frogs in the nearby stream - a plate piled high with grilled fillets and
slabs of liver, a bottle of beer from Rutty's hoard, the air at last
cooler, a small breeze to keep the mosquitoes
away, and Shermaine sitting beside him on the blankets.
Ruffy drifted across to them in one hand a stick loaded with meat from
which the juice dripped and in the other hand a bottle held by the
throat.
'How's it for another beer, boss?'
'Enough.' Bruce held up his hand. 'I'm full to the back teeth.'
'You're getting old, that's for sure. Me and the boys going to finish
them buffalo or die trying.'
He squatted on his great. haunches and his tone changed. 'The trucks are
flat, boss. Reckon there's not a bucketful of gas in the lot of them.'
'I want you to drain all the tanks, Ruffy, and pour it into the
Ford.' Ruffy nodded and bit a hunk of meat off the end of the stick.
'Then first thing tomorrow morning you and i will go on to Msapa in the
Ranchero and leave everyone else here.
Lieutenant Hendry will be in charge.'
'You talking about me?'
wally came from one of the fires.
'Yes, I'm going to leave you in charge here while Ruffy and I go on to
Msapa Junction to fetch help.' Bruce did not look at Hendry and he had
difficulty keeping the loathing out of his voice. 'Ruffy, fetch the map
will you?' They spread it on the earth and huddled round it. Ruffy held
the flashlight.
'I'd say we are about here.' Bruce touched the tiny black vein of the
road. 'About seventy, eighty miles to Msapa.' He ran his finger along
it. 'It will take us about five hours there and back. However, if the
telegraph isn't working we might have to go on until we meet a
patrol or find some other way of getting a message back to
Elisabethville.' Almost parallel to the road and only two inches from it
on the large-scale map ran the thick red line that marked r. Wally
Hendry's slitty eyes the Northern Rhodesian horde narrowed even further
as he looked at it.
'Why not leave Ruffy here, and I'll go with you.' Hendry looked up at
Bruce.
I want Ruffy with me if we meet any ' Africans along the way.' Also,
thought Bruce, I don't want to be left on the side of
the road with a bullet in my head while you drive on to Elisabethville.
'Suits me,' grunted Hendry. He dropped his eyes to the map.
About forty miles to the border. A hard day's walk.
ruce changed to French and spoke swiftly. 'Ruffy, hide the
diamonds behind the dashboard of your truck. That way we are certain
they will send a rescue party, even if we have to go to Elisabethville.'
'Talk English, Bucko,' growled Hendry, but Ruffy nodded and answered,
also in French.
'I will leave Sergeant Jacque to guard them.' 'NO!' said Bruce.
'Tell no one.'
'Cut it oud' rasped Hendry. 'Anything you say I want to
