Jack & Harry (38 page)

He protested by shaking his head and refusing to take the notes that Harry held out to him telling him it was his share. ‘No. Rennol not take no money, eh? Yu bin real good to me, tucker, place to live … you treat Rennol laik 'e one 'n the same laik you. Don' need no money.'

When both boys insisted he take some money he eventually weakened. ‘OK, Rennol 'e take ten quid.'

‘You've gotta take more than that, Reynold,' Jack pressed.

‘You deserve more than ten quid, mate,' Harry said, still holding the notes out to Reynold.

‘Tell yu what …' He thought for a moment. ‘I take ten quid for Rennol, yu send little bit more 'ome to uncle Warri. Warri 'e maybe need that money now 'e not drovin' for a bit.'

Early the next morning the three boys decided they would walk to Bruno's claim and thank him again for his negotiations with the visiting buyer on their behalf. They also wanted to ask his advice on upgrading the dugout and purchasing some more efficient equipment.

Arriving at the claim they were surprised not to be met by Bruno's mongrel dog, Shaggy, that, regardless of how many times they visited, still ran barking furiously at them to warn Bruno of their presence and to show them he was guarding his master's domain.

There was an unnerving silence about the place and they sensed, rather than knew, something wasn't quite right. Walking to the shaft mouth they saw it was open and that the timber-planked cover that Bruno pulled over it at night to stop snakes or small animals falling in, was cast aside. Bruno was obviously working down his mine but then they noticed Shaggy lying on his belly staring at the open shaft and whimpering. The dog looked up as they approached and wagged its tail half-heartedly but continued to whine.

‘Bruno, you there?' Jack called down the shaft. There was no response.

‘I'm goin' down,' He said. ‘Reynold, you run over to the shed and grab one of Bruno's spare lanterns will ya?'

‘I'll come with you, Jack.'

‘Righto, Harry, let's wait for the lantern though.' Jack reached down and patted Shaggy until Reynold returned with the lantern They lit the lamp then Jack swung his legs over the edge of the shaft onto the rope ladder. Harry waited until Jack was clear then followed, leaving Reynold peering into the shaft anxiously watching them descend into the blackness.

Stepping from the ladder, Jack held the lantern high to light up the base cavern but it was empty. Harry joined him and they looked around at the drives and seeing the barrow near the entrance to one of them and evidence of recent activity they decided they should investigate that tunnel first. Calling out again but getting no response they looked nervously at each other as they stooped to enter the drive.

Rounding a sharp bend some ten feet in they were shocked when the lantern lit up a wall of fallen rock and rubble blocking the drive that they knew, from previously working there, continued for another thirty or forty feet.

‘My God, Jack.' Harry whispered for some reason. ‘It's caved in.'

‘Bruno, Bruno!' Jack started yelling then put the lantern on the floor and started frantically to pull at the rocks, scraping clay and dirt fruitlessly with his hands. ‘Bruno!' he yelled, ‘can you hear me?'

‘We gotta get help, Jack.'

‘Yeah, and some more light and shovels. Hang on, Bruno, we'll be back,' He yelled at the formidable rock wall.

They relayed to Reynold what had happened telling him to go and get help while they started to dig but Reynold shook his head. ‘No good me goin'. Blokes take no notice of blackfella. They jus' tink I lyin' or somethin'. Yu go, Harry, 'n Rennol 'e 'elp Jack dig.'

‘But you won't go down a shaft Reynold and Jack needs help.'

‘Rennol 'e go down 'cause Bruno 'e need 'elp quick.'

‘He's right, Harry … you go for help.'

Harry ran to Bruno's Land Rover that he had started and moved some short distances a few times before, and pressed the starter. The motor turned over slowly then thankfully fired into life. Harry crunched the gears and letting the clutch out suddenly, headed off in jerky leaps down the track, pressing the horn to gain attention; while Jack and Reynold, now with another lantern, followed the two shovels they dropped down the shaft.

The two boys dug frantically at the rubble. They found the shovels too cumbersome to make much effect so reverted to using their bare hands in a desperate attempt to reach their entombed friend. Dust clogged their eyes and nostrils and it was hard, cramped in the confined space, but they worked ceaselessly, breaking nails and ripping skin from their fingers as they clawed at the rubble.

They two boys, near exhaustion and sweating in the dust laden air, didn't notice the men come down the shaft and move up behind them until a voice broke through their frenzied concentration. ‘All right, lads, have a break … we'll take over for a while.'

Climbing the rope ladder to the surface was an incredible effort, their arms and legs feeling like jelly from the strenuous effort to dig Bruno out. When they reached the top they were blinded for some moments by the blazing sun as unseen hands hauled them out. When their eyes adjusted to the glare they were staggered to see the amount of activity on the surface.

There were vehicles parked all over the claim and men ran everywhere. A truck-mounted generator was located beside the shaft, two miners were bolting a steel ladder together and a motorised windlass was also being put in position to speed the removal of rubble from the mine. Trestle tables were erected under a canvass tarpaulin and a fire was burning to boil water for tea.

A stranger led Jack and Reynold to the tarpaulin shelter. Sitting them down he gave them a mug of tea each then brought a bowl of water, soap and towels for them to clean up. Seeing the cuts and abrasions on their hands from tearing at the rocks he walked to his truck and returned with a first aid kit. After they had washed up he applied antiseptic to the injuries that at first appeared serious but were revealed minor after the bloodied dirt was washed away. The two boys were in a daze watching the rescue get into full swing. As they sat there a number of men walked past and nodded to them and two actually came to them where they were sitting. ‘Well done, lads,' they said, ‘bloody good effort.' Reynold, being naturally shy, was embarrassed by the attention and stared intently into his mug of tea.

