Free The 47 Ronin Story by John Allyn Page A

circulation. This would not be surrendered to the Shogun, but distributed among members of the clan at the proper time as Oishi saw fit.
    On horseback, Oishi toured the area, trying to anticipate any discrepancies the Shogun's representatives might notice. He found stone bridges that were crumbling away, wooden fences with broken boards, thatched roofs that needed repairing, small roadside temples and shrines that had become shabby looking, and a certain carelessness in town about
    • 77 .

    keeping filth out of the streets. When he saw one peasant woman hold her child over an open gutter, he called to her to use a bucket instead. In this instance he was concerned not only about appearances but also with the practical aspects of using the material in the fields as fertilizer.
    Everyone was set to work. On the biggest job of all, the repair of the main road from the town to the castle, even the samurai pitched in beside the farmers and townspeople to get the job done. This project entailed hauling large quantities of rocks from nearby stream beds and long bucket brigades were quickly set up. Soon hundreds of laborers were lined up along the road, toiling in the chill sunlight from dawn till dusk, often with frost on their breaths as well as perspiration on their bodies.
    Oishi was checking the progress on the road one morning in late March when Kataoka arrived back in Ako, breathless and dirty. The dust was caked in the wrinkles of his face and his eyes were tiny red slits in the grime as he tumbled off his horse almost at Oishi's feet.
    'T am sorry," he said, bowing his head into the dusty road. "Somehow, along the route, I missed the Shogun's representatives. They had already left Edo when I got there."
    For a moment Oishi felt a twinge of despair. His first thought was of Lord Asano's little daughter. He did not know what instructions the Shogun might have given in her case. Her mother had been forbidden to see any member of the clan, but did this apply to her own daughter? He realized that time was running out and questioned Kataoka abruptly.
    ''Why didn't Horibe send word? He was supposed to be watching the exits to the city, wasn't he?"

    Chapter Five
    "They left by a roundabout way," Kataoka answered. "You should know that popular feeling in Edo is against Kira, and the Shogun evidently thought it best to keep the departure of his troops a secret."
    Oishi was both surprised and pleased to hear that public opinion was with them, but that did not alter the fact that officials were on their way to confiscate the castle.
    "Do you have any idea when they will reach Ako?"
    "Within two or three days," was Kataoka's best estimate.
    Oishi quickly began to revise in his mind his plans for additional renovation of the castle, but his thoughts were interrupted by Kataoka's next remark.
    "I hope I didn't exceed my authority, Oishi-dono, but when I found I was too late I went to see Daigaku Asano at his uncle's house. I thought they might have some instructions about the petition."
    "Yes?" said Oishi, with a flash of interest.
    "They read the petition and seemed quite upset by it. They said that under no circumstances must you resist the confiscation of the castle. And they sent you this letter." He took it out of his breastplate and handed it over with an apologetic bow.
    Oishi took it and opened it to read. Daigaku and Toda both felt that the idea of a petition was a good one and that most of his requests seemed reasonable enough—although they had some objections to Oishi's reference to the difficulty he was having con-trolHng his men, which could be interpreted as a threat—but they insisted that the castle be given up peaceably even if the petition were refused.
    Oishi smiled. He was not surprised at the letter's contents and Kataoka was relieved to see that he was
    . 75.

    not to be reprimanded for his actions. There was one more piece of information Oishi wanted very much to know, but he dehberately put his question in an