CHINESE SECRET SOCIETIES. 71 



still undecided, but Tek-Tiong hitting upon a scheme, turned 

 his horse and lied. 



The Chief not seeing that this was merely a feint, pursued 

 hotly ; Tek-Tiong drawing forth a copper bar, turned round 

 suddenly, and struck the Eleuth on the left arm, on which he fell 

 from his saddle with a terrible yell 



Png-Toa-Ang seeing that Tek-Tiong was victorious, waved 

 the colours, and the whole army cheered lustily; this made 

 Phen-Leng-Thien almost burst with rage, so spurring forward 

 his horse, he rushed at Png-Toa-x\ng ; their horses met, and a 

 terrible tight ensued between the two men. The Abbot per- 

 ceiving that Phe n -Leng-Thien was one of Heaven's own 

 heroes, and fearing that Toa-Ang would be overmatched, 

 sounded the trumpets to recall the army. Now just at this 

 time, Toa-Ang was anxious to exhibit his prowess to the ut- 

 most, but on hearing the trumpet, he obeyed the signal, and 

 retired with the rest; on seeing the Abbot, he said, "I was 

 just going to put into effect a stratagem, why did you recall the 

 troops? The abbot replied •" I perceive this man is a phenome- 

 non of bravery, and I feared lest you would not be able to with- 

 stand him, for this reason I recalled you; this man must beat- 

 tacked by strategy, it is hopeless to resist him by mere force. 

 To-morrow I will carry out my schemes, and we shall certain- 

 ly be victorious." 



The next day the Abbot called together all the brethren, and 

 instructed them as follows. 



" I find that there is a ravine called the Hu-Tek valley, in 

 which we can place an ambuscade, by which means we shall 

 gain a complete victory. O-Tek-Te must take 30 of the bre- 

 thren, and lie in wait on the left side of the valley ; Ma-Thiau- 

 Heng will take £0, and place them on the right side, of the 

 same valley. Each man must be provided with plenty of dry wood, 

 straw, sulphur, gunpowder and other combustibles, and mines 

 consisting of shells and fireballs must be set in the pathway ; 

 Chhoa-Tek-Tiong, and Chhoa-Seng-Tso, with Low-Keng, will 

 with 3,000 of the troops, attack the enemy opposed to him ; 

 Ng-Su-Tsuan, Png-Hui-Ho, and O-Sun-Hiang, will also take 

 the same men, and attack the Eleuths, while Png-Toa-Ang 

 will, by pretending to fly, allure the enemy into the Hu-Tek 

 valley ; and when the signal guns shew that the Eleuths are en- 

 trapped, O-Tek-Te, and Ma-Thiau-Heng, with their men will 

 spring the mines, and our whole force will at once fall to kill and 

 exterminate the barbarians. 



