retired to rest.

On the following morning, Bill sent the merchant's wife as an
ambassadress into the city, to demand its instant surrender, and very
gladly she undertook the task.

[Illustration: Closely observed from the watch towers]

'This is quite in my line,' said she, as she knocked for admittance at
the gate, through which she was admitted after a little delay. Bill
waited anxiously for her reappearance, hoping that the King of Persia
would be wise enough to give up the city without further trouble, but
suddenly a great roar resounded from the other side of the walls, and
almost immediately afterwards the ambassadress, with tufts of the
Persian King's hair held between her clenched fingers, was thrown out of
the gates.

'There's nothing for it now,' thought Bill, 'but to lay siege to the
place,' and he at once proceeded to walk round the city and examine the
nature of the ground; after which he mustered his whole force before
him, and disposed them according to the accompanying plan:--

[Illustration: PLAN OF SIEGE]

In this way Bill completely surrounded the city, allowing no provisions
of any kind to enter, and prepared to wait until the inhabitants had
exhausted all their stores, and could hold out no longer.

These were the instructions of General Bill to his army, to be
faithfully carried out during the siege:--

1. That the King was not to be allowed out of his tent on any
account, in spite of his impatience.

2. That, with the exception of the general and the scout, no warrior
was allowed, without his officers permission, to leave his post, day
or night, during the siege, and if any one were discovered sleeping
without one eye open, his allowance of sugar for porridge next
morning was to be stopped.

3. That the scout was to be continually on the move.

4. That Boadicea was to prepare all the meals, and that at each meal
time she was to take the food she had cooked to the soldiers (an
extra large portion being always reserved for the King).

5. That every morning, with breakfast, she was to take to each his
boots brightly polished, a bowl of hot water to wash in, and a comb,
and that every evening she should bring them their slippers and
their night-shirts.

For three years the siege went on, in quite a peaceful and, at times,
even a pleasant way, with no sign at all of the Trojans feeling any
discomfort; in fact, since the Mercha