The Cadet Sergeant Major Read Online Free PDF

lighted windows of passenger carriages. As he watched the train Peter’s thoughts turned back to the raid. The Heatley Cadet unit from Townsville and St Michaels from Broadsound had been the defenders. They had saturated the area with a dozen patrols, as well as platoons at each end of the bridge. The exercise had taken two days and two nights. Peter had led a raiding party along the bed of the river on the second night but they had been seen and driven off.
    â€˜In fact the only Cairns patrol to reach its objective was Graham’s,’ he mused. Out of 6 raiding parties his was a good effort. ‘And Graham’s was the only patrol on the far side of the river.’ Peter had heard that it was largely because of his handling of that patrol that Graham had earned himself the step in rank over the other corporals to be CSM. Peter didn’t mind. He thought Graham was just right for the job. ‘Graham is a real soldier,’ he thought.
    As he stood there watching the flicker of the train’s headlights as it travelled through the tunnel of steel girders Peter experienced an even more intense flashback: running along that bridge in the dark, his heart filled with dread. He had stopped a cadet from committing suicide but had been knocked off the bridge. For several agonizing minutes he had dangled by the fingers of one hand from a cross girder. Below had been fifty metres of thin air before the sand of the river bed. His screams had been drowned by the roar of a passing train. It had been Graham who had saved him. Those minutes of terror often returned to him in nightmares and even as he watched he shivered with apprehension.
    With a conscious effort Peter thrust the memories aside and focused on the ‘raid’. ‘It was a good exercise,’ he mused. ‘I hope this year’s is just as interesting. Ah! Here comes another section.’
    Peter quickly walked back to his checkpoint. It was HQ. As soon as he realised that Peter’s heart quickened. His eyes sought out Kate in the darkness. When he knelt to use his torch on the map Kate crouched on his left. She was so close their arms touched. The other three corporals in HQ also sat down but Peter barely noticed them. All he was aware of was the touch of Kate’s skin.
    The HQ corporals were taking it in turn to navigate. It was Kellie Jones’ turn so the others watched and chatted while Kellie worked out the bearing. Peter noted that Kate kept lightly pressing against his arm. ‘Is she doing that deliberately- or is it just accidental?’ he wondered. He decided it must be intentional. ‘She could easily move away if she wanted to.’
    Peter turned to look at Kate. Even in the dim reflected glow from the pencil torch she looked lovely. He felt his emotions catch in his throat and squeeze his chest. He was close enough to smell her and the fragrance made his senses swim. Their eyes met.
    She smiled.
    â€˜She likes me!’ Peter’s heart leapt and bounded. He didn’t dare to hope. He looked away, hoping that the others hadn’t noticed; and that he wasn’t sweating or smelling too much.
    Another patrol arrived and the spell was broken. It was 6 Section; Roger’s. Peter reluctantly left Kate’s side and moved over to them. A shiver ran down him.
    â€œG’day Roger. You lot lost yet?” he said.
    â€œBite your bum!” Roger snorted indignantly. “More to the point, are you in the right place?”
    They both laughed. “Where do I go next?” Roger asked.
    By the time Peter had given Roger the information the HQ patrol was ready to leave. Peter felt an urge to speak to Kate but could not think of any excuse to do so. He watched them walk off into the darkness with a pang of such intensity it surprised him. It was like a physical pain.
    â€˜I’m in love!’ he told himself with astonishment. ‘And it hurts!’

CHAPTER 3
LOVE HURTS
    It did hurt! It seemed