Gallipoli Page #2

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Very exciting one-mile race.

What about the handicap?

No, I can't talk about handicapping now.

Get it done the best way you can.

- This where you enter for the Gift?

- Entries closed a week ago.

- I've been outback.

- What's your name?

Dunne.

- You registered?

- Yeah, in Perth.

- When did you run your last race?

- Fremantle, about six months ago.

I know you, the stand-up start.

We got a scratching?

We got a scratching?

- Give him a go.

- What's the prize money?

Ten guineas and the medal.

Anyone take bets?

No, it's against the law.

How much was you wanting to lay?

- Twenty quid.

- You're pretty confident.

Where's your 20?

- Young Archy Hamilton's running.

- Who's he?

Probably the fastest kid

in West Australia, if not the country.

- What does he run?

- Under 10.

Wouldn't want to take your money

without fair warning.

What's my mark?

Same as the local kid.

All right. You're on.

You can still pull out, lad.

Lasalles pulled out of the Barlow Cup

and nobody thought the worse of him.

Come on.

Push.

Now, for the big event of the afternoon.

The one you've all been waiting for.

The Kimberley Gift!

There you go, boss.

Announcing a late entry.

F.C. Dunne of Perth,

starting off three yards...

the same mark as our own champion,

Archy Hamilton.

- Right, start your breathing.

- Come on, Archy, boy!

Come on. Deeper, from here.

Now, what are these?

- Come on.

- Steel springs.

- Again.

- Steel springs.

- What are they gonna do?

- Hurl me down the track.

How fast can you run?

As fast as a leopard.

- How fast are you gonna run?

- As fast as a leopard.

Right.

Then let's see you do it.

This is the big one, Simmo!

You can do it!

Runners, dig in!

Set!

Archy Hamilton!

Lads for the Light Horse, over here.

Come on, don't let your mates

over there do all the fighting.

Bring your beer.

If you're fit and you can ride,

get over here and find out how to join.

The Empire needs you.

Your country needs you

and your mates need you.

So come and find out how to get

into the greatest game of them all.

- Hey, that was bad luck, mate.

- Let's just forget it, eh?

Nine and five-sixteenths, lad.

You've equalled

the great Harry Lasalles...

- cut feet and all.

- Uncle Jack.

Nothing's going to stop you now.

Jack.

I'm not coming home.

No, I didn't think you were, lad.

Your bag weighed a ton.

- What have you got in it?

- Books, mostly.

What if they don't take you?

You don't look 21.

They won't ask questions

when they see me ride.

We've been through

a lot of scrapes together.

Take care of it.

Let's get down there before

those other blokes drink the keg dry.

- Come on, Arch!

- I'll write.

God bless you, boy.

- Twenty-one?

- Yes, sir.

You don't look it. Got a birth certificate?

I didn't know

I was supposed to bring one, sir.

- Go on, mount up.

- Excuse me, sir.

I know this lad and he's only 18.

His father would skin him alive

if he knew he was here.

We can turn a blind eye

if it's a matter of six months or so...

but not when you're 18.

Come on, now. Off the horse.

Come back here!

Come back, don't be such a bloody fool!

Hey, hey, pull him off.

- You show them, mate.

- You little beauty!

- Go, young Archy!

- Good on you, Arch!

Morning.

Three and six?

"After months of hard training

in Egypt..."

- "Hard training"!

- "...Australia's fighting..."

- Good day.

- Good day.

"...Australia's fighting force faced

its baptism of fire on the rocky slopes...

"of Gallipoli,

and proved themselves heroes."

Sorry about yesterday, mate.

You ran a great race. Frank Dunne.

Archy Hamilton.

Well, it just gave me a hell of a shock

to be beaten right out here.

I won everything

there was to win in Perth.

I was just lucky.

Look, anyone who runs

under nine and a half...

with crook feet isn't just lucky, mate.

You joining up?

No, I missed out. I'm underage.

You want something to eat?

- You mean, would I like to order?

- You from the city?

- Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.

- Yeah.

Well, we don't put on the dog up here.

What do you want to eat?

Well, if that's your attitude,

I won't have anything.

- Suit yourself.

- He's not finished, are you, mate?

Thank you.

- You better have something.

- I'm not hungry.

- Don't you want it?

- No.

Well, I can't see good food wasted.

Gonna try again?

- I can't. They know I'm underage.

- Not here, in Perth.

Now!

You bastard.

Come on!

Come on!

- Nearly lost me, mate.

- You sure it's headed for Perth?

Course it bloody is.

Nowhere else for it to go.

Hey. Come on, mate, we're here.

Perth?

No, mate, not quite.

Morning.

We seem to have lost our train.

- Two weeks.

- Two weeks? Bugger it.

Unless you're game enough

to cross the lake.

Hey, Arch...

- two weeks, that's not too long.

- No.

- Hey, Arch, hang on, will you?

- Better take this.

Archy, will you...

Arch! Archy, we'll fry like eggs out there.

- Now let's give this a little thought, eh?

- You'll never make it!

- Archy, wait!

- There's 50 mile of that!

Hey!

If the snakes don't get you,

the black widows will.

Wait!

You're mad.

- We should have waited.

- It's quicker this way.

That's what Burke and Wills thought.

How do you know

we're not walking around in circles?

The sun.

What if we run out of water?

There's always water

if you know how to find it.

- How do you find it?

- Cockatoos.

Sunset, they'll lead you straight to it.

That's lovely.

We put our lives

in the hands of a mob of parrots.

What's all this watch business?

Well, when you point 12:00 to the sun...

north is halfway

between the hour hand and 12.

- Can you ride, Frank?

- Yeah, why?

Just wondered why you didn't try

for the Light Horse.

Didn't want to.

What are you gonna join, the Infantry?

- Not joining anything.

- But you gotta be in it.

- Don't have to if you don't want to.

- You gotta be.

No, I don't.

It's a free country, or haven't you heard?

I'd be ashamed of myself if I didn't fight.

Well, that only proves one thing:

That you and I are different.

Let's drop it, eh?

You of all people should be going.

- Why me of all people?

- 'Cause you're an athlete.

What's that got to do with it?

I've got mates who'd be lucky

to run the 100 in 12...

and they're going to do their bit.

So why shouldn't you?

Because it's not our bloody war!

- What do you mean, not our war?

- It's an English war.

- It's got nothing to do with us.

- You know what you are?

You're a bloody coward.

There's only one reason why

I haven't knocked you down, mate.

What?

'Cause I don't feel like carrying you

to the next bloody waterhole.

Now shut up and don't open your yap

about the war again.

Where's your sun now?

Frank!

Stop! Hey!

Stop!

This would have to be your lucky day.

We were told

there's a property due south.

Yeah. Old Dan's place.

You got about 10 more miles to go.

He'll probably give you

a ride to Wollombi.

- Where you headed?

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