Part 4 (2/2)

”To say that one is unable to fish without a float shows that he is a novice,” piped up Clown.

”See? When the line touches the bottom, you just manage it with your finger on the edge. If a fish bites, you could tell in a minute. There it goes,” and Red s.h.i.+rt hastily started taking out the line. I wondered what he had got, but I saw no fish, only the bait was gone. Ha, good for you, Gov'nur!

”Wasn't it too bad! I'm sure it was a big one. If you miss that way, with your ability, we would have to keep a sharper watch to-day. But, say, even if we miss the fish, it's far better than staring at a float, isn't it? Just like saying he can't ride a bike without a brake.” Clown has been getting rather gay, and I was almost tempted to swat him. I'm just as good as they are. The sea isn't leased by Red s.h.i.+rt, and there might be one obliging bonito which might get caught by my line. I dropped my line then, and toyed it with my finger carelessly.

After a while something shook my line with successive jerks. I thought it must be a fish. Unless it was something living, it would not give that tremulous shaking. Good! I have it, and I commenced drawing in the line, while Clown jibed me ”What? Caught one already? Very remarkable, indeed!” I had drawn in nearly all the line, leaving only about five feet in the water. I peeped over and saw a fish that looked like a gold fish with stripes was coming up swimming to right and left. It was interesting. On taking it out of the water, it wriggled and jumped, and covered my face with water. After some effort, I had it and tried to detach the hook, but it would not come out easily. My hands became greasy and the sense was anything but pleasing. I was irritated; I swung the line and banged the fish against the bottom of the boat. It speedily died. Red s.h.i.+rt and Clown watched me with surprise. I washed my hands in the water but they still smelled ”fishy.” No more for me! I don't care what fish I might get, I don't want to grab a fish. And I presume the fish doesn't want to be grabbed either. I hastily rolled up the line.

”Splendid for the first honor, but that's goruki,” Clown again made a ”fresh” remark.

”Goruki sounds like the name of a Russian literator,” said Red s.h.i.+rt.

”Yes, just like a Russian literator,” Clown at once seconded Red s.h.i.+rt.

Gorky for a Russian literator, Maruki a photographer of s.h.i.+baku, and komeno-naruki (rice) a life-giver, eh? This Red s.h.i.+rt has a bad hobby of marshalling before anybody the name of foreigners. Everybody has his specialty. How could a teacher of mathematics like me tell whether it is a Gorky or shariki (rikishaman). Red s.h.i.+rt should have been a little more considerate. And if he wants to mention such names at all, let him mention ”Autobiography of Ben Franklin,” or ”Pus.h.i.+ng to the Front,” or something we all know. Red s.h.i.+rt has been seen once in a while bringing a magazine with a red cover ent.i.tled Imperial Literature to the school and poring over it with reverence. I heard it from Porcupine that Red s.h.i.+rt gets his supply of all foreign names from that magazine. Well, I should say!

For some time, Red s.h.i.+rt and Clown fished a.s.siduously and within about an hour they caught about fifteen fish. The funny part of it was that all they caught were goruki; of sea-bream there was not a sign.

”This is a day of b.u.mper crop of Russian literature,” Red s.h.i.+rt said, and Clown answered:

”When one as skilled as you gets nothing but goruki, it's natural for me to get nothing else.”

The boatman told me that this small-sized fish goruki has too many tiny bones and tastes too poor to be fit for eating, but they could be used for fertilising. So Red s.h.i.+rt and Clown were fis.h.i.+ng fertilisers with vim and vigor. As for me, one goruki was enough and I laid down myself on the bottom, and looked up at the sky. This was far more dandy than fis.h.i.+ng.

Then the two began whispering. I could not hear well, nor did I care to.

