Original subtitles

HaIt!

Where are aII your Touaregs and the battIe, murder, and sudden death?

You know the Arabs aIways carry off their own dead, Major.

Wake them up in there!

Yes, sir.

""(pIaying)

The Iookout tower is empty.

The pIace is probabIy buIging with Touaregs, sir.

No, I don't think so.

(gun fires)

I'm gonna take a cIoser Iook.

Attack if I'm fired on again.

Yes, sir.

Major BeaujoIais with a reIief coIumn from Fort Tokotu.

CaII your officer and teII--

Give me your rope. I'm going over the waII.

Attack if you don't hear from me in 10 minutes.

May I ask a question, sir?

They're aII dead.

Dead, sir? ExactIy. Dead.

It may be a trap, Major. Let me go.

You are too important.

May I go, sir?

Yes.

Go over the waII and open the gates.

Keep your eyes open!

What about those 2 shots, sir?

I can ask the questions myseIf, Dufour.

It shouIdn't have taken him this Iong.

No, sir.

I'm going over myseIf.

I'II tear the pIace down if you're not out in 5 minutes.

AII right.

BugIer!

BugIer!

BugIer! Answer me!

BugIer!

BugIer!

(Dufour) HaIt!

I'm gIad to see you, sir.

Thanks.

Come here.

Not a souI aIive in the pIace.

No sign of an enemy?

No, sir.

They're dead.

Yes, sir.

Where's the bugIer?

(BeaujoIais) Look for him if you want to. I have.

No thanks, sir.

Up here is a young man who died peacefuIIy.

Beside him is a sergeant

with a French bayonet through his heart.

Where, sir?

Never mind.

I have severaI questions I'd Iike to ask, sir.

(BeaujoIais) I have a few myseIf.

We'II camp in the oasis tonight.

Tomorrow, I'II get to the bottom of this

if I have to take a trip to the next worId.

(guns firng) (Dufour) Touaregs!

FaII back on the oasis.

Break ranks and faII back to the oasis!

(guns firing)

Dufour, I want 2 men to go back to Fort Tokotu for reinforcements.

Right, sir. We'II go, sir.

Good.

Now, one of you must get through.

SpIit up when you get in the desert.

Have Lt. St. Andre bring his mounted SenegaIese as fast as he can.

(both) Yes, sir.

Cease firing!

(Dufour) Cease firing!

(officers yeIIing)

(soIdier) Cease firing.

Look, Major!

There goes the evidence.

Of what, sir?

I don't know.

Dufour, how am I gonna make a report about this?

If I say exactIy what's happened,

they'II say I'm mad at Headquarters.

(toy cannon popping)

(chiIdren cIamoring)

I think this is a siIIy game!

For that remark, GhastIy Gussie,

you are reduced from captain to a common seaman!

How much Ionger do I have to be a common seaman, AdmiraI?

WeII, it takes time to work up.

You know, Digby,

John's a good worker for a common seaman.

It, uh, it wouIdn't be a good idea to promote him.

That's right, Beau. He might stop working.

(cannon pops)

(screams)

I knew something wouId happen.

Are you hit?

Y-Yes, sir.

WeII, come ashore.

And bring the ships.

(IsobeI) Are you hurt much?

Yeah. No.

Are you aII right?

WeII...

Now be carefuI. It hit pretty hard.

Don't bump that Ieg.

Here we are.

Lie down... Steady.

...and we'II examine the wound.

Do you-- Do you want to bite on a buIIet?

That's what they aIways do in books.

WiII--wiII I get promoted if I do?

If you don't shout.

(John) I--I won't shout.

I'm ready, Captain.

Sit on him. (Digby) Yes, sir.

Wait tiII Aunt Patricia hears about this.

(groans)

There it is.

Bandage him, IsobeI.

Look, Digby.

Oh, that must have hurt going in.

Not haIf as much as it did coming out!

You're very brave.

Oh, no, I'm not.

I just wanted to be promoted.

I'm proud of you, John.

You'II be knighted and given a Viking's funeraI.

No! ReaIIy, Beau? I--I mean, AdmiraI?

KneeI.

Ooh.

I dub you Sir John Geste, Knight.

Rise, Sir Knight. Get a ship ready, Captain.

Right, sir.

Sir John Geste.

Wait a minute.

A Viking aIways has to be buried with a dog at his feet.

There's one on the tabIe in the study.

I'II go and get it.

IsobeI, I think this is awfuIIy siIIy.

I never speak to common saiIors.

(Gussie) John, I--

Sir John!

Sir John, I think you're as siIIy as the rest of them.

Here it is.

(Beau) Ah. Very good, Captain.

Put it at Sir John's feet, Iight the fire and cast off.

Yes, sir.

Hats off!

Attention!

BugIer, bIow the Iast post.

""(pIaying)

Are you crying because you're proud

or because you're wounded?

Because I'm proud!

There, that's what I want when my turn comes.

I'd give anything to have a Viking's funeraI, with a dog at my feet

and the Iast post bIown for me.

If it weren't too much troubIe.

Beau, it isn't too much troubIe.

I'II give you one whenever you Iike.

Here comes Aunt Patricia.

Wait tiII she hears about John's Ieg.

Sir John. And you keep your mouth shut.

ChiIdren. I want to introduce you to an oId friend of mine.

Captain Henri de BeaujoIais.

Henri, this is MichaeI Geste.

How do you do, sir?

(Patricia) And Digby.

How do you do, sir?

And John, the youngest brother.

How do you do, sir?

And this is IsobeI Rivers, my ward.

And Augustus Brandon, Sir Hector's nephew.

How do you do, sir?

Aunt Patricia, John got a buIIet in his Ieg

and Beau took it out with a penknife!

(Patricia) Oh, John!

It's--it's nothing, Aunt Patricia.

It--it didn't even hurt.

Let me see, John.

An exceIIent job of surgery!

We couIdn't do better than that in the Foreign Legion.

Which is Beau?

Oh, I am, sir.

You have a very steady hand.

WeII, I'm very gIad to have met you aII.

Goodbye.

As soon as I get oId enough,

I'm going to join the Foreign Legion.

That's exactIy what I was thinking.

Me, too.

But of course, we'd have to Ieave Aunt Patricia.

Oh.

That's right.

Oh, I suppose we'II have to give it up.

She'II aIways need some men around to protect her.

I Iike your famiIy, Patricia.

EspeciaIIy the Gestes?

Yes. Why do you ask? Everybody does.

Who are they? Orphans.

Three young gentIemen of fortune that I've adopted.

And Augustus is Sir Hector's heir, I suppose?

Mmm-hmm. If Sir Hector Ieaves him anything to inherit.

Has he reaIIy managed to go through everything?

OnIy the sapphire is Ieft.

I'm sorry, Patricia.

Oh, I don't mind for myseIf. It's the chiIdren.

I want to raise them and give them a chance in Iife.

I'm a IittIe desperate about that.

And I suppose Sir Hector wiII be a IittIe desperate

the next time he comes home?

Mmm. He has to be desperate to come home.

IncidentaIIy, before I go,

may I see this fabuIous sapphire of Sir Hector's?

I've been hearing about it cIear across the worId.

Of course.

You know, I read this in a book somewhere.

Do you mean to teII me in the Foreign Legion they read adventure stories?

This gets better and better.

This is caIIed the Priests' Refuge.

In OIiver CromweII's time,

the Brandons used to hide them here.

Hmm!

Takes your breath away.

That's the great-great- grandfather of aII sapphires.

It's the one thing Sir Hector reaIIy Ioves.

Everything eIse he has but the estate has been gambIed away.

Hasn't it a history?

Isn't it supposed to bring bad Iuck to its owners?

Bad Iuck? Do you think you couId ever make any Brandon beIieve

there was bad Iuck in having 30,000 pounds?

(chuckIes)

WeII, we're not going to get out today.

Let's pIay something in the house.

What couId we pIay, Beau?

We couId pIay King Arthur and his Knights of the Round TabIe.

(John) How do you pIay that?

WeII, I'm King Arthur.

First, you put me in this suit of armor--

Aunt Pat wouIdn't Iike that.

I'II take the bIame if she finds out.

Digby, you're Sir LanceIot.

John, you're Sir Gawaine.

IsobeI is Queen Guinevere.

And, Gussie, you can be Sir Mordred.

Who's Sir Mordred?

He's the knight who betrayed King Arthur.

Oh, I Iike that.

Digby, John, and Gussie wiII have to get swords and heImets.

Now, heIp me into this suit of armor before you go.

Can you manage?

I--I think so.

Oh! Oh.

(excIaims)

We'II be back in a minute, Sire.

Can you breathe aII right?

FairIy weII.

Go, my peopIe!

That wiII be aII, Burdon.

Ram Singh.

Aunt Pat!

WeII, there goes our king.

Thank you, Ram Singh.

Beau, Beau, are you aII right?

Yes. HeIp me out.

(Digby) What was that man with the toweI on his head doing here?

(Beau) I don't know.

You were cIose enough to hear what he was saying.

Oh, I suppose I'II have to teII you.

He was from the Arabs.

He wanted me to fight on their side against the Foreign Legion.

And--and he asked Aunt Pat if I couId go.

What did Aunt Pat say?

WeII--weII, no.

It sounds Iike a big Iie to me, John.

Just a moment, Digby.

Are you doubting the word of King Arthur?

Why, no, Sire.

Are you, John?

I didn't say a word, Sire.

""(piano pIaying)

Excuse me.

I hope I'm not intruding.

(both) Oh, no, Aunt Pat. We were just...

PIease go on, IsobeI.

May I?

Aren't you a IittIe oId for those chiIdish games, Beau?

Aren't you a IittIe young for those grown-up cigars, Gussie?

Is he stiII there?

Yes. Don't make so much noise.

What's the difference? He knows we're after him now.

AII right. Then Iet's get to work.

Let's not act hastiIy.

This requires some preparation.

AII we need to do is move the couch.

He'II move fast. We gotta watch out for him.

WeII, one of us on each side.

And have him waIk out right between us?

I can see you haven't done much of this sort of thing, Digby.

Now, you move the couch and I'II cover the ground.

The minute he shows his head, I'II be on him Iike a tiger.

Now Iook, I fIushed him,

I stood watch whiIe you armed yourseIf.

It's up to you to move the couch.

Sorry, oId boy, I don't see it your way.

WeII, then we'II need a third party to move the couch

whiIe we do the dirty work.

John.

No, he's too busy. We can't disturb him.

What's more important than this?

When you get a IittIe oIder you'II reaIize. Love.

Love?

You mean he's in Iove with IsobeI?

HorribIy. Worst case I've ever seen.

WeII, he has my bIessing.

Here he comes!

Cute IittIe feIIow, isn't he?

ProbabIy been here for years.

Has a famiIy, too, I suppose.

WeII, go ahead, Beau.

After aII, it's your room. It must be your mouse.

Digby, we can't go down and face aII the others

with bIood aII over our hands, can we?

No.

Remind me tonight to bring him up some cheese, wiII you?

Did you have fun?

Think of him behind that couch.

Same form of rodent.

Thank you.

The Gestes are such witty feIIows

to themseIves.

GhastIy!

If I couId onIy--

Shush!

Don't argue with the heir, Digby.

Thank you.

(Gussie) A teIegram.

(Beau) First one in 5 years.

Who's it for, Burdon?

Her Ladyship, sir.

I wonder if anything's happened to Sir Hector.

Now, pIease don't start reciting the wiII, Gussie,

untiI we find out definiteIy.

TeIegram, Madam.

Oh, thank you, Burdon.

Sir Hector is weII, I trust?

Quite weII, Augustus.

And we are going to have a visit from him.

Oh.

That's spIendid.

I don't understand.

He never comes home this time of year.

OnIy because he's never needed money

at this time of the year before, Augustus.

WeII, I don't see what more he expects to get out of the estate.

You forget the BIue Water.

Why, he wouIdn't seII the BIue Water, wouId he, Aunt Pat?

I'm afraid that's what he intends doing.

Why, there wouIdn't be anything Ieft!

Excuse me.

Aunt Pat,

wouId you show us the BIue Water before you go?

We may not get another chance to see it.

Very weII. Burdon.

(Burdon) Yes, Madam?

WiII you come to the Priests' Refuge with me, pIease?

And bring a candIe. Yes, Madam.

WeII, why are we aII so gIum?

SeIIing the BIue Water isn't the end of everything, is it?

It is for Gussie.

(IsobeI) Poor Aunt Pat.

She probabIy doesn't mind Iosing the BIue Water.

It's having Sir Hector around again.

WeII, that's a spIendid way to taIk about your benefactor.

Where wouId you be if it weren't for him?

I don't know, GhastIy, but not with you, at any rate.

We couIdn't quietIy arrange to dispose of Sir Hector

in some way before he gets home, couId we?

Oh, nothing gory, of course.

Thank you, Burdon.

(Patricia) It Iooks Iike a piece of sky that had become soIid,

with sunIight imprisoned in it.

CoId sunIight.

CoId as the unhappiness it has brought so many peopIe.

(Digby) WeII, must have bIown a fuse.

(John) IsobeI, you're the cIosest. Try the switch.

So somebody turned them off.

Another Geste joke?

(chuckIes)

It's-- It's gone!

Why--why, it's impossibIe!

Somebody in this room took it.

Now, don't be any more of an ass than you can heIp, GhastIy.

There's no one in this room but the famiIy. WeII?

(Patricia) It seems there's someone here

with a sense of humor aII his own.

Your joke, Augustus?

Me? No, Aunt, reaIIy. I--I swear it.

You, John?

No, Aunt Pat.

(Patricia) Digby?

PositiveIy not.

Beau?

I didn't take the BIue Water.

SureIy not-- Oh, no, Aunt.

I'm very much afraid someone is Iying.

Put it back, John.

I said I didn't take it.

Suppose you put it back. Suppose you do.

Whatever the humor of the joke,

it's rather bad taste to proIong it.

I think we're agreed on that.

Perhaps our humorist wouIdn't mind

returning the BIue Water the way he got it,

in the darkness.

Turn off the Iights, IsobeI.

(Patricia) Turn them on, IsobeI.

I was trying to catch the thief. So was I.

(Patricia) Whoever took the BIue Water has had his chance.

I don't want a scandaI in Brandon Abbas.

I wiII Ieave the box on the tabIe untiI morning.

If the BIue Water is not back by then,

of course, I shaII have to caII the poIice.

Good night.

Have we a magician here?

Or is Brandon Abbas haunted?

WeII, there's Augustus.

What about you?

PIease don't quarreI. Somebody's just joking.

You don't joke about 30,000 pounds.

But this is dreadfuI.

It's got to be a joke.

You go to bed, IsobeI.

We know it wasn't you.

(door cIosing)

Gussie,

I hate to do this,

but it's necessary.

Now, then, n-n-n-now, wait a minute!

Now--now, wait a minute! Wait a minute! I--I...

(thudding)

WouIdn't it be wonderfuI if he reaIIy did have it?

Be sure and Iook in his mouth, Digby.

You know, I'm reaIIy very sorry you didn't have it on you, GhastIy.

(grunting)

I wish I couId search you.

I'd wager I'd find the BIue Water.

And if one of you is to bIame, then aII of you are

because you aIways stick together.

(aII chuckIing)

WeII, what's the next step?

We aII search each other?

No, if I have a brother who's a thief,

I'd rather not know about it

tiII he sends me my share of the Ioot.

Let's go to bed.

Quite an evening.

Yes.

IsobeI didn't do it.

No.

(John) Burdon didn't.

No.

Gussie?

You searched him, didn't you?

(John) WeII, there's just us Ieft.

(Digby) WeII, I didn't take the thing.

(John) Neither did I.

It'II probabIy be back in its IittIe box in the morning.

Get some sIeep.

(Digby) Good night.

(John) Good night.

What are you doing?

Searching the room.

I thought Gussie might have hidden it somewhere

when the Iights were out.

We needn't bother any more.

Read this.

When did you get it?

It was under my door when I woke up this morning.

He must have Ieft it in the night.

Yes.

Where do you think he went?

Where wouId you go if you wanted to disappear compIeteIy

and stiII have some excitement?

Foreign Legion.

So wouId Beau.

(cIock chiming)

Pardon me, Mr. John,

but, uh, Mr. Digby Ieft me this note

to deIiver to you at 9:00, sir.

Thank you, Burdon. Yes, sir.

IsobeI,

Beau Ieft a note for Digby Iast night

and now Digby has Ieft a note for me.

''Dear John:

''It wasn't Beau, but me.

''Love to IsobeI,

''a sneer to Gussie, and a command to you.

''Grow up to be a credit to those two criminaIs,

Beau and Digby.''

Why did they run away?

Beau did it to shieId Digby and me.

Digby wouIdn't Iet him take the bIame aIone.

I shouId have known what Digby was going to do Iast night.

What are you going to do?

Don't you know?

I think at Ieast one of the Gestes ought to kiss you goodbye.

I've been in Iove with you for a very Iong time.

I just didn't know how to say it.

Now that I do know, I...

It's too Iate.

It's not too Iate.

But I couIdn't ask you to wait for me.

Yes, you couId.

Goodbye, IsobeI.

John.

John, may I ask you a siIIy question, just once and for aII?

I know the answer,

but I want to hear you say it.

AII right.

Did you take the BIue Water?

If I'd have stoIen anything from Brandon Abbas,

it wouId have been you.

""(bugIing)

Section, haIt!

(CorporaI) Right face!

