The Cadet Sergeant Major (15 page)

“Yes. Quite so CSM. Well, it could have been worse.”

“Much worse!” agreed Lt Maclaren.

Graham shivered as he had yet another flashback to when he and Peter had saved Carnes. “We don't want anyone driven to suicide,” he said.

“Yes indeed!” Capt Conkey agreed, visibly shuddering. “That's why it is so important to stop any bullying.”

Lt Hamilton shook his head. “Dibble wouldn't have the guts to commit suicide.”

“Maybe not, but we must always take all the care we can,” Lt Standish replied.

Capt Conkey nodded, then said, “Right CSM, let us get this Treasure Hunt under way.”

The ‘Treasure Hunt' was an orienteering competition between the sections. It was designed to be a team effort:- sections had to move together, at the speed of the slowest person, and the clues were in codes. Eleven different codes were used. Here again teamwork came into it. A section that got itself organized so that each person had one or two codes to work on soon cracked it. Then it was just navigating.

Some of the codes were very obvious and simple: Schoolboy ‘Pig Pen', Morse and Naval Flags (drawn as coloured pictures). All the others were more difficult. There was a numeral code where the letters were substituted for their number in the alphabet. A smart section quickly made a numerical table and kept it.

All the other clues were letters grouped in ‘Trigrams' (Groups of three letters) to break up the pattern of the words and sentences. In a few cases the letters of the original spelling weren't even changed; just grouped in threes; or spelt backwards. In one every second letter was transposed. In others the letters were moved either to the right or to the left of their place in the alphabet; so that A became B and B became C, and so on.

To help decode these each section was given a small cardboard ‘Code wheel'. This had two ‘wheels', a smaller one in the centre of a larger one, both with the alphabet around their rims and secured with a pin through both centres so they could revolve. In another case a small code book of computer generated trigrams was needed. This was similar to the ‘one day' or ‘single use' codes used by the army.

An OOC, CUO or senior NCO was allocated to move with each section to ensure they stayed together and for safety. At each clue the sections could not leave until they had showed the staff member the complete decoded message. This prevented them from simply following the lead section. Graham found himself allocated to No 5 Section, Cpl Fiona Davies.

Capt Conkey briefed them on the rules and safety. Codes and Instruction sheets were issued and they all did a practice at decoding. Capt Conkey read out the first clue and the race began. Each section went into a huddle and started puzzling it out. Graham stood back and watched. The staff members were not allowed to assist. The thing Graham was rapidly struck by were the differences between the section commanders.

‘This really shows which have got their teams under control and whether they can think,' he decided. He noticed the OC and the other OOCs carefully observing.

The next thing Graham noted was that, while Fiona clearly knew what to do and had allocated tasks to each person, her section 2ic, LCpl Leroy, was arguing with her.

‘Hmmm. A bit of a power struggle going on there. Leroy is not being very helpful,' he thought.

Cpl Gallon's section cracked the clue first. They set off at a run, to be restrained by CUO Bates.

“Wait for Cadet Clayfield,” she ordered. Graham watched Clayfield walk after them with an odd, shuffling gait, clearly trying to keep his legs apart. There was a snicker from several cadets which Graham sternly suppressed.

Cpl Scott's section set off next, followed by Lofty Ward's. Graham saw Lofty turn to grin at Wendy Werribee who was running beside him. Wendy returned the grin with a smile which caused Graham to go ‘Hmmm.' Roger's section set off in an excited group with Barbara Brassington's close on their heels. Among the sections left behind the frustration and tension mounted, with the beginnings of open bickering.

Then Fiona cracked the code. She showed Graham and they raced after the others. Graham ran with them. All carried webbing and the broom sticks that each section had to make improvised stretchers with.

The race followed a pattern for the next three hours. About half the sections were all together in a bunch up at the front, then a few spread out well behind, and three hopelessly at the tail end: Goltz's, Melchert's and Laidley's. The lead section changed from time to time and once Dimbo Doyle's came from way back, by a series of lucky breaks, to be the leaders for one move. Then Dimbo's navigation let them down and they went off course while searching for the next clue. Roger found it before them and his became the lead section.

