's choice should fall on him, and he prepared himself
for battle. He took up the longest lance he could find and mounted a
red horse, and was just about to set out when he heard some one
galloping hard behind him and shouting:

"Hako! Stop! The general of the front forces must be I!"

He looked back and saw Eiko his comrade, riding on a white horse, in
the act of unsheathing a large sword to draw upon him. Hako's anger was
kindled, and as he turned to face his rival he cried:

"Insolent wretch! I have been appointed by the Empress to lead the
front forces to battle. Do you dare to stop me?"

"Yes," answered Eiko. "I ought to lead the army. It is you who should
follow me."

At this bold reply Hako's anger burst from a spark into a flame.

"Dare you answer me thus? Take that," and he lunged at him with his
lance.

But Eiko moved quickly aside, and at the same time, raising his sword,
he wounded the head of the General's horse. Obliged to dismount, Hako
was about to rush at his antagonist, when Eiko, as quick as lightning,
tore from his breast the badge of commandership and galloped away. The
action was so quick that Hako stood dazed, not knowing what to do.

The Empress had been a spectator of the scene, and she could not but
admire the quickness of the ambitious Eiko, and in order to pacify the
rivals she determined to appoint them both to the Generalship of the
front army.

So Hako was made commander of the left wing of the front army, and Eiko
of the right. One hundred thousand soldiers followed them and marched
to put down the rebel Kokai.

Within a short time the two Generals reached the castle where Kokai had
fortified himself. When aware of their approach, the wizard said:

"I will blow these two poor children away with one breath." (He little
thought how hard he would find the fight.)

With these words Kokai seized an iron rod and mounted a black horse,
and rushed forth like an angry tiger to meet his two foes.

As the two young warriors saw him tearing down upon them, they said to
each other: "We must not let him escape alive," and they attacked him
from the right and from the left with sword and with lance. But the
all-powerful Kokai was not to be easily beaten--he whirled his iron rod
round like a great water-wheel, and for a long time they fought thus,
neither side gaining nor losing. At last, to avoid the wizard's iron
rod, Hako turned his horse too quickly; the animal's hoofs struck
against a