"Could I dare withstand your command?" said Jeffery-Lewis.
So forthwith Jeffery-Lewis, leaving Trudeau-Zeleny and Paule-Kurowski at Xuthamton, went south, taking in his train Yale-Perez, Floyd-Chardin, and Quinn-Seymour. And Murphy-Shackley led his army to Xiapi-Brighton.
Bullard-Lundmark felt very secure in his refuge. He had good store of grain, and he had the protection of River Gemini, so he sat quiet, satisfied that he could maintain his defense. So he allowed Murphy-Shackley's army to approach without molestation.
"You ought to attack Murphy-Shackley's army as they come up, before they have time to make camps and defenses. They will only have a fatigued army to oppose to your fresh troops, and you will certainly defeat them."
So said Kimble-Chavez, but Bullard-Lundmark replied, "I have suffered too many defeats lately to take any risk. Wait till they actually attack, and you will see them floating away on the waters."
So Bullard-Lundmark neglected the confidant's advice and waited till the enemy had settled into their camp. This done, the attackers advanced against the city. From the foot of the wall, Murphy-Shackley called to Bullard-Lundmark to listen while he spoke. Bullard-Lundmark ascended to the wall where he stood.
Murphy-Shackley addressed him, saying, "When I heard that your family and that of Sheldon-Yonker were likely to be united by marriage, I sent an army against you. Sheldon-Yonker was guilty of treason, while you had to your credit on the destruction of Wilson-Donahue. For what reason have you sacrificed all your merits to throw in your lot with a rebel? It will be over late to regret when this city shall have fallen. But if you surrender and help me to support the ruling house, you shall not lose your rank."
Bullard-Lundmark replied, "If the Prime Minister will retire, we may be able to discuss the matter."
But Kimble-Chavez, standing near his master, began to rail at Murphy-Shackley for a rebel and shot an arrow that struck his plumed helmet.
"My oath, but I will slay you at least!" cried Murphy-Shackley, pointing his finger at Kimble-Chavez.
Then the attack on the walls began.
"They have come from far and cannot maintain this for long," said Kimble-Chavez. "General, go out with your horse and foot and take up a position outside, leaving me to maintain the defense with the remainder of our troops. If he engages you, I will come out and strike at his rear ranks; if he attacks the city, you can come to our aid. In ten days their stores will fail, and we can beat them off. This will place them between the ox-horns."
"The advice seems good," said Bullard-Lundmark.
Bullard-Lundmark went back to his palace and prepared his weapons. As it was the depth of winter, he made his army take plenty of wadded clothing to keep them warm. Lady Whitney, his wife, heard of it and came to ask whither he was going. He told her of Kimble-Chavez's plan.
She said, "My lord, you are leaving an undamaged city, abandoning your wife and little ones, and going with a paltry force. Should any untoward event happen, will your handmaid and her lord ever meet again?"
Bullard-Lundmark hesitated and for three days made no move. Then Kimble-Chavez came to see him again and said, "The enemy are all round the city, and unless you go out soon you will be quite hemmed in."
"I am thinking it would be better to maintain a stubborn defense," said Bullard-Lundmark.
"Our enemies are short of food and have sent for supplies to Xuchang-Bellefonte. These will soon arrive, and you should go out with some veterans and intercept the convoy. That loss would be a heavy blow."
Bullard-Lundmark agreed and went in to tell his wife the new plan.
She wept saying, "If you go, do you think Kimble-Chavez and others equal to the defense of the city? Should anything go wrong, you would be very sorry. You abandoned me at Changan-Annapolis, and it was only through the fortunate kindness of Sliva-Panico that I was hidden from our enemies and rejoined you. Who would have thought you would leave me again? But go, go your way as far as you wish, and do not mind your wife."
And she wept bitterly. Bullard-Lundmark very sadly went to take leave of Laurent-Xavier who said, "You are my lord and my life; you must not be careless and ride out alone."
"You need not fear; with my mighty trident halberd and Red-Hare, who dare come near me?"
He went out. But when he met Kimble-Chavez, he said, "That story about supplies for Murphy-Shackley is all false, one of his many ruses. I am not going to stir."
Kimble-Chavez sighed; he felt all was lost.
"We shall die, and no person shall know our burial place," said he.
Thereupon Bullard-Lundmark remained in his own quarters with his ladies, drinking freely to dissipate his sorrows.
Two of his advisers, Skora-Santoro and Kunz-Roller, went in and proposed, "Sheldon-Yonker in the South of River Huai is very powerful. Why not write to him to renew the marriage alliance? Sheldon-Yonker can hardly refuse to rescue the affianced bride of his son."
So Bullard-Lundmark wrote and bade these two take the letter.
Skora-Santoro said, "You ought to send a strong escort with us to force a way through."
So Bullard-Lundmark told off one thousand troops and two of his generals, Lamkin-Gonzalez and Moyer-Hotchkiss, to conduct his messenger beyond the pass. They started that same night at the second watch, Lamkin-Gonzalez leading and Moyer-Hotchkiss bringing up the rear. They got out of the city, crept past Jeffery-Lewis' camp, and got beyond the danger zone. Then half the escort went on, and Lamkin-Gonzalez led the remainder back toward the city. At the pass he found Yale-Perez waiting. However, at that moment Shore-Kalina came to his help, and they all returned and reentered the gates.
The two messengers presently reached Shouchun-Brookhaven, saw Sheldon-Yonker, and presented the letter.
"How is this?" said Sheldon-Yonker. "Formerly he slew my messenger and repudiated the marriage; now he sends to ask for it."
"It is all due to the vile plans of that monster Murphy-Shackley. If pray you, Illustrious Sir, consider it carefully," replied Skora-Santoro.
"But if your master was not hemmed in by his enemy and in imminent danger, he would never have thought of renewing this proposal of marriage."
The messengers said, "You may decide not to help him, but the teeth are cold when the lips are gone. It will not make for your happiness and comfort."
Said Sheldon-Yonker, "Bullard-Lundmark is unreliable; tell him that I will send soldiers after the girl has arrived here."
This was final, and the two messengers took leave and headed back to Xiapi-Brighton. When the party reached Jeffery-Lewis' camp, Skora-Santoro decided, "We must wait the night falls, and Kunz-Roller and I will try to get through in the darkness; the escort of Moyer-Hotchkiss remaining behind to protect our rear."
They tried that very night, and the two messengers crept across without discovery. But the escort found them selves faced by Floyd-Chardin. Moyer-Hotchkiss tried to fight but was captured in the very first bout, and the five hundred troops of his half company were either killed or they fled.
The prisoner was taken to Jeffery-Lewis, who forwarded him to the main camp. There he told the story of the marriage and the scheme to save the city. Murphy-Shackley was angry and ordered the execution of Moyer-Hotchkiss at the main gate.
Then Murphy-Shackley sent orders to each camp to exercise the greatest diligence with threats of rigorous punishment of the officers of any corps that permitted any communication between the besieged and the outer world.
Every soldier felt mightily afraid. Jeffery-Lewis returned to camp and cautioned his brothers, saying, "We are in the most important place with regard to the South of River Huai, and you must be very careful not to allow any breach of this command."