The Road to Glory Page #3

man on the wire...

...and you leave me a mine to sit on.

- Good luck.

How many were there?

Two platoons, sir.

All right, come on.

Good afternoon.

- Good afternoon.

Hello, Sergeant.

- Hello.

Captain LaRoche, is he all right?

- He's all right.

They'll never get him.

Why bullets curve

around him like that.

He's sleeping.

I can't, no.

No, I can't.

Sergeant.

Yes, miss.

He's sleeping now and I've

to get back to the hospital.

Don't disturb him unless

you have to, will you?

Don't you worry, miss.

I'll let him sleep.

Thanks.

Good morning, Sergeant.

Good morning, sir.

- Sit down.

What time is it?

It's just six o'clock, sir.

Six o'clock? Then it's good evening.

Yes, sir, good evening.

Sergeant, where is...

...the hospital in this town, you

know, where the nurses are?

That's in a church, sir,

on the other...

I was afraid you might be

reading something trashy.

No, sir, just keeping

up with civilian affairs.

Just refreshing your memory?

Yes, sir.

Where'd you say the hospital is?

It's in a church, at

the east side of town.

Order me a motorcycle

side-car, will you?

Yes, sir.

Sir.

Yeah?

Will you be finished

with my book soon?

I don't know, Regnier,

it's difficult to say.

To tell the truth, I find I've

to struggle constantly...

...to retain a certain

human quality in myself.

But I might turn into a man

of steel and gun-powder...

...a fighting machine without

any weaknesses whatever.

It's a thing I've to go out against

and I find this helps me.

Yes it...

...helps me immensely.

Can I help you, Lieutenant?

I don't know...

...I'm looking for someone.

The name?

I just joined the regiment and

the name has slipped my mind.

You know him if you saw him?

Instantly. He's covered

with a very peculiar rash.

Rash?

We haven't had no rashes in today.

This is an entirely new thing.

It's called trench rash.

It turns off and on like

an electric sign.

I'll browse around and look

for him. I know he's here.

I say, nurse.

Yes?

Is the shave going on all right?

Quite all right, sir.

- Fine, fine.

Hello.

Sorry.

I never expected to see you again.

I've been through trying to find you.

You shouldn't have come.

Why not? Isn't it all right

for me to be here?

Don't tell me you're a patient here.

No, I'm company. I came to see you.

You'd better go.

Go? I just got here.

Who knows but what I'm sick

or wounded or something.

Nobody check up on things like that?

- You really should go.

About the other night, I'm awfully

sorry for the way I acted.

I never would...

...if you hadn't thought

it'd be successful.

That's right.

You're too young and sweet

to be such a veteran.

Nurse.

Some help, please.

All right.

I'm sorry but I'm very busy now.

- I see.

You mean until later this evening?

No, for the duration of the war.

Jeanne!

Yes?

How much do I owe you?

- It's already paid.

By the officer, over there.

Bring us some more coffee,

will you? Lots of it.

Wonderful coffee they've here.

Wonderful.

They say the chef got his recipe...

...from and old paint and varnish store.

If only you weren't so persistent.

I know, isn't it terrible?

Try some of my wine.

Cheerio!

What are you thinking?

The things are so different

from the other time.

You glad that we came?

I'm glad and...

...sorry too.

I'm afraid to think about it.

I find that something was happening

that I'd never expected...

...or even wanted.

I'd such a strange feeling tonight...

...when we came in here...

...together.

I know I felt it too...

...as though we're coming home.

Isn't that it?

Yes.

You saw those guns...

...rumbling up the road?

- Yes.

Yes.

- They're rolling along the front...

...from Switzerland to the sea.

There's no need my telling you

that this is the crisis.

This is the biggest allied push yet.

It's going to make what's gone

before seem like child's play.

If this attack fails...

...you can write your own story.

At midnight we move up.

Lieutenant, would you

make the inspection?

Yes, sir.

Come on, hurry up.

Move on.

Ready.

Pack inspection, come on.

Sergeant.

- What do you want?

Is it true this is the big drive...

...that we're going to the front now?

Tomorrow we'll have breakfast

in Berlin. Into line.

Yes, sir.

Into line!

Come on, inspection, come on.

Been up here before?

- Yes, sir.

Throw that away.

- It's good to eat.

Eat here, don't take it

with you. Throw it away.

Thank you.

Throw it away.

Hello, Chartis.

- Hello, Sergeant.

Throw that away.

- My wife made it.

All the more reason to throw it away.

Throw that away.

Don't salute me.

I'll salute any soldier of France.

Save it for the officers.

Yes, sir.

And don't you call me sir.

No, sir.

What's your name?

Morain, sir. Sergeant.

So you want to be a soldier?

I want to serve France.

That's a good idea.

What's that Bassoon doing here?

Bassoon?

- Yes, that fish horn.

Throw it away.

Bassoon!

I'll have you know, sir...

...that 45 years ago at Sudan...

...a blast from this fish

horn you call it...

...sent the finest cavalry brigade

in the world into battle.

Yeah?

- The Emperor heard the call.

You've got to throw it away.

I've carried that trumpet

a great many years.

All right, keep it.

Only see that nobody sees it.

Put it in your pack.

You heard what I said.

Throw it away!

Open up.

Throw it away.

War, do you call this war?

Where's your cavalry charges?

And your flags to lead them on...

...and your bugles to

blow them forward?

Why you haven't got any?

All you do is dig holes in

the ground like rabbits.

Soldiers, why you're a

lot of sewer diggers?

Wait till a fine point nine takes

hold of the seat of his pants.

What do you know about war?

What do I know about war?

- Yeah.

I was the trumpeter of

the Six Cuirassiers.

I blew a charge, I was

only 15 when I blew it...

...but I blew a charge

that sent the finest...

...cavalry in the world.

- What you got in here?

What you got in here?

Cartridges.

- What for?

In case of an attack.

Inspection!

Come in.

That's all right. Keep your seat.

I wonder if you'd do

something for me.

Something personal.

I'm glad to.

I've got a feeling, call it

a hunch if you like...

...my luck's run out, that this

might be my last trip up.

I hope not, sir.

You do?

Why?

I can say, Captain, is that...

...I wish you might've the privilege

of serving under yourself.

Thanks.

I'm glad to have you with me.

You're reckless and a bit crazy

but sometimes that helps.

You're a good soldier.

- Thank you, sir.

Sorry for our bad start.

- Let's forget, sir.

Getting back to this other...

...if anything happens why...

...I'd like you to deliver

these to a friend of mine.

That's her name.

I've got her picture in this locket.

Here it is.

She's helping at a

hospital east of town.

Yes.

I know where it is.

Those papers will explain everything.

There isn't much, but what's

left I'd like for her to have it.

She is...

...been very kind to me,

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