CHAPTER XVII.
DRAGON-FLY ISLAND.
The beautiful Yodogimi wept. She stood leaning against a black lacquerpanel, one arm raised with a gesture of grief, her fingers pressedlightly against the smooth, shining wall, her head thrown back, andsomewhat inclined towards her shoulder. She wept, without forgetting tobe beautiful.
Yodogimi was nearly forty years old. Who would have thought it fromher charming face and form? Her large eyes were still brilliant, herlips fresh, her complexion clear; and the single rope-like twist ofher hair, when released from its pins, rolled to the floor like a darkserpent. The Princess, as was her habit, was magnificently arrayed; acostly girdle clasped her slender waist, and the embroideries of herrobe were of marvellous workmanship. A few steps away from her stoodGeneral Harounaga, her lover, in full armor, his gold-thonged whip inhis hand. He stared at the floor and struggled to force a tear, butcould not. From time to time he heaved a deep sigh.
"Alas, alas!" exclaimed Yodogimi, "you will go, you will forget me;perhaps die!"
"I may die," said the General, "but I can never forget you."
"Die! Have you no heart, that you can talk to me of death I Men arecruel; they swear devotion, and then, for a mere nothing, they forsakeus."
"It is not my fault. War has broken out; I must start for Yamashirowith my men."
"And if I command you to stay?"
"I must disobey, Princess."
"You confess it unblushingly! Well, I forbid you to leave me!"
"So be it," said the General. "I cannot resist your wishes; but thisvery evening I shall commit suicide."
"Because you are tired of my society?"
"No; because I should be dishonored; and no one should ever outlivedishonor."
"Oh, I am mad!" said Taiko-Sama's widow, wiping her eyes. "I speak likea child; I counsel you to play a coward's part. Go; do not spare yourblood. If you die, I too will die. How handsome you are in fightingdress!" she added, looking admiringly at him. "Is it for the enemy'seyes that you adorn yourself thus?"
"It is the custom," said Harounaga; "besides, the arrows rebound fromthese overlapping plates of horn, and no blow of the sword can piercethem."
"Do not talk so; I seem to see you in the thick of the fight," criedYodogimi. "I see the arrows fly, I hear the clash of steel. What willbecome of me during these long days of agony and alarm?"
"Yamashiro is not far from Osaka," said the General; "I will send youfrequent news from the camp."
"Yes, promise me you will. Send a messenger every day."
"You shall hear from me every day. Farewell, most beautiful ofprincesses!"
"Farewell, bold warrior! Hay Heaven grant us a speedy meeting!"
Harounaga withdrew; and as he passed across the palace courtyard,Yodogimi leaned from the window for a final glimpse of him.
The page who held the warrior's horse informed the General, as hehelped him to the saddle, that most alarming reports were current inthe castle. The advance-guard of the enemy had been seen at Soumiossi;that is, but a few leagues from Osaka. The Shogun's troops had,therefore, failed to blockade the entire breadth of the Island ofNipon, as was their purpose. Harounaga hurriedly rejoined his division,which was waiting for his coming, to march forth from the castleramparts. Several knights galloped to meet him. The Shogun had justreached the encampment, and was inquiring for Harounaga.
"Do not go to Yamashiro," he shouted, as soon as he saw him; "proceedto Soumiossi, and try to crush the rebels, if it be true that they arealready established there."
"I fly, master," answered Harounaga; "and I swear to conquer."
A few moments later, he left Osaka with his army. At the same hour anumber of fishing-boats, taking advantage of the tide, left the harbor,and, driven by a strong breeze, reached the open sea. It was Nagato'sfleet.
The Prince was one of the first to learn of the appearance of Hieyas'soldiers at Soumiossi. He at once decided to put to sea and cruiseabout the regions threatened.
Each boat was manned by four sailors; that in which Nagato satcontained one more person,--Loo; the latter had caught a few fish, andwith frank cruelty watched their dying struggles. Raiden was at thehelm.
The Prince, lying in the bottom of the boat, gazed vaguely up at thehuge brown sail, which cracked and swelled, and at the entanglingropes and cordage; he was lost in revery. The same dream alwaysfilled his soul; it was like the sea, which reflects the sky forever.Every incident, every action disturbed the Prince painfully, made himmelancholy; they were so many clouds veiling his love, preventing himfrom utter absorption in it. And yet his noble disposition impelledhim to devote himself to the service of his sovereign, to shed hisblood for him,--save him,--if it were possible; but despite himself, heoften forgot the war, Hieyas, intrigue, and crime,--as, when silenceis restored, one forgets the noise that broke it for a time.--Hethen invoked in fancy, a look bent upon him, a sweet voice, a cornerof a veil raised by the wind and brushing his lips; he recalled thesudden thrill which that light touch sent throbbing through his veins.Sometimes he thought that perhaps she too was dreaming of him, and hefollowed the errant fancy into space.
