CHAPTER 28

A t 7 am the following day, Jamie and Jacko sat at small table under the shade of a cinerea gum tree eating a hearty breakfast of eggs, T-bone steaks and toasted homemade bread, washed down with tea. As they discussed their plans for their drive to Halls Creek and the additional supplies they would need, Jacko suddenly froze. With narrowed eyes, he was staring at something over Jamie’s shoulder. Jamie turned around to see the large figure of Tommo who had attempted to intimidate Jacko the previous evening. Shifting his weight from one foot to the other and with a look of remorse on his face, Tommo addressed Jacko.

“I’ve come to apologise,” he said in a low voice which belied his size. “I was a bit drunk last night and didn’t really know what I was doing. Bill and Henriette told me in no uncertain terms this mornin’ and I’m very sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Jacko relaxed and said, “Apology accepted, Tommo. Come and have a cup of tea with us.”

“Really? You sure?”

“Yeah, sit down. There’s a spare chair here,” said Jacko.

Tommo blushed and sat down sheepishly. After taking a sip of tea, he explained that he was a handyman of all trades including plumbing, carpentry, electrics, vehicle mechanics and anything else that needed fixing. His name was Jake Thompson and he had been kept busy during the war servicing all the RAAF and American facilities based at Daly Waters, as well as helping at the airport. Over the previous couple of months he had found himself far less busy and he’d taken up drinking a bit too much, which he realised after the altercation the previous evening was not a good thing.

“Bill told me that you’re the ones going after the gang that robbed the pub and kidnapped the girl,” said Tommo. “If there’s anything I can do to help you, I’d be only too glad.”

“We’re only here for another day and just need to get a few more supplies. We head off to Halls Creek tomorrow morning,” said Jamie. “Thanks for the offer anyway.”

“I’ve got a four-by-four diesel truck with a winch,” said Tommo. “It’s a really good vehicle. You’ll find it’s mostly soft bulldust along that road and even a jeep like yours can get dry-bogged in the blasted stuff. You might need an extra vehicle at least out to Top Springs. You’ll be okay after that.”

“Thanks, Tommo,” said Jacko, “we’ll certainly think about it.”

“Yeah, well, I’m really sorry,” said Tommo. “I can assure you it won’t happen again. I’d like to make it up to you. I’m not gonna hit the grog again. No way. Fair dinkum.”

After he’d gone, Henriette came and cleared the table and then suggested they might like to meet the friend of the hitchhiker who had been kidnapped. She told them she was staying with her and Bill and didn’t want to leave until she heard news of her friend. She had cried for a week after the incident but had finally settled down. Jamie thought it might be a good idea to question her, although he doubted she knew much more than the locals who had been there at the time of the shooting and kidnapping.

Half an hour later, Henriette introduced them to Nancy Martin, a 19 year old with long, light brown hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a faded red shirt and khaki pants, and still looked as though she might burst into tears at any moment.

“These men are going to track down those nasty gangsters who kidnapped Cassie,” Henriette said to Nancy. “They’ll try to rescue her safe and sound.”

“Are you policemen?” asked Nancy, looking at Jamie.

“Not exactly. We’re with the Commonwealth Investigation Service. We started out looking for some members of that gang who’re wanted for war crimes, but it looks like that’s only the tip of the iceberg.”

“Where do you think they could be?” asked Nancy.

“It’s possible they’ve gone through to Halls Creek in the east Kimberley but we don’t know yet,” replied Jamie. “We’ll go to Top Springs tomorrow morning and we can probably pick up some sign if they’ve been through there.”

“I want to come with you,” said Nancy. “Cassie’s my best friend and I feel responsible somehow for what happened.”

“I’m sorry, Nancy. We have no room,” said Jamie. “As it is, we’ll have to see if we can find a trailer to put some of our gear in. Anyway, these men we’re after are armed and dangerous.”

“Bill may be able to help you with that trailer,” said Henriette.

“I could ride on the trailer,” said Nancy. “I wouldn’t be any trouble.”

