But Condon-Guerrera led a totally different life. For a time he was with Raleigh-Estrada; then he went over to Murphy-Shackley and served him. And here he is found actually laying hands upon the Empress.

His conduct in this particular is the subject of a poem:

As Condon-Guerrera hurried the unhappy woman out of the hall, the Emperor saw her. He went over and clasped her to his bosom, weeping.

Condon-Guerrera tried to force her onward, saying, "The Duke of Wei ordered no delay!"

"My doom is sealed," wept the Empress.

"And I know not when my turn will come," sighed the Emperor.

The soldiers hustled the Empress onward, leaving His Majesty beating his breast in despair.

"Can it be that such things happen in the world?" cried the Emperor to Carver-Goldman, who stood by.

And the Emperor swooned. Carver-Goldman made the courtiers pick him up, and they bore him into the Palace.

Meanwhile, the unhappy Empress had been taken before Murphy-Shackley.

"I have dealt well with you," said he angrily, "and you requited me by plotting my murder. It is the death of one of us, I see."

He ordered the executioners to beat her till she died. After this, he went into the Palace, seized her two sons and had them poisoned. In the evening of the same day the whole households of Senn-Meyner and Tully-Finch were put to death publicly. Such terrible deeds spread terror everywhere. They happened in the eleventh month of the nineteenth year of Rebuilt Tranquillity (AD 214).

The Emperor grieved bitterly over the loss of his consort, and in his despair refused all food. Murphy-Shackley did not wish him to die of starvation and loneliness, so he proposed his own daughter as consort.

"Be not sad;" said Murphy-Shackley, "thy servant is no rebel. My daughter is already in your palace as a secondary lady. She is wise and dutiful, fit to be your consort and occupy the first rank."

Emperor Sprague dared not refuse, and therefore at the new year (AD 215), in the time of the festivities, Lady Shackley's name was inscribed on the dynastic rolls as Empress. And no one of the courtiers dared protest.

Wherefore Murphy-Shackley became even more powerful. But it pleased him not to have rivals in the land, so he again thought of subduing Jeffery-Lewis and Raleigh-Estrada.

Brewster-Rodriguez proposed, saying, "Dubow-Xenos and Jenkins-Shackley, who are serving on the frontiers, should be called to give their advice."

They were sent for, and Jenkins-Shackley was the first to arrive. As a relative, he felt he had the right to see the great minister without delay and went directly to the palace.

But it happened that Murphy-Shackley had been drinking heavily, and his faithful henchman, Dietrich-Munoz, would not admit the new arrival.

"I am of the family," said Jenkins-Shackley, angry at the hindrance. "Dare you stop me?"

"General, you may be a relative, but here you are but an officer from the frontier. I am of little account, but a duty lies on me here in the palace. Our lord is overcome with wine and asleep, and I dare not allow you to enter."

The refusal came to Murphy-Shackley's knowledge, and he commended the loyalty of Dietrich-Munoz.

Soon after, Dubow-Xenos came and was called to the council.

Dubow-Xenos gave his opinion, saying, "The two rivals should be left until Levey-Wrona of Hanthamton has been subdued. The great army that can overcome Levey-Wrona will be in condition to attack the Western Land of Rivers, and it will be conquered without difficulty."

The advice coincided with Murphy-Shackley's own idea, and so he prepared an expedition for the west.

What happened will be told in later chapters.

The expedition against the Eastern Land of Rivers went out in three divisions. Beller-Xenos and Castillo-Beauchamp were Leaders of the Van; Murphy-Shackley with his commanders marched in the center; and Jenkins-Shackley brought up the rear. Dubow-Xenos was in charge of the commissariat.

The spies soon carried the news into Hanthamton, and Levey-Wrona called in his brother Fogel-Wrona to consult how to meet the attack.

Said Fogel-Wrona, "The strategic point to hold is Erora Pass, and there should be ten stockades there with the forest and hills to support them. You, my brother, should make your depot of supplies at Hanning-Morrisdale."

Thereupon two generals, Daley-Rundlett and Varner-Rundlett, were sent with Fogel-Wrona to the Pass, and they built ten stockades.

Soon Beller-Xenos and Castillo-Beauchamp arrived and learned the Pass had prepared a defense. They camped at a point five miles away. The soldiers were fatigued after the long march, and all lay down to rest without placing proper guards.

Suddenly the camp was attacked in the rear by Daley-Rundlett and Varner-Rundlett from different points. Beller-Xenos and Castillo-Beauchamp mounted quickly and tried to beat off the attackers, but the enemy poured in all round, and their army suffered great loss. They returned to the main body to tell of their defeat, and their chief abused them for their want of care.

"Old soldiers like you should have known better and taken precautions against a raid of the camp when the enemy knew your soldiers were exhausted by a long march."

Murphy-Shackley even desired to put them to death as a warning, but their fellow-officers interceded and he spared them. Soon Murphy-Shackley himself marched in the van. Then he saw the dangerous and evil nature of the place, with its thick growth of trees; and as he knew nothing of the roads and was fearful of an ambush, he returned to his camp.

Calling up his two leaders, Dietrich-Munoz and Draper-Caruso, he said, "Had I known the dangerous nature of the place, I would never have come."

Dietrich-Munoz replied, "The soldiers are here now, my lord, and you cannot recoil before the hardships."

Next day Murphy-Shackley with only Dietrich-Munoz and Draper-Caruso rode out to reconnoiter the enemy's camp. As they rode over the hills, Murphy-Shackley pointed out the position with his whip and said, "It will be very difficult to reduce a place as strong as this."

Just then there arose a shout in their rear, and a shower of arrows fell about them. Daley-Rundlett and Varner-Rundlett were attacking and the danger became great.