The waves rocked him gently, and encouraged him in these idle dreams;the wind blew, the swelling sail looked like an immense crescent; thewater, driven rapidly back, splashed up at the bow.
"It is that I may not be parted from her," he murmured, "that I engagein this strange adventure. I reckon on chance to furnish me withoccasions to serve my Prince; for if I were asked to explain my planfor the campaign, I should be vastly puzzled. My only purpose is tobear down upon the most perilous points, fight with fury, and thensail away without making myself known. But in General Yoke-Moura'sopinion a small body of independent troops, coming up in the midst of abattle, sometimes tip the scales of victory, and do great service....I remember this very opportunely, to justify my conduct," added thePrince, smiling.
The fifty boats composing the flotilla were scattered broadcast overthe sea. Loo said that they looked like a swarm of butterflies on thepoint of drowning.
Towards noonday they drew near the shore. Soumiossi was close at hand,and Nagato desired to land, that he might, if possible, collect freshinformation in regard to the hostile army.
A small cove sheltered the vessels, which neared shore; the greaterpart remained in the offing, only twenty men accompanying the Prince,who took a road a hundred paces from the beach and apparently leadingto a village. They walked on for some time; but all at once theforemost men, who had turned the corner, came running back.
"A Daimio! a Daimio!" they shouted.
"Well, what is that to us?" said Nagato.
"If we block up the road, they will walk directly over us, or else chopoff our heads," said Raiden.
"Go, Loo," said the Prince, "and see what name is written on the postat the roadside. If the lord whose coming it announces be less noblethan I, we will throw the post to the ground; and although I have notrain of followers, the Prince shall make room for me."
Loo, having looked about for an instant, ran up to one of the postswhich noblemen erect on roads by which they mean to travel, announcingthe day on which they shall pass by.
The child soon returned with a look of utter amazement.
"It is you, master, who are to pass this way!" said he.
"What?" said the Prince.
"It's written on the board," said Loo: "'The all-powerfulIwakura-Teroumoto-Mori, Prince of Nagato, will traverse this region onthe tenth day of the fifth moon.'"
"Silence, Loo!" said the Prince; "let nothing surprise you, and bediscreet ... Sado must be on his way to my dominions," he added asideto himself.
Already, in a light cloud of dust, the out-runners of the processionturned the corner of the road. Then came lackeys, scribes, and cooks,bearing all sorts of utensils.
The sailors knelt by the roadside; the Prince hid behind a hedge ofwild roses.
The first group passed, followed by some twenty horses loaded withchests, boxes, and bundles wrapp
ed in red leather; then by a largenumber of men carrying pikes, banners, swords, bows, quivers, andumbrellas.
A crowd of servants came next; each man bore on his shoulder a highlyvarnished box, which held the clothes and other personal property ofthe Prince.
Then appeared in succession, officers wearing magnificent weaponsand princely lances, adorned with cock's plumes and leathernthongs,--grooms led along richly caparisoned horses; a Samurai,followed by two lackeys, holding at arm's length the hat with which,when he sets foot on the ground, the Prince protects himself from thesun; another lord carrying a parasol in a black velvet case; behindthem the servants and baggage of these nobles marched in silence.
Then came twenty-eight pages wearing round hats, preceding the litterof the Prince. Those pages moved in a peculiar way; at each step theykicked back with one foot, lifting it as high as possible, and at thesame time thrust one hand forward, as if to swim.
Finally, the norimono of the lord approached, borne by eight men, whoadvanced slowly, taking short steps, carrying on the palm of one handthe single shaft, passing over the palanquin like a bent bow, the otheroutstretched hand seeming to impose silence and express respectful awe.
Upon the black lacquer, dotted with gilded nails, which covered thesides of the norimono, were the armorial bearings of the ruler ofNagato,--three balls surmounted by a bolt. The inside of this great boxwas hung with gay-colored silk stuffs, and upon a mattress covered witha velvet carpet the Prince reclined and thumbed a book.
The norimono passed, and the procession ended with a throng of grooms,pages, and banner-bearers, who marched in perfect order and the mostprofound silence.
"Really," said Raiden, rising, and brushing the dust from his knees,"all that is very fine; but I'd rather be a sailor, and walk freelyabout, without all that cumbersome train."
"Be quiet," said another man; "you'll vex the Prince."
"I've no doubt he agrees with me," said Raiden; "since, being a prince,he turned sailor."
They now reached the nearest village; and before they had time to aska question, were fully informed in regard to all they wished to know.Several neighboring towns had emigrated to this one. The streets werechoked with people, carts, and animals. A tremendous hubbub arose fromthe mob of men and beasts. The buffaloes bellowed in affright, andcrushed one another; the pigs, who were trodden upon, uttered shrillsqueals; the women groaned, the children cried; and the story of recentevents passed from mouth to mouth.
