Coasts of Cape York (49 page)

“I can do it sir,” Carmen offered.

“OK. Graham and Andrew, launch the boat and take Carmen over. Then stay in the boat and go ahead of us to try to sound out the best channel,” Capt Kirk ordered.

Another ten minutes went by before Carmen had been transferred to the yacht. Within a couple of minutes she came on the radio. “Radio was turned off. Ready to proceed sir, over,” she reported.

Capt Kirk got the
Wewak
under way again. He then did a quick check of both the echo sounder to check the depth and then the radar. “Hmm. That small boat is still on the screen. He must be heading the same way as us,” he said. Then he turned and said, “Lester, you take the wheel. I will con us from the monkey island. Dr Williams, will you and Willy come up and help act as lookouts please?”

Willy was more than happy to. Even though it meant standing in the blazing sun it was a useful job to do and he pulled on a hat and followed his father and Capt Kirk up to the monkey island. The LCT then got slowly under way and headed inshore.

To begin with Willy could not make out any sign of a river mouth. All he could see was what looked like an unbroken line of beach backed by dark green trees. Offshore the whole area was a litter of shallows, shoals and even exposed sandbars. But from the higher position a channel of deeper water could clearly be seen and Capt Kirk took the LCT in, calling instructions to the mate via the old-fashioned speaking tube.

When they were less than a kilometre off the beach Willy noted a break in the dark green line and soon after that saw that the deepwater channel curved left and went in behind a long spit of sand. The tidal current was very obviously flowing in and Capt Kirk had a few anxious moments as they rounded the curve.

As they straightened up behind the sand spit Capt Kirk looked back at the yacht, then at the sky and finally at the horizon behind them. Willy saw him frown and then raise his binoculars. “There's that boat,” he said. “Dark coloured thing and right out on the horizon.”

Willy looked but in the glare of the sun all he could make out was a speck of some dark object on the rippling horizon.

Capt Kirk then switched his attention back to guiding the LCT around a sharp curve to the right. To Willy it looked like the gap in the mangroves they were aiming at was much too small for such a big vessel but as they got closer it opened out and he saw that it was much larger, at least a hundred metres wide. Better still, unlike the shallow sandy bottom of Port Stewart, the river had deep water in behind the entrance. The river banks appeared to be unbroken mangroves with vertical mud banks.

As the LCT slid slowly into the lee of the mangroves the breeze was shut off and they were enveloped in hot, sticky heat. With it came sandflies and mosquitoes and Willy could barely wait to rush below to smear repellent on.

Capt Kirk took the LCT about a kilometre up the river, rounding two bends before coming to a reach that was about half a kilometre long. Both banks were massive thickets of mangroves and to his great pleasure and concern Willy saw the tail of a big crocodile as it slid into the water.

“Lots of the slimy buggers up this river,” Capt Kirk commented. “It is an ideal saurian habitat. So you keep away from the water and if you go in a boat, keep your hands and feet inboard. Now, this is as far as I want to go for the moment. Any further upstream and the river narrows too much for us to turn around.”

He then went down to the wheelhouse and took the wheel, sending the mate forward with Willy to assist. Using a radio Capt Kirk called the boat and sent it to the starboard bow to take a line from the mate. This was taken ashore and threaded around a large mangrove growing right on the edge of deep water. The other end was led back and secured.

“This way, if we need to go in a hurry, we can just slip and go,” the mate explained.

“Go where?” Willy asked.

“Further up the river, right in among the mangroves,” the mate replied.

“But why? What if we got stuck and couldn't get the barge out?” Willy queried.

The mate laughed and replied, “We would only worry about that if we are still alive. Up a mangrove creek is the safest place for us to be if there is a cyclone. If the old barky gets stuck, well she's insured. That's why they call captains of coasters ‘Mudskippers'. It is how they stay alive on the coast of Cape York.”

That was all a bit worrying to Willy but he saw the sense of it. He looked anxiously at the dense mangroves and thought, ‘There must be dry land through there- if we can make it! An ideal habitat for saurians Capt Kirk said.'

