North West Frontier Page #7

Right. Hold him out, Van Leyden.

Reach out with him, man!

Look at me, young fellow.

That's a good boy.

Don't look down.

Come on, man. Stretch out.

Peters, get my waist.

Hold him out!

What's the matter with you?

Stretch him out!

Grab the boy!

Come on.

- What the devil are you doing?

- Please!

You deliberately held that boy short.

What? You nearly dropped him

and you have the audacity to blame me?

- That's how you wanted it to look.

- Don't be childish!

And what went on in the pump house

with that flywheel?

Pump house? What is he talking about?

Let go of me.

Oh, no. I'm not letting you go.

You're a Moslem, aren't you?

I was wondering

when you'd bring that up.

The people who want to kill

that boy are Moslems too. Kumar!

(Speaks Urdu)

I'm putting you under close arrest.

You do and I'll put you into every

newspaper from Calcutta to Berlin.

That's a risk I'll have to take.

I thought you had a brain

in spite of being a professional soldier.

- Yes. I am a professional soldier.

- And I am a professional journalist!

You're overstepping your mark.

I'm a free journalist! My job is to report!

And my job is to get that boy to Kalapur!

The man's a maniac.

The sun has gone to his head.

Don't hold him. He'll say you're

trying to strangle him.

(Speaks Urdu)

All right, Captain Scott. You seem

determined to get into the headlines.

But you will regret this.

- (All protest)

- Please get off the bridge!

There may be a dozen rifles

aimed at you. Leave the bridge.

Anyone can slip on a rail inches wide.

That's no proof that he's a murderer.

Surely you didn't have to arrest him?

We could have watched him.

Oh, for heaven's sake!

I could be wrong, very wrong,

but we can't take a chance

with this boy's life.

Now, please, leave the bridge.

- Please take him off the bridge.

- Will it take the weight?

Of course. I often drive trains

over blown-up bridges.

Oh, stop behaving like a schoolboy!

How do you want me to behave?

Tell you there isn't a hope in hell?

I've got to do this job.

This time it's my responsibility.

I don't know whether it's a human

problem or a military one.

You can work that out. Peters.

Your best chance is to take it fast.

The vibration will break up the structure.

I disagree. There's less weight on...

Who's doing this? You or me?

All right?

- Well... Here we go.

- Careful, sahib.

Stand by, Gupta. This is it.

- (Creaking)

- On with the brake! On with the brake!

Now totally.

Very slowly.

Very little bit more.

Little bit more.

Yes. Very slowly, sahib.

It is right. Right.

Don't worry, Gupta. She'll make it.

She is made, sahib. She is made.

Good driving, sahib. Oh, sahib.

I'm sorry about this, Mr Van Leyden.

I feel sure there'll be an explanation.

We made it!

(Whistle shrieks)

Oh!

(Speaks Urdu)

Captain Scott. I think you acted

very wisely over Mr Van Leyden.

If I didn't, I'm in the soup. Gupta?

- Yes, sahib?

- The old girl ready to go?

She's not a young man like you, sahib.

She needs some steam.

- How long?

- Not more long than five minutes.

Hello. Isn't this carrying your celebrated

dislike of soldiers a little too far?

What do you mean?

Looking so miserable just because

I didn't end up down in the valley.

Now you look like an abandoned woman!

I always thought you were.

I hope there aren't any more bridges.

You really had me scared.

I can promise you, I was scared myself.

Are you sure about Mr Van Leyden?

Won't you get into a lot of trouble?

Wouldn't you like to see me

drummed out of my regiment?

Medals torn off my manly bosom?

Just your cup of tea!

- They don't really do all that?

- Of course they do.

Then my best friend calls on me,

hands me a loaded revolver

and says, "Carruthers, it's the only way

out for a gentleman."

Catherine...

Thank you, Captain Scott.

William Charles Willoughby.

Take your pick.

Oh, Willoughby, definitely!

Dear me, it does seem a pity.

I know Mr Van Leyden's a difficult man

but it would have been nice

to have finished the journey together.

- Can I blow the whistle?

- Not till we get down on the plain.

When I grow up,

I will buy my own engine.

That's a good idea. Come on.

Stand over there. Watch me.

At last little Kishna's got his way.

- Your play, Mr Bridie.

- I'm sorry I'm so slow.

Do you think they've tied him up?

Don't worry. I'm sure Captain Scott

knows what he's doing.

Yes, but it seems a bit extreme

to shut him up. What can he do?

The idea of shutting him up is so

we don't find out what he can do.

I suppose he's got nothing to read.

What does reading have to do with it?

Captain Scott thinks

he tried to kill Kishan.

Mrs Wyatt, you do not understand

the British mentality.

While Van Leyden was a

Dutch journalist, Mr Bridie disliked him.

As soon as he discovered

he was a half-breed,

Mr Bridie felt

a certain sympathy for him.

Now we all suspect him of being an

anti-British fanatic and a murderer,

Mr Bridie will crusade for him.

He has become an underdog

and the British love underdogs.

It's better than kicking them.

That tells us how much steam

is in the boiler. Voom voom voom!

(Guard shouts)

- Oh...let me fill the jug.

- Thank you.

So it is true, Mr Van Leyden.

Stand up where I can see you.

All of you.

The boy too.

He's not here. He's on the engine.

You. Call the boy.

- Call him.

- No. Don't.

If you think you can get away with this...

I can and I will

and there won't be any witnesses.

There's the other soldier.

He controls the engine.

He will obey this.

- Call that boy.

- No.

All right. Don't call him.

He won't stay out there forever.

If you must massacre us all...

you'd better remove your safety catch.

Keep back!

- May I drive the train?

- Presently.

- When?

- When I say so. Here, have a go.

You were set

right from the beginning to do this.

- You find that strange?

- The man's mad.

Not madder than you are.

Like you ladies and gentlemen,

I believe in my country.

- You are Dutch.

- I am Indian. My mother was Dutch.

I'm just one of the half-breeds

you despise.

What does killing us prove?

That you're not a half-breed?

It proves that I am a true Moslem.

That I care enough to fight

and maybe even to die for my faith.

For a country that will be all Moslem

and I will belong there.

Are you capable of understanding that?

You're a criminal. You belong in jail.

I find the moral indignation of

an armament peddler rather touching.

Look.

Mrs Wyatt. That lamp. Turn it up.

We will be passing through more tunnels

and would I hate to leave you all

standing in the dark.

Do as I say.

- (Clattering)

- Gupta!

(Speaks Urdu)

(Speaks Urdu)

Gupta, why didn't you go?

- He would have killed you, memsahib.

- Yes. I would have killed you.

"Memsahib."

(Baby gurgles)

Don't!

I've had enough tricks.

He's choking!

See to it!

Did you like that?

Prince Kishan's never gonna walk

through that door. Nor Captain Scott.

Time will tell.

I'm going to scream

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