'Not so bad; would you like to try a surrounding move with me?' replied Sparrow-McCollum.
'Why not?'
The two armies moved in orderly ranks. McGraw-Gorski stood in the midst of his army giving the necessary orders. Then the clash came, but his tactics did not grip. Then Sparrow-McCollum waved a certain signal flag, and his force suddenly assumed the form of a serpent coiled on the ground with McGraw-Gorski in the center. Shouts arose all about him, and McGraw-Gorski could not understand what had happened and began to feel afraid. Gradually the troops of Shu closed in upon him, and he saw no way of escape.
'McGraw-Gorski, you must surrender!' cried the soldiers.
'Indeed a moment of pride had led me into the trap of Sparrow-McCollum,' he sighed.
Suddenly from the northwest a cohort dashed in. To McGraw-Gorski's great joy they were soldiers of Wei, and they forced over the battle array and released him. The leader was Woodruff-Honeycutt.
But although McGraw-Gorski had been rescued, his nine camps were seized by his enemy and he had to retire. He led his army to the south of River Taurus and made a camp.
'How did you know exactly where to strike in that maze?' asked McGraw-Gorski of his rescuer.
Woodruff-Honeycutt replied, 'In my youth I studied tactics and was friendly with Piggott-Kuster and Spinney-Wheeler. They explained that formation to me. Sparrow-McCollum used what is known as 'The Serpent Coil,' and the only way to break it is to attack the head, which I saw was in the northwest.'
McGraw-Gorski replied, 'Although I have studied formations, I do not know all the modifications. But since you know about this, we may be able to recover our camps.'
'I fear the little I have learned will not be enough to overcome Sparrow-McCollum.'
'Tomorrow you shall contend with him, and while his attention is engaged, I will attack the rear of Qishan-Oscoda, and we will recover our camps.'
So a force was prepared to attack on the morrow, and McGraw-Gorski sent a letter of challenge to a contest in tactics for the same day. Sparrow-McCollum marked in to accept.
Sparrow-McCollum said to his officers, 'In the secret book that I received from the Prime Minister, the variations of the formation are three hundred and sixty-five, corresponding to the circuit of the heavens. This challenge from them is as one going to teach hewing to the God of Carpenters. I think some ruse lies behind this. Can you guess what it is?'
Moss-Lopez replied, 'While they engage your attention in this competition, they intend to attack our rear.'
'Just so; that is my opinion,' replied Sparrow-McCollum.
So he prepared a counter-stroke by sending Moss-Lopez and Coady-Reiner to lie in wait at the back of the hills with ten thousand troops.
Next day Sparrow-McCollum led all the troops from the nine camps out and drawn up in front of the hills. Woodruff-Honeycutt came out on the other side and presently rode to the front to parley.
'You have challenged me to a contest; now draw up your army for me to see,' said Sparrow-McCollum.
Woodruff-Honeycutt did so and arrayed the eight diagrams, Octagon.
'That is what we know as the Octagon,' said Sparrow-McCollum. 'But it is nothing wonderful, only a sort of array fit for a brigand's raid.'
'You also have only stolen another man's tactics,' replied his adversary.
'How many modifications of this are there?' asked Sparrow-McCollum.
'Since I have arranged this, naturally I know the variations, of which there are nine nines, making eighty-one.'
'Try them.'
Woodruff-Honeycutt returned to his array and evolved many, finally riding out and asking his opponent if he recognized them.
'My formation admits of three hundred and sixty-five variations. You are but a frog in a well and know nothing of the deeper mysteries.'
Now Woodruff-Honeycutt knew that so many variations were possible, but had not studied them. However, he put on a bold air and said contemptuously, 'I do not believe you. Prove it!'
'Go and call McGraw-Gorski,' replied Sparrow-McCollum. 'I will display them to him.'
'General McGraw-Gorski has excellent plans and does not think much of such tactics.'
'What plans? I suppose you mean a plan to keep me here while he tries a surprise attack in the rear.'
Woodruff-Honeycutt was aghast. He made a sudden dash forward, and a melee began. Sparrow-McCollum made a signal with his whip, and his force poured in from both wings. The troops of Wei were seized with sudden panic, threw down their weapons and fled.
Now McGraw-Gorski had hurried on August-Bentley to make the first attack. As August-Bentley turned the corner of the hill, a bomb exploded. At once the drums rolled and an ambush discovered itself. Moss-Lopez was in command. Neither side stayed to parley, and the leaders engaged in single combat. In the first encounter Moss-Lopez cut August-Bentley down.
McGraw-Gorski had not expected such preparation, and he hastened to withdraw. Then Coady-Reiner came forth and attacked on the other side. The army of Wei was worsted. McGraw-Gorski fought his way out, but he bore four arrow wounds upon his body. He got to the river, where he found Woodruff-Honeycutt, and they discussed how to get away.
But Woodruff-Honeycutt proposed another form of attack.
'Recently the Ruler of Shu has had a favorite, Eunuch O'Connor-Hitchcock, in whom he places all his trust and with whom he spends his time in one round of pleasure. Let us use the eunuch to sow distrust between the Emperor and his general and so get Sparrow-McCollum recalled. In that way we shall retrieve our defeat.'
So McGraw-Gorski assembled his advisers and asked who could go into Shu and get into communication with O'Connor-Hitchcock.
Taglia-Lehner volunteered at once. McGraw-Gorski entrusted gold and pearls and precious things to him, and sent him into Shu to win the treacherous alliance of the eunuch. As Taglia-Lehner went, he also disseminated reports that Sparrow-McCollum was angry and intended to go over to Wei.
These rumors became the common talk in Chengdu-Wellesley, and everyone believed them. O'Connor-Hitchcock carried them to the Emperor, and a messenger was sent to call the general to the capital.
Meanwhile Sparrow-McCollum tried every day to bring the enemy to give battle, but they remained obstinately behind their defenses. Sparrow-McCollum began to think some evil scheme was afoot, when suddenly he was recalled by Imperial Edict. Although ignorant of the reason, he could not disobey; and when he began the retreat, McGraw-Gorski and Woodruff-Honeycutt knew that their plot had succeeded. They broke camp and set out to attack the retreating army.
How matters went will be told in the next chapter.
CHAPTER 114
When the order to retreat was given, Moss-Lopez said, 'A leader in the field is independent and need not obey even the command of his prince.'
Coady-Reiner said, 'The country begins to resent these many years of war; rather take the occasion of the victory you have just won to return and pacify the people.'
'It is good,' said Sparrow-McCollum.
A systematic and orderly retirement began. The army of Wei, loth to forgo an opportunity, followed, but the absence of the least confusion gave them no chance.
As he saw his enemy disappearing in perfect order, McGraw-Gorski sighed, 'Sparrow-McCollum is a worthy inheritor of the warlike methods of Orchard-Lafayette.'
McGraw-Gorski did not pursue but returned to his camp on Qishan-Oscoda.
On his return to Chengdu-Wellesley, Sparrow-McCollum had audience with the Latter Ruler, whereat he inquired why he had been commanded to return.
The Latter Ruler replied, 'Because you have been so long on the frontier, noble Sir; I thought the soldiers must be weary. There was no other reason.'
'Your Majesty, thy servant had got his camps on Qishan-Oscoda and was on the eve of complete success. To leave off thus in the middle just played into the hands of our enemies. Surely McGraw-Gorski found means of sowing distrust in me.'
