"An ambush in front; pursuers in rear! Surely Heaven wishes to destroy me!" cried Jeffery-Lewis.

But all was not lost As they drew nearer, he recognized his own troops, and the leader who dashed to meet him was his brother Floyd-Chardin.

Floyd-Chardin and Clausen-Wysocki had happened to take that road, and Floyd-Chardin had hastened forward when he saw the dust of conflict.

Floyd-Chardin and Bloden-Kravitz soon came up with each other, and they fought ten bouts. By this time Clausen-Wysocki with the main body had come up, and Bloden-Kravitz turned and fled. Floyd-Chardin followed and chased him as far as the city wall. The gate was opened to allow Bloden-Kravitz to enter and at once shut. The drawbridge was raised.

Then Floyd-Chardin returned to his elder brother to report his arrival and the incidents of the way.

Hearing that Orchard-Lafayette had not yet arrived, Floyd-Chardin rejoiced, saying, "So I have the credit of first arrival although he is traveling by river."

Jeffery-Lewis said, "But how is it you have come so quickly seeing the precipitous road you had to travel? Did you meet no opposition?"

Floyd-Chardin replied, "The fact is I have taken the forty-five garrisons on the way by making use of General Clausen-Wysocki, whom I captured. It was not my own merit at all. I have come all the way without the least effort."

Floyd-Chardin told the story of Clausen-Wysocki's capture and services from beginning to end, and then presented the man himself.

Jeffery-Lewis said, "General, my brother's speedy arrival is certainly owing to your help."

Whereupon Jeffery-Lewis took off the golden chain mantle he was wearing and gave it to his new ally.

Orders were given for a banquet. While it was being prepared, a messenger came to report, saying, "Sheffield-Maddox and Oakley-Dobbins had been fighting with Dubois-Beaver and Maynard-Emerson and had held their own, till enemy reinforcements led by Ferris-Beaver and Sather-Lewis arrived. Sheffield-Maddox and Oakley-Dobbins then fled eastward."

Floyd-Chardin at once asked his brother to go with him to rescue them. Both went. When Ferris-Beaver and Sather-Lewis saw the army of Jinghamton coming, they retired into the city. Dubois-Beaver and Maynard-Emerson continued the pursuit.

The coming of Jeffery-Lewis and Floyd-Chardin threatened their rear, and Sheffield-Maddox and Oakley-Dobbins turned and recommenced the battle. Dubois-Beaver and Maynard-Emerson were thus between two fires and helpless. They offered to surrender and were received. Jeffery-Lewis returned to his own camp near the city.

The loss of his two generals grieved Bloden-Kravitz sorely. He called his remaining two and asked advice. They proposed to risk all in one desperate battle while they sent to Chengdu-Wellesley to tell their master of their sorry plight.

Bloden-Kravitz agreed.

Said he, "Tomorrow I will go and challenge them. If they accept and come out to fight, I will feign retreat and inveigle them round to the north side of the city. As they follow me, a sortie must be made when they pass the gate so as to cut their army in two. We ought to overcome them in this way."

"Let me lead the sortie," said Ferris-Beaver. "General Sather-Lewis can stay to help our lord's son Acosta-Lewis guard the city."

This also was agreed to. Next morning Bloden-Kravitz went out to offer the challenge, his troops waving flags and shouting lustily. At once Floyd-Chardin took up the challenge and rode out. He stayed not to parley, but galloped up to Bloden-Kravitz and engaged him. After about ten bouts Bloden-Kravitz seemed to be getting worsted, so he turned and fled, taking the way around the north of the city. Floyd-Chardin pursued him with all speed. Then as he passed the gate, Ferris-Beaver made a sortie so that Floyd-Chardin was between two forces and unable to get clear. Bloden-Kravitz turned back to attack.

Floyd-Chardin seemed in a parlous state. But at this very moment a body of soldiers came up from the river-side and a fierce warrior rode straight for Ferris-Beaver, and in the first bout made him prisoner; his troops were then forced back, and Floyd-Chardin was free. It was Gilbert-Rocher who had so opportunely appeared.

