Reap the Wild Wind Page #8

I tried to get rid of him for you.

I'd have had him three years on

a hell ship, lost and forgotten.

But you made a fine

picture of yourself tonight.

Fought like 10 men, didn't you?

Smashed up the toughest men

I could send, didn't you?

Saved your fancy friend so he

could be your boss. And what for?

So you could pound your brains

out on a rum keg on the beach.

What did you come here for? To

smash up the only friend you've got.

And that Claiborne girl.

She'll stick with you on the beach.

You'll sleep on the beach

and scratch for food...

but she'll sew your filthy rags

together, if you ask her to.

KING:
Only, you won't ask her to.

You're slow in the head, but

you're more of a man than that.

Steve Tolliver will

marry her after a while.

KING:
She'll be raising his kids while

you're... JACK:
Shut up about her!

Or I'll tear that jaw out of your face.

You don't have to lie down, you know.

They need 10,000 blacks

in the Mississippi basin.

Biack men bring a dollar a pound.

I'll put you back on the

quarterdeck of a ship.

You take her to the Gold Coast,

load her with black ivory.

In two years, you'll own your own

ship. In 10, you'll own a fleet.

Your own house flag on seven seas.

- Too slow.

- Slow, with the job I'm offering you?

The devil with that job.

I've got a job for you.

Do you know what cargo

the Southern Cross carries?

Teak, ivory, spices, silks, indigo.

- Why? - I'll show you

how to get rich in one night.

Get your wreckers out to

meet me at Satan Shoal.

I'm gonna pile up the Southern Cross.

Now you've caught the wind. $500,000.

But listen to me.

Tolliver won't leave you in command

of the Southern Cross for 10 minutes...

when he hears of this.

My schooner will take

you to Havana tonight.

And I've got just the mate you need.

Widgeon, come out here.

Yes, Mr. Cutler.

Hiya, Capt. Stuart.

[Sombre instrumental music]

But I'll be back. I'll be

back on the very first ship.

- I'll go with you and make sure.

- No, Dan, you mustn't.

I can manage Mother much better alone.

If they try to keep you in

Havana, I'll bust that town...

[Slow instrumental music]

I'm coming back to you,

Dan. Cross my heart, I will.

I don't care what Loxi says, and

I don't care what anybody thinks.

I'm coming back. On the very first ship.

Two hundred ceroons of Bengal

indigo at $1.25, down 10.

Twelve-hundred-and-fifty

pieces Nanking silk...

at $3.98 the pound...

Look at that board now.

Raw silk has gone to blue blazes.

...at $4.40, down seven.

- And there goes ivory, down another seven.

Looks like the first call for panic.

Teak, silk, ivory, indigo.

A wreck always sends prices down

of whatever cargo she's carrying.

Right. Except there's been no wreck.

That's the cargo of the Southern Cross.

Southern Cross can't have

wrecked. She's safe in Havana.

Then somebody knows she will wreck.

- And she sails before dawn.

- Yes.

Capt. Stuart in command.

- What's the fastest vessel in port?

- Ciaiborne.

- Then get your crew aboard.

- You're forgetting who owns her.

- Loxi won't charter to you.

- Then commandeer.

I've got to stop the

Southern Cross in Havana.

[Slow instrumental music]

[Pounding]

PHIL:
Come morning, we'll have such a fog

as a man can't cut with a crosscut saw.

[Rattling]

We'll need a new door on the lazaret.

- How far have we come?

- We left Sand Key about 4 miles astern.

We come about 15 miles.

Let her out.

Let her out, he says.

Let her out, Jake!

And run for your life!

[Thud]

LOXI:
Get out of my way!

- How dare you let him steal my schooner!

- Now, Loxi...

Stand by to come about!

Hard alee! Bring her up.

- Hard alee it is.

- Get forward. I'll take over.

Aye, sir.

This is piracy, kidnapping.

Stand away from that wheel.

Loxi, when we found you aboard,

I begged you to go ashore.

I wouldn't go ashore because

I knew what he was about.

You've done everything you

could to down Jack Stuart.

- I'm acting under federal authority.

- Racing to Havana to break him?

You believe in Jack above all

things on Earth, don't you?

- I'll always believe in him.

- Come here, Loxi.

- I'll never forgive you for helping.

- Honey, you got to know the truth.

Jack made a deal with Cutler. He's

gonna wreck the Southern Cross.

- Capt. Phil, have you been drinking?

- We'll put that to one side.

I'd rather be drowned

dead than hurt you.

- Did Jack tell you that himself?

- No, he didn't.

I wouldn't believe it even if he had.

- Steve, won't you put back?

- No.

I'm sorry I'm the one to do this to you,

but it doesn't matter what you believe.

Jack Stuart will not sail in

command of the Southern Cross.

But that's ruin. Don't smash his

life just because your pride is hurt.

How will he get another command?

He'll never command even a mud scow in

this world or the next, once I reach Havana.

Then you'll never reach Havana.

LOXI:
Come about or

I'll part the halyards.

No, Loxi, you'll wreck her!

PHIL:
You crazy little wildcat!

LOXI:
Will you put back?

STEVE:
Not while she floats.

[Sails ripping]

PHIL:
The gaff jaws are smashed.

Get a lashing on this sail!

I reckon you won't stop the Southern

Cross from my ship, Mr. Tolliver.

Get a line on this gaff.

PHIL:
No, Loxi, you'll jibe

her! Don't part that line.

What's the damage?

We'll drift for six or seven hours

while we jury-rig and re-bend.

Six or seven hours?

Down with your jibs and staysail.

If the Southern Cross goes down...

The Southern Cross isn't going

down, Capt. Stuart's in command.

Sam, lay on those downhauls.

[Spanish instrumental music]

Case 52, Nanking silk.

Claim that starboard side.

Widgeon, stow the rest

of that oil in the orlop.

Aye, sir.

I told you, Drusilla,

we carry no passengers.

Please, Jack, you've

just got to take me.

It's like life and death to me.

I can't take you. Believe me.

Now, you go on back to your

mother and stop begging.

When you get that stuff

stowed, batten down.

Jack, listen to me, please.

Jack, you ought to

understand and help me...

because you love Loxi...

and she wants to be with you,

just like I want to be with Dan.

Please, Jack, I...

[Bell rings]

I'm running away from home to marry him.

Will you go ashore or do I put you off?

WIDGEON:
All ashore. Get

going. Batten down here.

SAILOR:
Aye, sir.

She's all singled up, sir.

JACK:
Stand by, forward.

SAILOR:
Aye, aye, sir.

JACK:
Planks off.

Heim amidships.

Hold fast, aft! Let go

of your forward line!

Siow astern.

[Bell ringing]

[Foghorn blowing]

- No bottom, sir.

- We missed it by a split hair.

I wasn't gonna say nothing, but we

might nigh have drifted on Satan Shoal.

That's the worst pack of

reefs around here anywhere.

- Should have anchored hours ago.

- Yes, in 400 fathom.

[Foghorn blowing]

That horn's driving me crazy. Nearer

all the time, but never gets here!

LOXI:
Hour after hour! PHIL: One hour.

I never heard a horn like that.

Sounds like something out

of the bottom of the sea.

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