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184 HONDA THE SAMURAI.
The two men had walked away from the shrine
and were nearer the city. As this last word was
spoken they were at a side-path which led down
the mountain and to the public road in a direction
opposite from Fukui. Breaking away, and darting
like an arrow down the path, the athletic youth
"
and was soon out of
shouted " Sayonara (farewell) !
sight and hearing and on the high-road with his face
set towards the Bay of Yedo. When he reached the
boundary line of Echizen he paused and shall we
tell it? he shed tears. Honda Jiro had never be-
fore been outside of his " country," or native province,
and to leave it was to excite deep emotion.
The native of his day knew no such national patriotism
as that felt by the Japanese since 1868. Five
days of hard travel found Honda Jiro in the city
of Fu-chiu, on the great Eastern Sea Road to Yedo.
Here he received positive news that the American
ships had left the Bay of Yedo. The admiral's name
was Perry ; he had left a letter from the dairi, or
chief magistrate, of the United States of America,
and intended to come again next year for an answer.
Besides all sorts of ridiculous rumors, these were the
only exact facts which Honda could gather.
" "
Well, Rai Goro was right ; but I can wait ; and
the would-be slayer of the American commodore
rested quietly at the inn of the " Thousand Liberated
Cranes wearing the Golden Tags." The name
of this inn was a reminiscence of the thousand white
cranes which Yoritomo set free at the great peace
festival when the wars of the Genji and Hdike*
were over.