EVEN more than usually quiet and deserted was the narrow street. The
noon sun glaring down on the town had sent everybody into the shade, and
at first June attracted little attention as he trudged off in the
direction of the parade grounds. He knew the way that far, for Toro
often took him there to watch the men drill. Soldiers passed him now in
twos and threes, looking very smart in their buff uniforms with swords
clanking at their sides, and as they passed they laughed and turned to
look curiously at the small foreign boy. In fact curious eyes were
peering out of many of the open front shops, and mothers were even
holding up their babies and pointing to the strange little person who
was passing.
Here and there children were dipping water with their hands from pails
and sprinkling the dusty street, and when they saw June they paused and
gazed open-mouthed, or shouted derisively: "Eijin! Eijin!" The whole
world seemed strange and unfriendly, and even the sun tried to see how
hot it could glare down on June's bare head.
When he reached the parade ground, he stopped to rest, but no sooner had
he sat down than a circle gathered around him, two jinrikisha men, four
boys, a girl with a baby on her back and an old fish woman. There was no
chatter, they were all too interested to talk, they just stood and
looked and looked until June felt that their eyes were pins and that he
was the cushion. After a while he turned to one of the men and said: "Do
you know where Monsieur Carre lives?"
They looked at each other and smiled. It was much as if a new bird had
twittered a strange note, and one boy tried to imitate the sound and
repeated "Carre lives?" to the great amusement of the rest.
"Monsieur Carre!" went on June, getting angry, "he's a Frenchman. Don't
you know where he lives?"
"Where he lives?" mimicked the boy and they laughed more than ever. June
was so angry by this time that he could not tell which he wanted most to
do, to cry or to fight.
Beyond him was a wilderness of criss-cross streets with strange eyes
peering at him from every quarter. What if he should get lost and
swallowed up for ever in this strange place where nobody knew him nor
loved him nor spoke his language?
Instinctively he looked back toward the way he had come. He had only to
retrace his steps past the parade ground, hurry back in a straight line
until he came to the big red gate that marked the entrance to the
temple, and then turning to the right run breathlessly down the street
to the little gate in the wall, and after that to throw himself into
Seki's arms and tell her all his troubles!
But what would become of Monsieur? It must be very dreadful to be sick
in bed with a guard waiting to arrest you if you do not get some papers
for him, papers which you do not possess. And if Monsieur was arrested
he never would get back to France!
All this flashed through June's mind as he sat under the pine tree,
trying with all his might to keep the black eyes all around from seeing
that he was about to cry. Just then a soldier went by holding himself
very erect and looking neither to the left nor the right. Suddenly June
remembered that soldiers did not cry, and with resolution he got up and
turning his back to the temple gate and the parade grounds, he continued
courageously on his way.
Far in the distance he could see, high on a hill, the old castle which
he knew he must pass before he should come to Monsieur's. There were
many streets to be passed, and many obstacles to be overcome, for as
June got further from home the curiosity concerning him increased. It
was very warm and he was tired but he dared not sit down for he dreaded
the gaping crowd and the curious eyes. By and by he came to the old moat
which circled the castle, and as the road led out into the country, the
boys who had followed him gradually fell back until he realized with joy
that there were no more wooden shoes clattering after him.
In the moat big lotus leaves floated on the water and working among them
were coolies, naked, except for a loin cloth. They were too busy to take
any notice of a strange little boy, so he sat on a rock under a tree for
a long time and wondered how it would feel to be down there under the
lily pads and the lotus leaves, and if the same hob-goblins and sprites
that live under the sea did not sometimes come to play in the moats, and
take moonlight rides on the big broad leaves?
The sun which had beaten so fiercely on his head was slowly dropping
toward the distant mountain when he started once more on his way, and a
long shadow went beside him. The shadow was a great relief for it kept
him company without staring at him. By and by even the shadow deserted
him and he trudged along the country road following a vague impression
that somewhere around the foot of the mountain Monsieur lived.
It was very quiet and lonesome with only the crickets and the frogs
talking to each other out there in the grasses, and June's feet were
tired and his head ached and he was hungry. A big lump kept lodging in
his throat no matter how often he swallowed. Now that the gray twilight
was creeping on, all sorts of fears assailed him. Ever since he could
remember Seki San had told him of the hob-goblins and gnomes that haunt
the woodlands and mountains in Japan. There were the Tengu, half bird
and half man, that play all sorts of mischievous pranks on the farmers,
there was the "Three-eyed Friar," and the "White Woman" who wanders
about in the snow, and worst of all was a bogie with horns, whose legs
dwindled away to nothing at all, but whose body was very large and
horrible with a long neck twisted like a snake.
As he thought about it his heart began to thump, and he quickened his
steps to a run. All the trees seemed to be reaching out clutching hands
as he sped by, and the darkness kept creeping closer and closer. The
sobs which he had held back so long came faster, and at last breathless
and panic-stricken he sank exhausted by the roadside and waited in dumb
terror for what might happen.
Looking fearfully around he saw just above him a kind, white face
peering out of the twilight. It was only a stone face, and it belonged
to an image that was sitting cross-legged on a mossy stone, but June
felt as if he had met a friend. Of all the gods and goddesses that Seki
San had told him about, the one he knew best was Jizo, the friend of
little children. The drooping figure, the gentle face, and the shaven
head had become as familiar to him as the pictures of Santa Claus at
home. He had met him in the temples, in the woods, on the river road, in
big stone statues and little wooden ones, and now when he found him here
in this lonesome night world, he felt a vague sense of relief and
protection.
Climbing up on the stone he fingered the pebbles that filled Jizo's lap,
and touched the red cotton bib that was tied about his neck. He knew
what it all meant for Seki San had told him many times. Jizo was the
guardian of dead children, and the red bib and the pebbles had been
placed there by mothers who wanted the kind god to look after their
little babies who had passed away into another world. There were
hundreds of pebbles about the statue, in its lap, about its hands and
feet, and even on its bald head, and June was very careful not to
disturb any of them. He wished he had something to give the good god,
but he was too tired to go down and look for a pebble. He searched
through his pockets but nothing seemed to suit. Finally he separated one
object from the rest, and placed it gently in Jizo's upturned hand. It
was the old sword hilt that Monsieur had given him.
[Illustration: "It was the old sword-hilt that Monsieur had given him."]
Then, because he was very sleepy and tired, and because he was afraid of
the dark, he nestled down in the niche under Jizo's upraised arm, and
all the hob-goblins and evil spirits slipped away, and the stars came
out and the big white moon, and the monotonous droning of the crickets
and frogs seemed to be Seki San humming him to sleep, and the stone
figure against which he leaned seemed to sway toward him in the
moonlight and the face changed to the gentlest, sweetest one he knew,
and instead of the little pebbles on the head there was a crown of
thorns.