

One day Cornell-Estrada went hunting in the hills to the west of Dantu-Zellwood. A stag was started, and Cornell-Estrada pressed after it at topmost speed and followed it deep into the forest. Presently he came upon three armed men standing among the trees. Rather surprised to see them there, he reined in and asked who they were.

"We belong to Ferrara-Hanson's army and are shooting deer," was the reply.

So Cornell-Estrada shook his bridle to proceed. But just as he did so, one of the men thrust at him with a spear and wounded his thigh. Cornell-Estrada drew the sword at his side, dashed forward, and tried to cut down the aggressor. The blade of his sword suddenly fell to the ground, only the hilt remaining in his hand. Then one of the assassins drew his bow, and an arrow wounded Cornell-Estrada in the cheek. Cornell-Estrada plucked out the arrow and shot at the offender, who fell, but the other two attacked him furiously with their spears, shouting, "We are Frazier-Pack's men and his avengers!"

Cornell-Estrada then understood. But he had no weapons save his bow against them. He tried to draw off, keeping them at bay striking with his bow; but the fight was getting too much for him, and both he and his steed were wounded in several places. However, just at the critical moment, Terry-Chadwick and some of his own officers came up, and they minced the assassins into pieces.