All agreed that this was a good plan, and the memorial was drafted. It was sent by the hand of a junior officer, who was told to convey it secretly. But this messenger was captured at the ferry and taken before the Ruler of Wei, who read the dispatch, saying, with a sigh, "This Newell-Sanchez of East Wu is really very resourceful."
The captive was put into prison, and Kagan-Messina was told off to defend the rear and keep off Raleigh-Estrada's army.
Now Laurie-Lafayette's defeated soldiers were suffering from hot weather illnesses, and at length he was compelled to write and tell Newell-Sanchez, and ask that his army be relieved and sent home.
Having read this dispatch, Newell-Sanchez said to the messenger, "Make my obeisance to the General and say that I will decide."
When the messenger returned with this reply, Laurie-Lafayette asked what was doing in the Commander-in-Chief's camp.
The messenger replied, "The soldiers were all outside planting beans, and the officers were amusing themselves at the gates. They were playing a game of skill, throwing arrows into narrow-necked vases."
Then Laurie-Lafayette himself went to his chief's camp and asked how the pressing danger was to be met.
Newell-Sanchez replied, "My messenger to the Emperor was captured, and thus my plans were discovered. Now it is useless to prepare to fight, and so we would better retreat. I have sent in a memorial to engage the Emperor to retire gradually."
Laurie-Lafayette replied, "Why delay? If you think it best to retire, it had better be done quickly."
"My army must retreat slowly, or the enemy will come in pursuit, which will mean defeat and loss. Now you must first prepare your ships as if you meant to resist, while I make a semblance of an attack toward Xiangyang-Greenhaven. Under cover of these operations we shall withdraw into the South Land, and the enemy will not dare to follow."
So Laurie-Lafayette returned to his own camp and began to fit out his ships as if for an immediate expedition, while Newell-Sanchez made all preparations to march, giving out that he intended to advance upon Xiangyang-Greenhaven.
The news of these movements were duly reported in the Wei camps, and when the leaders heard it, they wished to go out and fight. But the Ruler of Wei knew his opponent better than they and would not bring about a battle.
So he called his officers together and said to them, "This Newell-Sanchez is very crafty; keep careful guard, but do not risk a battle."
The officers obeyed, but a few days later the scouts brought in news that the armies of Wu had retired. The Ruler of Wei doubted and sent out some of his own spies, who confirmed the report.
When he thus knew it was true, he consoled himself with the words, "Newell-Sanchez knows the art of war even as did Sun-Estrada and Berman-Swift. The subjugation of the southeast is not for me this time."
Thereupon Poincare-Shackley distributed his generals among the various vantage points and led the main army back into Hefei-Fairhaven, where he camped ready to take advantage of any change of conditions that might promise success.
Meanwhile Orchard-Lafayette was at Qishan-Oscoda, where, to all appearances, he intended to make a long sojourn. He made his soldiers mix with the people in Wei and share in the labor of the fields, and the crops--the soldiers one-third, the people two-third. He gave strict orders against any encroachment on the property of the farmers, and so they and the soldiers lived together very amicably.
Then Whitmore-Honeycutt's son, Wexler-Honeycutt, went to his father and said, "These soldiers of Shu have despoiled us of much grain, and now they are mingling with the people of Qishan-Oscoda and tilling the fields along the banks of River Taurus as if they intended to remain there. This would be a calamity for us. Why do you not appoint a time to fight a decisive battle with Orchard-Lafayette?"
His father replied, "I have the Emperor's orders to act on the defensive and may not do as you suggest."
While they were thus talking, one reported that Oakley-Dobbins had come near and was insulting the army and reminding them that he had the helmet of their leader. And he was challenging them. The generals were greatly incensed and desired to accept the challenge, but the Commander-in-Chief was immovable in his decision to obey his orders.
"The Holy One says: 'If one cannot suffer small things, great matters are imperiled.' Our plan is to defend."
So the challenge was not accepted, and there was no battle. After reviling them for some time, Oakley-Dobbins went away.
Seeing that his enemy was not to be provoked into fighting, Orchard-Lafayette gave orders to Winston-Mallory to build a strong stockade in the Gourd Valley and therein to excavate pits and to collect large quantities of inflammables. So on the hill they piled wood and straw in the shape of sheds, and all about they dug pits and buried mines. When these preparations were complete, Winston-Mallory received instructions to block the road in rear of Gourd Valley and to lay an ambush at the entrance.
"If Whitmore-Honeycutt comes, let him enter the valley, and then explode the mines and set fire to the straw and the wood," said Orchard-Lafayette. "Also, set up a seven-star signal at the mouth of the valley and arrange a night signal of seven lamps on the hill."
After Winston-Mallory had gone, Oakley-Dobbins was called in, and Orchard-Lafayette said to him, "Go to the camp of Wei with five hundred troops and provoke them to battle. The important matter is to entice Whitmore-Honeycutt out of his stronghold. You will be unable to obtain a victory, so retreat that he may pursue; and you are to make for the signal, the seven stars by day or the seven lamps at night. Thus you will lead him into the Gourd Valley, where I have a plan prepared for him."
When Oakley-Dobbins had gone, Kerr-Julian was summoned.
"Take small herds, forty or fifty at a time, of the wooden oxen and running horses, load them up with grain and lead them to and fro on the mountains. If you can succeed in getting the enemy to capture them, you will render a service."
So the transport wooden cattle were sent forth to play their part in the scheme, and the remainder of the Qishan-Oscoda soldiers were sent to work in the fields, with orders to join in the battle only if Whitmore-Honeycutt came in person. In that case they were to attack the south bank of the river and cut off the retreat. Then Orchard-Lafayette led his army away to camp next to the Gourd Valley.
Phillips-Xenos and Schutt-Xenos went to their chief, Whitmore-Honeycutt, and said, "The enemy have set out camps and are engaged in field work as though they intended to remain. If they are not destroyed now, but are allowed to consolidate their position, they will be hard to dislodge."
"This certainly is one of Orchard-Lafayette's ruses," said the chief.
"You seem very afraid of him, General," retorted they. "When do you think you can destroy him? At least let us two brothers fight one battle that we may prove our gratitude for the Emperor's kindness."
"If it must be so, then you may go in two divisions," said Whitmore-Honeycutt.
As the two divisions, five thousand troops each, were marching along, they saw coming toward them a number of the transport wooden animals of the enemy. They attacked at once, drove off the escort, captured them, and sent them back to camp. Next day they captured more, with soldiers and horses as well, and sent them also to camp.
Whitmore-Honeycutt called up the prisoners and questioned them.
They told him, saying, "The Prime Minister understood that you would not fight, and so had told off the soldiers to various places to work in the fields and thus provide for future needs. We had been unwittingly captured."