Sarkhan [antikvár]

A Trail in the JungleTuc, the Communist from Sarkhan, trotted through thejungle, wearing only a pair of dirty shorts. He was hungry,but he enjoyed the sensation. He would wait anotherhour before eating. In a small bundle tied to his shoul-ders were a singlet, sandals, political cartoon books, amap case, five religious pamphlets, and a fortune inSarkhanese rupees.Tuc was so lean that his major muscles stretched againsthis skin, the large arteries bulged tautly on his calves andarms. He was average size for a Malay-stock Sarkhanese,a few inches over five feet. His black hair was close-cropped. His fingers had scores of tiny scars, the suremark of the fish-gutter. The two middle fingers of his righthand were missing, lost when he was seventeen and agrenade he was making had exploded in his hand. Acomrade had bound his hand, Tuc had borrowed a grenadefrom someone else and had thrown it with reasonableaccuracy at a squad of Chiang's forces.Tuc's face was usually composed and always unreveal-ing. His subordinates avoided him unless sent for. Afterleaving him they felt exhausted, strained. His curt orders11