Young Winston Page #8

---

shall we?

You know, Haldane,

I've been thinking.

After the Malakand Field Force,

I went on to the Tirah expedition.

- Do you remember?

- Yes.

Well, I never did

get my medal for that.

Now, if you were to write

to the war office...

A medal for the Tirah?

Winston, don't you ever relax?

I can't. I'm almost 25.

Down!

Look out!

On the left!

- Carry on, sarge!

- Enemy left!

Steady now, lads. Take aim.

Take aim! Good.

Brakes!

- Come on, lads. On your feet!

- Take it easy.

Get up! Take posts!

Haldane, we're off the rails!

Shall I go up front

and see what I can do?

Good idea!

Set up, boys!

- On target.

- Shoot!

Hey, where are you going?

I'm a civilian.

I don't get paid for being shot at!

Come back here!

- Come here! Listen!

- Let go!

Listen! You've got more chance of being

hit if you run. Listen, I'm a soldier.

No one ever gets shot

twice on the same day. That's a fact.

You get back in there!

It's the safest place there is.

And when this is over,

you'll get a medal.

That's a promise. Come on!

I'll go with you.

- Can this engine still run?

- Well, it might.

The track's blocked,

we can't move. Unless we get...

- ... uncoupled from that truck.

- Come on, get in.

- And get it over on its side.

- I see.

And there's no way of doing that.

We can try.

Is there an officer here?

Yes! What is it?

We have to uncouple that truck there

and push it over on its side!

- Sergeant, bring a dozen men.

- Very good, sir!

Who was that? A Boer?

Worse than that. He's crazy!

- Give him a hand.

- Heave it up from underneath.

Right.

It's moving.

Come on! Out you come! Outside!

Come on, that's it, lads!

Move it now! Move it! Come on!

You men, over here!

Right, come on.

Get your shoulders under here.

Come on, men! Come on down!

Come on, there! Heave!

Come on! Heave!

Heave!

Keep it up! Hold it up!

- Heave!

- Get it up, men!

Heave!

Push it!

Right, take cover!

Come on!

- Did it, by God!

- You didn't get it off the track.

You said all we had to do was get it

uncoupled and push it over.

It was too heavy to get off the track.

- Well, I'll have to ram it off now.

- Well, ram it off!

- I don't know if the engine'll run.

- Well, try it!

Good. Now, go ahead.

- I'll have to back her up first.

- Bloody well back her up, you idiot!

Well, you don't have to get excited.

Get out of the way!

Get out of the way!

Right. Now, go ahead.

- And you keep shovelling.

- Yes, sir.

- We could go off the rails, you know.

- Go on!

- Here...

- Sorry.

But go on!

Oh, Christ!

Haldane!

Haldane!

Move, fusilier! Move, move, move!

The track ahead's clear,

but we can't get back to you.

- Anyway, the couplings are smashed.

- Yes, I know. I know, I know.

Can we load the wounded

onto the engine?

Yes.

Well, that's something, I suppose.

The rest of us have to go on foot.

Thanks, Winston.

I'll remember this.

So shall I.

Wounded onto- Onto the engine!

The rest of us go on foot,

using it as cover.

Come on, everyone out now!

Wounded on the engine!

Get the wounded onto the engine!

Come on, move it on! Move it on!

Easy, easy!

Move around! Move around!

- All right?

- I think so.

All right, go ahead!

Go ahead! As slow as you can.

Slow down, Winston!

Slow down.

- You're getting ahead of them.

- It's all right. All right.

Winston, slower!

Slow down, you damn fool!

For God's sake, Winston!

- Hey, slow down.

- Oh, shut up!

Slow down, you damned idiot!

I can't, you silly arse.

We're on the downgrade.

I'll kill you!

I can't help it.

The brakes are gone.

- Now what?

- I must go back and get Haldane.

What, back there? What do I do?

You wait!

You wait ten minutes. And then if

you don't see us coming, you can go.

Pretoria. "We have captured

Lord Churchill...

...who claims to be

a war correspondent.

But from our intelligence,

we know he was responsible...

...for one part of the

armoured train getting away. "

Sir, I am a special correspondent.

I was unarmed, and I took no part

in the fighting when I was captured.

I respectfully submit that I should be

released as soon as possible.

On no account is he to be released,

for the duration of the war.

I've been watching you two.

You're working on an escape.

- You're out of your mind.

- I am not.

But I will be if you won't

take me with you.

- Never.

- Be quiet, Brockie.

We can't use you, Winston.

You don't know the country

or the language.

If we got separated,

you wouldn't have a chance.

Anyway, you'd be the first

to be missed from here.

Play.

Haldane, I'm going mad in here.

And tomorrow's my birthday.

- Congratulations.

- Oh, shut up. You don't understand.

I'll be 25.

I can't stay cooped up in here

for the rest of the war.

Please, Haldane.

You said you'd remember

what I did that day.

Do you remember now?

I wouldn't have been caught

if I hadn't gone back for you.

No.

Do shut up, Brockie.

I can't think.

What's for dinner tonight?

Any idea?

They're too close.

You're afraid.

Well, see for yourself.

- I'll go and look too.

- No, no, wait-

It was maddening.

And besides, normally there was

only one guard on duty here.

The thought crossed my mind

that we were suspected.

Suddenly, I felt it was now or never.

And the impulse was

too overpowering to resist.

But how was I

to inform my comrades?

Then I heard a heavenly sound.

Who's there?

It's Churchill. Keep quiet.

Churchill? Where are you?

- What are you doing out there?

- Never mind.

Just go and tell Haldane and Brockie

right away.

Oh, I get it. Good show!

London, The Morning Post.

"Our special correspondent,

Winston Churchill...

...who distinguished himself

before his capture...

...has, in a fashion as yet undisclosed,

escaped. "

Johannesburg.

" A reward of 25 pounds is offered

for the capture of Winston Churchill.

Sead or alive. "

Pretoria.

" Although Mr. Churchill's escape

was cleverly executed...

...there is little chance of his

being able to cross the border.

When he is recaptured,

it is probable that he will be shot. "

My name is Dr. Bentinck.

I've had an accident.

Now, what did you say?

- Are you English?

- Never mind.

What do you want?

Oh, I've had an accident. I-

I fell off a train.

Well, the truth is, I'm afraid I'm lost.

All right.

Come in.

Now, then...

...I think you'd better

tell me the real truth.

I think so too.

My name is Winston Churchill. The

correspondent from The Morning Post.

I escaped from Pretoria last night,

and I'm making for the border.

I have 75 pounds.

Will you help me?

By God, it's lucky you came here.

Only house for 20 miles

where you wouldn't be handed in.

My name's Howard. I'm British.

I'm the manager of this mine.

There are three more of us

keeping the place going.

The Boers keep an eye on us.

There were some here this afternoon.

Looking for you.

- Well, then, perhaps I'd better go.

- Nonsense.

We'll just have to be

extremely careful.

Have a drink, Mr. Churchill.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes