“Then that way must be chosen,” said Kano. “What is it? You do not hesitate on account of the danger, I hope?”
“No; but I do hesitate on account of the humiliation. Look here, Mr. Kano, I will give you my views frankly. If I were alone, that is, if I had been commissioned by you, I would have left my swords behind, and offered my services to these barbarians in any capacity. I would have entered into such employment as promised the best opportunity to watch them when they were among themselves and off their guard.”
“But how would you understand their speech. You do not suppose that they converse in our language, do you?”
“No,” replied Inouye, smiling, “but our Japanese interpreters at Nagasaki tell me that it does not take long to learn that tongue, and I do not suppose that there is much difference in the languages spoken by these barbarians.”
“Well,” said Kano, “I admire your scheme and like it. But such a step requires consideration. Let us return to our yadoya and think it over. To-morrow morning we can decide upon our future action.”
When they arrived in their room, the two friends sat down before the hibachi, smoking and sipping their tea. After some time Kano stretched himself on the mats, and was soon sound asleep. Inouye noiselessly opened a sho ji and slipped through, closing it in the same manner. He then went down to the lower floor, and entered the front part of the house which serves as office, kitchen, and as refreshment hall for transient wayfarers of the poorer class.
Here he found the landlord, squatting behind his tiny desk. As Inouye approached, the landlord bowed low, since, although the guest was now dressed in kimono only, and had left his swords up-stairs, he remembered having seen him enter as a samurai. Inouye sat down within easy reach of the landlord, and asked: “How far is it from here to Yokohama?”
“That depends, your honor, upon the way you may choose. Across the new causeway it is about two miles, but it is further by sampan.”
“Are there any guards?”
“There were, your honor, but the barbarians made so much fuss about them, that they were withdrawn.”