The first great grief which his young life had known now came upon
Sennoske as he knelt by the side of his old attendant. A thousand
recollections of the watchful care, kindness, and unvarying zeal and
attachment of Yamagawa overwhelmed him, until he became thoroughly
unmanned, and could only sob in a broken voice: “Oh, Yamagawa! why have
you done this to me?”
“Listen to me, Sennoske,” replied the old _samurai_,— whose present
composure and serenity were in striking contrast with his appearance of
half an hour before, his face, which showed no evidence of physical pain
in spite of the suffering caused by his wound, being lit up by a happy
smile at the evident deep-felt love and sympathy expressed by his young
master,—“listen to me carefully, for my time is short.” As he spoke, he
compressed tightly with both hands the gaping wound from which his blood
and life were slowly oozing out. “The great enemy of your house, who has
been the cause of all the misfortunes which have befallen it, is now the
possessor of your sword. You know him by reputation. It is the notorious
Taka Suke, in comparison with whose shameless, brazen-faced effrontery
all other acts of Hōjō arrogance might well be characterized as humility
itself. Here in my lap is my _kakioki_, my last will and testament,
addressed to you, explaining everything. It was to be given to you in
case of my death. Take it now and read it aloud.” Seeing that Sennoske,
with his hands before his face, was still sobbing bitterly, he motioned
to another of the party to do what he had asked; and the man addressed,
an old soldier, at once complied, taking the document and reading as
follows:
“It is now nearly twelve years ago that a quarrel broke out between the
Dukes of Ando Taro and Ando Goro, in the province of Mutsu; this quarrel
assuming considerable proportions, the Hōjō government at Kamakura
sent out Taka Suke with full powers to arbitrate and judge between the
contending parties. He was comparatively unknown at that time, and was
received by both Dukes with marks of great distinction, as became his
mission, and, as is the custom, with lavish gifts. But whatever was
presented to him was like a few kernels of rice thrown to a famished
dog, it only whetted his appetite for more. In the most barefaced
manner he and his satellites asked for more and more, and received it
indiscriminately from both sides. His chamberlains, his mistresses, his
servants down to the lowest horse-boy and scullion, all had to be fed
over and over again.
[Illustration: SENDING A PRESENT.]
“Your father, who was Ando Goro’s _karo_, or first counsellor, saw his
master’s substance melt away under this system of extortion which he did
not dare oppose, while as yet there was no pretence on the part of Taka
Suke of even looking into the merits of the case, much less of rendering
a decision. The ducal treasury was exhausted; the many rare and costly
articles accumulated by generations of the Duke’s ancestors, and the
whole of your father’s private fortune, had been swallowed up by this
fellow’s greed. There was absolutely nothing left to give, when Ando
Goro in strong terms and angry words, more than hinting at Hōjō misrule,
demanded judgment. This just suited the wily arbitrator. Carefully
selecting time and place and company so as to be cruelly effective, with
coarse taunt and jeer he insulted the Duke and goaded him to madness.
Regardless of policy and of the chances against him, regardless of the
advice and remonstrance of his trusted _karo_, Ando Goro planned a
revolt. His movements, however, had been carefully watched, and his plans
were allowed to ripen sufficiently clearly to demonstrate his guilt.
When this point was reached he was seized and thrown into prison. In
this case judgment was not delayed; within ten days his territory was
confiscated, and he himself paid the penalty of his life. His wife shared
her husband’s fate; his two infant sons were seized, and disappeared, no
one knowing how or where; and all his principal retainers were severely
punished, some suffering death, some imprisonment and some exile.
[Illustration: A KARO (CHIEF COUNSELLOR).]
“Only one man seemed to remain exempt from persecution, and he was the
_karo_. He had arranged his affairs, and expected, hour after hour, day
by day, to be summoned to prison and death; but no summons came. Your
father was a man who had commanded honor and respect second to none
where he had lived. Untouched by even a breath of suspicion in his
high and responsible position, with rare physical and mental graces,
and incomparable in all manly accomplishments, the inhabitants of the
province, high and low, looked up to him with a respect amounting to
reverence. But the times were corrupt, and his long years of faithful
service failed to make men believe that he had remained true to his
trust, when day after day continued that strange immunity from arrest
while every one else belonging to his master’s house had suffered. Too
many were only over-ready to sell themselves to the Hōjō; and although
in this instance it seemed utterly incredible, yet men equally high
in position and character had before been won by Hōjō purses and Hōjō
promises.