Just the thought of being chased and grabbed by one of the prehistoric lizards made Willy shudder. Once again he looked anxiously at the murky green water alongside. The mate then called him aft to help shorten the tow line.

The
Dyfken
was cast off and towed back fifty metres by the boat, Graham acting as cox and Andrew doing the rope work. They then boarded the yacht and helped Carmen drop the anchor. When that was done Carmen got into the boat and it returned to the
Wewak.

“I need some rope and tools,” Carmen said.

“Are you going back to the yacht?” Willy asked.

“Yes, to fix the rigging,” Carmen replied.

A feeling of intense curiosity seized Willy. “Can I come?” he asked.

“If the skipper says so,” Carmen answered.

Willy asked Capt Kirk who said yes. “Be back for tea at six,” he added.

When it came time to lower himself over the side into the boat Willy had a few more anxious looks at the water. Graham saw this and said, “Come on Willy. What's the matter?”

“Your dad said this was the ideal habitat for saurians,” Willy answered. “I just don't want to give one a chance of making a meal of me.”

Both Graham and Andrew laughed but Willy was gratified to note them both cast anxious glances at the river. Carmen then passed down a tool kit and she slid down into the boat. That got Willy wondering if the boat was now overloaded but a label on the side told him it was designed to carry seven. ‘It still looks awfully close to the water,' he thought, eyeing the freeboard of half a metre with anxiety. In his imagination he pictured the scenes he had often seen on TV documentaries: the great rush of water and grey hide, the gaping jaws, the rows of horrible yellow teeth!

To his relief it only took a minute or so to travel the hundred metres to the yacht. The yacht, like the LCT, was now lying diagonally across the stream under the influence of both wind and tide. The boat was secured on the yacht's port side. But when he got there Willy wished he hadn't come. His smile faded as he saw the van der Heyden's faces almost scowling down at them. Trying to brush this off Willy clambered aboard. “Hello again Jacob. Hello Julia, Mrs van der Heyden. How are you all?”

“OK,” Jacob answered. His answer wasn't very friendly and he made no offer of hospitality, standing just under the awning on the small aft deck.

For something to say to ease the embarrassing silence Willy said, “We have just spent a week digging up an old World War Two aircraft wreck. It is on the
Wewak
now.”

“Aircraft wreck?” Jacob replied, his voice full of alarm. As he did so he exchanged a glance with his sister who also looked anxious. “What type? Where?”

“A Bristol ‘Beaufighter', a twin-engine fighter bomber type. It was buried in the sand dunes a couple of hundred kilometers up the coast,” Willy explained.

Jacob looked visibly relieved. He nodded and looked as though he didn't know what to say. His mother then asked, “Why did we come into this stinking, sweaty river?”

“To repair your rigging in calm water and because of the cyclone,” Willy answered.

“Cyclone?” Jacob queried, looking foolish as he did.

Willy exchanged a glance with Andrew who rolled his eyes and went back to helping Carmen and Graham untangle ropes.

“Cyclone?” Mrs van der Heyden repeated. “What's that?”

Willy was flabbergasted. He gave her a sharp glance to see if she was making a joke but then saw she wasn't. With an effort he hid his astonishment and replied, “A hurricane or typhoon. They are called Cyclones in the South Pacific.”

“But we are in the Coral Sea aren't we?” Jacob queried.

Again Willy was astounded. He saw the surprise and disbelief on Andrew's face change to wry contempt before being removed. Willy shook his head. “The Coral Sea is part of the South Pacific,” he explained.

Carmen joined them. “They are called cyclones in our part of the Indian Ocean too,” she added.

“It is a long way off,” Willy hastily added. “And only Category One.” He then related the mate's explanation as to why this was a safe thing to do.

On hearing Willy's comment that the vessels did not matter because they were insured Mrs van der Heyden said bitterly, “That's alright for some, but our boat isn't insured.”

On seeing the surprised look on Willy's face Julia added, “We used all our money to buy this boat.”

Willy nodded and thought, ‘There must be a treasure for them to do something like that.' He tried to think of something to say.

Suddenly Jacob stared past Willy, a disbelieving look on his face. He cried, “Saurian!”

