bones？　I　scraped　them；　and　he　did　not　hesitate　a　moment。　Your　malady　is　trifling；　and　why　do　you　mistrust　me？〃

〃A　painful　arm　may　be　scraped；　but　how　can　you　cut　open　a　man's　head？　The　fact　is　you　have　conspired　with　some　of　Guan　Yu's　friends　to　take　this　opportunity　to　make　away　with　me　in　revenge　for　his　death。〃

Cao　Cao　told　his　lictors　to　hale　Hua　Tuo　to　gaol；　and　there　he　was　tortured　to　try　to　find　who　were　his　acplices。

Jia　Xu　pleaded　for　him；　saying；　〃The　man　possesses　rare　skills。　To　kill　him　is　to　waste　his　talents。〃

But　the　intervention　was　of　no　avail。

〃The　man　wants　to　get　a　chance　to　kill　me。　He　is　the　same　sort　of　scoundrel　as　Ji　Ping。〃

The　wretched　physician　was　subjected　to　worse　sufferings。

His　gaoler　was　a　certain　Wu；　nicknamed　〃The　Gaoler〃　by　nearly　everybody。　He　was　kindly　disposed　to　Hua　Tuo　and　saw　that　Hua　Tuo　was　well　fed。

Hua　Tuo　conceived　a　liking　for　his　gaoler　and　said　to　him　one　day；　〃I　am　doomed；　I　know。　The　pity　is　that　my　Black　Bag　treatise　on　medicine　may　be　lost。　You　have　been　most　kind　to　me；　and　as　I　have　no　other　way　of　repensing　you；　I　will　give　you　a　letter　to　my　wife　telling　her　to　send　the　Black　Bag；　and　I　will　give　it　to　you　that　you　may　carry　on　my　art。〃

Wu　the　Gaoler　rejoiced　greatly；　saying；　〃If　I　have　that　book；　I　will　throw　away　the　menial　position　of　gaoler；　travel　about　the　country　healing　sick　folks；　and　spread　your　virtue。〃

The　letter　was　written　and　given　to　Wu　the　Gaoler；　who　lost　no　time　in　traveling　to　Jincheng　to　meet　with　Hua　Tuo's　wife；　and　she　gave　him　the　Black　Bag　to　bring　back　to　Hua　Tuo。　After　Hua　Tuo　had　read　through　the　book　carefully；　he　presented　it　to　Wu　the　Gaoler；　who　took　it　home　and　hid　it　away。

Ten　days　after　this；　Hua　Tuo