Ross River Fever

by Christopher Cummings

  The whole time Andrew studied both banks. The bank below them had numerous small beaches where the local kids obviously went swimming, there being a houses and shops all the way long on the other side of the road. The far bank was all bush, with the savannah covered slopes of Mt Stuart a couple of kilometres behind it.

  Grey clouds were massing around the top of the mountain and showers of rain were visible. Carmen called out from behind him: “Andrew! It’s time we started back. And if we don’t hurry we will get wet.”

  Andrew looked at his watch again and reluctantly agreed. As they stopped opposite a small shopping centre he said: “I’d like to explore this part of the river by canoe. Anyone interested?”

  “I’ll be in that,” Martin agreed. Andrew looked at the others and they all nodded.

  “When? Tomorrow?” he asked.

  This was agreed to. Feeling happier Andrew turned his bike and started pedalling back the way they had come.

  CHAPTER 25

  ABOVE BLACK WEIR

  By 1:30 pm Andrew stood next to Carmen on the side of the parade at TS ‘Coral Sea’. Both were in uniform, DCNU- navy camouflage work rig. Lined up in two ‘watches’ on the road, which constituted the ‘quarter deck’ for the Townsville unit, were 35 navy cadets. Standing at the side were four adult instructors. Among those on parade were Mark and Jill, Jacob Edwards and Anne Maudsley. Standing at the side watching stood Martin, who fidgeted nervously.

  Andrew noted Anne smile in Martin’s direction and wondered if she was the reason Martin was interested in joining. He also noted Jacob’s frequent glances towards Carmen. ‘Amazing!’ he thought. ‘Carmen actually interested in a boy!’

  As soon as the parade was over and training had begun Mark led Martin inside to meet the officers while Jacob Edwards took Carmen and Andrew out to the boat shed at the rear. Here they were greeted in a very friendly way by the adult staff, and with cheerful jibes and rivalry from the cadets. Because the North Queensland units often came together for camps and promotion courses they knew many of the cadets.

  The afternoon was taken up by sailing in ‘Corsairs’. Andrew enjoyed this although he felt tired and a bit feverish. The boats were launched into Cleveland Bay from the beach at the Strand near the Tobruk Swimming Pool. Both Andrew and Carmen were very familiar with ‘Corsairs’ so they fitted into the crew easily. Jacob was the skipper and another Townsville boy made up the crew. Not being an enrolled cadet Martin had to sit on the beach and watch but he had several other cadets for company, including Anne and another girl.

  For two hours they sailed out towards Magnetic Island, then ran in towards Kissing Point before reaching along just off the Strand back to their start point. It was a good day for summer, sunny but cool on the water because of the sea breeze. Rain clouds gathered in the distance over Cape Cleveland but did not close in until they had returned the boats to the shed and were on final parade.

  Uncle Mel arrived at 4pm to pick them up. Andrew took the opportunity to speak to Jill, who assured him she was alright. He also noted Jacob Edwards in earnest conversation with Carmen, who gave him a dazzling smile as they parted. Martin joined them after farewelling Anne. By then the rain had changed from a few scattered showers to a steady downpour.

  As they drove home Andrew turned to Martin. “Well Martin, do you think you might join?”

  Martin nodded. “Yeah. I like what they do, and I like the people,” he replied.

  “Or one of the people in particular?” Andrew teased.

  Martin sniffed and pretended not to hear. Carmen frowned at Andrew. He then changed the subject and asked what the plan was for the evening. He badly wanted to see Letitia again, and to be alone with her. “What are we doing tonight?” he asked.

  “I’m staying home,” Carmen replied. “And you should too. You don’t look well.”

  “Are you going to be home tonight Martin?” Andrew asked. He really wanted to ask if Letitia was going to be home but was too embarrassed, fearing Carmen would sneer or tease.

  “Yes, but Letitia won’t be,” Martin replied. “She is going out to some party with kids from her class at school.”

