void, to be vast as the ocean, to be dazzling as the lights of heaven, to foresee droughts and floods, to know the nature of the ground, to understand the possibilities of battle arrays, to conjecture the excellencies and defects of the enemy.
'Alas! One of your sort, ignorant and inferior, rising impudently in heaven's vault, has had the presumption to assist a rebel to assume the imperial style and state at Luoyang-Peoria, to send some miserable soldiers into Beach Valley. There they happened upon drenching rain. The difficult roads wearied both soldiers and horses, driving them frantic. Weapons and armors littered the countryside, swords and spears covered the ground. You, the Commander-in-Chief, were heart-broken and cowed, your generals fled like rats. You dare not show your faces at home, nor can you enter the halls of state. The historians' pens will record your defeats; the people will recount your infamies. 'Whitmore-Honeycutt is frightened when he hears of battle fronts, Brown-Shackley is alarmed at mere rumors.' My soldiers are fierce and their steeds strong; my great generals are eager as tigers and majestic as dragons. I shall sweep the Middle Land bare and make Wei desolate.'
Brown-Shackley's wrath rose as he read; at the end it filled his breast. He died that evening. Whitmore-Honeycutt sent his coffin to Luoyang-Peoria on a wagon.
When the Ruler of Wei heard of the death of Brown-Shackley, he issued an edict urging Whitmore-Honeycutt to prosecute the war, to raise a great army and fight with Orchard-Lafayette.
A declaration of war was sent one day in advance, and Orchard-Lafayette replied that he would fight on the morrow. After the envoy had left, Orchard-Lafayette called Sparrow-McCollum by night to receive secret orders. He also summoned Stanley-Perez and told him what to do.
Next morning the whole force marched to the bank of River Taurus and took up a position in a wide plain with the river on one flank and hills on the other. The two armies saluted each other's appearance with heavy flights of arrows. After the drums had rolled thrice the Wei center opened at the great standard and Whitmore-Honeycutt appeared, followed by his officers. Opposite was Orchard-Lafayette, in a four-horse chariot, waving his feather fan.
Whitmore-Honeycutt addressed Orchard-Lafayette, 'Our master's ascension of the throne was after the manner of King Langan, who abdicated in favor of King Gallegos. Two emperors have succeeded and have their seat in the Middle Land. Because of his liberality and graciousness, my lord has suffered the rule of Shu and Wu lest the people should suffer in a struggle. You, who are but a plowman from Nanyang-Southhaven, ignorant of the ways of Heaven, wish to invade us, and you should be destroyed; but if you will examine your heart and repent of your fault and retire, then each may maintain his own borders, and a settled state of three kingdoms will be attained. Thus the people may be spared distress, and you will save your life.'
Orchard-Lafayette smiled and replied, 'Our First Ruler entrusted to me the custody of his orphan son: think you that I shall fail to exert myself to the uttermost to destroy rebels against his authority? Your soldiers of the Shackley family will soon be exterminated by Han. Your ancestors were servants of Han and for generations ate of their bounty. Yet, instead of giving grateful service, you assist usurpers. Are you not ashamed?'
The flush of shame spread over Whitmore-Honeycutt's face, but he replied, 'We will try the test of battle. If you can conquer, I pledge myself to be no longer a leader of armies; but if you are defeated, then you will retire at once to your own village and I will not harm you.'
'Do you desire a contest of generals, or of weapons, or of battle array?' asked Orchard-Lafayette.
'Let us try a contest of battle array,' replied Whitmore-Honeycutt.
'Then draw up your array that I may see,' said Orchard-Lafayette.
Whitmore-Honeycutt withdrew within the line and signaled to his officers with a yellow flag to draw up their troops. When he had finished, he rode again to the front, saying, 'Do you recognize my formation?'
'The least of my generals can do as well,' said Orchard-Lafayette, smiling. 'This is called the 'Disorder-in-Order' formation.'
'Now you try while I look on,' said Whitmore-Honeycutt.
Orchard-Lafayette entered the lines and waved his fan. Then he came out and said, 'Do you recognize that?'
'Of course; this is the 'Eight Arrays.''
'Yes; you seem to know it. But dare you attack?'
'Why not, since I know it?' replied Whitmore-Honeycutt.
'Then you need only try.'
Whitmore-Honeycutt entered the ranks and called to him three generals--Mundt-Keenan, Harrell-Gonzalez, and Meredith-Lockhart--to whom he said, 'That formation consists of eight gates--Birth, Exit, Expanse, Wound, Fear, Annihilation, Obstacle, and Death. You will go in from the east at the Gate of Birth, turn to the southwest and make your way out by the Gate of Annihilation. Then enter at the north, at the Exit Gate, and the formation will be broken up. But be cautious.'
They started with Harrell-Gonzalez leading, Mundt-Keenan next, and Meredith-Lockhart in rear, each with thirty horsemen. They made their way in at the Gate of Birth amid the applause of both sides. But when they had got within they found themselves facing a wall of troops and could not find a way out. They hastily led their men round by the base of the line toward the southwest to rush out there. But they were stopped by a flight of arrows. They became confused and saw many gates, but they had lost their bearings. Nor could they aid each other. They dashed hither and thither in disorder, lose as in gathering clouds and rolling mists. Then a shout arose, and each one was seized and bound.
