Page:Gems of Chinese literature (1922).djvu/217

 turned to Kuan Yü and said, “You see this powerful force of men and horses…” “I do,” answered Kuan Yü; “they remind me of a lot of earthen cocks and pottery dogs.” Again Ts‘ao Ts‘ao pointed and said, “There, under the standard, with the embroidered robe and golden coat of mail, holding a sword and standing still on his horse,―is General Yen.” Kuan Yü raised his eyes and looked over in the direction indicated; then he said, “To me, General Yen looks as if he had stuck up an advertisement for the sale of his head.” “Ah,” cried Ts‘ao Ts‘ao, “you must not underrate him!” At this, Kuan Yü got up and exclaimed, “Although a man of no ability, I am prepared to go into this ten-thousand-man camp and bring you back his head as an offering.” “There should be no joking on a battle-field,” said one of the staff; “anyhow don’t forget that Yün Ch‘ang is there.” Kuan Yü rushed off at once, and jumping on his horse, with his sword reversed, galloped down the hill. With round, glaring, phœnix-like eyes, and his silkworm-moth eyebrows raised straight up, he dashed right among the enemy whose ranks opened like parting waves, until he reached General Yen himself. The latter, under his standard, seeing Kuan Yü rush forwards, was just about to ask what he wanted, when the speed of the brown-as-a-hare charger had already brought Kuan Yü alongside of him. General Yen had no time to lay his hand on his sword before he was knocked off his horse by Yün Ch‘ang; whereupon Kuan Yü jumped down, cut off the General’s head, hung it round his horse’s neck, remounted in a moment, and with sword drawn made his way through the enemy’s ranks as though no one was there to stop him. Officers and men were all terrified and a perfect panic ensued. Ts‘ao Ts‘ao’s troops seized the opportunity for attack, and slaughtered the enemy in great numbers, besides capturing many horses and quantities of munitions of war. Kuan Yü rode his horse up the hill, to receive congratulations from the various commanders as he presented the head to Ts‘ao Ts‘ao, who exclaimed, “General, you are indeed no mortal man!” 