The Cadet Under-Officer

by Christopher Cummings

  While he waited Roger came over to him. “You’ve got Elizabeth here? Is that the cadet I saw with you and Miss McEwen?” he asked. He and Graham were ‘best mates’ and had shared many adventures together. If Graham said it was true then it was and Roger would stick by him, come hell or high water. They were a good team.

  Graham nodded. “Yeah, she’s just over there with Miss McEwen,” he replied. He walked up the low gravel mound and called to Lt McEwen and Elizabeth. Roger came with him and picked up the groundsheet and sleeping bag. As they walked back the platoon fell silent and stared. They all knew Elizabeth, at least by sight. She was in the same class as five of them, including Margaret. ‘I will put her in Margaret’s section,’ he thought. ‘She can be trusted and will look after her.’

  Graham gestured to Elizabeth. “Right, here she is. Now, it’s up to us to protect her and hide her. She is to act as a cadet and her name is to be Rachel Black. Cpl Lake, I will put her in your section. You others must help her to do the right thing so she doesn’t stand out. Her life depends on us. We must watch our tongues.”

  The seriousness of the situation began to sink in and made them all thoughtful. Graham told Elizabeth to sit with Margaret’s section. That put her next to Brenda Woodhouse who looked at her very anxiously. Graham noted Margaret making Elizabeth welcome and then he began collecting the evidence and wrapping it up.

  As he did Cdt Hodgins, his signaller, called softly: “Sir, here come some of those security men now!”

  Graham looked and saw five NORMAC security men coming towards them, spread in a line across the creek. All carried guns.

  CHAPTER 8

  NOT SEEING A TREE IN THE WOOD

  The sight of the five armed security men gave Graham a real shock. It also confirmed at once that he had been right. ‘If I’d left Elizabeth here on her own they would certainly have found her!’ he thought. He and Lt McEwen exchanged worried glances. Then he turned to the platoon and said loudly: “Ok, on your feet! We will go back to camp. As soon as we get there Sgt Dunning is to do a foot inspection. Any blisters to Miss McEwen. Then collect firewood, cook tea and do your washing.”

  The leader of the security men was up with them now. He was the big burly man with the beer belly and scowl. He stopped and ran his eyes over them and then, with a curt nod, went on up the creek.

  Graham realized his knees were actually trembling. He wiped his hands on his trousers. The other man who’d come down the creek earlier was on the right of the big man but he only gave the cadets a glance. Graham also scanned the platoon. To his satisfaction he saw that Elizabeth was not at all obvious - just one of a group all dressed in drab uniform.

  “Move off Ten Section, same Order of March,” Graham ordered. They set off, Graham and Lt McEwen leading. The platoon moved at the same speed as the men who were fifty paces ahead of them. Graham didn’t want to catch them up so he kept the pace slow. Several times he looked back to check on Elizabeth and saw that she was limping badly. To his eyes she was very obvious as she was the only one with no webbing. What did bother him were the frightened glances Cadet Woodhouse kept darting at Elizabeth and at the security men. ‘I hope she isn’t going to give the game away,’ he worried.

  As the security men reached the head of the gully Graham increased the pace so that he and Miss McEwen arrived there on the leader’s heels. They then engaged him in conversation as the cadets filed past. “You still looking for that girl?” Graham asked.

  “Yeah, that’s right,” the burly man replied. He was surly and obviously disgruntled.

  To disconcert him Graham said, “She’ll be miles away by now surely.”

  The burly man shook his head. “Nah. She was hurt - limping badly. She’s gone to ground. Probably in all that thick timber an’ rubber vines along the Canning.”

  Just then Elizabeth was passing. She made sure she did not limp but the pain made her bite her lip and brought tears to her eyes as the embedded thorns were pressed further into the raw flesh. Once again Graham noted Cadet Woodhouse looking fearfully from Elizabeth to the men and he tensed, ready to act.

  Luckily the security man took no notice of the cadets. Instead he rudely turned his back on the OOC and CUO and called his men to him. They were joined by the security man from the bivouac.

