play along any more. And let me tell you now, Bucko! I don't need you

and I don't need nobody. Not Haig or you, with your fancy

too-good-to-kiss my-arse talk; when the time comes I'm

going to trim you down to size. - Remember that, Curry. And don't say I

just didn't warn you.' Hendry was leaning forward, hands on his knees,

body braced and his whole face twisting and contotted with the vehemence

of his speech.

'Let's make it now, Hendry.' Bruce wheeled away from the window,

crouching slightly, his hands stiffening into the flat hard blades of

the judo fighter.

Sergeant Major Ruffararo stood up from the Opposite bunk with surprising

grace and speed for such a big man.

He interposed his great body.

'You wanted to tell us something, boss?' Bruce straightened out of his

crouch, his hands Slowly relaxing. Irritably he brushed at the damp lock

of dark hair that had fallen on to his forehead, as if to brush Wally

Hendry out of his mind with the same movement.

'Yes,' controlling his voice with an effort, 'I wanted to discuss our

next move.' He fished the cigarette pack from his top pocket and lit

one, sucking the smoke down deep.

Then he perched on the lid of the washbasin and studied the ash on the

tip of the cigarette. When he spoke again his voice was normal.

'There is no hope of repairing this locomotive, so we have to find

alternative transport out of here. Either we can walk two hundred miles

back to Msapa junction with our friends the Baluba ready to dispute our

passage, or we can ride back in General Moses's trucks!' He paused to

let it sink in.

'You going to pinch those trucks off him?' asked Ruffy.

'That's going to take some doing, boss.'

'No, Ruffy, I don't think we have any chance of getting them out from

under his nose. What we will have to do is attack the town and wipe him

out.'

'You're bloody crazy,' exclaimed Wally. 'You're raving bloody mad.'

Bruce ignored him. (I estimate that Moses has about sixty men. With

Kanaki and nine men on the bridge, Haig and de Surrier and six others

gone, we have thirty-four men left.

Correct, Sergeant Major?'

'That's right, boss.'

'Very well,' Bruce

nodded. 'We'll have to leave at least ten men here to man that ambush in

case Moses sends a patrol after us, or in case of an attack by the

Baluba. It's not enough, I know, but we will just have to risk it.'

'Most of these civilians got arms with them, shotguns and sports

rifles,' said Ruffy.

'Yes,' agreed Bruce. 'They should be able to look after themselves. So

that leaves twenty-four men to carry out the attack, something like

three to one.'

'Those shufta will be so full of liquor, half of them won't be able to

stand up.'

'That's what I am banking on:

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