A door opened in the camp and angry voices could be heard. Then it slammed. That was better - discord in the ranks of Tuscany! Graham knelt and looked at Margaret. Her head was sunk on her chest and she was asleep.
Then suddenly every nerve was awake. The sharp, flat sound of a shot echoed through the night - from behind him! It sounded like a pistol shot a fair way off. Had it come from Whaleback Hill or the Airfield? Who was shooting and at what? Were the enemy even now in possession of the brown notebook? Was Miss McEwen alright?
Fearing that the enemy had crept stealthily up the other hill Graham at once resolved to go back. ‘I have to know!’ he thought. Quickly he shook Margaret awake. She was fuddled and confused but stood and followed. They walked quickly to the rocks where Hodgins and Walsh crouched and collected them, then went on to where Cactus, Rosemary and Rebecca were. Rosemary was awake but Cactus and Rebecca were asleep.
“Did anyone hear that shot?” he asked.
Rosemary and Hodgins said ‘yes’ but were unsure of where it had come from. They were so tired they were half asleep.
“Wake the others. Follow me,” Graham ordered. As soon as the others were stirring he clambered down the rocks as quickly as he could without excessive noise. The others followed with some scraping of webbing and rifle butts. In a minute they were down on the sandy slope and Graham increased speed to a fast walk. In the brilliant silver of the moonlight it was easy to see the larger rocks and avoid them. Graham just walked directly towards Whaleback Hill.
They passed several isolated piles of rocks which loomed eerily in the moonlight. Graham’s nerves were taut and the fact that there had been no other sound following the shot raised rather than lowered his concern.
“Yaaaah!” Thud! Tinkle!
Cactus tripped. Graham looked back and sighed at the inevitability of it. He saw the others cluster around him and heard worried whispering. Seething with impatience he went back and hissed irritably: “What’s going on? Get up Cactus and come on.”
“I can’t sir. I think I’ve broken my leg.”
Graham looked down. In the moonlight his leg certainly did seem to be at an odd angle. ‘Oh bloody hell!’ he thought as his already anxious mind grappled with the implications of such an injury.
Rebecca knelt beside Cactus. “Can you move it?’ she asked.
“No. I can’t move it at all,” Cactus replied.
Graham realized this was potentially very serious. It could wreck all his plans. He knelt and began feeling along the twisted leg. “Where does it hurt?” he asked.
“It doesn’t hurt much sir. I just can’t move it.”
Graham gently slid his hand from the thigh to the knee and down the calf. There was no noticeable swelling or a break nor any cry of pain. That puzzled Graham as did the normal voice Cactus spoke in. ‘He should be in agony,’ he thought. Carefully he felt the ankle and the boots. Then he looked and reached down and pulled. “Now! Can you straighten your leg Cactus?” he said.
“Yeah. I can!” Cactus cried sounding quite amazed.
“Good. Get up and walk on it. It was jammed between two rocks,” Graham hissed. He didn’t know whether to be angry or laugh. They helped Cactus to his feet. He tried to walk but at the first step he cried in pain and his sharp intake of breath showed it was no sham.
“Twisted his ankle probably,” Rebecca suggested. They sat Cactus on a rock and Rebecca bandaged it tightly, boot and all, fearing that if the boot was removed the ankle would swell up and make it impossible to get back on.
As she worked there was the sound of a vehicle starting at the airfield.
Graham looked that way, his apprehension flooding back. “Fix him as quickly as you can Rebecca. Walshy you stay and help. Follow us towards the hill. You others come with me. We are going to the airfield track. Run!”
The three of them set off down the slope into Dry Creek just near a small bend and large pile of rocks. The sandy bed looked silver in the moonlight. Twenty seconds later they were puffing up the low bank and through the lines of rocks and stunted acacias.
Hearing the vehicle’s motor again Graham slowed to a walk then stopped. Signalling to the others to take cover he crouched in the shadows of a clump of trees. Swinging his head from side to side he listened carefully. ‘That vehicle has driven off northwards along the airstrip from the hangar,’ he decided. Was it the pilots or mechanic taking spare parts to the damaged plane? Graham wondered if he should go and investigate in case the plane had been repaired but decided Cactus had to be moved to safety first.
