WORRALS IN THE WILDS
by Captain W. E. Johns
XIII. A HOPELESS DAWN (Pages 135 – 143)
“The retreat from the Ovambo kraal was
made without discovery or alarm”. However, it is a ten mile
trek to Hansvelt where the Kingfisher aircraft awaits
to take them to safety. Encumbered by an
unconscious man and a prisoner, Ooma, they can’t
travel fast and they know that soon their escape will be discovered. Worrals has been
told the Junkers is also at Hansvelt and she realises
that the first person back there will win as they can sabotage the others
aircraft. Worrals
thinks the journey will take three hours with Bill but alone she could do it in
half the time. Taking Frecks automatic pistol, she goes on ahead leaving the
others to follow. At Dick’s suggestion
she also takes one of “Ingoona’s boys”, a man called N’swena, as he knows the country. They both set off at a steady trot. Their journey is comparatively uneventful but
when they are within sight of Hansvelt, Worrals can see and smell a fire. Then the Junkers engine starts up. Worrals watches at N’swena runs towards it and he is shot down and killed by
Gronk. The Junkers takes off leaving Worrals with the burnt out remains of their Kingfisher
aircraft. She sits down on a bank. “On the face of it there was nothing she
could do”. Worrals
watches the glorious African dawn breaking.