The Cadet Under-Officer

by Christopher Cummings

  Graham moved next to Bargheese, unsure if Elizabeth knew the man was there or not. To be ready Graham rested his hand on his basic pouch and unclipped it. His mind rehearsed pulling out the pistol, cocking it and then aiming it. As he arrived several cadets looked around and Graham willed Elizabeth not to. Margaret looked worried and flustered.

  To try to draw the group away from there Graham spoke loudly. “Excuse us Cpl Lake. Excuse me, gentlemen!” Graham did get the attention of the group but also of the cadets. He saw Elizabeth did look around. When she saw who was there her left eye dilated and fear showed clearly on her face before she quickly looked away. Next to her Cadet Woodhouse looked up at Bargheese and she also looked frightened.

  To divert attention Graham went on, “We are interrupting the corporal. It’s hard for her to talk with such an audience. Please move away a bit.” He led those standing in rear off along the cliff top to the left. As he moved Graham glanced back to see if Bargheese was following and noticed that Elizabeth was trembling and holding herself tight. Margaret was red-faced and embarrassed. To Graham’s relief Bargheese and Falls did follow. So did Barbara, Bert and Roger. Margaret resumed her orders but sounded very nervous.

  From the cliff-top they stood and looked along the Canning. By way of explanation Graham said, “The corporal is new at the job and needs to develop her confidence. She is only fifteen.”

  Bargheese grunted. He obviously did not care and now looked out over the river bed.

  Barbara stood beside him. She shook her head and pointed. “There’s a lot of cover there. It would be easy for a person to hide,” she said.

  Bargheese looked surprised that a girl should speak to him. He merely grunted again.

  Roger nodded. “We will have to search right inside every rubber vine clump,” he said with a discouraging tone in his voice.

  Bert chuckled. “Liable to meet a bloody great pig coming the other way in there!” he added cheerfully. This raised a laugh amongst the cadets and a scowl from the two NORMAC men.

  Captain Conkey and the Lt MacLaren came over and joined them. “Take some searching all that thick stuff along the river,” Capt Conkey said to Bargheese.

  Bargheese scowled again. “That is why I am asking for your help. With all your people we have a chance.”

  Lt MacLaren pointed to where a white vehicle was parked on a small rise, a kilometre or so west of ‘Canning Park’ homestead. “Is that one of your check points there?” he asked.

  Falls answered. “Yes it is,” he replied, scratching his beer belly and pushing out his bottom lip in obvious dislike of the prospect of more crawling through the undergrowth.

  Graham and Roger exchanged glances. Roger suppressed a grin.

  Capt Conkey looked at his watch. “Well, seventeen hundred hours. We’d better get on,” he said. He led the way across the hilltop past the western side of the knoll where Cpl Sheehan’s section had now deployed into three widely spaced positions amongst the rocks and grass. Lt McEwen and Lt Standish were waiting there. Berzinski stood nearby scowling.

  Graham and Lt McEwen said goodbye to the visitors and stood talking while the group made its way down the rocks to the vehicles. As soon as they were out of earshot Graham asked, “Did you get a chance to tell the OC Miss?”

  Lt McEwen shook her head. “No, Graham, I didn’t. I tried to but even when I got him aside on his own one of those NORMAC men came and listened. But I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to take this stuff to the Federal Police in Townsville now, this evening.”

  “Is that a good idea Miss? We can just walk down to see the OC tonight. They are bivouacking just down there at the junction,” Graham replied. He was trembling slightly with nervous tension and felt quite anxious.

  “You can try that as well,” Lt McEwen replied. “We will also go ahead with our plan to send some of this stuff in the mail as a precaution. But if need be I will also drive to Townsville.”

  “Are you sure it’s safe Miss?”

  “Yes, I think so. They’re looking for a teenage girl, not me. I don’t think I’ll have any trouble at the police roadblocks. I’ve been through the ones near here twice today without any difficulty. I’ve been thinking very hard about it and regret I didn’t go earlier today. Also now we have copies and an alternate plan. I’m convinced it is the best thing to do,” she replied, trying to sound confident although inside she was gripped by fear.

