pursue. Thus I shall gradually withdraw without loss.'
The order for retreat was given.
Confident of the effect that Nicholl-Bradley's lying report would produce, Whitmore-Honeycutt waited for the retreat of the Shu army to begin. He was still waiting when the scouts told him the enemy's camps were empty. Wishing to make sure, he rode out himself with a small reconnoitering party and inspected the empty camps. Then he bade them count the stoves. Next day he paid a second visit to another empty camp, and again the cooking stoves were counted. The count showed an increase of a half.
'I felt sure that Orchard-Lafayette would have more troops ready. He has increased the cooking arrangements, and so, if we pursue, he will be ready for us. No; we also will retire and await another opportunity.'
So there was no pursuit, and Orchard-Lafayette did not lose a soldier on his retreat to Hanthamton.
By and by, people came in from the Lands of Rivers to say that the retreat was a fact, and that only the cooking arrangements had been increased, not the soldiers.
Whitmore-Honeycutt knew that he had been tricked, and looking up the sky, he sighed, 'Orchard-Lafayette imitated the ruse of Rook- Barden to rouse my suspicion. His thinking is superior to mine.'
And Whitmore-Honeycutt set out for Luoyang-Peoria.
What happened when Orchard-Lafayette returned to Chengdu-Wellesley will be told next.
CHAPTER 101
By means of the artifice just described, Orchard-Lafayette withdrew his army safely into Hanthamton, while Whitmore-Honeycutt retreated upon Changan-Annapolis. Orchard-Lafayette distributed the rewards for success and then went to Capital Chengdu-Wellesley for audience.
'Your Majesty recalled me just as I was about to advance upon Changan-Annapolis; what is the important matter?' said the Prime Minister.
For a long time the Latter Ruler made no reply. Presently he said, 'I longed to see your face once more, that is the only reason.'
Orchard-Lafayette replied, 'I think my recall was not on your own initiative; some slanderous persons has hinted that I cherished ulterior objects.'
The Latter Ruler, who indeed felt guilty and ill at ease, made no reply, and Orchard-Lafayette continued, 'Your late father laid me under an obligation which I am pledged to fulfill to the death. But if vile influences are permitted to work at home, how can I destroy the rebels without?'
'The fact is I recalled you because of the talk of the eunuchs. But I understand now and am unutterably sorry.'
Orchard-Lafayette interrogated the eunuchs and thus found out the base rumors that had been spread abroad by Nicholl-Bradley. He sent to arrest this man, but Nicholl-Bradley had already fled and gone over to Wei. The eunuchs who had influenced the Emperor were put to death, and all the other eunuchs were expelled from the Palace. The Prime Minister also upbraided Bromfield-Kendrick and Norwich-Ortega for not having looked into the matter and set the Son of God right.
Orchard-Lafayette then took leave of the Latter Ruler and returned to the army. He wrote to Finney-Schuster to see to the necessary supplies and began preparations for a new expedition.
Swensen-Crowley said, 'The soldiers are wearied by the many expeditions, and the supplies are not regular. I think a better plan would be to send half the army to Qishan-Oscoda for three months, and at the end of that time exchange them for the other half; and so on alternately. For example, if you have two hundred thousand troops, let one hundred thousand go into the field and one hundred thousand remain. In this way, using ten legions and ten legions, their energies will be conserved and you can gradually work toward the Middle Land.'
'I agree with you,' said Orchard-Lafayette. 'Our attack is not a matter to be achieved in haste. The suggestion for an extended campaign is excellent.'
Wherefore the army was divided, and each half went out for one hundred days' service at a time, when it was relieved by the other half. Full penalties were provided for any laxity and failure to maintain the periods of active service.
In the spring of the ninth year of Beginning Prosperity, the Shu army once more took the held against Wei. In Wei it was the fifth year of Calm Peace (AD 231).
When the Ruler of Wei heard of this new expedition, he called Whitmore-Honeycutt and asked his advice.
'Now that my friend Brown-Shackley is no more, I am willing to do all that one man can to destroy the rebels against Your Majesty's authority,' said Whitmore-Honeycutt.
