standing among the trees. Rather surprised to see them there he reined in and asked who they were.
“We belong to Han Tang’s army and are shooting deer,” was the reply.
So Sun Ts‘ê shook his bridle to proceed. But just as he did so one of the men thrust at him with a spear and wounded his thigh. Sun drew the sword at his side, dashed forward and cut down the aggressor. The blade of his sword suddenly fell to the ground, only the hilt remaining in his hand. Then one of the assassins drew his bow and an arrow wounded Sun in the cheek. He plucked out the arrow and shot at the offender, who fell, but the other two attacked him furiously with their spears, shouting, “We are Hsü Kung’s men and his avengers!”
Sun Ts‘ê then understood. But he had no weapons save his bow against them. He tried to draw off, keeping them at bay by striking with his bow, but the fight was getting too much for him and both he and his steed were wounded in several places. However, just at the critical moment, some of his own men came up and they made short work of the remaining two avengers.
But their lord was in a sorry plight. His face was streaming with blood and some of the wounds were very severe. They tore up his robe and therewith bound up his wounds and they carried him home.
A poem in praise of the three avengers says:—
O Sun Ts‘ê was a warrior and a stranger he to fear,
But he was basely murdered while hunting of the deer.
Yet were they leal who slew him, to avenge a murdered lord,
Self immolated like Yü-jang, they dreaded not the sword.
Badly wounded, Sun Ts‘ê was borne to his home. They sent to call the famous physician, Hua T‘o, but he was far away and could not be found. However, a disciple of his came and the wounded man was committed to his care.
“The arrowheads were poisoned,” said the physician, “and the poison has penetrated deep. It will take a hundred days of perfect repose before danger will be past. But if you give way to passion or anger the wounds will not heal.”
Sun’s temperament was hasty and impatient and the prospect of such a slow recovery was very distasteful. However, he remained quiet for some twenty of the hundred days. Then came a messenger from the capital and he insisted on seeing and questioning him.
“Ts‘ao Ts‘ao fears you, my lord, very greatly,” said the messenger, “and his advisers have exceeding respect for you; all except Kuo Chia.”
“What did he say?” asked the sick chieftain.
The messenger remained silent, which only irritated his master and caused him to demand to be told. So the messenger had to speak the truth. He said, “The fact is Kuo Chia told
