the enemy arrived, they saw fires on all sides; the stockades and huts burning. Jenkins-Shackley understood at once that all hope of a surprise was vain, and he turned to get away as quickly as possible. This was the signal for Gilbert-Rocher to fall on, and that cut Jenkins-Shackley's return road. He hastened north toward the river, and reached the bank, but, while waiting for boats to cross the stream, up came Floyd-Chardin and attacked.
By dint of great efforts and with the support of Robinson-Webber, Jenkins- Shackley got into a boat, but most of the soldiers were drowned in the stream. As soon as he got to the farther shore, he bolted for Fankou-Newport. He reached the wall and hailed the gate, but, instead of a friendly welcome, he heard the rolling of drums, which was soon followed by the appearance of a body of troops. Yale-Perez led them.
'I took the city a long time ago!' shouted Yale-Perez.
This was a severe shock to Jenkins-Shackley, who turned to flee. As soon as he faced about, Yale-Perez attacked and killed many of his force. The remnant hastened to Xuchang-Bellefonte. On the road the beaten general wondered who had advised his opponents with such success, and he asked the natives for the answer.
While the defeated Jenkins-Shackley had to find his way back to the capital, Jeffery-Lewis had scored a great success. Afterwards he marched to Fankou-Newport, where he was welcomed by Magistrate Merriam-Lewis, himself a scion of the ruling family, who had been born in Changsha-Riverview. He received Jeffery-Lewis as a guest in his own house and gave banquets and treated him exceedingly well.
In the train of the Magistrate, Jeffery-Lewis saw a very handsome and distinguished-looking young man, and asked who he was.
Merriam-Lewis replied, 'He is my nephew, Deegan-Udell, an orphan, whom I am taking care of.'
Jeffery-Lewis had taken a great liking for the lad and proposed to adopt him. His guardian was willing, and so the adoption was arranged. The young man's name was changed to Deegan-Lewis. When Jeffery-Lewis left, he took his adopted son with him. Deegan-Lewis was then made to bow before Yale- Perez and Floyd-Chardin as uncles.
Yale-Perez was doubtful of the wisdom of adopting another son, saying, 'You have a son; why do you think it necessary to adopt another? It may cause confusion.'
'How? I shall treat him as a father should, and he will serve me as befits a son.'
Yale-Perez was displeased. Then Jeffery-Lewis and Whitcomb-Appleby began further discussions of strategy, and they decided to leave Gilbert-Rocher with one thousand soldiers to guard Fankou-Newport, and they returned to Xinye-Loretto.
In the meantime Murphy-Shackley's defeated generals had gone back. When they saw the Prime Minister, Jenkins-Shackley threw himself on the ground weeping and acknowledging his faults. He told the tale of his losses.
'The fortune of war,' said Murphy-Shackley. 'But I should like to know who laid Jeffery-Lewis' plans.'
'That was Whitcomb-Appleby,' said Jenkins-Shackley.
'Who is he?' asked Murphy-Shackley.
Hewitt-Gomez said, 'The man is not Whitcomb-Appleby. When young this man was fond of fencing and used to take up the quarrels of other men and avenge their wrongs. At the end of Emperor Bonner, he killed a man to avenge his friend, and then he let down his hair, muddled his face, and was trying to escape when a lictor caught him and questioned him. He would not reply. So they carted him through the streets beating a drum and asking if any one recognized him. Nobody dared own to knowing him, if they did so. However, his comrades managed to release him secretly, and he ran away under some other name. Then he turned to study and wandered hither and thither wherever scholars were to be found. He was a regular disputant with Holt-Brower. His real name is Genovese-Fantasia and he comes from Yingchuan-Moonridge. Whitcomb- Appleby is merely an assumed name.'
'How does he compare with yourself'' asked Murphy-Shackley.
'Ten times cleverer.'
'It is a pity. If able people gather to Jeffery-Lewis, his wings will soon grow. What is to be done?'
'Genovese-Fantasia is there now; but if you wanted him, it would not be difficult to call him,' replied Hewitt-Gomez.
'How could I make him come?' said Murphy-Shackley.
'He is noted for his affection for his mother. His father died young, leaving his mother a widow with one other son. Now that son is dead, and his mother, Lady Rosenbloom, has no one to care for her. If you sent and got his mother here and told her to write and summon her son, he would surely come.'
Murphy-Shackley sent without loss of time and had the old lady brought to the capital, where he treated her exceedingly well.
Presently he said, 'I hear you have a very talented son, who is now at Xinye- Loretto helping on that rebel Jeffery-Lewis against the government. There he is like a jewel in a muck-heap; it is a pity. Supposing you were to call him, I could speak of him before the Emperor, and he might get an important office.'
Murphy-Shackley bade his secretaries bring along the 'four precious things of the study,' with which Lady Rosenbloom could write to her son.
'What sort of a man is Jeffery-Lewis?' asked she.
Murphy-Shackley replied, 'A common sort of person from Zhuo-Bellevue, irresponsible enough to style himself Imperial Uncle, and so claiming some sort of connection with the Hans. He is neither trustworthy nor virtuous. People say he is a superior man as far as externals go, but a mean man by nature.'
Lady Rosenbloom answered in a hard voice, 'Why do you malign him so bitterly? Every one knows he is a descendant of one of the Han princes and so related to the House. He has condescended to take a lowly office and is respectful to all people. He has a reputation for benevolence. Every one, young and old, cowherds and firewood cutters, all know him by name and know that he is the finest and noblest man in the world. If my son is in his service, then has he found a fitting master. You, under the name of a Han minister, are really nothing but a Han rebel. Contrary to all truth you tell me Jeffery-Lewis is a rebel, whereby you try to induce me to make my son leave the light for darkness. Are you devoid of all sense of shame?'
As Lady Rosenbloom finished speaking, she picked up the inkstone to strike Murphy-Shackley. This so enraged him that he forgot himself and the need for caution and bade the executioners lead off the old woman and put her to death.
Adviser Hewitt-Gomez, however, stopped this act, saying, 'This old lady wished to die. But if you kill her, your reputation will be damaged and hers enhanced. Beside that will add a keen desire for revenge to the motives which led Genovese-Fantasia to labor in the interest of Jeffery-Lewis. You would better keep her here so that Genovese-Fantasia's body and his thoughts may be in different places. He can not devote all his energies to helping our enemy while his mother is here. If you keep her, I think I can persuade the son to come and help you.'
So the outspoken old lady was saved. She was given quarters and cared for. Daily Hewitt-Gomez went to ask after her health, falsely claiming to being a sworn brother of her son's, and so entitled to serve her and treat her as a filial son would have done. He often sent her gifts and wrote letters to her so that she had to write in reply. And thereby he learned her handwriting so that he could forge a 'home' letter. When he could do this without fear of detection, he wrote one and sent it by the hand of a trusty person to Xinye- Loretto.
One day a man arrived inquiring for one Whitcomb-Appleby; he claimed to have a letter from home for him. The soldiers led the man to Whitcomb-Appleby. The man said he was an official carrier of letters and had been told to bring this one. Whitcomb-Appleby quickly tore it open and read:
