was　vain；　for　still　the　defenders　declined　battle；　and　another　day　was　lost。　The　army　once　more　returned　to　camp。

That　night　Zhang　Fei　sat　in　his　tent　trying　to　think　out　some　means　to　overe　an　enemy　that　steadily　refused　to　e　out　from　behind　the　walls。　Presently；　however；　the　brain　behind　the　knitted　brows　conceived　a　plan。　So　next　day；　instead　of　sending　all　the　troops　to　offer　a　challenge　from　the　foot　of　the　wall；　Zhang　Fei　kept　most　of　them　in　camp　and　sent　only　a　few　to　howl　insults　and　hurl　abuse。　He　hoped　by　this　means　to　inveigle　Yan　Yan　out　to　attack　the　small　number　of　troops。　But　this　also　failed；　and　he　was　left　all　day　rubbing　hid　hands　with　impatience。　Never　a　man　appeared　without　the　wall。

Foiled　again；　another　ruse　grew　up　behind　his　bushy　eyebrows。　He　set　his　troops　to　cut　firewood　and　seek　out　and　explore　the　tracks　that　lay　about　the　city。　No　longer　did　they　challenge　the　wall。　After　some　days　of　this；　Yan　Yan　began　to　wonder　what　mischief　was　brewing；　and　he　sent　out　spies；　dressed　as　were　the　firewood　cutters；　to　mingle　with　them　and　try　to　discover　what　was　afoot。

That　day；　when　the　troops　returned　to　camp；　Zhang　Fei　sat　in　his　tent　stamping　his　foot　with　rage　and　execrating　his　enemy。

〃The　old　fool！　Assuredly　I　shall　die　of　disappointed　wrath；〃　cried　he。

Just　then　he　noticed　three　or　four　soldiers　lurking　about　his　tent　door　as　if　they　wished　to　speak　with　him。

And　one　of　them　said；　〃General；　do　not　let　your　heart　be　hot　within　you。　These　last　few　days　we　have　discovered　a　narrow　road　by　which　we　can　sneak　past　this　city。〃

〃Why　did　you　not　e　and　tell　me　before？〃　cried　he。

〃Because　we　have　only　lately　discovered　it；〃　said　they。

〃I　will　lose　no　time　then；〃　said　he。　〃This　very　night　let