Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 2.djvu/157

WEAPONS AND OPERATIONS (313—399), a Japanese warrior, Tatebito, pierced it with an arrow. The Koreans did homage to him, and the Emperor conferred on him the name Ikuba (target). Passing from strength of bow to skill in archery, the Japanese preserve in perpetual recollection a challenge given by the Taira to the Minamoto in the last battle of the Red and White Flags. The Taira men placed a beautiful lady standing in the bow of one of their boats and suspended a sacred fan over her head, challenging the Minamoto to shoot at it. Nasu no Munetaka, forcing his horse girth-deep into the water, sent a shaft that struck the stem of the wind-swayed fan and cut it free. It is told also of Asamura, a bowman in the troops of Yoritsune (1239), that a pet bird having escaped from a cage, he shot a small arrow which winged it without inflicting any serious injury. Exploits of that kind were counted special tests of skill. In the days of the Emperor Toba (1108-1123) an osprey visited the Palace-lake daily and carried off a fish. The Emperor asked whether none of his archers could stay the bird's depredations without violating, within the Imperial precincts, the Buddhist law against taking life. Mutsuru, using an arrow with a forked head, cut off the osprey's feet as it was rising from the lake with a fish in its talons. The fish dropped into the water and the bird continued its flight. An incident of the same nature particularly characteristic of the era, occurred when Nitta 131