The station was easily found, and a ticket bought without any fuss. The
coach I got in was about as dignified as a match-box. The train rambled
on for about five minutes, and then I had to get off. No wonder the fare
was cheap; it cost only three sen. I then hired a rikisha and arrived at
the middle school, but school was already over and nobody was there. The
teacher on night-duty was out just for a while, said the janitor,--the
night-watch was taking life easy, sure. I thought of visiting the
principal, but being tired, ordered the rikishaman to take me to a
hotel. He did this with much alacrity and led me to a hotel called
Yamashiro-ya. I felt it rather amusing to find the name Yamashiro-ya the
same as that of Kantaro's house.
They ushered me to a dark room below the stairway. No one could stay in
such a hot place! I said I did not like such a warm room, but the maid
dumped my valises on the floor and left me, mumbling that all the other
rooms were occupied. So I took the room though it took some resolution
to stand the weltering heat. After a while the maid said the bath was
ready, and I took one: On my way back from the bathroom, I peeped about,
and found many rooms, which looked much cooler than mine, vacant.
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