"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.
Chapter IX
How long June slept there he did not know, but he was awakened by someone shaking his arm and holding a paper lantern close to his face. When he got his eyes open he found that it was a jinrikisha man and that he was talking to him in Japanese.
"Where's Seki?" June asked, looking about him in bewilderment.
The man shook his head and continued to talk excitedly in Japanese.
"I want to go to Monsieur Carré's," said June very loud as if that would help the man to understand.
"Wakarimasen," said the man.