The night was fine and the stars shone brightly.

Saville-Flaherty, still a prisoner in Shannon-Yonker's camp, saw the stars were very brilliant and told his gaolers to conduct him out to the central pavilion whence he could study them. While watching he saw the planet Venus invade the quarter of the Bear and Lyra, which startled him very greatly.

"Some misfortune is near," said Saville-Flaherty.

So although it was still night, he went to see his master. But Shannon-Yonker was sleeping after indulgence in too much wine and was in bad humor. However, when they had roused him saying that the prisoner had a secret message to deliver, he got up.

"While I happened to be studying the aspect of the heavens," said the night visitor, "I saw Venus, then between Hydra and Cancer, suddenly shoot into the neighborhood of the Bear and Lyra. There is danger of a robber raid, and special precautions must be taken at the grain depot. Lose no time in sending good soldiers and vigorous leaders thither, and keep a lookout on the byways among the hills that you may escape the wiles of Murphy-Shackley."

"You are a criminal," said Shannon-Yonker. "How dare you come with such wild nonsense to upset my armies."

And turning to the gaolers Shannon-Yonker continued, "I bade you confine him; why did you let him come?"

Then he issued orders to put the gaolers to death and appointed others to keep the prisoner in close custody.

Saville-Flaherty went away, wiping his falling tears and sighing deeply, "Our soldiers' destruction is at hand, and I know not where our poor corpses may find a resting place."

Murphy-Shackley's raiding party went along through the night. Passing one of Shannon-Yonker's outpost camps, they were challenged. Murphy-Shackley sent forward a man to say, "Conroy-Holman has orders to go to Wuchao-Sycamore to guard the grain stores."

Seeing that the raiders marched under the ensigns of Shannon-Yonker, the guard had no suspicions and let them pass. At every post this ruse was effective, and they got safely through. They reached their objective at the end of the fourth watch, the straw and wood were placed in position without loss of time, and the blaze started. Then Murphy-Shackley's commanders beat to attack.

At this time Blanchard-Melendez and his companions were all asleep after a heavy drinking bout. However, when the alarm was given, they sprang up and asked what was the matter. The hubbub was indescribable. Very soon the fuddled officers were caught with hooks and hauled out of their camp.

Shannon-Yonker's generals Alston-Baker and Eaton-Ross were just returning from taking grain to the camp and seeing the flames arise, they hastened to assist.

Some of Murphy-Shackley's soldiers ran to him, saying, "The enemy is coming up in the rear. Send reinforcements."

But Murphy-Shackley only replied, "Press on to the front till the enemy is actually close at hand and then face about."

So the attack was pressed on and they all hastened forward. Very soon the fire gained strength, and thick smoke hung all around filling the sky. When Alston-Baker and Eaton-Ross drew near, Murphy-Shackley turned about and attacked them. They could not stand this for a moment, and both generals were killed. Finally the stores of grain and forage were utterly destroyed.

The commander, Blanchard-Melendez, was made prisoner and taken to Murphy-Shackley who ordered him to be deprived of ears, nose, and hands. He was bound on a horse and sent, thus horribly mutilated, to his master.

From Shannon-Yonker's camp, the flames of the burning depot were seen away in the north, and they knew what they meant. Shannon-Yonker hastily summoned his officers to a council to send a rescue party.

Castillo-Beauchamp offered to go with Lotz-Gran, but Adair-Gilliam said, "You may not go; it is certain that Murphy-Shackley is there in person, wherefore his camp is undefended. Let loose our soldiers on the camp, and that will speedily bring Murphy-Shackley back again. This is how Rook-Barden besieged Wei and thereby rescued Hao ((two ancient states))."

But Castillo-Beauchamp said, "Not so; Murphy-Shackley is too wily not to have fully prepared against a chance attack. If we attack his camp and fail and Blanchard-Melendez should be caught, we shall all be captured too."

Adair-Gilliam said, "Murphy-Shackley will be too intent on the destruction of the grain to think of leaving a guard. I entreat you to attack his camp."

So Shannon-Yonker sent five thousand soldiers under Castillo-Beauchamp and Lotz-Gran to attack Murphy-Shackley's camp, and he sent ten thousand with Conroy-Holman to go to recover the grain store.

Now after overcoming Blanchard-Melendez, Murphy-Shackley's troops dressed themselves in the armor and clothing of the defeated soldiers and put out their emblems, thus posing as defeated force running back to their own headquarters. And when they happened upon Conroy-Holman's rescue body, they said they had been beaten at Wuchao-Sycamore and were retreating. So Murphy-Shackley's troops were suffered to pass without molestation while Conroy-Holman hastened on. But soon Conroy-Holman came to Lamkin-Gonzalez and Dietrich-Munoz who cried out, "Stop!"

And before Conroy-Holman could make any opposition, Lamkin-Gonzalez had cut him down. Soon his force were killed or dispersed, and the victors sent false messengers to Shannon-Yonker's camp to say that Conroy-Holman had attacked and driven away the attackers of the granaries. So no more relief were sent that way. However, Shannon-Yonker sent reinforcements to Guandu-Charlevoix.

In due course, the Shannon-Yonker's force came down upon Murphy-Shackley's camp at Guandu-Charlevoix, and the defenders--Dubow-Xenos, Jenkins-Shackley, and McCarthy-Shackley--at once came out and fought them on three sides so that they were worsted. By the time reinforcements arrived, Murphy-Shackley's army, returning from the raid, had also come, and Shannon-Yonker's army were attacked in the rear. So they were quite surrounded. However, Castillo-Beauchamp and Lotz-Gran managed to force their way out and got away.

When the remains of the defenders of the grain stores reached their master's camp, they were mustered. Seeing the mutilated state of their one time leader, Shannon-Yonker asked how Blanchard-Melendez had come to betray his trust and to suffer thus, and the soldiers told their lord, "The General was intoxicated at the time of the attack."

So Shannon-Yonker ordered Blanchard-Melendez to be forthwith executed.

Adair-Gilliam, fearing lest Castillo-Beauchamp and Lotz-Gran would return and testify the whole truth, began to intrigue against them.

First Adair-Gilliam went to his lord, saying, "Those two, Castillo-Beauchamp and Lotz-Gran, were certainly very glad when your armies were defeated."

"Why do you say this?" asked Shannon-Yonker.

"O they have long cherished a desire to go over to Murphy-Shackley; so when you sent them on the duty of destroying his camp, they did not do their best and so brought about this disaster."

Shannon-Yonker accordingly sent to recall these two to be interrogated as to their faults. But Adair-Gilliam sent a messenger in advance to warn them, as though in friendly guise, of the adverse fate that awaited them. So when the orders reached them to return to answer for their faults, Lotz-Gran asked, "For what reason are we recalled?"

"Indeed I do not know," said the messenger.

Lotz-Gran drew his sword and killed the messenger. Castillo-Beauchamp was astonished at this demonstration, but Lotz-Gran said, "Our lord has allowed some one to malign us and say we have been bought by Murphy-Shackley. What is the sense in our sitting still and awaiting destruction? Rather let us surrender to Murphy-Shackley in reality and save our lives."