The Dark of the Sun - Smith Wilbur - Страница 61

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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

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

the gendarmes round the cooking fires and Bruce settled down to drive.

In the rear-view mirror he watched the camp disappear round the curve in

the road. There were puddles of rainwater in the road, but above them

the clouds had broken up and scattered across the sky.

"How's it for a beer, boss?" "Instead of coffee?" asked Bruce.

"Nothing like it for the bowels," grunted Ruffy and reached down to open

the case.

Wally Hendry lifted his helmet and scratched his scalp. His short red

hair felt stiff and wiry with dried sweat and there was a spot above his

right ear that itched. He fingered it tenderly.

The Ranchero disappeared round a bend in the road, the trees screening

it abruptly, and the hum of its motor faded.

Okay, so they haven't taken the diamonds with them. I had a bloody good

look around. I guessed they'd leave them.

The girl knows where they are like as not. Perhaps - no, she'd squeal

like a stuck pig if I asked.

Hendry looked sideways at Shermame; she was staring after the

Ranchero.

Silly bitch! Getting all broody now that Curry's giving her the rod.

Funny how these educated Johnnies like their women to have small tits -

nice piece of arse though.

Wouldn't mind a bit of that myself. Jesus, that would really get to Mr.

High Class Bloody Curry, me giving his pretty the business. Not a chance

though. These niggers think he's a god or something. They'd

tear me to pieces if I touched her. Forget about it! Let's get the

diamonds and take off for the border.

Hendry settled his helmet back on to his head and strolled casually

across to the truck that Ruffy had been driving the day before.

Got a map, compass, coupla spare clips of ammo - now all we need

is the glass.

He climbed into the cab and opened the cubby hole.

Bet a pound to a pinch of dung that they've hidden them somewhere in

this truck. They're not worried - think they've got me tied up here.

Never occurred to them that old Uncle Wally might up and walk away.

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