10
That morning it seemed the whole hamlet, old people, mothers, babies, and little kids had turned out to stare at the patrol amid the squeal of piglets and the cluck of chickens scratching in the dust.
I kept watch from some distance out as the old people got stuck into the Lieutenant and our Sergeant; yet in a little while, it was all smiles and good humour. We had captured a couple of stragglers, completed our search, and were out. Dunphy came over to me.
“They were raided last night, the prisoners are in poor shape and were slow to get out. The old headman reckons the VC stole most of their rice and dried fish. There is nothing we can do about that; he says they went South. Stay on the ball while I make my report.”
Eric Sanders wandered over to join the radioman and the Lieutenant
