the jacket (the star-rover)-第39章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



mould　that　there　were　two　soldiers　to　a　matchlock；　one　to　carry　and

set　the　tripod　on　which　rested　the　muzzle；　the　other　to　carry　and

fire　the　gun。　　As　I　was　to　learn；　sometimes　the　gun　went　off；

sometimes　it　did　not；　all　depending　upon　the　adjustment　of　the　fire…

punk　and　the　condition　of　the　powder　in　the　flash…pan。



So　it　was　that　Kwan…Yung…jin　travelled。　　The　headmen　of　the　village

were　cringingly　afraid　of　him；　and　for　good　reason；　as　we　were　not

overlong　in　finding　out。　　I　stepped　forward　as　interpreter；　for

already　I　had　the　hang　of　several　score　of　Korean　words。　　He　scowled

and　waved　me　aside。　　But　what　did　I　reek？　　I　was　as　tall　as　he；

outweighed　him　by　a　full　two　stone；　and　my　skin　was　white；　my　hair

golden。　　He　turned　his　back　and　addressed　the　head　man　of　the

village　while　his　six　silken　satellites　made　a　cordon　between　us。

While　he　talked　more　soldiers　from　the　ship　carried　up　several

shoulder…loads　of　inch…planking。　　These　planks　were　about　six　feet

long　and　two　feet　wide；　and　curiously　split　in　half　lengthwise。

Nearer　one　end　than　the　other　was　a　round　hole　larger　than　a　man's

neck。



Kwan　Yung…jin　gave　a　command。　　Several　of　the　soldiers　approached

Tromp；　who　was　sitting　on　the　ground　nursing　a　felon。　　Now　Tromp　was

a　rather　stupid；　slow…thinking；　slow…moving　cuny；　and　before　he　knew

what　was　doing　one　of　the　planks；　with　a　scissors…like　opening　and

closing；　was　about　his　neck　and　clamped。　　Discovering　his

predicament；　he　set　up　a　bull…roaring　and　dancing；　till　all　had　to

back　away　to　give　him　clear　space　for　the　flying　ends　of　his　plank。



Then　the　trouble　began；　for　it　was　plainly　Kwan　Yung…jin's　intention

to　plank　all　of　us。　　Oh；　we　fought；　bare…fisted；　with　a　hundred

soldiers　and　as　many　villagers；　while　Kwan　Yung…jin　stood　apart　in

his　silks　and　lordly　disdain。　　Here　was　where　I　earned　my　name　Yi

Yong…ik；　the　Mighty。　　Long　after　our　company　was　subdued　and　planked

I　fought　on。　　My　fists　were　of　the　hardness　of　topping…mauls；　and　I

had　the　muscles　and　will　to　drive　them。



To　my　joy；　I　quickly　learned　that　the　Koreans　did　not　understand　a

fist…blow　and　were　without　the　slightest　notion　of　guarding。　　They

went　down　like　tenpins；　fell　over　each　other　in　heaps。　　But　Kwan

Yung…jin　was　my　man；　and　all　that　saved　him　when　I　made　my　rush　was

the　intervention　of　his　satellites。　　They　were　flabby　creatures。　　I

made　a　mess　of　them　and　a　muss　and　muck　of　their　silks　ere　the

multitude　could　return　upon　me。　　There　were　so　many　of　them。　　They

clogged　my　blows　by　the　sneer　numbers　of　them；　those　behind　shoving

the　front　ones　upon　me。　　And　how　I　dropped　them！　　Toward　the　end

they　were　squirming　three…deep　under　my　feet。　　But　by　the　time　the

crews　of　the　three　junks　and　most　of　the　village　were　on　top　of　me　I

was　fairly　smothered。　　The　planking　was　easy。



〃God　in　heaven；　what　now！〃　asked　Vandervoot；　another　cuny；　when　we

had　been　bundled　aboard　a　junk。



We　sat　on　the　open　deck；　like　so　many　trussed　fowls；　when　he　asked

the　question；　and　the　next　moment；　as　the　junk　heeled　to　the　breeze；

we　shot　down　the　deck；　planks　and　all；　fetching　up　in　the　lee…

scuppers　with　skinned　necks。　　And　from　the　high　poop　Kwan　Yung…jin

gazed　down　at　us　as　if　he　did　not　see　us。　　For　many　years　to　come

Vandervoot　was　known　amongst　us　as　〃What…Now　Vandervoot。〃　　Poor

devil！　　He　froze　to　death　one　night　on　the　streets　of　Keijo；　with

every　door　barred　against　him。



To　the　mainland　we　were　taken　and　thrown　into　a　stinking；　vermin…

infested　prison。　　Such　was　our　introduction　to　the　officialdom　of

Cho…Sen。　　But　I　was　to　be　revenged　for　all　of　us　on　Kwan　Yung…jin；

as　you　shall　see；　in　the　days　when　the　Lady　Om　was　kind　and　power

was　mine。



In　prison　we　lay　for　many　days。　　We　learned　afterward　the　reason。

Kwan　Yung…jin　had　sent　a　dispatch　to　Keijo；　the　capital；　to　find

what　royal　disposition　was　to　be　made　of　us。　　In　the　meantime　we

