Jack Higgins - Iron Tiger

by Iron Tiger [lit]

  It was no good. He was on his knees, the old man beside h?m in the snow, Ms arms moving feebly. Drummond took a deep breath, something deep inside, some essential courage that refused to be beaten giving Mm the strength to haul the old man to Ms feet

  They stood there, swaying together and then the other horse loomed out of the night, Hamid in. the saddle.

  What happened after that was something Drummond could never really remember afterwards. He was aware of Hamid pulling the old man up across the saddle with a supreme effort, of shouted directions that were snatched away by the wind and then the horse plunged forward, taking him with it, Ms right hand hooked firmly around the saddle girth.

  It was Janet at the door of the hut with the lantern that saved-them and the light drew them out of the storm. Hamid slid to the ground, pulling Father Kerrigan after him and staggered towards the door while Drummond hung on to the horse.

  It was no use. As a sudden gust of wind slashed in from the valley driving razor-sharp particles of ice before it, the terrified animal reared up, knocking Drummond to the ground and galloped madly into the night.

  He was on Ms hands and knees again, crawling towards the doorway and the wind seemed to have got inside Ms brain, dragging Mm down into the whirling darkness.

  The Last Round

  HB awakened slowly and lay for several moments staring up through the gloom, trying to decide where he was..Realisation came suddenly and completely and he tried to sit up.

  The hut was low roofed and built of blocks of rough stone. He was lying on a pile of mouldy hay with Bamid beside Mm. In the middle of the floor a fire burned brightly.

  All his outer clothing had been removed and he was only wearing his underwear. He had been covered with sheepskin coats and he pulled them aside and examined his swollen, chapped hands. Gingerly, he touched his face and winced as fingertips probed great splits in his flesh.

  His right foot felt heavy and numb and when he sat up, he saw that it had been bandaged. He reached to touch it and Hamid opened his eyes and pushed himself up on one elbow.

  'How do you feel?'

  "Bloody awful. What's wrong with my foot?.

  'A touch of frostbite, nothing serious. All your toes are still there, if that's what you're thinking.'

  1 can't feel a damned thing.'

  Manet gave you an injection. Something from the old man's medical kit.'

  Drummond looked across to the other side of the fire to where Janet, Father Kerrigaa and the young Khan slept peacefully. 'How is he?'

  'He had a heart attack when I got him inside last night Luckily he'd brought the right sort of drugs along and Janet was able to give him an injection.'

  'He's in pretty bad shape then?'

  'Couldn't walk another step and, in case you don't remember, we lost both horses last night.

  He took a cheroot from his pocket, broke it in two and handed Drummond half. 'The last one so make the most of it. He walked to the door, opened it slightly and peered out 'Dawn's coming and the snow seems to be lifting.' He returned to the fire and pulled on his boots. Til take a walk and find out exactly where we are.'

  The door closed behind him softly and a small, trapped wind raced round the walls seeking an outlet and then died. There was a sudden movement in the shadows on the other side of the fire and Janet sat up.

  'Jack, are you all right?'

  'Fine,' he said softly. 'Ali's gone to have a look round.'

  He started to dress, fumbling over the buttons with Ms swollen fingers and she threw some more wood on the fire. 'How's your foot?'

  Tm just beginning to feel it again.'

  Td better give you another injection.'

  He was hardly aware of the needle going in. 'How long will that last?'

  'Four or five hours.'

  He found the laces of his combat boots quite impossible and she tied them for him after fitting the right boot over the bandaged foot gently.

  'How's that?'

  'Fine.' He took her hand. "You look just about ready to fall down. How's Father Kerrigan?'

  'Not too good, I'm afraid. He needs hospital treatment.'

  'AndTCerim?'

  She chuckled. 'In better shape than the rest of us put together, I think..

  There was a sudden draught as the door opened, then closed and Hamid dropped by the fire, cursing softly and holding his hands to the flames.

  'What's it like?' Drummond said.

  'Cold enough to freeze you to the ground, but it's stopped snowing..

  'What about getting out of here?'

  We're in the hollow of a small plateau overlooking the lower slopes of the mountain. According to the Abbot, it's five miles down to the big valley and the Indian border.'

  'How rough is the going?'

  Hamid shrugged. 'Impossible to teH, it's not quite dawa yet, but it shouldn't take us more than a couple of hours even if conditions are bad. It's all downhill.'

  Drummond got to his feet and swayed slightly, suddenly light-headed. 'Are you all right?' Janet said anxiously.

  He nodded and walked carefully to the door. Outside it was still dark, but towards the east, a pale, grey light was lifting over the peaks. He followed the line of Hamid's footsteps, climbing up out of the hollow and stood on the rim, looking down into the darkness of the valley.

  After a while, he turned and went back to the hut. Hamid glanced up at him as he dropped beside the fire. "Well, what do you think?'

