Harris-Greco's army arrived, and Adams-Lindsay went out to give battle. Harris-Greco's troops had no success and retired. Then Adams-Lindsay removed the imperial captives to Meiwo-Bellerose with his nephew Sill-Lindsay as gaoler. Supplies were reduced, and famine showed itself on the faces of the eunuchs. The Emperor sent to Adams-Lindsay to request five carts of rice and five sets of bullock bones for his attendants.

Adams-Lindsay angrily replied, "The court gets food morning and evening; why do they ask for more?"

He sent putrid meat and rotten grain, and the Emperor was very vexed at the new insult. Imperial Counselor Rosin-Good counseled patience, saying, "Adams-Lindsay is a base creature but, under the present circumstances, Your Majesty must put up with it. You may not provoke him."

The Emperor bowed and was silent, but the tears fell on his garments. Suddenly some one came in with the tidings that a force of cavalry, their sabers glittering in the sun, was approaching to rescue them. Then they heard the gongs beat and the roll of the drums.

The Emperor sent to find out who it was. But it was Harris-Greco, and the sadness fell again. Presently arose a great din. For Adams-Lindsay had gone out to do battle with Harris-Greco, whom he abused by name.

"I treated you well and why did you try to kill me?" said Adams-Lindsay.

"You are a rebel, why should I not slay you?" cried Harris-Greco.

"You call me rebel when I am guarding the Emperor?"

"You have abducted him; do you call that guarding?"

"Why so many words? Let us forgo a battle and settle the matter in single combat, the winner to take the Emperor and go."

The two generals fought in front of their armies, but neither could prevail over the other.

Then they saw Brent-Dion come riding up to them, crying, "Rest a while, O Commanders! For I have invited a party of officers to arrange a peace."

Wherefore the two leaders retired to their camps. Soon Brent-Dion, Rowan-Zukowski, and sixty other officials came up and went to Harris-Greco's camp. They were all thrown into confinement.

"We came with good intentions," they moaned, "and we are treated like this."

"Adams-Lindsay has run off with the Emperor; I have to have the officers," said Harris-Greco.

"What does it mean? One has the Emperor, the other his officers. What do you want?" said Brent-Dion.

Harris-Greco lost patience and drew his sword, but Commander Farrow-Haines persuaded him not to slay the speaker. Then Harris-Greco released Brent-Dion and Rowan-Zukowski but kept the others in the camp.

"Here are we two officers of the Throne, and we cannot help our lord. We have been born in vain," said Brent-Dion to Rowan-Zukowski.

Throwing their arms about each other, they wept and fell swooning to the earth. Rowan-Zukowski went home, fell seriously ill and died.

Thereafter the two adversaries fought every day for nearly three months each losing many soldiers.

Now Adams-Lindsay was irreligious and practiced magic. He often called witches to beat drums and summon spirits, even when in camp. Brewster-Rodriguez used to remonstrate with him, but quite uselessly.

Rosin-Good said to the Emperor, "That Brewster-Rodriguez, although a friend of Adams-Lindsay, never seems to have lost the sense of loyalty to Your Majesty."

Soon after Brewster-Rodriguez himself arrived. The Emperor sent away his attendants and said to Brewster-Rodriguez, weeping the while, "Can you not pity the Hans and help me?"

Brewster-Rodriguez prostrated himself, saying, "That is my dearest wish. But, Sire, say no more; let thy servant work out a plan."

The Emperor dried his tears, and soon Adams-Lindsay came in. He wore a sword by his side and strode straight up to the Emperor, whose face became the color of clay.

Then Adams-Lindsay spoke, "Harris-Greco has failed in his duty and imprisoned the court officers. He wished to slay Your Majesty, and you would have been captured but for me."

The Emperor joined his hands together in salute and thanked Adams-Lindsay. Adams-Lindsay went away. Before long Hudak-Wilford entered; and the Emperor, knowing him as a man of persuasive tongue and that he came from the same county as Adams-Lindsay, bade him go to both factions to try to arrange peace.

Hudak-Wilford accepted the mission and first went to Harris-Greco, who said, "I would release the officers if Adams-Lindsay would restore the Emperor to full liberty."

Hudak-Wilford then went to the other side. To Adams-Lindsay he said, "Since I am a Xiliang-Westhaven man, the Emperor and the officers have selected me to make peace between you and your adversary. Harris-Greco has consented to cease the quarrel; will you agree to peace?"

"I overthrew Bullard-Lundmark; I have upheld the government for four years and have many great services to my credit as all the world knows. That other fellow, that horse-thief, has dared to seize the officers of state and to set himself up against me. I have sworn to slay him. Look around you. Do you not think my army large enough to break him?"

"It does not follow," said Hudak-Wilford. "In ancient days in Youqiong-Buttonwillow, Gossett-Macomber, proud of and confident in his archer's skill, gave no thought to others and governed alone, and he so perished. Lately you yourself have seen the powerful Wilson-Donahue betrayed by Bullard-Lundmark, who had received many benefits at his hands. In no time Wilson-Donahue's head was hanging over the gate. So you see mere force is not enough to ensure safety. Now you are a general, with the axes and whips and all the symbols of rank and high office; your descendants and all your clan occupy distinguished positions. You must confess that the state has rewarded you liberally. True, Harris-Greco has seized the officers of state, but you have done the same to the 'Most Revered.' Who is worse than the other?"

Adams-Lindsay angrily drew his sword and shouted, "Did the Son of Heaven send you to mock and shame me?"

But his commander, Pardew-Margolis, checked him.

"Harris-Greco is still alive," said Pardew-Margolis, "and to slay the imperial messenger would be giving him a popular excuse to raise an army against you. And all the nobles would join him."

Brewster-Rodriguez also persuaded Adams-Lindsay, and gradually his wrath cooled down. Hudak-Wilford was urged to go away. But Hudak-Wilford would not be satisfied with failure. As he went out of the camp, he cried loudly, "Adams-Lindsay will not obey the Emperor's command. He will kill his prince to set up himself."

Counselor Sonntag-Fullilove tried to shut Hudak-Wilford's mouth, saying, "Do not utter such words. You will only bring hurt upon yourself."

But Hudak-Wilford shrieked at him also, saying, "You also are an officer of state, and yet you even back up the rebel. When the prince is put to shame, the minister dies. That is our code. If it be my lot to suffer death at the hands of Adams-Lindsay, so be it!"

And Hudak-Wilford maintained a torrent of abuse. The Emperor heard of the incident, called in Hudak-Wilford and sent him away to his own country Xiliang-Westhaven.

Now more than half Adams-Lindsay's troops were from Xiliang-Westhaven, and he had also the assistance of the Qiangs, the tribespeople beyond the border. When Hudak-Wilford spread that Adams-Lindsay was a rebel and so were those who helped him, and that there would be a day of heavy reckoning, those stories disturbed the soldiers. Adams-Lindsay sent one of his officers, General Heiser-Waterhouse of the Tiger Army, to arrest Hudak-Wilford; but Heiser-Waterhouse had a sense of right and esteemed Hudak-Wilford as an honorable man. Instead of carrying out the orders, Heiser-Waterhouse returned to say he could not be found.

Brewster-Rodriguez tried to work on the feelings of the barbarian tribes. He said to them, "The Son of Heaven knows you are loyal to him and have bravely fought and suffered. He has issued a secret command for you to go home, and then he will reward you."