The Cadet Corporal

by Christopher Cummings

  ‘This is not going to work!’ Graham thought as he felt Peter slipping from his grip. But did he dare let go for a moment while trying to get a better grip? ‘I have to take the risk,’ he thought. Desperation made him act. Judging he was safe from the train Graham tried to ignore it. He let go of the cross beam with his left hand and reached down with it and grabbed hold of Peter’s shirt sleeve, twisting the cloth into his grip. The action drove some of the burs deeply into his palm but he ignored the pain and tightened his grip. In doing so Graham had to lean over the side of the beam, depending on his legs to keep a grip.

  “Swing your legs up Pete!” Graham shouted, his voice all but drowned out by the massive roar of the train.

  Peter tried to but was obviously scared to swing much lest his fingers slip off the rim of the girder. Graham tightened his grip with his left hand and then let go of Peter’s wrist with his right. Leaning even further over Graham reached down and seized Peter’s shirt with his right hand. At that moment the locomotive’s horn blared deafeningly again and then the thunder of its approach changed note and Graham knew it had roared onto the section of bridge they were on.

  Suddenly boots struck at Graham and he felt Carnes grabbing at him. A terror-stricken Carnes came scrabbling down on top of him, grabbing frantically at his clothes for a hold. Graham felt pure terror surge in his veins as he began to slip sideways off the beam. He screamed at Carnes to stop it but was ignored. With an ear-shattering roar the engine raced past a few centimetres above his head. The noise was so loud and terrifying that Graham found it all but paralysing. All he could do was hang on.

  To prevent himself being dragged sideways off the beam Graham braced his boots under the main girder and clung on, literally for grim death. Above him sounded an even more ear splitting screech as hundreds of brake shoes came on, to scrape at hundreds of steel wheels. The din was absolutely stunning. The whole bridge seemed to thunder and shake.

  By this time Graham was almost frantic with fear as he could feel himself being slowly dragged off the beam by Carnes, who now grabbed him around the neck and upper body. Carnes’ boots hammered at the steel girder and then beat at Peter, who clenched his teeth and clung grimly on. ‘This can’t go on,’ Graham thought. He could feel his strength giving out.

  “Climb up over me Pete!” Graham screamed, at the same time using all his strength to haul Peter upwards. Peter’s shirt stretched, then ripped, but it was enough. With a desperate lunge Peter let go of the rim with his right hand and managed to get it up over the top of Graham’s back. He grabbed at Graham’s trousers and hung on, his boots flailing at thin air as he tried to swing them up to get a grip.

  Carnes was in the way. Worse still he was slowly dragging Graham off the beam. Something began pressing sharply into Graham’s neck and back and he realised it was the rope Carnes had around his neck. Suddenly the rope went slack and Carnes slid even further over until he was dangling beside Peter. In the process he clung frantically to Graham who could feel himself being pulled over as well. Knowing that he was doomed if he allowed this to happen Graham used all the strength in his leg muscles to brace his boots under the main girder.

  For over a minute all he could do was hang on with all his might. On one side was Peter, pulling at him as he tried to get a foothold. One the other was Carnes, who was now screaming in Graham’s ear as he clung desperately on.

  Then the last wagon of the train rolled past and the fearful metallic screeching, clashing and banging began to recede. Graham was quiet unable to move his head and feared that Carnes was going to break his neck as he clung to him. His cheek was pressed hard down onto the cold steel of the cross beam.

  Suddenly the weights shifted, almost causing Graham to slip over under the beam. Peter had got a boot up onto one of the diagonal cross beams and now reached up over him to grip the sleepers. Then Peter was above him and sitting astride him, his boots placed on the lower flange of the cross beam. It hurt but Graham guessed that Peter knew what he was doing.

  “Hang on Graham,” Peter yelled in his ear.

  Graham did, with Carnes still hanging from him. But it was not a stable situation. Carnes was squirming and struggling so much that he kept upsetting Graham’s grip and balance. By now his thigh and calf muscles were starting to quiver and feel white hot.