[Illustration: AN EXECUTION.]
“Your father’s nature was delicate and sensitive, in spite of his
physical prowess and of the outwardly cold equanimity of his character.
Loyal as loyalty itself, conscious of the rectitude of his actions and
thoughts, he met those who had once bowed down to the ground in his
presence, and who now had only a scornful glance for him, with equal
scorn and pride, which only went to confirm their suspicions of what
they considered his shameless desertion. Never did a _samurai_ look
more anxiously for decree of promotion and advancement than did your
father for the order which should consign him to the grave. At first,
when with every minute he was expecting his doom, he had no thought of
_kataki-uchi_; and even later on he saw no possible way of breaking
single-handed through the cordon of guards and satellites which protected
his and his late lord’s enemy. When, however, fifteen days had elapsed,
during which he had, as it seemed, been utterly ignored, he publicly
registered a vow that whenever chance or his own exertions should bring
him into the presence of Taka Suke, he would kill him, or perish in
the attempt. He had recorded his vow in the usual manner, taking care,
however, to give it the greatest possible publicity, so that he against
whom it was directed could not pretend to be ignorant of it.
“Your father succeeded apparently in forcing notice upon himself; for the
same day, as evening came on, a posse of soldiers entered his house. His
swords and weapons were taken from him, and his arms pinioned; but this
was not done in the coarse, brutal way in which prisoners generally are
treated, the leader of the soldiers showing all possible consideration,
and even apologizing for what he did. A large and convenient _nori mono_
(palanquin) had been brought to the door, and in this Mutto was carried
more like a chief followed by his retainers than a disgraced rebel
prisoner. His captors took him directly to the castle, into the presence
of Taka Suke, when all retired, leaving the two men alone.
[Illustration: A LORD ENTERING HIS NORI-MONO.]
“‘I should have sent for you before this,’ said the host to his
prisoner-guest, ‘but I wished to give you time to do justice to your
grief for your late lord, although he but little deserved it. Probably
Ando Goro’s only posthumous claim to the regard of mankind consists in
the good sense which he displayed in selecting you for his _karo_; and
all the good he ever achieved, as is well known, was of your doing. Had
he followed your counsel he would still be the lord of his province,
honored and respected. He chose instead to give way to the promptings of
his own wicked passions; he rose in revolt against the lawful government
of the country, and he has met the fate which is the just due of every
rebel. All who surrounded him aided and abetted his evil designs with the
exception of yourself, who were the only one, as I know full well, to try
to dissuade him from his folly and crime. In common with every one else,
I have always entertained feelings of high regard and admiration for your
mental and physical accomplishments as well as for your moral character,
as shown by your faithfulness and devotion. It was not my intention that
you should stand before me as you do now; your unfortunate expression
of to-day has forced me, however, to adopt these precautions; but these
bonds shall fall at the first word which shows that you understand my
feelings and accept my offer of friendship and friendly interest. You
shall be appointed this very day temporarily to the government of your
late lord’s territories, which is all that my authority empowers me to do
at present; but I doubt not—nay, I am sure—that with the first signs of
zeal and faithfulness the Hōjō government will confirm your appointment
and make you the actual duke, with the title hereditary in your family.’
“This language astounded your father, although it failed to move him or
to shake his resolution in the slightest degree. ‘I am utterly unable,’
he replied, ‘to understand the meaning of your magnificent offers, and I
am too indifferent in regard to them to look into their motive. As far
as my honor and faithfulness, which you rate so highly, are concerned,
the one would be forever tarnished, and the other prove itself false and
valueless, were I to accept your proposal. If I have acquired a good name
and reputation, I owe it merely to the possession and practice of those
qualities which should be the birth-right of every one of our class,
and which have enabled me to serve my late master loyally, but, alas!
as events have shown, only too inefficiently. My duty now is plain,—to
avenge my lord, if possible, or else to die as becomes a faithful
_samurai_.’
“‘I expected some such reply from you,’ rejoined the other, ‘although I
hoped that the sincere desire for your welfare which I have so openly
shown would cause you to put your refusal in a milder form. You have
the consciousness of having done everything for Ando Goro which it was
possible to do; but his headstrong nature would not brook control,
or even advice, and his destruction lies at his own door. You can do
nothing more for him, and your country has certainly some claim to your
services. Men of your stamp are needed now, when strife and rebellion
are everywhere raising their heads; and in place of a useless sacrifice
to one whom you served faithfully as long as faithfulness would benefit
him, it were a better, a higher, and a worthier ambition to try to insure
internal peace, tranquillity, and prosperity to our glorious empire.’
