Page:Tales from old Japanese dramas (1915).djvu/424

344 refugee escape. If he should be caught or killed, the announcement should be made by the beating of a drum. In the yard of Tombei's residence a rocket was always kept ready, and a large drum was hung in the room upstairs, so that preparations for an emergency had been made.

One evening after dusk Yoshiminé and his love Utena, who were quite ignorant of these arrangements, wandered to the ferry of Yaguchi on a weary journey to Nitta. Here Yoshiminé intended to gather together the remnant of Yoshi-oki's retainers, and with them form a basis to organize forces in order to subdue the traitor. Glancing at the stream, the young warrior called to mind the horrors of his brother's death, and shed bitter tears of mortification.

They were desirous of crossing the river, but there was no one there whom they could employ to take them. Yoshiminé then knocked at Tombei's door. The old ferryman and his assistant were absent, but O-Funé, who was in charge of the house, appeared.

"What do you want, sir?" she asked.

"We wish to cross the river. Please ask the ferryman to take us over."