But which way? For a few moments Graham puzzled over the best course of action. His first thought was to take Cactus up the hill to join the others but then he shook his head. ‘That is silly. He is injured and will have trouble getting up and then he will only have to be helped down again.’ His plan was to abandon the hill before daybreak in the belief that dawn was the most likely time for the enemy to attack. ‘So he will have to be taken to join Roger’s group,’ he decided.
That was annoying but there was no help for it so he shrugged and sat down to wait. Two minutes later the other three came into sight, Cactus hobbling along, supported by the other two. Graham quickly explained the change of plan and then he and Margaret took over and made a chair with their arms. Walsh and Rebecca carried the rifles and took the rear. Hodgins scouted ahead.
It was hard work and had them both sweating again after a hundred paces. The going was up a slight uphill slope. They crossed the airfield track without stopping and kept on until they reached the base of the snout.
“Ok, give me my rifle. Cpl Lake, you, Walshy, Rosemary and Rebecca help Cactus back to the RV. Then come back up the hill. Your section will be needed to help get Miss McEwen and the other sickies down the hill. I will meet you there. I’m going up with Hodg to investigate that shot,” Graham said.
Graham and Hodgins set off, plodding steadily upwards, rifles ready and every sense as alert as their fatigued state allowed. As he climbed Graham checked his watch in the moonlight. 03:40. ‘We must be visible from the top,’ he decided. Somehow he forced himself to keep moving. His boots disturbed several small stones which rattled down a short way. Twice he had to stop to get his breath back and to ease tired legs.
Cpl Sheehan waved from amongst the boulders above him. Graham waved back and plodded on up to him. There was no need for a challenge. “Everything OK Pat? What was that pistol shot half an hour ago?”
“Dunno. Over at the airfield I think.”
“No problems here?”
“No sir. Right as rain.”
Relieved, Graham explained what was happening. “I will just go and see Miss McEwen. Tell your people to be ready to withdraw. Hodg, grab that radio. Any luck with that Pat?” he said.
Cpl Sheehan shook his head and hoisted the radio up for Hodgins to take. “We kept trying to contact Company HQ but the battery seems to be weakening,” he replied.
Graham nodded and then he and Hodgins continued on to the hollow. Lt McEwen was lying on the stretcher in the moonlight. She was awake and looked up as Graham and Hodgins arrived. She was intensely relieved they were back. They both put down their rifles and took off their webbing. Graham was so worn out he almost fell down to lean against a rock.
It was ten to four in the morning. ‘Only an hour or so to first light,’ Graham thought. Then what? He knew he still couldn’t relax. ‘I have to think,’ he told himself.
Graham took out his hexi stove and mess tins.
Lt McEwen struggled to sit up, while asking about the night’s activities. She had been desperately afraid someone would be shot and the hours of not knowing had fed her anxiety. She felt utterly exhausted and her head still hurt but she made an effort to focus on what was being said. Her anxiety boiled over when she heard about all the shooting.
“I thought I told you to withdraw the platoon to a safe place. Isn’t that the plan?” she snapped.
“Yes Miss,” Graham replied. He felt guilty but also vindicated.
‘We did the right thing,’ he thought. After a moment he sighed then said, “We are moving back now Miss. Sgt Dunning’s group have already pulled back to secure the RV and Cpl Lake’s section is taking Cactus there then coming up to help you and the others down the hill. We will be gone as soon as possible.” He described how Cactus had sprained his ankle.
Lt McEwen was not happy. “Why don’t we move now?” she asked.
“We need a bit of a rest first Miss,” Graham replied. He lit the hexamine and put water on to heat. Then he leaned back on the rock.
Lt McEwen bit her lip and wondered if she should allow this but then shrugged. She also began preparing a hot drink. A few minutes later she looked up from mixing coffee when the sound of boots scraping on rocks came from the rear of the hill.
Graham heard it as well and stood up. Picking up his rifle he hurried into the darkness. Just at the edge of the path down the side of the hill he found a very anxious Debbie Wallis peering down the slope. Elizabeth was asleep beside her.
“Wake her up,” Graham said. “I think it is Cpl Lake’s section but we need to be ready.”
