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And the Committee as one, so their eyes informed each other cautiously alongthe row, remembered that they had not seen old Jock Brice.Their eyes went ferreting among the crowd, everywhere, even watching theMen's in case he should come out there; but presently admitted that he hadbeen forgotten. They grew uncomfortable and it was a relief when the littlecord was pulled and the plaque came into view and it became an anti-climaxfor them to remain."Can you imagine him waiting?" said Ellie to the prime mover, "waiting,waiting, waiting all the afternoon. What if I go down now and tell him itwas all my fault, I should have picked him up, because I'm the only onehe can't really blame." She was paying for the hospitality that way, and tryingto ease her conscience, too.But, after all, her hopes of escaping without being involved with other carswere lost because the TV people were busy across the road, photographingthe handpicked and important young girls and their escorts, all on slim horses,shiningly groomed, riding in off the track that someone's grandfather had blazedwith a packhorse. They had only been able to ride on a mile of it.It was a pity that it would not come out in colour with all those brightreds and blues and yellows, but of course we are well behind with TV incolour, but after all, when you remember that the daughter of one of thepioneers was here today, well we are a young country.This they said until there was a folding up of tripods and a disconnectingfrom posts, so that at last the cars came down the mountain all together,springing to life in the twilight like a festive snake. Down in the darkeningvalley the last visible smoke from wood fires went up three hundred feetbefore dispersing and the farmers began to talk of some universal 'she' whowould be a frost in the morning.Quite a few people waited outside while Ellie went in to see old Jock.The niece at the door was shivering in the cold air, but she took fire easilyfor aU that. "He isn't here. He started to walk after awhile. He was afraidof being left and he said Mrs Payne would have to pass him. I told him, asI've told him all along, the whole thing was a lot of rot anyway. But he wasthat determined. He said if he had thought of it in time he would of goneover the old track just to show you all with your cars what the pioneers weremade of."Cars were running in all directions and enquiring but Jock was not at home,nor could be found abroad. Someone came forward who lived near there andhad seen him near the old track. And, now she came to think of it, he wasout of sight very quickly. So, then he was somewhere up the mountain. Andwould have to be got out.It was cold, clear and starry with no moon. In the tall timber it wasdense black. Making ready to go in at both ends of the track, the searchers,looking in towards tbe blackness from the circle of headlamps that seemed topenetrate such a short way, drew their hands up into their sleeves andhunched their shoulders as they seemed to feel the cold in the old man's bentbody. And separately in the silent bush they flinched back a little further fromthe whipping bushes because his face was thrust so far forward.The faces of those who waited were also robbed of unessentials. Speechtended to sound fatuous to the speaker and delight was robbed from teacupsWESTERLY, No. 1 of 1967