第140部分(第2/7 页)

neral　jumped　out　of　one　of　the　boats　and　shouted　to　Cao　Cao：　〃The　rebels　are　close！　Get　into　a　boat；　O　Prime　Minister！〃

〃The　rebels　are　near。　What　matter？〃　replied　Cao　Cao　simply　to　the　speaker；　who　was　Xu　Chu。　And　he　turned　round　to　look　at　them。

As　a　fact　Ma　Chao　was　very　close；　not　a　hundred　paces　away；　and　Xu　Chu　laid　hold　of　Cao　Cao　and　dragged　him　down　the　bank。　The　boat　had　already　pushed　off　and　was　ten　spans　from　the　bank；　but　Xu　Chu　took　Cao　Cao　on　his　back　and　leaped　on　board。　The　boat　was　small　and　in　danger　of　being　overturned；　wherefore　Xu　Chu　drew　his　sword　and　chopped　away　at　the　hands　clinging　to　the　side　so　that　the　soldiers　fell　back　into　the　water。

The　boat　went　down　stream；　Xu　Chu　standing　in　the　prow　poling　as　hard　as　he　could。　His　master　crouched　out　of　sight　at　his　feet。

When　Ma　Chao　saw　the　boat　in　midstream　drifting　down　with　the　current；　he　took　his　bow　and　arrows　and　began　to　shoot。　He　also　ordered　his　brave　generals　to　go　along　the　river　and　shoot　so　that　a　shower　of　arrows　fell　about　the　boat。　Xu　Chu　fearing　Cao　Cao　would　be　wounded；　protected　him　with　a　saddle　which　he　held　over　him　with　his　left　hand；　for　Ma　Chao's　shooting　was　not　in　vain。　Many　of　the　soldiers　working　the　boat　were　wounded。　Some　had　fallen　overboard；　while　more　lay　in　the　bottom　of　the　boat。　The　boat　itself　got　out　of　control　and　was　whirled　hither　and　thither　by　the　current。　Xu　Chu　straddled　over　the　tiller　and　tried　thus　to　guide　the　boat；　while　he　poled　with　one　hand　and　with　the　other　held　the　protecting　saddle　over　Cao　Cao's　head。

Then　the　Magistrate　of　Weinan；　Ding　Fei；　who　from　a　hill　top　saw　that　Cao　Cao　was　very　closely　pressed；　even　in　danger　of　his　life；　drove　out　from　his　camp　all　the　cattle　and　horses　there；　so　that　they　sc