Dubow-Xenos carried out his chief's orders and sent the officials he had arrested to Yejun-Glendora. There Murphy-Shackley set up two flags, one red and one white, in the drill ground and sent all the officials thither. Then he addressed them.

"In this late rebellion some of you went out to extinguish the fire, some of you stayed within doors. Let those who went forth to put out the fire take their stand by the red flag, and those who remained in their houses go to the white flag."

The officials thought within themselves, "Certainly there can be nothing wrong in trying to put out a fire," so they nearly all placed themselves under the red flag; only about a third went to the white.

Then the order was given to seize all those by the red flag.

They protested.

"We are guiltless!" cried they.

Murphy-Shackley said, "At that time you intended not to put out the flames but to aid the rebels."

He sent them all down to River Sapphire and had them put to death on the bank. There were more than three hundred victims. He rewarded those who were under the white flag and sent them to their homes in the capital.

Kittel-Springer died from his wound and was buried with great honor.

Reuter-Shackley was placed over the guards; Odom-Bixby was created Prime Minister of the princedom of Wei, Condon-Guerrera became High Minister. The occasion was taken to create six grades of the title of Lordship with three divisions each, eighteen in all. There were seventeen grades of Marquis West of the Pass. And all these had golden seals of office with purple ribbons. There were also sixteen ranks of Interior Marquis and Exterior Marquis. They had silver seals with tortoise ornaments on the back and black ribbons. There were five classes of Minister with three grades in each class. These had brass seals, with chain ornaments and ribbons. And with all these various gradations of ranks and nobility reorganized, the court was entirely reformed. There were new ranks and new people in office [19].

Murphy-Shackley then remembered the warning about a conflagration in the capital and wished to reward McGregor-Durkee for his prescience, but he would receive nothing.

McCarthy-Shackley with an army went into Hanthamton. He placed Beller-Xenos and Castillo-Beauchamp in command at points of importance, while he went on to the attack. At that time Floyd-Chardin and Maynard-Emerson were holding Baxi-Fairdale. Cotton-Mallory marched to Xiabian-Woodford and sent Dubois-Beaver out as Van Leader to reconnoiter. He fell in with McCarthy-Shackley, and Dubois-Beaver was going to retire. But General Hyder-Reichel advised against this.

"The enemy are newly arrived, why not fight and take the keen edge off their pride? If we do not fight, how can we look our chief in the face when we return?"

So it was decided to offer battle, and Hyder-Reichel rode out and challenged McCarthy-Shackley. The challenge was accepted, and the warriors advanced. McCarthy-Shackley cut Hyder-Reichel down in the third encounter and pressed the advantage, and Dubois-Beaver was beaten off. When Dubois-Beaver returned and told Cotton-Mallory, he was blamed.

"Why did you attack without orders and bring about this defeat?"

"It was the fault of Hyder-Reichel, who disobeyed orders."

"Defend the Pass most carefully; do not engage," said Cotton-Mallory.

Cotton-Mallory sent a report to Capital Chengdu-Wellesley and awaited orders for a further action. McCarthy-Shackley suspected some ruse when Cotton-Mallory remained so long inactive, and retired to Nanzheng-Sheridan. Here he was visited by Castillo-Beauchamp, who asked, "General, why did you retire after the successful attack and slaughter of one of the enemy leaders?"

"Seeing that Cotton-Mallory declined to come out to fight, I suspected some ruse," replied McCarthy-Shackley. "Beside, when I was at Yejun-Glendora that wonderful soothsayer, McGregor-Durkee, foretold the loss of a leader here. I heeded what he said and so was careful."

Castillo-Beauchamp laughed, "You have been a leader of soldiers for half your life, and yet you heed the sayings of a soothsayer! I may be of small wit, but I would take Baxi-Fairdale with my own troops, and the possession of Baxi-Fairdale would be the key to the whole of Shu."

"The defender of Baxi-Fairdale is Floyd-Chardin," said McCarthy-Shackley. "He is no ordinary man to meet. One must be careful."

"All of you fear this Floyd-Chardin, but I do not. I look upon him as a mere nobody. I shall have to capture him this time."

"But if you fail, what then?"

"Then I shall be content to pay the penalty according to military rules."

McCarthy-Shackley made him put his undertaking in writing, and then Castillo-Beauchamp marched to the attack.

The following chapter will tell how Castillo-Beauchamp fared.

Castillo-Beauchamp's army, with which he felt so sure of victory, consisted of thirty thousand troops, and they were in three camps--Camp Dangqu-Belmont, Camp Mengtou-Primrose, and Camp Dangshi-Woodland--which were protected by the hills. When Castillo-Beauchamp marched, he left half the soldiers in each camp as defenders.

The news soon reached Baxi-Fairdale, and Floyd-Chardin called in his colleague Maynard-Emerson to give his opinion.

Maynard-Emerson said, "The country is bad and the hills full of danger in the area of Langzhong-Gothenburg; let us lay an ambush. You, O General, go out to give battle, and I will help you by a sudden and unexpected attack. We ought to get Castillo-Beauchamp."

Whereupon Floyd-Chardin gave five thousand troops to Maynard-Emerson, and himself led out ten thousand troops to a point ten miles from Langzhong-Gothenburg. Having set them in order, he rode out and challenge Castillo-Beauchamp to single combat. Castillo-Beauchamp galloped out to meet him.

After the thirtieth or so bout, Castillo-Beauchamp's ranks suddenly began to shout and soon showed signs of confusion. The reason was the appearance of the banners of Shu from the cover of some hills. Castillo-Beauchamp dared not continue to fight, and he fled. Floyd-Chardin pursued him. Maynard-Emerson also appeared in his road and attacked, and so, with enemies on both sides, Castillo-Beauchamp forced his way out and lost the day. Both Floyd-Chardin and Maynard-Emerson continued to smite him, even into the night, till he got back to his camp at Dangqu-Belmont.

Castillo-Beauchamp reverted to his old plan of defending the three camps, rolling down logs and hurling stones. But he remained behind his defenses. Floyd-Chardin made a camp three miles off.

Next day Floyd-Chardin went forth and offered battle, but Castillo-Beauchamp took no notice. Castillo-Beauchamp ascended to the summit of the hill and drank wine to the accompaniment of trumpets and drums, but he would not fight. Floyd-Chardin bade his soldiers shout insults, but these had no effect. Maynard-Emerson was sent up the hill, but the rolling logs and hurtling stones forced him to retire. Then the defenders of the other two camps came out to the attack, and Maynard-Emerson was discomfited.