garding his duties to which this person obtained from him chanced
to be a likening of war to skilful chess-play, and to this end the
accomplished person in question has merely availed himself of a common
expedient which places him at the remote side of the divine Emperor.
Yet this act is not unwelcome, for the responsibility of deciding what
course is to be adopted now clearly rests with this person. He is, as
those who are standing by may perceive, of under the usual height, and
of no particular mental or bodily attainments. But he has eaten the rice
of the Emperor, and wears the Imperial sign embroidered upon his arm.
Before him are encamped the enemies of his master and of his land, and
in no way will he turn his back upon them. Against brave and skilful
men, such as those whom this person commands, rebels of a low and
degraded order are powerless, and are, moreover, openly forbidden to
succeed by the Forty-second Mandate in the Sacred Book of Arguments.
Should it have happened that into this assembly any person of a
perfidious or uncourageous nature has gained entrance by guile, and has
not been detected and driven forth by his outraged companions (as would
certainly occur if such a person were discovered), I, Ling, Commander
of Bowmen, make an especial and well-considered request that he shall be
struck by a molten thunderbolt if he turns to flight or holds thoughts
of treachery."

Having thus addressed and encouraged the soldiers, Ling instructed them
that each one should cut and fashion for himself a graceful but weighty
club from among the branches of the trees around, and then return to the
tents for the purpose of receiving food and rice spirit.

When noon was passed, allowing such time as would enable him to reach
the camp of the enemy an hour before darkness, Ling arranged the bowmen
in companies of convenient numbers, and commenced the march, sending
forward spies, who were to work silently and bring back tidings from
every point. In this way he penetrated to within a single li of the
ruins of Ki, being informed by the spies that no outposts of the enemy
were between him and that place. Here the first rest was made to
enable the more accurate and bold spies to reach them with trustworthy
information regarding the position and movements of the camp. With
little delay there returned the one who had brought the earliest
tidings, bruised and torn with his successful haste through the forest,
but wearing a comp