 #1 (permalink) Fri Jun 05, 2009 13:26 pm Chapter 13. We hadn't had much opportunity to be close to the soldiers, but... |
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We hadn't had much opportunity to be close to the soldiers, but later in the day a few of them were working close to the cage.
" They're Korean, said the girl, I can recognise their language. The big one, who appears to be the cook, is saying that he will be glad to see the back of us, as he's got enough to do without feeding three more people."
Korea, well at least we knew where we were. As far as I was aware Korea wasn't at war with anyone, so maybe the Government were just preparing themselves in readiness.
That was probably the reason that the guards were treating us so decently.
It was getting late in the day when they came for us. Darkness was almost upon us, and we were placed on an old open wagon, with only one guard and the driver. We set off very slowly as the trail was little-used and full of deep ruts. We had been travelling for only a short while when we drove into a particularly deep rut and the engine stalled. I gave Jack a knowing look and we prepared ourselves for any opportunity that might present itself.
Escape came so very easily. The driver told the guard to make Jack and I help him shove the wagon out of the rut. Unbelievably, the young and inexperienced guard lay his rifle on the floor and jumped down off the wagon. As soon as we were at the back of the wagon and out of the drivers view Jack laid the guard out with one blow. I grabbed the rifle and ordered the driver out of the cab. He sheepishly did so, and glowered at the young guard, who was just coming round. They feared that we might kill them, but the girl, speaking Korean, assured them that this was not the case. As long as they gave us directions to the safest town for foreigners, we would tie them up and no harm would befall them. They were so happy to hear this that they willingly gave us the information we required. We tied them up, and left them well off the trail.
It was dark now, and as Jack drove the wagon along the road we only hoped that we would not meet any other soldiers, and that the directions that the guard had given us proved to be truthful. After an uneventful trip we finally arrived at a bustling town.
" The first thing we have to do is find a Doctor's surgery to attend to your leg," I said.
Julie, as we now discovered, spoke excellent Korean, and she had no problem finding the location of a local Doctor. The Doctor was taken aback at our appearances, but once we had explained our experiences he was more than helpful. It turned out that he had trained in England, and his English was very good. He discovered that Julie's leg was not actually broken, but fractured. Even so he encased her leg in plaster and we prepared to get on our way, but the Doctor suggested that it would be better if we first made ourselves presentable, and offered to let us use his wash-room facilities, for which we we truly grateful.
The next step in our plan proved to be the stumbling block, and the cause of my downfall. We intended to get to the British Consulate and get help there, as we would need money and passports to get out of this place. The Consulate was on the opposite side of the square, and there, in clear view, were soldiers, and it was evident that they were looking for someone, probably us.
There was no way we could openly cross the square without drawing attention to ourselves, especially with Julie hobbling in a plaster cast. I decided to set myself up as bait to afford Jack and Julie a clear passage across the square, so I told them to wait until the soldiers spotted me before they crossed over. I sauntered to the centre of the square, and then suddenly, as though alarmed, started to run at an angle to the Consulate. Sure enough, the soldiers spotted me and gave chase, leaving the way clear for Jack and Julie to enter the Consulate and into safety.
There was little doubt in my mind that I could easily outrun these soldiers in their heavy uniforms and boots, but I hadn't reckoned on a stray mongrel that ran straight in front of my legs and caused to me to delay just long enough for the soldiers to be upon me. Down I went in a heap, and I was roughly pulled to my feet by grasping hands. The soldiers were out of breath, but not enough to stop them beating me with their rifle butts. Down I went again, and a blow to the head brought welcoming darkness...........
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 Kitosdad
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Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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