  Graham was also very apprehensive. “Is it worth the risk Miss? We can just mail these letters tonight and then all we have to do is wait.”

  “Yes it is. I’ve argued with myself all afternoon and I think the longer we leave it the more likely we are to be found out. As soon as these people find out we are from Cairns, and from the same school as Elizabeth, they will immediately concentrate on us. I’m surprised they haven’t found out already. Luck I suppose.”

  Graham bit his lip. “I don’t like it Miss. What about the OC? And we won’t have a safety vehicle for a few hours. He won’t like that. Are you going to explain to him first?”

  “Yes. I will drive down to the bivouac now and try again. I know it is more time wasted but I need to inform him. You should be alright for safety. As you said, the company is bivouacked just down there and you have radio contact. Besides he may send another OOC here to be with you,” she said.

  Graham looked over to where the three vehicles were bumping slowly down the hill. He felt very uneasy about it all. “What time do you think you will be back Miss?”

  “I don’t expect to get anything much done tonight so I might stay at my sister’s. I should be back by mid-morning.”

  “What evidence will you take Miss?”

  “Well, we’ve copied nearly everything now. I’ve got to take some of the original material to be convincing. I’ll take everything that isn’t in the three letters. That’ll be some passports, three computer discs and the remainder of the money and print-outs. You keep the rest,” she said. She felt concerned at leaving her responsibilities for supervision but as the rest of the company were camped within sight only a ten minute walk away she thought it would be safe enough. ‘They are in radio contact if they have a medical emergency,’ she reasoned. She had no doubts Graham had the strength of character to be left in sole command. “I’ll just tell Elizabeth,” she said.

  “I’ll tell my NCOs.”

  Five minutes later Lt McEwen set off with the briefcase towards her car. Graham and his NCOs stood in a worried group watching her. “You take care Miss,” he said.

  “I will. See you later tonight, or tomorrow morning. I’ll be as quick as I can,” she replied.

  For a minute or so no one spoke as they watched her go.

  “I hope she will be alright.” Graham commented. He was deeply worried.

  “She thinks she should have gone last night and not waited,” Roger said.

  Graham turned and looked towards the company bivouac as the OOC’s car started up. To his embarrassment he had a prickle of tears in his eyes. He opened his basic pouch and took out the brown notebook and looked at it, then the automatic pistol. He held the evil metal object in the flat of his hand, the oily sheen reflecting the blood-red rays of the setting sun.

  CHAPTER 14

  CANNING JUNCTION

  As the sound of Miss McEwen’s car died in the evening stillness the small group looked at the gun in their CUO’s hand and felt his determination. They were silent, unsure what to say. Elizabeth came nervously towards them. Graham put the gun away and turned to reassure her.

  As he did he heard the distant vibration of the helicopter. Elizabeth seemed to wilt and cringe at the sound. The machine came from the west, a black silhouette which grew rapidly larger. It flew past some way off and settled on Bare Ridge. In less than a minute it rose and flew back the way it had come; black against an orange and crimson sky. Graham’s gaze settled on the distant black shape of Whaleback Hill. The hill stood out clear and stark, like a tiny cardboard cut-out.

  Pointing to it he
said, “That’s their base; near that hill. The Brendan Creek Mine.” Then he looked at Elizabeth. She was shivering, and obviously not just from the onset of the evening chill. Impulsively he reached out and took her hands between his. “It’s alright Elizabeth. You are safe with us. We will protect you,” he promised. At that moment he felt very much the knight in shining armour and was determined to play that role.

  Elizabeth looked into his clear, blue eyes and tanned, honest face, oblivious of the others. She felt a deep certainty that this boy - this young man - could be relied on; that once he gave his word it would be literally ‘to the death’. She found her arms around his neck.

  Graham was surprised, embarrassed and pleased, all at once. He put his arms around her and patted her affectionately but did not know what to do next.

  Margaret rescued them from the situation. She also put her arms around Elizabeth to comfort her then eased the now crying girl’s arms from around Graham’s neck. “You’ll be alright Elizabeth. Come on. Come and have some tea while it’s still light,” she said. She led her away. Graham stood hoping the others would put his red face down to the sunset. Roger grinned at him.

