teachings of his forefather Sonshi, felt that he could foretell Hoken’s procedure.
It is written in the thirteen articles that a forced march of twenty leagues in one day reduces the striking force by one half, owing to stragglers and weak men.
He retreated before Hoken, and that night caused 10,000 camp fires to be lighted in the bivouac. The next day he again retreated twenty leagues, and caused only 5,000 camp fires to be lighted. The following day the number of fires was 2,000, but the number of his men was the same as at the first. Then retreating further, he took up a position in a defile which he calculated Hoken would reach shortly after dark. There was there a large tree, and, stripping from it the bark, he caused to be written
"Under this tree will Hoken die".
Placing his best archers within bowshot he gave them orders to shoot when they saw the striking of a light under the tree.
Meanwhile Hoken, noting the diminution in the camp fires, and assuming in accordance with the book, that Sonpin’s army was crippled to that extent, had pushed on with only a small force, and reached the defile shortly after sunset. Struck by the shaven appearance, and what looked like characters on the tree, he struck a light and was immediately riddled by arrows.
The historian explains this seeming refutation of Sonshi's doctrines by saying that Hoken placed too much reliance on the book, and so forgot one of the Sage’s cardinal principles.
