Міжзірковий мандрівник
Chapter 15
HerewaswhereIearnedmynameYiYong-ik,theMighty.LongafterourcompanywassubduedandplankedIfoughton.Myfistswereofthehardnessoftopping-mauls,andIhadthemusclesandwilltodrivethem.
Tomyjoy,IquicklylearnedthattheKoreansdidnotunderstandafist-blowandwerewithouttheslightestnotionofguarding.Theywentdownliketenpins,fellovereachotherinheaps.ButKwanYung-jinwasmyman,andallthatsavedhimwhenImademyrushwastheinterventionofhissatellites.Theywereflabbycreatures.Imadeamessofthemandamussandmuckoftheirsilkserethemultitudecouldreturnuponme.Thereweresomanyofthem.Theycloggedmyblowsbythesneernumbersofthem,thosebehindshovingthefrontonesuponme.AndhowIdroppedthem!Towardtheendtheyweresquirmingthree-deepundermyfeet.ButbythetimethecrewsofthethreejunksandmostofthevillagewereontopofmeIwasfairlysmothered.Theplankingwaseasy.
“Godinheaven,whatnow!”askedVandervoot,anothercuny,whenwehadbeenbundledaboardajunk.
Wesatontheopendeck,likesomanytrussedfowls,whenheaskedthequestion,andthenextmoment,asthejunkheeledtothebreeze,weshotdownthedeck,planksandall,fetchingupinthelee-scupperswithskinnednecks.AndfromthehighpoopKwanYung-jingazeddownatusasifhedidnotseeus.FormanyyearstocomeVandervootwasknownamongstusas“What-NowVandervoot.