  That was a sharp blow to Andrew. He was surprised how unhappy and jealous the idea of Letitia being at a party made him. However he pretended it wasn’t important and changed the subject to models. Uncle Mel dropped Martin at his house then took Carmen and Andrew home.

  By then Andrew felt wretched. He tried to hide this as he did not want his movements curtailed but he found it a real relief to have a hot shower and lie down. After tea he was a bit of a loose end and sat in front of the TV with a book, his insides churned up by worry and jealousy over Letitia.

  Just after the news started at 7pm the front doorbell rang and Andrew was surprised to see Carmen spring up and run to answer it. He was even more surprised when she ushered in Jacob Edwards. He looked very grown up and self-assured and that made Andrew feel young and immature. Jacob was introduced to Uncle Mel and Aunty Bev and then he and Carmen sat in the lounge and talked. Andrew wasn’t included in the conversation so he went to his bed and lay down, pretending to read.

  Heavy rain began to pound the sheet metal roof. Andrew shivered and felt cold. He slid under the sheets and tried to read, but his thoughts kept wandering to Letitia. His main worry was that time was running out and he did not have a plan to keep in touch, even if she wanted to. All he could think of was to stay in contact with Martin, and to possibly invite them both up to Cairns for the next holidays.

  While he was pondering this he slipped into a restless sleep. He awoke from this to find that someone had switched off his light. Rain was drumming on the roof in a solid downpour but he had no idea what time it was. He found he was soaked from perspiration and was still sweating.

  ‘I must have a bit of a fever,’ he thought. Not wanting to admit he was sick he tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t. Next he began to shiver and a headache developed. Then he felt hot and cold in rapid succession and his joints seemed to ache. With an effort he got up and went to the kitchen for a drink and to the toilet. Back in bed he lay feeling sick and depressed and brooding over Letitia. He knew he was really sick when thoughts of her did not rouse his manhood. Eventually he slipped into a restless sleep full of half-remembered bad dreams.

  On Sunday morning Andrew woke with a feeing of calm. He was clear headed but felt very weak. When he sat up the soreness showed in his joints and his arms and legs felt heavy. His eyes felt hot and gritty but the headache had gone. He made no mention of this to anyone as he badly wanted to be with Letitia.

  The rain had eased off to occasional showers. Aunty Bev questioned whether they should be going out in such weather but they managed to convince her it would be alright. After breakfast they prepared for a whole day of canoeing. Once they were packed Andrew sat and waited for Carmen.

  “Come on, get a move on!” he grumped as she took her time to pack.

  “There’s no rush. We have to wait for Jacob,” she replied. That was news to Andrew and he wasn’t sure if he was annoyed or amused. He felt a bit inferior when Jacob was around. He told himself this was only natural as Jacob was nearly two years older. That set his mind working on Letitia.

  When Jacob arrived he was very cheerful and friendly. They climbed into Uncle Mel’s car and were driven over to pick up Mark, then to the Schipholl’s. On arrival they were met by Martin who looked remarkably cheerful Andrew thought. ‘Considering he has had his pets killed and his models smashed.’

  Inside they were greeted by a sleepy Mr Schipholl, chirpy Mrs Schipholl and grumpy Letitia. She looked very pale and tired and that revived Andrew’s worries. These were turned to sharp jealousy by Carmen asking: “How was the party?”

  “Fab!” Letitia replied, but she did not elaborate.

  Andrew glanced around, looking for Snoopy. When he remembered the poor little broken body with the loyal eyes and those last faithful wags of the tail a surge of white hot passion surged through him. ‘Those mon
grels will pay for that,’ he silently vowed.

  The two canoes were carried down to the river. Andrew stood and studied the water. “The river is up,” he commented.

  Martin nodded. “From all that rain last night.”

  At that they all looked around at the sky. Heavy black clouds were massing on and behind Mt Stuart. Jacob pointed to them and said: “I reckon we are going to get a wet bum.”

  Carmen laughed and replied: “We do anyway!”

  Andrew went back to the shed with Martin to collect paddles, bailers and lifejackets. Andrew indicated the hovercraft, hidden under its canvas cover. “Did you manage to get it going again?”

