Page:Tales from old Japanese dramas (1915).djvu/161

Rh Hatsugiku were struck with sorrow and despair at his ghastly plight. The girl ran up to him.

"Oh, what misery, Jūjirō!" she said with sobs.

"First grandmother, and now you are in such a terrible condition! Have courage, my dear!"

"Why are you so downhearted?" cried Mitsuhidé, in order to stir up the sinking youth. "What is it? Tell me all that has happened."

Jūjirō pulled himself together and gasped out the news:

"In accordance with your command, I and my army of three thousand horsemen encamped on the seashore, where we lay in ambuscade. The enemy were quite unsuspicious of this, and rowed up to the shore. There they landed in order to march for the Capital. We did not neglect such an opportunity, so we suddenly fell upon them, uttering loud yells and cries, and cut and hewed in all directions. The enemy were completely taken by surprise, and ran in confusion. We pursued them, and fought with all our strength. Suddenly from behind us a loud voice was heard to cry, 'Stay! Look at me! I am Katō Kiyomasa, a retainer of Hashiba Hidéyoshi. You, the son of the traitor Mitsuhidé, and your