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Once again T'ien Tan sent back converted spies who reported these

words to the enemy: "What I dread most is that the men of Yen may

dig up the ancestral tombs outside the town, and by inflicting

this indignity on our forefathers cause us to become

faint-hearted.' Forthwith the besiegers dug up all the graves and

burned the corpses lying in them. And the inhabitants of Chi-mo,

witnessing the outrage from the city-walls, wept passionately and

were all impatient to go out and fight, their fury being

increased tenfold. T'ien Tan knew then that his soldiers were

ready for any enterprise. But instead of a sword, he himself took

a mattock in his hands, and ordered others to be distributed

amongst his best warriors, while the ranks were filled up with

their wives and concubines. He then served out all the remaining

rations and bade his men eat their fill. The regular soldiers

were told to keep out of sight, and the walls were manned with

the old and weaker men and with women.