The Lives of a Bengal Lancer Page #7

I have no other choice,

and very little time.

Now that we're

no longer guests,

tell him what you

really think of the mutton.

Oh, yes.

As much as I regret

to say this,

your mutton

is undoubtedly-

"Rotten" is the word.

Thanks, Mac.

Come, now, gentlemen,

must I proceed

to these absurd

and unpleasant extremes?

Little bamboo slivers

but when they're driven

under the fingernails

and lighted,

we find them

very effective.

Bring the other two gentlemen

a little bit closer

so they can see well.

I shall proceed first

with Mr. McGregor.

I'll get you some water.

I'd rather have

a cigarette, Mac.

Dentist once in MontreaI

hit a nerve.

It hurt almost as bad.

Well, he's been

to a dentist.

Let me alone!

Come on, Tania.

Don't faiI me, Tania.

Come along,

Mohammed Khan.

Show some speed!

Tania!

For dear

old Forsythe.

Tania! Tania!

Run, jump, do something!

Do anything.

That's right.

Here we go.

Tania!

One jump.

Come on, Mohammed Khan,

take that hurdle.

Ah, Mohammed Khan,

by half a length.

That makes 40 million

Rupees you owe me.

Another day of this,

and I'm broke.

Another day of this, we'll

be going around in circles

like

those cockroaches.

Ah, I wonder when these

whiskers stop itching

and begin to be a beard!

Foulest torture

ever invented.

Keep us in a cell

that crawls

and fix us so

we can't scratch.

All the Khan's horses

and all the Khan's men.

It didn't

take him long.

I'd like to

have seen the look

on the ColoneI's face.

It looks as if they were

expecting trouble.

There's only one answer.

The ColoneI's

after them.

And with all

the ammunition here,

there's nothing to

keep him in GopaI.

With those machine guns

and two million rounds

of ammunition

the regiment

wouldn't have a chance.

The old Ramrod's a fooI

to try it.

He will, though.

There's nothing much

we can do about it.

I wish I had

my toodle-oodle here.

I'd play you some

wild Scotch airs.

Over my dead body,

you would.

You know, that's

rather clever, Mac.

Why don't you say it?

Why don't you say what you're thinking?

Forget it!

I'm to blame. I told them,

that's what you're thinking.

Why don't you say it?

Shut up!

All right, I told them

and why shouldn't I? For him?

To stand there and watch

and know all the time

I was gonna be next

to have your nails torn off

and those pincers

and burning sticks

driven into you untiI...

And things you

can't even talk about.

Why should I stand all that?

For what? For him?

For a service that makes him

like he's been to me?

He left me here, didn't he?

He knew what they'd do.

He wouldn't come

after me, not him.

Regiment, service, duty!

Why should I stand

what you did for them?

Why should I?

Why should any of us? Why?

I told you to forget it.

All right, Mac.

But I still

don't understand why.

Why? Well...

Well, there are some things

they don't teach you

in military college.

Can't, I guess.

India's big, you know.

There are 300 million people

and run by, uh,

just a handfuI of men.

The-The-The job comes first.

Like old Ramrod,

you can't let death

move you, nor love.

And it's like...

How can I tell you

what it's all about

when I don't know

myself?

"'The time has

come,'the Walrus said,

"'To speak of many things

"'Of ships and shoes

and sealing-wax,

Of cabbages and kings. "'

Oh, shut up!

You don't like

poetry?

How should I know?

I never read any.

Perhaps something

more rugged.

"Ever the faith endures,

"England, my England

"Take and break us,

we are yours

"England, my own

"Life is good, joy runs high

"Between English earth and sky

"Death is death

and we shall die

"to the Song

on your bugles blown, England

To the stars on

your bugles blown!"

If I had known I was

going to say all this,

I would have

brought my violin.

You weren't by any chance thinking

how nice it would be

if someone spilled the fire

into that ammunition, were you?

About 200 yards,

I'd say.

Nearer a 100.

My last year in Oxford

I won the 220.

I ran the 100

in 10 flat at McGill.

It's nearer 200.

And where's McGill?

Mcgill's in MontreaI.

And this is a job

for a 100-yard man.

Forget I'm your

superior officer?

Forget you're

my prisoner?

Toss you?

The cockroaches.

If Tania gets to

the wall first, I win.

It's a go?

Mohammed Khan! Come on!

Tania, what's the matter?

Mohammed Khan again!

It's my job.

Your luck's as good

as ever, Mac.

And now all I have to do

is figure a way

to get out of here.

That's all.

Too late, sir.

Hopeless to

attack that strength.

If we retire now

and that ammunition

is distributed

amongst the tribes...

You know what that means.

Yes, a costly job,

sir.

I know.

But it's worth

the whole regiment.

Squadron, wheel into line.

Gallop!

What are you doing?

I'm trying to wear

a hole in the wall

so we can all

climb through.

It occurred to me,

gentlemen

that you might like to know

what is to become of you.

I'm expecting a visit from

your colonel in a few minutes.

I can assure you he will

receive a very warm reception.

In the coming engagement,

if the Colonel escapes

I shall send you all

back to him alive.

If he is captured,

you will all die.

In any case,

I shall have the pleasure

of bringing the ColoneI

face to face with a son

who betrayed his Empire.

Very foolish,

Mr. Forsythe.

You should always temper

courage with judgment.

That's a fooI thing

to do.

We'll get it

soon enough.

Did you get a gun, too?

Just about enough powder

in those, I think,

to blow that lock off.

It took us five days

to think of that.

Us?

Take a little water and mix

enough straw and mud

to seal this lock.

What do we use

for a fuse?

Mac.

Yeah.

This idea, I'm in on it.

It was my fault, all this,

and if there's any way...

I mean-

Sure, I know.

Ready with that wick?

I mean, there's not

much left that...

Well, I couldn't go back,

like he said,

not to the regiment

or to England.

If anybody's going

to take any chances,

I'll take them.

Sure you're in on it.

Never thought of it

any other way.

Just stick close and

do what you're told

till we get this open.

There's someone on that tower

with a machine gun.

Let me get it and cover you

while you make a run for it.

All right.

Look, I've got a hunch

we're going to

get out of this.

We can't let the old man or

anybody know what's happened.

Mohammed Khan!

Mohammed Khan!

This way.

All right, Mac,

you keep me covered.

I can make it from here.

Bugles. Trumpets.

Man needs seasoning.

Poetry!

Mac! Mac, I... I...

He did it for me.

To undo what I did!

The last thing

Mac asked you...

the old man mustn't know.

It's just as good a way

of paying what you owe.

Mother McGregor.

Lt. John Forsythe

by command of His Majesty

the King-Emperor,

I confer upon you

the distinguished

service order.

Second Lt. Donald Stone,

41st Bengal Lancers.

For conspicuous gallantry

and devotion to duty.

He attacked single-handed,

a group of the enemy

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