would hesitate to punish the Chinese spy.

"In the meantime Kimaga had become so enamor of the letter that he could
not bear to let it go out of his possession. When he was alone he would
feast his eyes upon the beautiful writing. But it was not long before he
discovered that men were watching him, and he became filled with fear.
Why should he be watched? Had he done a guilty thing?

"So greatly did the fear swell in him that he decided to take the letter
back to the place where he had found it, and drop it again in the road.
But when he got to the place and looked for a last time at the writing,
it give him such longing to keep it that he thrust it into his breast
again and hurried back to his shop.

"That night a man came to see Kimaga.

"'Are you Kimaga, the maker of vases?' he said.

"Kimaga, all trembling, replied that he was.

"'Then,' said the man, 'I have come to you with high purpose. You have a
letter which does not belong to you. Give it to me.'

"'Does it belong to you?' asked Kimaga, his desire putting armor on his
fear.

"'That is not to be asked,' replied the man. 'I am _samurai_. For the
glory of Nippon you mus' give me the letter.'

"But Kimaga did not wish to let the letter go. 'How do you know that I
have it?' he said. 'You have not seen it.'

"'It is enough that I know,' said the man. 'Three days I allow you. If by
then the letter has not been placed on the altar of the war-god, in the
shrine of Samiya, then you will be assassinated.'

"With that the man went away.

"Kimaga was now almos' dead with fright. For the first day he did nothing
but weep. The second day he put on mourning and set his affairs in order.
The third day he held the letter in his hand for many hours and filled
his mind with the beauty of the writing. He could not give it up. Rather
would he die. And at last he placed it in a lacquer box and buried it
deep at the foot of the largest cherry-tree in his garden.

"He arose to go back into his house, an' his head was bowed over with
terror. You see, he felt that many eyes were watching him from the
near-by walls, an' he thought he heard breathings and the whispers of
strangers. What should he do now? He dare not advance; he dare not stay
where he was. So exceeding affrighted was he that he groaned aloud. From
all about him came groans that answered his. Once more he groaned, and
once more his ears were filled with the answers.

"Then he took one step toward his house.