Page:Tales from old Japanese dramas (1915).djvu/167

Rh and Hatsugiku flung themselves on the body with loud protestations of grief. Struck with sympathy for Mitsuhidé's mother, Hidéyoshi was silent for awhile. Then he said:

"Mitsuhidé, you are my sworn enemy. It would be an easy matter for me to kill you now that you are defenceless. But I am incapable of such an unmanly deed. This is what I propose to do. I will meet you on an appointed day at Yamazaki, in the province of Yamashiro, and our conflict shall be decided by a fight to the death. Do you agree to this?"

"If you wish it," answered Mitsuhidé, "so be it. I will return to the Capital, gather together my troops, and meet you at Yamazaki in two or three days."

After making this promise the two heroes bowed courteously to each other and parted.

The battle of Yamazaki was fought two days afterwards. In the beginning, both armies fought with equal success, but, later on, Mitsuhidé's troops lost ground, little by little, until at last most of them fell. Mitsuhidé with great