Debbie did and Elizabeth groaned and muttered but then sat up. Graham saw movement below and quietly challenged: “Halt! Hands up! Advance one.”
Margaret’s voice answered. “It is us Graham,” she said.
Graham felt a mild spurt of annoyance that she had used his first name in front of the cadets but he was so relieved she was safe that he made no comment. He called them up and they continued to climb. With her were Walsh, Rosemary and Rebecca.
As Margaret climbed the last few metres she had difficulty getting up over a rock. Graham reached forward and took her hand and helped her. Once she was on top he turned, still with his right hand in her left and together they walked towards the hollow. As they did Graham felt his senses tingle. It was almost like magic, as though her love flowed from her to him and gave him strength. They passed Debbie and Elizabeth and then waited for the others. They clambered up, puffing and perspiring, and continued on towards the hollow.
Graham kept hold of her hand. “That was quick Marg. Any problems?” he asked.
Margaret shook her head. “No. Sgt Dunning is in position just on the south side of the road where it bends to go towards Charters Towers. He was easy to find. What will we do now?”
“Have a rest for a couple of minutes and then we will start moving back down the hill to join him,” Graham replied.
He and Margaret went slowly along behind the others up onto the flat rocks at the cliff top but he still did not let go of her hand. To his own surprise he found he did not want to.
While still in the shadow of a boulder Graham halted. A surge of emotion swept through him and he felt compelled to take her in his arms. Even though Debbie and Elizabeth could probably see he did not care. He put his arm around Margaret’s shoulders. She looked up at him and smiled and he couldn’t resist the attraction of her slightly parted lips. Gently he kissed her and they both felt a surge of happiness and relief. ‘We are safe back on Whaleback Hill,’ Graham thought.
With their arms still around each other they walked to the hollow. Lt McEwen looked up and smiled. Graham now released Margaret and flopped down next to his stove. She took off her webbing and slumped down beside him, her right leg against his left. Graham relit his stove and spooned coffee and sugar into his cup. Margaret groaned and stretched her legs out straight and then leaned against him. He made no move to stop her. A minute later her eyes closed and she dropped off to sleep.
Lt McEwen looked up to see that Margaret had gone to sleep with her head on Graham’s shoulder and she knew instinctively that they had discovered their love.
Graham poured hot water into his cup and stirred the coffee, then blew on it to cool it while talking to Lt McEwen. He did all this as carefully as he could lest he disturb Margaret but he did feel a bit uneasy about what Lt McEwen might be thinking.
His raiding patrol had been out nearly five hours but the basic problems remained: How to keep the cadets safe; how to contact the police; and how to rescue Anderson and Morrow. ‘We had better withdraw now,’ Graham thought. He was stubbornly reluctant to pull back but conceded that it was time to give up the false security of Whaleback Hill, at least to the extent of moving the sick and injured and those without weapons to a ‘hide’ somewhere.
The river bank downstream of the crossing was the obvious place. While they were discussing this the stove was put out and he packed it away. Reluctantly he roused Margaret and then stood up. Then he held out both hands and helped her to her feet. “Time to go,” he said. A chill breeze had begun and on the dark rim of the eastern horizon there was the first faint lightening to indicate the dawn. Graham expected things to happen then but wasn’t sure what.
There was the sound of boots stumbling and thudding and Cpl Sheehan called out: “CUO Kirk sir. There are vehicles driving around at the far end of the airfield.”
Ignoring his stiff and protesting muscles Graham picked up his webbing and swung it on, then grabbed his rifle and followed Cpl Sheehan. Up out of the hollow the breeze was stronger and made it hard to hear as it rustled the leaves and it was cold. Graham began to shiver. They stopped at the top of the snout.
The only lights in half the horizon were two sets of headlights about a kilometre away. Both vehicles were stopped on the far end of the runway, their lights illuminating the twin engine aircraft. “What are they doing?” Graham asked.
“Not sure but there are people there walking around the plane,” Cpl Sheehan replied.
