hey　might　be；　the　First　Ruler　mounted　and　dashed　for　Feng　Xi's　camp；　but　that　also　was　in　flames；　which　seemed　to　rise　to　the　very　sky。　By　this　time　flames　were　rising　from　both　sides　of　the　river；　so　that　everything　was　as　visible　as　by　day。

Feng　Xi　leaped　to　his　horse　and　fled；　followed　by　a　band　of　his　mounted　troops。　This　small　force　ran　against　the　soldiers　of　Wu　under　Xu　Sheng。　A　melee　ensued；　thereupon　the　First　Ruler　turned　and　galloped　west。　Xu　Sheng　then　left　Feng　Xi　and　went　in　pursuit。　Presently　the　Emperor　saw　a　party　of　soldiers　in　the　way　and　became　greatly　alarmed。

This　was　Ding　Feng's　army；　and　the　First　Ruler　was　between　two　foes。　In　his　terror　he　saw　no　possibility　of　safety；　no　road　was　open。　Just　at　this　moment　another　cohort　broke　through　to　his　side　and　rescued　him。　The　leader　was　Zhang　Bao；　and　he　led　the　Imperial　Guards；　who　fled；　taking　the　First　Ruler　with　them。　As　they　marched　along；　they　fell　in　with　another　force　of　Shu；　the　leader　was　Fu　Tong；　and　he　joined　up　with　them。　The　Wu　army　was　still　following　when　the　fugitives　reached　Saddle　Hill。　The　two　leaders；　Zhang　Bao　and　Fu　Tong；　were　urging　their　lord　to　go　to　the　top　of　this　and　out　of　immediate　danger。　Soon　Lu　Xun　arrived　with　his　army　and　began　to　surround　the　hill。　Zhang　Bao　and　Fu　Tong　held　the　road　up　the　hill　and　kept　the　enemy　from　ascending。　From　the　summit　could　be　seen　flames　all　around；　and　the　First　Ruler　witnessed　the　corpses　of　his　soldiers　lay　about　in　heaps　or　floated　in　the　streams。

Next　day；　the　soldiers　of　Wu　set　themselves　to　firing　the　hill。　The　First　Ruler's　remaining　escort　fled　for　their　lives　like　rats；　and　their　lord　was　in　despair。　Suddenly　he　saw　a　general　followed　by　a　dozen　horsemen　cutting　an　alley　through　and　ing　up　the　hill。　As　he　dr