damn-fool questions?'
'You've got the Bruce was too tired to feel annoyed.
night watch, Hendry,' he said, 'from now until dawn.'
'Is that right, hey? And you? What're you going to do all night, or does
that question make you blush?'
'I'm going to sleep, that's what I'm going to do. I haven't been lolling
round camp all day.' Hendry pegged the bayonet into the earth between
his feet and snorted.
'Well, give her a little bit of sleep for me too, Bucko.' Bruce left him
and crossed to the Ford.
'Hello, Bruce. How did it go today? I missed you,' Shermaine greeted
him, and her face lit up as she looked at him. It is a good feeling to
be loved, and some of Bruce's fatigue lifted.
'About half finished, another day's work.' Then he smiled back at her. 'I
won't lie and say I missed you - I've been too damn busy.' 'Your hands!'
she said with quick concern and lifted them to examine them. 'They're in
a terrible state.'
'Not very pretty, are they?'
'Let me get a needle from my case. I'll get the splinters out.' From
across the laager Wally Hendry caught Bruce's eye and with one hand made
a
suggestive sign below his waist.
Then, at Bruce's frown of anger, he threw back his head and laughed with
huge delight.
ruce's stomach grumbled with hunger as he stood with Ruffy and
Hendry beside the cooking fire. In the early morning light he could just
make out the dark shape of the bridge at the end of the clearing.
That drum was still beating in the jungle, but they hardly noticed it
now. It was taken for granted like the mosquitoes. 'The batteries are
finished,' grunted Ruffy. The feeble yellow beam of the searchlight
reached out tiredly towards the bridge.
'Only just lasted the rught,' agreed Bruce.
'Christ, I'm hungry,' complained Hendry. 'What could I do to a couple of
fried eggs and a porterhouse steak.' At the mention of food
Bruce's mouth flooded with saliva. He shut his mind against the picture
that Wally's words had evoked in his imagination.
'We won't be able to finish the bridge and get the trucks across
today,' he said, and Ruffy agreed.
'There's a full day's work left on her, boss.'
'This is what we'll do then,' Bruce went on. 'I'll take the work party
out to the bridge.
Hendry, you will stay here in the laager and cover us the same as
yesterday. And Ruffy, you take one of the trucks and a dozen of your
boys. Go back ten miles or so to where the forest is open and they won't
be able to creep up on you. Then cut us a mountain of firewood; thick
logs that will burn all night. We will set a ring of watch fires round
the camp tonight.'
'That makes sense, , Ruffy nodded. 'But what
about the bridge?'