“Nancy, it’s 500 miles of rough track to Halls Creek,” said Henriette. “As Jamie told you, they have no room. Come with me, sweetheart, I’ve got a few things I want you to do for me.”

After they left, Jamie and Jacko went in search of Bill. In the pub, Caroline told them he might be in the shed close to the pub where there were petrol and diesel bowsers out the front.

“G’day, gentlemen,” said Bill when he saw the two men approaching. “I trust you had a good breakfast.”

“Excellent thanks,” said Jamie. “There are a couple of things you might be able to help us with. We’d like to borrow, rent or buy a trailer. We’ll be needing it to carry some of our gear as there’ll be three of us tomorrow and there’s not much room in our jeep.”

“I’ve got an old trailer here in the shed,” said Bill. “I don’t think it’ll do you much good though. It’s got a broken axle.”

“Pity. Anyway, can we buy petrol from you?” asked Jamie. “I’d like to top up the jeep before we leave.”

“Not a problem, my boy,” said Bill. “That’s part of my business now. The armed forces set up fuel tanks and bowsers and I seem to have inherited them.”

“That’s great. I’ll bring the jeep up now,” said Jamie.

“Wait a second,” said Bill with a thoughtful expression. “I know who does have a trailer. The fellow who tried a bit on with Jacko here last night – Tommo. It’s worth a try.”

“Aha! He apologised to me this morning,” said Jacko. “He seemed keen to make up for his sins. Where can we find him?”

Bill pointed out a corrugated iron shed about 100 yards away with an old caravan beside it. They found Tommo with his head stuck under the bonnet of a dusty blue car, tightening up some spark plugs.

“G’day, fellas,” Tommo greeted them, flicking a few flies away from his eyes. “Just fixing up this car for a fellow from the Alice who broke down on the Bitumen near here. Anything I can help you with?”

“Yeah, we’re looking to borrow a trailer,” said Jacko, “and Bill said you might be able to help us out. We need one to carry some of our gear when we hit the road tomorrow.”

“You came to the right place,” said Tommo with a grin. “I’ve got a little beauty just at the back of the shed here. I can lend you a tarpaulin to wrap your gear in as well.”

“That’s perfect,” said Jamie after seeing the trailer, which was in good condition and had new tyres. “Could we rent this from you for a few weeks?”

“Naw, you can borrow it for nothin’,” said Tommo. “Fair dinkum, I think I owe you fellas that much at least.”

“Well thanks, that’s very generous of you,” said Jamie. “Are you sure?”

“Yep, happy to do it,” said Tommo. “I won’t shake hands on it as I got grease all over mine. Are you sure you don’t want me to come along with you tomorrow?”

“No, we’ll be okay on our own,” said Jamie, “but thanks anyway. I’ve just got to top up the jeep with petrol and then I’ll bring it here to hook up the trailer if that’s okay with you.”

“Never a problem,” said Tommo with a wide smile showing a couple of gaps between his teeth. “See you shortly.”

*

After refuelling the jeep, Jamie drove it to Tommo’s shed where Tommo, with Jacko’s help, attached a tow ball to the back of the vehicle. Hitching it onto the trailer, they then drove to the bunkhouse to start loading it up with their gear. They draped the tarpaulin over the empty trailer and first loaded the heavier items including some of the rifles. Jacko looked up and saw Bill walking towards them carrying a rifle under each arm. He greeted them with a smile.

“G’day, gentlemen,” he said. “I’ve got a couple of items here you might find handy. A Lee-Enfield .303 and a .22 Hornet. They’re both in top condition and with ammunition.”

“Thanks, Bill, that’s very kind of you but we’ve got plenty of fire power,” said Jamie.

“It’s just that a couple of the lads from the village asked me to give these to you,” said Bill. “They’re all so angry with those bloody crooks they want to do all they can to help you run them to earth.”

“Please thank them from us,” said Jamie. “We probably could do with a bit more .303 ammunition and we might borrow the Hornet.”

“Well, if you take that they’ll be very happy,” said Bill, handing over a few boxes and the rifle, then seeing their luggage he added, “I see you’ve got a guitar. One of the fellows who works at the airport plays a mean guitar. Maybe you could play a duet at the pub this evening. That’d wow the crowd.”