"They've taken Dragon-fly Island."
"Opposite Soumiossi, you can see them from the shore. The inhabitantsof the island had no time to escape."
"They came in three war-junks,--three fine junks gilded in spots, withvery tall masts, and flags streaming in every direction."
"Are they the Mongols?" asked certain old men, who had a confusedremembrance of ancient wars and foreign invasions.
"No; it is the Regent, who wants to have the Shogun killed."
"How many soldiers landed on the island?" asked Raiden, who had slippedin among the crowd.
"Nobody knows; but there were a great many; the junks were full ofthem."
"About fifteen hundred men," thought Raiden.
"It's the advance-guard of Hieyas' army," said the Prince of Nagato ina low voice. "If Fide-Yori's troops do not arrive promptly, Osaka is inthe utmost danger. Let us put to sea again," he continued; "I have aplan, which, although desperate, may succeed."
Before leaving the village, Nagato ordered Raiden to buy a quantity ofcarpenter's tools. Then they went back to the shore and re-embarked.
Towards evening the little fleet hove in sight of Soumiossi, and foundshelter behind a promontory which completely hid it. The place wasmost beautiful; enormous trees, whose naked roots clung like the clawsof some bird of prey to rocks and earth, overhung the sea; bushesand shrubs swung above them tufts of gorgeous bloom; the waves werestrewn with fallen petals, which floated about, collected in smallislets or long wreaths. The waves, dashing against sharp rocks, castup white foam; gulls fluttered about, like the froth of the sea turnedinto birds. The water was of a uniform tint of satiny blue, shot withsilver, and the sky still shimmered in liquid gold, reflected fromthe setting sun. In the distance lay Dragon-fly Island, green andfresh, with its strange insect-like outlines; the coast of Soumiossi,one ruddy glow, displayed its jagged cliffs; and at the extreme pointof the promontory a tiny pagoda reared its peaked roof, tiled withporcelain, all the angles apparently raised by the four chains whichbound them to a golden arrow.
The Prince thought of another sunset,--that which he had witnessed fromthe mountain top near Kioto, with the Queen at his side. He closed hiseyes, and saw her before him, so beautiful, so noble in the mute avowalof her grief, her lashes glittering with tears, turning upon him herpure gaze, and commanding him to marry her rival. The least details ofher speech, her gesture, the little mirror upon her brow flashing likea star, were graven upon his memory with amazing distinctness.
"That was a sad moment," he thought; "and yet, as I recall it, it seemsto have been full of fascination. At least she was there,--I saw her,I heard her; the sound of her voice was like balm, to heal the crueltyof her words. But now, what agony to live! Time seems like a boundlesssea, where no rock or mast permits the exhausted bird an instant'srest!"
Three very light canoes were now launched, scarcely visible above thewater. As soon as night fell, Nagato chose eight men from the mostadventurous of his crew, together with Raiden and another sailor namedNata. They got into the canoes, three men in each.
"If you hear shots, come to our rescue," said the Prince of Nagato tothose who were left behind. And the three boats moved noiselessly off.
Those who manned them were armed with swords and daggers; moreover,they took with them the tools bought in the village, and severalmatchlock guns. These weapons--a foreign invention, often damaged orimperfect--generally refused to go off, or else exploded in the handsof their owners. They were accordingly equally dreaded by those whoused them and those against whom they were directed. The Prince hadcontrived to get fifty new and well-made guns, which was a large supplyfor his little army; still, the sailors regarded the strange machineswith a certain distrust.
The boats glided along in the shadow, steering straight for Dragon-flyIsland. The noise of the oars, handled cautiously, mingled with themyriad dull sounds of the sea. A light breeze rose, and whistled intheir ears.
As they approached the island they tried to move more and moresilently. Already they could see fires among the trees. They were notfar from shore, for they could distinctly hear the measured tread of apatrol upon the bank.
The Prince ordered his men to row round the island in search of thewar-junks. They lay at anchor close to the shore, having Dragon-flyIsland between them and the Soumiossi coast. They were soon visibleto the men in the canoes, their vast hulls and lofty masts outlinedin black upon the less intense darkness of the sky; lying almost on alevel with the water as they were, the junks seemed enormous to them.Upon each one, a lantern burned at the foot of the mast, hidden fromtime to time by the sentinel as he paced up and down the deck.
"Those sentinels will see us," said Raiden, in a low voice.
"No," replied the Prince; "the lantern lights up the spot where theyare, and prevents them from distinguishing anything in the darknesswhere we are. Let us now approach; and may our mad enterprise tend toour glory!"