(Sgt. Markoff) Attention!

Company, attention!

Present arms!

Dismissed!

(men chattering)

(men Iaughing)

Show me your hands.

Turn them over. Higher!

Never have done a day's work in your Iife, have you?

Yes, sir.

I'II manicure those before we're through.

You'II do to carry water.

You're not big enough to be a soIdier.

You think I'm big enough to be a soIdier, Sarge?

Shut up!

(chuckIing) WeII.

A countryman of mine.

So you decided to re-enIist, eh, Rasinoff?

Yes, Sergeant.

You must be as big a fooI as you are a thief.

DiscipIine makes the strength of armies.

It is necessary that superiors obtain from their subordinates

immediate obedience without murmuring.

DiscipIine wiII be firm, but it wiII aIso be fatherIy.

Officers must use psychoIogy in deaIing with men.

Any questions about the reguIations?

I am Sgt. Markoff.

I make soIdiers out of scum Iike you

and I don't do it gentIy.

You're the sIoppiest Iooking Iot I've ever seen.

It's up to me to prevent you

from becoming a disgrace to the Regiment.

And I wiII prevent that

if I have to kiII haIf of you with work.

But the haIf that Iives wiII be soIdiers.

I promise you.

CorporaI, take them to the barracks.

Yes, Sergeant.

Left face!

FoIIow me!

Forward march!

Markoff!

I just witnessed that IittIe exhibition of yours, Markoff.

I don't Iike it!

You have to be strict with scum Iike that, sir.

They're men! They have their rights,

guaranteed with the reguIations.

I'II keep within the reguIations, sir.

You're a good soIdier, Markoff,

but I doubt if you're a good sergeant.

If you're not, you won't Iast Iong in the Legion.

Watch your step,

or I'II break you.

That's aII.

Is this Markoff gonna be our sergeant from now on?

Yes. He's a madman.

He was expeIIed from the Siberian penaI coIonies for crueIty.

Then he entered the Legion and rose from the ranks.

(men chattering)

Enter the third robber.

Beau! Dig!

How are you?

I'm gIad to see you. You confounded nuisance!

You wouIdn't do anything originaI

Iike staying at home, wouId you?

Not without my oIder brothers to take care of me.

Why couIdn't you join the RoyaI Northwest Mounted PoIice?

We just ran out so we wouIdn't have you on our hands anymore.

You mean you ran out on me and Ieft me to face the poIice.

WeII, have it your own way.

We're stuck with you for five years now.

Say, how's everybody at home?

WeII, but not happy.

Oh, that's too bad.

Say, wouIdn't it be horribIe if GhastIy Gussie

shouId suddenIy appear here, too?

Ooh, horribIe!

(chuckIes)

WeII, the Three Musketeers.

One for aII, and aII for nothing.

Ahem, ahem, ahem.

Oh, excuse me, two of my friends,

Mr. McMonigaI and Mr. MiIIer.

My brothers, Beau and Digby.

How do you do? GIad to meet you.

And--and I am Rasinoff.

He was Rasinoff! You know, he hasn't been the same

since he found out your brother couId buy a drink.

WeII, I guess this caIIs for a drink on me.

WiII you join us?

(chuckIing) Don't be fooIish!

May--may I accompany you?

If you insist.

WeII, I insist.

""(men singing)

" For France beneath Sahara's sky "

" For France, no matter whether "

" we Iive or we die "

" NobIe birth "

" Or beggars of the earth "

" Men of disgrace and of gIory "

" Low or great, we share an equaI fate "

" No Legionnaire teIIs his story "

" For France ""

Shh.

(men snoring)

Sounds worse than a battIe.

And they fight it every night.

Wait tiII Hank joins in.

It'II sound Iike a massacre.

Aw, you just give me a coupIe of nights to get tuned up.

Shh.

(snoring continues)

Listen, Beau.

We can't taIk in here.

TaIk?

We can't even sIeep.

Then Iet's take our bIankets and sIeep outside.

(Digby) Think we'II get picked up by the guard?

Let's humor the chiId.

This is no pIace for high-cIass jeweI thieves.

Good night, gentIemen.

Say.

Ain't you gonna stay for the concert?

Listen,

we've got to draw the Iine somepIace

and you ain't gonna sIeep next to us.

Did you hear what the one caIIed John said?

Who?

Get that man out of our boudoir.

(whispering) They're jeweI thieves!

WeII, what'd you expect to meet in the Legion, bankers?

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

WeII, isn't anybody going to say a word?

You young pup, we're both so disgusted with you we're speechIess.

I'm no worse than either of you.

(Iaughs)

There's something in what he says, Beau.

I insist I'm worse than he is,

he didn't steaI the BIue Water.

(John) Neither did you.

No, as a matter of fact,

I've got it.

I'II be frank with you, gentIemen.

I've got it.

I intend to seII it for 30,000 pounds sometime in the future

and Iive a Iife of ease in Paris,

surrounded by whiskey, Iadies and Iaughter.

WeII, that's funny.

I'm going to seII it and go to Paris, too.

OnIy I don't want any Iaughter.

One thing I counted on was my younger brother Ieading an upright Iife

whiIe I spent my iII-gotten gains.

Yes, I was counting on him, too.

If you don't mind my saying so,

the great sapphire is in my possession.

And as soon as I can arrange to seII it,

I'm going to the South Seas,

buy a pIantation and start trading in copra.

He puts us both to shame, doesn't he, Beau?

Let's put him to death and keep his share.

AII right.

Oh, we'II have to find it first.

Let's wait tiII the morning.

I don't Iike searching peopIe in the dark.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

What the--

(crashing)

(Beau) Thief!

(men chattering)

(men shouting)

I--I--I Iost my way. I--I was going for a drink.

Liar, you were trying to rob him.

No, I didn't know where I was going.

I was waIking in my sIeep.

You were trying to rob him, I know you from before, Rasinoff!

No, I--I--I--I wasn't!

(aII) Thief!

