Page:The Cannery Boat.pdf/259

Rh were gathered; and a Korean had been caught carrying a load of bombs; another had murdered some Japanese, but had been caught red-handed and surrounded by a crowd of Japanese, who killed him by inches. …

The honest lieutenant’s sense of justice was aroused by this ignorant, exaggerated talk. To his knowledge all these “plots” and “atrocities” were absolutely without foundation. On the contrary, persecution and slaughtering of Koreans by the Japanese were a horrible fact.

“I don’t know what’s coming over the Japanese people …” began the lieutenant. He went on to explain away and combat the misunderstandings and delusions of the ex-service men. He explained that the story about Koreans poisoning wells had its basis in the fact that certain Japanese put into the wells bleaching-powder to keep the water clean; the Koreans supposed to be carrying bombs were really carrying canned stuff; buildings had gone up in flames, not because Koreans had thrown bombs into them, but because sparks had fallen on inflammable materials. It was the Japanese who had done all the killing; authentic reports of their atrocities had come to headquarters.

As the lieutenant rose to go he heard behind him a voice calling, “Here, you.” He turned and saw two guards; behind them pressed a cloud of ex-service men.

“What do you mean, shouting at a superior officer?” he thundered back at them. The two guards recoiled a little, but the black cloud at the back did not heed him.