  “Stop moving Carnes and we will get you up,” Peter yelled.

  But Carnes was beyond reason. He clawed at Graham, gripping his shirt. This ripped right across the back where it had already been torn. Carnes screamed and dropped. For a moment Graham thought he had fallen but then the rope went tight across his back and shoulders and he knew that Carnes was dangling on the end of it. To the extent that he was himself being strangled by its pressure across the back of his neck Graham half wished Carnes would fall off.

  “Pete! Do something!” Graham gasped. “I’m being choked.”

  “Wait. Just hold on,” Peter replied.

  There was movement and Peter said, “Have you got hold of him?”

  “Yes,” Graham called back, grabbing hold of Carnes’ sleeve.

  “Try to lift him and hang on for a minute while I get back on to the bridge,” Peter replied.

  “Let the bloody rope hold him,” Graham gasped. ‘It’s what he wanted,’ he thought, but didn’t say.

  “I can’t,” Peter replied. “The train has cut the knot and I’ve got the end around my wrist. You have to take the weight so I can get up.”

  Graham shouted to Peter he had the weight and clung on grimly. The rope suddenly went slack and Peter put a boot in the middle of Graham’s back. Then the pressure was gone. Graham was able to turn his head and breathe. He looked over the side into Carnes’ terror-stricken eyes. Carnes was screaming and babbling for them to save him. As he did he jerked and squirmed, his legs flailing at thin air.

  “Stop moving, bugger you!” Graham yelled. He could hardly hold on himself and could feel Carnes slipping through his grasp.

  Carnes ignored him and kept frantically trying to climb back up to him. Suddenly the rope went tight and Carnes began to choke. His eyes bulged and his tongue stuck out. With his left hand he clawed at the noose around his neck. Graham stared in horrified fascination.

  Peter shouted in Graham’s ear, “Grab him and lift!”

  Graham realised that Peter was leaning over the side of the bridge next to him and was reaching down with both hands. Peter shouted again, “Quick! I’ve tied the rope on to stop him dropping. Help me!”

  Seeing Carnes choking to death before his very eyes galvanized Graham for a last big effort. He reached down, grabbed Carnes’ hair and heaved up. Peter was able to reach Carnes’ shirt and he took over hauling while Graham transferred his grip to Carnes’ trousers. Then it was relatively easy. Peter used all his strength to drag Carnes up over the end of the sleepers onto the rails.

  Graham lay astride the girder, shuddering with exertion and fear for a moment, then opened his mouth to call to Peter to help him. He had no need. Peter had already acted and reached down to grab his clothes. “Ok Graham. Up you come. Take it slow.”

  Graham did. He was shaking so much he feared he would slip or lose his grip so he moved one limb at a time, only moving another when he was sure he had a tight grip. The hardest part was twisting around to get a grip behind him, then turning to reach up for the rail. Once he had the rail in his grasp it was easy. He placed a boot on the cross beam and pushed himself up so that he slid forward on his front across the rails.

  Peter held him while he did this but once he was up both boys just lay down across the track. For several minutes all they could do was lie there. Graham was so shaken and sore that he felt as though elephants had trampled him and tried to pull him apart.

  Suddenly a ghastly thought crossed his mind: was Carnes being strangled by his noose?

  “Pete, check that Carnes isn’t being choked to death by his noose,” he called.

  Peter did so then lay back. “It’s OK, he’s breathing,” he said.
“He didn’t tie a proper noose so the knot didn’t tighten up.”

  ‘Poor old Carnes,’ Graham thought. ‘Couldn’t even hang himself properly!’

  Then he lay back and began to sob as the reaction set in.

  It was the lights and shouting which roused Graham. He turned his head and saw the headlights of another vehicle parking below them. Then the thud of boots sounded on the bridge and a minute later a desperately anxious Capt Conkey arrived to join them. As he swept the beam of his torch over the three boys he cried aloud, “Oh thank God! All safe!”

