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CHAPTER XIII.
EXCITING NEWS "THE AMERICANS HAVE COME."
"TTTHITE winter melted into green summer, the
V V wild geese had flown back to Yezo, and the
seventh month, or " little heat " of July, had come.
It was not yet time for mosquito nets to be put up,
but the evening was warm, and baby Asahi was
sound asleep on his quilts. Thousands of people
were out on the long bridge promenading, or leaning
over the rails looking at the bright moon, already a
week old, or " taking the evening air and coolness."
Mr. Rai Goro sat on his porch looking out on his
garden with its tiny waterfall and mimic brook that
rippled over white pebbles on which the moonbeams
danced. His wife sat near by him. The conversa-
tion had been on household details. Knocking the
tiny ball of ashes out of his pipe, thrusting it in
the case, and tucking up under his belt the ivory
button which held the smoker's outfit, he heaved
something like a sigh.
"What does that mean, my husband?" asked his
wife.
" Ah ! I was thinking what wonderful things our
son will see if he lives to be a man."
" Why, how ? " asked his wife.
" Well, I heard some things when I was at Naga-
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