“I’m not much good,” said Jamie. “I can only play fairly simple chords.”

“That’s okay,” said Bill. “Most of the blokes here have a tin ear anyway, but they love a bit of guitar music.”

“Well, I’ll try not to get booed too much,” said Jamie.

“Good man,” said Bill. “One other thing. When you’ve finished here come over to the pub in your vehicle as we’re preparing a picnic lunch beside the springs if you’d like to come along. You can have a swim there if you want. There are no crocodiles around there at the moment. Because there are no flights today, some of the airport blokes and a few wives will be there too, as well as other locals, hostel guests and probably some stockmen. The lunch is on me but we’ll also have beer on ice you can purchase.”

“That sounds like fun,” said Jamie. “We’ll catch up with you around noon time.”

After he left, Jamie asked Jacko what time he thought Sarah would be arriving.

“I’m not sure, probably around dusk,” he said, “but she told us not to wait at the turn-off on the Bitumen or we might wait there all night. She said she would find us.”

*

After stowing most of their gear in the trailer, they left it outside the bunkhouse and at midday headed off in the jeep to join the picnic group at the pub. They found Bill and three black men loading up an old station wagon with supplies and Bill introduced them as Jerry, Lennie and Stumpy, who had been with him since the old days at Maranboy. Bill asked them to take a large bag of steak in their jeep as he would have a full load of passengers in the car. Henriette appeared with a young black girl, Lilla, who was Stumpy’s wife, Nancy, the hitchhiker, and a Chinese cook named Eddie Wong. They were carrying boxes of salad and homemade bread which were also deposited in the jeep. Bill said that Tommo would be bringing a load of ice, a barrel of rainwater and the beer in his truck and had promised not to drink too much.

“The lagoon’s three miles north of here,” said Bill. “Some of my other staff have gone ahead to light the barbeque and get things ready, so just follow me and we’ll get underway.”

With seven squeezed into the station wagon and Eddie Wong perched on the back of the jeep, Bill led the way along a well-beaten track through the long dry grass to a large dry creek bed. In the distance, they could see flocks of birds flying in circles. As they approached the lagoon, surrounded by wattle, pandanus and gum trees, the sound of many birds assailed their ears. Wild ducks and geese shared the banks and waters of the lagoon with water hens, ibis, parrots, bustards, pelicans, kookaburras and squabbling happy jacks. They came to a stop near a barbeque made of ant nest with wood burning beneath an iron grate. Two black women were feeding the fire and Bill introduced them to Jamie and Jacko as Nellie and Kitty.

Other guests included operators from the telegraph station, a meteorologist, several RAAF medical staff and personnel who hadn’t yet been reassigned, cattlemen, several blackfellows and other locals, and some travellers who had decided to stay at Daly Waters overnight. Bill set to sorting through the large bag of beef on the jeep while Henriette and the other women set out dishes of salad and jars of dressing and mustard on a long trestle table set up near the barbeque. A large net covered the food to discourage the flies, at least for a while. Tommo arrived in his truck with Caroline and they opened up the back, placed beer bottles in buckets with ice and started selling them. Guests were happy to drink straight from the bottle.

“How do you fellows like your steak?” Bill asked Jamie and Jacko. “I’ll serve you first before the mob ploughs in.”

“I like mine medium rare,” said Jamie. “What sort of steak do you have?”

“All sorts,” said Bill. “We get our beef from the local stations who charge us fivepence a pound for any cut whether its flap or fillet, so today we’ve got T-bone, sirloin, rib steak, rump or fillet. Take your pick. What about you, Jacko?”

“Just as it comes, Bill. Any way will do.”

“Okay, I’ll put some sirloins on for you two, Henriette and myself and then I’ll turn the cooking over to Eddie and the boys,” he said Bill. “We’ve only got tin plates but that’s the finest china you’ll get out here.”

After lunch, Jamie and several others stripped down to their shorts and dived into the lagoon. Jacko sat down on a log in the shade of a tree where Henriette had already planted herself in a folding chair. He commented that it was the best steak he’d ever eaten.

