Chong　Mong…ju。　　In　Song…do　I　became　a　fuel…carrier；　and　the　Lady　Om
  and　I　shared　a　hut　that　was　vastly　more　comfortable　than　the　open
  road　in　bitter　winter　weather。　　But　Chong　Mong…ju　found　me　out；　and
  I　was　beaten　and　planked　and　put　out　upon　the　road。　　That　was　a
  terrible　winter；　the　winter　poor　〃What…Now〃　Vandervoot　froze　to
  death　on　the　streets　of　Keijo。
  In　Pyeng…yang　I　became　a　water…carrier；　for　know　that　that　old　city；
  whose　walls　were　ancient　even　in　the　time　of　David；　was　considered
  by　the　people　to　be　a　canoe；　and　that；　therefore；　to　sink　a　well
  inside　the　walls　would　be　to　scupper　the　city。　　So　all　day　long
  thousands　of　coolies；　water…jars　yoked　to　their　shoulders；　tramp　out
  the　river　gate　and　back。　　I　became　one　of　these；　until　Chong　Mong…ju
  sought　me　out；　and　I　was　beaten　and　planked　and　set　upon　the
  highway。
  Ever　it　was　the　same。　　In　far　Wiju　I　became　a　dog…butcher；　killing
  the　brutes　publicly　before　my　open　stall；　cutting　and　hanging　the
  caresses　for　sale；　tanning　the　hides　under　the　filth　of　the　feet　of
  the　passers…by　by　spreading　the　hides；　raw…side　up；　in　the　muck　of
  the　street。　　But　Chong　Mong…ju　found　me　out。　　I　was　a　dyer's　helper
  in　Pyonhan；　a　gold…miner　in　the　placers　of　Kang…wun；　a　rope…maker
  and　twine…twister　in　Chiksan。　　I　plaited　straw　hats　in　Padok；
  gathered　grass　in　Whang…hai；　and　in　Masenpo　sold　myself　to　a　rice
  farmer　to　toil　bent　double　in　the　flooded　paddies　for　less　than　a
  coolie's　pay。　　But　there　was　never　a　time　or　place　that　the　long　arm
  of　Chong　Mong…ju　did　not　reach　out　and　punish　and　thrust　me　upon　the
  beggar's　way。
  The　Lady　Om　and　I　searched　two　seasons　and　found　a　single　root　of
  the　wild　mountain　ginseng；　which　is　esteemed　so　rare　and　precious　a
  thing　by　the　doctors　that　the　Lady　Om　and　I　could　have　lived　a　year
  in　comfort　from　the　sale　of　our　one　root。　　But　in　the　selling　of　it
  I　was　apprehended；　the　root　confiscated；　and　I　was　better　beaten　and
  longer　planked　than　ordinarily。
  Everywhere　the　wandering　members　of　the　great　Peddlers'　Guild
  carried　word　of　me；　of　my　comings　and　goings　and　doings；　to　Chong
  Mong…ju　at　Keijo。　　Only　twice；　in　all　the　days　after　my　downfall；
  did　I　meet　Chong　Mong…ju　face　to　face。　　The　first　time　was　a　wild
  winter　night　of　storm　in　the　high　mountains　of　Kang…wun。　　A　few
  hoarded　coppers　had　bought　for　the　Lady　Om　and　me　sleeping　space　in
  the　dirtiest　and　coldest　corner　of　the　one　large　room　of　the　inn。
  We　were　just　about　to　begin　on　our　meagre　supper　of　horse…beans　and
  wild　garlic　cooked　into　a　stew　with　a　scrap　of　bullock　that　must
  have　died　of　old　age；　when　there　was　a　tinkling　of　bronze　pony　bells
  and　the　stamp　of　hoofs　without。　　The　doors　opened；　and　entered　Chong
  Mong…ju；　the　personification　of　well…being；　prosperity　and　power；
  shaking　the　snow　from　his　priceless　Mongolian　furs。　　Place　was　made
  for　him　and　his　dozen　retainers；　and　there　was　room　for　all　without
  crowding；　when　his　eyes　chanced　to　light　on　the　Lady　Om　and　me。
