hear.'
'We'll leave at dawn tomorrow,' Bruce reverted to English.
'May I go with you?' Shermaine spoke for the first time.
'I don't see why not.' Bruce smiled quickly at her, but Ruffy coughed
awkwardly, 'Reckon that's not such a good idea, boss.'
'Why?'
Bruce turned on him with his temper starting to rise.
'Well, boss,' Ruffy hesitated, and then went on, 'You, me and the lady
all shoving off towards Elisabethville might not look so good to the
boys. They might get ideas, think we're not coming back or something.'
Bruce was silent, considering it.
'That's right,' Hendry cut in. 'You might just take it into your head to
keep going. Let her stay, sort of guarantee for the rest of us.'
'I don't mind, Bruce. I didn't think about it that way. I'll stay.'
'She'll have forty good boys looking after her, she'll he all right,'
Ruffy assured Bruce.
'All right then, that's settled. It won't be for long, Shermaine.'
'I'll go and see about draining the trucks.' Ruffy stood up.
'See you in the morning, boss.'
'I'm going to get some more of that meat.' Wally picked up the map
carelessly. 'Try and get some sleep tonight, Curry. Not too much grumble
and grunt.' In his exasperation, Bruce did not notice that Hendry had
taken the map.
It rained in the early hours before the dawn and Bruce lay in the back
of the Ranchero and listened to it drum on the metal roof. It was a
lulling sound and a good feeling to lie warmly listening to the rain
with the woman you love in your arms.
He felt her waking against him, the change in her breathing and the
first slow movements of her body.
There were buffalo steaks for breakfast, but no coffee.
They ate swiftly and then Bruce called across to Ruffy.
'Okay, Ruffy?'
'Let's go, boss.' They climbed into the Ford and
Ruffy filled most of the seat beside Bruce. His helmet perched on the
back of his head, rifle sticking Out through the space where the
windscreen should have been, and two large feet planted securely on top
of the case of beer on the floor.
Bruce twisted the key and the engine fired. He warmed it at a fast idle
and turned to Hendry who leaned against the roof of the Ford and peered
through the window.
'We'll be back this afternoon. Don't let anybody wander away from
camp.'
'Okay.' Hendry breathed his morning breath full into Bruce's face.
'Keep them busy, otherwise they'll get bored and start fighting.'
Before he answered Hendry let his eyes search the interior of the Ford
carefully and then he stood back.
'Ok, he said again. 'On your way!' Bruce looked beyond him to where
Shermaine sat on the tailboard of a truck and smiled at her.
'Bon voyage!' she called and Bruce let out the clutch.
They bumped out on to the road amid a chorus of cheerfal farewells from
