Zulu Dawn Page #13

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CREALOCK:

Thank you, Milne.

MILNE salutes.

HARFORD approaches urgently. He remains on horseback and talks

to

CREALOCK through the open side of the wagon.

HARFORD (Out of breath, agitated)

The camp is under attack from a large force of Zulu. Colonel

Pulleine sends for help.

CREALOCK:

Calm yourself Mr. Haiford. Where do you come by this

intelligence?

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HARFORD:

Durnford's Cavaye himself rode from the camp.

CREALOCK:

Very well, go on.

HARFORD:

Colonel Harness has already turned with the artillery.

CREALOCK (The severity begins to register)

They have? I see. Ride after Lord Chelmsford and acquaint him

with

your intelligence.

HARFORD has started but turns his horse about as CREALOCK

calls:

CREALOCK:

Mn Haiford. . control your passions. A professional soldier must

keep cool and thoughtful in times of stress.

HARFORD looks as if he is going to explode but controls his

feelings and

rides after CHELMSFORD.

244.EXT. BATTLEFIELD. ISANDHLWANA. DAY

VEREKER gallops hard as do his troop of BASUTO HORSEMEN.

CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD, following them to the donga which

DURNFORD'S COMPANIES are defending. Horses are in the donga.

The troops are firing from the outer lip of the donga.

VEREKER'S MEN provide the much needed backup.

DURNFORD:

Good work, Mn Vereker.

DURNFORD spurs his horse forward. The situation is still

desperate.

DURNFORD (Shouting to his troops)

Prepare to fall back.

Line after line of ZULUS run forward to join the assault.

DURNFORD:

Move the horses!

CLOSE ON DURNFORD. He signals the next tactic as he rides

across the

donga. Commands are issued down the line. The men now disengage

and

run in the opposite direction from the ZULUS, leaping into the

donga to find

their horses and swinging onto saddles to scramble up the far

side, galloping

400 yards close to the camp to form a new defence line.

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"The Retreat" is sounded. There is hand-to-hand, bayonets,

spears, hunting

knives and ZULUS trying to assegai the horses.

245.A handful of REDCOATS await the ZULU as they clamber over

the

ridge. Realization of the vast Zulu numbers suddenly dawns as

their NCO

shouts in desperation:

NCO:

Take the high grouncit

The REDCOATS are completely overwhelmed and are soon lost

amidst the

ZULU onslaught.

246.DURNFORD'S COMPANIES ride into camp. There are wounded

lying everywhere.

DURNFORD:

Speed up the ammunition flow, Vereker. I'll try to hold the

road to

Rorke '5 Drift.

VEREKER complies.

247.Like a huge tidal wave, the ZULUS plough their way through

the lines of

REDCOATS defending the outer perimeter of the camp.

DURNFORD (Addressing S.M. KAMBULA)

Sergeant, come with me.

DURNFORD and S.M. KAMBULA depart as ZULU mercilessly stab at the

wounded already on the ground.

248.SOT. WILLIAMS' MEN are under serious attack.

249.The ZULUS are among the NATAL NATIVES, stabbing, stabbing,

stabbing.

250.The ZULU LOIN is sitting some three hundred yards from the

battle, facing

away from it. The ZULU LOIN, two IMPIS of seasoned warriors,

start to

run towards the gap through which the NATAL NATIVES, ZULUS and

SMITH'S GUNS are streaming.

251.Both lines of REDCOATS are attacked from the back, and the

lines try to

fight enemy in front and behind.

SGT. WILLIAMS

Fire. Fire. Close ranks. Retreat!

SOT. WILLIAMS, pistol in hand, sees the danger to the guns.

SGT. WILLIAMS

Save those guns.

60

SOT. WILLIAMS grabs a passing ZULU by the throat. He throws him

to

the ground and beats him to death. Reaching the top of a ridge,

he bayonets

a ZULU scrambling up the ridge towards him. Withdrawing the

blade, he

turns just in time to bayonet another ZULU attacking from the

rear.

