Untitled

154
THE WONDERFUL CITY OF TOKIO.
"I wonder what these fellows are doing here," said Fitz,
alighting. "Oh, father! Were you afraid we had lost our
way
? "
The Professor, who was ruefully regarding the assemblage,
shook his head and replied, " No, my son, I have only been
fearing that you had lost your senses. What induced you
to send all these tortoise-sellers here? "
The boy turned, and, glancing at the tortoise-bearers, saw
that they squatted behind tubs filled with kame. He looked
puzzled and was about to speak to his brother, when a man
approached, crouched, bowed his head to the ground, and said,
"
Honorable O bo-san, I have brought you all the tortoises I
had in my establishment. My assistants are tired, will you
please give me my money and let us go."
Fitz gazed about, as though unable to believe what he saw.
The tortoise-dealers were three deep on both sides of the
drive, clustered like bees on the steps of the veranda, and
peeped like monkeys from behind the dwarf trees in the
shrubbery.
" I have only three thousand kame here to-night," con-
" If you require any more, I will send my
tinued the dealer.
men into the country to-morrow." Bowing respectfully, and
handing the boy a long strip of paper covered with writing,
rt You will find this account quite correct. One hundred and
twenty yen. I always make a reduction when an honorable
foreign gentleman takes a quantity."
Fitz heard some one laughing gently, and looking into the
veranda saw his parents and Sallie, watching him and enjoying
his embarrassment.
''Take a quantity," he murmured, glancing up
and down
the bill. "One hundred and twenty yen\ Oh! One hun-
Hum! "
dred and twenty yen!