The three boats moved off one after the other, and each one camealongside one of the ships without making more noise than a gull as itdips into the wave. The canoe which contained the Prince had approachedthe largest of the junks. It lay between the other two. The shadow wasthicker than ever beneath the bulging sides of the vessel. The blackwater splashed, and dashed the little boat against the giant hull;but the noise was lost in the incessant shock of the water and thecontinual fall of one wave after another upon the shores of the island.
"Let us stay here," said the Prince, in a scarcely audible voice. "Evenif they looked from the deck
, they would never see us here."
"True," said Raiden, "but we could not work here; the boat is notsteady enough. If we could reach the prow of the vessel, we should bebetter off."
"So be it," said the Prince.
All three, kneeling in the bottom of the boat, pressed with their handsagainst the junk, and thus advanced rapidly. Sometimes an involuntarycollision, which seemed to them to make a terrible noise, made thempause; then they went on again. They reached the ship's prow. At thatmoment the sentinel cried:
"Oho!"
He was answered from the other junks:
"Oho!"
"Oho!"
Then all was silent once more.
"To work," said Nagato.
Their plan was merely to sink these great ships by making a hole inthem below the water-line, large enough to let in the sea.
"What rocks and reefs can do with the greatest ease, we may perhapsachieve by taking a little trouble," was the Prince's thought. Thetools which had been used in the construction of the ship's hull mightnow be useful in destroying a fragment of it. It would be quite enoughto make an opening as big as a man's hand, or to remove a plank. Thewater, which only asks to be let in and glide everywhere, would bequite content with that.
Raiden, leaning from the canoe, felt the slimy sides of the ship, andsearched under the sticky moss, under paint and tar, for the heads ofthe nails which held the planks together. The Prince and the sailorNata tried to hold the boat as nearly stationary as might be. Raidentook a tool from his belt, and with great exertion dug out a few nails.
"This ship is well built," said he; "the nails are as long assword-blades; besides, they are rusty, and as firm in the wood as bigteeth in a young jaw."
"Do you think we can carry out our plan?"
"I certainly hope so," said Raiden. "It is impossible that a noblemanlike you could take such trouble for nothing; only I am very awkwardlysituated, with my head down, and obliged to pull out the nailsobliquely. I must get into the water."
"Are you crazy?" said Nata. "The sea is very deep here."
"There must be a rope in the boat."
"Yes," said Nata.
"Very well; fasten the two ends to the seat."
Nata quickly obeyed, and Raiden passed the rope under his arms.
"In this way I shall be suspended in the water," said he; and he slidsilently over the side of the boat. For more than an hour he worked inthe darkness, without uttering a single word; and as his hands movedbeneath the water, he made no noise. Nothing was audible save themonotonous tread of the sentinel and the dash of the waves against theship.
"Pass me the saki," said Raiden at last; "I am cold."
"It is my turn to work," said Nata. "Get into the boat again."
"It is done," said Raiden. "I have taken out the nails all round aplank as long as our boat, and as broad as Nata is from shoulder toshoulder."
"Then you have fully succeeded," said the Prince.
"Not yet; the most difficult part remains. The plank is dovetailed,into its two neighbors, and affords no hold by which I can pull it out."
"Try to slip your tool into the crack."
"I have been trying, but in vain," said Raiden; "the plank must bepushed from the inside."
"That cannot be done," said Nagato.
Raiden raised his head; he looked at the ship's hull.
"Is there not a port-hole up there over our heads?" he asked.
"I see nothing," said the Prince.
"You are not accustomed, as we are, to see through the darkness onstormy nights," said Nata; "but I see the port-hole very plainly."
"Some one must get in there, and push out the plank," said Raiden.
"You are crazy; none of us could squeeze through that narrow opening."
"If little Loo were here," muttered Raiden, "he would get in there soonenough, he would!"
At this moment the Prince felt something move between his legs, and asmall figure rose from the bottom of the boat.
"Loo knew that he would be wanted!" it cried.
"What! Are you there?" said the Prince.
"Then we are saved," said Raiden.
"Quick!" said Loo; "lift me up to the window."
"Listen!" said Raiden, in a low voice. "As soon as you get in, you areto feel along the wall, and count five planks down, straight under theopening. The sixth you will push; but as soon as you feel it yield toyour hand, you must stop, and hurry back. If you push it entirely out,the water, pouring into the hold, will drown you."
"All right!" said the boy.
Nata stood leaning his back against the junk.
"You are not afraid, Loo?" said the Prince.
Loo, without a word, shook his head. He was already upon Nata'sshoulders, and clinging to the edge of the port-hole with both hands.Soon he thrust in his head and shoulders; then his legs followed, andhe was lost to sight.
"It must be even darker in there than out here," said Nata, who had hisear close to the ship's side.
