"We got aboard," he related proudly, "and found the two fishing boats
have small motors that might be enough to pull the big junk along for
a while. We've got them all tied together and I left three men on the
deck of Lee Sung's boat. They can make sure the gooks keep their heads
inside but we'll have to ferry everybody out to the small boats first.
We still can't risk crossing that wharf."
"OK," I agreed. "Start ferrying the tanks. I'll go and get Kim and his
gang."
There was no more firing around the barracks. Either the Reds were
waiting for daylight or perhaps for help. The moon had set and in the
blackness finally I found Kim and explained the situation. We sent off
all the men and together we sat and watched for a surprise sortie from
the building. It must have been about two in the morning when Blackie
sent back for us. We were the last to leave and, as I passed the racks,
I pulled off a fishing net.
"Give me a hand with this, Blackie, I want to take it along with me."
"What on earth for, Colonel?"
"We can't get below decks on the junk. Our food is low. We can try for
fish with this. What about water?"
"Everybody filled their canteens with water before starting.
"It's not enough," I complained, "but we can't wait now."
By this time half our men were on the deck of the junk. The sick men
stayed in the smaller craft in case of trouble. We filled the rowboat
with six of the strongest men and cut loose from shore. With the ebbing
tide to help, the rowboat crew pulled slowly away from the wharf, aided
by others paddling in the fishing craft. Our prisoners made no noise
and we could hear no sounds of pursuit. An hour later we started the
small boats' motors.
My first impulse had been to run for the open sea, beyond the
territorial limits of North Korea but I reconsidered. The Soviets,
if they were looking for us, wouldn't bother about the niceties of
international law. We were fair game until picked up. So we putted
along the coast, running towards the thirty-eighth parallel. Shortly
before dawn we sailed close in to the rugged shoreline and anchored.
We loosed the small boats and ran them in to shore behind a rocky
headland. Perhaps a reconnaissance plane would miss us in the shelter
of the cliffs. We would have to chance the wind and weather in our
rather insecure hideout.
* * * * *
Sitting on the pebbly beach beside Anders, I was wondering what to do
next when he broke the silence.
"I believe I have a solution, Doctor," he said in his precise manner,
"if you will give me permission to try."
"What can we lose?" I said.
Approaching Lee Sung's vessel from dead ahead, we climbed over the bow.
Anders leaned over the side and yelled in fluent Korean for the senior
officer of the Communist soldiers. After a short silence there was a
rough shout from the forward port.
"What do you want with me?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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