“Talk about the poetry of motion! This is what I call a first-class ride.” Herc Taylor lolled negligently back in the ’rickshaw in which he and Ned Strong were being spun along on a smooth road outside Yokahama.
“It’s comfortable, all right, but somehow I hate the idea of seeing a human being playing the part of a horse,” rejoined Ned.
In front of the two Dreadnought Boys, between the shafts of the ’rickshaw, a half naked Jap toiled along at a dog-trot. His skin was as dry as a bone and showed not a sign of fatigue, yet he had drawn the boys some distance in the vehicle which is peculiar to Japan.
The road along which they were riding was[233] an attractive one in every respect. Odd temples, bridges that looked like toy spans crossing miniature brooks, little pine trees, tiny people were to be seen everywhere. As it was the month of the cherry blossom, the trees of that variety were decked with delicate, fragile flowers and the neat little houses were decorated with the fragrant petals.
The Jap between the shafts jogged along as unconcernedly as if he had been not a human being but a beast of burden.
“Hey, stop!” cried Ned suddenly, as they passed under a majestic grove of big trees bordering both sides of the road. The shade felt grateful after the heat of the sun. At the end of the colonnade of trees was a temple, a fairy-like structure about which people were clustered. It had struck Ned that something interesting might be seen there.
“You no tired?” he asked of the coolie as they alighted.
[234]
The man grinned and shook his head.
“No, honorable sailor. Me no tired. Me go all same one, two, ten, twenty mile.”
“Wow!” exclaimed Herc, “you can have your job! I wouldn’t pull one of these rickety shaws, or whatever you call them, half a mile on a bet.”
“Honorable red-o-head sailor no used pullee ’rickshaw.”
“Hey, Ned, did you hear what he called me?” sputtered Herc, full of indignation.
“That’s all right, Herc. Your thatch was a birthday present. Don’t be ashamed of it. Come on, let’s go and have a look at that temple. I’ve a notion something interesting is going forward yonder.”
“All right; but I don’t want these Japs calling me ‘red-head.’ I get enough of that in the fleet. I can dispense with it on shore.”
Arm in arm, the two young blue-jackets set off under the trees. In many of the branches hung little articles formed of bits of glass decorated[235] with bright colors. As the breeze blew, the bits of glass jangled together with a pretty tinkling sound that made Ned exclaim admiringly.
“The Japs are the only people on earth who could have thought of such a pretty device. Isn’t it delightful, Herc?”
“Humph, sounds to me like they were washing dishes or using their knives and forks. It’s just the noise our mess makes at dinner. That reminds me, I’m awfully hungry.”
“We’ll have something to eat when we go back. Come on now and let’s see what’s going on.”
They advanced toward the temple, but suddenly Herc stopped.
“Look, Ned! Look there!”<............