The Moonlight Cavalry by Lynn Ellen Doxon

Author:Lynn Ellen Doxon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Artemesia Publishing, LLC
Published: 2024-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 19

PATROL DUTY

I approached Brasseux from behind as he swiped down with his razor.

“Brasseux,” I said mid-swipe.

He jumped, cutting himself with the razor. He turned quickly and stared at me wide-eyed.

” I need to take one of your squads out on patrol duty this morning. Can you pick some men and send them to HQ after they’ve had something to eat?”

“You shouldn’t spook a man like dat first thing in the morning. Now, look what you done.” He dabbed at the blood trickling down his neck.

His accent seemed thicker than usual. “I wasn’t trying to spook you. Sorry. Are you on bennies?”

“Don’t need dat to stay awake. De terror of dis place does dat.”

I nodded. “Just have those men at my tent in thirty minutes.”

“Which men?”

“Choose a squad and have them bring their rifles.”

Half an hour later, the squad showed up at my tent.

“We have patrol duty today. We’ll be looking for Japanese emplacements and liquidating them if we find any.

As the patrol followed me, they talked loudly, slashing the underbrush.

“Halt!” I ordered. “We’re trying to find enemy soldiers before they find us, not inviting them to target practice. Move slowly and quietly. Keep your eyes open and mouths shut.”

I recalled something an Indian Scout had shown me—rather St. Clair. I took a few minutes to teach the patrol how to place their feet to make the most minor noise, move slowly to avoid attracting attention, and use several hand signals so I could communicate with them. Nothing difficult. We proceeded silently along an animal track skirting the swamp and headed for a coral cliff. A large cave in the cliff attracted my attention. Creeping as close to it as I thought we could, I held up my hand, and the men stopped. Inside, men spoke in Japanese. My heart raced.

As I turned to signal the men to move forward, a three-man Japanese patrol emerged from the forest below us. “Look out behind!” I shouted.

Four men pivoted and shot at the Japs, killing one. A rush of adrenaline seized me. I sprinted to the cave and threw a hand grenade as two Japanese soldiers ran toward the entrance. I leaped back, ducking behind a tree. The hand grenade exploded. Coral collapsed, falling in huge chunks, sealing the cave and burying the two at the entrance.

The remaining Japanese crashed away from us through the forest below. The men took off after them. I took another look at the collapsed cave mouth and followed. As I ran, I saw something move in a tangle of brush. Three Japanese soldiers stood as I pointed my rifle at them. I shouted to my men to come and demanded that the Japanese surrender, one of the three Japanese phrases I knew. They pointed their weapons at me. I fired my rifle as machine gun fire tore through the undergrowth, killing two Japanese and wounding one. As I approached the wounded soldier, he drew a knife and slit his throat.

“What the?!” shouted one of the men,

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