Quiet! On the tabIe with him!

He's had enough! Get out of here!

(Rasinoff screams)

(men shouting)

(screaming)

Take it easy, Beau, there's too many of them.

Shh.

The guards.

""(bugIing)

You didn't wait very Iong to start your oId tricks, huh?

But Sergeant, they had-- SiIence!

An accident.

Yes, Sergeant.

Go to the washstand and bathe your hands.

Yes, Sergeant.

Save your first-aid treatments for yourseIves after this.

You'II need 'em. I promise you!

(door shuts)

Who were you trying to rob?

The one named Beau.

Of what?

He has money.

You Iie.

You wouIdn't take that risk for a IittIe money.

WeII,

he has a jeweI.

TeII me the truth.

It is the truth, I swear it.

They have a great jeweI, worth 30,000 pounds that they stoIe.

They? The other two.

They are brothers,

and they're waiting for a chance to seII it.

But he is the Ieader.

He carries it.

I've watched him.

What about the two Americans?

WeII.

They are just friends.

Make sure you're teIIing me the truth.

I am.

I am!

You know,

I think I can heIp you get that jeweI.

Why...

Why, that's what I hoped.

I'm sure you did.

In a week we go to reIieve the garrison at Fort Zinderneuf.

It can be arranged there.

But there are three of them, and--and the two friends.

Some of the company go to Fort Tokotu

for mounted infantry training.

It can be arranged.

And if there's no jeweI,

you'II get a wooden jeweI box.

I promise you.

But--but he has it.

I'm sure of it.

Go back to the barracks.

(Lt. Martin) Today marks the end of your training.

You are now soIdiers,

in the service of France.

We are here on the desert

as guardians of 20 miIIions of natives.

They Iook to us

for the protection and justice

that is the tradition of the Foreign Legion.

Yours is a high duty,

and a hard one.

The odds are great.

It is our aIIegiance to France

and our debt to civiIization

to uphoId that tradition.

Some of you are assigned with me to Fort Zinderneuf.

Another detachment wiII go to Fort Tokotu

for further training in the mounted company.

SeIect your men for Tokotu, Sergeant.

McMonigaI, 3 steps forward.

MiIIer!

Benoff!

Personne!

Andre!

Diggs!

Costaud!

Baker!

Noyaki!

Lacoste!

Brun!

Schmidt!

Vandenecker!

Laumange!

RucIous!

DirIa!

AIoof!

CorporaI GoIas,

take charge of the detachment.

Tokotu party,

faII in!

Right shouIder arms!

Right face!

Forward march!

""(band pIaying)

(GoIas) Present arms!

(guard) Present arms!

(Sgt. Markoff) Center dress!

Front!

Count off!

(soIdier #1) Three.

(soIdier #2) Four.

(soIdier #3) One.

(soIdier #4) Two.

(soIdier #5) Three.

(soIdier #6) Four.

Right shouIder arms!

DetaiI in order, sir.

(Lt. Martin) Right by fours, right!

(whistIe bIows)

(Lt. Martin) Forward march!

""(band pIaying)

Present arms!

(Sgt. Markoff) Present arms!

Right shouIder arms!

(gibbering)

Look where you're going. I'm sorry.

Do that again, bIubber-face, and I'II brain you.

He'II be gibbering Iike Krenke in a IittIe whiIe.

We aII wiII.

I wouIdn't mind if it wouId annoy Markoff.

(soIdier) Come on, bring on that coffee!

(soIdiers chattering)

(soIdiers shouting)

(soIdier #1) Coffee!

(soIdiers chattering)

(gibbering)

Let's try to get Krenke to drink a IittIe.

So this is the cafard!

Did the Captain back in Paris teII you

about his red, white and bIue skuII?

Yes.

He was Iucky.

(gibbering)

Can't we do something for him?

We can heIp him to die, that's aII.

(Schwartz) How's Lt. Martin?

Worse.

I haven't prayed in a Iong time, but I'm going to pray for him.

You'd better!

Think of Markoff in command!

(soIdiers chattering)

I wonder where RenauIt and Renouf are this morning?

Dead, with their mouths fuII of sand.

It's no use to desert.

Oh, what's the difference

whether you get death inside the waIIs or out?

There's a chance inside.

Not if the Lieutenant dies.

You don't have to be the pigs.

You can be the butcher.

(soIdiers murmuring)

And then what?

Morocco, aII of us.

We Ieave that pig Markoff weII stuck.

And you'd be weII stuck before you ever got to Morocco.

The Arabs wouId never dare attack so Iarge a group.

No, but the French Army wouId.

Do you know what I think of the French Army?

After we kiII Markoff and you,

I'm gonna tear off this uniform--

(cIamoring)

Cut it out.

What's going on in here?

Schwartz was trying to eat too fast again.

Everybody out on the parade ground.

RenauIt and Renouf are back!

(soIdiers muttering)

Any orders this morning, sir?

No, you take over, Markoff.

The scouts brought back our two deserters, sir.

Lock them up.

We'II send them to Tokotu for court martiaI in a few days.

The men need a Iesson, Lieutenant.

Locking them up won't-- Who's in command of this fort?

You are, sir.

Don't make the mistake of forgetting that

or you'II join the deserters in the ceII.

That's aII.

Yes, sir.

Attention!

Stand aside!

Where are they?

They're outside, sir.

Bring them in.

Bring them in!

Attention!

(Sgt. Markoff) So you decided to come back to us, huh?

Yes, Sergeant.

After the desert, Zinderneuf doesn't seem so bad, huh?

No, Sergeant.

Speak up!

No, Sergeant.

The punishment for desertion is death by the firing squad.

But I'm going to be mercifuI.

You can escape again.

(Renouf) Oh, no!

You mean you want to stay here and be executed?

(RenauIt) W-water! Water!

On your feet!

I insist that you escape.

No--no, Iet us stay! Yeah, give us a--

(Sgt. Markoff) Get out!

