Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-11
SATURDAY, PAGES

accomplishment Of his holy revenge To
himself he called the roll Of his. fellow
and ready always to obey his orders and to
follow his lead to the death, when at last the
sun should rise on the day Of vengeance.
SO ne save no heed to the SCOTS and the
1eers OF those who passed along the street,
laughing him to scorn as they beheld him
lying there In stupor from excessive
drink at that inordinate hour of the day.
And among those who came by at last was
a man from Satsuma who was moved to
voice the reproaches of all that saw this
sorry sight
rs not this Oishi Kuranosuke?" said the
man from Satsuma, who was councillor
OF Asano Takumi no Kami, and who, not
having the heart to avenge his lord, gives
himself up to women and wine? See how
he lies drunk IN the public street: Faith
less beast! Fool and craven! Unworthy Of
tn, name Of a samurai"'
And with that the man from Satsuma
trod on him as he lay there and sat upon
him, and went away Indignantly. The spies
of kotsuke no Suke heard what the man
ne mad spurneI the PROSTATE samu"ai with
his foot: and they went their way to re-
port to their master that he need no longer
nave any fear Of the councillors of ASalo
TakUmi no kani. All this the man, iyin:;
prone in the dust of the street, noel; and
1t made his heart glad, for then he made
sure that the day was soon coming when
he conid do his duty at last and take
'easeance for the death of his master.
He lay trere longer than he knew, and
the twilight settled down at last, and the
cva;:ing stars came out. And then after
awhile. and by imperceptible degrees Cos
mo- Nay2iieIe became cons :i)ls that the
scene had changed and that he had changed
VITA It He was no longer in Japan, but
In Persia. He was no longer lying like a
drGnkard i'll the street OF city, but slum-
be:ins like a weary soldier III little oasis
b. the eide CT a spring in the midst of z
san.ly desert. He was asleep. ana his faith
full horse wss unbridled that IT might rep
the grass at will.
The ais was hot and tni..k; and the
leaves OF the slim tree above him were
never stirred by a wandering --in. Yet
now and again there came from the dark
ness family fetid odor. The evening
wore on and still he slept, until at length
in the silence of the night strange huge
creature wormed it's way steadily out of it's
lair amid the trees, and drew near the
sleeping man to devour him fierceiy. But
the horse neighed vehemently, and beat the
ground with his hoofs and walked his
master. Then the hideous monster vanish
ed; and the man, aroused from his sleep
saw nothing, although the evil smell still
fingered in the Sultry atmosphere. He lay
down again once more, thinking that for
once his steed had given false alarm.
Again the griSly dragon drew nigh, and
again the courser notified it's rider and
again the man could make out nothing in
the darkness of the night; and again he
was well-nigh stified by the foul emanatioa
that traiied in the wake of the misbegot-
ten creature. He rebuked his horse and
laid him down once more
a third time the dreadful beast approach
ed and a third time the faithful charger
awoke its angry master. But there came
the breath of a gentle breeze, so that the
man did not fear to fill his lungs; and
there was vague light in the heavens
now. 50 that he could dimly discern his
mighty enemy: and at once he girded him
self for the fight. The scaly monster came
full at him with dripping fangs, it's mighty
body thrusting forward its huge and hid
eous head. The man met the attack with
out fear and smote the beast full on the
crest, but the blow rebounded from it's coat
of mail!