Alton Cummings, age 14, of Johnstown, Pa., for his question:

WHEN DID THE LAST SAMURAI LIVE?

The samurai was a hereditary warrior class in feudal Japan. They lost their privileges and no longer functioned when the Japanese abolished feudalism in 1871.

Originally, the term samurai referred only to the imperial guards. But with the coming of the feudal system, it meant the entire military class. About five out of every 100 Japanese belonged to this group.

A code of unquestioning obedience and loyalty bound the samurai warriors to their lords. The samurai prized honor above wealth or life.

They wore two swords and a distinctive headdress. The samurai were graded in military ranks, each with an appropriate income in rice.