‘Why the right bank?’ Shears broke in with a frown. ‘That’s the side where the camp is, unless I’ve got it all wrong. Why not the opposite bank, by the hill? It’s covered in thick undergrowth, according to your report, and it would obviously be our line of withdrawal.’
‘That’s quite true, sir. But just have another look at the map. After this wide bend here the railway winds right round the hill after passing the bridge, and then comes downstream along the river. The jungle’s been cleared between the line and the bank, and the ground’s quite open. There’s not enough cover in daylight. You’d have to lie up much further back, on the other side of the embankment at the foot of the hill. That would need too much wire, sir, and it couldn’t be camouflaged where it crosses the line, at least not without a great deal of trouble.’
‘I’m not too keen on the idea,’ said Number One. ‘Why not the left bank, but upstream from the bridge?’
‘The bank’s too high, sir, there’s a steep cliff. And further up still there’s that small native village. I went and had a look. I crossed the river again, and then the line. I made a slight detour to keep under cover and came back upstream from the bridge. It can’t be done, sir. The only decent spot is on the right bank.’
‘Good heavens!’ exclaimed Warden. ‘You must have spent the whole night wandering round the bridge.’
‘Just about. But I was back in the jungle by first light and reached the OP early in the morning.’
‘And what’s your plan for the chap who has to lie up on the right bank?’ asked Shears. ‘How does he manage to get away?’
‘It wouldn’t take a good swimmer more than three minutes to get across. That’s how long it took me, sir; and the explosion would distract the Jap’s attention. I think a rear party posted at the foot of the hill could cover his withdrawal. Once he’s across the bit of open ground and on this side of the line, he’s safe. A search party would never catch up with him in that jungle. I’m sure that’s the best plan.’
Shears thought deeply for a long time as he studied Joyce’s map.
‘It’s a plan worth considering,’ he finally announced. ‘Now that you’ve seen the spot for yourself, of course, you’re in a position to tell us what you think of it. And the result will be worth taking a risk. What else did you see from your eyrie?’
3
The sun was well up by the time he had reached the top of the hill. His two guides, who had come back during the night, were anxiously waiting for him. He was worn out. He had lain down to rest for an hour, and had not woken up till the evening. He apologized when he mentioned this lapse on his part.
‘Right. I suppose you slept again during the night? That was the best thing to do. And then you went back to the spot you had chosen next morning?’
‘Yes, sir. I stayed on a day longer. There was still quite a lot I wanted to see.’
After devoting the first part of his reconnaissance to lifeless objects, he had felt an urge to look at living men. Until then he had been spellbound by the bridge and by the features in the landscape with which his future activity was now closely linked, but suddenly he had felt overwhelmed by the sight of his wretched comrades, whom he could see in the lens of his binoculars, reduced to an abject state of serfdom. He knew what Japanese methods were like in POW camps. There were stacks of secret reports describing the daily atrocities committed by the exultant enemy.
‘Did you see anything unpleasant?’ Shears asked him.
‘No, sir; not that particular day. But I felt completely shattered at the thought that they had been working like this for months, in this climate, with not enough to eat, rotten huts to live in, no comfort at all, and the constant threat of – well, you can imagine what sort of punishment.’
He had observed each of the teams one after the other. He had scrutinized each individual through his glasses and had been horrified by the state they were in. Number One frowned as he said:
‘In our job you can’t afford to be too soft-hearted, Joyce.’
‘I realize that, sir. But really, they’re nothing but skin and bone. Most of them are covered in ulcers and jungle-sores. Some of them can hardly walk. No civilized person would even think of making men work in such a crippled state. You ought to see them, sir. It’s enough to make you weep. The team pulling the rope to drive in the last few piles – absolute skeletons, sir. I’ve never seen such a ghastly sight. It’s utterly criminal.’
‘Don’t worry,’ said Shears, ‘we’ll soon get our own back.’
