Zulu Dawn Page #8

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VEREKER (Returning to the table)

By all means, ColoneL

PULLEINE:

You see

156.The ELDERLY & YOUNG BOER seen earlier approach PULLEINE

ELDERLY flOER

Your wagons, Colonel

PULLEINE:

What about my wagons?

ELDERLY BOER:

On an open slope like this, you must bring your wagons round and

form them into a laager and do it immediately

157.CHELMSFORD and his lancers arrive at PULLEINE's tent.

CHELMSFORD:

dismounts and addresses PULLEINE.

CHELMSFORD:

I hear you have prisoners, Colonel, well done. (To Vereker) Good

evening, William.

PULLEINE:

Thank you, Sir

VEREKER:

Good evening, Frederick. I think you should hear this. (To

elderly

Boer) You were saying your brother didn 't laager his camp

right?

ELDERLY BOER:

They had seventy-three in their party. We found seventy-three

skeletons six months later

CHELMSFORD (After a moment's reflection)

Boers require to laager with only afew wagons, we have many. An

unassailable square of British firepower is a defence which can

be

Jbrmed in a moment

The BOERS start to move away.

CHELMSFORD:

You're leaving us Master Boer?

The ELDERLY BOER turns

ELDERLY BOER:

I'm going to camp among the rocks over there.

34

The BOERS exit.

PULLEINE (Addressing Chelmsford)

My Lord, Mr Fannin, er (Picking up and referring to the map)

claims to have seen the Zulu Impis, some few thousand or so, in

this

valley.

CLOSE UP of map location.

CHELMSFORD:

Unlikely (Using his riding crop as a pointer) most unlikely. It

would

mean taking 24,000 men over mountain tops. This is not helpfuL

Have the prisoners brought to my camp.

158.EXT. BATTLEFIELD ISANDHLWANA. EVENING.

The three Zulu prisoners are tied to two wagons. A CORPORAL is

administering a serious beating to BAYELE.

VEREKER approaches.

VEREKER (Indicating to cease the punishment)

Alright CorporaL Anything?

CORPORAL:

No sir, no.

VEREKER turns to the prisoner at the other wagon.

VEREKER:

Be sensible man, tell us.

The prisoner maintains his silence as VEREKER walks away in

dismay.

159.REDCOATS and NATAL NATIVE SOLDIERS, in their separate

quarters,

clean their rifles, carefully oiling the barrels and working.

VEREKER:

passes RUSSELL busy oiling the elevating mechanisms on his

rocket tubes.

RUSSELL (To Vereker)

Good evening. (Referring to the job in hand) Dirty work, eh?

VEREKER (In reply)

Very dirty. (To himself) Very dirty.

160.INT. CHELMSFORD'S TENT.

CHELMSFORD is seated. PULLEINE and CREALOCK stand behind him.

FANNIN is standing to one side beside the desk. VEREKER

converses with

two of the prisoners in Zulu.

35

PULLEINE:

What did they say?

VEREKER:

Claim they're deserters from the main Impis in the East.

Followed this

way so they could give themselves up, go home.

PULLEINE:

Do you believe that?

VEREKER:

Oh their bodies are well oiled. They 're fed regularly, but

it's unlikely

they're the fugitives they say.

CHELMSFORD:

Have them questioned further

VEREKER exits with the prisoners.

CHELMSFORD (Rising to address FANNIN at the desk)

They claim the Zulu Impis are East towards the Royal Kraal, and

yet

this fellow says they are further towards the North. (He picks

up the

map).

FANNIN:

Wherever they are, Your Worship, there are sixty thousand or

more

CHELMSFORD:

They multiply, Mr Fannin. You do speak the Zulu tongue, do you?

FANNIN nods.

CHELMSFORD:

And tomorrow I intend to find the Zulu Impis, Mr Fannin, and you

will accompany me.

FANNIN:

Er, I'm no soldier, Your Honour, and it 's further into

Zululand.

CHELMSFORD:

You will accompany me, Mr Fannin, or you will be arrested. (He

gives

PULLEINE a glance as an indication to dismiss FANNIN)

PULLEINE:

This way, Mr Fannin.

