| caption: |
Chapter twenty-four. Famine |
| caption: |
mounting tension as Japanese advance |
| text: |
Lastly, there was the atmosphere of those three months. The Japs were just beyond the border, there was tension everywhere; rumour and counter-rumour rippled through. The Zemi were afraid. Talk magnified our defeats; Jap prowess was exalted. Invasion in the autumn seemed certain, and what to do when it came was a problem for all of us. Some time in July I had a message. Over in Manipur, the Kabui, Zemi and Lyeng had held a meeting to decide on joint action should the administration withdraw. They asked whether, in that event, I would stay behind as their leader. |
| text: |
I sent back, for the moment, a non-committal reply. But, if invasion came, I meant to stay. |
