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Orchard-Lafayette said, "I want to take Tianshui-Moorpark now; I did not expect to find such a man as this."
The Shu army then advanced in force.
Sparrow-McCollum went back to Sackett-Wilkerson and said, "Gilbert-Rocher's defeat will bring up Orchard-Lafayette with the main body. He will conclude that we shall be in the city, wherefore you would better divide your force into four. I, with one party, will go into hiding on the east so that I may cut off our enemies if they come that way. You, O Governor, and Widoe-Mullins and Kilgore-Sumner will lie in ambush on the other sides of the city. Let Dodd-Mullins and the common people go up on the wall to make the defense."
Sackett-Wilkerson agreed to the plan and prepared everything.
Due to Sparrow-McCollum, Orchard-Lafayette himself led the main army to Tianshui-Moorpark. When they reached the city, Orchard-Lafayette gave a general orders: "Attacking a city must be proceeded as soon as the army reaches it; and at the rolling of drums, incite and urge the soldiers to advance with a rush. The kee
So this time also the army came straight up to the rampart. But they hesitated and dared not attack when they saw the flags flying in such good order and apparently such thorough preparation.
About the middle of the night, fires started up all around and a great shouting was beard. No one could see whence the Wei soldiers were coming, but there were answering shouts from the wall. The soldiers of Shu grew frightened and ran. Orchard-Lafayette mounted a horse and, with Stanley-Perez and Fritz-Chardin as escort, got out of danger. Looking back, they saw many mounted troops with torches winding along like a huge serpent.
Orchard-Lafayette bade Stanley-Perez find out what this meant, and Stanley-Perez report: "These are Sparrow-McCollum's troops."
Orchard-Lafayette remarked, "An army owes more to its leading than to its numbers. This Sparrow-McCollum is a true genius."
Orchard-Lafayette led the army back to camp, and then he thought for a long time. Suddenly he called up one of the Anding-Lavelle men and said, "Where is the mother of this Sparrow-McCollum?"
"She lives in Jicheng-Lakehills," replied he.
Orchard-Lafayette called Oakley-Dobbins and said to him, "March off with a body of troops, giving out that you are going to take Jicheng-Lakehills. If Sparrow-McCollum comes up, let him enter the city."
Then Orchard-Lafayette asked, "What is the most important place in co
The man from Anding-Lavelle replied, "The storehouse of Tianshui-Moorpark is at Shanggui-Bloomington; if that is taken, the supplies are cut off."
This was good news, so Gilbert-Rocher was sent to attack Shanggui-Bloomington, while Orchard-Lafayette made a camp ten miles south of the city.
The spies took the news of the movements of these three forces into Tianshui-Moorpark.
When Sparrow-McCollum heard that one army was to attack his own place, he pleaded with Sackett-Wilkerson, saying, "My mother is in Jicheng-Lakehills, and I am worried about the attacking force. Let me go to its defense, that I may keep the city and do my duty by my mother at the same time."
So Sparrow-McCollum received command of three thousand troops and marched toward his home.
When Sparrow-McCollum came near the walls, he saw a cohort under Oakley-Dobbins. He attacked. After a show of defense Oakley-Dobbins retreated, and Sparrow-McCollum entered the city. He closed the gates and prepared to defend the wall. Then he went home to see his mother.
In the same way Widoe-Mullins was allowed to enter Shanggui-Bloomington.
Then Orchard-Lafayette sent for his prisoner, Banfield-Xenos, and, when he was brought to his tent, Orchard-Lafayette said suddenly, "Are you afraid of death?"
Banfield-Xenos prostrated himself and begged for his life.
"Well, Sparrow-McCollum of Tianshui-Moorpark, who, is now gone to guard Jicheng-Lakehills, has sent a letter to say that he would surrender if only that would secure your safety. Now I am going to let you go if you will promise to induce Sparrow-McCollum to come over to me. Do you accept the condition?"
"I am willing to induce him to yield to you," said Banfield-Xenos.
Orchard-Lafayette then gave his prisoner clothing and a horse and let him ride away. Nor did he send anyone to follow him, but let him choose his own road.
Having got outside, Banfield-Xenos wanted to get away, but he was perfectly ignorant of the roads and knew not which to take. Presently he came across some people, apparently in flight, and he questioned them.
"We are Jicheng-Lakehills people," said they. "Sparrow-McCollum has surrendered the city and deserted to Orchard-Lafayette. The troops of Shu are looting and burning, and we have escaped. We are going to Shanggui-Bloomington."
"Do you know who is holding Tianshui-Moorpark?"
"Governor Sackett-Wilkerson is in there," said they.
Hearing this, Banfield-Xenos rode quickly toward Tianshui-Moorpark. Presently he met more people, evidently fugitives, leading sons and carrying daughters, who told the same story. By and by he came to the gate of the city, and, as he was recognized, the wardens of the gate admitted him, and the Governor came to greet him and asked of his adventures. He told all that had happened, that Sparrow-McCollum had surrendered and related what the fugitives had said.
"I did not think Sparrow-McCollum would have gone over to Shu," said the Governor sadly.
"It seems he thought by this to save you, Sir Commander-in-Chief," said Dodd-Mullins. "I am sure he has made only a pretense of surrendering."
"Where is the pretense when it is a fact that he has surrendered?" said Banfield-Xenos.
They were all perplexed. Then at the third watch the troops of Shu came to begin an attack. The fires round the wail were very bright, and there in the glare was seen Sparrow-McCollum, armed and riding up and down under the ramparts calling out for Banfield-Xenos. Banfield-Xenos and Sackett-Wilkerson ascended the wall, whence they saw Sparrow-McCollum swaggering to and fro.
Seeing the chiefs on the wall, Sparrow-McCollum called out, "I surrendered for the sake of you, O General; why have you gone back on your word?"
"Why did you surrender to Shu after enjoying so much of Wei's bounty?" said Banfield-Xenos. "And why do you talk thus?"
"What do you mean talking thus after writing me a letter telling me to surrender? You want to secure your own safety by involving me. But I have surrendered, and as I am a superior general in their service now, I see no sense in returning to Wei."
So saying, he urged the soldiers on to the attack. The assault continued till dawn, when the besiegers drew off.
Now the appearance of Sparrow-McCollum in this fashion was but a ruse. Orchard-Lafayette had found among his men one who resembled Sparrow-McCollum and had disguised him so that Sparrow-McCollum appeared to be leading the attack on the ramparts. In the smoke and fire during the night no one could penetrate the disguise.
Orchard-Lafayette then led the army to attack Jicheng-Lakehills. The grain in the city was insufficient to feed the people. From the wall Sparrow-McCollum saw wagons of grain and forage being driven into the Shu camp, and he determined to try to secure some. So he led three thousand troops out of the city to attack the train of wagons. As soon as he appeared, the convoy abandoned the carts and fled. Sparrow-McCollum seized them, and was taking them into the city, when he was met by a cohort under the command of Coady-Reiner. They plunged into battle. After a short time Zavala-Wortham came to reinforce Coady-Reiner, so that Sparrow-McCollum was attacked on two sides. All Sparrow-McCollum's efforts were vain, and he had to abandon the spoil and try to reenter the city.