South Sea Woman Page #3

Half the time he was getting into brawls

and in the brig.

That was before I took him

under my wing.

I took him out of boot camp and made him

the fightingest Marine in the 4th Regiment.

Winner of the Silver Star at Tientsin

and the Navy Cross at Mndt.

So you see, it'd be silly...

...to lose a valuable guy like this

to a sweet little housewife.

- Imagine that, now.

- You sure sold us, sarge.

Baby pie, we're heading straight

for Bubbling Well Road and that chaplain.

Hey, get away from that wheel.

Why, you little...

We'll never get to the ship now.

They'll sail without us.

So we started drifting down

the Huangpu River.

The current quickly carried us out

into the middle of the China Sea.

At last, we were sighted

by a Chinese junk...

... and eventually taken aboard

by Wu Ching...

... his wife and the two little Chings.

Of course, they couldn't understand

a word of English.

And if it wasn't that Sergeant O'Hearn...

... prided himself of being the world's

greatest expert on sign language...

... he never could have made a deal.

I guess the best sign language to know

is a handful of American money...

... for Wu Ching agreed to take us

back to Shanghai...

... on the go go, double-quick.

Unfortunately, Wu Ching's idea

of go go double-quick...

... was not the same

as Sergeant O'Hearn's.

Not even the handful of money

seemed to keep him from his course.

Well, you can just imagine

Sergeant O'Hearn's surprise...

... when early the next morning

he discovered we were going south...

... instead of north.

Get up, rock head.

Hey, you.

Wu Ching was carrying out

his end of the bargain all right.

Only he was going to Shanghai

by way of Pango Pango, a two-month trip.

Sergeant O'Hearn

just couldn't get it into his head...

... that delivering his cargo meant more

to Wu Ching than the Marine Corps.

So one of the little Chings

lowered the boom.

Rock head,

has it penetrated that skull of yours...

...that the Marines are on their way

to who-knows-where...

...and we're taking a cruise

to Pango Pango?

Dear me, that's frightening.

Don't be so frightened.

What are you gonna do about it?

It's a beautiful night, Gingersnap.

The scent of jasmine floats

on the tropic breeze.

Why should Davey worry about the Marines

when he's got his baby to keep him warm?

What you're talking about

begins to sound like desertion.

- Desertion?

- Yeah. Intent to desert, the same thing.

Can I tell Wu Ching

where to sail this ship?

Which reminds me, I wanna talk to him.

- You got an angle on how to get us back?

- I got an angle, but that ain't it.

What's he up to?

Sergeant o'Hearn,

prepare yourself for a shock.

I'm the baby pie you spoke of,

remember?

The one who wants a home all her own?

And I make the loveliest fried chicken

and biscuits you ever tasted.

So what? Who's hungry?

In spite of all those nasty remarks

you made about housewives...

...I think I shall soon become one.

How?

Wu Ching is a ship captain, isn't he?

- He's gonna perform the ceremony?

- Why not?

Would you like to be the best man?

Okay, sister.

But don't be surprised if Davey turns out

to be a carbon copy of the old maestro.

Sure, he's gotta have women,

lots of them.

He's crazy about them,

but none of them last.

Because when that old bugle blows, baby,

there's only one thing he's gotta say:

"For long time, no come see."

You're disgusting.

I don't know what kind of a special breed

you think you are...

...breaking girls' hearts and then saying,

"for long time, no come see."

You leave Davey and me alone.

You stay out of our lives or it'll be

"for long time, no come see" for you.

Hey, wait a second.

Get riled up, you're just about

the cutest little job I ever saw.

You're horrible.

For 16 days and nights...

... Davey tried to get the idea across

to Wu Ching...

... that he wanted him

to read the wedding ceremony.

- I guess that's it, Gingersnap.

- Oh, Davey, we're married.

I can't believe it.

- Who is it?

- It's me, your buddy.

- What do you want?

- I got news for you.

Save it.

Some guys will never learn.

- You did that.

- I got news for you, I told you.

- But what is it?

- And it better be good.

You two are not married.

Wu Ching didn't read

the wedding ceremony.

It was the Chinese burial service.

- What?

- What?

The Chinese burial service.

Why else do you think they're wearing

those white outfits?

You can thank me for saving you

from a fate worst than death.

- Why, you!

- Don't get your guts in an uproar.

- It was a gag.

- Gag?

- Take it easy, baby.

Well, if that's all it was, sarge.

I'll show you firecrackers.

Oh, Davey, no.

Oh, Davey.

Look! Look, the ship's on fire.

Look! Look! The ship's on fire.

Quick! It's getting big.

The mast!

Davey and Sergeant o'Hearn...

...they chopped down the mast

and put the fire out.

Was that the extent

of the destruction of property?

There might have been

one or two minor things.

Name the minor things.

The mast fell the wrong way

and crushed the cabin.

Was that all?

I think we shipped a little water

and the cargo got wet.

But, you know,

a little water can't hurt anything.

- What was the cargo?

- Rice.

Did Wu Ching put the three of you ashore

on the French island of Namou?

Well, he didn't exactly put us ashore.

He and his crew pulled guns

and made us swim ashore.

Please tell us what happened on Namou.

One moment, please.

Miss Martin, you testified, didn't you,

that you wanted to marry PFC David White?

Yes.

You further testified that Sergeant o'Hearn

tried to prevent your marrying him?

- Yes.

- Then how do you account for the fact...

...that you are now trying so desperately

to defend Sergeant o'Hearn?

Well, I don't like to see

an innocent man punished.

- Are you sure that is all, Miss Martin?

- What do you mean?

Oh, I was just wondering

if there weren't some deeper relationship.

Something born out of, shall we say...

...the intimacy of your life

on that raft together?

I don't know what you're trying to get at,

but I can tell you this:

Sergeant o'Hearn

and I have hated each other...

...since the moment we first met.

- Isn't that right, sergeant?

- I'm standing mute.

Can't you understand?

I'm only trying to help you.

The only way you can help

is to get out of here.

But...

I'm sorry, gentlemen.

The witness is temporarily excused.

Thank you.

The prosecution would like to call

Pierre Marchand.

Pierre Marchand.

I'm Pierre Marchand.

I was at one time governor-general

of the French oceanic island of Namou.

Now I'm not even a beachcomber.

- I object to this witness.

- For what reason, lieutenant?

Isn't it true that when the

vichy government was set up in France...

...you set up a vichy government

of your own on Namou...

...and collaborated with the enemy?

- I only did what I was obliged to do.

Is that why you jailed all the free French

who refused to join up with you?

They did not understand my predicament.

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