In the guise of a merchant’s wife, and assuming a false name, Katsuno
journeyed to the castle-town of Inaba, and taking up her abode at the
house of an uncle who was a farmer living in a village close to the
town, watched for an opportunity to achieve her purpose.
One day, Yoshitatsu, the son of Saitō Dōzō, returning from hunting,
stopped to rest at the farm-house. Katsuno waited upon him and served
him with tea. Her beauty and grace of manner attracted the attention
of the young nobleman. In reply to his inquiries Katsuno’s uncle told
him that she had recently lost her husband, a merchant, and that she
was anxious to enter the service of a daimio’s lady. Yoshitatsu
undertook to engage her as maid-of-honour to his mother, and his offer
was immediately accepted with joy. She was soon an inmate of the
castle, where her faithful service pleased her mistress so much that
she speedily became a great favourite.
* * * * *
A warm spring day, with the delicate blossoms of the cherry-trees
filling all the land with their beauty, and the faint sweetness of
their perfume. Since dawn a large number of workmen had been busily at
work sweeping the courtyard of the castle, and spreading clean sand
over it. Some important function must be on hand. Katsuno wondered what
it was.
“Excuse my curiosity, my lady,” she said as she served her mistress
with a cup of tea, “but for what are those men making such great
preparations? Is anything going to take place?”
“Don’t you know? To-morrow there will be matches of mounted archery.”
“Mounted archery, my lady? What is that?” asked Katsuno, feigning
ignorance.
“All the samurai who are skilled in archery will practise the art
on horseback.”
“Are many coming, my lady?” asked Katsuno, her heart beating high with
the hope that at last she might meet her enemy.
“About a hundred, I believe, to take part in the competition, and of
course, all the samurai of our clan with their families will be present
to look on.”
“Who are the archers?”
“Why do you ask?”
Katsuno was embarrassed for a moment, but quickly regaining her
presence of mind, she replied:—
“For no special reason, my lady; but my father, though only a farmer,
was very fond of archery, and so, from a child, I have been interested
in the sport.”
“Ah, I see. Well, they brought me a programme of the day’s events
this morning; here it is; you can see the names of the archers for
yourself.” The lady handed Katsuno a sheet of soft, thick paper covered
with bold, black characters. With an eagerness she strove to conceal,
she ran her eyes down the lines, till near the middle of the page she
found the name “Sakuma Shichiroyemon” At last! This was the time for
which she had waited and planned.
“All the archers seem to be good samurai. What a splendid sight
they will present! How I should like to see the sport, even from a
distance.”
“There should be no difficulty about that. You have my permission.”
“My lady, I am deeply grateful.” She could say no more, but such was
the state of her feelings that it was with difficulty she performed her
usual duties that day, nor could she sleep at all at night.