Thus, if you order your men to roll up their buff-coats, 353 and make forced marches without halting day or night, covering double the usual distance at a stretch, 354 doing a hundred li in order to wrest an advantage, the leaders of all your three divisions will fall into the hands of the enemy.

The stronger men will be in front, the jaded ones will fall behind, and on this plan only one-tenth of your army will reach its destination. 355

If you march fifty li in order to outmanoeuvre the enemy, you will lose the leader of your first division, and only half your force will reach the goal. 356