t failure? My followers? They number
thousands. Why rouse envy or show favour by giving name of this or that
lusty fellow? The object? As to that exercise your wits. Fat wits; which
in these twenty years could not hunt out this Jinnai. Ah! 'Twas but this
unexpected illness which played this evil trick; else Jinnai never would
have faced Shu[u]zen; except sword in hand. This Jinnai is a thief, a
bandit; the tongue grudges to say. Such is his confession. Not a word
more--to Aoyama Uji." He closed his eyes and mouth. Enraged at the
failure and familiarity Aoyama shouted out--"The wooden horse! The water
torture!" They mounted the man on the sharp humped beast. Lungs, belly,
abdomen wide distended, in every physical agony, his body could but
writhe, to add to the torture of his seat as they dragged down on his
legs. Eyes starting wildly from his head, gasping for air, the
unfortunate wretch was given the chance to belch forth the liquid.
"Atsu!" The cry was between a sigh and a yelp of agony. Then he fainted.
With chagrin at his failure Aoyama Shu[u]zen put official seal to the
confession bearing the thumb print of Kosaka Jinnai. Thus ended this
phase of the contest between the two men.

Jinnai's body was too racked by the torture for immediate sentence. When
he was brought in the court Aoyama Shu[u]zen had another wicked surprise
to spring upon him. Jinnai's rejuvenating eye noted the band of
peasants, the two beautiful girls brought captive in their midst. He
knew at once who they were; even if the viciously triumphant look in
Shu[u]zen's eyes, the piteous fright and affectionate sympathy in
theirs, had not enlightened him. The presence of O'Kiku and O'Yui was
due to an ill freak played by fortune. In the fall of the year an
illness of the mother--cold?--came to its end and herself with it. What
was to be done with farm and girls? To the villagers this question was
of serious debate. Of one thing they were in dense ignorance. Three
years before a new farm hand appeared in Jisuke's household, and men
could well wonder at the favour he found with the old man. With some
misgivings they had warned him against recklessly introducing a strange
_muko_, without first consent of the village. Jisuke assured them
against what was actual fact. Wataru Sampei was a _samurai_, of
_samurai_ stock, and liegeman to his own old masters of Kai province. It
was with the consent and approval of the dying man that O'Kiku was
united to him. The