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18 Meanwhile, the Coreans made no remarks, but kept up a steady jog-trot which soon brought them to the center of the village, where they halted before a hut larger than any we had seen.

Here they untied us, and made signs that we should enter the hut.

"Probably the custom-house!" I said dryly.

"The principal hotel, I think," said Marmaduke, stretching his legs and arms.

The building contained only one room, and at the further end of this sat the chief—at least we judged so because he was the crossest-looking man in the room; and we subsequently discovered that we were right.

Then began our trial. Though, of course, we could not understand a word that was said, it was very easy to follow the general line of the talk.

First, the man who commanded the procession which brought us in told his story. He described the ship, our landing, the ship's hasty departure, the capture of ourselves, and, concluding, pointed to the boxes.

Then the chief commanded one of the boxes to be opened. It was forced open with a small hatchet-like weapon, and one of the skates was handed to the chief. He was completely puzzled. He blew on it, rubbed it over his head, weighed it, tried to spin it, and then turned to us, saying something like:

"Walla ella ing-kang-cho?"

Thereupon Marmaduke replied sweetly:

"Yes, most noble panjandrum. You have hit it exactly. It's a simple roller-skate. I see you don't understand it at all, and I'm not surprised. You don't seem over-intelligent."

The chief shook his head impatiently and growled. Then he picked up an ivory baton lying by his side, and struck a sweet-toned gong.