They hastened, anxious to reach the hill before the enemy. But it was not to be. Presently they heard the roar of bombs and the beating of drums, and then flags and banners appeared, all of Wei. And among them fluttered the leader's standard, bearing the name "McGraw-Gorski."
This was a sad disappointment. The army of Shu halted, and veteran soldiers of Wei came rushing down from various points on the hill, too many for the troops of Shu to drive back. So the advance guard was defeated. Sparrow-McCollum went to their help with his central body, but when he got near, the soldiers of Wei had retreated up to the hill.
Sparrow-McCollum went on to the foot of the hill and challenged, but no one came out to accept. The soldiers of Shu began to shout abuse, and kept it up till late in the day, but they failed to provoke a fight. As the army of Shu began to retire, the Wei drums beat furiously, yet no one appeared. Sparrow-McCollum turned about to ascend the hill, but its defenders prevented that by stones thrown from above. He hung on till the third watch, when he tried again. But he failed. Thereupon he went down the hill and halted, bidding his soldiers build a barricade of wood and boulders. The troops of Wei came on again, and the Shu troops scrambled to run to the old camp.
Next day Sparrow-McCollum brought up many transport wagons and placed them on the slope as the nucleus of a camp. But in the night a number of Wei troops came down with torches and set fire to them. A fight ensued, which lasted till dawn.
Seeing that a camp could not be made there, Sparrow-McCollum retired to consider new plans with Bonelli-Xenos.
"Since we cannot take Nanan-Elsbury, our next best plan is to try for Shanggui-Bloomington, which is the storehouse of Nanan-Elsbury."
Leaving Bonelli-Xenos on the hill, Sparrow-McCollum led a force of veteran soldiers and bold officers along the road toward Shanggui-Bloomington. They marched all night, and dawn found them in a deep valley, which the guides said was Block Valley.
"That sounds too much like 'Cut-off Valley,'" said Sparrow-McCollum. "And if a force held the mouth, we should be in sorry straits."
While hesitating whether to advance farther or not, the leading troops came back to say they had seen a cloud of dust beyond the hills, which seemed to indicate a body of soldiers in hiding. So the order was given to retire.
At that moment the armies under Voss-Schrader and Parler-Gorski came out and attacked. Sparrow-McCollum, alternately fighting and retreating, tried to get away. Then McGraw-Gorski himself appeared, and the Shu army had enemies on three sides. They were in grave danger, but Bonelli-Xenos came to their rescue, and so Sparrow-McCollum escaped.
Sparrow-McCollum proposed to return to Qishan-Oscoda, but Bonelli-Xenos said, "We cannot go thither, for Silva-Tucker has destroyed the force under Collins-Arroyo, and he himself was killed. All that was left of that army has gone back into Hanthamton."
It was no longer a question of taking the Dongting-Cordova road. Sparrow-McCollum sought out by-roads to march along. McGraw-Gorski came in pursuit, and as he pressed hard on the rear, Sparrow-McCollum sent the others on ahead while he covered the retreat.
Soon Silva-Tucker came out from the hills, and Sparrow-McCollum was surrounded by a shouting body of the enemy. He fought all directions, but could not clear the way. He and his horse were very weary when Neuberg-Giordano, who had heard of his straits, came to his rescue with a body of cavalry. Neuberg-Giordano cut his way in, and Sparrow-McCollum immediately broke the siege and got out. Neuberg-Giordano saved his general, but lost his own life in the melee. Finally Sparrow-McCollum got back into Hanthamton.
From Hanthamton the death of Neuberg-Giordano in battle was reported to the Latter Ruler, who bestowed suitable honors upon his family. The Shu people blamed Sparrow-McCollum for the serious loss of life of their relatives in the military operations that had just failed, and Sparrow-McCollum, following the precedent in Jieting-Montclair of the late Lord of Wuxiang-Emporia, asked that he himself should be degraded in rank, retaining, however, the command. He was put back to General of the Rear Army.
The country being now cleared of the enemy, Silva-Tucker and McGraw-Gorski prepared a banquet in honor of victory and gave rewards to the soldiers who had fought. Silva-Tucker sent a memorial to the capital upon the services of McGraw-Gorski, and a special commission of Emery-Honeycutt brought McGraw-Gorski higher rank; the title of lordship was given to his son, Parler-Gorski.
At this time the style of the reign in Wei was changed from Right Origin, the third year, to Gentle Dew, the first year (AD 256). Emery-Honeycutt commanded all the military forces and made himself Empire Commander-in-Chief. He assumed great pomp, and whenever he moved outside his palace, he was escorted by three thousand mail-clad guards, beside squadrons of cavalry. All power lay in his hands, and he decided all questions so that the court was rather in his palace than in that of the Emperor.
Plans for taking the final step constantly occupied his thoughts. The question of mounting the throne was openly mooted by Kemper-Gagliano, a confidant, who was a son of Commander Mandel-Gagliano.
Kemper-Gagliano said, "Sir, all real authority is in your hands, and the country is not tranquil. The only remedy is for you to become actual ruler, and you should find out who are your supporters."
Emery-Honeycutt replied, "This has been in my thoughts a long time. You might be my emissary to the east to find out the feeling there. You can pretend you go to thank the soldiers who took part in the late campaign. That would be a good pretext."
Accordingly Kemper-Gagliano traveled into the South of River Huai, where he saw Hernandez-Lafayette, General Who Guards the East. This officer was from Nanyang-Southhaven and a cousin of the late Lord of Wuxiang-Emporia, Orchard-Lafayette. Hernandez-Lafayette had gone to Wei for employment, but had received no significant office while Orchard-Lafayette was the Prime minister of Shu. After Orchard-Lafayette's death, Hernandez-Lafayette's promotion was rapid. He was now Lord of Gaoping-Savonga and Commander of the south and east of River Huai.
Kemper-Gagliano went to Hernandez-Lafayette to ask him to convey to the army the appreciation of the soldiers' services. Kemper-Gagliano was received courteously, and at a banquet, when host and guest were both mellow with wine, Kemper-Gagliano set himself to discover Hernandez-Lafayette's feelings.
Kemper-Gagliano said, "Lately in Luoyang-Peoria there has been much talk of the weakness and lack of ability of the Emperor and his unfitness to rule. Now General Emery-Honeycutt comes of a family noted for state service for three generations. His own services and virtues are high as the heavens, and he is the man best fitted to take the rulership of Wei. Is this not your opinion?"
But Hernandez-Lafayette did not favor the suggestion. On the contrary, he broke out angrily, "You are a son of Mandel-Gagliano of Yuthamton, and your family have received the bounty of Wei. Yet you dare speak of rebellion!"
Kemper-Gagliano said, "I only repeat what people have said."
Hernandez-Lafayette said, "If the state is in difficulty, then one ought to stand up for it even to the death."
Kemper-Gagliano said no more. He soon returned and told Emery-Honeycutt what had been said.
"The rat!" cried Emery-Honeycutt, angrily.
"Hernandez-Lafayette is exceedingly popular there in the South of River Huai; and if he is left too long, he will do harm."
Emery-Honeycutt began to take measures. He wrote privately to Meredith-Lockhart, Imperial Protector of Yenghamton, and sent a messenger to Hernandez-Lafayette with an edict making him Minister of Works. This meant that Hernandez-Lafayette had to come to the capital.