ossed　the　river　in　greater　force。　Wei　Yan　came　out　to　meet　them；　but　again　fled　after　a　very　short　fight。　This　time　the　Mangs　pursued；　but　having　lost　their　hold　of　the　enemy　after　three　miles；　and　ing　then　to　the　late　camp　of　the　Shu　army；　which　seemed　quite　safe；　they　occupied　it。

Next　day　Xi　Ni　and　Tu　An　asked　their　King　Wutu　Gu　to　e　to　the　camp；　and　they　reported　what　had　happened。　Wutu　Gu　decided　to　make　a　general　advance　to　drive　the　troops　of　Shu　before　him。　They　fled；　even　casting　aside　their　breastplates　and　throwing　away　their　arms；　they　were　in　such　haste　to　flee。　And　the　troops　of　Shu　went　toward　a　white　flag　that　appeared　in　the　distance。　They　found　a　camp　already　made；　which　they　occupied。

Soon；　however；　Wutu　Gu　came　near；　and　as　he　pressed　forward　Wei　Yan　abandoned　this　camp　and　fled。　When　the　Mangs　reached　the　camp；　they　took　up　quarters　therein。

Soon　after　they　set　out　to　renew　the　pursuit；　but　Wei　Yan　turned　back　and　checked　them。　This　was　only　a　temporary　check；　for　he　fled　after　three　encounters；　going　toward　a　white　flag　in　the　distance。

This　sort　of　thing　continued　daily　until　the　soldiers　of　Shu　had　been　defeated　and　driven　out　of　the　field　fifteen　times　and　had　abandoned　their　camp　on　seven　different　occasions。

The　Mangs　were　now　hot　in　pursuit　and　pressed　on　with　all　their　might；　Wutu　Gu　being　in　the　forefront　of　the　pursuers。　But　then　they　came　to　a　thick　umbrageous　wood；　and　he　halted；　for　he　saw　flags　moving　about　behind　the　sheltering　trees。

〃Just　as　you　foretold；〃　said　Wutu　Gu　to　Meng　Huo。　〃The　men　of　Shu　like　using　ambush。〃

〃Yes；　Zhuge　Liang　is　going　to　be　worsted　this　time。　We　have　beaten　off　his　troops　now　daily　for　half　a　month　and　won　fifteen　successive　victories。　His　troops　simply　run　w