Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-11-27
At length he arose and prepared to

take his leave; then she said:
"Oh, my most honorable lord, your
servant Graves permission to say one
thing to you. This afternoon, as YOU,
servant was at the drug-shop, there
came in a retainer of the house of the
most honorable lady you visited yester.
Gay, and bought some poison. Your
servant is unworthy to say any more;
your lordship will understand that she
tells you in good faith"
you are a good, true little girl" said
Karuka. 81 understand What YOU
mean, and l will beware"
Then he babe her as %affectionate a
farewell as she would let him. and
turned homeward musing deeply on ali
that had taken place.
Inc next day a present arrived at
haruka's castle from the father of O
hlrl. 1t was a large, straw-bound cask.
bearing upon it the impress of the red
carp, which betokened the famous
Yebizdai wine, accompanied bv the
Lady o KRIS good wishes. He thouoht
OF wnat Hama had told him on Che
previous evening, and, ordering a serv-
ant TO bring rabbit in from the a
Gen. poured out some of the wine and
gave it to the animal; the rabbit died in
violent commissions in less than ten min
utes. So Karuka wrote the following
letter to o Kiri:
mAnAM n wine Q sent to me as a
present was poisoned. I know YOU wish Ia
You av as q ma on me; Beware! II proclaim
thaH ~ wouid pc Tor me If you proclaimed
'he TACT OF my being betrothed to an Eta.
KARUKA,
Some weeks elapsed. During that
time all intercourse between o Kiri and
her family and Karuka ceased. and
Karuka, with much trouble, had man
aged to conquer o Hana's scruples. and
to make her his wife privately. But
Karuka saw that the secret YVES known.
His old friends deserted him; his verv
retainers resigned their situations, re-
fusing to bear the crest of a lord who
a sullied his name forever; all butthe
OLD steward, who had served Karuka's,
father, and who swore that he
never would desert the son.
Gradually he found himself
ostracized and alone. Burning with
resentment he strobe off one day with
the intention of making arrangements
to take o Hama away to his country
house in the province of Tosa. A few
PAGES from his gate be met the young
Prince of Nagato at the head of a band
OF retaincrs, who, as we'll as their mas
ter. were evidently in liquor.
"Ah, Karuka!" cried the Young
Prince. who had never borne Karuka
very much good will since the day the
latter had endorsed him at the fitting
yard. "Going to see your Eta sweet
heart, l suppose. What a proud race
the future -Karukas will be-"
The blood rushed to Karuka's face:
with one sweep he drew the famous
Muramasa blade, which he had so
gloriously used in his country's cause.
and cut the young Prince to the ground.
Nagato's retainers, seeing their lord
weltering in his blood, rushed on Ka-
ruka with savage wells. But thew had
70 deal with the boldest and most skill
full swordsman in japan, and Karuka.
edging slowly back so that he stood
against the wall, laid about him with
such good will that in a few minutes
half q dozen of his a~ssailants were
writhing on the ground, and the rest
had m AIDE off.
But Karuka knew now that nothing
remained to him but instant flight, for
all Yeddo would know that not only had
he insulted his order by marrying an
Eta, out that he had g~rievously wound.
ed the young Prince Of Nagato, and, if
he We're taken, not only would lie be
publicly disgraced. but he would suffer
the death OF y felOn.
Aided by his faithful steward, he es-
capped in disguise that evening, but de-
termined to call upon o Hama, so as to
arrange with her where to meet him.
10 his surprise, when ne arrived at the
we'll known street in Shinagawa, he
that the Eta people had in turn
the matter up, and that D Hama
and the child she had borne to Karuka
had been obliged to fly in order to avoid
the penalties which the Etas imposed
upon such of their order as should dare
to aspire beyond it.
Wearied, faint with loss of blood, sick
at heart, and almost despairing, Ia
ruka passed the night at a mean tea
house, and by daylight the next morn
was on the road to the holy noun
tain, Oyama, disguised az a pilgrim.
Four years elapsed, during which
time, in spite of the most diligent search
by the Government ard the Nagato
not a trace of Karuka could be
In fact, he had taken up his
residence in a hut which he had erected
with the help of his steward on a little
known slope of Oyama, near the miser-
able village of Tanzawa, and here, free
rom all intercourse with the great
he led a solitary life. hunting
The deer and the wild boar and compos-
ing poetry. Of o Hama he had heard
nothing, although he had sent his stew
ard, VINO lived in the village of Koyias,
upon the other side of the mountain. to
for her in all directions.
At the end of the fourth year of his
exile Japan became engaged in a war
her ancient enemy, Corea. The
gods frowned on the Japanese arms;
;he .'Yamato Damashi,' the spirit of
Did Japan, seemed dead; every junk
news of further disgrace and
disaster; the court and the assembly of
mobiles were in despair, for there was
not q General of talent to stem the tide
If misfortune.
'.Oh, that we had Karuka!" exclaim-
ID one old noble, with tears in his
ayes.
So the Government messengers iwere
sent forth; proclamations We're posted