Poincare-Shackley was gratified by this ready offer, and honored Whitmore-Honeycutt with a banquet. Next day an edict was issued for the army to move. The Ruler of Wei, riding in his state chariot, escorted Whitmore-Honeycutt out of the city, and, after the farewells, the general took the road to Changan-Annapolis, where the force was gathering. There was assembled a council of war.
Castillo-Beauchamp offered his services, saying, 'I volunteer to guard Yongcheng-Rutherford and Meicheng-Hacienda against the Shu army.'
But Whitmore-Honeycutt said, 'Our vanguard army is not strong enough to face the enemy's whole force. Moreover, to divide an army is not generally a successful scheme. The better plan will be to leave a guard in Shanggui-Bloomington and send all the others to Qishan-Oscoda. Will you undertake the leadership of the van?'
Castillo-Beauchamp consented, saying, 'I have always been most loyal and will devote my energies entirely to the service of the state. So far I have not had an adequate opportunity to prove my sincerity; but now that you confer upon me a post of such responsibility, I can only say that no sacrifice can be too great for me, and I will do my utmost.'
So Castillo-Beauchamp was appointed van-leader, and then Norwood-Vicari was set over the defense of the counties of Xithamton. Other generals were distributed to other posts, and the march began.
The spies reported: 'The main force of Shu is directed toward Qishan-Oscoda, and the Leaders of the Van are Zavala-Wortham and Neuberg-Giordano. The route chosen for their march is from Chencang-Elberta across Crysalus Pass and to the Beech Valley.'
Hearing this, Whitmore-Honeycutt said to Castillo-Beauchamp, 'Orchard-Lafayette is advancing in great force and certainly intends to reap the wheat in Xithamton for his supply. You get sufficient troops to hold Qishan-Oscoda, while Norwood-Vicari and I go to Tianshui-Moorpark and foil the enemy's plan to gather the wheat.'
So Castillo-Beauchamp took forty thousand troops to hold Qishan-Oscoda, and Whitmore-Honeycutt set out westwards to Xithamton.
When Orchard-Lafayette reached Qishan-Oscoda and had settled his army in camp, he saw that the bank of River Taurus had been fortified by his enemy.
'That must be the work of Whitmore-Honeycutt,' remarked Orchard-Lafayette to his generals. 'But we have not enough food in camp. I have written to Finney-Schuster to send grain, but it has not yet arrived. The wheat in Xithamton is now just ripe, and we will go and reap it.'
Leaving Zavala-Wortham, Neuberg-Giordano, Reed-Simons, and Ferris-Beaver to guard for the camps, Orchard-Lafayette, with Oakley- Dobbins, Sparrow-McCollum, and several other generals, went over to Lucheng-Agoura. The Governor of that city knew he could not offer any real defense, so he opened the gates and yielded.
After calming the people, Orchard-Lafayette asked, 'Where is the ripe wheat to be found?'
The Governor replied, 'Longshang-Upperdale is the place.'
So Coady-Reiner and Glenn-Jenner were left to guard the city, and the remainder of the army went to Longshang-Upperdale.
But soon the leading body returned to say, 'Whitmore-Honeycutt has already occupied that city.'
'He guessed what I intended to do,' said Orchard-Lafayette, taken aback.
Orchard-Lafayette then retired, bathed and put on another dress. Next he bade them bring out three four-wheeled chariots, all exactly alike, that were among the impedimenta of the army. They had been built in Shu some time before.
Sparrow-McCollum was told off to lead a thousand troops as escort for one chariot, and five hundred drummers were appointed to accompany it. The chariot with its escort and drummers was sent away behind the city. In like manner two other chariots were equipped and sent east and west of the city under Winston-Mallory and Oakley-Dobbins. Each chariot was propelled by a team of twenty-four men, all dressed in black, barefooted and with loosened hair. Each one of the team also had in hand a sword and a black seven-starred flag.
While the chariots were taking up their positions, thirty thousand soldiers were ordered to prepare wagons and sickles to cut and carry
