Page:Tales from old Japanese dramas (1915).djvu/132

82 At this moment Rikimaru rushed back from a reconnaissancereconnaissance. [sic]

"It appears," he cried, "that Mitsuhidé has marched against us with a troop of about four thousand men. So we must, all of us, be on our guard."

Rammaru turned to Nobunaga. "Rikimaru and I," he said, "will fight the enemy in front of the gate. In the meantime, I hope that your lordship will be ready to defend yourself with bow and arrows." With these words he and his brother ran out.

Nobunaga sighed bitterly. He realized that there was no fighting against such tremendous odds. He made up his mind to help his grandson to escape, and then to commit suicide. He was just ordering the child to be brought to him when Ano-no-Tsuboné, wounded in several places and carrying the blood-stained halberd, staggered into the room.

"The enemy have already broken through the gate, my lord," said she. "I will go and rejoin the fight. In the meantime, you must make rapid preparations for flight. The sooner you are able to do so, the better, my lord."