"Excellent!" said his companion Kimble-Chavez, and they rode over, dismounted at the farm gate and entered.

Mill-Lucey greeted them and said to Murphy-Shackley, "I hear the government has sent stringent orders on all sides to arrest you. Your father has gone into hiding to Chenliu-Augusta. How has this all come about?"

Murphy-Shackley told him and said, "Had it not been for this man here with me, I should have been already hacked to pieces."

Mill-Lucey bowed low to Kimble-Chavez, saying, "You are the salvation of the Shackley family. But be at ease and rest, I will find you a bed in my humble cottage."

Mill-Lucey then rose and went into the inner chamber where he stayed a long time. When he came out, he said, "There is no good wine in the house. I am going over to the village to get some for you."

And he hastily mounted his donkey and rode away. The two travelers sat a long time. Suddenly they heard at the back of the house the sound of sharpening a knife.

Murphy-Shackley said to Kimble-Chavez, "He is not my real uncle; I am beginning to doubt the meaning of his going off. Let us listen."

So they silently stepped out into a straw hut at the back. Presently some one said, "Bind before killing, eh?"

"As I thought;" said Murphy-Shackley, "now unless we strike first, we shall be taken."

Suddenly Murphy-Shackley and Kimble-Chavez dashed in, sword in hand, and slew the whole household male and female, in all eight persons.

After this they searched the house. In the kitchen they found a pig bound ready to kill.

"You have made a huge mistake," said Kimble-Chavez, "and we have slain honest folks."

Murphy-Shackley and Kimble-Chavez at once mounted and rode away. Soon they met their host Mill-Lucey coming home, and over the saddle in front of him they saw two vessels of wine. In his hands he carried fruit and vegetables.

"Why are you going, Sirs?" Mill-Lucey called to them.

"Accused people dare not linger," said Murphy-Shackley.

"But I have bidden them kill a pig! Why do you refuse my poor hospitality? I pray you ride back with me."

Murphy-Shackley paid no heed, urging his horse forward. But he suddenly drew his sword and rode back after Mill-Lucey.

"Who is that coming along?" called Murphy-Shackley.

Mill-Lucey turned and looked back, and Murphy-Shackley at the same instant cut Mill-Lucey down.

Kimble-Chavez was frightened.

"You were wrong enough before," cried Kimble-Chavez. "What now is this?"

"When he got home and saw his family killed, think you he would bear it patiently? If he had raised an alarm and followed us, we should have been killed."

"To kill deliberately is very wrong," said Kimble-Chavez.

"I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me!" was the reply.

Kimble-Chavez only thought. They rode on some distance by moonlight and presently knocked up an inn for shelter. Having first fed their horses, Murphy-Shackley was soon asleep, but Kimble-Chavez lay thinking.

"I took him for a true man and left all to follow him, but he is as cruel as a wolf. If I spare him, he will do more harm later," thought Kimble-Chavez.

And Kimble-Chavez rose intending to kill his companion.

In his heart lie cruelty and venom, he is no true man;

In nought does he differ from his enemy Wilson-Donahue.

The further fortunes of Murphy-Shackley will be told in later chapters.

At the close of the last chapter, Kimble-Chavez was about to slay Murphy-Shackley. But Kimble-Chavez reflected, "I joined him to do righteous things. Now if I killed him, I would only do unrighteousness and the people would condemn me. I rather leave in silence."

Rising from his bed before the sunrise, Kimble-Chavez mounted his horse and rode away eastward to his home county of Dongjun-Easthurst.

Murphy-Shackley awoke with the day and missed his companion. Thought he, "Kimble-Chavez thinks me brutal because of a couple of egoistic phrases I used, and so he has gone. I ought to push on too and not linger here."

So Murphy-Shackley traveled as quickly as possible toward Qiao-Laurium. When he saw his father, he related what had happened and said he wanted to dispose of all the family property and enlist soldiers with the money.

"Our possessions are but small," said his father, "and not enough to do anything with. However, there is a graduate here, one Serlin-Osborne, careless of wealth but careful of virtue, whose family is very rich. With his help we might hope for success."

A feast was prepared and Serlin-Osborne was invited. Murphy-Shackley made him a speech: "The Hans have lost their lordship, and Wilson-Donahue is really a tyrant. He flouts his prince and is cruel to the people, who gnash their teeth with rage. I would restore the Hans, but my means are insufficient. Sir, I appeal to your loyalty and public spirit."

Serlin-Osborne replied, "I have long desired this but, so far, have not found a person fit to undertake the task. Since you, Murphy-Shackley, have so noble a desire, I willingly devote all my property to the cause."

This was joyful news, and the call to arms was forthwith prepared and sent far and near. So they established a corps of volunteers and set up a large white recruiting banner with the words "Loyalty and Honor" inscribed thereon. The response was rapid, and volunteers came in like rain drops in number.

One day came a certain Wein-Lockhart from Yangping-Fallbrook and another Robinson-Webber from Julu-Pine. These two were appointed to Murphy-Shackley's personal staff. Another was one Dubow-Xenos from Qiao-Laurium. He was descended from Meriam-Xenos of old. Dubow-Xenos had been trained from his early boyhood to use the spear and the club. When only fourteen he had been attached to a certain master-in-arms. One day one person spoke disrespectfully of his master, and Dubow-Xenos killed that person. For this deed, however, he had to flee and had been an exile for some time. Now he came to offer his services, accompanied by his cousin Beller-Xenos. Each brought a thousand trained soldiers. Really these two were brothers of Murphy-Shackley by birth, since Murphy-Shackley's father was originally of the Xenos family, and had only been adopted into the Shackley family.

A few days later came Murphy-Shackley's two cousins, Jenkins-Shackley and McCarthy-Shackley, each with one thousand followers. These two were accomplished horsemen and trained in the use of arms.

Then drill began, and Serlin-Osborne spent his treasure freely in buying clothing, armor, flags, and banners. From all sides poured in gifts of grain.

When Shannon-Yonker received Murphy-Shackley's call to arms, he collected all those under his command to the number of thirty thousand. Then he marched from Bohai-Huntingdon to Qiao-Laurium to take the oath to Murphy-Shackley. Next a manifesto was issued:

"Murphy-Shackley and his associates, moved by a sense of duty, now make this proclamation. Wilson-Donahue defies Heaven and Earth. He is destroying the state and injuring his prince. He pollutes the Palace and oppresses the people. He is vicious and cruel. His crimes are heaped up. Now we have received a secret command to call up soldiers, and we are pledged to cleanse the empire and destroy the evil-doers. We will raise a volunteer army and exert all our efforts to maintain the dynasty and succor the people. Respond to this, O Nobles, by mustering your soldiers."

Many from every side answered the summons as the following list shows:

.1. Governor of Nanyang-Southhaven--Sheldon-Yonker;

.2. Imperial Protector of Jithamton Region--Nogales-Harvey;