I was looking up at the sky and thinking about Kiyo. If I had enough of money, I thought, and came with Kiyo to such a picturesque place, how joyous it would be. No matter how picturesque the scene might be, it would be flat in the company of Clown or of his kind. Kiyo is a poor wrinkled woman, but I am not ashamed to take her to any old place. Clown or his likes, even in a Victoria or a yacht, or in a sky-high position, would not be worthy to come within her shadow. If I were the head teacher, and Red s.h.i.+rt I, Clown would be sure to fawn on me and jeer at Red s.h.i.+rt. They say Yedo kids are flippant. Indeed, if a fellow like Clown was to travel the country and repeatedly declare ”I am a Yedo kid,” no wonder the country folk would decide that the flippant are Yedo kids and Yedo kids are flippant. While I was meditating like this, I heard suppressed laughter. Between their laughs they talked something, but I could not make out what they were talking about. ”Eh? I don't know......” ”...... That's true ...... he doesn't know ...... isn't it pity, though .......” ”Can that be.......” ”With gra.s.shoppers ......

that's a fact.”

I did not listen to what they were talking, but when I heard Clown say ”gra.s.shoppers,” I c.o.c.ked my ear instinctively. Clown emphasized, for what reason I do not know the word ”gra.s.shopers” so that it would be sure to reach my ear plainly, and he blurred the rest on purpose. I did not move, and kept on listening. ”That same old Hotta,” ”that may be the case....” ”Tempura ...... ha, ha, ha ......” ”...... incited ......”

”...... dango also? ......”

The words were thus choppy, but judging by their saying ”gra.s.shoppers,”

”tempura” or ”dango,” I was sure they were secretly talking something about me. If they wanted to talk, they should do it louder. If they wanted to discuss something secret, why in thunder did they invite me?

What d.a.m.nable blokes! Gra.s.shoppers or gla.s.s-stoppers, I was not in the wrong; I have kept quiet to save the face of Badger because the principle asked me to leave the matter to him. Clown has been making unnecessary criticisms; out with your old paint-brushes there! Whatever concerns me, I will settle it myself sooner or later, and they had just to keep off my toes. But remarks such as ”the same old Hotta” or ”......

incited ......” worried me a bit. I could not make out whether they meant that Hotta incited me to extend the circle of the trouble, or that he incited the students to get at me. As I gazed at the blue sky, the sunlight gradually waned and chilly winds commenced stirring. The clouds that resembled the streaky smokes of joss sticks were slowly extending over a clear sky, and by degrees they were absorbed, melted and changed to a faint fog.

”Well, let's be going,” said Red s.h.i.+rt suddenly. ”Yes, this is the time we were going. See your Madonna to-night?” responded Clown. ”Cut out nonsense ...... might mean a serious trouble,” said Red s.h.i.+rt who was reclining against the edge of the boat, now raising himself. ”O, that's all right if he hears.......,” and when Clown, so saying, turned himself my way, I glared squarely in his face. Clown turned back as if to keep away from a dazzling light, and with ”Ha, this is going some,” shrugged his shoulders and scratched his head.

The boat was now being rowed sh.o.r.e-ward over the calm sea. ”You don't seem much fond of fis.h.i.+ng,” asked Red s.h.i.+rt. ”No, I'd rather prefer lying and looking at the sky,” I answered, and threw the stub of cigarette I had been smoking into the water; it sizzled and floated on the waves parted by the oar.

”The students are all glad because you have come. So we want you do your best.” Red s.h.i.+rt this time started something quite alien to fis.h.i.+ng. ”I don't think they are,” I said. ”Yes; I don't mean it as flattery. They are, sure. Isn't it so, Mr. Yos.h.i.+kawa?”

”I should say they are. They're crazy over it,” said Clown with an unctuous smile. Strange that whatever Clown says, it makes me itching mad. ”But, if you don't look out, there is danger,” warned Red s.h.i.+rt.

”I am fully prepared for all dangers,” I replied. In fact, I had made up my mind either to get fired or to make all the students in the dormitory apologize to me.

”If you talk that way, that cuts everything out. Really, as a head teacher, I've been considering what is good for you, and wouldn't like you to mistake it.”

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