Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/74

 came the direful tidings that he too had fallen. The faces of the gathering paled at this.

“What a pity my two able leaders, Yen Liang and Wên Chʻou, are not here! Then should we have some one who would not fear this man,” said the chief.

He had not finished when from the lower end a voice cried, “I will go, take his head and lay it before you here.”

All turned to look at the speaker. He was tall and had a long beard. His eyes were those of a phœnix and his eyebrows thick and bushy like caterpillars. His face was a swarthy red and his voice deep as the sound of a great bell.

“Who is he?” asked the chief.

Kungsun Tsan told them it was Kuan Yü, brother of Liu Yüan-tê.

“And what is he?”

“He is in the train of Liu Yüan-tê as a mounted archer.”

“An insult to us all!” roared the chief’s brother from his place. “Have we no leader? How dare an archer speak thus before us? Let us beat him forth!”

But Tsʻao Tsʻao intervened. “Peace, O Kung-lu! Since he speaks great words, he is certainly valiant. Let him try. If he fail, then you may reproach him.”

“Hua Hsiung will laugh at us if we send a mere archer to fight him,” said the chief.” [sic]

“He looks no common person. And how can the enemy know he is but a bowman?” said Tsʻao Tsʻao.

“If I fail then can you take my head,” cried Kuan.

Tsʻao Tsʻao bade them heat some wine and offered a stirrup cup to Kuan Yü as he went out.

“Pour it out,” said Kuan. “I shall return in a little space.”

He went with his sword in his hand and vaulted into the saddle. Those in the tent heard the fierce roll of the drums and then a mighty sound as if skies were falling and earth rising, hills trembling and mountains tearing asunder. And they were sore afraid. And while they were listening with ears intent, lo! the gentle tinkle of horse bells, and Kuan Yü threw at their feet the head of the slain leader, their enemy Hua Hsiung.

The wine was still warm!

This doughty deed has been celebrated in verse.

Tsʻao Tsʻao was pleased at this success. But Chang Fei’s voice was heard, shouting, “Brother, you slew the leader; why did you not break through the Pass and seize Tung Cho? Could there have been a better time?”