Page:Tales from old Japanese dramas (1915).djvu/431

Rh O-Funé heaved a sigh of relief as she bolted the gate. She then returned to the room, and pondered as to how she could save Yoshiminé's life.

In the still watches of that night, when the crescent moon was sadly hanging in the sky, and the confused murmur of the stream alone broke the silence, two dark figures glided out of the bamboo brake, which was situated behind the yard of Tombei's house. They were the ferryman himself, and his assistant.

"We must make no noise," Tombei whispered to Rokuzō, "or my daughter may awake and hinder us, so I will steal in alone. You will keep a sharp watch outside, and if they attempt to escape, despatch them without a moment's delay."

The old man tried to open the gate, but he was so feeble that it would not open. He became impatient, and drawing his great sword, he cut a hole in the wall with it, and soon found himself inside. He then went underneath the upstairs parlour and thrust his sword through the floor with all his might. Immediately a piercing shriek was heard in the room and blood dripped down