No further incidents of special importance marked this first day’s journey, and shortly before nightfall they arrived at the town of Yong-pyoeng.  They found the village inn to be a series of low, small buildings built on three sides of a courtyard.  Into low sheds in this yard the ponies were crowded and the luggage removed from their backs.  Ki Pak’s servants proceeded to build a fire in the centre of the yard and the cook made preparations for getting supper.  Travellers had to provide a large part of their own meals, for, as already stated, these village inns were not hotels in the real sense of the word.  They were simply rude lodging-places where travellers might be protected from the night air and have a chance to sleep while passing through the country.

Into the main waiting-room of the inn Yung Pak, with his father and tutor, entered.  At the door they removed their shoes and left them outside.  In the room were several other travellers seated upon the floor, which was covered with oiled paper and grass mats.  There was absolutely no furniture.  The walls were covered with clean white paper.  Each man in the room was smoking a pipe, which consisted of a brass bowl and a reed stem over three feet long.  All wore long white robes, though one of the occupants had hung his hat upon the wall.

Into this room after a time the cook brought supper for his masters.  Other servants brought in boxes which were used as tables, and though the style was not just what Yung Pak was used to, he managed to eat a hearty meal.  The day in the open air had given him a hunger and a zest he rarely knew.

After supper, for a short time Yung Pak and Wang Ken talked over with Ki Pak the events of the day.  A servant soon announced that their sleeping-rooms were ready, and they gladly at once sought their beds.  To get to their rooms they again stepped out into the courtyard.  They found that each bedroom was one of the little buildings facing the yard.  Yung Pak and Wang Ken occupied one room, while Ki Pak had a room by himself.  Through a narrow door about three feet high the lad and his tutor entered their room.  The door was simply a lattice shutter covered with paper.  The room was very small,—­barely space for the two mattresses which had been put there by the servants, and the ceiling was so low that even the short Koreans could hardly stand upright.  Yet here our two friends managed to make themselves very comfortable for the night.

Outside in the courtyard the fire was kept burning, beside which two watchmen sat all night smoking and telling stories.  It was necessary to maintain a watch till morning because the country districts of Korea are infested with wild animals, particularly tigers, and the bright blaze of the fire served to keep them at a distance.  Otherwise the thin-walled houses would have been slight protection for the sleeping travellers.

As it was, Yung Pak slept soundly the whole night, and did not awake until after daylight, when servants brought to his door a wooden bowl and a brass vessel full of water for his morning bath.  Quickly he sprang up, and with his companions made ready for the day’s journey, for they were all anxious to be on their way.