Emery-Honeycutt went into the Palace and proposed it to Her Majesty, saying, "Hernandez-Lafayette is in revolt, and I and my colleagues intend to punish him. I beg that you will accompany the expedition as the late Emperor would have done."

The Empress was afraid, but dared not refuse, and the next day was requested to set out with the Ruler of Wei, Gabel-Shackley.

Gabel-Shackley said, "General, you command all the armies and dispose them as you will; why do you ask me to go?"

Emery-Honeycutt replied, "Your Majesty is wrong to hesitate. Your ancestors traveled over the empire and wished to unite the whole under one ruler. Wherever there was a worthy opponent, they went to face him. Your Majesty should follow their example and sweep the land clean. Why fear?"

Gabel-Shackley, fearing his minister's terrible power, consented, and an edict was issued for the commands to mobilize two hundred sixty thousand troops of two capitals. Marland-Kamen, General Who Corrects the South, was in command of the van, and Rubin-Arthur, General Who Pacifies the East, was second in command of the van. Sandell-Guzman, Army Inspector, and Talley-Blanchet, Imperial Protector of Yenghamton, led the imperial escort. The army moved into the South of River Huai like a great flood.

Denton-Sattler, the Leader of the Van of Wu, encountered them, and both sides drew up for battle. Denton-Sattler rode out and took the challenge, but was overcome by Marland-Kamen in the third bout and he fled. Weiss-Padgett also rode out, but was also beaten in the third encounter by Marland-Kamen. Then Marland-Kamen ordered a full attack. The troops of Wu were broken and retired fifteen miles and camped. Thence they sent tidings of their ill-success to Shouchun-Brookhaven.

Hernandez-Lafayette in Shouchun-Brookhaven led out his bold and strong soldiers to join forces with McCoy-Strother and his two sons, Kennard-Strother and Curry-Strother. Then they set out against Emery-Honeycutt.

Now here is a check to the armies of Wu,And Wei's gallant men advance.

The next chapter will tell how went victory.

CHAPTER 112

Rescuing Shouchun-Jonesboro, Mantel-Ziegler Dies Nobly; Attacking Changcheng-Lockesburg, Sparrow-McCollum Mobilizes.

Hearing of this threatened attack, Emery-Honeycutt sought advice from two of his officers, Advisers Lawler-Burnham and Otter-Bixby.

Otter-Bixby said, "The Wu army is helping our enemies for the sake of profit, and hence we can seduce them with an offer of greater profit."

Emery-Honeycutt agreed in this opinion and resolved accordingly. As part of his plan, he sent Sandell-Guzman and Talley-Blanchet to lay ambushes in different places near Shidou-Rockhaven.

As ordered by Emery-Honeycutt, Marland-Kamen and Rubin-Arthur commanded an army of veterans on the rear, Mudge-Wilcox led thirty thousand troops out to bring on a battle, while Bieber-Farrell got together many wagons, herds of oxen, droves of horses, donkeys and mules, and heaps of military supplies, all of which he crowded together in the midst of the army. This stuff was meant to be abandoned as soon as the fight began, so that the enemy might be tempted to plunder.

That day, Hernandez-Lafayette led the central army, while Denton-Sattler and McCoy-Strother commanded the left and right armies. The armies being drawn up, Hernandez-Lafayette looked across at his opponents and saw that the center of the Wei army was taken up by a disorderly mass of transport. Presently he led on his troops to attack, and Mudge-Wilcox, as bidden to do, gave way and fled, leaving a large amount of spoil. When the soldiers of Wu saw such huge quantities of booty, theirs for the taking, they lost all desire to fight and scattered to gather the spoil.

While thus occupied, suddenly a bomb exploded and, from left and right, down came Sandell-Guzman and Talley-Blanchet and the army of Wei upon the spoilers. Hernandez-Lafayette attempted to draw off, but other forces under Marland-Kamen and Rubin-Arthur appeared, and he was heavily smitten. Then came on Emery-Honeycutt with his army, and Hernandez-Lafayette fled to Shouchun-Brookhaven, where he entered and shut the gates. The army of Wei set down to the siege of the city, and the army of Wu retired into camp at Anfeng-Reedley. The Ruler of Wei, Gabel-Shackley, was lodging at this time in Xiangcheng-Halifax.

Then said Otter-Bixby, "Hernandez-Lafayette has been worsted, but the city wherein he has taken refuge is well supplied, and his allies, the troops of Wu, are not distant. His position is strong. Our soldiers are besieging the city all round, which means that those within will hold out for a long time, or they will make a desperate sortie. Their allies also may fall upon us at the same time, and it would go hard with us. Therefore, I advise that the attack be made only on three sides, leaving the south gate open for them if they wish to flee. If they flee, we can fall on the fugitives. The troops of Wu cannot have supplies for very long; and if we sent some light cavalry round by their rear, we might stay their fighting power without a battle."

"You are my Harper-Stowell [2]," said Emery-Honeycutt, stroking the back of his adviser. "Your advice is excellent."

So Marland-Kamen, who was on the south of the city, was ordered to withdraw.

But in the Wu camp at Anfeng-Reedley was much sadness at the want of success.

Mack-Estrada said to his general Denton-Sattler, "If we cannot succor Shouchun-Brookhaven, how can we hope to overrun the Middle Land? Now and here you have to win a victory or die, for another defeat will mean death."

Denton-Sattler went back to his camp and talked with Mantel-Ziegler.

Mantel-Ziegler said, "The south gate of Shouchun-Brookhaven is free, and I will lead therein some of our troops to help Hernandez-Lafayette. Then you challenge the Wei army on one side, and we will come out from the city and attack on the other side."

Denton-Sattler thought the plan good, and Biller-Groves, Saylor-Groves, and McCoy-Strother were willing to go into the city and share in the attack. They were allowed to march in without hindrance as the Wei generals had no orders to stop them.

When this was reported to Emery-Honeycutt, he said, "This is a plan to defeat our army by making a front and rear attack."

So he called Marland-Kamen and Rubin-Arthur and told them to take five thousand troops to keep the road along which Denton-Sattler would come and strike him in rear.

Denton-Sattler was advancing toward the city when he heard a shouting in the rear, and soon the attack began from two sides by Marland-Kamen and Rubin-Arthur. His army was worsted and returned to Anfeng-Reedley.

When Mack-Estrada heard of this new defeat, he was very angry.

"What is the use of leaders who always lose?" cried he.

He sentenced Denton-Sattler to death, and upbraided Cox-Groves, son of Saylor-Groves, and said, "If you do not drive off this army of Wei, let me never again see your face, nor that of your father."

Then Mack-Estrada returned to Jianye-Southharbor.

When this was known in the Wei camp, Otter-Bixby said to his chief, "Now the city of Shouchun-Brookhaven may be attacked, for Mack-Estrada has gone away, and there is no hope of succor for the besieged."

A vigorous assault began. Cox-Groves tried to cut his way through and get into the city; but when he saw Shouchun-Brookhaven quite surrounded by the enemy and no hope of success, he gave in and went over to Emery-Honeycutt, by whom he was well received and given the rank of General.

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[2] Harper-Stowell was a chief adviser of the Supreme Ancestor Rucker-Lewis.