the establishment. "Indeed the drug is all that is claimed for it.
The wound being poisoned, at one time it looked as if the hand, nay arm,
must go. These House doctors are notoriously good for nothing. Just as
nothing can surpass your product, good leech. Here is money for two
shells of its virtues." He held out a silver _bu_.[13] Busied with his
preparations To[u]kichi looked in vain toward the rear apartment. After
as long delay as he could contrive he passed the shells and a heap of
copper change over to the customer. As soon as the latter had left the
shop To[u]kichi bolted for the rear. Kuma was gone. His aides were
calmly smoking their pipes and drinking the poor tea (_bancha_) of
To[u]kichi.

Kuma had little trouble in following his man to Okachimachi in Shitaya.
He found near by a shop for the sale of everything, from tobacco to
_daikon_ (radish), both odoriferous, yet lacking perfume. Said Kuma--"A
question or so: this tall _samurai_, an oldish man, who lives close by;
who is he?" The woman in charge hesitated. Then dislike overcame
discretion. "Ah! With the hand wrapped in a bandage; his name is Sakurai
Kichiro[u] Tayu. Truly he is a bad man. That he should quarrel with his
own class is no great matter. Maimed as he is, thrice report has been
made to the guard house, but in each case he has escaped further
process. He is a dreadful fellow; one who never pays a debt, yet to whom
it is dangerous to refuse credit. Already nearly a _ryo[u]_ is due to
this Echigoya. It has been the bad luck to support him and his family
during the past six months." Said Kuma--"Thus maimed, to hold his own in
quarrels he must be a notable fencer as well as brawler. Was the wound
so received?"--"Iya! That is not known. Some quarrel at the New Year's
festivities probably was the cause. Before that time he was sound
enough." She laughed. "He has two friends; Kahei San and Miemon San.
They are birds of a feather; and all partly plucked. Perhaps they
quarrelled in company, but if so have made it up. Sakurai San is a match
for the two others." She looked at Kuma, to see if he had more to say.
Indifferent he picked out a strand of tobacco. "He shouldered this
Go[u]bei into the ditch close by here. Fortunate is it to have escaped
worse injury." Satisfied with his inquiries he took his way in haste to
his master. The eyes of Yaemon and his aid shone with enjoyment. Surely
they had the men of the Shiba Kirido[u]shi.

Magome Yaemon at once s