  Margaret wasn’t smiling. She was heart broken. It was as though she was going to be physically sick. As she walked with Elizabeth she tried to hide the tears which moistened her eyes. At her section she seated Elizabeth and stood looking out over the dry river bed. It was a lovely evening and the glow of the sunset had suffused all the river gums a golden pink. Only some white cockatoos disturbed the stillness.

  “Oh, why do I love that stupid oaf!” she muttered to herself. A tear trickled down her cheek. She wiped it away with the back of her hand, hoping no-one had noticed.

  Cadet Hodgins, busy trading the contents of his ration pack with some of Cpl Kenny’s section, had a different view. “Boss is busy rescuing the damsel in distress again,” he commented.

  Graham and Roger went to their packs and began cooking. As they did they saw Lt McEwen’s car leave the bivouac site and drive back towards the Canning Road. ‘Good!’ thought Graham. ‘She’s seen the OC and now she is going to the police. I hope she doesn’t run into any trouble.’

  The car went out of sight behind the shoulder of the hill. As the sound of its engine died away in the evening stillness Graham went back to his cooking feeling both anxious and relieved. He expected Lt McEwen to come back to tell him what had happened but when her car did not appear he assumed she had just driven off. With a shrug he sat and began to eat. ‘Won’t be much longer,’ he thought. The sun went down leaving a perfectly clear western sky, all gold and red.

  Roger gave a shiver. “Going to be cold tonight,” he said. Graham became aware that the first sharp chills had begun to nip at ear tips and fingers. Roger pulled on his pullover and stood drinking soup. If Graham had known what was in his friend’s mind he would have blushed with pride. Roger was thinking what a good platoon commander he was lucky enough to have.

  Graham was too busy for any introspection. He sat eating and checking his map. His own orders said no fires after last light and ‘stand-to’ was only fifteen minutes away. ‘I have to set the example,’ he thought. So he blew out his hexamine and sat preparing navigation data for the night. As twilight closed in he wrapped the letters and evidence in a plastic bag and placed them in his small pack. Ten minutes later he sent Roger, Hodgins and Rebecca around to tell the corporals to ‘stand-to’. This was only as a training exercise. The teachers were keen on it because of the excellent self-discipline it developed.

  The corporals went around and quietly told their people. The exercise entailed packing up everything. Then the cadets put on their webbing and lay down behind rocks and packs, facing their allotted front. Absolute silence and stillness settled in the twilight. Section 2ics went out and brought in the day sentry each section had posted.

  Lights appeared over at ‘Canning Park’ and the sound of a dog barking there came clearly to them in the stillness. Lanterns and cooking fires twinkled down at Canning Junction where the junior cadets were bivouacking. There would be no hutchies this night on Black Knoll but as there was little chance of rain that didn’t matter. For over thirty minutes the platoon lay ‘ready to fight, or march’.

  When it was quite dark Graham went around to inspect and to tell the corporals to ‘stand down’. This meant two on sentry and the others in their sleeping bags. The cadets were tired and welcomed the chance to rest.

  To Elizabeth it was all a revelation. She had been amazed and frightened when told there would be no lights or talking all night and no shelters. Margaret had been a bit short with her and had made her help tie a thin nylon rope from tree to tree twenty paces back from the cliff edge for safety. Then Margaret made her cook her own food and roused on her for not cleaning her mess tins properly. It made her a bit miserable. She wasn’t used to work or discomfort. And she had been put on sentry duty. Luckily this was early and she sat silently next to Cadet Anderson (whom she thought an ignorant oaf) staring into the blackness. By this time she was feeling worn out and her foot still hurt. But it was the prickling of her conscience over the risk Miss McEwen was now taking which bothered her most.

  At 1930hrs Graham collected the two cadets who were to come with him, Lance Corporal Mick Walsh from 11 Section and Cadet Brian Livingstone from 10 Section. After checking that Roger knew where he was going and what to do while he was away they set off. They wore pullovers and jackets, plus webbing but no hats.

