Jack & Harry by Tony McKenna Page A

above the stove. ‘I have to get back to the other children, Jean.’ She walked to the back door. ‘Keep in touch and let me know if anything happens. I’ll call you if they turn up at our place.’
    â€˜I’ll drive you home, Alice,’ Claude offered but she declined saying that walking might give her a better chance of seeing the boys. There was no sign of them on the streets however and they weren’t at her home when she got there so she busied herself getting tea for the other children.
    The telephone rang. Alice rushed to answer it. ‘Hello, yes?’
    â€˜Alice, it’s Claude. Do you know if any of young Jack’s clothes are missing? We’ve just discovered that Harry seems to have packed a bag of stuff as a lot of his gear is gone. Jean’s awfully upset.’
    â€˜Hold on, Claude.’ Alice put the telephone receiver down and rushed to Jack’s bedroom and threw open his cupboard. A cursory glance revealed that most of his ‘non-school’ clothes were missing. The boots that his father had bought him to wear when he sometimes helped out at the saleyards were also missing from the bottom of the wardrobe.
    â€˜You still there, Claude?’ She picked the telephone up. ‘Yes some of his clothes are missing; what does all this mean?’
    â€˜Not sure at this point, Alice, but don’t worry over much until we find out. Jean and I are going to get the kids and come over to you for a while as Jack’s away and you have the other children to consider. Jean can give you a hand to get them to bed, and then we’ll get our mob settled.’
    A short time later Alice heard Claude’s car pull into the driveway and she welcomed their company. ‘Did you call the Munse’s, Claude, any news there?’
    â€˜I spoke to Munse Senior, he wasn’t too chatty but said he’d ask Billy if he knew anything. I told him that it seemed the boys might have taken off somewhere.’ Claude didn’t tell Alice or Jean that William Munse had added that the fact that they had run off went a long way toward proving their guilt.
    â€˜I’ll call the Elders manager at his home, Alice, and find out if he can get in touch with Jack, get a message to him to call you, eh?’
    â€˜Thanks, Claude, that would be good. I’m a little confused right now, not handling things too well.’ She burst into sobs. ‘Where could they possibly be, Jean? They’re so young and never been away before except for the odd school camp.’
    Jean took her in her arms and began to cry too. Claude, embarrassed, hurriedly left the room to find the telephone and call Peter Forbes, the Elders manager.
    The shrill whistle of the steam engine at one of the level crossings where the line crossed the road on the way into Northam jolted the boys back to reality. ‘The train, Harry. We gotta run, don’t want to miss it.’
    They grabbed their bags, threw the last of the bread into the water and ran up from the river toward the railway station, running panting onto the platform as the train pulled to a stop with a screech of metal brakes on steel wheels. The platform, deserted earlier when they had purchased their tickets, was now bustling with passengers as people said farewell to friends and family. The display of families hugging and shaking hands made the boys even more conscious of what they were about to do.
    Harry looked about him and there was sadness in his eyes and his shoulders drooped.
    â€˜You OK, Harry?’
    â€˜Guess so, just a bit homesick I suppose, Jack.’
    Jack was about to reply when the conductor blew a shrill whistle. ‘AAALL AAABOOOAARD,’ he yelled.
    â€˜Well, Harry …this is it, mate. We don’t have to get on you know, there’s still time to change our minds. If we get on we’ll be in Kalgoorlie in the morning and even further away from home.’ Jack looked at his friend who was