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JAPAN'S DOUBLE GOVERNMENT. 107
beard before the head fell to the earth. With
this weapon Yoritomo went into battle on the day
of the great conflict between the Gen and He*!. In
the flight eastward the boy Yoritomo, being utterly
worn out with fatigue, fell asleep on his horse, and
in the haste was left behind. It was towards the
end of the year, very cold, and snow was falling;
so when Yoritomo woke up he found he had lost his
way. A messenger found him, however, and the
party then took a side road to avoid a barrier
guarded by Hel troops. The snow was so deep
that the horses could not advance. So the warriors
stripped
off their armor and went on foot. In the
blinding storm Yoritomo again missed his father,
and, losing his way, wandered about all night.
"In the morning a fisherman met the tired boy,
and, seeing he was no ordinary person, gave him
some rice and a warm bed. Then he dressed him
up as a girl to avoid recognition, and took him
to the house of the elder of the village, who was
a friend of the Minamoto. Leaving his sword with
the old man, Yoritomo started eastward again, but
was captured by some Taira men who were lying in
watch on the road.
"The Taira commander, according to orders,
brought the boy to Kyoto to be executed; but secretly
he wished to spare his life. So going to Kiyomori's
step-mother, who had become a nun from
grief because she had lost a dear young son named
Uma, he told her that Yoritomo looked like the
Prince Uma. The pitiful woman's heart was touched