  Graham breathe a long sigh of relief and Lt McEwen followed Roger, who was last in the line, over to the bivouac. As they walked Graham made a slight gesture with his head towards the security men. “I hope they are going to clear out,” he said.

  It was with relief that he reached the ‘hutchies’ and saw Elizabeth sit down in one with Margaret and Rebecca Robinson, the platoon medic. ‘Now the tree is hidden in the wood!’ he told himself. By unit policy girls only shared hutchies with other girls and their shelters were sited a few metres further away and aligned so that the boys couldn’t see into them.

  Lt McEwen went over to the girl’s shelter and sat down. Graham and Roger went to their hutchie and sat on a log outside to plan the next training activity.

  Inside the hutchie Elizabeth lay down on a sleeping bag, safe and inconspicuous, at least for the time being. She was so sick and relieved that she began to shiver and cry.

  Lt McEwen patted her shoulder. “There, there, relax Elizabeth,” she said in a soothing voice. Carefully she took off Elizabeth’s right sandshoe, then sucked in her breath in surprise at all the cuts and thorns. The medical kit was unrolled and water placed on a hexamine stove by Rebecca Robinson.

  Lt McEwen studied the foot and then said, “You just lie there and relax, girl, and we’ll get these thorns out of your foot.”

  Elizabeth did as she was told but she couldn’t relax. Some of the thorns were over a centimetre long and hurt so much as they were extracted that once she cried out in pain and had to bite on a hand towel to muffle a scream. An antiseptic wash Lt McEwen applied stung like fire.

  While this was going on a NORMAC Landcruiser appeared from along the track and stopped where the group of security men were waiting. Their other vehicle was still parked out at the track junction - just visible to Graham as he sat writing in his notebook.

  The sun was sinking fast now, was already down among the tree tops to the west. Graham noted that the program was nearly an hour behind schedule. He shrugged. For once it didn’t matter. “Roger, get the corporals here for an ‘O’ Group and have section 2ics to organize firewood while it’s still light,” he instructed.

  The bivouac became a buzz of activity as NCOs called out work parties. The NORMAC vehicle drove off into the bush towards Scrubby Creek with four of the security men in it. The other two men still stood a hundred metres away, the leader speaking on his radio. The Platoon O Gp (Orders Group) seated itself: Pl Sgt, signaller, medic and the three section commanders.

  Graham looked up from his notes. “Is Lt McEwen going to join us?” he asked Roger. Her role was supervisory but by courtesy she was always invited.

  Roger nodded. “Yes sir. She’s just bandaging Eliz ... er, Cadet Black’s foot, sir.”

  They waited a few minutes and as they did Graham saw the two security men walking towards the bivouac. He went tense and prepared himself to act. The security men went to where some of the cadets were cooking and were directed to where he was. To make things look normal Roger began filling a kerosene lantern. Twilight was setting in. The two men stopped a few paces away.

  The security man was brusque. “We are worried the girl might sneak in here to steal food or water, if she’s hiding nearby,” he said.

  Graham forced himself to look the man in the eyes. “So am I. I have worked out a sentry roster and am about to give orders to set it going,” he replied. He held up his notebook.

  The man was surprised by this and for a moment couldn’t think of what to say. Graham kept the initiative. “We will have two cadets on duty per section plus one person in HQ. They will be on for two hours and will change every hour. They will remain in their section areas.”

  The man grunted, try
ing to take this in. He then asked: “What about rifles? We don’t want her to get one of those!”

  Graham smiled at the thought.

  The security man flared with anger. “I don’t think it’s funny!” he snapped. “What are you smiling at?”

  “I smiled because we don’t have any. Cadets are not allowed to carry them in the bush, or at least only Tier Three cadets, that is over sixteen years of age are allowed, and only in an army training area,” Graham replied.

  “Are there any in that army camp?” the man asked.

  “No. Is the girl dangerous?” Graham replied.

