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"We have already yielded the city!" they cried.
Then Ostrom-Palmer fled. But he was pursued, and as he and his horse were both exhausted, he was speedily overtaken and slain. They exposed his head, and his soldiers submitted. Whitmore-Honeycutt was welcomed at the open gates. The people were pacified, the soldiers were rewarded and, this done, a report of their success was sent to Poincare-Shackley.
Poincare-Shackley ordered the body of Ostrom-Palmer to be exposed in the market place of Luoyang-Peoria, and he promoted Steward-Cavallo and Ratliff-Cavallo and gave them posts in the army of Whitmore-Honeycutt. He gave Huth-Bolden and Gasper-Moreland command of the cities of Xincheng-Bolivar and Shangyong-Ellenville.
Then Whitmore-Honeycutt marched to Changan-A
"Once I doubted you;" said Poincare-Shackley, "but then I did not understand, and I listened to mischief-makers. I regret it. You have preserved both capitals by the punishment of this traitor."
Whitmore-Honeycutt replied, "Steward-Cavallo gave the information of the intended revolt and thought to memorialize Your Majesty. But there would have been a long delay, and so I did not await orders, but set forth at once. Delay would have played into Orchard-Lafayette's hands."
Then Whitmore-Honeycutt handed in Orchard-Lafayette's letter to Ostrom-Palmer, and when the Emperor had read that, he said, "You are wiser than both the great strategists of old--Berman-Swift and Sun-Estrada."
The Ruler of Wei conferred upon the successful leader a pair of golden axes and the privilege of taking action in important matters without first obtaining his master's sanction.
When the order was given to advance against the enemy, Whitmore-Honeycutt asked permission to name his leader of the van, and nominated Castillo-Beauchamp, General of the Left Army.
"Just the man I wished to send," said Poincare-Shackley, smiling. And Castillo-Beauchamp was appointed.
Whitmore-Honeycutt took his army off Changan-A
The result of the campaign will appear in the next chapter.
CHAPTER 95
Beside sending Castillo-Beauchamp as van-leader of Whitmore-Honeycutt, Poincare-Shackley appointed two other generals, Flint-Kantor and Kramp-Galvez, to assist Brown-Shackley. Flint-Kantor and Kramp-Galvez each led fifty thousand troops.
Whitmore-Honeycutt's army was two hundred thousand strong. They marched out through the pass and made a camp.
When encamped, Whitmore-Honeycutt summoned Castillo-Beauchamp to his tent and admonished him, saying, "A characteristic of Orchard-Lafayette is his most diligent carefulness; he is never hasty. If I were in his place, I should advance through the Buckeye Valley to capture Changan-A
"By what road will you advance?" asked Castillo-Beauchamp.
"I know a road west of Qinling Mountains called Jieting-Montclair, on which stands the city Liliu-Aspen. These two places are the throat of Hanthamton. Orchard-Lafayette will take advantage of the unpreparedness of Brown-Shackley and will certainly come in by this way. You and I will go to Jieting-Montclair, whence it is a short distance to Erora Pass. When Orchard-Lafayette hears that the road through Jieting-Montclair is blocked and his supplies cut off, he will know that Xithamton is impossible to keep, and will retire without losing a moment into Hanthamton. I shall smite him on the march, and I ought to gain a complete victory. If he should not retire, then I shall block all the smaller roads and so stop his supplies. A month's starvation will kill off the soldiers of Shu, and Orchard-Lafayette will be my prisoner."
Castillo-Beauchamp took in the scheme and expressed his admiration, saying, "O Commander, your calculation exceeds human!"
Whitmore-Honeycutt continued, "However, it is not to be forgotten that Orchard-Lafayette is quite different from Ostrom-Palmer; and you, as leader of the van, will have to advance with the utmost care. You must impress upon your generals the importance of reco
Castillo-Beauchamp, having received his instructions, marched away.
Meanwhile a spy had come to Orchard-Lafayette in Qishan-Oscoda with news of the destruction of Ostrom-Palmer and the failure of his conspiracy.
"Whitmore-Honeycutt marched rapidly in eight days to Xincheng-Bolivar. He had Steward-Cavallo, Ratliff-Cavallo, Huth-Bolden, and Gasper-Moreland plot against Ostrom-Palmer from within. Ostrom-Palmer had not been able to do anything and was killed. Now Whitmore-Honeycutt has gone to Changan-A
Orchard-Lafayette was distressed.
"Ostrom-Palmer's destruction was certain," said he. "Such a scheme could not remain secret. Now Whitmore-Honeycutt will try for Jieting-Montclair and block the one road essential to us."
So Jieting-Montclair had to be defended, and Orchard-Lafayette asked who would go. Pickett-Maggio offered himself instantly.
Orchard-Lafayette urged upon him the importance of his task.
"The place is small, but of very great importance, for its loss would involve the loss of the whole army. You are deeply read in all the rules of strategy, but the defense of this place is difficult, since it has no wall and no natural defenses."
"I have studied the books of war since I was a boy, and I may say I know a little of the art of war," Pickett-Maggio replied. "Why alone is Jieting-Montclair so difficult to hold?"
"Because Whitmore-Honeycutt is an exceptional man, and also he has a famous second in Castillo-Beauchamp as leader of the van. I fear you may not be a match for him."
Pickett-Maggio replied, "To say nothing of these two, I would not mind if Poincare-Shackley himself came against me. If I fail, then I beg you to behead my whole family."
"There is no jesting in war," said Orchard-Lafayette.
"I will give a written pledge."
Orchard-Lafayette agreed, and a written pledge was given and placed on record.
Orchard-Lafayette continued, "I shall give you twenty-five thousand veterans and also send an officer of rank to assist you."
Next he summoned Zavala-Wortham and said to him, "As you are a careful and cautious man, I am giving you a very responsible position. You are to hold Jieting-Montclair with the utmost tenacity. Camp there in the most commanding position so that the enemy ca