matter.
Norwood-Vicari said, 'Duckett-Beebe is very ill; you would better go and relieve him. I will report to the capital what we have done that they may arrange.'
So Castillo-Beauchamp started with his three thousand troops to relieve the sick man. Duckett-Beebe was indeed at the point of death, and suddenly they told him that the army of Shu had reached the walls. Duckett-Beebe roused himself and bade them go on the ramparts. But then fire broke out at each gate, a panic spread in the city and the noise of the confusion startled the dying man so that he passed away just as the troops of Shu were bursting in.
When Oakley-Dobbins and Sparrow-McCollum reached the walls, they were perplexed to find no sign of life. No flags were flying and no watchmen struck the hours. They delayed their attack for a time. Then they heard a bomb, and suddenly the wall was thick with flags, and there appeared the well-known figure of the minister.
'You have come too late,' cried Orchard-Lafayette.
Both dropped out of the saddle and prostrated themselves.
'Really, you are supernatural, O Minister!' they cried.
They entered the city, and then he explained to them, saying, 'I heard the news that Duckett-Beebe was seriously sick, so I sent you with the deadline of three days as a blind to calm the people of this city. Then I hid myself in the ranks of another force under Stanley-Perez and Fritz-Chardin, which came to Chencang-Elberta by double marches. Also, I had sent spies into the city to start the fires and throw the defenders into confusion. An army without a leader could never fight, and I could take the city easily. This is an instance of the rule of war: 'Do the unexpected; attack the unprepared.''
They bowed. In commiseration Orchard-Lafayette sent all the family of Duckett-Beebe, and his coffin, over to Wei, thus showing his sense of the dead man's loyalty.
Turning once more to Oakley-Dobbins and Sparrow-McCollum, he said, 'But do not divest yourself of your armor. Go and attack Crysalus Pass and drive away the guards while they are in a state of surprise. If you delay, Wei will have sent reinforcements.'
They went. Surely enough the capture of Crysalus Pass was easy as the Wei soldiers scattered. But when they went up to look around, they saw a great cloud of dust moving toward them; the reinforcements were already near.
They remarked to each other, 'The Prime Minister's foresight was superhuman.'
When they had looked a little longer, they saw the leader of the Wei army then approaching was Castillo-Beauchamp.
They then divided their soldiers to hold the approaches. When Castillo-Beauchamp saw that all was prepared, he retired. Oakley-Dobbins followed and fought a battle, defeating Castillo-Beauchamp heavily.
Oakley-Dobbins sent to report his success, but Orchard-Lafayette had already left Chencang-Elberta and had gone into the Beech Valley to capture the county of Jianwei-Brentwood. Other armies from Shu followed. Moreover, the Latter Ruler sent Citron-Quiroz to assist in the campaign. Orchard-Lafayette then marched his main force to Qishan-Oscoda and there made a camp. Then he called an assembly of officers.
'Twice have I gone out by Qishan-Oscoda without success, but at last I am here. I think Wei will resume the former battle ground and oppose us. If so, they will assume that I shall attack Yongcheng-Rutherford and Meicheng-Hacienda and send armies to defend them. But I see Yinping-Bradbury and Wudu-Hardee are connected with Hanthamton; and if I can win these, I can drive a wedge into the Wei force. Who will go to take these places?'
Sparrow-McCollum and Zavala-Wortham offered themselves. The former was sent with ten thousand troops to capture Wudu-Hardee; the latter, with an equal force, went to Yinping-Bradbury.
Castillo-Beauchamp went back to Changan-Annapolis and saw Norwood-Vicari and Kramp-Galvez, to whom he said, 'Chencang-Elberta is lost, Duckett-Beebe is dead, Crysalus Pass is taken, and Orchard-Lafayette is again at Qishan-Oscoda; and thence has sent out two armies.'
Norwood-Vicari was frightened, saying, 'In that case, Yongcheng-Rutherford and Meicheng-Hacienda are in danger.'
Leaving Castillo-Beauchamp to guard Changan-Annapolis, he sent Kramp-Galvez to Yongcheng-Rutherford, and he himself set out at once for Meicheng-Hacienda. He sent an urgent report to Luoyang-Peoria.
