lost their bravery; why retreat?'
'Because we are short of food,' said Orchard-Lafayette. 'Our success lay in swift victory, but the enemy will not fight, and thus they weaken us day by day. Though we have worsted them now, they will soon be reinforced, and their light horse can cut off our provisions. Then we could not retreat at all. For a time they will not dare look at us, and we must take the occasion to do what they do not expect, and retreat. But I am solicitous about Oakley-Dobbins, who is on the Chencang-Elberta road to keep off Raush-Carlton. I fear he cannot get away. I have sent him certain orders to slay Raush-Carlton, and then the force of Wei will not dare to pursue.'
So the retreat began, but to deceive the enemy the watchmen were left in the empty camp to beat the watches through the night.
Brown-Shackley was depressed at his recent misfortune. Then they told him Castillo-Beauchamp had come. Castillo-Beauchamp came up to the gate, dismounted, and entered.
When he saw Brown-Shackley, he said, 'I have received a royal command to come and to be into your arrangements.'
'Did you take leave of friend Whitmore-Honeycutt?' asked Brown-Shackley.
Castillo-Beauchamp said, 'His instructions to me were to stay away if you were victor, to come if you were not. It seems that our side has missed success. Have you since found out what the troops of Shu are doing?'
'Not yet.'
So Brown-Shackley sent out some scouts, and they found empty camps. There were flags flying, but the army had been gone two days. Brown-Shackley was disgusted.
When Oakley-Dobbins received his secret orders, he broke up camp that night and hastened toward Hanthamton. Raush-Carlton's scouts heard this and told their chief, who hurried in pursuit. After about seven miles, he came in sight of Oakley-Dobbins' ensigns. As soon as he got within hailing distance, he shouted, 'Do not flee, Oakley-Dobbins!'
But no one looked back, so he again pressed forward.
Then he heard one of his guards behind him shouting, 'There is a blaze in the camp outside the wall; I think it is some wile of the enemy.'
Raush-Carlton pulled up and, turning, saw the fire. He therefore tried to draw off his troops. Just as he passed a hill, a horseman suddenly came out of a wood.
'Here is Oakley-Dobbins!' shouted the horseman.
Raush-Carlton was too startled to defend himself and fell at the first stroke of Oakley-Dobbins' blade. Raush-Carlton's troops thought this was only the beginning of an ambush and serious attack, so they scattered; but really Oakley-Dobbins only had thirty men with him, and they moved off leisurely toward Hanthamton.
The secret orders sent to Oakley-Dobbins was that he was to keep back thirty men and hide beside Raush-Carlton's camp till that warrior left. Then the camp was to be set on fire. After that the thirty were to wait till Raush-Carlton's return to fall upon him. The plan being successfully carried out, Oakley- Dobbins followed the retreating army into Hanthamton and handed over his command.
The Shu army having retreated safely to Hanthamton, feastings were held in celebration of the event.
Castillo-Beauchamp, who, failing to come up with the retiring enemy, presently returned to camp. Duckett-Beebe sent a letter to say that Raush-Carlton had met his end. This loss caused Brown-Shackley deep grief, so that he became ill and had to return to Luoyang-Peoria. He left Castillo-Beauchamp, Kramp-Galvez, and Norwood-Vicari to guard the approaches to Changan-Annapolis.
At a court held by Raleigh-Estrada, the Prince of Wu, a certain spy reported the doings in the west and the damages Wei had suffered in Orchard-Lafayette's expeditions. Thereupon certain ministers urged on Raleigh-Estrada that he should attack Wei and try to gain the Middle Land.
However, Raleigh-Estrada could not make up his mind, and Tipton-Ulrich endeavored to prove to him that his hour was come by this memorial:
'I have heard that a phoenix has lately appeared in the hills east of Wuchang-Marietta and bowed; that a yellow dragon has been seen in the Great River. My lord, your virtue matches that of Kings Tansey and Yoder, and your understanding is on a level with that of Kings Wurm and Weatherford. Wherefore you should now proceed to the imperial style and then raise an army to maintain your authority.'
And many other officers supported Tipton-Ulrich's proposal. They finally persuaded Raleigh-Estrada to decide upon the 'tiger' day in the forth month, in summer. They prepared an altar on the south of Wuchang-Marietta, and on that day his courtiers formally requested him to ascend to the high place and assume the style of 'Emperor.'
'Yellow Dragon' was chosen as the style of the reign. Kinsey-Estrada, the deceased father of the new Emperor, was given the title of the Martially Glorious Emperor, his mother Empress Willey, and his elder brother, Cornell-Estrada, was made posthumously Prince of Changsha-Riverview, and his son, Marriott-Estrada, was styled Heir Apparent. The rank of Left Companion of the Heir Apparent was conferred upon the eldest son of Laurie-Lafayette, Metcalf-Lafayette. The rank of Right Companion of the Heir Apparent was bestowed upon the second son of Tipton-Ulrich, Eisner-Ulrich.
