himself,
he hailed the waiter, saying: "Bring me some wine quickly, because
I have to hasten to reach the town to enlist in the army."

Liu Pei looked at this man, nine feet in height, with a beard two feet
long. His face was the colour of the fruit of the jujube-tree, and
his lips carmine. Eyebrows like sleeping silkworms shaded his phoenix
eyes, which were a scarlet red. Terrible indeed was his bearing.

"What is your name?" asked Liu Pei. "My family name is Kuan, my own
name is Yue, my surname Yuen Chang," he replied. "I am from the Ho Tung
country. For the last five or six years I have been wandering about
the world as a fugitive, to escape from my pursuers, because I killed
a powerful man of my country who was oppressing the poor people. I
hear that they are collecting a body of troops to crush the brigands,
and I should like to join the expedition."

Chang Fei, also named Chang I Te, is described as eight feet in
height, with round shining eyes in a panther's head, and a pointed
chin bristling with a tiger's beard. His voice resembled the rumbling
of thunder. His ardour was like that of a fiery steed. He was a native
of Cho Chuen, where he possessed some fertile farms, and was a butcher
and wine-merchant.

Liu Pei, surnamed Hsuean Te, otherwise Hsien Chu, was the third member
of the group.

The three men went to Chang Fei's farm, and on the morrow met together
in his peach-orchard, and sealed their friendship with an oath. Having
procured a black ox and a white horse, with the various accessories
to a sacrifice, they immolated the victims, burnt the incense of
friendship, and after twice prostrating themselves took this oath:

"We three, Liu Pei, Kuan Yu, and Chang Fei, already united by mutual
friendship, although belonging to different clans, now bind ourselves
by the union of our hearts, and join our forces in order to help each
other in times of danger.

"We wish to pay to the State our debt of loyal citizens and give peace
to our black-haired compatriots. We do not inquire if we were born
in the same year, the same month, or on the same day, but we desire
only that the same year, the same month, and the same day may find us
united in death. May Heaven our King and Earth our Queen see clearly
our hearts! If any one of us violate justice or forget benefits,
may Heaven and Man unite to punish him!"

The oath having been formally taken, Liu Pei was saluted as elder
brother, Kuan Yue as the second, and