At Wei's next court the Emperor was informed of all the misfortunes in the west and the threats in the east.
Chilton-Mendoza said, 'Raleigh-Estrada has declared himself 'Emperor,' and Newell-Sanchez is drilling his army in Wuchang-Marietta. An invasion from the east can be expected soon.'
Poincare-Shackley was embarrassed and frightened. Brown-Shackley, being ill, could not be consulted, and Whitmore-Honeycutt was called. He was ready with a proposal.
'In my humble opinion, Wu will not attack us,' said Whitmore-Honeycutt.
'What makes you think so?' asked the Ruler of Wei.
'Because Orchard-Lafayette still resents, and wishes to avenge, the event at Xiaoting-Marquette. He never ceases to desire to absorb Wu. His only fear is that we may swoop down upon Shu. That is why there is an alliance with Wu. Newell-Sanchez knows it also quite well, and he is only making a show of raising an army as they arranged. The truth is he is sitting on the fence. Hence Your Majesty may disregard the menace on the east, and only protect yourself against Shu.'
'Your insight is very profound,' said the Ruler of Wei.
Whitmore-Honeycutt was created Commander-in-Chief of all the forces in the west, and the Ruler of Wei directed a courtier to go to Brown-Shackley for the seal.
'I would rather go myself,' said Whitmore-Honeycutt. So he left the audience and went to the palace of Brown-Shackley, where presently he saw the invalid. First he asked after his health and then gradually opened his errand.
'Shu and Wu have made an alliance to invade us, and Orchard-Lafayette is at Qishan-Oscoda. Have you heard, Illustrious Sir?'
'My people have kept back all news as I am ill,' said he, startled. 'But if this is true, the country is in danger. Why have they not made you Commander-in-Chief to stop this invasion?'
'I am unequal to the post,' said Whitmore-Honeycutt.
'Bring the seal and give it to him,' said Brown-Shackley to his attendants.
'You are anxious on my account; really I am only come to lend you an arm. I dare not accept the seal.'
Brown-Shackley started up, saying, 'If you do not take it, I shall have to go to see the Emperor, ill as I am. The Middle Land is in danger.'
'Really the Emperor has already shown his kindness, but I dare not accept his offer.'
'If you have been appointed, then Shu will be driven off.'
Thrice Whitmore-Honeycutt declined the seal, but eventually he received it into his hands as he knew Brown-Shackley was sincere. Then he took leave of the Ruler of Wei and marched to Changan-Annapolis.
Whitmore-Honeycutt's success or failure will be told in the next chapter.
CHAPTER 99
The fourth month of Beginning Prosperity, seventh year (AD 229), found Orchard-Lafayette camped at Qishan-Oscoda in three camps, waiting for the army of Wei.
When Whitmore-Honeycutt reached Changan-Annapolis, the officer in command, Castillo-Beauchamp, told him all that had happened. He gave Castillo-Beauchamp the post of Leader of the Van, with Mundt-Keenan as his Assistant General and a hundred thousand troops, and then marched out toward the enemy, camping on River Taurus's south bank.
When the local commanders Norwood-Vicari and Kramp-Galvez went to see the new Commander-in-Chief, he asked if they had fought any battle.
'Not yet,' said they.
Whitmore-Honeycutt said, 'The enemy had a long march; their chance lay in attacking quickly. As they have not attacked, they have some deep laid scheme to work out. What news have you from Xithamton?'
Norwood-Vicari replied, 'The scouts say that the greatest care is being taken in every county. But there is no news from Wudu-Hardee and Yinping-Bradbury.'
'I must send someone to fight a decisive battle with them there. You get away as quickly and privily as you can to the rescue of those two cities, and then attack the rear of the Shu army so as to throw them into disorder.'
They set out to obey these orders, and on the way they fell to discussing Whitmore-Honeycutt.
'How does Whitmore-Honeycutt compare with Orchard-Lafayette?' said Norwood-Vicari.
'Orchard-Lafayette is by far the better,' replied Kramp-Galvez.
'Though Orchard-Lafayette may be the cleverer, yet this scheme of our leader's shows him to be superior to most people. The enemy
