And she wept bitterly. Bullard-Lundmark very sadly went to take leave of Laurent-Xavier who said, "You are my lord and my life; you must not be careless and ride out alone."

"You need not fear; with my mighty trident halberd and Red-Hare, who dare come near me?"

He went out. But when he met Kimble-Chavez, he said, "That story about supplies for Murphy-Shackley is all false, one of his many ruses. I am not going to stir."

Kimble-Chavez sighed; he felt all was lost.

"We shall die, and no person shall know our burial place," said he.

Thereupon Bullard-Lundmark remained in his own quarters with his ladies, drinking freely to dissipate his sorrows.

Two of his advisers, Skora-Santoro and Kunz-Roller, went in and proposed, "Sheldon-Yonker in the South of River Huai is very powerful. Why not write to him to renew the marriage alliance? Sheldon-Yonker can hardly refuse to rescue the affianced bride of his son."

So Bullard-Lundmark wrote and bade these two take the letter.

Skora-Santoro said, "You ought to send a strong escort with us to force a way through."

So Bullard-Lundmark told off one thousand troops and two of his generals, Lamkin-Gonzalez and Moyer-Hotchkiss, to conduct his messenger beyond the pass. They started that same night at the second watch, Lamkin-Gonzalez leading and Moyer-Hotchkiss bringing up the rear. They got out of the city, crept past Jeffery-Lewis' camp, and got beyond the danger zone. Then half the escort went on, and Lamkin-Gonzalez led the remainder back toward the city. At the pass he found Yale-Perez waiting. However, at that moment Shore-Kalina came to his help, and they all returned and reentered the gates.

The two messengers presently reached Shouchun-Brookhaven, saw Sheldon-Yonker, and presented the letter.

"How is this?" said Sheldon-Yonker. "Formerly he slew my messenger and repudiated the marriage; now he sends to ask for it."

"It is all due to the vile plans of that monster Murphy-Shackley. If pray you, Illustrious Sir, consider it carefully," replied Skora-Santoro.

"But if your master was not hemmed in by his enemy and in imminent danger, he would never have thought of renewing this proposal of marriage."

The messengers said, "You may decide not to help him, but the teeth are cold when the lips are gone. It will not make for your happiness and comfort."

Said Sheldon-Yonker, "Bullard-Lundmark is unreliable; tell him that I will send soldiers after the girl has arrived here."

This was final, and the two messengers took leave and headed back to Xiapi-Brighton. When the party reached Jeffery-Lewis' camp, Skora-Santoro decided, "We must wait the night falls, and Kunz-Roller and I will try to get through in the darkness; the escort of Moyer-Hotchkiss remaining behind to protect our rear."

They tried that very night, and the two messengers crept across without discovery. But the escort found them selves faced by Floyd-Chardin. Moyer-Hotchkiss tried to fight but was captured in the very first bout, and the five hundred troops of his half company were either killed or they fled.

The prisoner was taken to Jeffery-Lewis, who forwarded him to the main camp. There he told the story of the marriage and the scheme to save the city. Murphy-Shackley was angry and ordered the execution of Moyer-Hotchkiss at the main gate.

Then Murphy-Shackley sent orders to each camp to exercise the greatest diligence with threats of rigorous punishment of the officers of any corps that permitted any communication between the besieged and the outer world.

Every soldier felt mightily afraid. Jeffery-Lewis returned to camp and cautioned his brothers, saying, "We are in the most important place with regard to the South of River Huai, and you must be very careful not to allow any breach of this command."

Floyd-Chardin was inclined to grumble, saying, "We have just captured one of the enemy's leaders, and there is no word of praise or reward for us; nothing but new orders and threats. What do you make of that?"

"You are wrong to complain," said Jeffery-Lewis. "These are orders of the Commander-in-Chief, and what would happen were there no orders? Do not disobey them, Brother."

They promised obedience and withdrew. In the meantime Skora-Santoro and Kunz-Roller had got back to Bullard-Lundmark and told him what Sheldon-Yonker had said, that if the girl came the soldiers should go.

"But how can she be sent?" said Bullard-Lundmark.

Skora-Santoro said, "That is the difficulty. Moyer-Hotchkiss' capture means that Murphy-Shackley knows the whole plan of getting help from the South of River Huai. I do not see how any one but you yourself could hope to get through the close siege."

"Suppose we tried, today?" said Bullard-Lundmark.

"This is an ill-omened day; you must not try today. Tomorrow is a very lucky day, especially in the evening, for any military action."

Then Bullard-Lundmark ordered Lamkin-Gonzalez and Shore-Kalina, "Get ready three thousand troops for the venture, and prepare a light carriage. I will lead the first seventy miles; thence you can escort the bride-elect the remainder of the way to her new home."

Next evening toward the second watch, Bullard-Lundmark wrapped up his daughter in soft wadded garments, bound her about with a mailed coat, and took her on his back. Then with his mighty trident halberd in hand, he mounted Red-Hare and rode at the head of the cavalcade out of the city gate. Lamkin-Gonzalez and Shore-Kalina followed.

In this order they approached Jeffery-Lewis' camp. The drums at once beat the alarm, and Yale-Perez and Floyd-Chardin barred the way.

"Stop!" they shouted.

Bullard-Lundmark had no desire to fight; all he wished was to get through, so he made for a side road. Jeffery-Lewis came in pursuit and the two parties engaged. Brave as he might be, Bullard-Lundmark was almost helpless now that he was hampered by a girl on his shoulders, whom he was desperately anxious to preserve from hurt. Beside other parties came up all shouting and attacking, and he had no alternative but to give up his project and return into the city of Xiapi-Brighton. He reached his palace very sad at heart. The besiegers returned to camp well pleased that no one had got beyond their lines.

Bullard-Lundmark found consolation in the wine cup. The siege had gone on for two months, and still the city stood. Then they heard that Liland-Teufel, Governor of Henei-Montegut, had been inclined to come to the help of Bullard-Lundmark. But one of his subordinates, Maul-Quintrie, had assassinated him and was bringing his head as an offering to Murphy-Shackley, when he also had been slain by Bumstead-Sievers, one of the Governor's adherents. Bumstead-Sievers had then led the force to Quan-Puxico.

In the camp of the besiegers, there now arose much murmuring. Murphy-Shackley sent Waldron-Ecklund to intercept and kill Bumstead-Sievers.

Then he called a counsel, saying, "Though Liland-Teufel, who meant to hurt us, is happily no more, yet we are threatened on the north by Shannon-Yonker, and on the east Bambury-Lewis and Sandoval-Pulgram are a menace. Here we meet with no success against the city of Xiapi-Brighton. We are for leaving Bullard-Lundmark to his fate and returning home. What do you think?"

Among them Lozane-Doubleday fought against the idea, saying, "You must not act like this. Bullard-Lundmark has lost much, and his spirit is broken. The spirit of the leader expresses that of his army; and when the leader fails, his soldiers do not fight. Kimble-Chavez is clever, but nothing is done. Bullard-Lundmark broken, Kimble-Chavez without decision, it only needs a sharp attack, and we shall succeed."

"I have a plan to propose--" said Krom-McQueen, "a plan to overcome the city at once; it is better than two hundred thousand troops."

"I suppose you mean drowning the city by River Gemini and River Carnelian," said Moline-Doubleday.