The whole distance was only four kilometres but it seemed much further as they ran from one clue to the next. The clues led them to the rocky outcrop where the Observation Course had been (Backwards), to a creek junction north of Sandy Ridge (Transposing letters), back to the junction of Sandy ridge and the Canning Road (Spelling normally but grouping), to the turnoff of the road to Canning Junction (Numerals), to a Burdekin Plum Tree on a compass bearing (Naval Flags), to a shed (Morse Code), to the concrete causeway across the Canning (One letter to the right), to a rock in the bed of the small creek Graham and Peter had followed during the Evasion Exercise (Code Letter ‘F' on the Code Wheel), to a power pole in the north gravel scrape (Code Book), to a jerrycan on a vehicle track (One to the left), to a gate (Code Book) to another power pole between the two dry creeks (Backwards), then back to the bivouac area.

It had become a real race by the time they reached the gate. At the second power pole three sections separated from the pack and shot ahead: HQ Section, Barbara's and Fiona's. Roger's had slipped to fourth. They tried gamely to catch up, Roger pushing his perspiring, tubby body at a hard run.

In the end it was almost neck and neck with the three lead sections all running together to the last clue (Code letter ‘J' on the Code Wheel) which was on a jerrycan beside the OC's hutchie. Then it became a decoding race. Allison and Kate worked it out first. They cheered and hugged each other. Barbara's was second, and won the ‘First Year' prize, while Fiona's was third, with a sharp exchange between her and her 2ic to demonstrate her displeasure.

Graham met Allison's eyes and returned her triumphant grin. ‘Those eyes!' he sighed.

He really enjoyed the exercise. So did most of the cadets. As the sections straggled in he stood and watched. Capt Conkey came and stood beside him.

Graham gestured towards the cadets. “This activity really shows up the differences between the sections sir,” he observed.

“Yes it does. Unfortunately it also shows that a couple of sections are starting to come apart rather than bonding into teams. That is a worry.” Capt Conkey then turned to face him. “You probably don't realize but it was after watching this activity last year that I restructured the company. That is why you ended up with all those dead-heads in your section. I reckoned it made all the others workable; and I thought you could handle them.”

Graham found this something of a revelation. They discussed the exercise which had followed; the raid on the rail bridge. Graham felt compelled to ask. “What is this year's exercise sir?”

Capt Conkey chuckled. “You will see CSM. You will see!”

He would offer no clues so the conversation went back to discussing sections that were showing symptoms of disintegrating: Goltz's, Gallon's and Melchert's. The fact that two of them were in 3 Platoon was an additional cause for concern.

Graham noted the sections as they arrived back. By 1145 they were all back except one: Dimbo Doyle's. Capt Conkey groaned and made a face.

“How the devil could they get lost in there? They have walked all over it, and all they had to do was follow the sections ahead of them!”

They moved to sit in the shade. The news of Dimbo's non-arrival spread with wry grins and knowing looks. All the other sections were sent back to their platoon areas to cool down and have a drink while waiting for lunch.

At 1155 Dimbo's section appeared, marching in along the vehicle track from the Canning Road. Graham noted that Dimbo's cadets looked hot and fed up. ‘I'm not surprised,' he thought.

Dimbo halted them and reported to the OC. “We tried to take a short cut sir but there must be something wrong with the compass ‘cause we ended up on the bank of the river.”

“Which river?” Capt Conkey asked.

“The big one. The Bunyip I think,” Dimbo replied.

Capt Conkey stared at him with an incredulous expression on his face. “How on earth did you end up on the wrong side of the Canning Road?” he cried. “Never mind, don't tell me. You must have walked for miles!”

“We did!” one of the cadets called in a mournful voice.

Graham had to bite his lip so as not to laugh. Capt Conkey dismissed them and walked away shaking his head.

*               *               *               *

After lunch the program covered more infantry training. Peter was told to split HQ up. Some were sent to the army camp with the CQ to help clean up and to prepare dinner. Kellie Jones and Leah Allen volunteered for this, even though it involved peeling potatoes, as it meant they could get another shower. So did Denton as it meant she would be working in the kitchen. “I'm hungry,” was her comment. Allison and another female sig were detailed to guard the camp. Peter was then told to farm the rest out to provide each rifle platoon with some opponents.

