shaken in solemn unison.
'Have they seen any war parties of their own people?' Again solemn
negative.
'All right, give them the rest of the chocolate,' instructed
Bruce. That was all he could get out of them, and time was wasting. He
glanced back at the tower and saw that Haig and the engine driver had
finished watering. For a further second he studied the boy. His own son
would be about the same age now; it was twelve months since - Bruce
stopped himself hurriedly. That way lay madness.
Hendry, take them back to the edge of the bush and turn them loose.
Hurry up. We've wasted long enough.'
'You're telling me!'
grunted Hendry and beckoned to the two children. With Hendry leading and
a gendarme on each side they trotted away obediently and disappeared
behind the station building.
'Driver, are your preparations complete?'
'Yes, monsieur, we are ready to depart.'
'Shovel all the coal in, we've gotta keep her rolling.' Bruce smiled at
him, he liked the little man and their stilted exchanges gave him
pleasure.
'Pardon, monsieur.'
'It was an imbecility, a joke - forgive me.'
'Ah, a joke!' The roly-poly stomach wobbled merrily.
'Okay, Mike,' Bruce shouted, 'get your men aboard. We are, -' A
burst of automatic gunfire cut his voice short. It came from behind the
station buildings, and it battered into the heat-muted morning with such
startling violence that for an instant Bruce stood paralysed.
'Haig,' he yelled, 'get up front and take over from de Surrier.'
That was the weak point, and Mike's party ran down the train.
'You men.' Bruce stopped the six gendarmes. 'Come with me.' They fell in
behind him, and with a quick glance Bruce assured himself that the train
was safe. All along its length rifle barrels were poking out
protectively, while on the roof Ruffy was dragging the Bren round to
cover the flank. A charge by even a thousand Baluba must fail before the
fire power that was ready now to receive it.
'Come on,' said Bruce and ran, with the gendarmes behind him, to the
sheltering wall of the station building.
There had been no shot fired since that initial burst, which could mean
either that it was a false alarm or that Hendry's party had been
overwhelmed by the first rush.
The door of the station master's office was locked. Bruce kicked and it
crashed open with the weight of his booted foot behind it.
I've always wanted to do that, he thought happily in his excitement,
ever since I saw Gable do it in San Francisco.
'You four - inside! Cover us from the windows.' They crowded into the
room with their rifles held ready. Through the open door Bruce saw the
telegraph equipment on the table by the far wall; it was clattering
metallically from traffic on the Elisabethville-Jadotville line. Why is
it that under the stimulus of excitement my mind always registers