“Bill likes to marinate it first in a mixture of beer and sauce,” she said. “He says it softens it.”

“Seems to work,” said Jacko. “Your pub’s kept you and Bill pretty busy over the past 15 years.”

“It wasn’t always a pub,” said Henriette. “We originally set it up as a store to supply the local cattle stations, drovers and travellers with things that were difficult to get way out here. Bill was originally a carpenter and he and his boys brought loads of cypress pine from Maranboy to build our store and house. The pine at Maranboy is oily and resistant to termites.”

“That’s most interesting,” said Jacko. “You’re real pioneers.”

“Yes, we’ve been called that but we didn’t think so at the time,” said Henriette. “In the early years, Bill and the boys worked hard to put the house and store together and I stayed at Elsie Downs until he got the roof on. The store did well at first as we were looking after air passengers going to and from Singapore, Batavia and elsewhere, as well as supplying cattle stations and road travellers. We must have made thousands of cups of tea and baked thousands of loaves of bread. We produced milk from our goats and eggs from our chickens. Bill added a hostel to the store to accommodate travellers, which kept him really busy. An alcohol licence was the next step and we were granted that in 1938, which of course meant an extension to everything to create the bar. Then of course, came the war.”

“That would have provided lots of customers, I guess,” said Jacko.

“Yes. We never could have handled it without our wonderful black staff who are well trained and have stuck with us for twenty-five years or so,” said Henriette. “They were able to handle the refuelling of all those aeroplanes without supervision. Bristol Bombers, Wirraways, Spitfires and of course, the big American bombers. And the girls, Nellie, Lilla and the rest, always washing sheets and clothes and helping with the cooking. So loyal. They’re the reason I’ve enjoyed it here.”

“Yeah, that’s easy to understand,” said Jacko. “You’ve certainly had an eventful life. What’s the future here?”

“Ah! I think my pioneering days are over,” she said. “We bought a house in Adelaide a few years ago. I haven’t been well and I’m going there to live after the wet. We have a daughter in Adelaide who married the previous meteorologist here. The local blacks used to call him the Rainmaker.”

“Yeah, I bet they did,” said Jacko with a chuckle. “So will you be selling this place to someone else?”

“No, I’m sure Bill will fly back and forth between Adelaide and here,” she said. “He could never sit still and do nothing and there’ll always be a need for the store and pub. Are you going to have a swim?”

“Naw, I don’t swim well,” he said. “There’s not much water around Tennant Creek and it wasn’t taught much at my Charters Towers school.”

“You certainly seem well educated,” she said.

“Yeah, they managed to force a lot of education into our thick skulls at that boarding school,” he said.

“Have you known Jamie for a long time?” she asked.

“Yes, we were together in the Middle East and New Guinea during the war,” he replied. “He was an officer and I was his sergeant. He’s a good bloke and we’re used to working together.”

“Everyone here is praying you catch those criminals,” said Henriette. “We also hope that poor girl, Cassie, can be rescued unharmed.”

“They also kidnapped a couple of black girls from Tennant Creek that we know of,” said Jacko. “The girls were probably tied up in their truck when they were here the last time.”

“Goodness me!” she said. “It gets worse and worse. We’ll all be praying for you over the next few weeks.”

“What are you fellas chatting about?” asked Bill, striding up to where they were sitting. “Am I interrupting anything?”

“Jacko mentioned that those criminals had already kidnapped two young girls from the Tennant before Cassie,” she said. “They’ve probably still got them all.”

“Well, I’ll be blowed,” said Bill shaking his head. “Don’t think anyone’ll grieve if you shoot the lot of them, Jacko.”

“We’ll try to capture them,” said Jacko, “but you never know what’ll happen.”

“Anyway, we’re packing up now,” said Bill. “As soon as Jamie’s dried himself off we’ll head back to the pub.”

Jamie walked up from the waterhole dripping wet and put a dry shirt over his wet shorts. “That was great! The water is great.”

“Yep! We hope the water has tuned up your strumming fingers because we expect a maestro guitar performance from you this evening,” said Bill, winking at the others.