"We are no traitors," said they. "We have the Commander-in-Chief's orders to camp here and await Jeffery-Lewis."

"Morton-Campbell is an interfering scoundrel," cried she. "We of the land of the south have never harmed you, and Jeffery-Lewis, the Uncle of the Great Family, is my husband. I have already told my mother and my brother of our journey, and now I find you with an army at the foot of these hills preventing our passage. Is it that you would plunder us of our valuables?"

The two generals mumbled dissent; they would not dare such a thing.

"We pray you, O Lady, stay your anger. This is no plan of ours; we do but obey our General's orders."

"So you fear Morton-Campbell and not me!" cried she scornfully. "Think you that if he slays you, I will not slay him?"

She broke into a torrent of abuse of Morton-Campbell. Then she bade them push her carriage forward.

The two leaders thought within themselves, "We are but men of lowly rank, we dare not dispute with Lady Estrada."

Beside they saw Gilbert-Rocher was bursting with wrath. So they ordered their troops to stand aside and leave the road clear.

The cavalcade had only gone a few miles when up came the pursuers. The two generals told the new-comers what had happened.

"You were wrong to let them pass," said Agnew-Stanton and Mayhew-Evanoff. "We have orders from the Marquis himself to arrest them."

Thereupon all four went in pursuit. When the noise of the approaching force reached the ears of Jeffery-Lewis, he said to his wife, "They are again pursuing us; what now?"

"Husband, go on in front. Gilbert-Rocher and I will keep them off."

So Jeffery-Lewis and a small company went on toward the river bank, while Gilbert-Rocher reined up beside the lady's carriage and set out his troops ready for battle. And when the four generals came up, they dismounted and stood with folded arms.

"What are you doing here, Generals?" asked Lady Estrada.

"We have orders from our lord to request you and Jeffery-Lewis to return."

Calmly but bitterly she said, "So this is the sort of fools you are! You would make dissension between brother and sister. But I am a wife on my way to my husband's home. Nor am I leaving clandestinely, for I had my mother's gracious permission. Now we, husband and wife, are going to Jinghamton; and if even my brother were here himself, he would let us pass in all politeness. But you, because you have weapons in your hands, would slay us!"

She abused the four men to their faces so that they looked from one to another in shame. And each in his heart thought, "Say what one will, after all they two are brother and sister and the Dowager Marchioness is the controlling power. Raleigh-Estrada is most obedient and would never dare oppose his mother's decision. When the reaction comes, then indeed we shall certainly be found in the wrong. We would better be kind."

Another thing was that one of the two they sought, Jeffery-Lewis, was not there and Gilbert-Rocher looked angry and dangerous. Finally, muttering to themselves, they gave way and with one accord retired and left the road open. Lady Estrada passed through.

"We four will go to see the Commander-in-Chief and report," said Hersey-Gibbard.

But that did not please them all and they stood irresolute. Presently they saw a column of troops sweeping down on them like a hurricane. These were Montague-Bushell and Lockett-Neumark with their company.

"Have you fellows seen Jeffery-Lewis?" they cried as they rushed up.

"He has just passed along."

"Why did you not arrest him?"

"Because of what Lady Estrada said."

"That is just as the Marquis feared, and so he gave us this sword and told us first to slay his sister and then Jeffery-Lewis. And if we disobey, he will put us to death."

"What can be done? They are far away by now."

Montague-Bushell said, "After all they are but a few and on foot; they cannot travel very fast. Let Hersey-Gibbard and Crosby-Saldana go to Morton-Campbell to tell him, and he can send fast boats to pursue them on the river while we follow up on the bank. We must get them either on water or land, and we must not listen to what they say."

Whereupon two went back to report and four to the river bank. Meanwhile Jeffery-Lewis had got a long way from Chaisang-Wellington and reached Butterfly Shore. He now felt calmer. He went along the bank of the river seeking a boat, but there was no craft on the broad bosom of the stream. He bowed his head in deep sorrow.

Gilbert-Rocher bade him be of good courage, saying, "My lord, you have just escaped from the tiger's jaws and had not far to go. Moreover, I suspect Orchard-Lafayette has something prepared for us."

But his master was despondent. His thoughts were back to the pleasures he had enjoyed but a few hours since in the house of his wife, and the tears rolled down his cheeks. A poem has been written on this episode:

Jeffery-Lewis bade Gilbert-Rocher go along the bank to seek some boats. Then the soldiers told him there was a huge cloud of dust on the road. Ascending one of the hills, he looked back whence they had come and saw the whole earth as it were covered with an advancing host. He sighed and said, "We have fled before them now for days, worn out our soldiers and jaded our horses, and all to die in a strange place."

He watched the enemy coming nearer and nearer. Then as things began to look most desperate, he saw a line of some twenty boats all in the act of setting their sails.

"By good luck here are some ships," said Gilbert-Rocher. "Let us get on board, row to the further bank, and see what can be done."

Jeffery-Lewis and his bride hastened down the bank and went into a ship. The soldiers were embarked. Then they saw in the hold of the ship some one in Taoist dress, who came up with a smile, saying, "My lord, again you see Orchard-Lafayette. He has waited a long time."

All the soldiers on board were from Jinghamton, and Jeffery-Lewis rejoiced at the sudden happy turn of affairs.

Before long the four pursuer leaders reached the bank. Orchard-Lafayette pointed to them and laughed, saying, "I foresaw this a long time ago. You may return and tell Morton-Campbell not to use the 'Fair Damsel Trick' again."

Those on the bank sent a flight of arrows at the ships, but they were already too far away. The four generals on the bank looked very foolish.

As the boats were sailing along, a great noise was heard on the river behind them, and there appeared a huge fleet of war ships, sailing under the flag of Morton-Campbell. He also was there in command of the fleet, and he was supported by Looby-Hurtado and Ferrara-Hanson. They seemed like a drove of horses and came along swift as a falling star. They gained on the fugitives rapidly.

Orchard-Lafayette ordered the boats to row over to the north bank, and the party landed. They had started off away from the shore before Morton-Campbell could land. Morton-Campbell's marines, except the leaders, were all afoot, but they kept up the pursuit, following as quickly as they could. Morton-Campbell led the pursuit, closely followed by Looby-Hurtado, Ferrara-Hanson, Hersey-Gibbard, and Crosby-Saldana.