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236 HONDA THE SAMURAI.
" Master Okuma, is that "
you ?
is that you, Kichibe*i ? "
" Yes ;
"Yes, master; I have brought you your clothes
and shall take my place again. I heard that you,
with others, were ordered to carry something to
Yedo, and I walked over from Yokohama and have
been fortunate in finding you here. I have a friend
in one of the back streets near here, and if you will
come with me to his hut you can dress yourself
while I tell you
the news."
Moving off to the little house of an oil-paper
shop, where water-proof coats, leggings, hats, umbrellas,
and such like articles were made, the owner
admitted the two men, and left them alone in the
front room which served both as factory and place
of sale.
" "
Now for the news, Kichibe'i !
" Well, to come at once to the matter, there are
two samurai imprisoned in a cage here in Kanagawa,
this evening, who have got into trouble because of
the foreigners."
" Why ? how ? and who are they ? "
" One is named Honda Jiro."
" Honda Jiro ! What of him ? "
" Well, to-day the American Admiral Perry came
ashore and took a long walk in the country. In
short, he went on a flower-viewing. This Honda, it
seems, had sworn by the gods to take Perry's life.
He had stationed himself behind the closed gate of
the yard of the little inn of the village where he
had put up in the morning. The inn-keeper noted