noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第26章

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The　mountain　spurs　looked　the　grimmer　that　we　now　knew　them　so　well　by

repulse。　　The　air　was　clearer　than　when　we　came；　and　as　we　gazed　out

over　the　ocean　we　could　see　for　the　first　half　day　the　faint　coast

line　of　Noto；　stretching　toward　us　like　an　arm　along　the　horizon。

We　watched　it　at　intervals　as　long　as　it　was　recognizable；　and　when

at　last　it　vanished　beyond　even　imagination's　power　to　conjure　up；

felt　a　strange　pang　of　personal　regret。　　The　sea　that　snatches　away

so　many　lands　at　parting　seems　fitly　inhuman　to　the　deed。　



In　the　course　of　these　two　days　two　things　happened　which　pointed

curiously　to　the　isolation　of　this　part　of　Japan。　　The　first　was　the

near　meeting　with　another　foreigner；　which　would　seem　to　imply

precisely　the　contrary。　　But　the　unwonted　excitement　into　which　the

event　threw　Yejiro　and　me　was　proof　enough　of　its　strangeness。

It　was　while　I　was　sipping　tea；　waiting　for　a　fresh　relay　of　kuruma　at

Namerigawa；　that　Yejiro　rushed　in　to　announce　that　another　foreigner

was　resting　at　an　inn　a　little　further　up　town。　　He　had　arrived

shortly　before　from　the　Echigo　side；　report　said。　　The　passing　of

royalty　or　even　a　circus　would　have　been　tame　news　in　comparison。

Of　course　I　hastened　into　my　boots　and　sallied　forth。　　I　did　not　call

on　him　formally；　but　I　inspected　the　front　of　the　inn　in　which　he　was

said　to　be；　with　peculiar　expectation　of　spirit；　in　spite　of　my

affected　unconcern。　　He　was；　I　believe；　a　German；　but　he　never　took

shape。　



The　second　event　occurred　the　next　evening；　and　was　even　more　singular。

Like　the　dodo　it　chronicled　survival。　　It　was　manifested　in　the

person　of　a　policeman。　



Some　time　after　our　arrival　at　the　inn　Yejiro　reported　that　the

police　officer　wished　to　see　me。　　The　man　had　already　seen　the

important　part　of　me；　the　passport；　and　I　was　at　a　loss　to　imagine

what　more　he　could　want。　　So　Yejiro　was　sent　back　to　investigate。

He　returned　shortly　with　a　sad　case　of　concern　for　consideration；

and　he　hardly　kept　his　face　as　he　told　it。　　The　conscientious　officer；

it　seemed；　wished　to　sleep　outside　my　room　for　my　protection。　

From　the　passport　he　felt　himself　responsible　for　my　safety；　and　had

concluded　that　the　least　he　could　do　would　be　not　to　leave　me　for　a

moment。　　I　assured　him；　through　Yejiro；　that　his　offer　was　most

thoughtful；　but　unnecessary。　　But　what　an　out…of…the…world　corner　the

thought　implied；　and　what　a　fine　fossil　the　good　soul　must　have　been！

Here　was　survival　with　an　emphasis！　　The　man　had　slept　soundly　through

twenty　years　or　more　of　change；　and　was　still　in　the　pre…foreign　days

of　the　feudal　ages。　



The　prices　of　kuruma；　too；　were　pleasingly　behind　the　times。　　They

were　but　two…fifths　of　what　we　should　have　had　to　pay　on　the　southern

coast。　　As　we　advanced　toward　Shinshiu；　however；　the　prices　advanced

too。　　Indeed；　the　one　advance　accurately　measured　the　other。　　We　were

getting　back　again　into　the　world；　it　was　painfully　evident。　　At　last

fares　rose　to　six　cents　a　ri。　　Before　they　could　mount　higher　we　had

taken　refuge　in　the　train；　and　were　hurrying　toward　Zenkoji　by　steam。　



Our　objective　point　was　now　the　descent　of　the　Tenriugawa　rapids。

It　was　not　the　shortest　way　home；　but　it　was　part　of　our　projected

itinerary　and　took　us　through　a　country　typical　of　the　heart　of

Japan。　　It　began　with　a　fine　succession　of　passes。　　These　I　had　once

taken　on　a　journey　years　before　with　a　friend；　and　as　we　started　now

up　the　first　one；　the　Saru　ga　Bamba　no　toge；　I　tried　to　make　the　new

impression　fit　the　old　remembrance。　　But　man　had　been　at　work　upon

the　place　without；　and　imagination　still　more　upon　its　picture

within。　　It　was　another　toge　we　climbed　in　the　light　of　that

latter…day　afternoon。　　With　the　companion　the　old　had　passed　away。　



Leaving　the　others　to　follow；　I　started　down　the　zigzags　on　the

farther　side。　　It　was　already　dusk；　and　the　steepness　of　the　road　and