  “No, but she might get desperate, particularly when she gets cold and hungry.”

  This last reference was because the air had already taken on a decided chill and the sun had not even been gone half an hour. They were already feeling cool in their thin cotton shirts.

  Lt McEwen came out of the gathering darkness and sat beside the lantern which was now alight.

  Graham said, “Excuse me,” to the security man and knelt facing his people, his notebook tilted to the light. He simply pretended to ignore the presence of the two security men and began to give his orders. “This is our first night without training and we’ve got the campfire scheduled for eight O’clock. Each Section, plus HQ is to present one item. Sgt Dunning is the compere. However, because of this runaway girl we must guard the camp against theft so as soon as you leave here a sentry roster is to begin.”

  Graham went into details of where the sentries were to be located, what they were to do if they saw anyone, and issued a password. Roger was given the task of working out the HQ roster with the Pl Comd on from 0200 to 0400 and Pl Sgt from 0400 to 0600. Lt McEwen volunteered to help.

  Graham went on: “This girl will be after food and water most likely but she will also be after warm clothes and sleeping gear. At check parade we will do a check that no-one has lost anything. Now, the campfire ends at twenty one thirty and lights out is twenty two hundred. That means asleep. Tomorrow will be a long day and tomorrow night we will be on a fieldcraft exercise and could be awake most of the night, on top of the sleep lost tonight because of the sentry roster so - to bed and sleep. Anyone who mucks up gets latrine digging tomorrow.”

  They all grinned at this, even the two security men watching from the edge of the group.

  Graham went on: “Ok, take out your training programs. Now, tomorrow: Reveille at zero six hundred - check parade and breakfast. By zero seven thirty everyone is to be packed and ready to move, campsite cleaned up, latrines and grease traps filled in and all rubbish collected. Sections are to line up ready for inspection.”

  As Graham spoke the cadets ran pencils over the duplicated programs. He went on: “Then we move down the creek we were in this afternoon. Eleven Section - HQ, Twelve Section, Ten Section; to just this side of the fence and drop our packs. We spend all morning there revising our patrol techniques before lunch. We have lunch there then move to Black Knoll.” He pointed on his map enlargement, “to set up for the night exercise.”

  Graham then went on with details of water resupply, garbage disposal and medical. “The lame, the halt and the sick can go with Lt McEwen in the car. The remainder walk.”

  Having completed his orders Graham asked a few questions and they asked one or two. As he answered these he saw headlights turning onto their track from the Canning Road - three vehicles. He waved the cadets away. “Ok, go and tell your people and get the sentries posted,” he instructed. As they walked away he stood up and slipped his notebook into his map pocket and then stretched. He wanted to ask Miss McEwen how Elizabeth was and several times met her eye but with the two security men there he didn’t dare. ‘I wish they would bugger off!’ he thought. He also noticed that Margaret was looking at him, concern clear in her brown eyes. She gave him a worried little smile.

  Roger also stood up and stretched. “I’ll check this firewood,” he said. He strode off, his sergeant’s voice harassing several boisterous cadets. Graham stood there feeling very tense.

  The three vehicles pulled up on the track 25 metres away - an army Land Rover, a police car and a NORMAC Landcruiser. People climbed out and doors slammed. To his great relief Graham saw Captain Conkey, the unit OC. With him was Lt Mel Maclaren, the unit 2ic, plus Cadet Warrant Officer 2nd Class Barbara Brassington, the ginger-haired Year 11 girl who was the Company Sergeant Major. Graham was glad to see them but was less pleased to see the police sergeant, plus Mr Bargheese and another man in a white shirt and tie. The visitors joined them around the lantern.

  Both Graham and Lt McEwen wished they could speak privately to the OC but the security men and police wouldn’t go away and Bargheese stayed with the group asking questions and giving instructions. It was very irritating but also informative. They at least learned that the police would only maintain the roadblocks at Mingela and Charters Towers during the night and that the search would cease until 7am the next day.