SGT. WILLIAMS (Shouting & looking around desperately)

Private Williams!

PTE. WILLIAMS (From just below the ridge)

Sgt. Williams!

SGT. WILLIAMS

Come 'ere. Get yourself up 'ere. (He grabs PTE. WILLIAMS' jacket

pulling him up onto the higher ground).

PTE. WILLIAMS (Struggling)

Sir.. .Ah!. . . Ah!

SGT. WILLIAMS

Comeon. Getup!

252.SMITH'S GUNS are driven away.

SGT. WILLIAMS (Helping PTE. WILLIAMS to his feet)

You '11 get a medal yet, Private Williams.

At this point SOT. WILLIAMS falls to his knees. He has been

assegaied

in the back. PTE. WILLIAMS thrusts his bayonet over SOT.

WILLIAMS:

head, killing the offending ZULU. He turns and bayonets another

running

towards him.

SGT. WILLIAMS

Behind you, lad! Ah no... (He is struck again)

But it is too late. A single assegai penetrates PTE. WILLIAMS'

back.

Both Sergeant and Private die together.

253.CLOSE IN on BAYELE as he leads the ZULUS onward.

254.CAMERA FOLLOWS THREE SIKALI HORSEMEN as they gallop

towards BLOOMFIELD'S ammunition wagon. Another GROUP OF

REDCOATS surrounds the wagon. BLOOMFIELD and BOY-PULLEN

serve them with ammunition which is fired with discipline at a

rapid rate.

BLOOMFIELD:

Wait your bloody turn. Wait your bloody turn and get in line.

(Handing a box to a young private) There you are, boy.

255.LONG SHOT of the ZULUS streaming across the plain.

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256.Many of the REDCOATS have turned and are running for their

lives. The

battleground is awash with red tunics. As the CAMERA passes

over the

dead, one body suddenly leaps to his feet. It is PTE. STOREY.

He has

been playing 'dead'. Running, he makes for cover beneath a

wagon. He

searches beyond the mass of ZULUS for a target. He sees the

distant

INDUNAS, he aims carefully and fires.

STOREY, satisfied with the result, now kneels to the corpse of

a fallen man

beside him. He finds LT. CAVAYE dead. He bends to search him for

ammunition. STOREY finds one cartridge, spitting on it for

luck, he loads,

aims and fires.

A huge line of ZULUS run forward and engulf him.

257.CLOSE UP of STOREY'S torso beneath the wagon. An assegai

protrudes

from his chest.

258.SWEEPING SHOT. The ZULU LOIN is streaming into the camp

through the

gaps in the north and north-east corner. The end is near.

259.VEREKER and a trooper gallop towards BLOOMFIELD'S AMMUNITION

WAGON.

VEREKER (To BLOOMFIELD)

Over here. Quickly.

BLOOMFIELD hands VEREKER a whole case of ammunition which he

passes to the TROOPER beside him.

VEREKER:

Quickly, Trooper.

260.VEREKER & TROOPER approach DURNFORD'S LINES with the

ammunition.

DURNFORD:

Well done, Vereker. Now goodbye, lad.

The pair exchange glances.

DURNFORD:

Go on.

After a beat, VEREKER turns his horse about and rides away.

DURNFORD:

Sergeand

The Sergeant takes DURNFORD'S HORSE by the bit as DURNFORD

dismounts.

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261.CLOSE UP of the ammunition case as the men frantically try

to open it

with their bayonets and rifle butts.

262.CLOSE UP of DURNFORD. He is firing his pistol.

263.CAMERA finds ELDER BOER in crowd as he is assegaied in the

back.

The fighting is hand-to-hand, with a few REDCOATS having rounds

which

they fire with discipline under the command of DURNFORD.

264.COGHILL and MELVILL command the squad of REDCOATS who form

an approximate ring around PULLEINE'S tent. Some wagons have

been

pulled forward to form a partial barricade. PULLEINE stands in

the centre.

A BUGLER BOY holding the Regimental Colours is close by.

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