elings？　I　am　ready　to　follow　you　and　do　as　you　mand。〃

Zhang　Liao　was　elated　at　this　moral　victory；　and　said；　〃Since　I　can　depend　upon　your　help；　my　friend；　then　I　would　ask　you　to　lie　in　ambush　on　the　north　of　Xiaoyao　Ford　in　order　to　destroy　the　Xiaoshi　Bridge　there　as　soon　as　the　army　of　Wu　has　crossed。　I；　with　my　friend　Yue　Jing；　will　smite　the　enemy。〃

Li　Dian　went　away　to　muster　his　troops　and　prepare　the　ambush。

As　has　been　recorded；　the　leaders　of　the　advance　guard　of　the　southern　army　were　the　veterans　Lu　Meng　and　Gan　Ning。　Sun　Quan　and　Ling　Tong　were　in　the　center；　the　other　generals　followed　them。　The　leaders　of　the　van　met　Yue　Jing　first；　and　Gan　Ning　rode　out　and　challenged　him。　After　a　few　bouts；　Yue　Jing　pretended　to　be　defeated　and　fled。　Gan　Ning　called　to　his　colleague　to　join　in　the　pursuit。

When　Sun　Quan　heard　that　this　advance　guard　had　been　successful；　he　hastened　his　army　to　Xiaoyao　Ford。　But　then　there　came　a　series　of　explosions；　and　up　came　Zhang　Liao　and　Li　Dian；　one　on　each　flank。　Sun　Quan　was　unprepared　for　this　and　sent　messengers　to　call　off　the　pursuit　and　ask　for　help　from　Lu　Meng　and　Gan　Ning。　Before　it　could　arrived；　Zhang　Liao　had　e　up。　Manifestly；　Ling　Tong；　who　had　with　him　only　a　small　troop　of　three　hundred　horse；　could　not　long　withstand　the　army　of　Cao　Cao；　but　he　faced　them　and　fought　bravely。

Presently　Ling　Tong　cried　to　his　lord；　〃Cross　the　Xiaoshi　Bridge　and　run　back；　my　lord！〃

Sun　Quan　galloped　for　the　bridge；　but　the　southern　end　had　been　already　broken　down　and　there　was　a　wide　breach　between　the　end　of　the　bridge　and　the　shore。　Not　a　single　plank　was　there　by　which　to　cross。　What　could　be　done？　Sun　Quan　was　in　a　quandary；　and　helpless。

〃Go　back　and　jump　for　it！〃　yelled　on