They waited. The time seemed to them long; their anxiety made themmotionless. At last a cracking noise was heard. Raiden felt the plankmove. A second push made it start from its place.
"Enough! enough! or you are lost!" said Raiden, not daring to raise hisvoice.
But the child heard nothing; he continued to use his clenched fistswith all his strength. Soon the plank fell, and floated off upon thewaves. At the same time, with a roar, the water streamed into the ship.
"And the child! the child!" cried the agonized Prince.
Raiden thrust his arms despairingly into the yawning hole, black andtumultuous as it was.
"Nothing! nothing!" said he, grinding his teeth. "He has been carriedoff by the force of the water."
At this moment cries were heard from one of the neighboring junks.Lights flashed hither and thither on the deck; they seemed in thedarkness to move through the air of their own will.
"Our friends may need us," said Nata.
"We cannot desert that poor boy," said the Prince, "while there is ahope of saving him; we will not stir from the spot."
All at once Raiden uttered a shout of joy; he felt a small cold handupon the edge of the hole in the ship's side. He soon drew the childout, and dropped him into the boat.
Loo did not stir; he had fainted. Raiden climbed hastily into the boat,dripping wet as he was.
"That poor fellow is about done for," said Nata, pushing off from thejunk.
"Let us join the others," said Nagato; "perhaps they have not finishedtheir work."
The shouts increased; the alarm was given on every hand. Lights wereseen moving about on the shores of the island, and the sound of armssnatched up in haste was heard.
"We sink! we sink!" cried the crew of the junks.
Several men sprang into the sea, and swam, puffing and blowing, towardsland. Terror had reached its height among the troops. The junks sankrapidly; the water bubbled and boiled as it poured into their holds.The enemy was at hand, and yet invisible. The more lights were brought,the blacker seemed the sea.
The Prince of Nagato leaned from the canoe, and vainly strove to piercethe gloom with his eye. Suddenly a violent shock made his boat startand quiver, dancing about in strange fashion for some moments.
"We can see no more than you," said a voice; "excuse us, Prince, forgiving you such a knock."
"Oh, it's you!" said Nagato; "did you succeed?"
"We should be at work still, if our task were not accomplished. We havegnawed through the wood like an army of rats, and made a big hole inthe junk."
"Good, good!" said the Prince; "you are indeed valuable assistants."
"Let us sheer off," said Raiden; "they have long-boats still; they maypursue us."
"And our comrades?"
"They'll take care of themselves; be sure of that. Perhaps they haveescaped already."
The soldiers fired a few arrows at hap-hazard, which fell like rain inthe water around the canoes.
"They are so awkward that they might hit
us without meaning to do so!"said Nata, laughingly.
"Sheer off!" shouted Raiden, rowing vigorously.
The darkness now began to grow less profound; a pale gleam spreadacross the sky like a drop of milk in a glass of water. On the edgeof the horizon the light grew stronger, though still vague and faint.It was the dawn of the rising full moon. Soon, like the point of asword-blade upon the horizon, the planet shed a steel-like lustre. Atonce a trail alternately dark and light ran along the sea to the shore;bluish sparks crackled and glittered on the crest of the waves; thenthe moon appeared like the arch of a bridge, and at last rose whollyinto sight, like a metal mirror.
They were now out of reach of the soldiers. Nata took the oars; Raidenrubbed Loo's temples with saki as he lay across the Prince's knees.
"At least he is not dead, poor child!" said Nagato, putting his hand onLoo's heart.
"No. See, his little chest heaves slowly; he breathes; but he isfrozen. We must strip off his wet clothes." They undressed him; Natatook off his outer garment and wrapped the boy in it.
"That brat don't know what fear is," said Raiden. "Don't you remember,Prince, how he bit me when I wanted to fight you? I have but one wishnow; that is, that he might bite me again."
The sailor tried to separate Loo's locked teeth, and poured a quantityof saki down his throat. The boy swallowed it the wrong way, sneezed,coughed; then opened his eyes.
"What! then I am not dead?" he asked, gazing about him.
"Well, it seems not," cried the delighted Raiden. "Will you drink?"
"Oh, no!" said Loo, "I've had quite enough to drink. Salt water isvery nasty; I never tasted it before. I shall have to eat a great manybanana preserves before I can get rid of the taste."
"Are you in pain?" said the Prince.
"No," said Loo; "but tell me if the junk has sunk."
"Nothing but the tip of her mast can be seen by this time," said Nata."The success of our enterprise is largely due to you."
"You see, master, that I am of some use," said Loo, with great pride.
"To be sure; and you are as brave as the bravest man," said the Prince."But how did you get here?"
"Ah! that's just it! I saw that you were determined to leave me behind,so I hid under the bench."
"But tell me," cried Raiden, "why you pushed the plank so hard, inspite of all my warnings?"
