ensive　waiting　for　the　enemy　to　be　starved。　With　this　device；　they　may　never　be　pelled　to　retreat　for　want　of　food。〃

Then　he　called　up　Zhang　Hu　and　Yue　Chen　and　gave　orders：　〃Each　of　you　with　five　hundred　troops　will　goes　to　the　Xie　Valley　by　by…roads。　When　you　see　the　Shu　soldiers　transport　their　grain　by；　you　are　to　let　them　through；　but　only　to　attack　at　the　end　and　capture　four　or　five　of　the　wooden　horses　and　bullocks。〃

So　a　thousand　soldiers　went　on　this　service　disguised　as　soldiers　of　Shu。　They　made　their　way　along　the　by…ways　by　night　and　hid。　Presently　the　wooden　convoy　came　along　under　the　escort　of　Gao　Xiang。　Just　as　the　end　of　it　was　passing；　they　made　a　sudden　rush；　and　captured　a　few　of　the　〃animals〃　which　the　soldiers　of　Shu　abandoned。　In　high　glee　they　took　them　to　their　own　camp。

When　Sima　Yi　saw　them；　he　had　to　confess　they　were　very　life…like。　But　what　pleased　him　most　was　that　he　could　imitate　them　now　that　he　had　models。

〃If　Zhuge　Liang　can　use　this　sort　of　thing；　it　would　be　strange　if　I　could　not；〃　said　he。

He　called　to　him　many　clever　craftspeople　and　made　them　then　and　there　take　the　machines　to　pieces　and　make　some　exactly　like　them。　In　less　than　half　a　month；　they　had　pleted　a　couple　of　thousand　after　Zhuge　Liang's　models；　and　the　new　mechanical　animals　could　move。　Then　Sima　Yi　placed　Cen　Wei；　General　Who　Guards　the　Frontiers；　in　charge　of　this　new　means　of　transport；　and　the　〃animals〃　began　to　ply　between　the　camp　and　the　West　Valley　Land。　The　Wei　soldiers　were　filled　with　joys。

Gao　Xiang　returned　to　camp　and　reported　the　loss　of　a　few　of　his　wooden　oxen　and　horses。

〃I　wished　him　to　capture　some　of　them；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang；　much　pleased。　〃I　am　just　laying　out　these　few；　and　before　long　I　shall