  Capt Conkey made them lie still while he made more phone calls. As he did Graham roused himself. “Sir, call the railways and tell them to stop any trains.”

  “The police are doing that, and that train that just crossed is stopped a little way up the line,” Capt Conkey replied. Then he sat down and shook his head, then sobbed, “Oh my word, that was bloody close!”

  “You are telling me!” agreed Peter feelingly. He sat up and Graham tried to do so as well but found all his muscles quivering. Capt Conkey insisted they lie there till they had recovered and more help had arrived. Lt Hamilton was the first, then the very anxious train crew. They were mightily relieved to learn that no-one had been injured or killed. Next to arrive were two army officers and an army medic from the camp.

  Between them they assisted the boys to walk safely back off the bridge. As he made his way along with Capt Conkey walking behind him and holding his arm Graham felt quite dizzy and shuddered at the risks he and Peter had taken running out in the dark along the two planks. When he at last reached the embankment at the end of the bridge he sighed with relief and offered a silent prayer.

  By the time they had slithered down the embankment and negotiated the barbed wire fence two more vehicles had arrived: a police car and an ambulance from Charters Towers. The boys were at once taken to the ambulance. Graham’s scratches were cleaned and daubed with antiseptic and he was asked if he wanted to go to the hospital to see a doctor.

  “No thanks,” he replied. “I am alright, just a little shaken up.”

  Peter gave the same reply and both he and Graham were taken to one side while Carnes was placed in the ambulance. After a discussion between the adults a policeman climbed in the back of the ambulance and it drove off. Graham and Peter were both then questioned by the officers and the police. That was something Graham found a bit of an ordeal as he was hurting by then. His scratches smarted and his over-stretched muscles continued to tremble. He found he was shaking and felt flushed.

  The upshot was that both he and Peter were driven to the army camp. Here the army medic again washed the cuts and scratches and they were fed with hot Milo. A spare shirt was found for Graham and he gingerly pulled it on. During a break in the questioning Graham gave Peter a wry smile and said, “I reckoned you were history when you were dangling by just one hand.”

  Peter made a face. “So did I!” he replied. “Now I know how you felt that time you were thrown over the cliff beside the Kuranda railway last year.” With that he put his head down and sobbed, then broke into a fit of shivering.

  Graham waited till he had recovered and then asked if he was alright. Peter nodded and then said, “Thanks mate.”

  Which made Graham all embarrassed. Even so he shuddered every time he thought of that ghastly drop and what might have been.

  It was well after midnight before Capt Conkey drove them back to the bivouac area, both having declined to spend the night in the RAP. Back at the campsite they found the officers all still awake but were told to get straight to bed. They were also told not to discuss the incident with anyone until given permission. By this time Graham was feeling very stiff and he hobbled off into the darkness to find his bed.

  In the platoon area all was quiet. Everyone was asleep. Graham found his bedding and gently eased himself down onto it. His muscles protested but it was such a relief that he sighed and then slowly stretched out. He was sure he would not sleep but after giving thanks in another prayer he slipped quickly into a deep sleep.

  When Graham was shaken awake he was dreaming he was teetering on a huge steel bridge and was in danger of falling off. As he woke he experienced a spasm of panic till he realised it was only a dream. Only when he tried to sit up did the memory really hit him, brought on by the pain of stiff muscles and aching scratches. With a groan he sat up and gently eased himself to his feet.

  Sgt Grenfell was standing there. “Time for check parade,” he said, giving him a quizzical look. This was the first of many but Graham just shook his head and said he couldn’t say anything. The platoon formed up with the others for check parade. After it was over they straggled back to their bivouac area to pack up.

  While he was rolling up his bedding Kirsty came and stood next to him. “What happened last night Graham?” she asked.

  “I’m not allowed to say,” Graham replied. As he looked up he noted that she had several bruises on her neck. ‘Love bites!’ he thought. He found that immensely saddening and knew he was jealous, yet glad he had been strong enough to resist her.

