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Colonel Durnford... William Vereker. I hear you 've been seeking Officers?
Good ones, yes, Mr Vereker. Gentlemen who can ride and shoot
Your orders, Mr Vereker?
I'm to take the Sikali with the main column to the river
Lord Chelmsford seems to want me to stay back with my Basutos.
I think Chelmsford wants a good man on the border Why he fears a flanking attack and requires a steady Commander in reserve.
Well I assure you, Sir, I have no desire to create difficulties. 45
And I assure you, you do not In fact I'd be obliged for your best advice. What have your scouts seen?
So far only their scouts. But we have had reports of a small Impi farther north, over there.
Lighting COGHILL' 5 cigar: Our good Colonel Dumford scored quite a coup with the Sikali Horse.
Um. There are rumours that my Lord Chelmsford intends to make Durnford Second in Command.
Well that's typical of Her Majesty's army. Appoint an engineer to do a soldier's work.
Do you think she might be interested in someone?
Which one?
Well that one. The one who keeps looking at me.
ft could be you flatter yourself CoghilL It's that odd eye.
Choose your targets men. That's right Watch those markers. 55
Keep steady. You're the best shots of the TwentyFourth. You bunch of heathens, do it
Stuart?
Yes.
How quickly can you move your artillery forward?
Well, my horses are feeding, as you may observe, Mr Coghill. It'll take a little while.
Well, fed or hungry, Pulleine wants them in position immediately. .
Right. Bombardier, to me please.
Yes. I see you've issued each of them with a Martini Henry Carbine. Our quota for Native contingencies: one rifle to ten men and only five rounds per rifle.
But will they make good use of them?
What's that strange name the newspaper chap's called?
Er, called Noggs, Sir Actual name is NorrisNewman. He presented credentials from "The Standard".
Our runners bare his dispatches, do they not?
The only reports of enemy activity have come from the direction of the Royal Kraal, at Ulundi.
Thank you.
Yes?
A large party of Zulus have been sighted in the direction of the King's KraaL Getting up, CHELMSFORD moves over to look at the map on his desk.
Splendid site, Crealock, splendil I want to establish Camp here immediately.
Certainly, Sin
Splendid horsemanship Who are they?
Sikali Horse, My Lord. Christians alL I know each one by name.
They come well recommended do they? DURNFORD
Oh... indeed. Crealock, we should see that Colonel Dumford has an Officer for his hard riders. Perhaps a subaltern from the Twenty Fourth.
I thought it might be more effective to find someone who speaks Zulu.
Excellent. Thank you. Give them to Crealock, would you?
My Lord. This list was prepared for you. I don 't think another can understand its true value.
You intended to bring your reserves across the river?
I have received intelligence from, sources of my own that the Zulu Impis are moving North of here and threaten your left.
Intelligence? Sources of your own? Did it not occur to you they may be native rumours? Rumours to draw you off to leave the whole ofNatal open to a possible counter thrust
Are you dictating the strategy of this war, Sir?
I'm explaining my reasons.
Tomorrow we will continue our advance on Ulundi. Dumford, kindly return to your unit Bring them here immediately to support Pulleine. Mr Vereker will join you as ADC. Do you understand me clearly?
And the threat of counter invasion no longer exists? 40
An historical moment, Gentlemen.
Excuse me, My Lord. NorrisNewman, of "The Standard", My Lord.
1 saw you lead our Cavalry sir
Indeedldid, MyLord. Itwas one ofthe first to cross.
Were they in good heart as they entered enemy territory?
They spurred onto high ground, My Lord, full of spirit and looking for the Zulu. Full of sport they were, My Lord.
Tell what you see. Write it well, Sir, and make sure you get it right
If I've got it right, My Lord, you lead an invasion into Zululand, for I see it all around me, but "why?" is the question my readers will ask. "why?"
Do not confuse yourse{fi Why? We must strike a heavy blow. This cannot be a war of manoeuvre.
So attack is your defence. Well let's hope Cetshwayo will offer his Impis full destruction.
My only fear is that the Zulu will avoid the engagement
What o'clock is it, Mr Noggs?
Eleven o'clock, My LorJ 42
Our friend Colonel Dumford will be should be at this minute approaching Pulleine. I think we'll eat here. I want to scout that mountain top and be back with an appetite in one hour. .
Will you hear "Last Post", Sir?
I listened extra careful to your "Stand To" this mornin', Boy. ft was peifecL I couldn't 've done it better meseif, not even when I was Bugler to The Duke Of Wellington.. .now tell me, where did you get that black eye?
From the Cook, Sir They saw me dip your shaving tin in the teawater this morning, made their tea taste of Lifebuoy toilet soap, they saij Handing him the bottle of gin he purloined earlier. 2t
So, you got it in the line of dooty.. ... point taken.
Will we be fighting the Zulus soo~, Quartermaster? .
Could be. Across the river into Zululand. . They might just be waiting there for us to show up... .them stabbing assegais pointing right at our bellies!....
You afeared of the Zulus then, Quartermaster?
One Zulu is only one man.. ..and I'm afeared of no one man... but the Zulu, they come in the thousands.... like a black wave of death.... in the thousands.... and them assegais.... stabbing!
Why don 't the Zulus attack?
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.
Yes, sir, name, please?
Food!
Do you have a reservation?
Food!!
I'm sorry, sir. We only seat by reservation.
Drink!
Oh, no siree. If yo don't have a reservation you can skip to maloo.
Foooooood!
Now just one moment. There's no need for roughhousing. Have you ever tried a tip?
GRRRHMMNNNJKJMMMNN!
Franz! Help! Lunatic!
No, not sound.
There must have been someone else down here then.
His what??
His schwanzstucker.
Whew! A nineteeninch drill.
It's working! Oh, Doctor you play beautifully.
Do you know the theme from 'Doctor Zhivago'?
I'm getting tired.
Why don't we all turn in? It's been a long day.
Look how far we've come.
You can't expect to iron out all the kinks in one night.
I think the doctor is a genius! Don't you, Igor?
Why certainly. Don't you, Frau Blucher?
How do you know they're done?
The doctor said to allow seven minutes: no more and no less or else they could both become hopelessly paralyzed.
How long is it so far?