the　brisk　night　air　sent　me　swinging　down　the　turns　with　something　of

the　anchor…like　escapement　of　a　watch。　　Midway　I　passed　a　solitary

pedestrian；　who　was　trolling　to　himself　down　the　descent；　and　when　in

turn　he　passed　me；　as　I　was　waiting　under　a　tree　for　the　others　to

catch　up；　he　eyed　me　suspiciously；　as　one　whose　wanderings　were

questionable。　　They　were　certainly　questionable　to　myself；　for　by

that　time　we　were　come　to　habitations；　and　each　fresh　light　I　saw　I

took　for　the　village　where　we　were　to　stop　for　the　night；　in　spite　of

repeated　disillusionings。　



Overhead；　the　larger　stars　came　out　and　winked　at　me；　and　then；　as

the　fields　of　space　became　more　and　more　lighted　with　star…points；

the　hearth…fires　to　other　homes　of　worlds；　I　thought　how　local；　after

all；　is　the　great　cone　of　shadow　we　men　call　night；　for　it　is　only

nature's　nightcap　for　the　nodding　earth；　as　she　turns　her　head　away

from　the　sun　to　lie　pillowed　in　space。　



The　next　day　was　notable　chiefly　for　the　up…and…down　character　of　the

country　even　for　Japan；　which　was　excelled　only　by　the　unhesitating

acceptance　of　it　on　the　part　of　the　road；　and　this　in　its　turn　only

by　the　crowds　that　traveled　it。　　It　seemed　that　the　desire　to　go

increased　inversely　as　the　difficulty　in　going。　　The　wayfarers　were

most　sociable　folk；　and　for　a　people　with　whom　personality　is　at　a

discount　singularly　given　to　personalities。　　Not　a　man　who　had　a

decent　chance　but　asked　whither　we　were　going　and　whence　we　had　come。　

To　the　first　half　of　the　country…side　we　confided　so　much　of　our

private　history；　to　the　second　we　contented　ourselves　in　saying；　with

elaborate　courtesy；　〃The　same　as　six　years　ago；〃　an　answer　which

sounded　polite；　and　rendered　the　surprised　questioner　speechless　for

the　time　we　took　to　pass。　



Especially　the　women　added　to　the　picturesqueness　of　the　landscape。　

Their　heads　done　up　in　gay…colored　kerchiefs；　framing　their　round　and

rosy　faces；　their　kit　slung　over　their　shoulders；　and　their　kimono

tucked　in　at　their　waists；　they　trudged　along　on　useful　pairs　of

ankles　neatly　cased　in　lavender　gaiters。　　Some　followed　dutifully

behind　their　husbands；　others　chatted　along　in　company　with　their

kind；members　these　last　of　some　pilgrim　association。　



There　were　wayfarers；　too；　of　less　happy　mind。　　For　over　the　last

pass　the　authorities　were　building　a　new　road；　and　long　lines　of

pink…coated　convicts　marched　to　and　fro　at　work　upon　it；　under　the

surveillance　of　the　dark…blue　police；　and　the　sight　made　me　think　how

little　the　momentary　living　counts　in　the　actual　life。　　Here　we　were；

two　sets　of　men；　doing　for　the　time　an　identical　thing；　trudging

along　a　mountain　path　in　the　fresh　May　air；　and　yet　to　the　one　the

day　seemed　all　sunshine；　to　the　other　nothing　but　cloud。　





　　　

XIX。　



Our　Passport　and　the　Basha。　



It　was　bound　to　come；　and　we　knew　it；　it　was　only　a　question　of　time。　

But　then　we　had　braved　the　law　so　far　so　well；　we　had　almost　come　to

believe　that　we　should　escape　altogether。　　I　mean　the　fatal　detection

by　the　police　that　we　were　violating　my　passport。　　That　document　had

already　outrun　the　statute　of　limitations；　and　left　me　no　better　than

an　outlaw。　　For　practical　purposes　my　character　was　gone；　and　being

thus　self…convicted　I　might　be　arrested　at　any　moment！



In　consequence　of　pending　treaty　negotiations　the　government　had

become　particular　about　the　privileges　it　granted。　　One　of　the　first

counter…moves　to　foreign　insistence　on　exterritoriality　was　the

restricting　of　passports　to　a　fortnight's　time。　　You　might　lay　out

any　tour　you　chose；　and　if　granted　by　the　government；　the　provinces

designated　would　all　be　duly　inscribed　in　your　passport；　but　you　had

to　compass　them　all　in　the　fortnight　or　be　punished。　　Of　course　this

could　be　evaded；　and　a　Japanese　friend　in　the　foreign　office　had

kindly　promised　to　send　me　an　extension　on　telegraph。　　But　the

dislike　of　being　tied　to　times　and　places　made　me　sinfully　prefer　the

risk　of　being　marched　ba