Tales of Old Japan - Maybe You Like It

within to open the gate, answering, in reply to their challenge, that he
was Kôtsuké no Suké, the lord of the castle. The guard, not believing
their ears, sent word to the councillor in charge of the castle, who rushed
out to see if the person demanding admittance were really their lord.
When he saw Kôtsuké no Suké, he caused the gates to be opened, and,
thinking it more than strange, said—
"Is this indeed you, my lord? What strange chance brings your lordship
hither thus late at night, on horseback and alone, without a single
follower?"
With these words he ushered in Kôtsuké no Suké, who, in reply to the
anxious inquiries of his people as to the cause of his sudden appearance,
said—
"You may well be astonished. I had a quarrel to-day in the castle at
Yedo, with Sakai Iwami no Kami, the lord of the castle of Matsumoto,
and I cut him down. I shall soon be pursued; so we must strengthen the
fortress, and prepare for an attack."
The household, hearing this, were greatly alarmed, and the whole
castle was thrown into confusion. In the meanwhile the people of Kôtsuké
no Suké's palace at Yedo, not knowing whether their lord had fled,
were in the greatest anxiety, until a messenger came from Sakura, and
reported his arrival there.
When the quarrel inside the castle of Yedo and Kôtsuké no Suké's
flight had been taken cognizance of, he was attainted of treason, and soldiers
were sent to seize him, dead or alive. Midzuno Setsu no Kami and
Gotô Yamato no Kami were charged with the execution of the order, and
sallied forth, on the 13th day of the 10th month, to carry it out. When
they arrived at the town of Sasai, they sent a herald with the following
message—
"Whereas Kôtsuké no Suké killed Sakai Iwami no Kami inside the
castle of Yedo, and has fled to his own castle without leave, he is attainted
of treason; and we, being connected with him by ties of blood and of
friendship, have been charged to seize him."
The herald delivered this message to the councillor of Kôtsuké no
Suké, who, pleading as an excuse that his lord was mad, begged the two
nobles to intercede for him. Gotô Yamato no Kami upon this called the
councillor to him, and spoke privately to him, after which the latter took
his leave and returned to the castle of Sakura.
In the meanwhile, after consultation at Yedo, it was decided that, as
Gotô Yamato no Kami and Midzuno Setsu no Kami were related to Kôtsuké
no Suké, and might meet with difficulties for that very reason, two
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