  The old man will never make it.

  'We could carry him.'

  Drummond shook his head. 'We'd have enough trouble getting ourselves down there on foot Even Janet would find it a struggle.'

  Then what do we do?' Hamid said. 'We can't leave him.'

  There was a tired chuckle from the other side of the fire and Father Kerrigan said in a.faint voice, 'You haven't any choice, have you?'

  Tm damned if I will,' Drummond said. 'If we assume that Cheung and 'his men stayed overnight at the monastery because of the storm, then we've got to expect that he'll start out again at first light especially as it's stopped snowing. He's come this far, he won't stop till he reaches the border and has to accept the inevitable.'

  'So what do we do?' Hamid said. 'Stay here and try to beat him off?' He picked up the Garrand. 'With one rifle.'

  "What's your suggestion?'

  'If we got to the border post fast enough, we could get help.'

  'And come straight back?'

  That's right For all we know, they may have air support down there, helicopters even. They're bound to be reinforcing the entire area in view of what's happened..

  Drummond stood there, indecision on his face and Janet said quietly, 'He's right, Jack, it's the only plan that makes any sense. I'll stay here with Father Kerrigan.'

  'Now just wait a minute...' Drummond began.

  She shook her head, her face grave. Tm staying,

  Jack, he needs me, but you must take Kerim with you.

  'But why, for God's sake?' Drummond demanded. 'We'll be coming back for all of you.'

  'You may not be in time.'

  She stood before him, arms hanging straight at her sides, calm and determined, her eyes very tired, and then she smiled and there was all the love in the world there for him.

  'Hurry back, Jack! Hurry back!'

  He reached blindly for her and Hamid took him firmly by the arm. 'We're wasting time, Jack.'

  Drummond turned and stumbled to the door and Hamid offered her the rifle. TH leave you this/

  She shook her head. 'I couldn't use it, Ali,' shs said simply.

  Hamid stood there for a moment, a frown oa Ms face and then he slung the rifle over his back and went round the fire to where Kerim slept beside the old priest, swathed in his blankets.

  He picked the boy up gently, cradling him la his arms and Father Kerrigan smiled. Td take it as a personal favour if you'd run all the way, Major.'

  Hamid turned and went out, the lump that rose in his throat threatening to choke him. Drumm
ond was waiting outside and the Pathan walked past him without speaking, the boy held close to his chest.

  Drummond stumbled after him. On the rim of the hollow he paused to look back at the hut. Janet was standing in the entrance. She gazed towards him for a long moment and then went back inside. The door closed with a strange finality and Drummond turned and went down the slope after Hamid.

  Progress was slow at first for on the upper slopes, sheltered by a shoulder of the mountain, the snow had not been swept away and had fallen in a deep blanket that made walking difficult.

  Drummond soon realised how weak he was. They had not covered a mile before he was gritting his teeth and placing one foot in front of the other with a dogged persistence. Hamid seemed tireless and ploughed ahead through the snow without faltering, but his face, when they rested in the lee of a large boulder, told another story.

  Kerim's single eye over the edge of the blanket was round with wonder and Hamid laughed. 'I wonder how much of this he'll remember in the years to come?'

  'God knows,' Drummond said hoarsely..Here, give him to me. I'll take him for a while.'

  Hamid didn't even try to argue, a bad sign, and they started to walk.again. The boy seemed heavy, which was a strange thing, and Drummond held him close and leaned well back as he went down the slope.

  Another mile and his legs were trembling and when he tried to take another pace forward, he overbalanced and rolled over and over down the mountainside.

  He held on tight to the boy and the world spun and red sparks flashed before his eyes. Faintly, through a great roaring, he heard Hamid calling to him aad he came to rest in a great drift of snow.

  The boy was crying and Hamid picked him up and brushed snow from his face as Drummond got painfully to his feet. Hamid's eyes seemed to have receded into their sockets, and lines of fatigue were etched deeply into his face, They didn't speak- there was nothing to say. He started to march, the boy against his chest and Drummond followed.

  Time no longer had any significance for Drummond. He placed oae foot doggedly in front of the other, and after a while they left the slopes and struggled over a flat plain of deep snow. Half-way across, they had to rest, completely exhausted.

  Darkness had fled across the mountains and day had dawned, grey and sullen, more snow threatening in the heavy clouds as they finally struggled out of the deep snow and entered a thinly wooded stretch that sloped down to the valley bottom.

  Drummond sucked a piece of ice, delighting in the coolness of it as it melted in his mouth and trickled down his throat and hobbled along in a strange, trance-like mood.

  It was with a sense of shock that he found himself lying in the snow, the taste of it cold in his mouth and then a foot dug into his side and he heard Hamid's dead, washed-out voice.

  .Get up, Jack. I haven't the strength to lift you..

  He turned away and Drummond with a supreme effort got to his feet and went after him. He bowed his head and placed one foot in front of the other. He repeated that simple action until he had lost count of time and suddenly heard a shout in front

  Hamid had stopped on top of a slight rise twenty or thirty yards away and called to him in a strange, cracked voice. Drummond broke into a stumbling run and reached the top of the rise in time to see Hamid staggering down towards the camp in the hollow below. There were field guns deeply entrenched, supply trucks parked at the rear and a sprinkling of snow-covered huts.

  Men were flooding forward, men in familiar uniforms and khaki turbans, some riding supply mules. They reached Hamid and Drummond saw him hand the boy carefully to a great, bearded Sikh. He turned, looked back at Drummond, took a single hesitant step and fell on his face in the mow.

  Drommond slid to the ground and sat there, tears rolling down Ms cracked cheeks as the soldiers moved towards him,

  It was warm in the hut and he sat before the stove, a blanket round his shoulders and sipped hot tea slowly, holding the mug in both hands. After a while, the door to the other room opened and a young Bengali medical corps sergeant came in.

  'How is he?' Drummond asked.

  Tine,' the sergeant said. 'He's fallen asleep now, quite exhausted.'

  'And the boy?'

  'Having a meal in the officers' mess, such as it is.' The sergeant laughed. There's nothing wrong with that one. He seems to have enjoyed himself, if anything, during the past few days. More brandy?'

  Drummond nodded and held out his mug. 'How much longer will your commanding officer be?'

  'He shouldn't be long now. The main command post is only three miles away, but since the snow, of course, we're having to use mules.'

  The door swung open, a cold wind whistling round the room and young Lieutenant Singh entered. 'Major Naru's coming now, Mr. Drummond."

  Thank God for that.'

  Drummond got to his feet and hobbled to the window in time to see the major and an escort of two privates ride up on mules. They dismounted and the major came up the steps to the hut, brushing snow from his parka with both hands.

  Lieutenant Singh opened the door for him and he came in and moved straight to the fire, a tall, handsome man with a clipped moustache.

  'Mr. Drammond?' He pulled off Ms gloves and held out a hand. 'A pleasure to see you here, sir.'

  'Believe me, it's a pleasure to be here, Major,' Drum-mond said. 'Did Lieutenant Singh give you the whole story?'

  The major nodded. 'We spoke over the field telephone. Where is Major Harold?'

  .Asleep in the other room. He's done the work of ten men during the past few days.'

  'And the young Khan?'

  'We're looking after him in the officers' mess, sir,' Lieutenant Singh put in.

  'What about my friends, Major?' Drummond said..When can we make a start? I wanted to return with men and mules straight away,, but the lieutenant said he couldn't move without the good word from you..

  Major Naru sighed. Tm afraid it's rather more.com.-plicated than that. The Chinese invasion of Balpur is something my government must handle with the greatest care. An emergency session has already started at the United Nations. Under these circumstances, all units on the border have been ordered to avoid any confrontation with Chinese units at whatever the cost. It would be impossible for me to even-consider sending a patrol into Balpur territory.'

  'But that hut's no more than five miles from here,' Drummond said. 'With mules, we could be there in less than an hour and time is vital. As I explained to Lieutenant Singh, Colonel Cheung could beat us to the punch.'

  'All the more reason to avoid a situation which could lead to possible military action.'

  "We'll see what Major Hamid has to say about this,' Drammond said angrily and he moved to the door of the inner room.

  'Major Hamid is en officer of the Indian Army. He will do what I have to do - obey orders.' Major Naru's voice cracked suddenly. 'Do you think I'm enjoying this, Mr. Drummond? If I had my way, I'd move over that border now with every man I've got.' He pulled on his gloves. Tm going to get in touch with Headquarters by radio immediately. If they give me the word, Fli lead my men in myself, I promise you.'

  'How long will that take?'

  To get a reply?' Major Naru shrugged. 'An hour, perhaps two. It is something they will have to consider carefully.' He moved to the door and Singh opened it for him. 'I am sorry, Mr. Drummond.'

  The door closed behind them and Drummond went to the window. Major Naru walked across to the command post, Singh at his shoulder. The three mules he and his escort had used were tethered outside. Drummond looked at them for a moment, then made his decision.

  The medical sergeant was standing by the stove, his face troubled, and Drummond moved past him and opened the door to the inner room. Hamid lay on his back on one of the bunks, breathing gently, the harsh lines smoothed from his handsome face.

  When they had carried him in, someone had brought his rifle and it stood in the comer by the window. Drummond slung it over his back and looked down at Hamid for a moment.

  'Goo
d luck, Ali,' he said softly and returned to the other room.

  He uncorked the brandy bottle, poured some into his mug and swallowed it quickly and the medical sergeant watched, a frown on his face.

  'Why the rifle, Mr. Drummond?.

  Tra going for a little ride,. Drummond said. It might come in useful.'