at last king keiko ordered his younger son prince yamato to subdue the brigands and, if possible, to rid the land of their evil lives. prince yamato was only sixteen years of age, he had but reached his manhood according to the law, yet though he was such a youth in years he possessed the dauntless spirit of a warrior of fuller age and knew not what fear was. even then there was no man who could rival him for courage and bold deeds, and he received his father's command with great joy.