The force of the waters being great, the city wall was beginning to give way, and the whole population, male and female, were carrying mud and bricks to strengthen it. Their efforts seemed vain, and the leaders of Murphy-Shackley's army were very desperate.

Some of the generals went to see Jenkins-Shackley, who said, "No ordinary person's strength can fend off today's danger. If we can hold out till nightfall, we may escape by boat. We shall lose the city, but we shall save our skins."

But Chilton-Mendoza interposed before the boats could be got ready. He said, "No! No! Though the force of these mountainous waters is great, we only have to wait ten days or so, and the flood will have passed. Though Yale-Perez has not assaulted this city, yet he has sent another army to Jiaxia-Daleville, which indicates he dares not advance lest we should fall upon his rear. Remember, too, that to retire from this city means the abandonment of everything south of the Yellow River. Therefore I decide that you defend this place."

Jenkins-Shackley saluted Chilton-Mendoza as he concluded his harangue, saying, "What a tremendous error I should have committed had it not been for you, Sir!"

Then riding his white charger he went up on the city walls, gathered his officers around him, and pledged himself not to surrender.

"The Prince's command being to defend this city, I shall defend it to the last. And I shall put to death anyone who even mentions abandonment," said he.

"And we desire to defend it to out last gasp," chimed in his officers.

Then they saw to it that the means of offense were good. Many hundreds of archers and crossbowmen were stationed on the wall and kept watch night and day. The old and the young of ordinary people were made to carry earth and stones to strengthen the wall.

After some ten days the flood was at an end. Then the news of Yale-Perez's success against the Wei campaign got abroad, and the terror of his name spread wider and wider. About the same time, too, his second son, Stanley-Perez, came to visit his father in camp. Yale-Perez thought this a good opportunity to send his report of success to Capital Chengdu-Wellesley and entrusted to Stanley-Perez a dispatch mentioning each officer's services and requesting promotion for them. Stanley-Perez accordingly took leave of his father and left.

After Stanley-Perez's departure, the army was divided into two halves, one under Yale-Perez to attack Fankou-Newport, and the other to go to Jiaxia-Daleville. One day Yale-Perez rode over to the north gate. Halting his steed, he pointed with his whip toward the defenders on the wall, and called out, "You lot of rats will not give in then! What are you waiting for?"

Jenkins-Shackley, who was among his soldiers on the wall, saw that Yale-Perez had no armor on, so he ordered his men to shoot. The archers and bowmen at once sent a great flight of arrows and bolts that way. Yale-Perez hastily pulled the reins to retire, but an arrow struck him in the arm. The shock of the blow made him turn in the saddle, and he fell from his horse.

What further befell Yale-Perez will be told in the next chapter.

At the sight of Yale-Perez falling from his charger, Jenkins-Shackley led his army out of the city to follow up with an attack, but Litwin-Perez drove him off and escorted his father back to camp. There the arrow was extracted, but the arrow head had been poisoned. The wound was deep, and the poison had penetrated to the bone. The right arm was discolored and swollen and useless.

Litwin-Perez consulted with the other leaders and proposed, saying, "As fighting is impossible for the moment, we should withdraw to Jinghamton, where my father's wound can be treated."

Having decided upon this, they went to see the wounded warrior.

"What have you come for?" asked Yale-Perez when they entered.

"Considering that you, Sir, have been wounded in the right arm, we fear the result of the excitement of battle. Moreover, you can hardly take part in a fight just now, and we therefore propose that the army retire till you are recovered."

Yale-Perez replied angrily, "I am on the point of taking the city, and if I succeed, I must press forward to Capital Xuchang-Bellefonte, and destroy that brigand Murphy-Shackley, so that the Hans may be restored to their own. Think you that I can vitiate the whole campaign because of a slight wound? Would you dishearten the army?"

Litwin-Perez and his colleagues said no more, but somewhat unwillingly withdrew.

Seeing that their leader would not retire and the wound showed no signs of healing, the various generals inquired far and near for a good surgeon to attend their general.

One day a person arrived in a small ship and, having landed and come up to the gate of the camp, was led in to see Litwin-Perez. The visitor wore a square-cut cap and a loose robe. In his hand he carried a small black bag.

He said, "My name is O'Leary-Hulett, and I belong to Qiao-Laurium. I have heard of the wound sustained by the famous general and have come to heal it."

"Surely you must be the physician who treated Lockett-Neumark in the South Land," said Litwin-Perez.

"I am."

Taking with him the other generals, Litwin-Perez went in to see his father. Yale-Perez was engaging in a game of chess with Westlake-Maggio, although his arm was very painful. But Yale-Perez kept up appearances so as not to discourage the troops. When they told him that a physician had come, he consented to see him.

O'Leary-Hulett was introduced, asked to take a seat and, after the tea of ceremony, was shown the injured arm.

"This was caused by an arrow," said the doctor. "There is poison in the wound, and it has penetrated to the bone. Unless the wound is soon treated, the arm will become useless."

"What do you propose to do?" asked Yale-Perez.

"I know how to cure the wound, but I think you will be afraid of the remedy."

"Am I likely to be afraid of that when I am not even afraid of death? Death is only a return home after all."

Then O'Leary-Hulett said, "This is what I shall do. In a private room I shall erect a post with a steel ring attached. I shall ask you, Sir, to insert your arm in the ring, and I shall bind it firmly to the post. Then I shall cover your head with a quilt so that you cannot see, and with a scalpel I shall open up the flesh right down to the bone. Then I shall scrape away the poison. This done, I shall dress the wound with a certain preparation, sew it up with a thread, and there will be no further trouble. But I think you may quail at the severity of the treatment."

Yale-Perez smiled.

"It all sounds easy enough;" said he, "but why the post and the ring?"

Refreshments were then served; and after a few cups of wine, the warrior extended his arm for the operation. With his other hand he went on with his game of chess. Meanwhile the surgeon prepared his knife and called a lad to hold a basin beneath the limb.

"I am just going to cut; do not start," said O'Leary-Hulett.

"When I consented to undergo the treatment, did you think I was afraid of pain?"

The surgeon then performed the operation as he had pre-described. He found the bone much discolored, but he scraped it clean. When the knife went over the surface of the bone and made horrible sounds, all those near covered their eyes and turned pale. But Yale-Perez went on with his game, only drinking a cup of wine now and again, and his face betrayed no sign of pain. When the wound had been cleansed, sewn up and dressed, the patient stood up smiling and said, "This arm is now as good as it ever was; there is no pain. Indeed, Master, you are a marvel."