? These are marks of wounds not long
since received. Consider well and remember." The tone of menace
staggered Miemon. He had anticipated some rebuke for slight infraction
of the peace, not unusual with these men. "Naruhodo! Has the Shiba
Kirido[u]shi matter cropped up?" He hesitated--"The story is a long one,
and a foolish one. To weary the honoured ears...." Matsuda Gemba caught
him up with impatient gesture. "Answer the question, and truly. Nakagawa
Miemon is noted neither for judgment nor sobriety." The man caught up
the last phrase as a cue. Eagerly he spoke, the doors of the jail
opening wide for exit--"So it is indeed. Wine never benefited man; much
less a _samurai_. Hence, with Kahei and Sakurai Uji, it was decided to
forswear wine forever. It was determined to make a pilgrimage to Kompira
San. There the vow of abstinence was to be taken; on its holy ground.
All went well. We met at Nihonbashi. Alas! At the Kyo[u]bashi the
perfume of a grog shop reached our noses. The vow had not yet been
taken. The ground was not holy. Just one last drink before setting out.
But the Buddha was unfavourable. Once begun, the drinking was adjourned
to a cook shop. There the bout continued all day. Wine lent us the wings
of _tengu_. We travelled the road to Kompira San in a dream. In the
progress Kahei and this Miemon quarrelled. Swords were drawn, and we cut
each other. These wounds on head and face were the portion of this
Miemon. Kahei had his hand nearly severed. Sakurai San, who was asleep,
aroused by the noise, sprang up to part us. He is a man to be feared;
but in my rage I sank my teeth in his hand. The bite of man or beast is
poison. His wound was worse than that of either of us."

Gemba Dono was in conversation with his chamberlain. He let Miemon talk
away. He was not one to say too little. As barely having listened he
asked--"When was this fight? The day of the vow and journey to Kompira?
Truly the result has been the vengeance of offended deity."--"The
twelfth month tenth day," naturally replied Miemon. Gemba forced him to
repeat the answer. Several times he put the query in different forms.
Miemon, fool that he was, stuck to the date. Then said the
magistrate--"Miemon, you are a liar. Moreover, you are a murderer. On
the 13th day, on going up to the castle, this Gemba had converse with
your lord. At that time Nakagawa Miemon was summoned to carry out a
mission. As a man of whom report had been made you were noted well.