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    Wagon Master
    Wagon Master
    Wagon Master
    Ebook30 pages30 minutes

    Wagon Master

    By Rex Sumner

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    About this ebook

    Chad is a soldier - but not your normal soldier who is good with weapons and kills enemies. Chad is one of the 80% of soldiers that we ignore, part of the support staff who keeps men on the front line. He is a transport soldier, getting supplies to the soldiers at the front. His weapon is his wagon and horses, and his wars still take him to the frontline. He thinks he is a coward, yet he exhibits incredible bravery by simply doing his job in the face of enemy action. This is the story of his life, little chapters of it, from resupplying a fort to rescuing wounded. A man who can inspire respect in his enemies without fighting. He is a different soldier, and though this story is fantasy set in Harrhein, it equates to a time in our world perhaps five hundred years ago.
    I was inspired to write it by a friend of mine, whose uncle died and he discovered the uncle had been in the Royal Corps of Transport yet he knew nothing about his life. I do not pretend that Chad's life in any way reflects that of the real Chad, nor that Paul is as uncaring as Nephew Paul, but I hope I have managed to show the very different courage of the unsung heroes of an army. I was a soldier, and I remember how we looked down on the comfortable life of the truck drivers, secretly envious, and I could never show the type of courage they showed so frequently. Keeping on doing your job in highly dangerous situations. Leaving your personal defence to others. That last is the key to why I cannot comprehend their courage. Gentlemen and scoundrels of the Transport Corps of All Armies, I salute you.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMyVoice Publishing
    Release dateAug 16, 2014
    ISBN9781909359390
    Wagon Master
    Author

    Rex Sumner

    Rex is English, but was born in Java, Indonesia and has spent many years in the Far East. He speaks Indonesian and Malay, sadly he has forgotten his Javanese, Dutch, Thai, Hokkien and Teow Chu. He has had an interesting life - as a youngster worked his passage on a container ship to Australia where he worked as a cowboy, goldminer, salesman and fruitpicker, before switching from Zoology to the Army to study at Sandhurst. He saw active service in Northern Ireland and later worked for MI6 as a Soviet double agent. A country manager for an International tobacco trader at 25, he worked as a business consultant in Indonesia before returning to the UK where he raised his two boys while working in marketing and publishing, with forays into NLP and personal development. Now they are adult, he has moved back to the Far East where he travels, writes and researches. He has always had a passion for writing and this was rekindled by telling stories to his sons. His hobbies are angling, reptiles, orchids, reading and hockey, though he fears that in his late 50's he is now a little old to keep playing the latter. His wide experience and knowledge are interwoven into the tapestry of his writing. If you have any questions for Rex, please feel free to use his Facebook page.

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      Book preview

      Wagon Master - Rex Sumner

      Wagon Master

      Rex Sumner

      Published by MyVoice Publishing at Smashwords

      Cover design by MyVoice Publishing

      Dedicated to the Royal Corps of Transport and one soldier in particular, whose recent death made me realise how little we appreciate the courage shown by some of the back up boys in any army.

      Gentlemen and Scoundrels of the Transport Corps of All Armies, I salute you.

      Chad sprinkled the fine sand carefully over the bridge, his shoulders hunched against the chill wind. He was a medium sized, nondescript man with a regrettable tendency to being overweight. He debated whether to get some salt, but wasn't convinced he could persuade the quartermaster to let him have some. His wagon slid going over the bridge earlier, and he was checking to see why and make sure it didn't happen to somebody else. It did not occur to him that he was being conscientious; it was just what you did.

      He clucked his tongue in annoyance, as he found the crushed planking that was causing a skid to start, and the shiny polished wood that encouraged the skid to grow in the cold, icy weather. And to cap it all, the rails were weak. Weathered and old, he could see cracks in them. A good thump and a wagon would go straight through and into the creek below. Deciding it needed closer inspection from below, he moved to the front of the bridge where he could get down to the creek.

      As he started to come off the bridge, he heard horses clopping up the road and saw a large carriage coming too fast up the road. The horses' necks were curved, indicating too tight curbs, and they were sweating. Chad recognised Sergeant Hicks driving the team, and sighed. The man was an idiot and a bully, and he had no idea how he had reached his rank. Still, he didn't want the horses hurt so he stepped out and flagged him down.

      Hold it, Hicks, he said, raising his voice above the querulous wind. The bridge is unsafe when you've got the horses curbed like that. I'll lead them across for you.

      To his astonishment, Hicks stood up on his seat. Get out of the way, you fool! I have important people on board! Hicks sent his horsewhip lashing in Chad's general direction.

      Anger stirred Chad to action, and he caught the off horse's rein, bringing

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