“Insolent yourself!” replied Tsunehei.  “Beast, and no Samurai!  Come, let us see which of us is the better man.”

Furiously incensed, Zempachi thrust with his spear at Tsunehei; but he, trusting to his good sword, attacked Zempachi, who, cunning warrior as he was, could gain no advantage.  At last Zempachi, losing his temper, began fighting less carefully, so that Tsunehei found an opportunity of cutting the shaft of his spear.  Zempachi then drew his sword, and two of his retainers came up to assist him; but Tsunehei killed one of them, and wounded Zempachi in the forehead.  The second retainer fled affrighted at the youth’s valour, and Zempachi was blinded by the blood which flowed from the wound on his forehead.  Then Tsunehei said—­

“To kill one who is as a blind man were unworthy a soldier.  Wipe the blood from your eyes, Sir Zempachi, and let us fight it out fairly.”

So Zempachi, wiping away his blood, bound a kerchief round his head, and fought again desperately.  But at last the pain of his wound and the loss of blood overcame him, and Tsunehei cut him down with a wound in the shoulder and easily dispatched him.

Then Tsunehei went and reported the whole matter to the Governor of Yedo, and was put in prison until an inquiry could be made.  But the Chief Priest of Bandzuin, who had heard of the affair, went and told the governor all the bad deeds of Zempachi, and having procured Tsunehei’s pardon, took him home and employed him as porter in the temple.  So Tsunehei changed his name to Chobei, and earned much respect in the neighbourhood, both for his talents and for his many good works.  If any man were in distress, he would help him, heedless of his own advantage or danger, until men came to look up to him as to a father, and many youths joined him and became his apprentices.  So he built a house at Hanakawado, in Asakusa, and lived there with his apprentices, whom he farmed out as spearsmen and footmen to the Daimios and Hatamotos, taking for himself the tithe of their earnings.  But if any of them were sick or in trouble, Chobei would nurse and support them, and provide physicians and medicine.  And the fame of his goodness went abroad until his apprentices were more than two thousand men, and were employed in every part of the city.  But as for Chobei, the more he prospered, the more he gave in charity, and all men praised his good and generous heart.

This was the time when the Hatamotos had formed themselves into bands of Otokodate,[21] of which Midzuno Jiurozayemon, Kondo Noborinosuke, and Abe Shirogoro were the chiefs.  And the leagues of the nobles despised the leagues of the wardsmen, and treated them with scorn, and tried to put to shame Chobei and his brave men; but the nobles’ weapons recoiled upon themselves, and, whenever they tried to bring contempt upon Chobei, they themselves were brought to ridicule.  So there was great hatred on both sides.

[Footnote 21:  See the story of Kazuma’s Revenge.]