(RenauIt and Renouf screaming)

(Sgt. Markoff) Out!

(cameIs grunting)

(Sgt. Markoff) Drive them out where you found them.

Keep them away from the oasis.

I'm gIad Digby isn't here.

I wish you weren't.

(cameIs grunting)

(marshaIIing)

Any more of you want to desert?

If you do, you can go now.

I won't stop you.

Later you may wish you had taken my offer.

I promise you.

Rasinoff!

You can cIose the gates now.

""(bugIing)

How do you feeI tonight, Lieutenant?

I'm dying.

I hope not, sir.

I'm going to die

and be buried under the sand and forgotten.

When I was a IittIe boy,

I thought soIdiers aIways died in battIes.

I didn't know there were so many soIdiers

and so few battIes

and so many fevers.

Get word to BeaujoIais at Tokotu.

Have him send another officer.

You'II be in command untiI then.

Yes, sir.

The men must be Ied,

not driven.

Remember,

you'II answer to the man who takes my pIace.

Yes, sir.

Sergeant! Have you...

Attention!

Lt. Martin is dead.

I am now in command.

From this moment on,

discipIine at Fort Zinderneuf wiII be severe.

I promise you!

(soIdiers mumbIing)

Don't teII me he took your appetites away.

He'II take more than that away before Iong.

GIock, go to the door, warn us if anyone comes.

Markoff has been asking for it,

and now he's going to get it.

(aII excIaiming)

Can't you see a mutiny is what Markoff wants?

If he puts it down, he'II be a hero.

And you're the one who wouId heIp him put it down, Maris.

Let him hang himseIf.

Lt. Martin's death gives him enough rope.

When his superior officers Iearn what he's aIready done,

he'II go to prison for Iife!

Listen to our IittIe Sergeant-Iover.

Our troubIes are aII over

if we bring Markoff a bunch of posies every morning.

You don't want to stay here and die Iike rats in a trap, do you?

(aII) No!

And Iet that madman squeeze every drop of bIood out of you

and drive you out on the desert Iike he did Renouf and RenauIt, do you?

(aII) No!

We're 50 against one. How Iong are you going to keep on

Iicking the boots that kick you?

Those stripes on his sIeeve won't stop a rifIe buIIet.

Let's get him now! (Voisin) I'm with you!

(aII cIamoring)

You fooIs!

Don't Iisten to him! He'II never get away with it!

50 against 2!

(Maris) 50 against the Iegion!

Shut up, you yeIIow Iiver!

Wait a minute.

I don't know much about mutinies,

but I do know it isn't good form

to pIan them at the top of your voice.

Where do you stand?

WeII, I don't Iike Markoff, but aIso I don't Iike you.

50 against 3!

Make it 4.

(Schwartz) Who eIse?

(Voisin) These 3 won't bother us.

Rasinoff?

He's with Markoff, and he goes with Markoff.

After you kiII Markoff, what?

We'II get out of this hoIe, and we go to Morocco.

Markoff has two Arab scouts outside. The minute they see anything's wrong,

they'II ride to Tokotu for heIp.

We'II have too much of a start.

Not for the cameI corps.

TaIk, taIk, taIk! Let's decide!

You're right.

AII those with me, on your feet!

I give you one more chance to change your mind.

Schwartz,

there'II be a fIag fIying out there in the morning

that I swore to uphoId.

Armies of good men have died for it, gIadIy.

It's a battIe fIag and it's a fIag of victory.

I'm rather proud to be under it.

And I wouIdn't want to go out in the morning Iike you

and know that I was going to be a traitor to it.

We have a patriot!

He wouIdn't be so patriotic if he had a sIit in his beIIy.

WouId you Iike to try putting one there?

I wiII! Wait!

If Markoff hears, he'II send his scouts to Tokotu!

We'II get him right now!

No, we can't march at night. Wait untiI morning.

Voisin's right, get back!

We'II get him in the morning on parade.

The man nearest Markoff shoots him.

The next one shoots Rasinoff, then these three.

(Voisin) That's right.

Suppose one of them sneaks out and warns Markoff?

I'II warn the guards, if anybody sticks his head out they'II shoot.

You're fuII of pIans. Let's get 'em right now.

Shut up, Renoir! Go ahead, Voisin!

(men murmuring)

Nobody Ieaves this room!

What can we do?

Outside of prayer, I can't think of a thing.

You're the oIder brother, it's up to you.

When the shooting starts, we just shoot at everybody, it makes it simpIer.

(knocking on door)

Who?

Voisin!

WeII?

They mutiny in the morning, on parade.

AII of them?

The EngIish brothers and Maris are faithfuI.

I'm supposed to warn the guards.

Never mind the guards.

Go on back and go to sIeep.

I'II pay you a quiet IittIe caII Iater.

GIock wiII be on the door.

Now, but not Iater.

Are they with us? To a man.

(screaming)

You'd better take him out.

Nobody Ieaves this room, not even Krenke.

Put your cIothes on.

Leave your boots off.

We're going to put down an attempted mutiny.

We'II disarm the sentries first.

Before this is over, we'II have the jeweI.

Come on.

(whispering) Get up. QuietIy.

One sound out of you and it'II be your Iast.

(man spitting)

(keys jingIing)

(whispering) Wake Maris, Voisin, and the brothers.

Rasinoff, stay here.

Shoot anyone that moves.

The rest of you gather up the rifIes and bring them out.

And don't drop any of them!

Maris, Voisin, go back and get the rest of them.

There's another IittIe matter I aImost forgot.

The jeweI you stoIe.

I want it.

I have no jeweI.

I know you have.

I haven't.

Are you sure?

Quite sure.

I advise you to change your mind.

Otherwise, when this is over, I may have to shoot you to make sure.

I understand, Sergeant.

You mean you'd rather not hand it over now and save your Iife?

No, Sergeant.

That's very unfortunate, for you.

Arm yourseIves.

Open fire on them if they attempt to rush us.

Attention!

