Page:The Cannery Boat.pdf/260

250 “That guy’s a Korean, a Korean dressed up like one of our officers.”

“Sure he is. And he was trying to fool us. If he wasn’t a Korean, what would he side with them like that for?”

“You can tell by his face he’s a Korean.”

Seeing the bloodthirsty mob, waving sticks and yelling, the lieutenant gave a start. If he got into their hands there was no knowing what might happen. For a moment he regretted the lecture he had read them. The mob, watching his every movement, pressed in closer and closer.

At that moment good luck came to his aid. A company of soldiers happened just then to pass by. When he saw them he rushed over and asked one of the officers to identify him. The latter readily agreed to this request from a colleague, and vouched for him before the crowd, and in addition gave him four privates as an escort. The lieutenant thanked him and, glancing contemptuously at the mob, started to climb the slope at Dozaka, accompanied by his escort.

When he thought they had gone far enough to be out of danger, he told the men to go back.

No sooner had he started down the slope at Hakusan, however, than a new mob of seventy or eighty people, just as if it had been waiting until he was alone, suddenly congregated and surrounded him. He felt sick of the whole business, and at the same time afraid. Noticing a police box close by, he went over and asked the policeman for protection, but this guardian of the public would not listen to him. He said that, even if he wanted to,