Free Freedom's Land by Anna Jacobs

seemed to be in charge.
    ‘On the train. There isn’t anywhere else.’
    A few feet away Bert Grenville exploded into anger at this news. ‘ What? We’ve been travelling all day and we’re tired. Surely you can do better than that for us?’
    The man’s expression tightened. ‘The government didn’t think it out properly. There is nowhere round here to put so many people up. And you’ll be comfier on the train than on a hard wooden floor somewhere.’
    Bert cursed.
    ‘Mind your language. There are ladies present. We’re volunteers, doing this as a favour to you. We’ve stayed up late to feed you and you might show a little gratitude.’
    Susan tugged at her husband’s arm and he stepped back, still scowling and with no word of apology.
    Irene sipped her tea, welcoming its warmth because the night was quite cool, especially after such a hot day.
    Standing next to them were the Boyds. Little Janie was so tired she had to be persuaded to eat and drink, and Irene watched wistfully. Surely one day she’d be able to have a child? She didn’t want to produce as many as her mother had, but three or four children would be wonderful. It wouldn’t be a proper family without children.
    Freddie didn’t seem to care about children half as much as she did, but he would once they arrived, she was sure he would.
    And then, after they’d queued to use the lavatories, it was back to the train to sleep. She snuggled down with her head on Freddie’s shoulder, thinking what a strange few days these had been. And would get even stranger, she was sure. But she didn’t mind. They were here at last. Well, almost.

6
    A s soon as he had collected the things he needed, Gil set off for Northcliffe. He left early, once there was enough light to see the way, before the sun had risen, driving there in the horse and cart he’d bought for himself during the few days he’d spent in the south-west. He reckoned that form of transport would be easier to maintain than a car. He wasn’t much of a mechanic, but he did know about horses.
    Pete was glad of a lift out to the new town, but both of them were horrified by how rough the track was. Gil let Daisy move along it at her own pace. Like him, she was no longer young, but not old yet, a sensible mare, to whom he’d taken a liking at first sight.
    In Northcliffe they found a clerk from the Group Settlement Board, who had arrived in a delivery truck. He’d been waiting there for their group, stuck for a way to get out to their blocks. Good organisation, that, but you couldn’t blame a clerk like this one for what the higher-ups did. Gil offered the man a ride out and back again.
    ‘Thank you. I appreciate that.’
    ‘We try to help one another in the country,’ Gil said mildly. It was obvious this fellow was a townie. What would he know about settling the land?
    They jogged along mostly in silence, but at a particularly bad patch, where they had to detour round a fallen tree trunk, Gil couldn’t keep quiet any longer. ‘Crikey! Couldn’t they have done better than this? You can’t call it a road, not by any stretch of the imagination, and what it’ll be like in winter, I dread to think.’
    The clerk, who’d got off and helped them at least, rather than expecting them to do all the work, shrugged. ‘I just do as I’m told. But I will report this road as needing urgent attention.’
    It wasn’t hard to find their land, because they just followed the track and turned off where they’d been told. It was easy to see which block was meant to be the starting camp for the whole group, because there were piles of tents and equipment lying around, looking as if they’d been dumped there haphazardly.
    Gil reined in his horse, cursing under his breath. The materials were there, wood and corrugated iron, but not a single temporary shack had been erected. And the first half of the group was due here later today. Where were the poor sods expected to sleep? A quick glance sideways showed him