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.