ife spared, act as guide thither." The
man's knees bent under him. He plead for forbearance. Plainly he must
die. Only to this dreadful sentence and sight of Endo[u]'s sword did he
yield. Reluctantly he went ahead of the _samurai_, as far as a gate the
massiveness of which attracted attention. Saburo[u]zaemon looked it
over, then carefully considered his guide. He held out a coin. The
fellow respectfully drew back. Said Endo[u] with impatience--"As lord of
this mansion the money of guidance is offered. Accept it without
question. Here lies my purpose." This was but addition to obvious
terror. With wabbling knees the fellow persisted in refusal. "Honoured
lord, deign forbearance. Already has this Isuke accepted entertainment
here, with fearful results; nearly quaffing the waters of the Yellow
Fountain in Meido." Said Saburo[u]zaemon sourly--"What has the purpose
to do with a low fellow's entertainment? Take the coin, and be off with
you. Darkness acts as screen." The man did but whimper, "With purpose in
hand: truly darkness the screen, upside down; the balsam an incense, the
sticks to hand in the clay dishes. This? 'Twill turn out but the leaf of
a tree, to bring sorrow on Isuke. Your lordship has said it."--"It is
good coin," replied Endo[u] briefly. Then with some curiosity--"But what
has a tree leaf to do with purpose?"--"Pine leaves denote purpose, and
are so named."[5]--"A clever fellow after all! No wonder he escaped....
But be off with you. The coin shall ring true with daylight. So much is
promised on the word of a _samurai_. Fear the living man, not the
inanimate object; and say nothing of meeting the donor. Otherwise Isuke
ends badly. Now--off with you!" The voice was very human, the peremptory
gesture surely that of a two sworded man. The _chu[u]gen_ took
confidence in the fact that he could not help himself. Whatever doubts
he possessed, these he kept with the coin in his bosom. With scant
thanks cut short by fear he obeyed the order to depart into the shades.
Gathering impetus with distance he fairly took to his heels.

Saburo[u]zaemon waited for the lantern to disappear. Then he turned to
inspect the gate. There was no entrance through its solidity. It was a
_yashiki mon_, almost house, with two posterns. He must get a look
within. A long high plaster wall ran on both sides into the distance.
The moonlight, flooding the scene, showed him a breach opened by long
neglect. Once within he felt convinced that he