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THE HOUR OF THE OX. 259
Three cloaks made of dried grass and lined within
with a netting of green cord were produced, and the
gentlemen, putting these on to keep off the dew
and chill, left the house, and proceeded down River
Street and stopped upon the wooden bridge east of
the O-hashi, or Great Bridge.
" Look out, doctor, that you don't run against any
of the headless horsemen who gallop over the planks
at night about this time."
" Is this another local reference, or a joke ? " in-
quired Mr. Koba.
" Ah ! you have n't heard ? You remember nearly
three hundred years ago the great Taiko Sanaa surrounded
this castle at Fukui, and that Shibata Kat-
suiye" and all his men, unable to defend it against
overwhelming odds, committed hara-kiri and cut each
others' heads off?"
" Yes ; I have read it."
"
Well, the country people in this neighborhood
say that on certain nights the ghost
of Shibata and
all his men, without their heads, ride over the bridge
and knock people into the river as they pass."
" Ha, ha ! a good story ; but when will superstition
cease ? Curious too is such an idea : for Shi-
bata was a great civilizer, builder of bridges and
roads. He lessened the farmers' taxes, and devel-
oped civilization in Echizen."
Reaching the opposite side of the river, they
moved through a street, passed one block of houses,
turned to the right, crossed a small stream, and
then walked up a path until, at the top of the hill,
they stopped for breath.