CHELMSFORD:

Crealock We have scouts out in the direction he claims he saw

the

Zulus?

36

CREALOCK:

CHELMSFORD:

Of course, Sir.

And?

CREALOCK:

The only reports of enemy activity have come from the direction

of the

Royal Kraal, at Ulundi.

CHELMSFORD:

Thank you.

CREALOCK exits as CHELMSFORD continues to study the map.

161.BOY-PULLEN stands on top of a wagon gazing at the sunset.

BLOOMFIELD is checking stores. BOY-PULLEN clambers down and

walks

over to BLOOMFIELD.

BOY-PULLEN

Why don 't the Zulus attack?

BLOOMFIELD:

Zulu may not wear shoes or trousers and the like but it don 't

mean to

say they got no brains. They'll watch us and wait and find our

weaknesses.

Studying his clipboard, BLOOMFIELD crosses into foreground.

BOY-PULLEN

Have we weaknesses, Quartermaster?

BLOOMFIELD does not answer. He strides forward out of shot. BOY-

PULLEN turns, places his bugle to his lips & plays "The Last

Post".

162.EXT. ZULULAND EASTOFBUFFALO NIGHT.

The camp is quiet - but wakeful at the imminence of battle.

BLACKNESS.

163.PTE. WILLIAMS is on sentry-go. There are men seated around

a camp fire,

PTE. STOREY sits on the back of a wagon, smoking. PTE. WILLIAMS

stares into the black night. Insect noises, a horse neighs. He

hears something

more alarming. His eyes widen, his grip on his rifle tightens.

He listens again.

He moves to the front of the wagon, convinced he has heard

something.

Returning to the rear he addresses STOREY.

PTE. WILLIAMS

What was that, Storey?

37

STOREY (Leaning forward)

What? Piss off I never heard nothing. (After a moment's

reflection)

I don 't think.

PTE. WILLIAMS

Well I did. Stand To. (He positions his rifle at the ready).

Tutting, STOREY throws his cigarette to the ground. He stands,

reluctantly.

The others do not move.

PTE. WILLIAMS (In a forced whisper to the others)

Stand To!

Ignoring him, all but one remain seated. One other has lit a

torch from the fire.

164.This PTE. proceeds to SGT. WILLIAMS' tent.

PTE.

Stand To, Colour Sergeant.

SGT. WILLIAMS (From within his tent)

Who gave the order?

Private Williams, Sir

PTE.

SGT. WILLIAMS (Emerging from his tent)

I've gotta see this.

165.SGT. WILLIAMS has reached the wagon. PTE. WILLIAMS is still

aiming

his rifle into the blackness.

SGT. WILLIAMS

Did you call 'Stand To', Private Williams?

PTE. WILLIAMS nods, still listening.

STOREY:

I didn 't hear nothing, Serg'.

SGT. WILLIAMS looks at STOREY. His face shows complete contempt

for

PTE. WILLIAMS. Then he hears something also. It is the

approaching sound

of horses hooves.

SGT. WILLIAMS (With sudden urgency)

Well Stand To! damn you!

PTE. WILLIAMS takes out his bayonet and attempts to fix it.

SGT.

38

WILLIAMS lays a hand on his arm as if to replace the bayonet

back in it's

scabbard.

SGT. WILLIAMS

No. You've done well fer once. Don 'tpush yer luck!

PTE. WILLIAMS (He continues to attach his bayonet)

Iheard 'em first

SGT. WILLIAMS (With sarcasm)

I'll get you a medal for modesty, Private Williams, would you

like

that?

PTE. WILLIAMS

You never would, Colour Sergeant A medal?

166.There are loud noises of advancing bodies coming directly

towards them.

From the blackness:

DURNFORD (V.0.)

Colonel Durnford here.

SGT. WILLIAMS (To PTE. WILLIAMS)

Easy, lad.

As DURNFORD and his escort of fifty mounted BASUTOS approach,

SGT.

WILLIAMS salutes.

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