  “Yes I did. And I’ve put a breakwater on the bow, and cut up some thick plastic containers to put over the spark plugs and distributor,” Martin replied. “I’d like to give her another test run but we don’t have a trailer to take it anywhere.”

  They walked back down to the canoes and prepared. Food and towels in plastic garbage bags were tied to the cross-beams inside and lifejackets donned. As they prepared, Andrew studied the river again. ‘Be about a metre higher than normal,’ he decided. He tried to estimate the speed, as there was an obvious current flowing. This was carrying a litter of lilies and other vegetation along with it. The water looked more brown than black. ‘That current will make it harder,’ he thought. But he said nothing as he wanted to get going.

  Then the problem of who was going in which canoe arose. Andrew worried that he might have to do some manoeuvring to end up with Letitia but she came and stood beside him and Carmen and Jacob paired off. So it was left to Mark and Martin to choose which canoe they would go in. When it came time to board Mark chose Andrew’s canoe, allowing Andrew to take the captain’s place at the stern. Martin went in Carmen’s canoe (Andrew noted that she did not give way to Jacob, who sat in front of her).

  At 10:30 they set off up the river. Speed was held to a steady plod. Even that was enough to raise a sweat as there was almost no breeze at all. The current was also a noticeable impediment. Both Mark and Jacob commented on this in unfavourable terms. Andrew noted that most of the reeds along the bank were almost submerged and that the floating masses of hyacinth were being torn loose, to drift downstream as straggling rafts of green flotsam. This was annoying as it frequently wrapped around their paddles and had to be removed. In the process water and slime were dripped or flicked on them and into the canoes.

  The swimming pontoon was in business, a dozen Aboriginal kids laughing and splashing on and around it. Two surf-ski riders paddled by. A man and his two young sons went past in a bright orange ‘Canadian’. Ducks paddled away or took fright at their approach and the shags dived or flew off.

  It took twenty minutes to reach the Charles Barton Bridges. As they passed underneath Andrew had several vivid flashbacks to his own near-drowning, and of the death of Maggot. He shook his head and wiped sweat from his eyes but made no comment.

  Soon afterwards a light drizzle began. Andrew found it a relief as the cloud blotted out the blazing sun and that made things considerably cooler. Letitia grumbled and suggested turning back but no-one replied to this. Even Andrew refused to support her. Deep down he sensed that locating the thug’s camp was more important to him. He still held to his theory that the thugs had another camp somewhere along the river.

  It took them half an hour to reach the bend below Gleesons Weir. The river here was a different proposition as it was narrower and the current flowed more swiftly. Masses of floating lilies were swirling around in eddies or floating off downstream. The weir, when it came into sight, was almost completely hidden by the water pouring over it. This fell with a roar to throw up spray and to swirl in white foam and masses of floating debris at its base. The exposed rocks in mid-stream were almost hidden by this.

  Andrew led the way along close to the north bank. To make progress they had to paddle hard and were slowed down by floating logs and sticks and masses of grass and lilies. As the teenagers strained to beat the current heavy rain started to fall. Within minutes they were soaked. Letitia grumbled loudly and again suggested they turn back. Again Andrew ignored her.

  Instead he paddled harder and soon had his canoe ashore on the bank just below the weir near the point where they had fought with the thugs when they were drowning the little girl’s kittens. Being already soaked he had no hesitation in jumping over the side to steady the canoe while Mark and Letitia got out.

  “Do we turn back?” Letitia asked as she stood on the bank. She indicated the sky. Carmen’s canoe slid in beside them.

  Andrew looked at the clouds and noted a lighter patch to the east. “No. This will pass soon. Anyway we are already wet.”

  “But I’m getting cold!” Letitia wailed.

  “Then paddle harder,” Martin called as he stepped out of his canoe. Andrew silently agreed as Letitia did a lot of sitting and not much work, but he did not say anything. Letitia made a face but did not argue any more. Andrew ordered them to: “Hands on! Prepare to lift! Lift!” and they struggled up the bank and along to the top of the weir.