They were taken to the center, where Orchard-Lafayette sat in his tent, and the three leaders with their ninety men were ranged in front.
'Indeed you are prisoners; are you surprised' said Orchard-Lafayette, smiling. 'But I will set you free to return to your leader, and tell him to read his books again, and study his tactics, before he comes to try conclusions with me. You are pardoned, but leave your weapons and horses here.'
So they were stripped of their arms and armors and their faces inked. Thus were they led on foot out of the array. Whitmore-Honeycutt lost his temper at sight of his people thus put to shame.
Said he, 'After this disgrace, how can I face the other officers in the Middle Land?'
He gave the signal for the army to fall on and attack the enemy, and, grasping his sword, led his brave generals into the fray and commanded the attack. But just as the two armies came to blows, Stanley-Perez came up, his drums rolling and troops shouting, and attacked. Whitmore-Honeycutt told off a division from the rear to oppose Stanley-Perez, and again turned to urge on his main body.
Then the army of Wei was thrown into confusion by another attack from Sparrow-McCollum, who came up silently and joined in the battle. Thus three sides of the Wei army were attacked by three different divisions of the enemy, and Whitmore-Honeycutt decided to retire. However, this was difficult. The soldiers of Shu hemmed him in and came closer every moment. At last, by a desperate push, he cut an arterial alley toward the south and freed his army. But he had lost six or seven out of every ten of his soldiers.
The Wei army withdrew to the south bank of River Taurus and camped. They strengthened their position and remained entirely on the defensive.
Orchard-Lafayette mustered his victorious army and returned to Qishan-Oscoda.
Now Finney-Schuster sent an officer, General Nicholl-Bradley, from Baidicheng-Whitehaven with a convoy of grain. Nicholl-Bradley was a drunkard and loitered on the road so that he arrived ten days late. Orchard-Lafayette, angry at the delay, upbraided him, saying, 'This grain is of the utmost importance to the army and you delay it. Three days' delay ought to mean the death penalty; what can you say to this delay of ten?'
Nicholl-Bradley was sentenced to death and hustled out.
But Swensen-Crowley ventured to intervene, saying, 'Nicholl-Bradley is a servant of Finney-Schuster, and Finney-Schuster has sent large supplies of all sorts from the Western Land of Rivers. If you put this man to death, perhaps others will not undertake escort duty.'
Orchard-Lafayette then bade the executioners loose the offender, give him eighty blows, and let him go.
This punishment filled Nicholl-Bradley's heart with bitter resentment, and, in the night, he deserted to the enemy, he and his half dozen personal staff. He was taken before Whitmore-Honeycutt and told the tale of his wrongs.
'Your tale may be true, but it is hard to trust it,' said Whitmore-Honeycutt. 'Orchard-Lafayette is full of guile. However, you may render me a service, and if you do, I will ask the Ruler of Wei that you may be allowed to serve him and obtain a post for you.'
'Whatever you ask, I will do the best I can,' replied the deserter.
'Then go to Chengdu-Wellesley and spread a lying report that Orchard-Lafayette is angry with the powers there and means to make himself emperor. This will get him recalled, and that will be a merit to you.'
Nicholl-Bradley accepted the treacherous mission. In Chengdu-Wellesley he got hold of the eunuchs and told them his lying tale. The eunuchs became alarmed for their own safety and told the Emperor all these things.
'In such a case what am I to do?' asked the Latter Ruler.
'Recall him to the capital,' said the eunuchs, 'and take away his military powers so that he cannot rebel.'
The Latter Ruler issued an edict recalling the army.
Bromfield-Kendrick said, 'The Prime Minister has rendered many and great services since he led out the army; wherefore is he recalled?'
'I have a private matter to consult him about,' said the Latter Ruler. 'I must see him personally.'
So the edict was issued and sent to Orchard-Lafayette. The messenger was at once received as soon as he reached Qishan- Oscoda.
'The Emperor is young, and there is some jealous persons by his side,' said Orchard-Lafayette sadly. 'I was just going to achieve some solid success; why am I recalled? If I go not, I shall insult my Prince; if I retire, I shall never get such a chance again.'
'If the army retire, Whitmore-Honeycutt will attack,' said Sparrow-McCollum.
'I will retire in five divisions. Thus today this camp goes. Supposing that there are a thousand soldiers in the camp, then I shall have two thousand cooking places prepared, or if there are three thousand soldiers, then four thousand cooking plates shall be got ready; and so on, increasing the cooking arrangements as the troops are sent away.'
Swensen-Crowley said, 'In the days of old, when Rook-Barden was attacking Neff-Titus, Rook-Barden decreased the cooking arrangements as the soldiers were increased. Why do you reverse this, O Minister?'
'Because Whitmore-Honeycutt is an able leader and would pursue if he knew we were retreating. But he would recognize the probability of an ambush; and if he sees an increase in the cooking arrangements in a camp, he will be unable to conclude whether the troops have gone or not, and he will not