  〃The　vermin　there　in　the　cornerclear　it　out；〃　he　commanded。
  And　his　horse…boys　lashed　us　with　their　whips　and　drove　us　out　into
  the　storm。　　But　there　was　to　be　another　meeting；　after　long　years；
  as　you　shall　see。
  There　was　no　escape。　　Never　was　I　permitted　to　cross　the　northern
  frontier。　　Never　was　I　permitted　to　put　foot　to　a　sampan　on　the　sea。
  The　Peddlers'　Guild　carried　these　commands　of　Chong　Mong…ju　to　every
  village　and　every　soul　in　all　Cho…Sen。　　I　was　a　marked　man。
  Lord；　Lord；　Cho…Sen；　I　know　your　every　highway　and　mountain　path；
  all　your　walled　cities　and　the　least　of　your　villages。　　For　two…
  score　years　I　wandered　and　starved　over　you；　and　the　Lady　Om　ever
  wandered　and　starved　with　me。　　What　we　in　extremity　have　eaten！
  Leavings　of　dog's　flesh；　putrid　and　unsaleable；　flung　to　us　by　the
  mocking　butchers；　MINARI；　a　water…cress　gathered　from　stagnant　pools
  of　slime；　spoiled　KIMCHI　that　would　revolt　the　stomachs　of　peasants
  and　that　could　be　smelled　a　mile。　　AyI　have　stolen　bones　from
  curs；　gleaned　the　public　road　for　stray　grains　of　rice；　robbed
  ponies　of　their　steaming　bean…soup　on　frosty　nights。
  It　is　not　strange　that　I　did　not　die。　　I　knew　and　was　upheld　by　two
  things：　　the　first；　the　Lady　Om　by　my　side；　the　second；　the　certain
  faith　that　the　time　would　come　when　my　thumbs　and　fingers　would
  fast…lock　in　the　gullet　of　Chong　Mong…ju。
  Turned　always　away　at　the　city　gates　of　Keijo；　where　I　sought　Chong
  Mong…ju；　we　wandered　on；　through　seasons　and　decades　of　seasons；
  across　Cho…Sen；　whose　every　inch　of　road　was　an　old　story　to　our
  sandals。　　Our　history　and　identity　were　wide…scattered　as　the　land
  was　wide。　　No　person　breathed　who　did　not　know　us　and　our
  punishment。　　There　were　coolies　and　peddlers　who　shouted　insults　at
  the　Lady　Om　and　who　felt　the　wrath　of　my　clutch　in　their　topknots；
  the　wrath　of　my　knuckles　in　their　faces。　　There　were　old　women　in
  far　mountain　villages　who　looked　on　the　beggar　woman　by　my　side；　the
  lost　Lady　Om；　and　sighed　and　shook　their　heads　while　their　eyes
  dimmed　with　tears。　　And　there　were　young　women　whose　faces　warmed
  with　compassion　as　they　gazed　on　the　bulk　of　my　shoulders；　the　blue
  of　my　eyes；　and　my　long　yellow　hairI　who　had　once　been　a　prince　of
  Koryu　and　the　ruler　of　provinces。　　And　there　were　rabbles　of
  children　that　tagged　at　our　heels；　jeering　and　screeching；　pelting
  us　with　filth　of　speech　and　of　the　common　road。
  Beyond　the　Yalu；　forty　miles　wide；　was　the　strip　of　waste　that
  constituted　the　northern　frontier　and　that　ran　from　sea　to　sea。　　It
  was　not　really　waste　land；　but　land　that　had　been　deliberately　made
  waste　in　carrying　out　Cho…Sen's　policy　of　isolation。　　On　this　forty…
  mile　strip　all　farms；　villages　and　cities　had　been　destroyed。　　It
  was　no　man's　land；　infested　with　wild　animals　and　traversed　by
  companies　of　mounted　Tiger　Hunters　whose　business　was　to　kill　any
  human　being　they　found。　　That　way　there　was　no　escape　for　us；　nor
