Silver Stallion by Junghyo Ahn Read Free Book Online Page A

He had been ordered by Chandol to stay behind and watch them. If Bong had been as good a swimmer as the others, Chandol might have allowed him to join the expedition; they did not really need anybody to look after clothes that they could easily hide in a bush or bury in the sand.
    Bong threw a pebble into the river. He was sad because he was going to miss the big adventure. To go to watch a real battle fought by grownups was something far greater than going to a hill to pick acorns and chestnuts or to a waterfall to swim. It was an adventure even greater than the expedition to search for the General’s Cave, or the Autumn War the Kumsan boys fought every year against the Castle village boys. Bong wanted to watch the grownups’ war.
    Peeling his pants from his fat legs with a grunt, Kijun glanced over at the unhappy little boy. “Keep a good watch over the clothes,” he said. “You know we’ll punish you if you lose any of them.”
    Bong nodded dejectedly. The boys would not only watch the war and the real soldiers, but they would steal clocks and shoes and toys and marbles and everything from the empty houses and shops in town, too. Chandol said the whole town was open for anybody to loot. And Bong was the only boy at Kumsan who would miss all that fun.
    â€œLet’s go,” Chandol said to the naked boys and started to wade into the river.
    Bong watched them splash into the water, chattering and giggling. Chandol was in the lead, as always. Bong liked Chandol very much. Sometimes Chandol gave him a punch or two, but Bong did not mind that very much. Chandol’s punches were punishment for some wrong Bong had done, while Toad would punch him when nobody was around for no reason at all. And Chandol knew more about the town and grownups and animals than anybody else did. Even if they were lost in the woods and Toad and the other boys were frightened to tears, Bong was never afraid as long as Chandol was with them, because he was sure that his captain would somehow find the way to the village before dark.
    Chandol swam out, kicking like a frog. Mansik followed next, his head bobbing up and down. Kangho and Kijun swam side by side behind them.
    With a quiet sigh Bong lay down on the sand and looked up at the mild sky.
    The four boys, stark naked, trudged across the sandy shore, somewhat tired after the swim. Then they followed a desolate path through the tall reeds along the riverbank. Two parallel ruts made by cartwheels stretched out along both sides of the dirt road crossing the islet; this trail was frequented by cows and by carts carrying West County vegetables and grain to the Central Market in town. Yellow dust puffed up at their feet as the boys plodded on along the track littered with dry cow dung. Rustling softly, the reeds waved as the hot breeze hit them.
    â€œDo you think it’ll really be all right for us to go to town naked like this?” Kijun asked Chandol again.
    â€œI told you not to worry about it, didn’t I!” Chandol snapped impatiently. “Nobody will see us because all the people are hiding in their homes. There’s nobody on the streets but the fighting soldiers. We will find a safe place near the market to hide and watch the war.”
    They trudged on toward the Soyang ferry. The sun blazed in the silent sky.
    â€œMansik,” said Kangho, walking with his toes curled inward because the scorched dust was too hot for his bare soles, “I’ve got a sort of queer feeling.”
    â€œAbout what?”
    â€œThat we may not see any fighting in town. It’s so quiet. I don’t hear any shooting.”
    â€œMaybe they are using guns that don’t make much noise.”
    â€œAnd we haven’t seen any airplanes this afternoon,” Kangho persisted.
    â€œHush!” said Mansik, suddenly halting.
    Kangho also stopped. “What is it?” he asked. “You look scared.”
    Chandol looked back at the two boys and