Bruce growled. 'Come with me, Mike.' With Mike beside him they crossed
the tracks to the main platform and clambered up on to it. At the far
end a group of railway officials stood chatting and Bruce fell upon them
furiously.
Two hours later Bruce stood beside the coloured engine driver on the
footplate and they puffed slowly down towards the goods yard.
The driver was a roly-poly little man with a skin too dark for mere
sunburn and a set of teeth with bright red plastic gums.
'Monsieur, you do not wish to proceed to Port Reprieve?' he asked
anxiously.
'Yes.'
'There is no way of telling the condition of the permanent way. No
traffic has used it these last four months.'
'I know. You'll have to proceed with caution.'
'There is a United Nations barrier across the lines near the old
aerodrome, protested the man.
'We have a pass.' Bruce smiled to soothe him; his bad temper was abating
now that he had his transport. 'Stop next to the first shed.'
With a hiss of steam brakes the train pulled up beside the concrete
platform and Bruce jumped down.
'All right, Ruffy,' he shouted. 'Let's get cracking.' Bruce had placed
the three steel-sided open trucks in the van, for they were the easiest
to defend. From behind the breast-high sides the Bren guns could sweep
ahead and on both flanks. Then followed the two passenger coaches, to be
used as store rooms and officer's quarters; also for accommodation of
the refugees on the return journey.
A Finally, the locomotive in the rear, where it would be least
vulnerable and would not spew smoke and soot back over the train.
The stores were loaded into four of the compartments, the windows
shuttered and the doors locked. Then Bruce set about laying out his
defences. In a low circle of sandbags on the roof of the leading coach
he sited one of the Brens and made his own post. From here he could look
down over the open trucks, back at the locomotive, and also command an
excellent view of the surrounding country.
The other Brens he placed in the leading truck and put Hendry in command
there. He had obtained from the major at Ordinance three of the new
walkie-talkie sets; one he gave to the engine driver, another to Hendry
up front, and the third he retained in his emplacement; and his system
of communication was satisfactory.
It was almost twelve o'clock before these preparations were complete and
Bruce turned to Ruffy who sat on the sandbags beside him.
'All set?'
'All set, boss.'
'How many missing?' Bruce had learned from experience never to expect
his entire command to be in any one place at any one time.
'Eight, boss.'
'That's three more than yesterday; leaves us only fifty-two men. Do you
think they've taken off into the bush also?' Five of his men had
deserted with their weapons on the day of the ceasefire.
Obviously they had gone out into the bush to join one of the bands of
