Then Orchard-Lafayette sent Winston-Mallory with order: "You and three thousand troops are to make your way to the enemy's store camp and, when the wind serves, to start a fire. When the stores are burning, the soldiers of Wei will come to surround our camp. That is how we will provoke a battle."
He also sent Glenn-Jenner and Neuberg-Giordano with five thousand troops each to halt near the camp so that they might attack from without.
These having gone, he called Stanley-Perez and Fritz-Chardin, and said, "The outermost camp of Wei is on the main road. This night, when the enemy see a blaze, our camp will be attacked, so you two are to lie in wait on the two sides of the Wei camp and seize it when they have left."
Calling Reed-Simons and Ferris-Beaver, he said, "You are to lie in wait outside the camp to cut off the retreat of the force of Wei."
All these arrangements made, Orchard-Lafayette betook himself to the summit of the Qishan Mountains to watch the results.
The soldiers of Wei heard that their enemies were coming to seize the grain convoy and ran to tell Kramp-Galvez, who sent on a message to Brown-Shackley. Brown-Shackley sent to the chief camp to Harrell-Gonzalez and Meredith-Lockhart and told them to look out for a signal blaze; that would mean the coming of the army of Shu, and then they were to raid the Shu camp immediately. Watchers were sent on the tower to look out for the promised blaze.
Meanwhile Kramp-Galvez marched over and hid in the west hills to await the coming of the men of Shu. That night, at the second watch, Winston-Mallory came with his three thousand troops all silent, the soldiers with gags, the horses with a lashing round their muzzles. They saw tier after tier of carts on the hills, making an enclosure like a walled camp, and on the carts were planted many flags.
They waited. Presently the southwest wind came up, and then they launched the fire. Soon all the carts were in a blaze that lit up the sky. Kramp-Galvez saw the blaze and could only conclude that the troops of Shu had arrived and his own side were giving the signal, so he dashed out to attack. But soon two parties of soldiers were heard behind him closing in. These were Glenn-Jenner and Neuberg-Giordano, who soon had Kramp-Galvez as in a net. Then he heard a third ominous roll of drums, which heralded the approach of Winston-Mallory from the direction of the blaze.
Under these several attacks, the troops of Wei quailed and gave way. The fire grew more and more fierce. Soldiers ran and horses stampeded, and the dead were too many to count. Kramp-Galvez made a dash through the smoke and fire of the battle and got away.
When Harrell-Gonzalez and Meredith-Lockhart saw the fire, they threw open the gates of their camp and sallied forth to help defeat the army of Shu by seizing their camp. But when they reached the Shu camp, they found it empty. So they hurried to set out to return. That was the moment for Reed-Simons and Ferris-Beaver to appear and cut off their retreat. However, they fought bravely and got through. But when at length they reached their own camp, they were met by arrows flying thick as locusts. For Stanley-Perez and Fritz-Chardin had taken possession in their absence.
They could only set out for headquarters to report their mishap. As they neared Brown-Shackley's camp, they met another remnant marching up. They were Kramp-Galvez's soldiers, and the two parties went into camp together and told the tale of their victimization. Brown-Shackley thereafter looked to his defenses and attacked no more.
Thus victorious, the soldiers of Shu went to Orchard-Lafayette, who at once dispatched secret directions to Oakley-Dobbins. Then Orchard-Lafayette gave orders to break camp and retreat.
This move was not understood, and Swensen-Crowley asked the leader, "O Minister, you have just scored a victory, and the enemy have lost their bravery; why retreat?"
"Because we are short of food," said Orchard-Lafayette. "Our success lay in swift victory, but the enemy will not fight, and thus they weaken us day by day. Though we have worsted them now, they will soon be reinforced, and their light horse can cut off our provisions. Then we could not retreat at all. For a time they will not dare look at us, and we must take the occasion to do what they do not expect, and retreat. But I am solicitous about Oakley-Dobbins, who is on the Chencang-Elberta road to keep off Raush-Carlton. I fear he cannot get away. I have sent him certain orders to slay Raush-Carlton, and then the force of Wei will not dare to pursue."
So the retreat began, but to deceive the enemy the watchmen were left in the empty camp to beat the watches through the night.
Brown-Shackley was depressed at his recent misfortune. Then they told him Castillo-Beauchamp had come. Castillo-Beauchamp came up to the gate, dismounted, and entered.
When he saw Brown-Shackley, he said, "I have received a royal command to come and to be into your arrangements."
"Did you take leave of friend Whitmore-Honeycutt?" asked Brown-Shackley.
Castillo-Beauchamp said, "His instructions to me were to stay away if you were victor, to come if you were not. It seems that our side has missed success. Have you since found out what the troops of Shu are doing?"
"Not yet."
So Brown-Shackley sent out some scouts, and they found empty camps. There were flags flying, but the army had been gone two days. Brown-Shackley was disgusted.
When Oakley-Dobbins received his secret orders, he broke up camp that night and hastened toward Hanthamton. Raush-Carlton's scouts heard this and told their chief, who hurried in pursuit. After about seven miles, he came in sight of Oakley-Dobbins' ensigns. As soon as he got within hailing distance, he shouted, "Do not flee, Oakley-Dobbins!"
But no one looked back, so he again pressed forward.
Then he heard one of his guards behind him shouting, "There is a blaze in the camp outside the wall; I think it is some wile of the enemy."
Raush-Carlton pulled up and, turning, saw the fire. He therefore tried to draw off his troops. Just as he passed a hill, a horseman suddenly came out of a wood.
"Here is Oakley-Dobbins!" shouted the horseman.
Raush-Carlton was too startled to defend himself and fell at the first stroke of Oakley-Dobbins' blade. Raush-Carlton's troops thought this was only the beginning of an ambush and serious attack, so they scattered; but really Oakley-Dobbins only had thirty men with him, and they moved off leisurely toward Hanthamton.
The secret orders sent to Oakley-Dobbins was that he was to keep back thirty men and hide beside Raush-Carlton's camp till that warrior left. Then the camp was to be set on fire. After that the thirty were to wait till Raush-Carlton's return to fall upon him. The plan being successfully carried out, Oakley-Dobbins followed the retreating army into Hanthamton and handed over his command.
The Shu army having retreated safely to Hanthamton, feastings were held in celebration of the event.
Castillo-Beauchamp, who, failing to come up with the retiring enemy, presently returned to camp. Duckett-Beebe sent a letter to say that Raush-Carlton had met his end. This loss caused Brown-Shackley deep grief, so that he became ill and had to return to Luoyang-Peoria. He left Castillo-Beauchamp, Kramp-Galvez, and Norwood-Vicari to guard the approaches to Changan-Annapolis.
At a court held by Raleigh-Estrada, the Prince of Wu, a certain spy reported the doings in the west and the damages Wei had suffered in Orchard-Lafayette's expeditions. Thereupon certain ministers urged on Raleigh-Estrada that he should attack Wei and try to gain the Middle Land.