[Illustration: ŌTŌ NO MIYA, THE MIKADO’S SON, IN HIS MOUNTAIN RETREAT
WHEN FLEEING FROM THE HŌJŌ.]
“‘Your code of _samurai_ morality is different from what I have been
taught, Taka Suke,’ said the ex-_karo_, slightly raising his voice,
though its tones remained quiet and firm. ‘_Chiugi_ [faithfulness
to one’s lord and master] would be little worth the name if it were
obligatory only while in the receipt of bounties and favors from one’s
lord, and could be disregarded when not synonymous with self-interest.
It is not the doings of men who act like this that are told to us in
songs and romances, that form the heritage of our heroes, and that fire
and inflame the minds of our youth. Is not _kataki-uchi_ the first of
all duties? And where does it find its highest justification but in
faithfulness in avenging the death and appeasing the manes of our lord
and master? The ruin of my late lord and of his house lies at your door.
Why have you spared me when mercy was not shown to woman or child, to the
helpless or to the innocent? I owe you no thanks for it. Were these arms
free, I should strike you down now; and nothing can reconcile me to life
but the hope, slight as it may be, of some day being able to accomplish
my vengeance. This is my duty; and in devoting my life to it, my country
can claim nothing more. When you speak of “rebellion and strife raising
their heads,” you can mean only rebellion against the Hōjō usurpers; but
were I not bound to the fulfilment of a higher obligation, such rebellion
would find in me one of its most ardent partisans.’
“‘And do you not think of your wife?’ Taka Suke still persisted. ‘Have
you no feeling of pity for her, who, if you insist upon your refusal,
must suffer a cruel death; none for your son, who, if he grows up in
the likeness of his father, with the advantages which your new position
would confer upon him, might become one of Japan’s most famous men,
perpetuating your name and renown to the latest generations?’
“‘My wife is a _samurai’s_ wife, and knows she must take her share of
the pains and penalties, as well as enjoy the privileges and advantages,
of her position; my son had better die a lingering death than succeed
through the shame and disgrace of his father.’
“‘Yes,’ Taka Suke, now dropping his mask, replied angrily, ‘I know you
are one of those who believe in _chiugi_ and _kataki-uchi_ and all
those devices which are implicitly followed by fools and weak-minded
persons, but which men of sense make use of only to suit the occasion.
I can understand the beauty of _kataki-uchi_ when used against those
who have injured me, and of _chiugi_ when it governs the behavior of my
dependants. It is true our cause is threatened, and it is necessary for
the continuance of Hōjō power that men of influence, wherever they may be
found, should be enlisted in its support. Such men as you, respected by
_samurai_ and by the rabble, equally ready with sword, tongue, and pen,
are rare enough, and their action influences thousands of others. I do
not yet despair of bringing you over to our side. Men of your stamp are
inclined to sacrifice themselves, satisfied with the delusion that their
virtues will be lauded and appreciated after their death. But I will
leave you no such consolation. I will have it spread about that through
you your master was betrayed. I will have you brought to the castle of
Kamakura; and while it will be said that you have left your family in
order to enjoy a licentious life with the wages of your treason, you
shall pine away a close prisoner. What do you say to this prospect; and
how, under these circumstances, will your name be spoken of by posterity?’
[Illustration: A PRISON.]
“Outwardly calm and composed, although this speech did not fail to stir
him to the deepest anger and indignation, Mutto replied: ‘Whatever you
may do, the truth will sooner or later be certain to prevail. Knowing
that it is impossible to appease the manes of my murdered lord with
your blood, I can only show my devotion by committing _seppuku_, which I
will not now defer any longer. No honest man’s finger shall point at me
in scorn, no disloyal _samurai_ shall cite me and claim me as a living
companion in shame. I will have the satisfaction of having lived and died
as a feudal retainer should live and die,—loyal to my lord and master.’
“‘No, no! you shall have no such satisfaction. I will not leave you to
delude yourself with this thought,’ Taka Suke vehemently broke in. ‘You
do not yet know all. Ando Goro, it is true, paid the penalty for his
treason with his life; but his two young sons yet live. Yes, they yet
live,’ he repeated with cold emphasis, as Mutto turned pale and started,
half in joy, half in affright, with a nameless dread of what might be
coming; ‘but you will never learn their abode, for they have been taken
to a distant isle, where they are carefully watched by men devoted to me.