  At that moment CSM Cleland came along. He gave them both a hard look then said, “Cpl Kirk, Capt Conkey wants to speak to you.”

  That got Graham all anxious again and while he walked to Company HQ he examined his guilty conscience, wondering why. Capt Conkey was sitting with all the other officers but he stood up and walked over to meet them as Graham and the CSM approached. For a few moments he looked hard at Graham, who found it difficult to meet his eyes.

  Then Capt Conkey asked, “Cpl Kirk, were you planning to stay in cadets next year?”

  ‘Here it comes,’ Graham thought. ‘He has found out about Kirsty and is going to chuck me out!’ He swallowed and nodded. “Yes sir, I wanted to.”

  “Good. How would you like to be CSM?” Capt Conkey asked.

  For a moment Graham did not comprehend. Then it dawned on him he was not in trouble. He again swallowed and nodded, then said, “Yes sir. I’d like that.”

  “Good. I have been very impressed with your leadership and determination during the camp. And after the last few nights I am really impressed by your courage. If you can resist the wrong sort of temptations you will do very well,” Capt Conkey said.

  Graham simultaneously glowed with pleasure at the praise and shame over Kirsty. ‘He has noticed,’ he thought, ‘and he is warning me.’ Deeply moved, he silently vowed to do the very best he could. “Yes sir,” he managed to say.

  “Good, now I have a less pleasant task for you,” Capt Conkey said.

  “Sir?”

  “Sergeant Yeldham has been relieved of his duties and Three Platoon needs a platoon sergeant. Are you willing to be an acting sergeant for the remainder of the year?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Good,” Capt Conkey said. He dug into his pocket and took out a brassard with sergeants chevrons on it. “Then put this on and go and get them packed up ready to march. CSM, give Sgt Kirk their roll book.”

  CSM Cleland handed Graham the 3 Platoon roll book and said, “Get going sergeant.”

  “Yes sir!”

  THE CADET CORPORAL C. R. Cummings

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  This is a story about the problems of leadership. Its characters are teenage army cadets on their annual camp. The story deals with a wide range of problems and situations, all of which may be encountered by young leaders to test their character and training. Because some of the situations involve the issue of ‘fraternization’ there are, of necessity, some sexual references.

  Because most of the incidents involve teenage boys there is some coarse language (Strongly modified for the book and not nearly as colourful or objectionable as they tend to use in reality). There is also some discussion about maleness- as seen through the eyes of teenagers.

  This places the author in a difficult situation. If reality is included some people may be offended or object- but if reality is not included how then does one advise and help people to cope with th
e world they actually live in?

  So this is a watered down but ‘warts and all’ story describing the sorts of things young leaders may encounter and offering helpful hints on how to deal with them. The author has commanded an army cadet unit for 25 years and can assure the reader that all of the situations described have actually happened- with minor changes for the sake of the story- but thankfully not all to one poor cadet corporal.

  The book was written in North Queensland in the days before combined camps with ‘Tier’ Training and the style of camp described is, in this author’s opinion, a much better way of achieving the character building and leadership training objectives of the AAC.

  By the same author

  March 2011

  BEHIND MT BALDY

  When Graham is in Year 11 and is the Company Sergeant Major of his army cadet unit he sets off on a five day hike during the June school holidays with his friends Peter, Stephen and Roger. Their aim is to complete the ‘expedition’ task for the Duke of Edinburgh Award and plan to march 100km. Their OC, Captain Conkey, had placed a set of ‘clues’ to test their navigation. Instead they walk into trouble so unexpected and so deadly that it tests all their characters and friendship. To survive they need to use all their skills as cadets.

  To Roger, youngest, chubbiest, and least fit, the whole event is the toughest test of endurance he has ever encountered. He has to summon up all of his resources, and make hard moral choices, to see the thing through. This is Roger’s story and it is set on the Atherton Tablelands of North Queensland. The action takes place around the shores of Lake Tinaroo and in the tropical rainforest.

  Suitable for teenagers.