Unix/sh/bash/tcsh command to limit clock time for program?

[Kelly Jones]

Is there a Unix or shell command that runs a given program for n
seconds and then terminates it (unless the program takes less than n
seconds to run, obviously)?

I know ulimit can limit a program's CPU time and sh's TIMEOUT variable
can limit idle time at the shell prompt, but how to limit a program's
clock time?

There's an expect script that seems to do what I want
(http://expect.nist.gov/example/timed-run), but is there something
more basic and "built-in" to either sh/bash/tcsh or Unix?

-- 
We're just a Bunch Of Regular Guys, a collective group that's trying
to understand and assimilate technology. We feel that resistance to
new ideas and technology is unwise and ultimately futile.