‘Yet I couldn’t help admiring them, sir. In spite of their obvious physical hardships, not one of them seemed really beaten. I had a good look at them. They make it a point of honour to behave as though their guards weren’t there – that’s exactly the impression I had. They behave as though the Japs just didn’t exist. They’re at work from dawn till dusk, and they’ve been at it like this for months, probably without a single day’s rest. But they didn’t look as though they’d lost hope. In spite of their ludicrous dress, in spite of their terrible physical condition, they couldn’t be taken for slaves, sir. I could see the expression on their faces.’
All three fell silent for a moment, each lost in his own private thoughts.
‘The British soldier’s got any amount of guts when he’s really up against it,’ Warden finally observed.
‘What else did you see?’ said Shears.
‘The officers, sir, the British officers. They’re not being made to work. They’re all in charge of their men, who seem to take more notice of them than of the Japanese guards. And they’re all in full uniform.’
‘In uniform!’
‘Badges of rank and all, sir. I could count the pips on their shoulders.’
‘Well, I’ll be damned!’ Shears exclaimed. ‘The Siamese had told us about this bridge and I refused to believe them. In every other camp they’re making all the prisoners work, irrespective of rank. Were there any senior officers?’
‘A colonel, sir. That must be the Colonel Nicholson we’ve heard so much about, who was tortured when he first arrived. He was out there all day. I suppose he feels he should be on the spot in case there’s any more trouble between his men and the Japs – because I bet you there has been trouble. I wish you could have seen those guards, sir. Monkeys dressed up as men! The way they drag their feet and slouch around, you’d never take them for anything human. Colonel Nicholson’s a model of dignified behaviour. A born leader, that’s how he struck me, sir.’
‘He certainly must have an amazing influence, and exceptional qualities as well, to be able to keep the men’s morale so high in such appalling conditions,’ said Shears. ‘I take my hat off to him.’
Surprise had followed surprise in the course of that day. Joyce went on with his story, obviously eager to let the others share in his astonishment and admiration.
‘At one moment a prisoner from one of the groups furthest away came across the bridge to speak to the Colonel. When he was six paces off he snapped to attention, sir – in those funny clothes they all wear. Yet there was nothing funny about it. A Jap came rushing up, screaming and waving his rifle about in the air. I suppose that man must have left his team without permission. The Colonel just gave the guard one of those looks of his, sir. I saw the whole thing. The Jap thought better of it and shambled off. Incredible, isn’t it? But that’s not all. Just before dusk a Japanese colonel came on to the bridge – Saito, probably, the one who’s said to be such a brute. Well, believe it or not, sir, when he went up to Colonel Nicholson, he almost kowtowed – there’s no other word for it. There are certain ways you can tell . . . Colonel Nicholson saluted first, of course, but Saito smartly returned the salute – almost nervously, I could see! Then they walked up and down together. The Jap looked exactly like a junior officer being given his orders. It really cheered me up to see that, sir.’
‘I can’t say I’m sorry to hear about it myself,’ Shears muttered.
‘Here’s to Colonel Nicholson,’ Warden suddenly propose
d, raising his glass.
‘You’re right, Warden, here’s to him – and to the five or six hundred other poor beggars who are going through such hell because of this bloody bridge.’
‘All the same, it’s a pity they won’t be able to help us.’
‘It may be a pity, Warden, but you know what we’re up against. We have to go through with it on our own. But let’s get back to the bridge . . .’
They spent the whole evening discussing the bridge and studying Joyce’s sketch-map in a fever of excitement, occasionally questioning him on some specific detail or other, which he promptly explained. He could have drawn every bit of the bridge and described every eddy in the river from memory. They then got down to the plan he had suggested, making a list of all the operations it would entail, working each of those out in detail, keeping a sharp look-out for any unforeseen snag that might conceivably crop up at the last moment. Then Warden went off to receive the incoming messages on the W/T in the room next door. Joyce was silent for a moment.
‘Look, sir,’ he finally blurted out, ‘I’m the best swimmer of the three, and now that I’ve been over the ground . . .’
