Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/307

 “ I must stand by my instructions; that is the only thing to do.” said K‘ung.

“Then you refuse to let me pass?”

“If you want to go through leave the family as a gage.”

At this Kuan Yü got very angry and made to cut at the officer on the spot, but he withdrew into the gate and beat the drums for an attack. Thereupon the soldiers armed themselves, mounted and came down to oppose the passage, crying, “Dare you go through, eh?”

The carriage was sent off to a safe distance and then Kuan Yü rode at full speed directly at the commander of the guard, who set his spear and came to meet him. The two steeds met and the men engaged, but at the first stroke of Black Dragon the commander of the gate fell to the earth dead. His men fled.

“Soldiers, do not flee!” cried Kuan Yü. “I killed him because I could do no otherwise. I have nothing against you, but I would ask you to tell the Minister how this thing came to pass, that he wished to kill me and so I slew him in self-defence.”

The men bowed before him and Kuan Yü, with the carriage, passed through the gates and they continued their way to Loyang. But one of the guards of the pass went quickly in advance and informed the Prefect of Loyang, Han Fu, of the slaughter of K‘ung Hsiu. Wherefore Han Fu assembled his officers to take counsel. Mêng T‘an, one of his captains, said, “This Kuan Yü must be a fugitive or he would have a safe conduct. Our only course is to stop him or we shall incur blame.”

“The man is fierce and brave. Remember the fate of Yen and Wên. It seems vain to oppose him by force and so we must think out some trap for him,” said Han Fu.

“I have a ruse ready,” said Mêng T‘an. “I will close the gate with “deerhorns” (chevaux de frise) and I will go to fight with him. I will engage and then flee, and you can shoot him from an ambush along the road. If we can get him and his party and send them prisoners to the capital we ought to be well rewarded.”

This course was determined upon and soon they heard that Kuan Yü was approaching. Han Fu strung his bow and filled his quiver with arrows and with one company took up position along the pass. Then as the party approached Han Fu said, “Who is the traveller who comes?”

Kuan Yü bowed low and said, “He is a certain Kuan, Marquis of Hanshout‘ing, and he wishes to go through the pass.”

“Have you a letter from the Minister?”

“In the hurry of departure I did not get any.”

“My special orders from him are to hold this pass and make examination of all spies that may go to and fro. Any person without an authority must be a fugitive.”