At
that time you had no wound.... Tie him up, and take him away." The
_yakunin_ fell on him from all sides. In a trice he was trussed up and
removed.

Then appeared Imai Kahei. Kahei was cunning, but also a coward. To the
questions of the _machibugyo[u]_ he procrastinated in his answers,
confused them all he could. What had Miemon said? "He spoke of the
eloquence of Imai San; of Kahei Uji as the clever man, the one to tell
the tale properly. Now let us have the true statement of the case." Such
was Gemba's reply. It was flattering. Unable to help himself Kahei set
sail on his sea of lies. "We all like wine...."--"Ah! After all you are
agreed." Gemba smiled pleasantly. Kahei took courage--"But wine costs
money. Together we went to Kuraya Jibei, a money-lender living at
Kuramae no Saka, as is well known." Gemba nodded assent. "Of him two
_ryo[u]_ were borrowed, on agreement to repay ten _ryo[u]_ as interest
within a month. The nearest grog shop was sought, and it was the hour of
the rat (11 P.M.) before the return was started. At the Teobashi a band
of drunkards was encountered. Without cause these men forced a quarrel
on us. Thus was the hand of Kahei nearly severed. This is the
truth."--"And what was the date of this money bond?" Imai hesitated. He
had caught a glimpse of the drug seller To[u]kichi on being brought into
the place. Without doubt the Kirido[u]shi affair was in question. He
must antedate his wound. "Kahei does not remember with certainty.
Perhaps it was the seventeenth day; before the Kwannon festival of the
eighteenth day." He mumbled, and was frightened. Said Gemba
sharply--"Speak distinctly; the seventeenth day?"--"Hei! Hei! Some time
in the last decade of the month; the nineteenth or twentieth day--not
later; not later." Matsuda Gemba almost leaped at him. "Oh, you liar! On
the last day of the year you came, in person, to this Gemba to
anticipate the New Year's gift (_sebo_). At that time you had no wound.
Yet the drug seller sees you next day with maimed hand. It was not at
Teobashi, but at Shiba Kirido[u]shi, that the wound was received.... Tie
him up, and away with him." The _yakunin_ came forward. Imai made a
spasmodic attempt to rise. They threw him down, and in a moment he was
keeping company with Nakagawa Miemon.

Gemba Dono braced himself for the more serious task. So did his
_yakunin_. A glance showed the magistrate that he had mistaken his man.
Sakurai Kichiro[u] came forward with calm and