were　a　menagerie。　　From　dawn　till　dark　our　barred　windows　were

besieged　by　the　natives；　for　no　member　of　our　race　had　they　ever

seen　before。　　Nor　was　our　audience　mere　rabble。　　Ladies；　borne　in

palanquins　on　the　shoulders　of　coolies；　came　to　see　the　strange

devils　cast　up　by　the　sea；　and　while　their　attendants　drove　back　the

common　folk　with　whips；　they　would　gaze　long　and　timidly　at　us。　　Of

them　we　saw　little；　for　their　faces　were　covered；　according　to　the

custom　of　the　country。　　Only　dancing　girls；　low　women；　and　granddams

ever　were　seen　abroad　with　exposed　faces。



I　have　often　thought　that　Kwan　Yung…jin　suffered　from　indigestion；

and　that　when　the　attacks　were　acute　he　took　it　out　on　us。　　At　any

rate；　without　rhyme　or　reason；　whenever　the　whim　came　to　him；　we

were　all　taken　out　on　the　street　before　the　prison　and　well　beaten

with　sticks　to　the　gleeful　shouts　of　the　multitude。　　The　Asiatic　is

a　cruel　beast；　and　delights　in　spectacles　of　human　suffering。



At　any　rate　we　were　pleased　when　an　end　to　our　beatings　came。　　This

was　caused　by　the　arrival　of　Kim。　　Kim？　　All　I　can　say；　and　the　best

I　can　say；　is　that　he　was　the　whitest　man　I　ever　encountered　in　Cho…

Sen。　　He　was　a　captain　of　fifty　men　when　I　met　him。　　He　was　in

command　of　the　palace　guards　before　I　was　done　doing　my　best　by　him。

And　in　the　end　he　died　for　the　Lady　Om's　sake　and　for　mine。　　Kim

well；　Kim　was　Kim。



Immediately　he　arrived　the　planks　were　taken　from　our　necks　and　we

were　lodged　in　the　beet　inn　the　place　boasted。　　We　were　still

prisoners；　but　honourable　prisoners；　with　a　guard　of　fifty　mounted

soldiers。　　The　next　day　we　were　under　way　on　the　royal　highroad；

fourteen　sailormen　astride　the　dwarf　horses　that　obtain　in　Cho…Sen；

and　bound　for　Keijo　itself。　　The　Emperor；　so　Kim　told　me；　had

expressed　a　desire　to　gaze　upon　the　strangeness　of　the　sea　devils。



It　was　a　journey　of　many　days；　half　the　length　of　Cho…Sen；　north　and

south　as　it　lies。　　It　chanced；　at　the　first　off…saddling；　that　I

strolled　around　to　witness　the　feeding　of　the　dwarf　horses。　　And

what　I　witnessed　set　me　bawling；　〃What　now；　Vandervoot？〃　till　all

our　crew　came　running。　　As　I　am　a　living　man　what　the　horses　were


feeding　on　was　bean　soup；　hot　bean　soup　at　that；　and　naught　else　did

they　have　on　all　the　journey　but　hot　bean　soup。　　It　was　the　custom

of　the　country。



They　were　truly　dwarf　horses。　　On　a　wager　with　Kim　I　lifted　one；

despite　his　squeals　and　struggles；　squarely　across　my　shoulders；　so

that　Kim's　men；　who　had　already　heard　my　new　name；　called　me　Yi

Yong…ik；　the　Mighty　One。　　Kim　was　a　large　man　as　Koreans　go；　and

Koreans　are　a　tall　muscular　race；　and　Kim　fancied　himself　a　bit。

But；　elbow　to　elbow　and　palm　to　palm；　I　put　his　arm　down　at　will。

And　his　soldiers　and　the　gaping　villagers　would　look　on　and　murmur

〃Yi　Yong…ik。〃



In　a　way　we　were　a　travelling　menagerie。　　The　word　went　on　ahead；　so

that　all　the　country　folk　flocked　to　the　roadside　to　see　us　pass。

It　was　an　unending　circus　procession。　　In　the　towns　at　night　our

inns　were　besieged　by　multitudes；　so　that　we　got　no　peace　until　the

soldiers　drove　them　off　with　lance…pricks　and　blows。　　But　first　Kim

would　call　for　the　village　strong　men　and　wrestlers　for　the　fun　of

seeing　me　crumple　them　and　put　them　in　the　dirt。



Bread　there　was　none；　but　we　ate　white　rice　（the　strength　of　which

resides　in　one's　muscles　not　long）；　a　meat　which　we　found　to　be　dog

（which　animal　is　regularly　butchered　for　food　in　Cho…Sen）；　and　the

pickles　ungodly　hot　but　which　one　learns　to　like　exceeding　well。

And　there　was　drink；　real　drink；　not　milky　slush；　but　white；　biting

stuff　distilled　from　rice；　a　pint　of　which　would　kill　a　weakling　and

make　a　strong　man　mad　and　merry。　　At　the　walled　city　of　Chong…ho　I

put　Kim　and　the　city　notables　under　the　table　with　the　stuffor　on

the　table；　rather；　for　the　table　was　the　floor　where　we　squatted　to

cramp…knots　in　my　hams　for　the　thousandth　time。　　And　again　all

muttered　〃Yi　Yong…ik；〃　and　the　word　of　my　prowess　passed　on　before