clackety-clacking past them, the rhythm of their wheels mounting.
'Run!' he gasped, 'Run!' and with the panic weakening their legs he just
managed to catch the handrail of the second coach. He clung to
it, stumbling along beside the train, one arm round Shermaine's waist.
Sergeant Major Ruffararo leaned out, took Shermaine by the scruff of her
neck and lifted her in like a lost kitten. Then he reached down for
Bruce.
'Boss, some day we going to lose you if you go on playing around like
that.'
'I'm sorry, Bruce,' she panted, leaning against him.
'No damage done.' He could grin at her. 'Now I want you to get into that
compartment and stay there until I tell you to come out. Do you
understand?'
'Yes, Bruce.'
'Off you go.' He turned from her to
Ruffy. 'Up on to the roof, Sergeant Major! We're going to have
fireworks. Those shufta have got a field gun with them and we'll be in
full view of the town right up to the top of the hills. By the time they
reached the roof of the train it had pulled out of Port Reprieve and was
making its first angling turn up the slope of the hills. The sun was up
now, well clear of the horizon, and the mist from the swamp had lifted
so that they could see the whole village spread out beneath
them.
General Moses's column had crossed the causeway and was into the main
street. As Bruce watched, the leading truck swung sharply across the
road and stopped. Men boiled out from under the canopy and swarmed over
the field gun, unhitching it, manhandling it into position.
'I hope those Arabs haven't had any drill on that piece,' grunted
Ruffy.
'We'll soon find out,' Bruce assured him grimly and looked back along
the train. In the last truck Boussier stood protectively over the small
group of four women and their children, like an old white-haired collie
with its sheep.
Crouched against the steel side of the truck, Andre de Surrier and half
a dozen gendarmes were swinging and sighting the two Bren guns.
In the second truck also the gendarmes were preparing to open fire.
'What are you waiting for?' roared Ruffy. 'Get me that field gun - start
shooting.' They fired a ragged volley, then the Bren guns
joined in.
With every burst Andre's helmet slipped forward over his eyes and he had
to stop and push it back. Lying on the roof of the leading coach, Wally
Hendry was firing short businesslike bursts.
The shufta round the field gun scattered, leaving one of their number
lying in the road, but there were men behind the armour shield -
Bruce could see the tops of their helmets.
Suddenly there was a long gush of white smoke from the barrel, and the
shell rushed over the top of the train, with a noise like the wings of a
giant pheasant.
'Over!' said Ruffy.
