The Four Feathers Page #6

Well, I made a nice mess of that,

didn't I?

- Faversham!

- Harry, how the devil did you get here?

- Who sent you?

- Nobody.

Then what you - what you doing here?

- For heaven's sake, explain, Harry.

- There's no time to explain now.

We're in an infernal mess,

but there's still a chance. Now listen to me.

The Khalifa has gone out

to meet Kitchener.

If he gets beaten,

he'll slit our throats in revenge.

If he wins, he'll slit 'em out of pure joy.

Right opposite the prison gates

is the arsenal of the Khalifa.

That's our one chance. Just a couple of guards

and a few storekeepers, and that's about all.

- Have you got that file?

- Yes. That file was an absolute brain wave.

We must work like blazes.

Now, is there anybody here who understands

the language of these poor devils?

Yes. That old fellow over there.

I'll go and fetch him.

Are you all right, Harry?

I'm all right, Fat Face.

Harry. This is Karaga Pasha...

once governor

of the province of Kordofan.

You speak English

and the language of these people?

I speak Arabic and Greek.

They all understand one or the other.

Then you can do a great service

to yourself and to all these people.

Will you tell them that I have brought

the means of setting them free?

Tell them that once they are freed,

on no account...

must they make a sign or a movement

until they get the word from me.

We must work very fast.

Tom, break that file in two.

Bring me the strongest man first.

Fix!

Fix!

- Bayonets!

- Bayonets.

They're deploying to attack, sir.

It's their whole army.

Perkins, go to the right.

Cramley, go to the left.

Tell the brigade

to take up their position.

Tell them to withhold their fire

until the last possible moment.

Front wing! Kneel!

Hold!

Grand sight, ain't it?

- Getting 'orrible close. When do we fire?

- When we're told.

Stick it, lad.

If you can't look at 'em coming on,

shut your eyes.

I'll nudge ya when to open 'em.

Present!

Fire!

Get your chains on.

Karaga, tell them it's now or never.

Tell them they mustn't move an inch

until the guards reach us.

They're rallying again, sir.

- There aren't so many of them now.

- Nor of us, sir.

Lengthen range 350. We'll have

that tower down with the black flag on it.

- That's the arsenal, sir.

- Good! Then we'll blow it up.

Lengthen range 350!

- That's not a Dervish gun. That's our gun.

- They'll blow us to pieces!

Wait here.

They're firing at the black flag.

We must get it down,

put something else up instead.

Anything! This'll do.

Harry. Look here!

It's the one they took from us.

- All right. I'll take it.

- All right.

They're lowering the flag, surrendering.

Hauling up a white one.

- It isn't white, sir. It's ours.

- What?

Paper! Paper!

Khartoum recaptured by Kitchener!

Paper! Paper!

Khartoum recaptured! Paper!

Paper! Paper! Paper!

Come in.

- Hello, John.

- Hello, Doctor.

How are you?

Have a drink.

On the table there.

- Do you mind if I light the gas?

- Sorry, old man.

Meant to have done it before you came.

No, no. Give me the matches. I'll light it.

- Have you heard the news?

- I've been listening.

Is it true? We've got Khartoum?

It's just come through. Kitchener broke

the Dervishes's army at Omdurman.

Good. Good. Splendid.

Well, that's that.

Sit down, Doctor.

- Whiskey?

- Not just now, John.

You've seen Dr. Wesley?

I've just left him.

Heine, the German specialist,

was there too.

Nice fellow, that German.

Took a lot of trouble.

You needn't tell me the verdict, Doctor.

I quite understand.

I think it's what you expected, John.

He doesn't feel that an operation -

Neither did I.

A man gets to understand these things.

If there had been any sort of spark left inside

that could be fanned up again...

I'm certain

I should have felt it there.

I've known for some time

that they were...

stone dead.

Heine explained that the trouble

sometimes comes...

from a lesion

that can be repaired by operation.

- In your case -

- In my case, it's a complete blackout.

No harm in getting the best man anyway.

- You earned your whiskey now, Doctor.

- Thanks.

Might have been a lot worse.

If I had known from the start

it was hopeless...

I'd probably have blown my brains out.

Today it isn't half so bad.

I've been learning to read this Braille stuff.

- Yeah?

- Funny how quickly the fingers get sensitive.

Listen.

"Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises,

sounds and sweet airs...

that give delight and hurt not.

Sometimes a thousand twangling

instruments will hum about mine ears...

and sometimes voices...

but if I then had waked after a long sleep...

will make me sleep again;

and then, in dreaming...

the clouds methought would open,

and show riches ready to drop upon me...

that, when I waked...

I cried to sleep again. "

- Splendid.

- Marvelous, isn't it?

I knew that bit by heart anyway.

- Here - Here's to your health, Doctor.

- Well, here's to you, John.

To Kitchener and his bright lads

in Khartoum.

Now, stretch out your legs

and read the news.

There's a report by Mallinson,

the war correspondent.

- "Khartoum, second September. "

- Good. Good. Now, do read it.

"From the shadow of Gordon's palace,

I am proud to send news...

of a glorious victory.

At dawn this morning,

after a wild night of storm and rain...

scouts reported that the Dervish army

was massing to give battle...

upon the hills above Kerreri. "

That's where the legend said

the British would be destroyed.

Now, if the Dervish

had ignored that silly rot and fought -

- Oh, shut up and listen.

- Sorry.

"At 6:
00 the Dervish army

advanced en masse...

and flung themselves with fanatical bravery

upon the British square.

Within two hours the Dervish forces

were broken and in flight.

A full report upon

the fighting at Kerreri will be sent...

when details are available...

but your correspondent, who accompanied

the Royal North Surrey Regiment" -

Good old Surreys.

"... was privileged to witness the most dramatic

and astonishing scene in this inspiring day. "

Hmm.

"During the battle, the prisoners

in the Omdurman dungeons...

overwhelmed their guards,

captured the arsenal and held it...

- until relieved by Anglo-Egyptian troops. "

- Bravo!

"The achievement was led and inspired...

by two British officers

of the Royal North Surrey Regiment...

captured in the fight at Gakdul Wells,

Lieutenants Burroughs and Willoughby. "

Peter! Alive!

And good old Willoughby!

Isn't that splendid!

- What's the time?

- The time? It's just on 7:00.

- We'll go tonight.

- What?

We'll be the first to tell Ethne

and the old man.

Ha! He'll be crazy

with excitement about this!

- Joe! Joe!

- Yes, sir?

Pack my bag. Send a message round to

Dr. Sutton's house to send his bag round here.

We're going to General Burroughs's.

The 8:
15 from Paddington.

Oh, but I've got an important appointment

in the morning, John.

- And, Joe!

- Yes, sir?

Tell Dr. Sutton's man to cancel

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