LATE in the summer, when the tiny maple leaves were turning blood-red
and the white lotus was filling every pond and moat, June and Seki San
journeyed back to Yokohama. They were going to meet the big steamer that
was on its way from China to America, and June was to join his mother
and father and go back with them to California. He was so happy over the
prospect that he could not sit still a minute, but kept hopping from one
side of the car to the other and asking Seki more questions than she
could possibly answer.
"Do you s'pose my mother'll know me now I've got so fat? Has my father
grown any since I saw him? Will he carry a sword? What do you s'pose
they will bring me?" and so on until there were scarcely any questions
left to be asked.
"One more day," said Seki San sadly, "and Seki will have no more little
boy to hold her sleeves behind and tease and tickle her under her necks.
She will have a very, very lonely heart."
June's merriment ceased for a moment and he looked serious. The fact
that Seki could not go back with him had been a misfortune that he had
not yet faced.
"I'm going to get my father to come back for you next year," he said at
last, "you and Tomi and Toro, and your mamma with the black teeth too.
We will have a little Japanese house on the ranch, and Toro can ride my
pony."
But Seki shook her head and wiped her eyes.
"You will go back to your dear, affectionate home," she said, "and be
big mans when I see you once more. But I will hear your lovingest little
boy voice down in my heart alway!"
* * * * *
It was a happy meeting the next day on the steamer when June actually
saw his mother, and clung about her neck as if he would never let go
again. Then he had to be taken up on the shelter deck and introduced to
a strange, pale man reclining in a steamer chair, who they said was his
father. At first it was a dreadful disappointment, and he submitted to
being kissed with an effort. But when the man lifted one eyebrow and
puckered his mouth into a funny shape, and said, "Why, Mr. Skeezicks,
you haven't forgotten your old Pard?" a dark spot seemed suddenly to go
out of June's mind and in its place was a memory of the jolliest,
funniest playfellow he had ever had in his life. With a rush he was in
his lap. "You used to tell me about the Indians," he cried accusingly,
"I remember now. What became of Tiger Tooth and the little white child?"
"We will have just fourteen days to tell stories," said Captain Royston.
"I shall probably be a dumb man by the time we land in San Francisco.
You must sit down here now and tell this little mother of yours the
story of your life. Where did you get these red cheeks and fat legs?"
And with Seki San sitting on the floor at their feet, and with a
frequent hug from mother and many a laugh from father, the story of the
summer was told.
When the last launch brought the passengers out from the shore, who
should come aboard but Monsieur Carre. He was regularly engaged in
Government service at Tokyo now, and when he saw in the paper that
Master Robert Rogers Royston, Junior, would join his parents and sail
for America on the S. S. _Mongolia_, he made the short trip to Yokohama
to say good-by.
He was so dressed up that June scarcely recognized him. His white
mustache was waxed until it stood out very straight, and his hair was
parted all the way down the back. He still carried a heavy cane and
limped when he walked, but his hands, though knotted and gnarled, were
free from bandages.
Captain and Mrs. Royston welcomed him cordially as a friend of June's
and even Seki San, who still looked upon him with suspicion, was
discreetly silent.
"Are you going back to France?" asked June.
"Next year," answered Monsieur. "I will have made sufficient money to go
home, and then! Ah, Mon Dieu! I will never leave it again."
"I will write you a letter," said June, adding slyly, "I'll be sure to
make the 's's' turn the right way."
Monsieur put his finger on his lips and June nodded understandingly.
"What secret have you there?" asked Captain Royston.
Monsieur put his hand on June's head, and looking straight in the
Captain's eyes, he said:
"Your boy will make a fine soldier; he has courage and honor, and he can
keep a secret. I congratulate you!"
Just then a gong sounded and the first officer ordered everybody who was
going ashore to hurry. There was general bustle and confusion, June had
a vague impression of Monsieur kissing him on both cheeks, and
disappearing down the rope ladder, of Seki San kneeling before him while
he clung to her neck and begged her not to leave him, then he was
sitting on the railing, with Father's arm about him, and Mother holding
one hand while with the other he waved good-by to the friends below.
[Illustration: "June waved good-by to the friends below."]
The little launch grew strangely blurred as it danced away over the
water. June did not see the crowd on the deck, nor the pilot at the
wheel, nor even the white and orange flag that floated from the mast. He
was watching the pink rose in Seki's hair growing fainter and fainter in
the distance.
"And now," said Father, with decision, "I think it's about time to get
busy with the Indians."
Transcriber Notes
Passages in italics were indicated by _underscores_.
Small caps were replaced with ALL CAPS.
Throughout the dialogues, there were words used to mimic accents of the
speakers. Those words were retained as-is.
The illustrations have been moved so that they do not break up
paragraphs and so that they are next the text they illustrate. Thus the
page number of the illustration might not match the page number in the
List of Illustrations, and the order of illustrations may not be the
same in the List of Illustrations and in the book.
Errors in punctuations and inconsistent hyphenation were not corrected
unless otherwise noted below:
On page 90, "chlidren" was replaced with "children".
On page 116, a comma was placed after "with suspicion".
On page 116, the single quotation mark after "leave it again." was
replaced with a double quotation mark.