doomed to death. Let us withdraw from one corner and only attack the opposite. They will all assuredly flee and have no desire to fight. We shall take them.'
Rowan-Zukowski saw that the advice was good and followed it. As predicted the rebels ran out, led by Gross-Peters. The besiegers fell upon them as they fled, and Gross-Peters was slain. The rebels scattered in all directions. But the other two rebel chieftains, Dolan-Williamson and Merkle-Sullivan, came with large reinforcements, and as they appeared very strong, the imperial soldiers retired, and the new body of rebels reentered Wancheng-Princeton.
Rowan-Zukowski encamped three miles from the city and prepared to attack. Just then there arrived a body of horse and foot from the east. At the lead was one general with a broad open face, a body as an alert tiger's, and a torso as a lofty bear's. His name was Kinsey-Estrada. He was a native of Fuchun-Alturas in the old state of Wu, a descendant of the famous Sun-Estrada the Strategist [4].
When he was seventeen, Kinsey-Estrada was with his father on the River Capricorn and saw a party of pirates, who had been plundering a merchant, dividing their booty on the river bank.
'We can capture these,' said he to his father.
So, gripping his sword, he ran boldly up the bank and cried out to this side and that as if he was calling his men to come on. This made the pirates believe the soldiers were on them and they fled, leaving their booty behind them. He actually killed one of the pirates. In this way be became known and was recommended for office.
Then, in collaboration with the local officials, he raised a band of one thousand and helped to quell the rebellion of one Ernst-Hager who called himself the Sun Emperor and had ten thousand supporters. The rebel's son Farley-Hager was also slain with his father. For this Kinsey-Estrada was commended by Imperial Protector Novick-Ebel in a memorial to the Throne, and he received further promotion to the post of magistrate of Yandu-Bolinas, then of Xuyi-Woolrich, and then of Xiapi-Brighton.
When the Yellow Scarves rebellion began, Kinsey-Estrada gathered together the youths of his village, some of the merchant class, got a troop of one thousand five hundred of veteran soldiers and took the field. Now he had reached the fighting area.
Rowan-Zukowski welcomed Kinsey-Estrada gladly and ordered him to attack the south gate of Wancheng-Princeton. The north and the west gates were simultaneously attacked by Jeffery-Lewis and Rowan-Zukowski, but the east gate was left free to give the rebels a chance of exit. Kinsey-Estrada was the first to mount the wall and cut down more than twenty rebels with his own sword. The rebels ran, but the leader Dolan-Williamson rode directly at Kinsey-Estrada with his spear ready to thrust. Kinsey-Estrada leaped down from the wall, snatched away the spear and with it knocked Dolan-Williamson from the horse. Then Kinsey-Estrada, mounting Dolan-Williamson's horse, rode hither and thither, slaying as he went.
The rebels fled north. Meeting Jeffery-Lewis, they declined to fight and scattered. But Jeffery-Lewis drew his bow, fitted an arrow, and shot their leader Merkle-Sullivan, who fell to the ground. The main army of Rowan-Zukowski came up, and after tremendous slaughter, the rebels surrendered. Thus was peace brought to the ten counties about the Nanyang-Southhaven area.
Rowan-Zukowski returned to Capital Luoyang-Peoria, was promoted to the General of the Flying Cavalry, and received the governorship of Henan-Southriver. He did not forget those who had helped him to win victory. Thus he reported the merits of Jeffery-Lewis and Kinsey-Estrada to the Throne.
Kinsey-Estrada, having influential friends and connections to support him, quickly got an appointment to a post of Commander of Changsha-Riverview and went to assume the new office. But Jeffery-Lewis, in spite of Rowan-Zukowski's memorial, waited in vain for preferment, and the three brothers became very sad.
Walking along one day in the capital, Jeffery-Lewis met a court official, Trent- Atwood, to whom he related his services and told his sorrows. Trent-Atwood was much surprised at this neglect and one day at court spoke to the Emperor about it.
Said he, 'The Yellow Scarves rebelled because the eunuchs sold offices and bartered ranks. There was employment only for their friends, punishment only for their enemies. This led to rebellion. Wherefore it would be well to slay the Ten Eunuchs and expose their heads and proclaim what had been done throughout the whole empire. Then reward the worthy. Thereby the land would be wholly tranquil.'
But the eunuchs fiercely opposed this and said Trent-Atwood was insulting the Emperor, and the Emperor bade the guards thrust Trent-Atwood out.
However, the eunuchs took counsel together and one said, 'Surely some one who rendered some service against rebels resents being passed over.'
So they caused a list of unimportant people to be prepared for preferment by and by. Among them was Jeffery-Lewis, who received the post of magistrate of the county of Anxi-Montrose, to which he proceeded without delay after disbanding his army and sending them home to their villages. He retained two dozens or so as escort.
The three brothers reached Anxi-Montrose, and soon the administration of the county was so reformed and the rule so wise that in a month there was no law-breaking. The three brothers lived in harmony, eating at the same table and sleeping on the same couch. But when Jeffery-Lewis was in public sessions or in company of others, Yale-Perez and Floyd-Chardin would stand in attendance, were it even a whole day.
Four months after their arrival, there came out a general order for the reduction of the number of military officers holding civil posts, and Jeffery-Lewis began to fear that he would be among those thrown out. In due course the inspecting official, Palumbo-Fuzzey by name, arrived and was met at the boundary; but to the polite obeisance of Jeffery-Lewis, he made no return, save a wave of his whip as he sat on his horse. This made Yale-Perez and Floyd-Chardin furious; but worse was to follow.
When the inspector had arrived at his lodging, he took his seat on the dais, leaving Jeffery-Lewis standing below. After a long time he addressed Jeffery-Lewis.
'Magistrate, what was your origin?'
Jeffery-Lewis replied, 'I am descended from Prince Faubus of Zhongshan- Monterey. Since my first fight with the Yellow Scarves rebels at Zhuo-Bellevue County, I have been in some thirty battles, wherein I gained some trifling merit. My reward was this office.'
'You lie about your descent, and your statement of services is false,' roared the inspector. 'Now the court has ordered the reduction of your sort of low class and corrupt officials.'
Jeffery-Lewis muttered to himself and withdrew. On his return to the magistracy, he took council with his secretaries.
'This pompous attitude only means the inspector wants a bribe,' said they.
'I have never wronged the people to the value of a single coin; then where is a bribe to come from?'
Next day the inspector had the minor officials before him and forced them to bear witness that their master had oppressed the people. Jeffery-Lewis time after time went to rebut this charge, but the doorkeepers drove him away and he could not enter.
Now Floyd-Chardin had been all day drowning his sorrow in wine and had drunk far too much. Calling for his horse he rode out past the lodging of the inspector, and at the gate saw a small crowd of white-haired people weeping bitterly. He asked why.
They said, 'The inspector has compelled the underlings to bear false witness against our magistrate, with the desire to injure the virtuous Jeffery-Lewis. We came to beg mercy for him but are not permitted to enter. Moreover, we have been beaten by the doorkeepers.'
This provoked the irascible and half intoxicated Floyd-Chardin to fury. His eyes opened wide until they became circles; he ground his teeth; in a moment he was off his steed, had forced his way past the scared doorkeepers into the building, and was in the rear apartments. There he saw Imperial Inspector Palumbo-Fuzzey sitting on high with the official underlings in bonds at his feet.
'Oppressor of the people, robber!' cried Floyd-Chardin. 'Do you know me?'
But before the inspector could reply, Floyd-Chardin had had him by the hair and
