the jacket (the star-rover)- 第31部分

fourteen　of　us　that　clung　on　in　the　cleft。　　An　hour　afterward　the

Sparwehr　slipped　off　and　sank　in　deep　water。



Two　days　and　nights　saw　us　near　to　perishing　on　that　cliff；　for

there　was　way　neither　up　nor　down。　　The　third　morning　a　fishing…boat

found　us。　　The　men　were　clad　entirely　in　dirt　white；　with　their　long

hair　done　up　in　a　curious　knot　on　their　patesthe　marriage　knot；　as

I　was　afterward　to　learn；　and　also；　as　I　was　to　learn；　a　handy　thing

to　clutch　hold　of　with　one　hand　whilst　you　clouted　with　the　other

when　an　argument　went　beyond　words。



The　boat　went　back　to　the　village　for　help；　and　most　of　the

villagers；　most　of　their　gear；　and　most　of　the　day　were　required　to

get　us　down。　　They　were　a　poor　and　wretched　folk；　their　food

difficult　even　for　the　stomach　of　a　sea…cuny　to　countenance。　　Their

rice　was　brown　as　chocolate。　　Half　the　husks　remained　in　it；　along

with　bits　of　chaff；　splinters；　and　unidentifiable　dirt　which　made

one　pause　often　in　the　chewing　in　order　to　stick　into　his　mouth

thumb　and　forefinger　and　pluck　out　the　offending　stuff。　　Also；　they

ate　a　sort　of　millet；　and　pickles　of　astounding　variety　and　ungodly

hot。



Their　houses　were　earthen…walled　and　straw…thatched。　　Under　the

floors　ran　flues　through　which　the　kitchen　smoke　escaped；　warming

the　sleeping…room　in　its　passage。　　Here　we　lay　and　rested　for　days；

soothing　ourselves　with　their　mild　and　tasteless　tobacco；　which　we

smoked　in　tiny　bowls　at　the　end　of　yard…long　pipes。　　Also；　there　was

a　warm；　sourish；　milky…looking　drink；　heady　only　when　taken　in

enormous　doses。　　After　guzzling　I　swear　gallons　of　it；　I　got　singing

drunk；　which　is　the　way　of　sea…cunies　the　world　over。　　Encouraged　by

my　success；　the　others　persisted；　and　soon　we　were　all　a…roaring；

little　reeking　of　the　fresh　snow　gale　piping　up　outside；　and　little

worrying　that　we　were　cast　away　in　an　uncharted；　God…forgotten　land。

Old　Johannes　Maartens　laughed　and　trumpeted　and　slapped　his　thighs

with　the　best　of　us。　　Hendrik　Hamel；　a　cold…blooded；　chilly…poised

dark　brunette　of　a　Dutchman　with　beady　black　eyes；　was　as　rarely

devilish　as　the　rest　of　us；　and　shelled　out　silver　like　any　drunken

sailor　for　the　purchase　of　more　of　the　milky　brew。　　Our　carrying…on

was　a　scandal；　but　the　women　fetched　the　drink　while　all　the　village

that　could　crowd　in　jammed　the　room　to　witness　our　antics。



The　white　man　has　gone　around　the　world　in　mastery；　I　do　believe；

because　of　his　unwise　uncaringness。　　That　has　been　the　manner　of　his

going；　although；　of　course；　he　was　driven　on　by　restiveness　and　lust

for　booty。　　So　it　was　that　Captain　Johannes　Maartens；　Hendrik　Hamel；

and　the　twelve　sea…cunies　of　us　roystered　and　bawled　in　the　fisher

village　while　the　winter　gales　whistled　across　the　Yellow　Sea。



From　the　little　we　had　seen　of　the　land　and　the　people　we　were　not

impressed　by　Cho…Sen。　　If　these　miserable　fishers　were　a　fair　sample

of　the　natives；　we　could　understand　why　the　land　was　unvisited　of

navigators。　　But　we　were　to　learn　different。　　The　village　was　on　an

in…lying　island；　and　its　headmen　must　have　sent　word　across　to　the

mainland；　for　one　morning　three　big　two…masted　junks　with　lateens　of

rice…matting　dropped　anchor　off　the　beach。



When　the　sampans　came　ashore　Captain　Johannes　Maartens　was　all

interest；　for　here　were　silks　again。　　One　strapping　Korean；　all　in

pale…tinted　silks　of　various　colours；　was　surrounded　by　half　a　dozen

obsequious　attendants；　also　clad　in　silk。　　Kwan　Yung…jin；　as　I　came

to　know　his　name；　was　a　YANG…BAN；　or　noble；　also　he　was　what　might

be　called　magistrate　or　governor　of　the　district　or　province。　　This

means　that　his　office　was　appointive；　and　that　he　was　a　tithe…

squeezer　or　tax…farmer。



Fully　a　hundred　soldiers　were　also　landed　and　marched　into　the

village。　　They　were　armed　with　three…pronged　spears；　slicing　spears；

and　chopping　spears；　with　here　and　there　a　matchlock　of　so　heroic

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