The Vagabond Soldier - Production & Contact Info (original) (raw)

In the remote interior corner of India, near the border of Afghanistan, a British outpost is hard pressed by the dreaded Afghans. Colonel Burton is in command and when the story opens Lieutenant Clifford is momentarily expecting the ...See moreIn the remote interior corner of India, near the border of Afghanistan, a British outpost is hard pressed by the dreaded Afghans. Colonel Burton is in command and when the story opens Lieutenant Clifford is momentarily expecting the arrival of his wife and baby. To repel the desperate attack, Colonel Burton divides his forces into two divisions, commanding one himself and placing the other in command of Clifford. In the heat of battle Clifford hears the British call to retreat. Believing the signal to come from his commanding officer, he obeys it. At the fort the Colonel insists that no retreat call was sounded and accuses Clifford of cowardice. Clifford is court-martialed and sentenced to be shot the following morning. His wife arrives that night and brings the news that he is heir to a large fortune. Believing that his life will end on the morrow, Clifford calls Major Bainbridge to his tent and instructs him to take care of his will and look after his wife and baby. Bainbridge, while Clifford is in the tent, throws the will he has just penned away and duplicates another, leaving Clifford's newly acquired fortune to him. Returning, Clifford signs it without looking it over, but meanwhile, Private Ellingford picks up the discarded will and preserves it. Clifford is taken out the following morning to be shot. An instant before the execution, the Afghans make an attack and Clifford is wounded by an exploding shell. Later he is captured by the tribesmen and made a slave to Hassan Khan, commander of the Afghans. Years pass. Bainbridge has secured possession of Clifford's estates. He has occasion to engage a new maid and Clifford's child, now grown to girlhood, secures the position. Unaware of her identity, Bainbridge makes ill-favored advances to her. She escapes and returns to the little home of her mother. Bainbridge follows. In the meantime Ellingford has met Clifford and directs him to his wife's cottage. Clifford breaks in upon Bainbridge as he is struggling with the terror-stricken girl. Clifford removes his disguise and is recognized by the horrified Major, who believes him dead. He swears that he shall yet have Clifford's sentence carried out. Then it is that Clifford tells the story of how he was taken captive and held as a slave by the Afghans; he tells of his thrilling adventures, hardships and sorrows and finally of his escape from Afghanistan. Bainbridge realizes the greatness of his villainy and repents. He gives over a letter to the effect that the charge of cowardice against Clifford has been dispelled and that Hassan Khan has confessed to an intimate knowledge of the British bugle calls. There is a happy reconciliation between husband and wife and daughter and Bainbridge pays for his misdeeds with death. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less