第7部分(第4/7 页)

eled　without　stopping　till　they　reached　the　Beimang　Hills。　It　was　then　the　third　watch。　They　heard　a　great　shouting　behind　them　and　saw　soldiers　in　pursuit。　Their　leader；　Min　Gong；　a　mander　in　Henan；　was　shouting；　〃Traitors；　stop；　stop！〃

Zhang　Rang；　seeing　that　he　was　lost；　jumped　into　the　river；　where　he　was　drowned。

The　two　boys　ignorant　of　the　meaning　of　all　this　confusion　and　terrified　out　of　their　senses；　dared　not　utter　a　cry。　They　crept　in　among　the　rank　grass　on　the　river　bank　and　hid。　The　soldiers　scattered　in　all　directions　but　failed　to　find　them。　So　they　remained　till　the　fourth　watch；　shivering　with　cold　from　the　drenching　dew　and　very　hungry。　They　lay　down　in　the　thick　grass　and　wept　in　each　other's　arms；　silently；　lest　anyone　should　discover　them。

〃This　is　no　a　place　to　stay　in；〃　said　Prince　Xian。　〃We　must　find　some　way　out。〃

So　the　two　children　knotted　their　clothes　together　and　managed　to　crawl　up　the　bank。　They　were　in　a　thicket　of　thorn　bushes；　and　it　was　quite　dark。　They　could　not　see　any　path。　They　were　in　despair　when；　all　at　once；　millions　of　fireflies　sprang　up　all　about　them　and　circled　in　the　air　in　front　of　the　Emperor。

〃God　is　helping　us；〃　said　Prince　Xian。

They　followed　whither　the　fireflies　led　and　gradually　got　into　a　road。　They　walked　till　their　feet　were　too　sore　to　go　further；　when；　seeing　a　heap　of　straw　near　the　road；　they　crept　to　it　and　lay　down。

This　heap　of　straw　was　close　to　a　farm　house。　In　the　night；　as　the　farmer　was　sleeping；　he　saw　in　a　vision　two　bright　red　suns　drop　behind　his　dwelling。　Alarmed　by　the　portent；　he　hastily　dressed　and　went　forth　to　look　about　him。　Then　he　saw　a　bright　light　shooting　up　from　a　heap　of　straw。　He　hastened　thither　and　then　saw　two　youths　lying　beh