"I wanted to make sure that the junk did not escape; and then I heard anoise in the ship. I had to make haste. Besides, I don't think I couldhave climbed back again at any rate. There were all sorts of beams andropes, and chains that tripped me up; for I couldn't see any more thanif I'd had my head in a black velvet bag."
"And when that mass of water fell upon you, what did you think?"
"I thought that I was killed, but that the junk would surely sink. Iheard the thunder roar, and I swallowed gallons. The water ran in at mynose, my mouth, and my ears; and then I knew no more, felt no more!"
"You were very near death, my poor Loo," said the Prince; "but for yourfine conduct I will give you a handsome sword, well sharpened, and youcan wear it in your sash like a lord."
Loo cast a look full of pride at his companions, whose faces werelighted up by the moon, and smiled broadly, showing two deep dimples. Amisty blue light shone across the sea, so that they could see off forsome distance.
"Two junks have disappeared," said Nagato, gazing in the direction ofthe island; "the third is still afloat."
"I think I see boats hovering about her; do you think our friends canhave been taken by surprise?".
All at once the junk keeled over on one side; and instantly a smallboat was shoved off, and moved rapidly away. The ship's boats, fullof soldiers, chased her, sending a thick flight of arrows after her.Several shots were fired from the junk.
"Let us hasten to their aid!" exclaimed the Prince.
Raiden had already changed the course of the canoe; the other boat,which accompanied them, followed alongside.
"They will never let themselves be taken," said Raiden, who keptturning his head to look, as he rowed.
In fact, the light canoe flew over the waves, while the heavierlong-boats, loaded down with men, moved very slowly.
"The junk is sinking! the junk is sinking!" shouted Loo, clapping hishands.
In truth the last vessel remaining above the surface sank slowly; thenwith one impulse disappeared.
"Victory! Victory!" cried the sailors and the Prince.
"Victory!" was the answering cry from the hotly pursued canoe, whichcame nearer and nearer.
The three boats were soon side by side.
"Let them chase us," said the Prince; "and do not move too quickly todeprive them of all hope of catching us."
A few shots were fired; several soldiers fell, and were immediatelythrown overboard, to lighten the boats. An arrow struck Raiden in theshoulder; but its force was spent; it merely pricked him, and fell intothe canoe.
"That was well aimed," said Raiden.
The moon was in mid-heaven; but the polished mirror was dimmed as if bya breath. It soon assumed a rosy tint; then became cottony; then wasnothing more than a white cloud. The blue and silver color of the skywas shadowed by a tinge of pale amethyst, which spread rapidly from thehorizon; violet lights shimmered over the sea. It was day.
Behind the promontory, the Prince's fleet had heard the shots whichwere to be their signal; they at once left the shore and spread theirsails, which assumed the lovely hue of peach-blossoms in the firstsunbeams. As soon as they were within reach of his voice, the Prince ofNagato, standing up in the canoe, shouted with all his might:--
"Surround those long-boats! Cut off their retreat! Capture them!"
Loo danced with delight. "After sinking the big craft, we confiscatethe little ones," said he.
The soldiers saw their danger; they put about, and tried to escape.But how could they contend in a trial of speed with oars against thosegreat sails swelling in the morning breeze? The boats were quicklyovertaken, then passed. The soldiers gave up all for lost. By steeringstraight upon them, and with a single blow, one of those large vesselscould sink them in a second. They hastily threw their weapons into thewater, in sign of submission. The men were hauled on board; then thelong-boats were swamped and sunk.
"Go seek your monstrous mother at the bottom of the sea!" cried Loo, ashe watched them go down.
The three canoes then joined the flotilla. The Prince and his sailorsboarded the large vessels.
Loo related to those who had been left behind how they had swamped theenemy's junks, how he got drowned in a hole, then was brought back tolife again, to wear a sword like a lord. The prisoners were counted asthey stood with heads bent, resigned, and waiting for their fate. Therewere fifty of them.
"Our bold plan succeeded better than we could have hoped," said thePrince; "I am still lost in amaze at its realization; but sinceMarisiten, the god of battles, the divinity with six arms and threefaces, has been so far favorable to us, do not let us rest from ourlabors yet. We must now surround Dragon-fly Island, and cut it off fromthe rest of the world, until the Shogun's army comes to our relief."
"Hurrah! hurrah!" cried the sailors, made enthusiastic by their recentvictory.
"How many soldiers are there on the island?" the Prince asked one ofthe prisoners.
The soldier hesitated; he looked up and down, then right and left, asif asking advice. All at once he decided to speak.
"Why should I hide the truth?" said he. "There are two thousand."
"Very well!" exclaimed the Prince; "let us make for the island, andallow no one to quit it; then we shall have, not fifty prisoners, buttwo thousand."
