"Alas! I must part with this priceless relic," he murmured. All at once he pressed it to his lips. The touch of the soft stuff, the familiar perfume exhaled from it, sent an ardent thrill through the Prince's veins. He shut his eyes, overcome by a delicious ecstasy. An uneasy neigh from his horse roused him from his dream. He restored the royal missive to his bosom and looked around him. Fifty paces in front of him, a group of trees cast its shadow across the road. Nagato thought he saw something stir in that shadow. He seized the pike fastened to his saddle, and urged on his horse, which plunged and reared, reluctant to advance. The Prince's doubts were soon solved: armed men awaited his coming. "What, again!" he cried. "The Regent must be very anxious to get rid of me." "This time he will not fail!" replied one of the assassins, riding full upon him. "You have not got me yet!" said Nagato, turning his horse aside. His opponent, borne onwards by the impetus of his sally, passed close by him without reaching him. "Rash fool that I am," muttered the Prince, "thus to expose this precious paper to the chances of my fate!" Naked swords gleamed around him. His assailants were so numerous that they could not all approach the object of their attack at once. Nagato was the most skilful fencer in the entire kingdom; he was both cool and daring. Whirling his pike about him, he broke several sword-blades, the splinters falling in a shower of blood; then, forcing his horse to execute a series of rapid leaps, he escaped for a moment the blows which were aimed at him. "I can certainly defend myself for a few instants more," he thought, "but I am plainly lost." A buffalo, aroused, uttered a long and melancholy bellow; then nothing more was heard but the clink of steel and the stamping of horses. But suddenly a voice rang through the darkness. "Courage, Prince!" it cried; "we come to your aid!" Nagato was covered with blood, but he struggled bravely still. The voice lent him new strength, while it paralyzed the assassins, who exchanged anxious glances. The rapid beat of horses' hoofs was heard, and before any recognition was possible, a body of horsemen fell upon the assailants of the Prince. Nagato, exhausted, withdrew slightly to one side, and with surprise and confusion watched the defenders who had arrived so opportunely. These men were beautiful to behold in the moonlight, which illumined the rich embroideries of their dress, and drew azure sparkles from their light helmets, decorated in open-work. The Prince recognized the costume of the Knights of Heaven, the Mikado's guard of honor. Soon nothing was left of the assassins despatched by the Regent, but corpses. The conquerors wiped their weapons, and the leader of the troop approached Nagato. "Are you seriously wounded, Prince?" he asked. "I do not know," replied Nagato; "in the heat of battle I felt nothing." "But your face is bathed in blood."