Harry joined them under the shelter. They told him they hadn't been able to reach Bruno and the three of them watched the activity as instructions were shouted, curses filled the air and men worked non stop to reach the buried miner.

There was less frantic activity as the rescuers settled into a routine, working in shifts to reach Bruno, but as the hours passed, hope of finding him alive waned and a quiet settled over the workers. Father Shaun Logan arrived and after inspecting the rescue efforts and giving words of encouragement to the volunteers, came to where the boys were waiting.

‘You three have done a great job,' he said quietly.

‘We couldn't reach him, Father. We couldn't bloody reach him!' There were stinging tears in Jack's eyes.

Father O'Malley drove Paddy to the railway station. He was convinced the night before that it was just the Irish whisky talking but Paddy was up early, his usual cheeky smile and good-natured banter giving no indication of the amount of ‘the doins' that had been consumed. The empty bottle in the middle of the kitchen table the only evidence.

Purchasing his ticket, Paddy returned to the car to pick up his meagre belongings and to bid goodbye to his friend. The priest stepped from the car, walked to the boot, opened it and retrieved a brown Gladstone bag that he held out to Paddy.

‘What's this then, Timothy?'

‘Don't be offended, old friend, but I think your hessian sugar bag has seen better days and I thought this'd come in handy for the trip.' He handed the bag to Paddy. ‘There are a couple of things in there that might just come in handy for you too. Some shirts, socks, you know … basic things like that.'

‘Timothy, I never expected …'

‘Nothing fancy, Paddy.' The priest interrupted him. ‘There's something else as well.' Reaching into his coat pocket the priest took a buff coloured envelope out and gave it his friend. ‘I'd like you to pass this on to the boys when you run into them.'

‘I'll be seein' them and that's for sure, Father. I'll pass it on.'

The two men stood awkwardly facing each other, both aware it could be some considerable time before they saw each other again.

The train whistle blew, signalling its departure, and they welcomed the sound that broke the self-consciousness of the moment.

‘Well, Paddy, better get on board then.' The priest held his hand out. ‘You be taking good care of yourself now, you hear?'

‘You are a dear and treasured friend, Father.' Paddy took the priest's hand, shaking it warmly. He stood for a second looking into his friend's eyes. ‘No use wastin' this ticket is there by standin' here then?' he said suddenly with a quick smile and a wink.

Picking up the Gladstone bag he touched his finger to the brim of his hat. ‘Keep a glass clean for me, Timothy, I'll be back with a
case
of Irish after I'm makin' me fortune in Coober Pedy. Aahh, I can feel it in me bones. Be seein' ya, Timothy.' Paddy grabbed the handrail and leapt onto the train steps leaving Father O'Malley alone on the platform.

‘I'm going to miss you, you Old Rascal.' The little Irishman had already vanished into the carriage and the priest's words were lost in a hiss of steam as the engine pulled away from the platform.

A blazing sun fried the rescuers at the shaft mouth. Wind whipped sand into their eyes but there was no complaint from them and it didn't halt their grim determination to reach the trapped miner far below the baked surface. Shaun Logan suggested to the boys that they should return to their dugout to escape the heat, as they could do no more than they had already done, but they refused, saying they would wait until Bruno was found.

The day edged toward dusk and the searchers battled on. It seemed like tons of earth and rock had been hauled from the pit as the pile of rubble beside the shaft grew higher. As each shift of workers came to the surface caked in dust and sweat they just shook their heads despairingly. The priest was disturbed that
if
the miner was found, his condition could shock the boys as the chance of him being alive was remote and injuries from tons of rock would be horrific so he determined he would stay to shield them as best he could from any trauma.

As darkness blanketed the scene the generator was started, flooding the area with glaring light that gave a surreal atmosphere to the drama being played out, as if the rescuers were actors on a stage, except this was not a play …this plot was real.

The men were exhausted and robotic in their actions. Reynold had given up watching them to walk back to the nine-mile but Jack and Harry stayed, keeping silent vigil beside Shaun Logan. The man directing the rescue attempt, Jim Leslie, the owner of a large mechanised mine that had supplied most of the equipment, came to where they were sitting. Taking a long swig from a waterbag he wiped his mouth with the back of a hand. ‘I don't want to be pessimistic but there's little hope that Bruno will be found alive. Sorry, lads, but we have to be realistic.'

Shaun Logan, glancing at Jack and Harry, protested that there was always hope until the search proved otherwise.

‘You're right, Shaun, and we haven't given up hope but …' Leslie looked at the boys, weighing his next words, ‘… we have to face facts. I'm not gonna hold your hopes up and then have you let down. You blokes …' He spoke directly to Jack and Harry. ‘… have done a fine job. Without you there would be no rescue effort happening at all and I'm sure you're mature enough, from what I've seen of you, to accept the possibility that he hasn't made it.'

He turned to Logan. ‘No use pretending, Shaun, you better get these young men home. We'll call 'round to them as soon as any news breaks.' He walked purposefully back to the shaft.

In a daze, the boys let the priest lead them to where his car was parked. Harry got into the back seat and Jack opened the front passenger door but stood looking back at the scene for some seconds before he moved to enter the car. Slipping onto the front seat he was closing the door when men started running to the shaft head as a shout went up. ‘We've got him!'