“I am one Bunkichi in the establishment called the Daikokuya, at Kumano,” was his frank answer.
The host, having well observed the lad’s face, said: “Ah, that’s why I thought I had seen you somewhere. Then you are that widely famed Mr. Wanizame-Kozo, the Shark-Boy! The people in this neighborhood owe you a great debt of gratitude, because all the fruits produced here in this part, oranges among other things, when they are sent either to Tokio or to Osaka, must first be sent to Kumano-Ura to be shipped to those cities. But ever since the appearance of that monster in the harbor, all the shipping trade had come entirely to a standstill, and we had to send our fruits to other ports by a roundabout way, which was a great nuisance to us; whereas, owing to your wisdom and courage, we can now send our cargo to Kumano as we did before.”
After a pleasant visit of an hour or two, Bunkichi was about to start. The host stopped him for a minute and brought out a little packet of money, and, placing it before him, said: “This trifle is only a token of my gratitude to you. Please take it.” Looking at it from the outside, it certainly seemed no trifle; but the lad firmly but politely declined to accept it, saying: “You have no need to thank me.” And he would not take it, in spite of the host’s earnest entreaty. At last he said: “I don’t wish to receive any recompense from you; however, I have one favor to ask if you will grant it me. I am thinking of trading on my own account before long in various articles, and if I come here some day to buy oranges, will you deal with me?”
“You make a very modest request,” answered the host with ready assent. “I will supply you with a cargo as cheaply as possible at any moment you send me the order, and as to the payment, I shall be in no hurry for it; you may pay me whenever you like. I can supply you with thirty thousand boxes of oranges from my own farm; and there are many more farmers in the neighborhood who will be glad to supply you if I let them know that you are the Wanizame-Kozo. At least I can assure you I will fill your order, however large it may be.”
With many thanks, Bunkichi took his leave and was back in the Daikokuya that evening.
CHAPTER VI
THE GREAT HAZARD—A PERILOUS VOYAGE
THE cargo of fishing-tackle which had been sent from Osaka had already arrived at Kumano and was awaiting his return, so Bunkichi took his goods to the fishing villages round about Kumano for sale. The people vied with one another in buying them, on account of their being sold by Mr. Shark-Boy. Owing to the price of tackle being then much higher than at other times, as a result of the scarcity of the supply, he made such a good sale that the profit doubled the cost of his outlay.
Taking care not to waste the money thus obtained, he next opened a trade in oranges, buying them at a cheap rate from the owner of the orange farm and retailing them at Kumano when the market value was high. By this means he made another good profit; still he stayed on in the Daikokuya as his temporary home, and applied himself to business. Thus by the end of the next year he had saved several times the amount of his original capital.