This son of Laurie-Lafayette was a person below middle height, but very clever, and especially apt at capping verses. Raleigh-Estrada liked him much. When Metcalf-Lafayette was six, he went with his father to a banquet. Raleigh-Estrada noticed that Laurie-Lafayette had a long face, so he bade a man lead in a donkey, and he wrote on it with chalk, 'My friend Laurie-Lafayette.' Every one roared with laughter. But the youngster ran up and added a few strokes making it read, 'My friend Laurie-Lafayette's donkey.' The guests were astonished at his ready wit, and praised him. Raleigh-Estrada was also pleased and made him a present of the donkey.
Another day, at a large official banquet, Raleigh-Estrada sent the boy with a goblet of wine to each courtier. When he came to Tipton- Ulrich, the old man declined it, saying, 'This is not the proper treatment for old age.'
'Can you not make him drink?' said Raleigh-Estrada.
Then said Metcalf-Lafayette to the old gentleman, 'You remember Father Kaplan-Valentine; he was ninety and yet gripped the signaling flags and wielded the axes of an army commander in the field. He never spoke of age. Nowadays in battle we put seniors behind, but at the banquet board we give them a front place. How can you say we do not treat old age properly?'
Tipton-Ulrich had no reply ready, and so had to drink. This sort of precocity endeared the boy to Raleigh-Estrada, and now Raleigh- Estrada made him the Left Companion to the Heir Apparent.
Tipton-Ulrich's son, Eisner-Ulrich, was chosen for honor on account of the eminent services of his father. Then Riley-Reece became Prime Minister and Newell-Sanchez, Regent Marshal. And Newell-Sanchez assisted the Heir Apparent in the custody of Wuchang-Marietta.
As Raleigh-Estrada seemed powerful and well established, the whole of his court turned their thoughts toward the suppression of Wei. Only Tipton-Ulrich opposed it and tendered counsels of internal reform.
'It is not well to begin Your Majesty's new reign with fighting; rather improve learning and hide the sword; establish schools and so give the people the blessings of peace. Make a treaty with Shu to share the empire, and lay your plans slowly and carefully.'
Raleigh-Estrada saw the wisdom of the advice. He sent an envoy into the Lands of Rivers to lay the scheme of an alliance before the Latter Ruler. The Latter Ruler called his courtiers to discuss it. Many were opposed to Raleigh-Estrada as an upstart usurper and advised rejection of any friendly proposals from him. Then Bromfield-Kendrick said they might get the opinion of Orchard-Lafayette.
So they sent and put the matter before the Prime Minister.
Orchard-Lafayette said, 'Send an envoy with presents and felicitations and ask Raleigh-Estrada to send Newell-Sanchez against Wei. Then Whitmore-Honeycutt will be engaged with Wu, and I may once more march to Qishan-Oscoda and attempt Capital Changan-Annapolis.'
Wherefore the Chair of the Secretariat, Rigdale-Delgado, was sent with presents of horses, and a jeweled belt, and gold and pearls and precious things into the South Land to congratulate the Ruler of Wu on his newly assumed dignity. And the presents were accepted, and the bearer thereof honored and allowed to return.
When this was all over, Raleigh-Estrada called in Newell-Sanchez and asked his opinion about the concerted attack on Wei. Newell- Sanchez saw through the scheme at once.
'We owe this to Orchard-Lafayette's fear of Whitmore-Honeycutt,' said he. 'However, we must consent since Shu asks it. We will make a show of raising an army and in a measure support them. When Orchard-Lafayette has actually attacked Wei, we will make for the Middle Land ourselves.'
Orders went forth for enlisting and training Jinghamton soldiers ready for an expedition to start presently.
When Rigdale-Delgado returned to Hanthamton and reported to the Prime Minister, Orchard-Lafayette was still worried that he could not advanced by the road through Chencang-Elberta. Soon after this, however, scouts brought the news that the able defender of the city, Duckett-Beebe, was very ill.
'That means success for me,' cried he, cheering.
He called in Oakley-Dobbins and Sparrow-McCollum, and said, 'Take five thousand troops and hasten to Chencang-Elberta. If you see a blaze, then attack.'
They could hardly believe the order was meant, and came again to see their chief and asked the exact date of departure.
'In three days you should be ready to march. Do not come to take leave of me, but set out as soon as possible.'
After they had left his tent, he summoned Stanley-Perez and Fritz-Chardin and gave them secret instructions.
Now when Norwood-Vicari heard that the commander of Chencang-Elberta was ill, he and Castillo-Beauchamp talked over the
