Beau Geste

At the Geste family home in Devon, the family heirloom, the Blue Water sapphire, mysteriously disappears. And there is a recounting of a curious tale from the Sahara desert.

Lady Brandon has had a mysterious Indian visitor while Beau is hiding in a suit of armour, and John in a chest. When the visitor leaves, John is taken from his airless hiding-place, apparently lifeless.

The Blue Water has been stolen, and no one will confess to the theft. Now Beau has disappeared.

John has fled to the Foreign Legion in search of his missing brothers. At the Legion recruiting office in Paris he hears news of them and encounters the sinisterly friendly Boldini.

Reunited in the Legion, the Geste brothers have made two good friends, the Americans Hank and Buddy, and one dangerous enemy -the sadistic and tyrannical Sgt-Major Lejaune.

Sergeant-Major Lejaune now believes Beau is carrying a valuable jewel, and is determined to have it. A first attempt at theft is a failure. Then Lejaune announces that the squad is to be posted to Fort Zinderneuf, where the Geste brothers will be in his power.

Worn out by the strain of life at Fort Zinderneuf and by his struggle against alcoholism, Captain Renouf has committed suicide. Now Sgt-Major Lejaune is in sole command.

The mutiny at Fort Zinderneuf has been averted by an Arab attack. Hopelessly outnumbered, the Legionnaires fight and die bravely - and Sgt-Major Lejaune makes his final attempt to steal Beau's jewel.