Loud cheers greeted Nagato's words; they set off. Soon the saki wentround; the sailors chanted a war-song, which they sang, each in his ownfashion, producing a lively but deafening melody.
The deepest consternation reigned in the island. No one could believehis own eyes. The junks, so strong and so beautiful, sank suddenly inthe sea; the boats, full of soldiers, d
id not come back. Who couldthis enemy be, who struck in the dark? The sentinels had only seen afrail canoe, manned by three men, who, impudently clinging to the ship,hammered away at the hull with all their might and main, and ripped itup; then fled, setting them at defiance.
So there were no more ships; even boats were lacking. They had no meansof leaving the island. There they were established, as if in a fortresssurrounded by an immense moat. Protected by their war-junks, it was anexcellent position indeed. But now the fortress proved their prison;if speedy succor did not come, they were lost. The chief in command ofthese two thousand men--his name was Sandai--ordered the two best boatsto be chosen from the wretched craft belonging to the inhabitants ofthe island. This order being executed, he appointed five men to each.
"You will set off in all haste," said he, "and rejoin the main bodyof the army. You will then inform the General of our distressingsituation."
The boats started; but when they had gone a little way, they saw avast circle of motionless sails, which barred their passage. The boatsretraced their course. They were blockaded. Sandai collected all theprovisions, taking the animals and crops of the inhabitants. There wasa week's supply; besides, they could catch fish.
"We must build big rafts, and try to reach the mainland unseen, bynight," said the leader.
The men set to work, felled trees, stripped off the branches; thus theday passed. They worked all night as well; but next morning they saw aglitter and commotion on the Soumiossi shore. General Harounaga's armyhad arrived.
That gay warrior, on his side, was greatly embarrassed. He did not knowwhat to do in face of the foe divided from him by the sea. The fleetwas taking in stores at Osaka; it was not yet ready to sail. If he hadto wait for its coming before making an attack, the enemy might escapehim.
Harounaga encamped his troops on the beach, pitched his tent, andretired into it to consider the situation. Meantime his soldiers fireda few arrows in the direction of the island, by way of salute; theyfell in the water, the island being out of range. Nevertheless, towardsnoon, a well-aimed arrow fell just outside Harounaga's tent, and stuckquivering in the sand. A paper was fastened to the feathered end of thearrow, which was plucked up and taken to the General.
Harounaga unfolded the paper, and read as follows:--
"Prepare for attack. The enemy are in your power. I have deprived them of all means of escape. I will provide you with means of reaching them."
The note was not signed. The General left his tent, and gazed acrossthe water. A fishing-boat was crossing leisurely from Dragon-fly Islandto the Soumiossi shore.
"Whom can this letter be from?" thought Harounaga. "Is any one jestingwith me? Am I to transport my whole army in that vulgar boat?"
But, as he looked, other boats appeared upon the ocean; they camenearer; their number grew. Harounaga counted them.
"Well! well!" he said, "the project seems feasible. Come, my men!" hecried, "take up your arms; here is a fleet to carry us across!"
As soon as the movement of the troops was apparent, the boats advancedto the shore. The Prince of Nagato was first to land. The Princerecognized the General.
"Ah! it's that stupid Harounaga," he muttered.
Loo leaped ashore. He wore a superb sword at his waist.
"Twenty men to a boat," he shouted. "There are forty of them, whichwill make eight hundred men to each voyage."
The General came forward.
"What! Prince Nagato!" he exclaimed.
"I am Naiboum,"[1] said the Prince; "all the glory of the affair shallfall to you."
"A sovereign expose himself thus to the risk of battle!" saidHarounaga, in surprise.
"I wage war at my caprice, subject to no one; and I find a certainpleasure in these novel sensations."
"You!--you used to care for nothing but feasting!"
"I prefer warfare now," said the Prince, smiling; "I am fickle."
Shots and confused clamor were heard in the distance.
"What is that?" asked the General.
"A false attack upon the other side of the island, to favor the landingof your soldiers."
"Why, you are as good a General as I am," said Harounaga.
The Prince hid a contemptuous smile behind his fan.
The boats, loaded with men, put off from shore, the Generalaccompanying the Prince. Loo had picked up a sort of trumpet; and,leaning forward, blew into it with all his might and main.
Hieyas' soldiers awaited them in a body, on the opposite coast, readyto oppose the landing to their utmost; arrows began to fly thick andfast from both parties. The Prince of Nagato sent forward to right andleft a boat full of men armed with guns. They overwhelmed the foe, whohad no firearms, with an incessant volley of shot.
