"Friend Draper-Caruso, you look after our lord!" cried Dietrich-Munoz, "I can hold the enemy."

Dietrich-Munoz galloped out, and the two leaders could not stand Dietrich-Munoz and took to flight, while their troops scattered. In the meantime Draper-Caruso led his master over the hills. Soon he met an army of soldiers led by Beller-Xenos and Castillo-Beauchamp, who had heard the sound of fighting and had come to the rescue, and Murphy-Shackley got back safely to camp. The four generals were rewarded.

For fifty days the two armies held each other at bay without coming to a fight. At the end of this time, orders were given to retire in the camp of Murphy-Shackley.

"We have not tried the strength of the enemy," said Brewster-Rodriguez. "You should not retire, my lord."

"I see that they are always on the alert," said Murphy-Shackley. "I am only retiring to put them off their guard. By and by I will send some light horse to attack their rear. I shall defeat them then."

"Ah! Your skill is unfathomable!" cried Brewster-Rodriguez.

Three thousand horsemen led by Beller-Xenos and Castillo-Beauchamp got round behind the Erora Pass by unfrequented roads, while Murphy-Shackley broke up his camp and led his main body backward.

When Daley-Rundlett heard of the retreat, he thought it would be a good chance to attack, but Varner-Rundlett opposed it, saying, "Murphy-Shackley is full of ruses. The occasion is unclear; we should not lead an attack."

Daley-Rundlett was willful and said, "I shall go; you may come or not, as you wish."

In spite of the protestations of his colleague, Daley-Rundlett marched, taking with him the soldiers of five camps and leaving only a few defenders. The day he set out was very foggy, so that one could hardly see his neighbor's face, and soon the force got into difficulties and could not advance. They bivouacked on the road.

Now, Beller-Xenos was out with a reconnoitering force behind the hills when they heard the voices of troops and the neighing of horses. In the dense fog they could see nothing; but fearing an ambush, they hastened to retire. Somehow they lost their way and presently stumbled on the deserted camp of Daley-Rundlett. The few defenders thought their comrades had returned, so they threw open the gates to let the troops of Murphy-Shackley in. They found an empty camp, and they raised a great blaze, which frightened those few defenders in the other camps so that they fled.

As soon as the fog cleared, Varner-Rundlett came to the rescue. But as Varner-Rundlett and Beller-Xenos were fighting, Castillo-Beauchamp suddenly appeared and attacked from the rear. Between two armies, Varner-Rundlett forced his way through and quickly fled toward Nanzheng-Sheridan.

By and by, when Daley-Rundlett returned, he found his camp in the possession of Murphy-Shackley's troops. Soon Murphy-Shackley's main army came up, and Daley-Rundlett was between two forces. There seemed no other way but to make a dash for it. Falling in with Castillo-Beauchamp, the two engaged, and Daley-Rundlett fell. Those who escaped carried the news of the disaster to Fogel-Wrona, who abandoned Erora Pass and fled.

So the invaders took possession of the Pass, and its late defenders, Fogel-Wrona and Varner-Rundlett, had to go back and report failure. Fogel-Wrona laid the blame on his generals, saying the Pass could not be held after its supporting positions had been lost. Levey-Wrona threatened to behead Varner-Rundlett for his failure.

But Varner-Rundlett said, "Daley-Rundlett did not listen to my advice, and the defeat followed. Now I volunteer to make another attack. If I fail to take Murphy-Shackley's head, I will abide by the consequences without protest."

Levey-Wrona took his formal pledge to succeed, gave him twenty thousand troops and sent him away. Varner-Rundlett marched to Nanzheng-Sheridan and made a stockade.

