who had opposed him, and acted with such
rebellious insolence that Yoritomo had to send an army against him. A
battle took place, in which he was defeated and killed.

Yoritomo was now supreme lord of Japan, the mikado, for whom he acted,
being a mere tool in his hands. Yet one great conflict had still to be
fought by the shogun's younger brother, whose romantic story we have
next to tell.

_THE BAYARD OF JAPAN._

Yoritomo was not the only son of the Minamoto chief whom the tyrant let
live. There was another, a mere babe at the time, who became a hero of
chivalry, and whose life has ever since been the beacon of honor and
knightly virtue to the youth of Japan.

When Yoshitomo fled from his foes after his defeat in 1159, there went
with him a beautiful young peasant girl, named Tokiwa, whom he had
deeply loved, and who had borne him three children, all boys. The chief
was murdered by three assassins hired by his foe, and Tokiwa fled with
her children, fearing lest they also should be slain.

It was winter. Snow deeply covered the ground. Whither she should go or
how she should live the poor mother knew not, but she kept on, clasping
her babe to her breast, while her two little sons trudged by her side,
the younger holding her hand, the older carrying his father's sword,
which she had taken as the last relic of her love. In the end the
fleeing woman, half frozen and in peril of starvation, was met by a
soldier of the army of her foes. Her pitiable condition and the
helplessness of her children moved him to compassion, and he gave her
shelter and food.

Her flight troubled Kiyomori, who had hoped to destroy the whole family
of his foes, and had given strict orders for her capture or death. Not
being able to discover her place of retreat, he conceived a plan which
he felt sure would bring her within his power. In Japan and China alike
affection for parents is held to be the highest duty of a child, the
basal element of the ancient religion of both these lands. He therefore
seized Tokiwa's mother, feeling sure that filial duty would bring her to
Kioto to save her mother's life.

Tokiwa heard that her mother was held as a hostage for her and
threatened with death unless she, with her children, should come to her
relief. The poor woman was in an agony of doubt. Did she owe the
greatest duty to her mother, or to her children? Could she deliver up
her babes to death? Yet could she abandon her mother, whom she ha