"Prince," said Sandai, "before the battle your voice might have recalled me to my duty, and brought me to your feet; but after defeat no leader can disown his acts and serve his conqueror. Therefore I cannot consent to yield." "So be it; I will send you back to the master of your choice," said Nagato. "You will set off alone, unaccompanied by page or squire; you will rejoin Hieyas, and say to him this: 'General Harounaga conquered us; but it was the Prince of Nagato who sank the junks which might have rescued us.'" "Illustrious Daimio," said Sandai, without any sign of anger, "I am a general, and not a messenger. I may be guilty, but I am not a coward; I can endure merited insult without revolt, but I cannot survive it. Send some other messenger to Hieyas; and let him add to the tidings he bears the news of my death." Profound silence followed this speech. All understood the General's intention, and no one desired to oppose him. Sandai seated himself upon the 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 still heard by the dying man. "Let this warrior be buried upon the island, with the pomp appropriate to his rank," said Harounaga. Sandai's body was borne away. "Now," said the Prince, "I will take a little rest. I begin to recall the fact that I spent the whole night upon the sea, and that I never closed my eyes for a second. The victory is as complete as possible. It only remains for you, Harounaga, to establish communications between Soumiossi and the island which you have conquered. You can do so by the aid of rafts, forming a kind of bridge. Despatch messengers to Fide-Yori, occupy the island and the neighboring coasts, keep a watch over the sea, and await fresh orders from Osaka." "Thanks for your precious advice," said the General. "You are the true victor. 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 to ring in his ear like a threat." With these words the Prince of Nagato withdrew. Night fell, quiet and cool; then it passed away, and day reappeared. General Harounaga came from his tent, and inquired if the Prince had waked. He had grown accustomed to taking his orders and advice. It spared 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 was half 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 Prince of Nagato's fleet had vanished. [1] That is, incognito. CHAPTER XVIII. THE PRINCIPALITY OF NAGATO.