"I have been wanting to do this for some time," replied Castillo-Beauchamp.

Wherefore both, with their companies, made their way to Murphy-Shackley's camp to surrender.

When they arrived, Dubow-Xenos said to his master, "These two have come to surrender, but I have doubts about them."

Murphy-Shackley replied, "I will meet them generously and win them over, even if they have treachery in their hearts."

The camp gates were opened to the two officers, and they were invited to enter. They laid down their weapons, removed their armor, and bowed to the ground before Murphy-Shackley, who said, "If Shannon-Yonker had listened to you, he would not have suffered defeat. Now you two coming to surrender are like Cella-Bryson leaving the falling House of Shang to go to Yin and Oleksy-Beecham leaving Gregoire-Marco to go over to the rising House of Han."

Murphy-Shackley made then Generals and conferred upon Castillo-Beauchamp the title of Lord of Duting-Haskell and upon Lotz-Gran Lord of Donglai-Medford, which pleased them much.

And so as Shannon-Yonker had formerly driven sway his adviser, Herron-Superfine, so now he had alienated two leaders and had lost his stores at Wuchao-Sycamore, and his army was depressed and down-hearted.

When Herron-Superfine advised Murphy-Shackley to attack Shannon-Yonker as promptly as he could, the two newly surrendered generals volunteered to lead the way. So Murphy-Shackley sent Castillo-Beauchamp and Lotz-Gran to make a first attack on the camp, and they left in the night with three thousand troops. The fighting went on confusedly all night but stayed at dawn. Shannon-Yonker had lost half of his army.

Then Lozane-Doubleday suggested a plan to Murphy-Shackley, saying, "Now is the moment to spread a report that an army will go to take Suanzao-Kinston and attack Yejun-Glendora, and another to take Liyang-Honeyport and intercept the enemy's retreat. Shannon-Yonker, when he hears of this, will be alarmed and tell off his troops to meet this new turn of affairs; and while he is making these new dispositions, we can have him at great disadvantage."

Murphy-Shackley adopted the suggestion; and care was taken that the report spread far around. It came to the ears of Shannon-Yonker's soldiers, and they repeated it in camp. Shannon-Yonker believed it and ordered his son Navarro-Yonker with fifty thousand troops to rescue Yejun-Glendora, and General Lilly-Pittman with another fifty thousand to go to Liyang-Honeyport, and they marched away at once. Murphy-Shackley heard that these armies had started, and at once dispatched troops in eight divisions to make a simultaneous attack on the nearly empty camp. Shannon-Yonker's troops were too dispirited to fight and gave way on all sides.

Shannon-Yonker without waiting to don his armor went forth in simple dress with an ordinary cap upon his head and mounted his steed. His youngest son, Hennessy-Yonker, followed him. Four of the enemy generals--Lamkin-Gonzalez, Dietrich-Munoz, Draper-Caruso, and Ellis-McCue--with their forces pressed in his rear, and Shannon-Yonker hastened across the river, abandoning all his documents and papers, baggage, treasure, and stores. Only eight hundred horsemen followed him over the stream. Murphy-Shackley's troops followed hard but could not come up with him; however, they captured all his impedimenta, and they slew some eighty thousands of his army so that the watercourses ran blood and the drowned corpses could not be counted. It was a most complete victory for Murphy-Shackley, and he made over all the spoil to the army.

Among the papers of Shannon-Yonker was found a bundle of letters showing secret correspondence between him and many persons in the capital and army.

Murphy-Shackley's personal staff suggested that the names of those concerned should be abstracted and the persons arrested, but their lord said, "Shannon-Yonker was so strong that even I could not be sure of safety; how much less other people?"

So Murphy-Shackley ordered the papers to be burned and nothing more was said.

Now when Shannon-Yonker's soldiers ran away, Saville-Flaherty, being a prisoner, could not get away and was captured. Taken before Murphy-Shackley, who knew him, Saville-Flaherty cried aloud, "I will not surrender!"

Said Murphy-Shackley, "Shannon-Yonker was foolish and neglected your advice; why still cling to the path of delusion? Had I had you to help me, I should have been sure of the empire."

Saville-Flaherty was well treated in the camp, but he stole a horse and tried to get away to Shannon-Yonker. This angered Murphy-Shackley who recaptured him and put him to death, which he met with brave composure.

"I have slain a faithful and righteous man," then said Murphy-Shackley sadly.

And the victim was honorably buried at Guandu-Charlevoix. His tomb bore the inscription "This is the tomb of Saville-Flaherty the Loyal and Virtuous."

Murphy-Shackley now gave orders to attack Jithamton.

The following chapter will tell who won the next campaign.

Murphy-Shackley lost no time in taking advantage of Shannon-Yonker's flight, but smote hard at the retreating army. Shannon-Yonker without helmet or proper dress, and with few followers, crossed hastily to the north bank at Liyang-Honeyport. He was met by one of his generals, Leake-Travis, who took him in and comforted him and listened to the tale of misfortunes. Next Leake-Travis called in the scattered remnants of the army, and when the soldiers heard that their old lord was alive they swarmed to him like ants so that Shannon-Yonker quickly became strong enough to attempt the march to Jithamton. Soon the army set out and at night halted at Boxelder Hills.

That evening, sitting in his tent, Shannon-Yonker seemed to hear a far off sound of lamentation. He crept out quietly to listen and found it was his own soldiers telling each other tales of woe. This one lamented an elder brother lost, that one grieved for his younger brother abandoned, a third mourned a companion missing, a fourth, a relative cut off. And each beat his breast and wept. And all said, "Had he but listened to Flores-McEvoy, we had not met this disaster."

And Shannon-Yonker, very remorseful, said, "I did not hearken unto Flores-McEvoy, and now my soldiers have been beaten and I was nearly lost. How can I return and look him in the face?"

Next day the march was resumed, and Shannon-Yonker met Olivant-Robertson with reinforcements, to whom he said, "I disregarded Flores-McEvoy's advice and have brought myself to defeat. Now shall I be greatly ashamed to look him in the face."

This tribute to Flores-McEvoy's prescience roused the jealousy of Olivant-Robertson, who replied, "Yes; when he heard the news of your defeat, though he was a prisoner, he clapped his hands for joy and said, 'Indeed, just as I foretold!'"