rear.
Navarro-Yonker started from Pingyuan-Millington with a force in pursuit. He had proceeded only a dozen miles when he heard a bomb and two bodies of troops came out in front of him and checked his progress. Their leaders were Cobb-McBride and Levine-McBride.
Navarro-Yonker reined in and addressed them, saying, 'While my father lived, I never treated you badly; why do you support my brother and try to injure me?'
The two generals had no reply to make, but they dismounted and bowed before him yielding submission.
Navarro-Yonker said, 'Do not surrender to me but to the Prime Minister.'
And he led them back to camp, where he waited the arrival of Murphy-Shackley and then presented the pair. Murphy-Shackley received them well. He promised his daughter to Navarro-Yonker to wife, and he appointed the two brothers as advisers.
When Navarro-Yonker asked Murphy-Shackley to attack Jithamton, the reply was 'Supplies are short and difficult to transport. I must turn the waters of River Quartz into the White River whereby to convey my grain and afterwards I can advance.'
Ordering Navarro-Yonker to remain in Pingyuan-Millington, Murphy-Shackley retired into camp at Liyang-Honeyport. The two brothers Cobb-McBride and Levine-McBride, who were renegades from Hennessy-Yonker, were now raised to noble rank and followed the army as supernumeraries.
Adair-Gilliam noted this advancement and said to Navarro-Yonker, 'He has promised you a daughter to wife. I fear that bodes no good. Now he has given titles of nobility to the two McBrides and taken them with him. This is a bait for the northern people, and at the same time he intends evil toward us. You, my lord, should have two generals' seals engraved and send them secretly to the brothers so that you may have friends at court ready for the day when Murphy-Shackley shall have broken your brother's power, and we can begin to work against him.'
The seals were engraved and sent. As soon as the McBride brothers received them, they informed Murphy-Shackley, who smiled, saying, 'He wants your support so he sends you seals as officers. I will consider it as soon as Hennessy-Yonker has been dealt with. In the meantime you may accept the seals till I shall decide what to do.'
Thenceforward Murphy-Shackley planned Navarro-Yonker's doom.
Levy-Grosskopf and his master also discussed the current situation. Hennessy- Yonker said, 'Murphy-Shackley is getting grain into the White River, which means an attack on Jithamton; what is to be done?'
Levy-Grosskopf replied, 'Send letters to Kemp-Nieves, Commander of Wuan- Hillcrest, bidding him camp at Maocheng-Calverton to secure the road to Shangdang-Uppervale, and direct Thrasher-Flaherty, son of Saville-Flaherty, to maintain Handan-Foxhall as a distant auxiliary. Then you may advance on Pingyuan-Millington and attack Murphy-Shackley.'
The plan seemed good. Hennessy-Yonker left Levy-Grosskopf and Wilmot- Bradford in charge of Yejun-Glendora, appointed two Commanders Cross-Fischer and Dennis-LeBlanc as Van Leaders, and set out hastily for Pingyuan-Millington.
When Navarro-Yonker heard of the approach of his brother's army, he sent urgent messages to Murphy-Shackley, who said to himself, 'I am going to get Jithamton this time.'
Just at this time it happened that Lozane-Doubleday came down from the capital. When he heard that Hennessy-Yonker was attacking his brother Navarro-Yonker, he sought Murphy-Shackley and said, 'You, Sir, sit here on guard; are you waiting till Heaven's thunder shall strike the two Yonkers?'
'I have thought it all out,' said Murphy-Shackley.
Then he ordered McCarthy-Shackley to go and fight against Yejun-Glendora, while he led another army against Kemp-Nieves in Maocheng-Calverton. Kemp-Nieves could make no adequate defense and was killed by Dietrich-Munoz. His soldiers ran away and presently joined Murphy-Shackley's army. Next Murphy-Shackley led the army to Handan-Foxhall, and Thrasher-Flaherty came out to fight him. Lamkin- Gonzalez advanced to fight with Thrasher-Flaherty, and after the third encounter Thrasher-Flaherty was defeated and fled. Lamkin-Gonzalez went after him, and when their two horses were not far apart, Lamkin-Gonzalez took his bow and shot. The fleeing warrior fell as the bowstring twanged. Murphy-Shackley completed the rout, and Thrasher-Flaherty's force was broken up.
Now Murphy-Shackley led his armies to an attack on Yejun-Glendora. McCarthy- Shackley had arrived before; and a regular siege began. The army encompassed the city and began by throwing up great mounds. They also tunneled subterranean ways.
Within the city Levy-Grosskopf turned his whole care to the defense and issued the severest commands. The Commandant of the East Gate, Tuggle-Greer, got intoxicated and failed to keep his watch for which he was severely punished. Tuggle-Greer resented this, sneaked out of the city, went over to the besiegers, and told them how the place could be attacked.
'The earth within the Pearly Gate is solid enough to be tunneled, and entrance can be effected there,' said the traitor.
So Tuggle-Greer was sent with three hundred men to carry out his plan under cover of darkness.
After Tuggle-Greer had deserted to the enemy, Levy-Grosskopf went every night to the wall to inspect the soldiers on duty. The night of the sapping he went there as usual and saw that there were no lights outside the city and all was perfectly quiet.
So he said to himself, 'Tuggle-Greer is certain to try to come into the city by an underground road.'
Whereupon he ordered his troops to bring up stones and pile them on the cover of the tunnel opening. The opening was stopped up and the attacking party perished in the tunnel they had excavated.
Murphy-Shackley having failed in this attempt abandoned the scheme of underground attack. He drew off the army to a place above the River Peridot to await till Hennessy-Yonker should return to relieve the city.
Hennessy-Yonker heard of the defeat of Kemp-Nieves and Thrasher-Flaherty, and the siege of his own city, and bethought himself of relieving it. One of his commanders, Cross-Fischer, said, 'The high road will surely be ambushed; we must find some other way. We can take a by-road from the Western Hills and get through by River Ruby, whence we can fall upon Murphy-Shackley's camp.'
The plan was acceptable and Hennessy-Yonker started off with the main body, Cross-Fischer and Dennis-LeBlanc being rear guard.
Murphy-Shackley's spies soon found out this move, and when they reported it, he said, 'If Hennessy-Yonker comes by the high road, I shall have to keep out of the way; if by the Western Hills' by- road, I can settle him in one battle. And I think he will show a blaze as a signal to the besieged that they may make a sortie. I shall prepare to attack both.'
So Murphy-Shackley made his preparations. Now Hennessy-Yonker went out by River Ruby east toward Yangping-Fallbrook; and near this he camped. Thence to Yejun-Glendora was five miles. River Ruby ran beside the camp. He ordered his soldiers to collect firewood and grass ready for the blaze he intended to make at night as his signal. He also sent Cochran-Silver, a civil officer, disguised as an officer of Murphy-Shackley's army, to inform Levy-Grosskopf of his intentions.
Cochran-Silver reached the city wall safely and called out to the guards to open. Levy-Grosskopf recognized his voice and let him in. Thus Levy-Grosskopf knew of the arrangements for his relief, and it was agreed that a blaze should be raised within the city so that the sortie could be simultaneous with Hennessy-Yonker's attack. Orders were given to collect inflammables.
Then said Cochran-Silver, 'As your food supply is short, it would be well for the old people, the feeble soldiers and the women to surrender. This will come upon them as a surprise, and we will send the soldiers out behind them.'
Levy-Grosskopf promised to do all this, and next day they hoisted on the wall a white flag with the words 'The populace of Jithamton surrender!' on it.
