When they had reached a part of the road where they could talk without danger of being overheard, Kano said:
“We have arrived at the first stage of our journey. Have you thought of any plan to attain our end?”
“I have been thinking, of course,” replied Inouye, “but I have no doubt that you have conceived an excellent scheme.”
“No, I have not. Every plan I thought of, when I came to work it out, offered some very serious obstacle. I feel as if I am running my head against a stone wall. We may go into Yokohama, and if we are asked who we are, we may answer that we are rônin. But if they ask what we are doing, and we reply that we are curious to see the barbarians, they will say: Very well, you have seen them now, so you had better go about your business. From that time we shall be beset with spies, or we must leave. This is a difficulty which I had not foreseen.”
“Your idea is to study the barbarians, is it not?” said Inouye thoughtfully.
“Yes. Our clan must not act blindly. We must know what is the purpose of those men in coming here; but that is not all. We must also know their strength and their weakness.”
“There is but one way in which that may be done,” muttered Inouye, as if speaking to himself.
“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.”