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96
HONDA THE SAMUBAI.
put him at the head of a division and again made
an attack, but the stockade could not be taken.
When they determined to starve out the enemy,
Yoshi-iy divided his men into two bands, the many
fainthearted and the few stout-hearted. Every
time he saw a man show a special act of valor he
promoted him into the stout-hearted band.
"As the siege wore on, Yoshi-iy gave orders to
cease fighting in order to starve out the rebels.
He surrounded the front of his camp fronting the
enemy with mantlets of heavy slabs of wood six
feet high and three feet wide, slanting toward the
stockade, and held up by a hinged support within.
Appointing vigilant guards at the gates, he allowed
his soldiers to lie down behind their mantlets and
have a good time eating, drinking, sleeping, and
playing checkers.
" This annoyed the rebels very much, and one day
their general sent word to :
Yoshi-iy6
'
My army
grumbles much at having nothing to do ; let us get
up a wrestling-match. I have a lusty champion
named Kame'tsunu. Do you send a strong man to
wrestle with him. So Yoshi-iy6 picked out a soldier
whom his comrades called the 0m, or 'demon-war-
rior.' The champions met, and, after a short bout,
the demon-warrior threw and killed his foe.
" The weather now grew very cold, a deep snow
The sol-
fell, and horses and men suffered greatly.
diers were afraid of being frozen, and some clamored
to be led home; but Yoshi-iy never quailed, and
resolved to persevere until the stockade fell.