第49部分(第4/7 頁)

　〃The　city　is　besieged；　the　water　is　drowning　us　out。　There　will　not　be　much　more　of　this；　for　we　may　die　any　day。〃

〃He　is　a　beast；　with　neither　a　sense　of　humanity　nor　of　right。　Let　us　leave　him；〃　said　Song　Xian。

〃He　is　not　worth　fighting　for。　The　best　we　could　do　would　be　to　seize　him　and　hand　him　over　to　Cao　Cao；〃　said　Wei　Xu。

〃I　was　punished　because　I　got　my　horses　back　again；　yet　all　he　trusts　in　is　his　own　Red　Hare。　If　you　two　will　betray　the　gate　and　seize　Lu　Bu；　I　will　steal　the　horse　and　go　out　to　Cao　Cao's　camp。〃

They　settled　how　to　carry　out　the　plot；　and　that　very　night　Hou　Cheng　sneaked　into　the　stables　and　got　Red　Hare　away。　He　hastened　to　the　east　gate　which　was　opened　to　let　him　through。　The　guard　made　a　pretense　of　pursuing　him　but　only　a　pretense。

Hou　Cheng　reached　the　besiegers'　camp；　presented　the　horse　and　told　Cao　Cao　what　had　been　arranged。　They　would　show　a　white　flag　and　open　the　gates　to　his　army。　Hearing　this　Cao　Cao　had　a　few　notifications　written　out；　which　were　attached　to　arrows　and　shot　over　the　walls。　This　is　one　of　them：

〃Regent　Marshal　Cao　Cao　has　received　a　mand　from　the　Emperor　to　destroy　Lu　Bu。　Those　who　interfere　with　the　operations　of　his　grand　army；　whatever　their　rank；　shall　be　put　to　death　in　the　gate　on　the　day　that　the　city　shall　be　captured。　Should　anyone　capture　Lu　Bu　or　bring　his　head；　he　shall　be　well　rewarded。　Let　all　take　note　of　this。〃

Next　day　at　daylight　a　tremendous　hubbub　was　heard　without　the　city　and　Lu　Bu；　halberd　in　hand；　hasted　to　the　wall　to　see　what　it　meant。　As　he　went　from　gate　to　gate　inspecting　the　defenses　and　guards；　he　censured　Wei　Xu　for　letting　Hou　Cheng　escape　and　get　away　with　his　horse。　Lu　Bu　threatened　to　punish　Wei　Xu。　But　just　then　the　besiegers