iled　the　gate；　but　a　flight　of　arrows　was　the　response。　Soon　after；　Liang　Kuan　and　Zhao　Qu　appeared　and　reviled　him　from　the　ramparts　above。　More　than　this；　they　dragged　his　wife；　Lady　Yang；　up　upon　the　wall；　hacked　her　before　his　face；　and　threw　the　bloody　body　at　his　feet。　They　followed　up　this　by　the　murder　in　like　manner　of　his　three　sons　and　other　members　of　his　family　to　the　number　of　ten　and　more。　And　all　their　dead　bodies　were　flung　from　the　wall。

Rage　and　despair　filled　Ma　Chao's　bosom；　he　almost　fell　from　his　steed。　But　little　time　was　allowed　to　grieve；　for　Xiahou　Yuan　was　nearly　upon　him。　Knowing　that　he　could　not　oppose　this　force　with　any　chance　of　victory；　he　made　no　battle　line；　but　set　off　with　two　of　his　generals；　Ma　Dai　and　Pang　De；　to　cut　his　way　through　such　parties　of　the　enemy　as　they　might　meet。　Their　sole　object　was　escape；　so　when　they