‘We’ll discuss that later,’ said Number One.
Shears realized that Joyce was at the end of his tether when he saw him stagger on his way to bed. After spending three days lying in the undergrowth, studying the lie of the land, he had set off on the return journey during the night and got back to camp by marching without stopping, except for a short halt for food. Even the Siamese had hardly been able to keep up with the pace he had set. They were now busy describing with admiration how the young white man had managed to walk them off their feet.
‘You’d better get some rest,’ said Number One. ‘There’s no point in working yourself to death before we start. We want to have you in proper shape when the time comes. Why did you return so quickly?’
‘The bridge will probably be finished in less than a month from now.’
All of a sudden Joyce fell asleep, without even taking off the make-up which made him unrecognizable. Shears shrugged his shoulders and did not attempt to wake him. He sat there alone, working out the part that each of them would play in the scene shortly to be enacted in the Kwai valley. He had not yet come to any decision when Warden returned with a handful of messages which he had just deciphered.
‘It looks as if the balloon will go up any day now, Shears. Information from HQ: the railway’s almost finished along the whole of the line. The opening ceremony will probably be held in five or six weeks’ time – a “first” train, crammed full of troops and VIPs. A nice little celebration. A fair amount of war material as well. Things are looking up. HQ have passed all your plans and are giving you a completely free hand. The RAF won’t interfere. We’ll be getting a daily sitrep. The youngster’s asleep, is he?’
‘Yes, don’t wake him up. He deserves a little rest. He did pretty well, you know. Tell me, Warden, do you think we can rely on him in any emergency?’
Warden thought the question over before answering.
‘He looks all right to me. Of course, one can’t be sure beforehand, you know that as well as I do. But I know what you’re driving at. You want to know if he’s capable of taking an important decision in a matter of seconds, or even less, and acting on it. But what made you bring that up?’
‘Because he just said: “I’m the best swimmer of the three.” And he’s not shooting a line. It’s true.’
‘When I joined Force 316,’ Warden growled, ‘I didn’t realize I would have to be a swimming champion in order to see some action. I’ll put in a little practice on my next leave.’
‘There’s a psychological reason as well. If I don’t give him his head, he’ll lose confidence in himself, and then he’ll be utterly useless. As you say, we can’t be sure beforehand – even he can’t be – and meanwhile he’s dying to know. The main thing, of course, is whether he’s got as much chance as we have of bringing it off. I think he has . . . and also a chance of getting away with it. We’ll know for certain in a few days. I want to see what he looks like tomorrow. Let’s not mention the bridge to him for the time being. I don’t like the way he gets so worked up by the thought of those wretched prisoners. Oh, I know what you’re going to say – what one feels has got nothing to do with how one behaves. All the same, he’s rather inclined to get overwrought, to let his imagination run riot, if you know what I mean. He broods a bit too much, that’s his trouble.’
‘You can’t lay down a general rule for our sort of job,’ Warden wisely observed. ‘Sometimes you get good results by using a little imagination, and even by brooding. Not always, of course.’
4
Colonel Nicholson also was worrying about the prisoners’ state of health, and had come to the hospital to discuss the matter with the MO.
‘We can’t go on like this, Clipton,’ he said in a solemn, almost threatening tone of voice. ‘A man who’s dangerously ill can’t work, that’s obvious; but all the same, there’s a limit. You’ve now got half the personnel on the sick list! How do you expect us to get the bridge finished in a month? It’s well under way, I know, but there’s still a lot of work to be done, and with the teams reduced to half-strength, we’re just marking time. Even the ones who are still on the job don’t seem up to the mark.’
‘Look at them, sir,’ said Clipton, who was so enraged by these words that he had to struggle to maintain his usual equanimity and show the necessary deference which the Colonel demanded of all his subordinates, no matter what their rank or position. ‘If I had listened to the voice of my professional conscience, or simply to the voice of human decency, it wouldn’t be half the personnel but the whole lot that I’d certify as unfit for work, especially this sort of work!’