  It was about a kilometre of open bush down to the Canning Junction. The three cadets climbed under a barbed wire fence at Cpl Sheehan’s sentry post, then followed the fence left to skirt around the top of a steep re-entrant. This put them on the vehicle track, after which it was a fairly easy ten minute walk, stumbling only occasionally on the potholes and stones. They made no attempt at stealth or concealment.

  To Graham it seemed very busy and noisy amongst the hutchies of the ‘First Years’ after the silence on Black Knoll. The younger cadets were excited and doing a lot of calling out and laughing. The lanterns, torches and fires made it seem much darker down amongst the trees which lined the river bank than it actually was, as these ruined their night vision and made the background blacker.

  The three visitors were ignored by the little section groups sitting around small fires on the sand until they came to one where Graham’s friend, CUO Peter Bronsky, was standing talking to a circle of bright young faces.

  Peter was 1 Platoon’s commander. When he saw Graham he called out cheerfully, “Hello, what’s this crawled out of the night!”

  Graham joined his friend beside the fire. “G’day Pete. How’s it going?”

  The two CUOs stood and talked for a few minutes on how the camp was going. The ‘First Years’ had just completed four days of barracks training with drill, first aid, navigation and safe weapon handling and had now moved into the field to learn practical navigation and fieldcraft. For many of them it was their first night out in the bush away from electric light and buildings.

  After chatting for a few minutes Graham asked, “Where’s Company HQ Pete? I want to see the OC.”

  “Next lot of lights. There are three tents there but I don’t think the OC is there. I think he went to town.”

  That was a bit of bad news. Graham thanked Peter and he collected Walsh and Livingstone and walked on along the track to where a pressure lantern silhouetted the shape of a square 11 X 11 tent. Graham slowed and moved to one side to see who was sitting in the folding chairs around the light.

  The 2ic was there, but so were Falls, the security boss, and another NORMAC man. Graham skirted into the shadow of the tent and along behind three vehicles; one a NORMAC Landcruiser, the others army Land Rovers.

  This gave him a view of a second tent where the Signals Corporal, Henning, was sitting next to a radio. He looked bored and was reading a glossy magazine on motorcycles. Graham didn’t want to be seen by the NORMAC men so he kept going across an open area with knee-high weeds to th
e top of a ridge of grass covered sand.

  Below, amongst the trees, was another platoon’s bivouac area. By listening for a few moments Graham identified it as 3 Platoon. It was commanded by another of his best friends, CUO Stephen Bell. Peter, Stephen, Roger and Graham had been ‘best mates’ for years and had shared many adventures.

  Graham led the way down, protecting his eyes from the branches as they made their way through a belt of trees. All the trees down beside the river grew at a sharp angle, bent over by the fierce floods which raged down the river during summer - the ‘wet season’. Graham was in two minds as to whether to take Stephen into his confidence or not but decided not to.

  They joined a small group seated on the sand around a cheerful fire.

  Stephen looked up and grinned. “G’day Graham, how are tricks?” he asked.

  “Pretty good. Just dropped in to see if you lot needed someone to give you advice on how to live in the bush,” Graham replied.

  Stephen chuckled. “Thanks, but we saw a wild pig this afternoon. He’d been driven this way by the stench of some unwashed barbarians lurking up on the hill. He gave us a few clues and we had the sense to camp beside some water,” he said.

  Cadet Sgt Fiona Davies and Cpl Dan Russel grinned at their platoon commander’s reply. They knew that the two CUOs were friends and always ‘slung off’ at each other. It was a point of honour for them always to make a suitable reply in front of their cadets.

  Graham groped for a witty reply and he and Stephen teased each other a bit more before he and his two cadets were offered “Milo, cocoa or coffee?” They sat and joined in the conversation which was mostly the telling of jokes. The ‘First Year’ cadets were obviously happy and enjoying themselves.

  Stephen pushed his glasses up his nose in a habitual gesture. “What brings you into the ‘bright lights’ of civilization mate?”

  “Came to talk to the OC but I gather he’s not here.”