officers--there being no other boat near--were for a moment baffled.
One of them, however, rushing down the river bank, hid himself on a
bridge, armed with. a spear, and lay in wait for Chobei to pass in his
boat; but when the little boat came up, he missed his aim, and only
scratched Chobei's elbow; and he, seizing the spear, dragged down his
adversary into the river, and killed him as he was struggling in the
water; then, sculling for his life, he gradually drew near to the sea.
The other officers in the mean time had secured ten boats, and, having
come up with Chobei, surrounded him; but he, having formerly been a
pirate, was far better skilled in the management of a boat than his
pursuers, and had no great difficulty in eluding them; so at last he
pushed out to sea, to the great annoyance of the officers, who
followed him closely.

Then Jiuyemon, who had come up, said to one of the officers on the
shore--

"Have you caught him yet?"

"No; the fellow is so brave and so cunning that our men can do nothing
with him."

"He's a determined ruffian, certainly. However, as the fellow has got
my sword, I mean to get it back by fair means or foul: will you allow
me to undertake the job of seizing him?"

"Well, you may try; and you will have officers to assist you, if you
are in peril."

Jiuyemon, having received this permission, stripped off his clothes
and jumped into the sea, carrying with him a policeman's mace, to the
great astonishment of all the bystanders. When he got near Chobei's
boat, he dived and came up alongside, without the pirate perceiving
him until he had clambered into the boat. Chobei had the good Sukesada
sword, and Jiuyemon was armed with nothing but a mace; but Chobei, on
the other hand, was exhausted with his previous exertions, and was
taken by surprise at a moment when he was thinking of nothing but how
he should scull away from the pursuing boats; so it was not long
before Jiuyemon mastered and secured him.

For this feat, besides recovering his Sukesada sword, Jiuyemon
received many rewards and great praise from the Governor of Osaka. But
the pirate Chobei was cast into prison.

Hichirobei, when he heard of his brother's capture, was away from
home; but seeing that he too would be sought for, he determined to
escape to Yedo at once, and travelled along the Tokaido, the great
highroad, as far as Kuana. But the secret police had got wind of his
movements, and one of them was at his heels di