A full day later, the waters finally receded and people could venture down from the hillside where they had spent a horrifying night. The lord’s subjects began the sad tasks of clearing away the debris, recovering bodies of friends and relatives, and burying the dead. Ukeda, the chief retainer, could not be located and was feared dead, as many others who were also missing. The people looked to Hirata for guidance and leadership. Despite his twenty-six years and from the samurai class, they regarded him as being the most capable to tell them what to do, to help them survive.
The sea water had poisoned the rice paddies and crops making food scarce. Hirata directed the gardeners to dig new plots with whatever seeds or roots they could find to plant. He sent the cooks into the forest to find
