THE MARYKNOLL MISSION, HONG KONG 1941-46
59
Father Szeliga, who was untied, handed it around and we all took a sip of the precious liquid, but the half-full canteen did not go far among thirty-four parched throats. Later on, a second canteen was handed in, and we had another swallow. We continued to ask and make signs for food, and at length, at four-thirty in the afternoon, we heard a commotion outside. Our door opened a little wider, and a few Japanese soldiers, one apparently a petty officer, brought in and distributed to each a small package of army hardtack and a can of evaporated milk undoubtedly from our own store. We found some sort of implement to open the cans, and we had our first meal of hardtack and milk. Not knowing what the future had in store, we drank only half the milk and kept the remainder for the morrow, just in case!
An attempt to explain to the officer who came with the food that two of our men had dysentery met with no response. Then we pointed to our bound hands and asked to see a higher-ranking officer. To this, he replied that tonight we would be taken to the headquarters of the gendarmes, and hope sprung up anew in our breasts. However, as the night came on, no officer appeared, and we sought our bed on the floor as on the preceding night, but with a little less inconvenience, as during the day we had managed to clean up a little more of the debris, or at least to push it aside and thus made a little more sleeping space. During the course of the day, a few Japanese soldiers came along and peeked in through the crack in our door, and one of them threw in a couple of pieces of dirt or stones.
As we lay down to sleep that night, we noticed shadows playing on our wall, and looking out surreptitiously, we saw that the Japanese had kindled some fires nearby, the flames of which partially illuminated our quarters. A second look confirmed our suspicion - they were cremating the bodies of the dead. A little later on, we thought we heard English voices outside, but could not distinguish them clearly. The next morning, we found that some captured British soldiers had been billeted in one of the rooms on the ground floor of the house to which our garage was attached, but not being allowed outside, we, of course, could have no conversation with them.
Dawn of the twenty-seventh came, and we had breakfast in bed! Sitting or standing in our crowded quarters, we finished the few
THE MARYKNOLL MISSION, HONG KONG 1941-46
59
Father Szeliga, who was untied, handed it around and we all took a sip of the precious liquid, but the half full canteen did not go far among thirty-four parched throats. Later on a second canteen was handed in, and we had another swallow. We continued to ask and make signs for food, and at length at four thirty in the afternoon, we heard a commotion outside. Our door opened a little wider and a few Japanese soldiers, one apparently a petty officer, brought in and distributed to each, a small package of army hardtack and a can of evaporated milk undoubtedly from our own store. We found some sort of an implement to open the cans and we had our first meal of hardtack and milk. Not knowing what the future had in store, we drank only half the milk and kept the remainder for the morrow, just in case!
An attempt to explain to the officer who came with the food that two of our men had dysentery met with no response. Then we pointed to our bound hands and asked to see a higher ranking officer. To this he replied that tonight we would be taken to the headquarters of the gendarmes, and hope sprung up anew in our breasts. However, as the night came on, no officer appeared and we sought our bed on the floor as on the preceding night, but with a little less inconvenience, as during the day we had managed to clean up a little more of the debris, or at least to push it aside and thus made a little more sleeping space. During the course of the day a few Japanese soldiers came along and peeked in through the crack in our door, and one of them threw in a couple of pieces of dirt or stones.
As we lay down to sleep that night we noticed shadows playing on our wall, and looking out surreptitiously we saw that the Japan- ese had kindled some fires nearby, the flames of which partially illuminated our quarters. A second look confirmed our suspicion- they were cremating the bodies of the dead. A little later on we thought we heard English voices outside, but could not distinguish them clearly. The next morning we found that some captured British soldiers had been billetted in one of the rooms on the ground floor of the house to which our garage was attached, but not being allowed outside we, of course, could have no conversation with them.
Dawn of the twenty-seventh came, and we had breakfast in bed! Sitting or standing in our crowded quarters, we finished the few
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