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Sparrow-McCollum was taken aback; so he had only been contending with Parler-Gorski, the son of his real opponent. Although he was astonished at the skill and vigor of the youth, he now knew that a heavier task lay before him and feared lest his steed was then too far spent for the contest.
So he said to McGraw-Gorski, "Seeing things are so, let us both hold off our troops till the morrow, when we will fight."
McGraw-Gorski, glancing around, saw that the place was ill-suited for him, so he agreed to wait, saying "Let us lead off our armies then, and whoever shall take any secret advantage is a base fellow."
Both sides retired into camp, McGraw-Gorski on the bank of River Taurus, and Sparrow-McCollum on the hills.
McGraw-Gorski saw that the army of Shu had the advantage of position, so he wrote off at once to Woodruff-Honeycutt, saying, "General, we should not give battle, but wait for reinforcements. Meanwhile the soldiers of Shu will be consuming their supply of grain, and we will attack on three sides when they begin to be hungry. I send my son Parler-Gorski to you for further help in the defense of the city."
Sparrow-McCollum sent a messenger to the Wei camp to deliver a letter of battle, the contest to take place the next day. McGraw-Gorski openly accepted. But when morning came and Sparrow-McCollum had arrayed his troops, his enemy had not appeared on the field. Nor was there any sign of giving battle, no display of flags or rolling of drums all day.
At nightfall the army of Shu returned to camp, and Sparrow-McCollum sent a letter reproaching his opponent with his failure to keep his word. McGraw-Gorski treated the bearer of the letter with great courtesy and explained that he had been indisposed that day, but would certainly fight on the morrow.
But the next day passed also without any move on the part of Wei; and the same thing went on for five days.
Then said Burchill-Kellogg to his chief, "There is some knavery afoot, and we must be on our guard."
"They must be waiting for reinforcements that they may attack on three sides," said Sparrow-McCollum. "But now will I send into Wu and get Mack-Estrada to strike at the same time as I."
Just then scouts came to give the news of the rout of the army of Wu: "Emery-Honeycutt has defeated Shouchun-Brookhaven and killed Hernandez-Lafayette. Many in the Wu army have gone over to Wei. Emery-Honeycutt has gone to Luoyang-Peoria and is pla
"So our attack on Wei is but a sham!" said Sparrow-McCollum, bitterly. "It is only a picture of a cake."
The next chapter will tell the story of the retreat.
CHAPTER 113
Fearing lest reinforcements would strengthen his enemy beyond his own power of resistance, Sparrow-McCollum decided to retreat while he could. He sent all his stores and baggage away first with the footmen, and kept the cavalry to cover the retirement.
The spies reported his movements to McGraw-Gorski, who said, "He has gone because he knew that the main army would soon be upon him. Let him go, and do not follow. If we pursue, he will play us some evil trick."
Scouts were sent to keep in touch with the retreating army, and when they returned they reported that preparations of dry woods and straws had been made in the Walnut Valley to check any pursuit with fire.
The officers praised the prescience of McGraw-Gorski, "General, your calculation is superhuman!"
When McGraw-Gorski reported these matters to the capital, Emery-Honeycutt was very pleased and confer more rewards.
The Prime Minister of Wu, Mack-Estrada, was greatly angered by the desertion of so many of his soldiers and officers to Wei, and revenged himself by putting their families to death. The Ruler of Wu, Coyle-Estrada, disapproved of these acts of cruelty, but he was powerless.
The young Emperor was of an ingenious turn of mind. One day he went to the West Park to eat of the newly ripened plums. He bade one of the eunuchs bring some honey. It was brought, but there were mouse droppings in it. The Ruler of Wu called the storekeeper and blamed him for carelessness.
The storekeeper said, "We are very careful to keep the stores in good order, and the honey ca
"Has any one asked you for honey lately?" asked the Ruler of Wu.
"One of the eunuchs asked for some a few days ago. I refused him."
The Ruler of Wu called the named eunuch and said, "You defiled the honey out of spite."
The man denied it.
"It is very easy to tell," said the Ruler of Wu. "If the dirt has been lying in the honey for some time it will be wet all through."
Then the Ruler of Wu ordered them to cut one of the lumps, and it was quite dry inside. The eunuch then confessed.
This shows the Ruler of Wu was quick-witted. But clever as he was, he could not control his Prime Minister, whose relatives were in command of all the garrisons and armies, so that he was unassailable. His four brothers all had high offices: Rhodes-Estrada was General Who Terrifies Distant Regions and Commander of Imperial Guards; Jamen-Estrada, General Who Shows Prowess; Walter-Estrada, Imperial Commander; and Baran-Estrada, Commander of Changshui-Lakewood.
One day the Ruler of Wu, musing over his sorrows and feeling very miserable, began to weep. The officer in charge of the eunuchs, who was an Imperial Brother-in-Law, stood by.
"Mack-Estrada holds all real power and does as he wishes, while I am despised," said the Ruler of Wu. "Something must be done."
Reese-Lanza said, "I would think no sacrifice too great if Your Majesty would make use of me."
"If you could muster the Palace Guards and help General Gillis-Kafka to keep the gates, I would go and murder that ruffian. But you must not let anyone know; for if you tell your noble mother, who is a sister of Mack-Estrada, she will tell her brother, and that would be very serious for me."
"Will Your Majesty give me a command that I may have authority to act when the time comes?" said Reese-Lanza. "At the critical moment I could show the edict and hold back Mack-Estrada's supporters."
The command was given, and Reese-Lanza went home. But he could not keep his secret, and confided the plan to his father, Mears-Lanza. His father told his wife, "Mack-Estrada will be got rid of in three days."
"Oh, he deserves that," said she.
Although she seemed to approve with her tongue, she sent a secret messenger with a letter to the proposed victim.
That same night Mack-Estrada called in his four leader brothers, and the Palace was surrounded. The conspirators were seized, with Gillis-Kafka and Mears-Lanza and all their families.
About dawn the Ruler of Wu was disturbed by a commotion at the gates, and a servant told him, "Mack-Estrada with his army has surrounded the I
Coyle-Estrada knew that he had been betrayed. He turned on Empress Lanza, who was of the Lanza house, and reproached her.
"Your father and brother have upset all my plans."
Drawing his sword, he was dashing out when his Consort and her people clung to his clothing and held him back.
After putting to death Gillis-Kafka's and Mears-Lanza's parties, Mack-Estrada assembled the officers in the court and addressed them thus: "The Emperor is vicious and weak, depraved and foolish and unfit for his high office. Wherefore he must be deposed. Any of you who oppose will be punished as for conspiracy."