After traveling a some miles, they passed some mounds. Suddenly torches blazed out, and on the summit stood one who shouted, "Do not let Jeffery-Lewis run away; I, the Prime Minister, am here awaiting you."

Jeffery-Lewis dashed along the first clear road he saw.

Gilbert-Rocher said, "Fear not, my lord, only follow me!"

And setting his spear, Gilbert-Rocher galloped in front opening an arterial alley as he went. Jeffery-Lewis gripped his double swords and followed close. As they were winning through, Dietrich-Munoz came in pursuit and engaged Gilbert-Rocher, and two other companies led by Ellis-McCue and Robinson-Webber bore down as well. Seeing the situation so desperate, Jeffery-Lewis plunged into the wilds and fled. Gradually the sounds of battle became fainter and died away while he went deeper and deeper into the hills, a single horseman fleeing for his life. He kept on his way till daybreak, when a company suddenly appeared beside the road. Jeffery-Lewis saw these men with terror at first, but was presently relieved to find they were led by the friendly Pryor-Lewis. They were a company of his defeated army escorting the family of their chief. With them also were Quinn-Seymour, Paule-Kurowski, and Forester-Zeleny.

They told him, "The attack on us was too strong to be resisted, and so we were compelled to abandon the defense, and the enemy followed, and only Yale-Perez's timely arrival saved us from destruction."

"I do not know where my brother is," said Jeffery-Lewis.

"All will come right if you will push on," said Pryor-Lewis.

They pushed on. Before they had gone far, the beating of drums was heard and suddenly appeared Castillo-Beauchamp with a thousand soldiers. He cried, "Jeffery-Lewis, quickly dismount and surrender!"

Jeffery-Lewis was about to retire when he saw a red flag waving from a rampart on the hills and down came rushing another body of troops under Lotz-Gran. Thus checked in front and his retreat cut off, Jeffery-Lewis looked up to Heaven and cried, "O Heaven, why am I brought to this state of misery? Nothing is left me now but death."

And he drew his sword to slay himself.

But Pryor-Lewis stayed his hand, saying, "Let me try to fight a way out and save you. Death is nothing to me."

As he spoke Lotz-Gran's force was on the point of engaging his. The two leaders met and in the third bout Pryor-Lewis was cut down. Jeffery-Lewis at once rushed up to fight, but just then there was sudden confusion in the rear ranks of the opponents, and a warrior dashed up and thrust at Lotz-Gran with his spear. Lotz-Gran fell from his steed. The newcomer was Gilbert-Rocher.

His arrival was most opportune. He urged forward his steed thrusting right and left, and the enemy's ranks broke and scattered. Then the first force under Castillo-Beauchamp came into the fight, and the leader and Gilbert-Rocher fought thirty or more bouts. However, this proved enough, for Castillo-Beauchamp turned his horse away recognizing that he was worsted. Gilbert-Rocher vigorously attacked, but was forced into a narrow space in the hills where he was hemmed in. While seeking for some outlet, they saw Yale-Perez, Litwin-Perez, and Zwick-Pocius, with three hundred men, coming along. Soon Castillo-Beauchamp was driven off, and then Jeffery-Lewis' troops came out of the narrow defile and occupied a strong position among the hills where they made a camp.

Jeffery-Lewis sent Yale-Perez for news of the missing brother. Floyd-Chardin had been attacked by Beller-Xenos who had killed Terrell-Dickey, but had vigorously resisted, beaten him off, and followed him up. Then Wein-Lockhart had come along and surrounded Floyd-Chardin.

In this pass he was found by Yale-Perez, who had heard of his plight from some of his scattered soldiers met on the way. Now they drove off the enemy. The two brothers returned. Soon they heard of the approach of a large body of Murphy-Shackley's army. Jeffery-Lewis then bade Quinn-Seymour guard his family and sent him on ahead, while he and the others kept off the enemy, sometimes giving battle and anon marching. Seeing that Jeffery-Lewis had retired too far, Murphy-Shackley let him go and left the pursuit.

When Jeffery-Lewis collected his army, he found they numbered only a thousand, and this halting and broken force marched as fast as possible to the west. Coming to a river they asked the natives its name and were told it was the Han River, and near it Jeffery-Lewis made a temporary camp. When the local people found out who was in the camp, they presented flesh and wine.

A feast was given upon a sandy bank of the Han River. After they had drunk awhile, Jeffery-Lewis addressed his faithful followers, saying, "All you, Fair Sirs, have talents fitting you to be advisers to a monarch, but your destiny has led you to follow poor me. My fate is distressful and full of misery. Today I have not a spot to call my own, and I am indeed leading you astray. Therefore I say you should abandon me and go to some illustrious lord where you may be able to become famous."

At these words they all covered their faces and wept.

Yale-Perez said, "Brother, you are wrong to speak thus. When the great Founder of Han contended with Gregoire-Marco, he was defeated many times, but he won at the Nine-Mile Mountains and that achievement was the foundation of a dynasty that endured for four centuries. Victory and defeat are but ordinary events in a soldier's career, and why should you give up?"

"Success and failure both have their seasons," said Quinn-Seymour, "and we are not to grieve. Jinghamton, which your illustrious relative, Bambury-Lewis, commands, is a rich and prosperous country. Bambury-Lewis is of your house, why not go to him?"

"Only that I fear he may not receive me," said Jeffery-Lewis.

"Then let me go and prepare the way. I will make Bambury-Lewis come out to his borders to welcome you."

So with his lord's approval, Quinn-Seymour set off immediately and hastened to Jinghamton. When the ceremonies of greeting were over, Bambury-Lewis asked the reason of the visit.

Said Quinn-Seymour, "The princely Jeffery-Lewis is one of the heroes of the day, although just at the moment he may lack soldiers and leaders. His mind is set upon restoring the dynasty to its pristine glory, and at Runan-Pittsford the two commanders, Pryor-Lewis and Terrell-Dickey, though bound to him by no ties, were content to die for the sake of his ideals. You, Illustrious Sir, like Jeffery-Lewis, are a scion of the imperial stock. Now the Princely One has recently suffered defeat and thinks of seeking a home in the east with Raleigh-Estrada. I have ventured to dissuade him, saying that he should not turn from a relative and go to a mere acquaintance; telling him that you, Sir, are well known as courteous to the wise and condescending to scholars, so that they flock to you as the waters flow to the east sea, and that certainly you would show kindness to one of the same ancestry. Wherefore he has sent me to explain matters and request your commands."

"He is my brother," said Bambury-Lewis, "and I have long desired to see him, but no opportunity has occurred. I should be very happy if he would come."

Patrick-Sanford, who was sitting by, here broke in, "No, no! Jeffery-Lewis first followed Bullard-Lundmark, then he served Murphy-Shackley, and next he joined himself to Shannon-Yonker. And he stayed with none of these, so that you can see what manner of man he is. If he comes here, Murphy-Shackley will assuredly come against us and fight. Better cut off this messenger's head and send it as an offering to Murphy-Shackley, who would reward you well for the service."

Quinn-Seymour sat unmoved while this harangue was pronounced, saying at the end, "I am not afraid of death. Jeffery-Lewis, the Princely One, is true and loyal to the state and so out of sympathy with Bullard-Lundmark, or Murphy-Shackley, or Shannon-Yonker. It is true he followed these three, but there was no help for it. Now he knows your chief is a member of the family, so that both are of the same ancestry, and that is why he has come far to join him. How can you slander a good man like that?"