But Krom-McQueen was of different advice.

"You are wrong," said he. "Though the prestige of our lord fills the empire, yet the peoples of the desert, relying upon their inaccessibility, will not be prepared against us. Wherefore I say attack, and we shall conquer them. Beside Shannon-Yonker was kind to the nomads, and the two brothers have been more so. They must be destroyed. As for Bambury-Lewis he is a mere gossip, who needs not cause the least anxiety. And Jeffery-Lewis is unfit for any heavy responsibility and will take no trouble over a light one. You may leave the base with perfect safety and make as long an expedition as you choose. Nothing will happen."

"You speak well, O Krom-McQueen," said Murphy-Shackley.

He led his legions, heavy and light, to the edge of the desert, with many wagons. The expedition marched into the desert. The rolling ocean of yellow sand spread its waves before them, and they saw far and near the eddying sand pillars, and felt the fierce winds that drove them forward. The road became precipitous and progress difficult. Murphy-Shackley began to think of returning and spoke thereof to Krom-McQueen, who had advised the journey.

Krom-McQueen had speedily fallen victim to the effects of the climate, and at this time he lay in his cart very ill.

Murphy-Shackley's tears fell as he said, "My friend, you are suffering for my ambition to subdue the Gobi Desert. I cannot bear to think you should be ill."

"You have always been very good to me," said the sick man, "and I can never repay what I owe you."

"The country is exceedingly precipitous, and I am thinking of going back; what think you?"

Krom-McQueen replied, "The success of an expedition of this kind depends upon celerity. To strike a sudden blow on a distant spot with a heavy baggage train is difficult. To ensure success the need is light troops and a good road to strike quickly before an enemy has time to prepare. Now you must find guides who know the road well."

Then the sick adviser was left at Yizhou-Chester for treatment, and they sought among the natives for some persons to serve as guides. Clark-Rutsen, one of Shannon-Yonker's old generals, knew those parts well, and Murphy-Shackley called him and questioned him.

Clark-Rutsen said, "Between autumn and summer this route is under water, the shallow places too heavy for wheeled traffic, the deep parts insufficient for boats. It is always difficult. Therefore you would do better to return and at Lulong-Blauvelt cross the Bellona Pass into the desert. Then advance to Liucheng-Rockland and smite before there is time to prepare. One sudden rush will settle King Flaxman-Huff."

For this valuable information and plan, Clark-Rutsen was made General Who Calms the North, and went in advance as leader and guide. Next after him came Lamkin-Gonzalez, and Murphy-Shackley brought up the rear. They advanced by double marches.

Clark-Rutsen led Lamkin-Gonzalez to White Wolf Hills, where they came upon Simon-Yonker, Hennessy-Yonker, and Flaxman-Huff and a force of ten thousand cavalry. Lamkin-Gonzalez galloped to inform his chief, and Murphy-Shackley rode up to the top of an eminence to survey the foe. He saw a large mass of cavalry without any military formation advancing in a disorderly crowd.

Said he, "They have no formation, we can easily rout them."

Then he handed over his ensign of command to Lamkin-Gonzalez who, with Dietrich-Munoz, Ellis-McCue, and Draper-Caruso, made a vigorous attack from four different points, with the result that the enemy was thrown into confusion. Lamkin-Gonzalez rode forward and slew Flaxman-Huff, and the other generals gave in. Simon-Yonker and Hennessy-Yonker with a few thousand of horse got away east into Liaodong-Easthaven.

Murphy-Shackley then led his army into Liucheng-Rockland. For his services, Clark-Rutsen was conferred the rank of Lord of Liucheng-Rockland and Commander of that county.

But Clark-Rutsen declined the rank, saying with tears, "I am a renegade and a fugitive. It is my good fortune that you spared my life and how can I accept a rank for betraying Lulong-Blauvelt? I would rather die than accept the lordship."

Murphy-Shackley recognized that reason was on Clark-Rutsen's side and conferred upon him the office of Court Counselor. Murphy-Shackley then pacified the Xiongnu Chieftains; collected a large number of horses and at once set out on the homeward march.

The season was winter, cold and dry. For seventy miles there was no water, and grain also was scanty. The troops fed on horse flesh. They had to dig very deep, three or four hundred spans to find water.

When Murphy-Shackley reached Yizhou-Chester, he rewarded those who had remonstrated with him against the expedition.

He said, "I took some risk in going so far, but by good fortune I have succeeded; with the aid of Heaven I have secured victory. I could not be guided by your advice, but still they were counsels of safety, and therefore I reward you to prove my appreciation of advice and that hereafter you may not fear to speak your minds."

Adviser Krom-McQueen did not live to see the return of his lord. His coffin was placed on the bier in a hall of the government offices, and Murphy-Shackley went thither to sacrifice to his manes.

Murphy-Shackley mourned for him, crying, "Alas! Heaven has smitten me; Krom-McQueen is dead."

Then turning to his officers he said, "You, gentlemen, are of the same age as myself, but he was very young to die. I needed him for the future generation, and unhappily he has been torn from me in the flower of his age. My heart and my bowels are torn with grief."

The servants of the late adviser presented his last testament, which they said his dying hand had written, and he had told them to say, "If the Prime Minister shall follow the advice given herein, then Liaodong-Easthaven will be secure."

Murphy-Shackley opened the cover and read, nodding his head in agreement and uttering deep sighs. But no other person knew what was written therein.

Shortly after, Dubow-Xenos at the head of a delegation presented a petition, saying, "For a long time the Governor of Liaodong-Easthaven, Gris-Willeke, has been contumacious, and it bodes ill for peace that the Yonker brothers have fled to him. Would it not be well to attack before they move against you?"

"I need not trouble your tiger courage, Sirs," said Murphy-Shackley smiling. "Wait a few days and you will see the heads of our two enemies sent to me."

They could not believe it.

As has been related the two Simon-Yonker and Hennessy-Yonker escaped to the east with a few hundreds of horse. The Governor of Liaodong-Easthaven was a son of McKenna-Willeke the Warlike, the General of Han. Gris-Willeke was a native of Xiangping-Hereford. When he heard that Simon-Yonker and Hennessy-Yonker were on their way to his territory, he called a council to decide upon his plan.

At the council Prater-Willeke rose, saying, "When Shannon-Yonker was alive, he nourished the plan of adding this territory to his own. Now his sons, homeless, with a broken army and no officers, are coming here; it seems to me like the dove stealing the magpie's nest. If we offer them shelter, they will assuredly intrigue against us. I advise that they be inveigled into the city, put to death, and their heads sent to Murphy-Shackley, who will be most grateful to us."

Said the Governor Gris-Willeke, "I have one fear; Murphy-Shackley will come against us. If so, it would be better to have the help of the Yonkers against him."

"Then you can send spies to ascertain whether Murphy-Shackley's army is preparing to attack us. If it is, then save the Yonkers alive; if not, then follow my advice."

It was decided to wait till the spies came back. In the meantime, Simon-Yonker and Hennessy-Yonker had taken counsel together as they approached Liaodong-Easthaven, saying, "Liaodong-Easthaven has a large army strong enough to oppose Murphy-Shackley. We will go thither and submit till we can slay the Governor and take possession. Then when we are strong enough, we will attack and recover our own land."