“‘You don’t take me for a rabbit-warren do you?’
“‘You? No; I wish you were.’”
Shouts of laughter greeted this sally, and the speaker laughed as heartily as the others. “Well,” he continued, “I grew tired of his interesting conversation, and remarked that the rabbits might be waiting for him. This suggestion seemed to strike him, for away he trotted.
“He was not gone long before he came back in a great temper, and begged me to go with him to the gate, because they would not let him pass. He had told the guard, he said, that he had a very important appointment, but they would not listen to reason.” There was a dangerous glitter in Karassu Maru’s eye, as he continued: “I thought that the guard might have taken liberties with a kuge, and was going to give him a lesson in politeness. But when we came to the gate, an officer stepped out and said: ‘Pardon me, my lord, but I am under orders to let no one pass. The Council is in session and your lordship will soon know the reason. I am compelled to escort you to your house.’ The fellow was serious enough, and under guard of a dozen men I returned, Honami in his chair asking constantly about his rabbits. I had no stomach for them then.”
XIX
BATTLE AND DEFEAT
It was a sullen procession which filed out of Choshiu’s yashiki on that 30th of September, and it was well for the Tokugawa that no armed opposition was offered to them. Twelve hundred deeply insulted samurai could make sad havoc among any force, and these men hoped for the fray. They had marched in close ranks with seven norimono, well guarded between them. Kano was on horseback and had assumed command. He, too, had thought of the possibility of a conflict; but Ekichi had discovered that Satsuma had also been expelled, and that Choshiu would have to face the united power of Tokugawa. Loyalty to his clan, and the responsibility for the safety of the kuge imposed self-restraint; but they did not prevent him from being exasperated.
Past Fushimi[88] they marched, and on to Osaka where they remained over night. The next morning they stopped at Hyogo; it was eight days after they had left Kyoto when they were within their own province, and shortly after Mori in his state dress received the highly honored guests, and bade them make themselves at home.
Kano heard that Sawa had disappeared. That was well. Choshiu’s samurai might not have liked to see the Tokugawa crest among them, and the blood of such a poor worthless creature, could not further the cause. But Choshiu thirsted for vengeance, and drilling went on from morning till night. Nagato was an armed camp.