Red Dust Page #3

Good night.

Lady scared of the cat?

Why not?

She probably never thought

of one except in the zoo.

She's beautiful, isn't she?

Very.

Only don't start

telling her, will you?

Reserving that privilege

for yourself?

Explain the joke

and I'll die laughing.

Somebody would have had

a lot of explaining to do

if she and Vantine had ever met.

What would you have said, Denny?

Called it your sister?

No, we'd have panned her

off better as your governess.

Can you imagine the mixed feminine

population we would have had then?

That's one trouble we

haven't got, so let's forget it.

She's gone and...

- Hi there!

Hey, you guys still up?

Hey, where's the

reception committee?

It's been a nice little walk. Did you

hear that hungry pussycat back there?

I'd begun to feel like

a porterhouse steak.

What's the idea?

I bounced back, that's all.

One month up here and

I turn into a rubber check.

What happened?

You tell him, Admiral. I want

to get away from these eagles.

A disaster, gentlemen.

A blooming disaster.

Well come on, out with it!

Let's have it.

I ain't saying how it happened...

But we got past

the rapids all right.

And I'd just left the bridge

to go down to get a pot of tea

and before you knew it,

that orangatang at the wheel

runs the nose right

in the mud bank.

The current gets her in deeper,

and tried to pull her out,

a shaft snaps in two...

like a stick of macaroni.

That old shaft's been due to snap

for the last twenty odd years.

That boat's a sister ship

to the Ark!

And Noah here couldn't understand

why I wouldn't stay onboard

with a bunch of monkeys.

What was the matter

with using the tender?

Tender? I'll say it was.

We put it in the water

and the bottom dropped out.

How long is that boat

going to be laid up?

Well, I gotta get a couple of boys

trekking down to Saigon for help,

and by the time I get a new shaft and

propeller in it, it'll be, let me see now...

It'll be at least six weeks,

even if you're lucky.

I guess you're right, Mr. Carson.

I'm not lucky this season.

Well, you boys can stay here and

give the story to the papers,

I'm gonna drop the

body in the hay.

Just a minute.

You'll be much more

comfortable upstairs.

Willis brought his wife.

Oh, a lady!

Now no noise, you understand?

Willis is up to his gills

in the fever.

What a pleasant little house

party this is gonna be!

Never mind about that.

Get upstairs and keep quiet.

Me very glad, Miss Van

come back. Very glad.

Hoy old pal, that's nice

to hear from someone,

even though you are

slightly simple-minded.

Thank you. I make

new kind of biscuits.

Special for Miss Van.

Say, which tree did

this one ooze out of?

Miss Van tell funny joke!

Oh, funny!

Clear that brush out on 291.

- Hey, Mac!

- Yeah?

That old bullock's gone lame.

I'll look after it, Denny.

Gary, don't!

Babs, I'm not sick.

If I get up and move around,

and stop thinking about it...

You don't know how sick you are.

Now, please, dear.

Where's Carson?

He'll know I'm all right

by just looking at me.

I know, but you can't get up.

You've got to stay in bed.

I'll speak to Mr. Carson and see

what you can have for breakfast.

- All right.

- That's a boy.

- Oh! Good morning.

- Hello.

We haven't met but don't let

that stop you if you're hungry.

I was looking for Mr. Carson.

He's outside, being noisy

about something or other.

You better sit down and drink your

pinapple juice before it starts cooking.

As you say, we haven't met.

I'm Mrs. Willis.

Yeah I know, they told me

about your husband.

How is he today?

I hope we can get a doctor.

Oh, these fool doctors!

Even if you did get one, why, all

he'd do is sit by the side of the bed

and start crabbing the government

for not stamping out fever.

Then they prescribe brandy

and have

to sample themselves

to see if it's any good,

and by the time you're

deciding whether to live or die,

they're under the bed

singing "Sweet Adeline"

You seem to be very familiar

with the country.

Are you...

married to one of the men here?

Do you think I'd live in

a menagerie like this?

I've been visiting my brother. He

has the next plantation below here,

and it's a lovely place.

You know he copied it from

our old family plantation

in Bluefield, West Virginia.

Have you ever been to Bluefield?

No, I haven't.

We're the Jeffersons there.

I'm Vantine Jefferson.

You know, I was supposed to

be happy about staying home

and marrying the son

of another FFB.

But I'm just the restless,

adventurous type I guess.

I had to come out to stay with

my brother and see the world.

Then you're visiting here too.

Oh no! But how I got here!

Mr. Carson nearly died laughing.

I got on a boat to go down to Saigon,

you know, to do a little shopping?

And the boat turns back to pick up

some elastics or something

and gets stuck in the mud.

My dear, and I had to walk

back through the jungle!

Wait'll the folks back in

Richmond hear about this.

Aren't you gonna drink

your pineapple juice?

When Mr. Carson comes in,

will you tell him I want to see him?

Yes, madam.

You didn't believe

a word of it, did you?

Did you expect me to?

No.

But there was a guy

on the next plantation,

even though he wasn't my brother.

and that story about

the boat's all true, see?

I haven't any connection

here at all,

whether you believe it or not.

Why Denny, you're all shaved

and dressed up fancy!

You even smell good.

What have you been telling her?

You don't think I'd...

Say, I know when to keep

my mouth shut. - I hope so.

I merely said I came

from the next plantation

and the boat broke down.

She'll believe that

if you'll back me up.

I don't want to crawl in and

dirty up her goldfish bowl.

Now listen, this woman's decent.

You watch your language and stop

running around here half-naked.

- I'll stay as comfortable as I like.

- You'll go back to Saigon.

On what? That speedboat

stuck in the mud?

No. Slung in a hammock

through the bush.

Oh, I see.

Two weeks in the swamp playing tag

with your trusted coolies at night.

I guess that would be

good enough for me.

You can keep your mouth shut

and keep out of the way.

Pretty lady want see Mr. Denny.

All right.

Now remember what I said.

Say, Denny.

What?

Oh, nothing. You look

kind of cute, that's all.

Gary, I told you not to get up.

You shouldn't.

Come in!

He insisted on getting up.

- Not obeying orders, eh?

Hoy! Bring me some blankets,

snap into it!

Gosh! What hit me?

Fever chills. You've got to get

used to them for a couple of days.

Get me a coat, anything.

- Denny, can I help?

- Yes, tell Mac to go on out.

- Get me the medicine box, Hoy.

- Yes, sir.

You won't leave him now, will you?

You'll stay?

Naturally.

There are things to be done.

Come on, boy, dig in your heels.

Here.

Hi, Doc.

How am I doing?

Great. Eat your spinach.

The rest of your milk.

All of it now.

Well, it looks as though

you were gonna stay married.

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