Free The Cadet Sergeant Major by Christopher Cummings Page A

them he said, “Wotcher doin’?”
    â€œThere’s a First Year section ahead. Slow down Dimbo,” Peter replied.
    â€œShe’ll be right. We seen ‘em,” Dimbo answered. He led his section on at a fast walk.
    Peter stood up and shrugged. “Oh well, they will break the ice for us if nothing else,” he said. He began following Dimbo’s group who had already vanished from view around the next bend.
    For five minutes they walked slowly along, still following the creek bed. The creek had a dozen small bends in it. After about two hundred metres they came to a sharp bend to the right. Just as Peter peeked cautiously round this there were yells and shouts from further up the creek.
    â€œWhat is it?” Kate asked from close behind.
    â€œDimbo Doyle. His section has run into some more First Years. Roger Dunning’s section I think. Yes it is. I can hear Roger,” Peter replied. He gave a chuckle. “They are taking a ‘Life’ off each of Dimbo’s cadets. Get ready to run back down the creek if they come this way. Sean, you go up to the top of the bank and keep watch out to either side.”
    LCpl Parnell nodded and crawled up so he could just see over the top of the bank from behind a small, prickly bush. The others crouched waiting. There was no breeze in the gully and the sun blazed down so that they began to sweat.
    Peter kept watch up the creek. After a few minutes, during which the two sections stood and swapped stories, Dimbo’s section continued up the creek bed. Peter tensed, ready to run. To his relief he saw Roger lead his section off to the left, up onto the top of the bank beside the fence which crossed the creek at that point. For a moment Peter wondered if there might be a checkpoint where the fence crossed the creek. Then he decided there wouldn’t be. ‘The OC wouldn’t plan it that way or the exercise would be impossible. He said that if we did the right thing we should have a fair chance of sneaking through.’
    Peter signalled the others to follow as soon as the last of Roger’s cadets was out of sight. He continued up the creek bed, scouting as he went. On reaching the barbed wire fence he crawled under it and waited till all the others were through.
    â€œHave a drink,” he ordered. “Sean, have another look up on the bank.”
    LCpl Parnell walked up a well-worn cattle pad beside the fence. No sooner had he reached the top than he turned and came scuttling back down. “Quick! Run! Another section is coming: Brassington’s. They are coming down the fence from the east.”
    Peter had just taken out his waterbottle. He swore; then said, “This way!” At the run he set off up the creek. The others followed, Leah spilling water from her open canteen. Luckily it was only fifty paces to the next bend. Even as they rounded it Peter remembered their boot prints. ‘We shouldn’t have run in the sand,’ he berated himself. ‘Never mind. Too late now.’
    Once all were around the bend he slowed down but kept on walking. The creek had changed again. It had narrowed to only one or two meters of sand in a steep, V-sided gully with bare, eroded banks. There was almost no grass and only a few bushes. A few scraggly trees gave almost no shade and even less cover. Outcrops of rocks stood between small washouts. It felt very hot.
    After creeping along for another five minutes Peter pointed up a small side gully. He led the way up it to a clump of rocks near the top. He sat so that he could just see over the top of the bank and indicated the others should also sit. Kate sat beside him. The rocks were so hot they hurt to touch. The cadets were all perspiring freely and Peter was worried about heat exhaustion. After cautiously raising his head he looked around the surrounding bush but could see no sign of movement. He did not think that Barbara’s section was following but still posted Leah