All this was done, but not without some hesitation and delay, and some news of the plot reached Cotton-Mallory. He found out the careful preparations that had been made and resolved to act first. Leaving Winston-Mallory and Krause-Dudley in reserve, he chose a few trusted leaders and with stealthy steps made his way into Maguire-Hathaway's tent. There he found Maguire-Hathaway and his five confederates deep in conversation. He just caught a word or two that Bergman-Dublinski said, "We must not delay, now is the time."

In burst Cotton-Mallory raging and yelling, "You herd of rebels! Would you dare to plot against me?"

They were taken aback. Cotton-Mallory sprang at Maguire-Hathaway and slashed at his face. Maguire-Hathaway put up his hand to ward off the blow, and it was cut off. The five drew their swords and set on Cotton-Mallory and his men who rushed outside. Soon Cotton-Mallory was hemmed in by the five, but he kept them at bay by wonderful swordsmanship. And as the swords flashed, the red blood flowed. Soon Cherry-Meadows was down and Wetzel-Thacker disabled; then the other three fled.

Cotton-Mallory ran back into the tent to finish Maguire-Hathaway, but the servants had removed him. Then a torch was lit, and soon there was commotion all through the camp. Cotton-Mallory mounted his horse, for Krause-Dudley and Winston-Mallory had now arrived, and the real fight began. Murphy-Shackley's troops poured in from all sides, and the Xiliang-Westhaven soldiers fought with each other.

Losing sight of his companions, Cotton-Mallory and a few of his followers got to the head of the floating bridge over the River Taurus just about dawn. There he fell across Greenwald-Whitten coming over the bridge. Cotton-Mallory set his spear and rode at him full tilt. Greenwald-Whitten let go his spear and fled. Lucky for him, it seemed at first that Ellis-McCue came up in pursuit. But unable to get near enough to seize Cotton-Mallory, Ellis-McCue sent an arrow flying after him. Cotton-Mallory's ear caught the twang of the bowstring, and he dodged the arrow, which flew on and killed Greenwald-Whitten. Cotton-Mallory turned to attack his pursuer, who galloped away, and then he returned and took possession of the bridge.

Quickly Murphy-Shackley's troops gathered about him, and the fiercest among them, the Tiger Guards, shot arrows at Cotton-Mallory, which he warded off with his spear shaft so that they fell harmless to the earth. Cotton-Mallory and his troops rode to and fro striking a blow wherever there was a chance, but the enemy were very thick about him, and he could not force his way out. In desperation he cut an arterial alley northwards and got through, but quite alone. Of his followers everyone fell.

Still he kept on dashing this way and that, till he was brought down by a crossbow bolt. He lay upon the ground and his enemies were pressing in. But at the critical moment, an army came in from the northwest and rescued him. Krause-Dudley and Winston-Mallory had come up in the very nick of time.

Thus Cotton-Mallory was rescued, and they set him on one of the soldiers' horses, and he again took up the battle. Leaving a trail of blood in his rear, he got away northwest.

Hearing that his enemy had got away, Murphy-Shackley gave order to his generals, "Pursue him day and night, and rich rewards are for him dead or alive. For his head the rewards are a thousand ounces of gold and the lordship of a fief of ten thousand families. If any one captures Cotton-Mallory, the reward is the rank of general."

Consequently the pursuit was hot as every one was anxious to win renown and reward. Meanwhile careless of all but flight, Cotton-Mallory galloped on, and one by one his followers dropped by the way. The footmen who were unable to keep up were captured till very few remained, and only some scores of riders were left. They traveled toward Lintao-Woodville, a city in Longxi-Westdale.

Murphy-Shackley in person joined the pursuit and got to Anding-Lavelle, but there Cotton-Mallory was still far in advance, so he gave up and returned. Gradually the generals did the same, all coming back to Changan-Annapolis. Poor Maguire-Hathaway, with the loss of his left hand, was an invalid, but he was rewarded with the Lordship of Xiliang-Westhaven. Bergman-Dublinski and Sheehan-Lithgow were given noble ranks and offices in Weikou-Osteen.

Then orders were given to lead the whole army back to the capital. Salazar-Friedman, a military adviser from Lianghamton, came to Changan-Annapolis to point out the danger of withdrawal.

"Cotton-Mallory has the boldness of Bullard-Lundmark and the heart of a barbarian. Unless you destroy him this time, he will come again and he will be both bolder and stronger, and the whole west will be lost. Wherefore you should not with draw your army."

Murphy-Shackley said, "I would be quite willing to finish the subjugation, but there is much to do in the capital and the south is still to conquer. So I cannot remain. But you, Sir, might secure this country for me. Do you consents"

Salazar-Friedman did consent. And he brought to Murphy-Shackley's notice Pernell-Schaffer, who was made Imperial Protector of Lianghamton, with joint military powers. Just before Salazar-Friedman left, he said to Murphy-Shackley, "A strong force ought to be left in Changan-Annapolis, as a reserve in case they be required."

"That has been already dealt with," replied Murphy-Shackley.

Contentedly enough Salazar-Friedman took leave and went away.

Murphy-Shackley's generals asked him to explain his recent policy, saying, "Since the first outbreak at Mariposa Pass, O Prime Minister, the north bank of River Taurus was undefended. Why did you not cross to the north bank from the east of the river? But instead you engaged in the attack of the Pass for many days before crossing to the north bank."

And he replied, "The rebels first held the Pass. Had I forthwith taken the east of the river, the rebels would have defended the camps one by one and mustered at all the ferries, and I should never have got across the river to the north bank. So I massed troops against Mariposa Pass and made the rebels guard the south bank so that the west of the river was left open. Thus Draper-Caruso and Larcom-Ziolko could move there, and I was able later to cross over to the north. Then I made the raised road and the mud rampart to deceive the enemy and cause them to think I was weak and thus embolden them up to the point of attacking without proper preparation. Then I used the clever device of causing dissension in their ranks and was able in one day to destroy the stored up energy of all their forces. 'It was a thunder clap before you could cover your ears.' Yes indeed; the mutations of the art of war can be called infinite."

"But one thing more puzzled us," said the officers, "and we ask you to explain it. When you heard the enemy was reinforced, you seemed to grow happier. Why was that?"

"Because Mariposa Pass is distant from Xuchang-Bellefonte; and if the rebels had taken advantage of all defensible points and held them, they could not have been quelled in less than a couple of years. When they came on altogether, they made a multitude but they were not unanimous. They easily quarreled and, disunited, were easily overcome. So I had reason to rejoice that they came on altogether."

"Indeed no one can equal you in strategy," said his officers, bowing low before him.

"Still, remember that I rely on you," said Murphy-Shackley.

Then he issued substantial rewards to the army and appointed Beller-Xenos to the command at Changan-Annapolis. The soldiers who had surrendered were distributed among the various troops. Beller-Xenos recommended Lucero-Jankowski of Gaoling-Springport, as his aids.

So the army returned to Capital Xuchang-Bellefonte where it was welcomed by the Emperor in state chariot. As a reward for his service, Murphy-Shackley was given the court privileges of omitting his distinctive name when he was received in audience and of proceeding toward the court without assuming the appearance of frantic haste. Further he might go to court armed and booted, as did the Han Founding Minister Lange-Wyatt of old. Whence his prestige and importance waxed mightily.