Graham’s mind raced. ‘Is that Bargheese making his getaway? Have they repaired the plan?’ he worried. Then the thought that Cadets Anderson and Morrow might be there as hostages added to Graham’s apprehension. ‘We must stop them,’ he thought. Quickly he did some mental calculations. It was about a thousand metres to the far end of the airfield he estimated. ‘Quick march speed is 100 metres in one minute; that’s one kilometre in ten minutes. Double time is half that. We could get down the hill and get there in about ten minutes if we run,’ he calculated.
Having decided that he knew he just had to make the attempt. ‘I can’t let Morrow and Anderson get taken away. Bargheese will just kill them once he is safe,’ he decided. He turned to Cpl Sheehan. “We will go and see what is going on. Get Halyday. I will get Cpl Lake’s section to take over here.”
Graham hurried back to the hollow to tell Lt McEwen what he intended. As he did he marshalled his words ready to argue his case. But he need not have bothered. She lay asleep, her face a haggard and bruised mask in the moonlight. Instead he quickly gave Margaret instructions.
Margaret didn’t like the idea. “We should just withdraw,” she argued.
Graham shook his head. “I have to go and check. Now, Cpl Lake, I want your people to carry Lt McEwen down the hill. Take everyone and start moving. You are to go down that sloping rock ledge over there, the one you just came up, to the flat ground. Then go west and join Sgt Dunning’s group. The whole platoon can then go and wait in the trees on the river bank two hundred metres downstream from where the gravel road crosses the river. We will catch you up there.”
Margaret nodded but looked very anxious. “Can’t I come with you?” she asked.
Graham shook his head. “Sorry. We will have to run. You just get these others to safety please. We will try to catch up by First Light.”
“What if the crooks attack us?” Margaret asked.
“If you are attacked or threatened fire some shots to warn us and pull back by the best route to join Sgt Dunning’s group. Hodg, get someone else to carry the radio and you come with us.”
Margaret wasn’t very happy at Graham going out to risk himself again but she understood what was driving him so she did not argue, just checked the RV location on her map.
It was 04:20. Graham thought he had time although he knew he was very tired. Hodgins made no comment other than to arrange for Elizabeth to carry the radio, which she ungraciously co
nsented to do. Watching her reaction Graham wondered what it was he’d once found attractive about her. He ensured there were 11 rounds in his rifle, had a drink and re-assured Margaret then led her across to where Cpl Sheehan and Halyday were waiting at the top of the snout. A glance showed that the two vehicles were still at the aircraft.
The urge to hurry made Graham brisk but he still took a moment to take Margaret’s hand and squeeze it. “You take care. We should be back with you by First Light.” He took her hand and then drew her to him. It was such a natural farewell kiss that the others made no comment. Briefly they squeezed hands.
“Take care,” Margaret whispered a little huskily.
“I will. Love you,” Graham whispered back.
Graham then led his three cadets down the rocky slope for the fifth time in fifteen hours. They moved at a good fast pace as there was plenty of light, the moon now almost overhead. Out on the plain the bush looked pale and misty. As they went down the slope they still got glimpses of the vehicle lights through the tree canopy. ‘I hope that plane doesn’t take off before we get there,’ he thought.
By 04:45 they were on the airfield track at the base of the hill. At Graham’s urging they set out across the flat at a run. They slowed to cross Dry Creek but Graham was now gripped by apprehension and he scrambled up the sandy bank on the other side and began running again through a few clumps of rubber vine in what might have been an old area of alluvial mining. Within two minutes he came out into flat, open savannah with short grass and occasional ant-hills.
But he couldn’t keep it up and nor could the others. They began to fall behind and string out so Graham reluctantly slowed to a fast walk. His navigation was by the dark loom of Mast Hill to his left and by the stars. With every step he expected to hear the aircraft’s motors burst into life and he tried to think up a plan to deal with that eventuality. ‘Shoot the engines again, I suppose.’ But he knew that was not an option if the aircraft had commenced its take off run. ‘That could make it crash and kill people,’ he told himself.
By forcing the pace until he was sweating and gasping Graham had his patrol near the far end of the airfield by 0500. That was ten minutes later than Graham had calculated and that worried him. ‘We need to move faster,’ he told himself, now half regretting that he had left the hill. Already the sky to the east above the tree tops across the landing ground was pale grey.
The Cadet Under-Officer Page 40