  was　there　any　escape　for　us　by　sea。
  As　the　years　passed　my　seven　fellow…cunies　came　more　to　frequent
  Fusan。　　It　was　on　the　south…east　coast　where　the　climate　was　milder。
  But　more　than　climate；　it　lay　nearest　of　all　Cho…Sen　to　Japan。
  Across　the　narrow　straits；　just　farther　than　the　eye　can　see；　was
  the　one　hope　of　escape　Japan；　where　doubtless　occasional　ships　of
  Europe　came。　　Strong　upon　me　is　the　vision　of　those　seven　ageing　men
  on　the　cliffs　of　Fusan　yearning　with　all　their　souls　across　the　sea
  they　would　never　sail　again。
  At　times　junks　of　Japan　were　sighted；　but　never　lifted　a　familiar
  topsail　of　old　Europe　above　the　sea…rim。　　Years　came　and　went；　and
  the　seven　cunies　and　myself　and　the　Lady　Om；　passing　through　middle
  life　into　old　age；　more　and　more　directed　our　footsteps　to　Fusan。
  And　as　the　years　came　and　went；　now　one；　now　another　failed　to
  gather　at　the　usual　place。　　Hans　Amden　was　the　first　to　die。　　Jacob
  Brinker；　who　was　his　road…mate；　brought　the　news。　　Jacob　Brinker　was
  the　last　of　the　seven；　and　he　was　nearly　ninety　when　he　died；
  outliving　Tromp　a　scant　two　years。　　I　well　remember　the　pair　of
  them；　toward　the　last；　worn　and　feeble；　in　beggars'　rags；　with
  beggars'　bowls；　sunning　themselves　side　by　side　on　the　cliffs；
  telling　old　stories　and　cackling　shrill…voiced　like　children。　　And
  Tromp　would　maunder　over　and　over　of　how　Johannes　Maartens　and　the
  cunies　robbed　the　kings　on　Tabong　Mountain；　each　embalmed　in　his
  golden　coffin　with　an　embalmed　maid　on　either　side；　and　of　how　these
  ancient　proud　ones　crumbled　to　dust　within　the　hour　while　the　cunies
  cursed　and　sweated　at　junking　the　coffins。
  As　sure　as　loot　is　loot；　old　Johannes　Maartens　would　have　got　away
  and　across　the　Yellow　Sea　with　his　booty　had　it　not　been　for　the　fog
  next　day　that　lost　him。　　That　cursed　fog！　　A　song　was　made　of　it；
  that　I　heard　and　hated　through　all　Cho…Sen　to　my　dying　day。　　Here
  run　two　lines　of　it：
  〃Yanggukeni　chajin　anga
  Wheanpong　tora　deunda；
  The　thick　fog　of　the　Westerners
  Broods　over　Whean　peak。〃
  For　forty　years　I　was　a　beggar　of　Cho…Sen。　　Of　the　fourteen　of　us
  that　were　cast　away　only　I　survived。　　The　Lady　Om　was　of　the　same
  indomitable　stuff；　and　we　aged　together。　　She　was　a　little；
  weazened；　toothless　old　woman　toward　the　last；　but　ever　she　was　the
  wonder　woman；　and　she　carried　my　heart　in　hers　to　the　end。　　For　an
  old　man；　three　score　and　ten；　I　still　retained　great　strength。　　My
  face　was　withered；　my　yellow　hair　turned　white；　my　broad　shoulders
  shrunken；　and　yet　much　of　the　strength　of　my　sea…cuny　days　resided
  in　the　muscles　left　me。
  Thus　it　was　that　I　was　able　to　do　what　I　shall　now　relate。　　It　was　a
  spring　morning　on　the　cliffs　of　Fusan；　hard　by　the　highway；　that　the
  Lady　Om　and　I　sat　warming　in　the　sun。　　We　were　in　the　rags　of
  beggary；　prideless　in　the　dust；　and　yet　I　was　laughing　heartily　at
  some　mumbled　merry　quip　of　the　Lady　Om　when　a　shadow　fell　upon　us。
  It　was　the　great　litter　of　Cho