WORRALS IN THE WASTELANDS

by W. E. Johns

16. STRANGE JUSTICE (Pages 203 – 210)

Frecks sets off after Worrals as she chases Shultz. Worrals thinks Shultz is heading back to the Box to fetch Wolfe and the other sailors. Shultz still has her automatic and turns and fires on the pursuing girls. “Frecks could have taken a shot at her, but apart from her natural disinclination to shoot the woman through the back, she did not know what Worrals would have to say about it. Worrals had seemed determined to take Shultz alive so that she should face her judges in a court of justice”. Shultz runs into a copse and from just inside comes a shot and a piercing scream. Shultz is attacked by the wounded bear and her arm is broken by terrific swipes of its paws. Shultz goes over backwards and “in an instant the bear had thrown itself on her and was mauling her with tooth and claw. Worrals fires four shots at the bear and Frecks, who has a shotgun, “put the muzzle of her gun almost in the bear’s ear and pulled both triggers together”. The bear fell over, dead. “Had Shultz been killed outright it would not have been so bad, but although she was terribly mutilated she was still alive, and – what was even worse – conscious. One side of her face has been almost bitten away. Her scalp was torn. There was blood on her shirt. Worrals looked at Frecks helplessly. Her face was ashen. Words were unnecessary. There was really nothing they could do. They had no first-aid kit with them – not that it would have been much use if they had. Anything less than a skilful surgeon and an operating table would have been a waste of time”. They decide to get some men to carry her in a blanket to the aircraft and fly her straight down to hospital. Worrals is told that Lowenhardt has been shot in the shoulder but will be alright. Worrals asks Hanstadt what he is going to do. He says he will return to the Box. Worrals says “Doctor Wolfe is there – handcuffed to a longeron. He’s wanted by the War Crimes Commission. I shall expect to find him there when I come back”. Hanstadt promises that he will leave him there.