Upon shore a furious hand-to-hand fight soon followed. Men fought upto their knees in the water; sword-strokes made the foam splash high.Sometimes two adversaries would pull each other down, roll over, anddisappear. Dead bodies and quantities of arrows floated on the waves.Sailors caught hold of the boats, and pushed them violently out tosea. One strong stroke of the oar brought them back. Then some wouldhang their whole weight on one side, hoping to capsize them. The handsclutching the edge were hewed at with sabres; the blood spurted out,then trailed upon the water like torn rags.
When a boat was empty, it returned in haste to fetch more soldiers;soon the partisans of the Usurper were crushed. They surrendered.
The dead and wounded were numerous. The latter were laid upon thesand, their wounds were dressed, and they were encouraged with kind,fraternal words. Were they not brothers? They wore the same uniform,they spoke the same language. Some wept as they recognized friendsin the enemy's ranks. The vanquished men sat upon the ground in anattitude of utter despair; they crossed their hands upon their knees,and bowed their heads. Their swords and bows were gathered up and madeinto heaps, which were given to the victors.
The Prince of Nagato and the General advanced into the interior of theisland. Harounaga swung from his wrist the golden-thonged whip; thescales of his cuirass clattered and clashed as he strode along with onehand on his hip.
"Bring forward the leader of the rebels," said the Prince.
Sandai came forward. He still wore the varnished black leather mask,fitted to the helmet, and worn in battle; he removed it, and revealedhis melancholy visage.
The presence of Nagato strangely troubled this chieftain, who hadformerly asked and obtained his interest with Fide-Yori. He hadafterwards joined the Regent from ambitious motives, and now hebetrayed his first sovereign. Nagato's calm and scornful gaze made himfeel all the infamy of his conduct; he saw that he could never againhold up his head under the double humiliation of defeat and dishonor.Moreover, the Prince seemed to him clad in peculiar majesty. Amidsthis warriors in full armor, their heads protected by strong helmets,Iwakura stood bareheaded, dressed in a black silk robe with a slighttracery in gold; on his hands were white satin gloves, reaching to theelbow, and above each arm a stiff plastron forming an epaulette, andmaking his shoulders seem very broad. In this guise he looked moreformidable than all the rest.
The Prince played carelessly with his fan, and did not appear torecollect that he had ever known Sandai.
"Rebel," he said, without raising his voice, "I do not ask you ifyou will renounce your crime, and return to the service of your truelord. Pride, I know, survives honor in the heart of man, and you wouldrefuse."
"Prince," said Sandai, "before the battle your voice might haverecalled me to my duty, and brought me to your feet; but after defeatno leader can disown his acts and serve his conqueror. Therefore Icannot consent to yield."
"So be it; I will send you back to the master of your choice," saidNagato. "You will set off alone, unaccompanied by page or squire; youwill rejoin Hieyas, and say to him this: 'General Harounaga conqueredus; but it was the Prince of Nagato who sank the junks which might haverescued us.'"
"Illustrious Daimio," said Sandai, without any sign of anger, "I am ageneral
, and not a messenger. I may be guilty, but I am not a coward; Ican endure merited insult without revolt, but I cannot survive it. Sendsome other messenger to Hieyas; and let him add to the tidings he bearsthe news of my death."
Profound silence followed this speech. All understood the General'sintention, and no one desired to oppose him. Sandai seated himself uponthe ground. He drew one of his swords,--the shorter of the two; then;having saluted the Prince, he ripped himself up with a single blow.
"That deed raises you in my eyes," said Nagato, who was perhaps stillheard by the dying man.
"Let this warrior be buried upon the island, with the pomp appropriateto his rank," said Harounaga.
Sandai's body was borne away.
"Now," said the Prince, "I will take a little rest. I begin to recallthe fact that I spent the whole night upon the sea, and that I neverclosed my eyes for a second. The victory is as complete as possible. Itonly remains for you, Harounaga, to establish communications betweenSoumiossi and the island which you have conquered. You can do so bythe aid of rafts, forming a kind of bridge. Despatch messengers toFide-Yori, occupy the island and the neighboring coasts, keep a watchover the sea, and await fresh orders from Osaka."
"Thanks for your precious advice," said the General. "You are the truevictor. Will you permit me to say so to our much-loved lord?"
"No," said the Prince; "announce it to Hieyas only. I desire my name toring in his ear like a threat."
With these words the Prince of Nagato withdrew. Night fell, quiet andcool; then it passed away, and day reappeared.
General Harounaga came from his tent, and inquired if the Prince hadwaked. He had grown accustomed to taking his orders and advice. Itspared him the trouble of thinking. He had a thousand questions to ask.A messenger ran to the tent which had been pitched for Nagato. It washalf open; but on looking in, the Prince was found to be absent.
"He may have gone back to his boat," said Harounaga.
They hastened to the shore. There was not a sail on the sea; the Princeof Nagato's fleet had vanished.
[1] That is, incognito.