belly. Thus by the mouth is
purified what goes into the belly. If the mouth can perform lustration
in the one case, it can do so by its exercise in another and more
intimate fashion." The fellow was immensely pleased. Leaning over he had
drunk in the countenance of the priest in the course of his
argument--"Naruhodo! A big body: 'twas feared the mind would be small.
Deign, honoured sir, to wait a moment; a purchase to make...." Off he
bolted with the _domburi_ or large bowl, something of a mystery to the
priest. It was soon solved by his reappearance with the vessel filled
with the small salted squid (_ika_). "There! Honoured Shukke Sama,
sample the best of Odawara town, noted for _kamaboku_ and its small
fish-salted; and of these the _ika_ is unsurpassed." As they drank the
wine, urged on by the savoury relish, he gave few and brief directions.
The food was wrapped up by the _ne[e]san_, several bottles of wine put
in the package, for use in a journey that must be pressed. "Now--the
bill; for you, _ne[e]san_, what is left over. Honoured Shukke Sama, a
gentle pace for the time being. The belly full, one loiters to let it do
its work. From here to Yumoto is a _ri_ (2-1/2 miles), of most gentle
rise. And what a pretty scene; the valley narrowing to its clinging
hills hiding the strange and beautiful scenes beyond, yet which cause a
little fear even to the stoutest hearts. This river seems alive,
twisting, and turning, and pouring in multitudinous and minute falls
over the rounded boulders. The greater falls are naught else--on the
larger scale. All day one could watch the twists and turns of one spot
in a rivulet, white, green, almost black, yet never the same.... Note
how the pass narrows. This is Hata, beyond is the monkey's clinging
hill--well named. More than one rock from the steep above has torn away
the traveller's grasp and crushed a skull as if an egg shell." They
breasted the steep hills through forest, came out on the gentler upper
slopes covered with the long bamboo grass through which could be seen
the rough heaped up surface of volcanic debris. The trader came to a
halt. "A request to make."

"Ah! Now the fellow's mask is off--in this lonely spot.... He shall have
a tussle for it." Dentatsu was as much enraged as scared. Grasping his
staff he faced the townsman with harshness and visible irritation. Said
the latter testily--"Put off the honoured scowl. Truly the distrust of
the Shukke Sama is most uncomplime