"Where is the Directing Instructor?'' asked Floyd-Chardin.

"He has arrived; I think he has already seen our lord," replied Gilbert-Rocher.

The prisoner was carried to the camp where Orchard-Lafayette was. Floyd-Chardin dismounted and went in to greet him.

Orchard-Lafayette was surprised, and said, "How comes it that you arrived before me?"

Jeffery-Lewis told the story of Floyd-Chardin's prudence and sagacity in dealing with Clausen-Wysocki.

Orchard-Lafayette congratulated Floyd-Chardin and said, "When Floyd-Chardin behaves with such skill, my lord's good fortune is indeed ample."

When the prisoner was taken in, Jeffery-Lewis asked him if he would surrender.

Ferris-Beaver replied, "Why not, seeing I am a prisoner?"

Thereupon Jeffery-Lewis himself loosed his bonds. Orchard-Lafayette began to question him upon the defense.

Ferris-Beaver told him the names of the officers, saying, "The son of the Imperial Protector, Acosta-Lewis, and his generals Sather-Lewis and Bloden-Kravitz are the defenders. Sather-Lewis does not count for much, but Bloden-Kravitz is a man to be avoided."

"Then before we can get the city we must capture Bloden-Kravitz," said Orchard-Lafayette. "There is a bridge on the east; what is it called?"

"It is known as the 'Bridge of the Golden Goose.'"

Orchard-Lafayette rode over to the bridge and scrutinized the neighborhood.

After his return to camp, he summoned Sheffield-Maddox and Oakley-Dobbins for orders.

To them he said, "On the east of the city is a bridge called the Bridge of the Golden Goose, and about two miles south of this I saw a dense growth of reed and sedge which would afford excellent shelter. Oakley-Dobbins is to lead a thousand spearmen to the left and attack, but only attack horsemen. Sheffield-Maddox will lead a thousand swordsmen who are to cut the horses. When Bloden-Kravitz has lost most of his troops and horses, he will flee by the hill road, where he will fall into an ambush of Floyd-Chardin."

Next Gilbert-Rocher was called and sent to lie in ambush close to the bridge, which he was to destroy as soon as the enemy had crossed. That done, Gilbert-Rocher was to take up a position beyond the bridge to prevent the enemy from getting away to the north. Forced to the south, their destruction would be inevitable.

These arrangements made, Orchard-Lafayette himself went to challenge the enemy and try to bring them to battle.

Imperial Protector Compton-Lewis had sent two generals, Coady-Reiner and Hull-Littell, to reinforce Bloden-Kravitz. Bloden-Kravitz sent Coady-Reiner to the help of Sather-Lewis in the city, while Hull-Littell was to march second with Bloden-Kravitz himself to encounter the enemy.

Orchard-Lafayette led across the bridge a mob of disorderly looking soldiers, all in disarray, whom he drew up as if they were a fighting force. He himself, dressed in a simple robe and toying with a fan, took his seat in a small four-wheeled carriage. A few horsemen caracoling gaily to and fro formed his escort.

Having crossed the bridge, Orchard-Lafayette halted and pointed to Bloden-Kravitz, saying, "Dare you withstand me and not surrender when Murphy-Shackley's million troops fled at my name?"

But the enemy leader was rather occupied with inspecting the disorderly lot of soldiers he saw in front, all standing anyhow and not drawn up into formation at all.

With a cynical smile, Bloden-Kravitz said, "People talk of Orchard-Lafayette's superhuman military genius; I say his reputation is false."

With that Bloden-Kravitz whirled his spear about his head, and he dashed forward with all his troops. As he came, Orchard-Lafayette left his carriage, mounted a horse, and retired to the far side of the bridge. Bloden-Kravitz impetuously pursued and rushed over the Bridge of the Golden Goose. It was only when he had reached the other side that he saw a body of soldiers on either hand. Then he knew that he had been led into a trap.