by his captors. And so the procession advanced along the road in the white heat of the sun, just like a line of ants. Then it was lost from sight.
That night we heard the details from Kichijirō and Mokichi. The guards had appeared before noon. This time the people had no warning of their arrival. And so the samurai rode in, shouting orders to their men, galloping around the village and peering into every corner, while the people fled helter skelter in confusion.
No trace of anything Christian was found. Yet this time they did not give up in despair and withdraw. Instead, the samurai herded the peasants together in one place and declared that unless they made a clean breast of the whole thing a hostage would be taken. Yet no one spoke a word.
‘We do not neglect to pay our taxes; and we do our duty to the State.’ It was the Jiisama who spoke up to the samurai. ‘And our burials, too—they are performed in the temple.’
To this the samurai made no answer. Instead, with his whip he pointed to the Jiisama and immediately his men, who were standing in a group behind, threw a rope around the old man and bound him tightly.
‘Be careful! I want no back chat. We’re not here for discussion. An informer has recently told us that amongst you there are secret adherents of this forbidden Christian sect. If anyone will say frankly who these people are he will receive one hundred pieces of silver. But if you don’t confess, you must accept the consequences. After three days we will come for another hostage. Think it over!’
The peasants stood erect, silent. Men, women, children—all were silent. And so the seconds passed. It was as if enemies were staring at one another. Looking back on it now, I realize that it must have been precisely at this time when everything became silent that we looked down on the village from the mountain.
The samurai turned his horse toward the entrance and brandishing his whip rode off. The old Jiisama, bound and trailed along behind the horses, fell, stood up, then fell again. The men would grab hold of him trying to make him stand up as he was dragged along.
Such was the incident of June 5th just as we heard it.
‘No, father, we didn’t say a word about you,’ said Mokichi, hands on knees, ‘and if they come again, we’ll still say nothing. No matter what happens we’ll stand by you.’
He probably said this because he noticed the shadow that passed over our faces, a momentary fear and apprehension. If that was so, how ashamed I feel. Yet even Garrpe, good-natured in the face of the most terrible difficulties, fixed upon Mokichi a glance that was filled with anguish. ‘But if this goes on, you’ll all end up as hostages,’ he finally said.
‘Yes, father. It might turn out that way. But even so, we’ll say nothing.’
‘But this is impossible. Rather than such a calamity it is better for the two of us to get away from this mountain altogether.’ As he spoke, Garrpe turned to Mokichi and myself and to the terrified Kichijirō who sat beside us. ‘Can’t we take refuge in this man’s island?’
At these words a spasm of fear crossed the face of Kichijirō, but he said not one word. Looking back on the situation I see that this cringing weak-willed fellow, having brought us here and being embroiled in the whole matter, was in an awful fix. On the one hand he did not want to lose his reputation as a good Christian; and yet in his little head he was thinking furiously of a way to preserve his life. And so his cunning eyes flashed as he rubbed his hands just like a fly. He said that the same problem would then arise in Goto since it would be searched also. Then he kept trying to prove that it would be better to go to some place further removed. But anyhow no decision was reached that night, and the two men stealthily descended the mountain.
The next day the people of Tomogi were all excited and nervous. Far be it from me to make any criticism of them, but I want to tell you
That night we heard the details from Kichijirō and Mokichi. The guards had appeared before noon. This time the people had no warning of their arrival. And so the samurai rode in, shouting orders to their men, galloping around the village and peering into every corner, while the people fled helter skelter in confusion.
No trace of anything Christian was found. Yet this time they did not give up in despair and withdraw. Instead, the samurai herded the peasants together in one place and declared that unless they made a clean breast of the whole thing a hostage would be taken. Yet no one spoke a word.
‘We do not neglect to pay our taxes; and we do our duty to the State.’ It was the Jiisama who spoke up to the samurai. ‘And our burials, too—they are performed in the temple.’
To this the samurai made no answer. Instead, with his whip he pointed to the Jiisama and immediately his men, who were standing in a group behind, threw a rope around the old man and bound him tightly.
‘Be careful! I want no back chat. We’re not here for discussion. An informer has recently told us that amongst you there are secret adherents of this forbidden Christian sect. If anyone will say frankly who these people are he will receive one hundred pieces of silver. But if you don’t confess, you must accept the consequences. After three days we will come for another hostage. Think it over!’
The peasants stood erect, silent. Men, women, children—all were silent. And so the seconds passed. It was as if enemies were staring at one another. Looking back on it now, I realize that it must have been precisely at this time when everything became silent that we looked down on the village from the mountain.
The samurai turned his horse toward the entrance and brandishing his whip rode off. The old Jiisama, bound and trailed along behind the horses, fell, stood up, then fell again. The men would grab hold of him trying to make him stand up as he was dragged along.
Such was the incident of June 5th just as we heard it.
‘No, father, we didn’t say a word about you,’ said Mokichi, hands on knees, ‘and if they come again, we’ll still say nothing. No matter what happens we’ll stand by you.’
He probably said this because he noticed the shadow that passed over our faces, a momentary fear and apprehension. If that was so, how ashamed I feel. Yet even Garrpe, good-natured in the face of the most terrible difficulties, fixed upon Mokichi a glance that was filled with anguish. ‘But if this goes on, you’ll all end up as hostages,’ he finally said.
‘Yes, father. It might turn out that way. But even so, we’ll say nothing.’
‘But this is impossible. Rather than such a calamity it is better for the two of us to get away from this mountain altogether.’ As he spoke, Garrpe turned to Mokichi and myself and to the terrified Kichijirō who sat beside us. ‘Can’t we take refuge in this man’s island?’
At these words a spasm of fear crossed the face of Kichijirō, but he said not one word. Looking back on the situation I see that this cringing weak-willed fellow, having brought us here and being embroiled in the whole matter, was in an awful fix. On the one hand he did not want to lose his reputation as a good Christian; and yet in his little head he was thinking furiously of a way to preserve his life. And so his cunning eyes flashed as he rubbed his hands just like a fly. He said that the same problem would then arise in Goto since it would be searched also. Then he kept trying to prove that it would be better to go to some place further removed. But anyhow no decision was reached that night, and the two men stealthily descended the mountain.
The next day the people of Tomogi were all excited and nervous. Far be it from me to make any criticism of them, but I want to tell you
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