Strange Cargo Page #4

Only one of these days comes the payoff.

Yes, my dear brethren,

the day of salvation is at hand.

All right, back to your places.

All right, settle down there. And no talk.

He'll head for the mainland.

When he gets there, if he does,

I'll be waiting for him to bring him back.

We'll go this way, Moll.

Here, when Benet comes back,

we'll follow this trail to the beach.

He'll never come back. They'll kill him.

Moll warned us

to keep clear of that Indian village.

What have we got to lose?

If Benet gets back we eat.

They've got him, I tell you,

and they'll get us.

- We'll never get out of this alive.

- Maybe you won't, but I will.

Why you and not us?

Because I've prayed and I will be saved.

You might have prayed for me, too.

It's not his god he's counting on,

it's the food he has hidden.

And what if I have?

It's all mine, do you hear? It's mine.

Did you pray for that, Telez,

or did you steal it?

It makes no difference. It's God's will.

Benet.

- They got him.

- Quick.

- Where are you going?

- After food.

Didn't we decide not to take a chance

on that mining camp?

You decided that.

Well, who's running this, me or you?

Do you want to get caught?

No, but we'll need food.

Without it,

we couldn't all reach the boat alive.

What of it?

The best of us'll get through, won't they?

And that's us. All of us

aren't going to get through anyway.

You know that, don't you?

You picked the men who were to go

with you very carefully, Moll.

Sure I did. Do you know why?

Because we'll be at least

10 days in that boat,

and there are rations enough for six men.

Figure it out for yourself.

I've already figured it out, Moll.

And we'd better be careful

with those rations. I'll be back.

He's asking for trouble.

What with them murdering Indians and

jungle animals, he ain't got an earthly.

He'll be back. I'll bet on it.

Because he said he would.

Because he says something,

does that make it so?

It has so far.

He said we'd reach that mining camp

this afternoon, and we did.

According to the map,

we should have reached it.

Three times we were lost,

and each time he led us back to the trail.

He stumbled on it.

And when our tongues

were hanging out from thirst,

he stepped off the trail and

found a brook. What was that, Moll?

So he had a lucky day.

- Who is Cambreau?

- How do I know?

Oh, he's just another prison mug

like you and me.

Of course he is. He's got to be.

This jungle heat

does crazy things to your mind.

Rain again.

You're not leaving us, are you, Julie?

Now, is that nice? Haven't I been

pretty decent about everything?

- Gave you a first class home, didn't I?

- Yeah, you're grand people.

You brought me here as a favor

to help me on my way to the mainland.

And it wasn't going to cost me a thing.

- Oh, now, Julie.

- Let me by.

So you think you're checking out, eh?

Well, what have I got to say about it?

- Go on, tell me. What?

- Put that down, you little...

Julie. Not that way, Julie.

The voice came from here. I heard it.

The sack of food's gone.

He paid for it, too, whoever it was.

Five hundred francs

would take you to the mainland.

But we can't have any of that, can we?

Look at him sleep.

He's got his belly full of food.

You're young and quick.

Look. There'd be only one blow.

He'd never know.

- Go on.

- I can't. I don't know how to kill.

Come on, let's get out of here.

Marfeu, maybe I've been a bad loser.

I've fought as hard as I could

and it got me nothing.

I don't know what I expected.

Maybe what I got.

- Maybe I figured you wrong from the start.

- You made a mistake.

We can assume it was not your first.

Look, I've been here now

for, well, for a while.

Shouldn't that be enough?

Give me a chance, Marfeu.

Let me go, will you?

There should be violins playing

when you talk that way, Julie.

You've got the money

that was left for the food.

It's enough to get me to the mainland.

I'll pay it back. I promise, every sou,

as soon as I can get it. I swear.

Yeah? And what do I win?

Why do you think I pulled you out

of a mess back there,

and brought you here?

To send you away in a golden carriage?

You're not going anyplace.

You're staying here until I throw you out.

Can you understand that?

Don't move, or I'll brain you.

I want grub and I want it quick.

Get over there.

Hello, baby.

Caught up with you like I said, didn't I?

So we'll pick up where we left off,

only first I'll have something to eat.

- Get it out here.

- Lf you want any food, get it yourself.

Open them cans. Hug that bed, you.

One funny move and I'll crack your leg.

Dump it in there.

Sit over there where I can watch you.

Garbage. But good enough

for a man when he's starving.

- So you'll do, too, baby.

- Thanks.

This is no time to be particular.

Funny a man should want something

he's got no use for,

and I got no use for you.

You know that, don't you?

And how much do you think I think of you?

How much?

So much that if you ever made

the mistake of turning your back on me,

- I'd...

- You'd run a knife into it?

You ain't got

that kind of stuff, sweetheart.

There they are, but you won't use them.

It takes something to gamble that way,

something a cheap dame hasn't got.

And you're cheap.

If you'd have waited back there,

and run the scissors into me

when I wasn't looking,

I'd have loved you for it,

but you sneaked out for the law.

That's what a cheap dame would do.

So tomorrow the Indians can have you.

Do I say thanks, baby,

or were you just waving at something?

Don't thank me. I didn't give you a thing.

All I want is to get out of here

and you happened to be going my way,

so I played you.

But the minute I find somebody

going faster than you, I'll...

You won't. Come on.

- What are you after?

- Something somebody left for me.

Never mind that. Come on.

"Behold, thou art fair, my love,

behold, thou art fair.

"Thine eyes are as doves behind thy veil.

"Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet

and thy mouth is comely.

"Thy temples are like a piece of

pomegranate, behind thy veil.

"Thou art all fair, my love,

and there is no spot in thee. "

How do you like that, baby?

Great stuff, huh?

I guess nobody ever said anything

like that to you before, did they?

Does that put me out in front or not?

Listen. "Thou hast ravished my heart,

my sister, my bride.

"Thou hast ravished my heart

with one of thine eyes.

"How fair is thy love, my sister, my bride.

"How much better is thy love than wine,

"and the smell of thine ointments

than all manner of spices.

"Thy lips, O my bride,

drop as the honeycomb.

"Honey and milk are under thy tongue

"and the smell of thy garments

is like the smell of Lebanon. "

That's saltwater, Moll.

You can't drink it. You'll go mad.

Saltwater? It's this heat.

Where's the boat?

There's water in the boat and food.

- Where is it?

- Around that point of land.

I'll find it. You stay here.

We made it. The swine.

Thought they could lock me up forever.

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