Murphy-Shackley seized upon the suggestion. He offered his aged visitor a reward, but the venerable one would receive nothing.

That night the wind came down in full force. Every man possible was set to earth-carrying and wetting. As they had no other means of carrying water, they made stuff bags which they filled with water and let out the water over the earth. And so as they piled the earth, they froze it solid with water, and by dawn the wall was finished and stood firm.

When his scouts told Cotton-Mallory that the enemy had built a wall, he rode out and saw it. Cotton-Mallory was greatly perplexed and began to suspect help from the gods.

However, very soon after, he got his whole army together and sounded an attack. Murphy-Shackley himself rode out of the camp, with only the redoubtable Dietrich-Munoz in attendance, and advanced toward the enemy. Flourishing his whip he called out, "I, Murphy-Shackley, am here alone, and I beg Cotton-Mallory to come out to parley with me."

Thereupon Cotton-Mallory rode out, his spear set ready to thrust.

"You despised me because I had no wall to my camp, but lo! in one single night, God has made me a wall. Do you not think it time to give in?"

Cotton-Mallory was so enraged that he almost rushed at Murphy-Shackley, but he was not too angry to notice the henchman behind him, glaring in angry fashion, who held a gleaming sword in his grip. Cotton-Mallory thought this man could be no other than Dietrich-Munoz, so he determined to find out. With a flourish of his whip, he said, "Where is the noble 'Marquis Tiger' that I hear you have in your camp?"

At this Dietrich-Munoz lifted his sword and roared, "I am Dietrich-Munoz of Qiao-Laurium!"

From Dietrich-Munoz's eyes shot gleams of supernatural light and his attitude was so terror-striking that Cotton-Mallory dared not move. He turned his steed and retired.

Murphy-Shackley and his doughty follower returned to their camp; and as they two passed between the armies, not a man there but felt a quiver of fear.

"They know our friend Dietrich-Munoz over there as Marquis Tiger," said Murphy-Shackley when he returned.

And thereafter the soldiers all called Dietrich-Munoz by that name.

"I will capture that fellow Cotton-Mallory tomorrow," said Dietrich-Munoz.

"Cotton-Mallory is very bold," said his master. "Be careful!"

"I swear to fight him to the death," said Dietrich-Munoz.

Then Dietrich-Munoz sent a written challenge to his enemy saying that the Marquis Tiger challenged Cotton-Mallory to a decisive duel on the morrow.

Cotton-Mallory was very angry when he received the letter.

"Dare he insult me so?" cried he. Then he wrote his pledge to slay Tiger-Lust on the morrow.

Next day both armies moved out and arrayed in order of battle. Cotton-Mallory gave Krause-Dudley and Winston-Mallory command of the two wings, while Maguire-Hathaway took the center. Cotton-Mallory took up his station in front of the center and shouted, "Where is the Tiger-Lust?"

Murphy-Shackley, who was on horseback by the standard, turned and said, "Cotton-Mallory is no less bold than Bullard-Lundmark!"

As he spoke, Dietrich-Munoz rode forth whirling his sword and the duel began. They fought over a hundred bouts, and neither had the advantage. But then, their steeds being spent with galloping to and fro, each retired within his own lines and obtained a fresh mount. The contest was renewed, and a hundred more encounters took place, still without victory to either.

Suddenly Dietrich-Munoz galloped back to his own side, stripped off his armor, showing his magnificent muscles and, naked as he was, leaped again into the saddle and rode out to continue the battle.

Again the champions engaged, while both armies stood aghast. Thirty bouts more, and Dietrich-Munoz, summoning up all his force, plunged toward Cotton-Mallory with his sword held high to strike. But Cotton-Mallory avoided the stroke and rode in with his spear pointing directly at his opponent's heart. Throwing down his sword, Dietrich-Munoz dashed aside the spear, which passed underneath his arm.

Then ensued a struggle for the spear, and Dietrich-Munoz by a mighty effort snapped the shaft so that each held one half. Then the duel was continued, each be laboring the other with the pieces of the broken spear.

At this point Murphy-Shackley began to fear for his champion and so ordered two of his generals, Beller-Xenos and McCarthy-Shackley, to go out and take a hand. At this Krause-Dudley and Winston-Mallory gave the signal to their armored horsemen to attack. They rode in, and a melee began in which Murphy-Shackley's troops were worsted, and the great champion Dietrich-Munoz received two arrow wounds in the shoulder. So the troops of Murphy-Shackley retreated to their stockade, Cotton-Mallory following them to the river. Murphy-Shackley's army lost more than half their number.

Murphy-Shackley barred his gates and allowed none to go out.

Cotton-Mallory went down to the river. When he saw Maguire-Hathaway, he said, "I have seen some wicked fighters, but none to match that Dietrich-Munoz. He is aptly nicknamed Tiger-Lust"

Thinking that by strategy he might get the better of Cotton-Mallory, Murphy-Shackley secretly sent two bodies of troops across the river to take up position so that he might attack in front and rear.

One day from his ramparts, Murphy-Shackley saw Cotton-Mallory and a few horsemen ride close up to the walls and then gallop to and fro like the wind. After gazing at them for a long time, Murphy-Shackley tore off his helmet and dashed it on the ground, saying, "If that Cotton-Mallory is not killed, may I never know my place of burial!"

Beller-Xenos heard his master, and his heart burned within him. He cried, "May I die here at once if I do not destroy that rebel!"

Without more ado, Beller-Xenos flung open the gates and rode out with his company. Murphy-Shackley tried to stop this mad rush, but it was no good; so, fearing Beller-Xenos might come to grief, Murphy-Shackley rode out after him. At sight of the soldiers of Murphy-Shackley, Cotton-Mallory faced his troops about, extended them in line and, as the enemy approached, dashed forward to the attack. Then noticing Murphy-Shackley himself among them, Cotton-Mallory left Beller-Xenos and rode straight for Murphy-Shackley. Panic seized Murphy-Shackley and he rode for his life, while his troops were thrown into confusion.

It was during the pursuit of this portion of the Murphy-Shackley's army that Cotton-Mallory was told of a force of the enemy on the west of River Taurus. Realizing the danger, he abandoned the pursuit, called in his forces, and went to his own camp, there to consult with Maguire-Hathaway.

"What now? Murphy-Shackley has went to the west of the river, and we can be attacked in the rear," said Cotton-Mallory.

Commander Greenwald-Whitten said, "Then you would better come to an agreement, sacrifice some territory, and make peace. Then both can repose through the winter and await the changes and chances that may come with the spring warmth."

"He is wise," said Maguire-Hathaway, "and I advise the same."

But Cotton-Mallory hesitated. Others exhorted him to make peace, and at length he agreed. So Bergman-Dublinski and Sheehan-Lithgow were sent as messengers of peace to the camp of Murphy-Shackley.

"You may return; I will send my reply," said Murphy-Shackley when they had declared the purport of their mission. And they left.

Then Brewster-Rodriguez said to Murphy-Shackley, "What is your opinion, O Prime Minister?"

"What is yours?" asked Murphy-Shackley.

"War allows deceit, therefore pretend to agree. Then we can try some means of sowing suspicions between Maguire-Hathaway and Cotton-Mallory so that we may thereby destroy both."

Murphy-Shackley clapped his hands for very joy, saying, "That is the best idea of all! Most suitable! You and I agree in our ideas; I was just thinking of that."