“What is your opinion, Mr. Ito?” asked Billie.  “Was it an enemy of yours or some one who wanted to exterminate us because we are foreigners?”

But Yoritomo could not enlighten her.

“I cannot say,” was all they could get out of him.

He was only deeply chagrined, as was his mother, that the American ladies should have been subjected to such treatment in Japan.

The Campbell party finally arrived at the conclusion that it was an insane person, and Mr. Campbell immediately engaged a day and night watchman and reported the matter to the police.

CHAPTER IX.

A birthday party.

It so happened that the dinner to Mme. Fontaine became a triple celebration.  Billie recalled that it was her father’s birthday, for one thing.

“He’s forgotten it himself,” she said.  “He never did remember that he was entitled to a birthday.”

Furthermore, it was the occasion always of great rejoicing in Japan, being the fifth day of the fifth month on which the Boys’ Festival—­O Sekku, as it is called there—­is celebrated.

“Think of my sweet old boy being born on this lucky day!” cried Billie.  “Why can’t we give him a real Japanese surprise party, Cousin Helen, and invite those nice men to come?  Mr. Ito will tell us what to do.”

When Mr. Campbell departed for Tokyo that lovely morning on the fifth of May he had no idea of the plans that were hatching in his home.  Scarcely had his ’riksha disappeared down the road, when the entire household became actively busy.  Komatsu made a hurried visit to town, bearing notes of invitation to the few acquaintances of the Campbells and returned later in the day accompanied by two men carrying large bales on their backs.  That evening when the master of the house returned in time to dress for dinner he scarcely recognized his abode, which had been decorated in a most extraordinary manner.

Across the front of the house on long poles were at least six enormous paper carp, which rose and fell and became realistically inflated with every passing breeze.  Very fantastic they appeared with their gaping mouths, their enormous bulging eyes and fins and their scales shining in the sunlight.

The carp, it must be known, is the sacred emblem of the male child in Japan.  It also signifies courage, endurance and other admirable though not exclusively masculine qualities.  This valiant fish can accomplish the difficult feat of swimming up the rapids, even as a brave youth must conquer difficulties and surmount obstacles.  His name is synonymous with perseverance and fortitude.  The fifth of May is every boy’s birthday in Japan, no matter what his real birthday is, and on that day a feast is kept in every home, rich or poor, where there is a son.

“I suppose, because we have only one son in our house, we are entitled to only one carp,” observed Billie, “but I think our nice old boy is good enough for us to string up twenty carp.”