The attempt at mutiny is over, my chiIdren.

You bungIed it so much it wasn't reaIIy a mutiny.

But you'II be punished as though it were.

Maris, Rasinoff. You two, cover them in the yard!

Anyone that makes a faIse move won't have to stand triaI.

By twos, faII in!

Forward march!

Pig!

You're the pig!

(Rasinoff) CoIumn Ieft.

Section haIt!

CIose in!

Left face!

And now, you scum, it's my turn.

I'm going to give you a Iesson in putting down an attempted mutiny

that'II be the Iast thing you'II ever see.

Maybe this'II make you die happy.

Markoff thanks you.

When he's an officer and has the Legion of Honor,

he'II think often of the stupid, bIundering pigs

that put him where he is.

Smith, Jones, faII in here.

Schwartz, Renoir, Iine up, backs to the gate.

Now, my chiIdren,

you're going to see the reguIations carried out to the Ietter.

The punishment for mutiny is death.

(aII excIaiming)

(Sgt. Markoff) SiIence!

You two, about face.

(Sgt. Markoff) These 2 pigs deserve to be first.

And the honor of kiIIing them

beIongs to the two most IoyaI men in the fort.

Ready! Aim!

Do you hear me?

Very pIainIy!

Then do your duty!

It's not our duty to shoot down unarmed men.

Maybe you'd rather be on the other side, ahead of Schwartz and Renoir?

I'II give you one more chance. Ready! Aim!

You refuse to obey your superior?

I don't think you'II shoot, Markoff.

You haven't enough men behind you now.

You forget I wanted an excuse.

Here's your excuse.

Very weII.

You each get three in the beIIy.

(pounding on door)

Keep them covered.

Touaregs coming, a great harka. We were surprised!

(guns firing)

Get through to Fort Tokotu and teII them we must have heIp!

It wiII be done.

Prepare for action. The Arabs.

BugIer, sound the aIarm!

Pass out the arms and ammunition.

(aIarm sounding) Get your rifIes.

Take your posts. Maris, Voisin, Rasinoff. FoIIow me.

(guns firing)

(aII chattering)

(guns firing)

Here. Thanks.

Oh, those beautifuI Touaregs.

(Beau) Didn't I teII you not to worry?

(John) I suppose you had this aII worked out.

(Beau) Everything but having to fight in our underwear,

and I apoIogize for that.

Keep it up, you scum! Keep shooting!

You'II get a chance yet to die with your boots on!

BugIer! Run up the coIors!

Now we've got something to fight under!

Rapid fire, you scum! Rapid fire!

(Iaughing)

BugIer, sound cease firing!

""(bugIing)

Anybody hit?

No, Sergeant.

They'II get down to sharp-shooting Iater.

Schwartz. Voisin. More ammunition.

Maris. Renoir.

Coffee and bread for everybody.

Rasinoff.

Take haIf the men beIow. Get them properIy dressed.

Then the other haIf, if there's no attack.

(Rasinoff) FaII out. Go beIow.

FaII out. Go beIow.

FaII out. Go beIow.

At Ieast the indecent part of this fight is nearIy over.

(Rasinoff) FaII out. Go beIow. FaII out. Go beIow.

Maybe the Arabs wiII save me the troubIe.

You're in this, too, Sergeant.

SiIence!

Three hours since their first attack.

Maybe they are digging in, Sergeant.

When they return, it'II be sIowIy and taking aim.

Schwartz.

Yes, Sergeant.

Get up in the tower.

Watch the paIm trees in the oasis.

They can shoot down on us from there.

Maybe you can see the route to Morocco

before they get you.

That's the pIace for our mutineers.

Up on a roost Iike pigeons.

If I couId onIy afford to waste them aII.

Why don't they come?

(buIIet whizzing)

Here they come!

BugIer, sound the aIarm!

""(bugIing)

(guns firing)

Turn from your pIace again, and I'II bIow your head off.

BugIer, sound cease firing!

""(bugIing)

Everybody does his duty at Zinderneuf, dead or aIive.

We'II make those Arabs think we've got a thousand men.

The rest of the buIIets you stop

won't hurt as much as that first one.

That settIes the big pig.

WouId you Iike to take the position of honor next, Rasinoff?

No, Sergeant. No?

No.

(Iaughs)

Voisin.

Up in the tower.

I'm rewarding you for betraying your friends.

You can see them aII from the tower.

On the doubIe.

AII right?

AII right.

Here they come!

Stand to! Rapid fire! Rapid fire!

They've had enough again. Give it to them!

Rapid fire! Rapid fire!

(guns firing)

BugIer, sound cease firing!

""(bugIing)

Charming feIIow, our Sergeant.

A trifIe uncouth, but the best soIdier we'II ever see.

Rasinoff, how many Ieft?

1 2, Sergeant.

You'II aII be with these others in a IittIe whiIe.

You'II do your duty better dead than you ever did aIive.

Take 10 minutes beIow for food and rest.

Two men at a time. Smith. Jones. Go first.

(Sgt. Markoff) If you hear the bugIe, come back on the doubIe. Quick.

Rasinoff.

Go up in the tower.

No!

No, no, Sergeant, pIease.

Up in the tower and dream about the jeweI in the moonIight.

(Sgt. Markoff) March!

Now you can see.

Tired?

A IittIe.

Looks rather bad, doesn't it?

Rather.

Do you mind?

A IittIe.

IsobeI?

Yes.

I'm sorry, John.

Let's not go into that, Beau.

Nobody asked me to come here.

I remember what GhastIy Gussie said one time:

''The Gestes aIways stick together.''

Hmm.

Digby's probabIy on his way here now.

He'd better be.

John.

Somebody aIways gets out of these things.

It might be you.

The Gestes aIways stick together.

WeII, if they shouIdn't, wouId you do me a favor?

Of course.

Thanks.

In my coat are two Ietters and a packet.

One Ietter and the packet goes to Aunt Pat.

The other Ietter stays here with me.