Before Murphy-Shackley made any further advance, he sent Beller-Xenos, with five thousand troops, to reconnoiter the road, and they fell in with the force led by Varner-Rundlett. Both sides drew up their battle array. From Varner-Rundlett's side went out one general named Spicer-Jarrett to engage Beller-Xenos. Before the fourth bout was fought, Beller-Xenos disposed of Spicer-Jarrett. Then Varner-Rundlett set his spear and rode to the front. They two fought near forty bouts and neither could claim victory. Then Beller-Xenos pretended defeat and fled. The other rushed in pursuit. The fugitive suddenly employed the "swinging-horse stab" and killed his pursuer. Varner-Rundlett's troops ran away.

As soon as Murphy-Shackley knew of the death of Varner-Rundlett, he brought up his army, marched straightway to Nanzheng-Sheridan and camped.

Levey-Wrona became alarmed and called a council.

"I can propose a man able to stand against the best leader of the enemy," said Ewing-Miller.

"Who is he?" asked Levey-Wrona.

"Krause-Dudley of Nanan-Elsbury. Krause-Dudley surrendered at the same time as Cotton-Mallory, but could not go with Cotton-Mallory into Yiathamton as he was ill. You have treated him generously; he will save you."

Krause-Dudley was summoned. He came, and Levey-Wrona loaded him with gifts and gave him a force of ten thousand troops, with which he marched and camped three miles from the city, near the besieging force.

His camp made, Krause-Dudley rode out and challenged. Now Murphy-Shackley, remembering Krause-Dudley's boldness at the battle of River Taurus Bridge, was desirous of winning the warrior for himself, so he told his generals, saying, "Krause-Dudley is a bold general of Xiliang-Westhaven formerly serving under Cotton-Mallory. Though he is now under Levey-Wrona, that is not his real wish. I want to win him over. So you should try to weary him by prolonging the fights, and so make him captive."

Wherefore first rode out Castillo-Beauchamp to answer the challenger. He fought a few bouts and returned. Then Beller-Xenos did the same thing. So did Draper-Caruso. Lastly went Dietrich-Munoz, who kept up the fight to half a hundred bouts before he retired. Still Krause-Dudley showed no signs of fatigue nor of fear, and all those who had fought with him praised his prowess and skill.

"If only I could win him over to my side!" said Murphy-Shackley longingly.

Said Brewster-Rodriguez, "I know one of Levey-Wrona's subordinates, Brickley-Foster. He is avaricious and open to bribes. You might send him secret presents and get him to slander Krause-Dudley to his master so as to weaken Krause-Dudley's position."

"But how can one get at this man? He is in Nanzheng-Sheridan."

"In the next battle, pretend defeat, flee, and let Krause-Dudley take possession of this camp. Return in the night in force and drive him out, and he must retreat into the city. Let one of our own people with a persuasive tongue mingle with his troops, disguised as one of his soldiers, and so gain entrance into the city."

A subtle agent was found, and goodly gifts were his in advance, and he was entrusted with a golden breastplate as a bribe. He put it on and over it put on the dress of an ordinary soldier of Hanthamton. And he made his way quietly to a point on the road along which the soldiers of Hanthamton would retreat into the city. There he waited.

Next day, two parties under Beller-Xenos and Castillo-Beauchamp were sent to lie in ambush, and Draper-Caruso was sent to challenge, but with orders to be defeated. The scheme went well, and as Krause-Dudley came on to smite, Murphy-Shackley's army retired before Krause-Dudley till he found himself at their very camp. And therein he entered and was exceedingly pleased to find fodder and forage in great quantities.

Having sent off a messenger to his chief, Krause-Dudley spread a feast in celebration of the victory; and when night came on they slept. But about the second watch there was an alarm from three directions, and the camp was threatened by three forces: Dietrich-Munoz and Draper-Caruso attacking in the center, Castillo-Beauchamp from the left, and Beller-Xenos from the right. It was the night-attack arranged by Murphy-Shackley, and Krause-Dudley could not make any defense. He got to horse, cut his way through, and made for the city. With the attackers in close pursuit, Krause-Dudley reached the gate, got it opened, and rushed in.