  Here they rested for a minute. Andrew studied the water going over the weir and decided it must be nearly half a metre deep. It was flowing very fast and he found it quite impressive. The canoe was carried across to the water above the weir and slid in amongst half-submerged guinea grass.

  Andrew urged them aboard and they set off again. To keep well clear of the dangerous current he kept right in amongst the flooded grass and reeds beside the bank. This led them past the small ‘creek’ which flowed out of the first drain he had discovered. This time the drain was completely submerged and a strong flow of brown water came from it. He pointed to it as they passed and the others studied it with intense interest.

  Their course then led them past the stretch of bank which comprised the back yards of the houses along Moondarga Drive. The river had risen so much that much of the lower parts were under water and all of the little jetties were submerged. Surface flow gushed down drains and flowed down the sloping lawns to splash into the river.

  Soon afterwards the rain eased and as they reached the last house the sun came out. The transition was so abrupt that the heat and glare seemed to envelop them with a physical force. Andrew went from goose bumps to perspiring in minutes. As they rounded the bend to the left Black Weir came into view. The sound of the water thundering over it had been audible for a while. The whole face of the weir was white-streaked water, clouded in spray. Below the weir a genuine maelstrom boiled.

  As they passed the last house Andrew led them in close to the bank to show them the second drain they had discovered. This was now almost at river level and a fierce flow of muddy flood run-off was gushing out of it. Andrew had planned to land to let the others walk into it but decided that was pointless. Instead they paddled past and looked in. A glance showed that no-one could live in the pipe in those conditions, and that no canoes were tethered inside.

  The cross-currents set up by the meeting of the river and drain caused both canoes to be swirled out into midstream. Here they struggled to paddle against the flow.

  Martin pointed to the weir and yelled across: “Can we get around that?”

  Mark nodded and indicated the south bank. “There’s a sloping concrete ramp there.”

  “Is it safe?” Carmen asked. “If we get washed over that we will be smashed to pulp. Nobody could swim in that.”

  “If it isn’t safe we will turn around,” Jacob said.

  That settled it. Andrew led the way diagonally across the river, pointing out the location of the secret camp there as they passed. He had hoped to locate the entrance to where the gang had beached their canoes but the floodwaters had risen so much and disturbed the reeds and lilies to such an extent that he could not pick where it might be.

  It took quite an effort to paddle up against the current. They hugged the trees and reeds lining the south bank, even passing between some outlying trees which were half-submerged and the trees along the ba
nk.

  Just as Mark had said, they found a sloping ramp at the south end of the Black Weir. By staying right beside the bank they were able to reach it easily, helped by eddying back-currents. The canoes were beached and tied to trees while they did a reconnaissance on foot to the end of the weir. Close up it was both frightening and spectacular. Spray drenched them and the current generated a strong breeze which carried this for a long way.

  It was at once apparent they could keep going without too much risk, provided they stayed right amongst the trees and reeds beside the bank. A small creek led in just above the weir and they could launch into this. Andrew stood for a minute to study the pattern of the current. The water flow over the weir appeared to be about knee deep and was plainly too fast to wade in. Out at the middle of the weir a large tree, which had been carried down on the flood, was jammed against the wall. Long lines of floating debris were being drawn towards the lip of the fall, speeding up rapidly just before they went over.

  The canoes were carried up one at a time, with everyone helping with each. There was then a short rest while they sat and watched the water pouring over the weir.

  The roar of a motor attracted their attention and a speedboat came into view from upstream. This turned when still two hundred metres off, at the line of red buoys they had noted the previous day on their bike ride. The boat went surging back upstream out of sight.

  The canoes were slipped into the small backwater and held steady. When Letitia and Mark were aboard Andrew scrambled in and took up his paddle. They set off again, hugging the bank and even pulling themselves along by hand using the overhanging branches of the trees. Only when they were a good hundred metres away from the weir did Andrew steer out from the bank. Even then he kept close to it, mindful of what was behind them.