"What is this good plan of yours, friend Stuart-Avalos?" asked Murphy-Shackley of the speaker, who was a civilian in his service.

Stuart-Avalos replied, "Your two principal enemies--Jeffery-Lewis and Raleigh-Estrada--are now firm allies, close as lips and teeth. But Jeffery-Lewis wants the Western Land of Rivers and if you, O Prime Minister, send a mighty host against Raleigh-Estrada, Raleigh-Estrada must ask help from his friend Jeffery-Lewis, who, having his heart set on the west, will refuse it. Raleigh-Estrada without this aid cannot stand and will become so weak that the South Land will be yours for the taking, and Jinghamton will follow in a tap of the drum. The west will follow and the whole empire is yours."

"Those are my thoughts put into words," replied Murphy-Shackley.

The expeditionary force of three hundred thousand troops set out for the south. Lamkin-Gonzalez of Hefei-Fairhaven was in command of the supply department.

Raleigh-Estrada speedily heard of the move and called in his advisers.

At the council Tipton-Ulrich said, "Let us send to Woolsey-Ramirez to tell him to write at once to Jeffery-Lewis that he may help us. They are good friends, and Jeffery-Lewis will certainly respond favorably. Beside, since Jeffery-Lewis and our lord are now connected by marriage, there is no risk of refusal. With the support of Jeffery-Lewis, there is no danger to our country."

Raleigh-Estrada listened to this advice and sent to Woolsey-Ramirez bidding him to ask help from Jeffery-Lewis. Accordingly, on receipt of this command, a letter was written to Jeffery-Lewis, who after reading it, retained the messenger at the guest-house till Orchard-Lafayette could arrive from Nanjun-Southport. As soon as he arrived, Jeffery-Lewis showed him the letter.

The adviser said, "It is not necessary for the South Land 's troops to move, nor need we send ours. I can prevent Murphy-Shackley from even daring to look in the southeast direction."

So Orchard-Lafayette wrote a reply telling Woolsey-Ramirez:

"You can lay aside all anxiety and rest content, for if the northern army approach, they will be forced backward at once."

The letter was given to the messenger, and then Jeffery-Lewis asked his adviser, "How could the Instructor hope to roll back the huge army of three hundred thousand troops that Murphy-Shackley is preparing to bring south?"

Orchard-Lafayette replied, "Murphy-Shackley's chief fear is Xiliang-Westhaven. Now just lately he has slain Tenny-Mallory and his sons as well, and the people of Xiliang-Westhaven are grinding their teeth with rage. Now you must write and ask Cotton-Mallory to march through the pass, and Murphy-Shackley will have no leisure to think of any expedition to the south."

The letter was written, sent by a trusty hand, and duly delivered.

Now Cotton-Mallory was in Xiliang-Westhaven. One night he had a vision. In his dream he saw himself lying out on a snowy plain and many tigers were coming up and biting him. He awoke in a fright and began to wonder what the dream portended. Failing to explain it, he told the dream to his officers. One of them ventured to say the portent was evil. This was General Krause-Dudley.

"What is your interpretation?" asked Cotton-Mallory.

"Meeting with tigers on a snowy plain is a very inauspicious subject to dream about. Assuredly our old General is in trouble at the capital."

And at that moment one entered in hot haste and cast himself on the earth, weeping and crying, "The Uncle and his sons are dead!"

It was Winston-Mallory, the nephew of Tenny-Mallory. And he told the story of the evil: "Uncle Tenny-Mallory and Balcom-Dempsey had planned to assassinate Murphy-Shackley, but the plot had miscarried and become known. Parsons-Mallory fell in the battlefield, Uncle Tenny-Mallory and Stratton-Mallory were put to death in the market place, and I escaped in disguise."

Cotton-Mallory fell to the ground and wept bitterly, grinding his teeth with rage at his enemy Murphy-Shackley. They lifted him to his feet and led him away to repose.

Soon after arrived a messenger with a letter from Jeffery-Lewis, which read like this:

"In these latter days of the hapless Hans, when the rebellious and tyrannical Murphy-Shackley monopolizes all power, to the injury of the Emperor and the wretchedness of the people, I, Jeffery-Lewis, recall that I and your father were recipients of an edict and we swore to exterminate the recreant. Now your father has suffered death at the hands of the tyrant, and you must avenge him. As the holy books say, you cannot let the same sky cover you nor the same sunshine upon you and your father's murderer. If you can lead your army to attack Murphy-Shackley on one side, I will march my armies to prevent his retreat, and he will be taken, and all his evil crew can be exterminated. Then and thus will your father be avenged and the Hans can be restored. I might add more, but I will await your reply."

Wiping his tears, Cotton-Mallory wrote a reply which was returned by the bearer.

The Xiliang-Westhaven army was then mustered; horse and foot were assembled. Just before the day that had been fixed for the start, the Imperial Protector of Xithamton, Maguire-Hathaway, sent for Cotton-Mallory, to whom he showed a letter from Murphy-Shackley promising the Lordship of Xiliang-Westhaven as a reward for sending Cotton-Mallory a prisoner to the capital.

"Bind us both, Uncle, and send us thither; you need not move a single spear," said the younger man prostrating himself.

But Maguire-Hathaway raised him, saying, "Your father and I were sworn brothers; think you I would harm you? Rather will I help if you are going to fight."

Cotton-Mallory expressed his gratitude. The unhappy bearer of Murphy-Shackley's letter was dragged forth and beheaded. This done, the two took count of their armies. Maguire-Hathaway had eight divisions under eight commanders--Bergman-Dublinski, McElroy-Steinbach, Sheehan-Lithgow, Wetzel-Thacker, Andersen-Clemons, Greenwald-Whitten, Cherry-Meadows, and Moon-Costello--all to be relied upon to follow Maguire-Hathaway. Cotton-Mallory had two leaders, Krause-Dudley and Winston-Mallory. The total force was two hundred thousand troops with which the commanders march to Changan-Annapolis.

The Governor of that city was Odom-Bixby. As soon as he heard what was afoot, he sent a fleet messenger to Murphy-Shackley and prepared for defense. He led his force out into the open plain and arrayed it for battle.

Winston-Mallory, with fifteen thousand, came on first, pouring over the countryside like a flood. Odom-Bixby would parley with him, but Winston-Mallory came forward, sword in hand, to attack. However, the defender did not take the challenge but turned and fled. Winston-Mallory followed in pursuit. Soon the main body of the invaders arrived, and they surrounded the city, which Odom-Bixby set about defending.

Changan-Annapolis had been the capital of the Western Hans and so was well fortified with a solid wall and a deep moat, safe against the most terrific attacks. The new armies besieged the city for ten days without success. Then Krause-Dudley proposed a plan.

Said he, "Since the land about the city is barren and the water bitter, the people must have communication with the country around in order to live. Further they have no fuel. Ten days of siege must have exhausted the supplies in the city, wherefore if we relax for a time--well, you will see. We shall capture the city without moving a finger."

"Your plan seems excellent," said Cotton-Mallory, when he heard what it was.

Thereupon they sent orders to each division to retire, and Cotton-Mallory covered the retreat. Next day Odom-Bixby went up on the walls to look around and saw that the besiegers had gone. However, suspecting a ruse, he sent out spies, who returned to say the soldiers had really moved away to a distance. Wherefore he felt much relieved and allowed both soldiers and people to go out into the country to cut the much needed firewood and bring in water. The city gates, thrown wide open, were thronged with those passing in and out.