Willy looked around, scanning the mangroves and river for signs of a crocodile. “Where?” he asked.

Jacob went very pale and looked agitated, then pointed down river. “That boat. It is the
Saurian
!”

Willy looked and saw a motor launch coming into view around the bend close to the sea. The hull of the launch was painted a dark grey and its upperworks dark green. Two heads could just be seen looking over the cabin.

Jacob now became very agitated and even grabbed Willy's arm. “Look! There is ‘Gator' Smith, and he's got a gun.”

Now Willy saw that both the heads that were visible wore balaclavas but he could also see what might be the barrel of a rifle or shotgun poking up. He was tempted to ask how Jacob knew that the hooded man was ‘Gator' but presumed Jacob could tell. Then he saw the launch turn directly towards them.

Now real fear showed on Jacob's face and sounded in his voice. “They are coming here! They want the maps! We must get away!”

Willy saw that Jacob was grabbing at the large wallet on his belt. He looked at the launch, then at Andrew and Carmen, then back at the van der Heydens. There was no doubt that Jacob was now terrified.

Jacob almost gibbered with fear, then looked desperately around. “Oh quick! They killed Karl and now they will kill me! We must get away!”

A surge of fear overran Willy's doubts. Noting that the boat was tied alongside on the side away from the approaching
Saurian
he reasoned that the yacht could provide cover most of the way back to the LCT. He looked around then quickly gave orders. “We will be safer on the
Wewak
. Quick Graham, get into the boat and start the engine. Andrew, untie the bow line and be ready to push us off. Carmen, get aboard and steady people and seat them. Mrs van der Heyden, Julia, follow Carmen aboard, quick!”

To Willy's relief nobody argued. Both Graham and Andrew scrambled nimbly into the boat, followed by Carmen. Willy then grabbed Jacob's arm as he went to jump in next. “Wait Jacob. Women and children first is the traditional way,” he said sarcastically, amazed at how cool he felt.

Mrs van der Heyden jumped into the boat, almost pitching over the side. Carmen grabbed her and forced her to sit. By then Julia had slithered down and sat next to her mother. Willy then let Jacob go. Jacob scrambled down so hastily he almost overturned the boat. Only the combined efforts of Carmen and Andrew prevented this and he was shoved unceremoniously onto another thwart. By then Willy was hanging over the side. As he lowered his feet onto the same thwart he took a last look over the top of the yacht's deck.

He saw that the
Saurian
was only a hundred metres away and one of the masked men had moved up onto the foredeck. The man was holding what could only be a gun and Willy felt a thrill of fear. “Shove off! Get us back fast Graham. Try to keep the yacht between us and them,” Willy called.

Graham nodded and opened the throttle. Even as Willy lowered himself onto the thwart he felt the boat move. Andrew pushed them clear and Graham shoved the outboard controls hard to starboard. The boat surged around sharply to port, then lifted its nose as Graham straightened up.

By then Willy was in a fever of anxiety. He dimly heard a man yelling at them from the
Saurian
but could not make out the words over the roar of the motor. By this time he wished he had sat facing aft as he had to swivel his head around to look back. ‘Half way,' he estimated. ‘Still no sign of the launch.'

Glancing forward Willy saw that Graham was turning them so that they would go around the stern of
Wewak
. He understood before Graham explained that such a manoeuvre would place the hull of the LCT between them and the launch while they climbed aboard. But it also meant they swung out into view of the launch for fifty metres.

And there it was! Willy saw the bow of the
Saurian
appear. He also saw the man on the foredeck pointing at them. Then the launch's bow turn to port and it came out from behind the anchored yacht, a creaming white bow wave indicating it was now going much faster. The man began shouting at them, calling on them to stop.

Crack! Zipp!

Water flew up close alongside. Willy stared at it in disbelief. “They shot at us!” he cried. Graham shoved the tiller over and the boat slewed to port.

Crack! Tiiing!

Willy heard the bullet go past and then strike the steel side of the
Wewak.
‘They wouldn't dare!' he thought in astonished disbelief. ‘There are adults there.' To reinforce this belief he saw the engineer look out the door at the rear of the saloon.