For the first few months the bridge had gone forward at a spanking pace, with only an occasional setback caused by Saito’s moodiness. From time to time the Jap felt he ought to regain his position of authority and would try to give himself Dutch courage to overcome his complexes by a show of cruelty. But these outbursts had occurred less and less frequently since it was quite obvious that any attempt at violence did nothing but impede progress on the bridge. For a long time the work had been well ahead of the schedule laid down by Major Hughes and Captain Reeves, thanks to a collaboration which was efficient though not entirely free from friction. But the climate, the nature of the tasks imposed, the diet and the living conditions had all been a drain on the men’s health.
Their physical condition was becoming a real anxiety. With no meat, apart from some decrepit old cow which the natives from the nearest village occasionally sold them, with no butter and no bread, the prisoners, whose meals sometimes consisted of rice and nothing else, had been gradually reduced to the skin-and-bone condition which Joyce had found so pitiful. The hard labour of heaving all day long on a rope to lift the heavy weight which dropped back again and again with an ear-splitting crash had become real torture to the men in that particular team. Some of the others were no better off, especially the ones who had to spend hours on end on a scaffolding, up to their waist in water, to hold the piles in position while the ram thudded down over and over again, deafening them each time.
Their morale was still fairly high, thanks to the fine example set by officers like Lieutenant Harper, who showed magnificent drive and energy, shouting cheerful words of encouragement all day long, and willingly lending a hand himself, although he was an officer, tugging at the rope with all his might so as to ease the burden of the weaker men. Their sense of humour was still in evidence on certain occasions, for instance whenever Captain Reeves appeared with his blue-print, foot-rule, spirit-level and other homemade instruments and crept along a rickety scaffolding just above water-level in order to take certain measurements, followed by the little Japanese engineer, who dogged his footsteps, copied every gesture he made, and solemnly recorded some figures in a note-book.
Since all the officers modelled themselves directly on the Colonel, the fate of
the bridge was entirely in his capable hands. He knew this, and felt the justified pride of the leader who welcomes and seeks responsibility, but also takes on his own shoulders the burden of worries which that post of honour entails.
The growing sick list was his chief anxiety. He saw his companies literally whittled down before his very eyes. Bit by bit, day by day, hour by hour, some of the living substance of each prisoner came apart from its individual organism to be swallowed up in the anonymous material universe. This universe of earth, monstrous vegetation, water and mosquito-infested swamp was not perceptibly affected by this human contribution. In arithmetical terms, it was a complete transfer of molecules, which was felt as a severe loss by each individual and could be measured in pounds’ weight per man multiplied by five hundred, yet resulted in no appreciable total gain.
Clipton was frightened there might be a fatal epidemic such as cholera, which had broken out in some of the other camps. This scourge had so far been avoided, thanks to strict discipline, but there were still countless cases of malaria, dysentery and beri-beri. Every day he was forced to declare a large number of men unfit for duty and to put them on the sick list. In the hospital he managed to provide those who were able to eat with a fairly reasonable diet, thanks to a few Red Cross parcels which had escaped the prying hands of the Japanese and had been set aside for the patients. In any case a few days’ off-duty was balm to some of the prisoners, who had worn themselves out on the ram and were consequently suffering from nervous prostration, seeing things and living in a continual nightmare.
Colonel Nicholson was fond of his men. At first he had backed Clipton up to the best of his ability so as to justify the size of the sick list in the eyes of the Japanese. He had anticipated Saito’s inevitable protests by demanding a greater effort from the men who were still fit.
But for some time now he had felt that Clipton was going too far. He openly suspected him of abusing his medical privileges and of showing excessive leniency by certifying prisoners who could still be of some use as unfit for duty. The work was due to be completed in a month; this was no time for slacking off. He had come to the hospital that morning to inspect it personally, to thrash the matter out with Clipton and to put the MO on the right track – firmly, of course, but also with the courtesy which one had to show, after all, when approaching a staff officer on such a delicate issue.