The boy travellers in the Far East : adventures of two youths ... - Library

206
THE BOY TRAVELI.ERS.
ANTICS OF THE HORSES.
riding, and consequently the greatest amount of circus performances was
with the baggage animals. The grooms had all they wished to attend to
to keep the beasts under subjection, and not infrequently they came out
of the contest with gashes and other blemishes ou their variegated skins.
But they showed great courage in contending with the vicious brutes, and
it is said of a Japanese betto that he will fearlessly attack the most ill-tem-
pered horse in the country, and not be satisfied till he has conquered him.
There are several populous towns between Hakone and the base of
Fusiyama. Among them may be .mentioned Missimi, Noomads, and
Harra, none of them containing any features of special importance after
the other places our friends had seen. Consecjnently our party did not
halt there any longer than was necessary for the ordinary demands of the
journey, but puslied on to the foot of the Ilolj' Peak. As they ap-
proached it tliey met many pilgrims returning from the ascent, and their
general ajipearance of fatigue did not hold out a cheering prospect to the
excursionists. But they had come with the determination to make the
journey to the summit of tlie mountain, and were not to be fi'ightened at
trifles. They were full of enthusiasm, for the great mountain showed
more distinctly every hour as thej approached it, and its enormous and
symmetrical cone was pushed far up into the sky, and literally pierced the
clouds. At times tlie clouds blew away; tlie sunlight streauied full upon
tlie lofty mass of ever-during stone, and seemed to warm it into a tropical
lieat. But the snow lying unmelted in the ravines dispelled the illusion,
and they knew that they must encounter chilling winds, and perhaps
biting frosts, as they ascended to the liiglier altitudes.
There lay the great Fusiyama, the holy niountain of Japan, which