I have changed my intention as to the measures to be adopted in regard
to you, and you shall go from this place free and untrammelled. But you
shall pledge your knightly word that you will make no attempt against my
life or against your own; and the safety of these two boys shall answer
for your fidelity. In case of your death they shall be made to follow you
at once into the shadowy land to which you are so anxious to go; and I
shall also make immediate and careful disposition that any attempt at my
life, whether successful or not, shall give them no longer time on earth
than relays of fleet-running messengers require to carry them their doom.
What say you to this, Numa? Had you not better at once enter my service
and watch over a life which now must be very precious to you?’ Taka Suke
asked this question with a sneer; it was thrown away, however, for the
last revelation had done its work, and the man before him was utterly
prostrate and broken-hearted. ‘But I will not press you for an answer
now’, the Hōjō chief continued. ‘You shall give me the promise I asked
for, sealing it with your blood; and then you can take your own time.
And remember that whenever you choose to come to me, all the honors and
emoluments promised shall be yours at once, without further reference or
allusion to what has passed between us.’
[Illustration: POSTAL COURIERS.]
“When your father left the castle after this interview he was a man
broken in body, in heart, and in spirit. In addition thereto came the
illness of his beloved wife, your mother, which in a few days assumed
a fatal character. After her death he found it impossible to continue
living in the same place, where all those whose esteem he cared for now
shunned him. He was on the verge of madness, and only his flight, I
believe, saved him from such a fate. We separated, to avoid attracting
attention and to elude pursuit. He confided you to my care; and you must
remember the night of our departure, when we went one way and he another.
In the middle of the night, like a thief and a malefactor, he left the
place where until now he had been foremost in rank and position, as well
as in the esteem of the people. We met by appointment in a mountain
retreat of Idzu, at the house of an old friend and companion-in-arms
who had turned priest and was leading a quiet, secluded life. There we
remained a year, which enabled your father to regain his tranquillity;
and then we travelled on to Kuwana, where, as you know, he took service
with Ono ga Sawa. When making arrangements for his flight he had taken
care, in his fear for the safety of his master’s sons, that Taka Suke
should be informed after his departure that he had fled to a life of
seclusion, and would sacredly keep the vow he had taken. He has since
often regretted his twofold promise; for tidings which reached him from
one or two friends who remained true to him left very little doubt that
the young dukes had really been killed, and that Taka Suke’s version of
their exile was a fabrication to work upon the feelings of a noble mind
which had proved itself superior to all sordid influences.”
The _kakioki_ here came to an end, concluding with the usual formulas,
stamp, and seal pertaining to such a document. During the reading,
Yamagawa had retained his death-grip on his wound. Superior will-power
made him oblivious to physical pain, and enabled him to retain
consciousness until the testament had been read to the end. Motioning now
to Sennoske to come nearer, and summoning all his energies, he succeeded,
although in a scarcely audible whisper, in saying his final words:—
“From what I have learned in the course of this campaign from men of
our old province who no longer feared the Hōjō, the doubt as to the
fate of Ando Goro’s sons has resolved itself into a certainty. I ought
to have acquainted you with all this at once, causing you to search out
that venomous beast, Taka Suke; but I hesitated, knowing him to be as
cunning as he is wicked, and brave and strong withal. I also wished to
let you first enjoy the pleasure and triumph that await you at home;
and I half hoped and half wished that before long he would meet his
just doom at other hands. I have erred grievously in believing that the
Fates which govern the world would allow such a just vengeance to remain
unfulfilled by him who evidently was designed to execute it. The signal
way in which the divine will has been declared in this instance proves
to me also that I need have no fear for the result. I die happy in this
consciousness; and now, Sennoske, although I am of inferior rank, I know
you will show me the last and greatest mark of friendship which one
_samurai_ can show to another.”
As he spoke he released the grip of his hands, the ghastly wound opened
wide, and he fell partly forward, with life evidently very nearly
extinct. Sennoske did not hesitate, for to withhold his hand now would
have been cruel as well as contrary to all law and usage. Taking
Yamagawa’s sword and grasping it firmly in both hands, with a muttered
blessing which the other seemed to understand and acknowledge by a
last flicker illuminating his face, his young master made one sweeping
downward stroke. The head rolled on the ground, and a life of patient,
unselfish, and sacrificing devotion came to a sad but an honorable end.
[Illustration: STATE SWORD AND HEAD-DRESS.]