  Graham also learned that the mining company would be maintaining a loose cordon of the area with three static posts and vehicle patrols by three vehicles during the night. In all they were using seven vehicles, a helicopter, several men of the Mine Security Squad under Mr Falls (the big, burly one who was rude) supplemented by ten men from the Brendan Creek mine. More would join the search next day.

  The three static posts were at the junction of Sandy Track and Canning Road, at Quigley’s Mill beside Scrubby Creek (where Sandy Track crossed it a kilometre to the North East) and at the causeway over the Canning River. The vehicles would patrol the Highway and Canning Road. Bargheese had arranged for camping equipment and extra spotlights and Falls was told to set up his search HQ at the Sandy Ridge track junction.

  Captain Conkey approved of 4 Platoon remaining, largely on Bargheese’s request, as the bivouac with its sentries gave him another link in his cordon. Bargheese assured them the girl was unarmed and not dangerous and that only the contents of the briefcase mattered to the mining company. At his request one of the security men was to sleep with the platoon and another mining company man was to be at the telephone in the army camp in case the girl crossed back over the highway and railway and went that way.

  Even as Bargheese said this Graham could see the electric lights of the small army camp through the trees. It was only 2 km away.

  Capt Conkey then said: “Well, all that should pin her down alright. She won’t move far in the bush at night unless she’s had some experience of it I reckon.”

  Bargheese nodded. “We believe she is not only unfamiliar with the area but is not dressed suitably and has hurt her right foot,” he replied.

  This made Graham wonder if they still did not know Elizabeth’s identity but he thought it best not to ask. He took the opportunity to leave the group and get his pullover as it was getting cold. He noted Roger and CSM Brassington were talking over a small cooking fire nearby but he knew Roger would say nothing. What Graham really wanted to do was get Capt Conkey aside so he could quietly talk to him but he worried it might be too obvious.

  The group stayed talking for more than half an hour during which time another mining company vehicle arrived. It was carrying camping gear. The security man who was to stay with them went to collect it. The police sergeant was the first to leave. He called in his other patrol car on the radio, telling it to go home and with a “see you in the morning” yawn got into his car and drove off.

  Graham kept willing Bargheese to leave so he and Lt McEwen could talk to the OC in private but before he did the security man who was to stay with them had rejoined the group and then the OC’s party went to their vehicle at the same time as Bargheeses’s and there was no opportunity. Graham toyed with a quick warning to Capt Conkey, or making a request to meet secretly, but he discarded them as too risky. He could only mutter with annoyance as the vehicles drove off.

  When Bargheese’s vehicle reached the junction the vehicle parked there turned on its engine and then its headlights. These faced down the Canning Road. Ne
xt a spotlight shone out along the road in the other direction. The vehicle was obviously going to leave the lights on, probably all night, in an attempt to keep Elizabeth pinned in the area.

  To Graham’s mind the cordon was almost futile as he and his cadets had all done a lot of night training and he was confident he could easily just walk off through the bush. ‘I suppose it might be frightening to a person with no experience,’ he surmised. To them the lights and vehicles would be objects of fear and a cause of disorientation but to Graham they were just dead giveaways to avoid and an aid to navigation. A silent cordon in the darkness would be far more dangerous but would, he knew from exercises, need hundreds of men, even with night viewing equipment.

  For a few minutes he stood alone in the darkness, thinking hard. ‘What is the best thing to do now?’ he wondered. Then he saw the security man walking towards the fire so he went to meet him.

  CHAPTER 9

  AN EVENING WITH THE CADETS

  The security man dumped his gear and sat on a log beside their lantern without invitation, which further irritated Graham. “Does that shotgun have live ammunition in it?” he asked sharply, playing on the fact the man knew he was some sort of officer.

  “Yeah, it’s loaded,” the man said.

  “I want you to unload it while you are in this camp and to keep the cartridges on you. You’ll have time to load if you need to, and anyway the girl won’t know if it’s loaded or not, if you meet her.”

  “Why?” said the man uncertainly and reluctantly.