Peter then led the remainder of HQ to where the company was gathered in the shade of a Burdekin Plum tree in the gentle valley between the camp and Bare Ridge. They were near the rocky outcrop where the observation course had been. Capt Conkey was the instructor. The first lesson was on ‘two man movement'. This was demonstrated by Sgt Crane and Cpl Rankin, using LCpl Martin as their ‘enemy'. Peter stood with the other sergeants and the CUOs at the back of the company watching over the heads of the seated cadets. It was a good demo, he grudgingly conceded. Crane and Rankin did it well; and they looked the part.

Capt Conkey then ordered each section to move away a short distance and to practice what they had just seen; one walk-through per pair of cadets, with no running or diving for cover to prevent injuries. This left the CUOs, sergeants and HQ in the shade of the tree. Some sat, others stood. Capt Conkey noticed this and called out, “Come on you platoon commanders and platoon sergeants; get out there and watch your sections. Advise and assist.”

The group dispersed into the bright sunshine leaving HQ seated in a group. Peter was the only person left standing so he moved and sat next to Kate. She smiled and took the opportunity to ‘accidentally' bump her knee against his. They talked until the OC called the sections back in.

Capt Conkey then taught a second lesson, this time on what a section should do when it encountered a problem. A demonstration was given, the section led by Graham and comprising all seven of the Control Group, plus a sig. Henning and Parnell acted as ‘enemy'.

Once again Peter thought it was a good demonstration. It was performed with real dash. He watched Graham race to cover and take an instant grip on events.

‘Good old Graham,' Peter thought. ‘He's in his element now. He is a real soldier.' His mind went back to the time when they had been hunted by the Kosarian Partisans behind Mt Baldy. Real bullets- and Graham shooting back- and obviously loving every minute of it!

Again the sections were dispersed to practice, this time taking their allocated ‘enemy' from HQ with them. This left just Peter and Kate under the tree as he had not allocated her to a platoon.

“This is boring,” Kate said after a few minutes. She waved away a fly and yawned. “Does this go on all afternoon?”

“Yes it does,” Peter replied. “Three more lessons before we are required for anything.”

“About two hours?” Kate queried. Peter nodded. She snorted in annoyance. “I should have stayed with Allison. I could have had a good sleep.”

“You can go back if you like,” Peter said.

Kate mulled this over for a minute, then looked directly at him. “Why don't we go off somewhere? Just the two of us?” she said.

Peter was astounded. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before. The proposal took his breath away and made his heart start to pound. It was a terrible temptation and he battled to resist it. He knew it was completely wrong, that he should just say no- but he did not want to appear afraid in her eyes. But he shook his head.

“Someone would notice,” he said.

“No they won't. If the same thing happens during the next lesson, with groups scattering all over the place, we could just walk off with them.”

Peter knew she was correct. He knew he could walk almost anywhere and almost no-one, perhaps only Graham or one of the officers, might think to question where he was going. He struggled with his conscience.

Kate increased her pressure. She moved fractionally so that her knee touched his, sending his already rapid heart rate soaring. Then she rested her hand on his thigh. Even through the cloth it seemed to burn his flesh. Peter became very aroused and uncomfortable.

Kate met his eyes. “I want to be alone with you,” she whispered, her voice low and husky.

Peter's mind screamed in top gear. His body felt as though it had been set on fire. He knew he was being terribly tempted. Luckily others drifted back to the tree so the subject was dropped- but the idea stayed in Peter's mind and festered. His imagination took hold of it and conjured up tantalizing fantasies based on memories of the lantern stalk. He began to sweat as tension built up in him.

Even when Capt Conkey began another lesson on section movement Kate maintained surreptitious pressure. She kept touching him and giving him what he assumed were smouldering glances. Peter tried to concentrate his mind on the demonstration, feeling like a drowning man clutching at straws. He noted with approval how Graham firmly controlled the leapfrogging of groups; but in vain. His thoughts became dominated by the desire to be alone with Kate, perhaps to sample the great mystery!

‘I must not give in!' Peter told himself with a feeling akin to desperation. ‘Oh! But I want to. I want her!' He knew that the moment of crisis was approaching, when the OC would order the sections out to practice, and he trembled with tension. He wiped sweaty palms on his trousers. He sensed that he was facing one of those critical turning points in life
,
and fear warred with desire as it approached. His conscience began a last desperate battle.