Chapter 39

Shaun set out at dawn along with Jason and the two Rangers, his Cartwright .303 clipped to the rear partition of the Ford pickup alongside Jason’s Mk 1 SMLE .303.

“What does your dad think of you using a rifle?” Shaun asked grinning.

Jason smiled and answered, “He’s not too thrilled about it. A Matabele warrior should always use the Assegai, he claims”, referring to the short handled stabbing spear used by the Matabele and Zulu tribes.

“Well you have to change with the times, “Shaun said.

“You know if it is Mueller, he’s likely to shoot first before talking”. Jason said.

Shaun nodded, “If he’s using his .450 double barrel, that’s a hefty bullet to argue with”.

They lapsed into silence as the miles rolled away. Eventually pulling up at a Masaya village.

Shaun climbed out along with Jason whilst the two Rangers stretched their legs. Jason handed the chief the traditional bags of salt and tobacco before asking if they had seen or heard of the white poachers that may be around.

The chief claimed that none had been seen, but the herd boys claimed that natives from across the river had been seen stalking rhinos three days ago near Tambar ford.

Shaun thanked the chief before leaving the village.

Back in the Ford, Jason murmured “It makes sense if they use a truck to transport the ivory or rhino horn then a ford would be the logical crossing point”.

“The question is, have they already poached the rhinos. I wonder where Sultar is. I must try and see if we can get hold of some ex-army radio transmitters to keep at the station and on the vehicles so everyone can keep in touch with each other,” Shaun replied.

Jason nodded, keeping a watchful eye on the track they were following.

After a further two hours of driving while Shaun was concentrating on the track and the compass mounted on the dashboard, he murmured, “We should be close to Tambar ford by now”.

Jason nodded “I think it best if we go the rest of the way on foot. We don’t want them hearing the engine”.

Shaun pulled up edging the Ford into a thicket of bushes. They climbed out, bringing their rifles with them. Jason removed an ammunition box and extracted a handful of clips, putting them in his pocket. Shaun followed suit, followed by the Rangers.

They set off with Jason in the lead and the others strung out behind him, carefully placing their feet down in the dry undergrowth. After about two miles, suddenly Jason raised his arm with his fist clenched. Everyone froze, slowly Shaun made his way up to him, “Problem?” he said...

“I heard gunfire over to the west. I think Sultar has run into the poachers”.

Shaun nodded; he knew Jason’s hearing was much better than his. “We had better make for the ford to cut off their retreat”. Jason nodded and set off with a faster pace.

They broke through the undergrowth to a beach of sand. The river due to the dry season had retreated to a sluggish stream some thirty feet away.

Jason spotted the tyre tracks that exited the ford.

“Right, arrange yourselves along the bank here”, Shaun commanded. The men flopped down behind the three-foot bank that had once been part of the river.

“Remember to shoot out the tyres when it comes into view”.

They all heard the engine and the crashing of the undergrowth before the truck suddenly appeared from the screen of bushes.

The rifles cracked out and the front tyres were blasted flat. The truck veered to one side and flipped over as the nose of it buried itself into the sand.

The four natives in the back jumped out and took cover behind the truck as a large white man struggled to climb out of the cab dragging a rifle with him.

“Surrender! You are under arrest”. Shaun cried out.

The white man replied in Afrikaans and fired the rifle at him. Shaun ducked as a heavy bullet struck the bank by his head. The natives grabbed rifles and began firing at them.

Shaun crawled along the safety of the riverbank before rising to take in the scene. The white man was hidden behind the bonnet of the engine with a double barrel rifle propped on top of it.

He heard Jason’s rifle crack and saw a native flop backwards screaming. The white man swung his rifle round to sight on Jason as Shaun fired and the bullet glanced of the bonnet causing the man to duck for cover. Another native screamed as a shot from one of the Gurkha’s hit him.

A silence fell on the scene as each group waited for someone to show themselves, then Shaun heard the sound of an engine approaching. Sultar was coming with his rangers. The other group must have heard it as well as suddenly first one and then another native dashed from cover of the truck and ran towards the river.

Shaun’s group opened fire on them. The two natives fell screaming into the water at the edge of the river. Shaun heard the large boom of the white man’s rifle and one of the Gurkhas cried out.