AII right.

CouId I do you a favor,

if, uh, things happen to be the other way around?

Just teII IsobeI that...

Just teII her something.

OIder brother takes care of everything.

I promise you.

Let's get some rest, John.

Yeah, aII right.

No attack since dawn.

That's a Iong time for them.

Are they stiII there, Rasinoff?

Yes, Sergeant, but they're-- they're moving around a Iot.

That means the hoIy men are arguing for one more attack.

They've Iost their stomach for it.

The next attack wiII be the Iast one.

No sign of any reIief from Tokotu.

WeII, we'II show them we're not onIy awake, but merry and bright.

BugIer.

(bugIer) Yes, Sergeant.

BIow every caII they ever taught you!

""(pIaying)

(bugIing stops)

Now, my chiIdren,

I want some happy Iaughter. Lots of it.

Seven is going to sound Iike 70.

Laugh, Renoir!

(Iaughing)

Maris, pick it up!

(Iaughing)

(Sgt. Markoff) BugIer!

(Iaughing)

(men Iaughing)

Jones.

Smith.

(aII Iaughing)

Rasinoff, what's the matter with you?

Me? Yes, you!

Laugh, you human jackaI!

(giggIing)

(aII Iaughing)

(squeaIs)

(gun firing)

(cackIing)

(guns firing)

Run from embrasure to embrasure and fire!

We'II make them think we're stiII fuIIy manned.

BugIer, sound the aIarm!

""(pIaying)

Beau.

Keep firing, or I'II bIow your back out!

March!

(aII cIamoring)

Cease firing!

They won't come back again.

They've had enough of Zinderneuf.

But just in case.

Leave my brother's body aIone.

Go beIow and bring me some bread and wine.

If you touch him, I'II kiII you.

Do as I teII you. I'm stiII in command here.

Look.

Look at them.

They come when I want them.

They go when I don't need them anymore.

They're beaten.

But they've put down a mutiny for me.

They've given me the Legion of Honor,

and they've made me an officer.

So he had no jeweI, huh?

I toId you to Ieave my brother's body aIone.

This is aII I wanted.

I'm a rich man now, thanks to you and that...

Good. Armed attack on a superior in the face of the enemy.

I court martiaI you myseIf.

I find you guiIty and I sentence you to death.

You get six in the beIIy.

(gun firing)

Listen to me.

I haven't got much breath.

Leave the pubIic Ietter in Markoff's hand.

Take the packet and the other Ietter home

to Aunt Pat.

Yes, Beau.

Go to Egypt.

Promise?

I promise.

TeII Digby I was sorry I couIdn't wait for him.

""(bugIe pIaying)

LoveIy sound,

but a IittIe Iate.

(gun firing)

(sobbing)

John.

John!

John!

BugIer.

BugIer.

(BeaujoIais) BugIer, answer me!

BugIer.

BugIer!

(pounding on door)

(Dufour) HaIt!

I'm gIad to see you, sir.

Thanks. Come here.

(BeaujoIais) There's not a souI aIive in the pIace.

No sign of an enemy?

(Dufour) No, sir.

But they're dead.

Yes, sir.

Where's the bugIer?

(BeaujoIais) Look for him if you want to. I have.

No, thanks, sir.

""(pIaying)

(gun firing)

(Dufour) Touaregs.

(BeaujoIais) FaII back on the oasis.

(guns firing)

(BeaujoIais) Cease firing.

(Dufour) Cease firing!

John.

Dig!

Dig, Beau's dead.

I know.

I was there.

Someday, John, we'II be abIe to taIk about him.

Not now.

(fire crackIing)

(John) Look. What's that?

That?

That's a Viking's funeraI.

I knew you wouIdn't forget.

He wouIdn't have, if it had been me.

WeII, what do we do now?

I've been pIaying Arab, but they're over their surprise now.

We've got to get out of here.

Where? Egypt.

Dig.

Did he have a dog at his feet?

Markoff.

That burning fort makes a pretty sight, don't it?

Not if our friends are in there being roasted

instead of hiding out here in the sand hiIIs

(yeIIing) Iike I think they are!

Friends! You mean Beau! Digby! John!

(both) Hank! Hank! Buddy!

(Buddy) I knew we'd find you

if we rode around and taIked Ioud enough.

We wouIdn't have any more company, wouId we?

He's in the fort.

Oh.

God rest his souI. Come on.

(marshaIIing)

(wind bIowing)

(man Iaughing)

(aII chattering)

How many wouId you say?

40 or 50.

Look at that water.

WeII, Iet's start shooting.

No, wait a minute.

I'II go up there and start bIowing the bugIe.

You three open fire from here.

I'II wave as if there were men behind me.

They'II think they're being attacked by the whoIe Iegion.

We hope.

Don't shoot untiI I give you the signaI.

Good Iuck, Dig.

(Buddy) Good Iuck.

(Hank) Good Iuck.

""(pIaying)

(aII excIaiming)

Dig!

Mr. John.

HeIIo, Burdon.

I beg your pardon, sir, but I was so gIad to see you.

I'd have been insuIted if you hadn't.

How is Miss IsobeI?

In spIendid heaIth, sir.

Unmarried, of course? Of course, sir.

WeII, may I see Lady Brandon at once?

Yes, sir. I'II caII her.

Pardon me, sir, but, uh, how are Mr. Beau and Mr. Digby?

They're both dead.

""(piano pIaying)

John. IsobeI.

John.

You're aIone, John?

Yes.

Beau asked me to bring you these.

''My dear Aunt Pat.

''I was inside the suit of armor in the haII

''the day you soId the BIue Water to the Maharajah's agent

''and received an imitation to take its pIace.

''When the wire from Sir Hector came,

''I thought I'd repay your devotion to us

''by giving Brandon Abbas its first robbery.

''So the Iights went out, and so did Beau.

LovingIy, Beau Geste.''

Beau Geste.

GaIIant gesture.

We didn't name him wrongIy, did we?