Spot. Me in the War - Part 4, One man Down.

We stopped to rest for the night. I was very pleased the way things were going and went to sleep feeling we had done well. Good old Spot at my feet as usual. The next morning I awoke and most of the others were still asleep apart from Ginger. He was burning up. He had caught Swamp Fever. I’d seen it before. It was horrible. Men could swell up like balloons and sores the size of dinner plates would appear all over their bodies. They died a horrible death. I would sooner be gut shot than die like that. I called one of the twins to make a stretcher of two wooden poles and we could use our jackets to make the stretcher, so that we can carry Ginger. They both nodded and went about their work. Johnny looked worried when he came over.

“We won’t be able to carry him for long, Del Boy” he said “He’s going to slow us down”.

“Well” I shouted back at him, staring him hard in the face “I aint going to leave him”.

The twins made the stretcher and we set off again, albeit a bit slower. We had gone about four miles or so, when we came across a small village in a clearing in the jungle.

The village was deserted, but we had come to expect that. You see, they can hear you coming from miles away. Don’t know how but they can.

“Rest here” I said and motioned the lads to sit down.

“What now?” said Johnny.

“We wait” I said.

”For what,” he replied, “The Japs?”

”The Villagers” was my reply.

Three hours went by when we saw an old man coming from the jungle. He came over to us smiling. He was the village elder and he asked in broken English why we had stopped in his village as the Japs were very near and had only passed the village a few hours ago.

“We have a wounded man” I said, and pointed towards Ginger on the stretcher. He went over and looked at Ginger and came back to me.

“This man is going to die” he said “He has the poison.”

”Will you look after him?” I asked “You can hide him. You know how to do that.”

He shook his head “Japanese kill all in village if he is found”

“Dress him like you, and look after him ‘till I get back” I said “I will pay you many guns and food for your village.” He thought a while then nodded I could see he didn’t want to, but he must have thought he had no choice.

Leaving Ginger some provisions and a gun in case he had to, well you know, we headed onwards.

Written By: Gamestar
Edited By: mageman
Coded By: Gamestar