still undecided, but Tek-Tiong hitting upon a scheme, turned his horse and fled.
The Chief not seeing that this was merely a feint, pursued hotly; Tek-Tiong drawing forth a copper bar, turned round suddenly, and struck the Eleuth on the left arm, on which he fell from his saddle with a terrible yell.
Png-Toa-Ang seeing that Tek-Tiong was victorious, waved the colours, and the whole army cheered lustily; this made Pheⁿ-Leng-Thien almost burst with rage, so spurring forward his horse, he rushed at Png-Toa-Ang; their horses met, and a terrible fight eusued between the two men. The Abbot perceiving that Pheⁿ-Leng-Thien was one of Heaven's own heroes, and fearing that Toa-Ang would be overmatched, sounded the trumpets to recall the army. Now just at this time, Toa-Ang was anxious to exhibit his prowess to the utmost, but on hearing the trumpet, he obeyed the signal, and retired with the rest; on seeing the Abbot, he said, "I was just going to put into effect a stratagem, why did you recall the troops? The abbot replied," I perceive this man is a phenomenon of bravery, and I feared lest you would not be able to withstand him, for this reason I recalled you; this man must be attacked by strategy, it is hopeless to resist him by mere force. To-morrow I will carry out my schemes, and we shall certainly be victorious."
The next day the Abbot called together all the brethren, and instructed them as follows.
"I find that there is a ravine called the Hu-Tek valley, in which we can place an ambuscade, by which means we shall gain a complete victory. O-Tek-Te must take 30 of the brethren, and lie in wait on the left side of the valley; Ma-Thiau-Heng will take 20, and place them on the right side, of the same valley. Each man must be provided with plenty of dry wood, straw, sulphur, gunpowder and other combustibles, and mines consisting of shells and fireballs must be set in the pathway; Chhoa-Tek-Tiong, and Chhoa-Seng-Tso, with Low-Keng, will with 3,000 of the troops, attack the enemy opposed to him; Ng-Su-Tsuan, Png-Hui-Ho, and O-Sun-Hiang, will also take the same men, and attack the Eleuths, while Png-Toa-Ang will, by pretending to ty, allure the enemy into the Hu-Tek valley; and when the signal guns shew that the Eleuths are entrapped, O-Tek-Te, and Ma-Thiau-Heng, with their men will spring the mines, and our whole force will at once fall to kill and exterminate the barbarians.
