The African Queen Page #5

The shaft would be all twisted up

like a corkscrew again.

We'll have to make a new blade, then.

There's lots of iron and stuff

that you could use.

Yeah. Tie it on!

Well, if you think that would do,

but wouldn't it be better to weld it on?

Isn't that the right word, dear?

Weld it on?

You're a one, Rosie. Really, you are.

Well, isn't "weld" the right word, dear?

You know what I mean,

- even if it isn't, don't you?

- Yes.

I swallowed half the river that time.

You were down there

an awfully long time. I was scared.

The shaft don't seem

to want to come out. It's stuck, like.

Charlie, let me help you.

How do you mean?

What do you think you're going to do?

- I'm going to go down there, too.

- Rosie, are you cracked?

The currents down there are fierce.

I don't want a drowned woman

on my hands.

What will you be thinking of next?

Well, here goes.

If my old dad had put me to

blacksmithing when I was a kid,

I don't think

I should have ever come to Africa.

I might have...

But then I wouldn't have met you,

Rosie, old girl.

Charlie.

Now.

There.

Yeah, that's about as good

as I can get it.

Didn't take so long, neither.

The blade will be a different thing.

I gotta make that.

It turns right enough,

but that don't mean nothing.

Question is, will she stand up

under a full head of steam?

Well, we'll get the answer out there,

but the Lord help us

if it ain't the right one.

Looks like this old river got tired

of all the running and jumping she did

and decided to lay down

and rest for a while.

This must be where the river

changes her name from Ulanga to Bora.

Pinch me, Rosie.

Here we are, going down the river

like Antony and Cleopatra

on their barge.

If it hadn't been for you, this couldn't be.

- Don't you feel proud of yourself?

- Certainly not.

Look at the way

you kept the engine going.

Look at how you mended the propeller.

It wasn't me at all.

I don't think there's another man alive

who could've done it.

Right you are, Rosie,

'cause no other man alive's got you.

- Charlie.

- I'll never forget the way you looked

going over the falls.

Head up, chin out,

hair blowing in the wind.

The living picture of a heroine.

Fancy me a heroine.

Charlie, you've lost your mind.

Lost my heart, too.

Shall we drop the anchor, sweetheart?

If the river needs to rest for a while,

I suppose we do, too.

Rosie, I got a feeling that pretty soon

we're going to wish we was

back shooting the rapids.

This is awful. We gotta get out of here.

- We ain't got no steam.

- I'm going in.

- I'm going under the water.

- Yeah, that's it.

- No.

- But I'm being eaten alive!

What's that you said

about being eaten alive?

Look at that.

Get me out of here, Charlie!

I cannot stand it!

Charlie! Charlie! Charlie!

Golly! Golly! My! Hurry!

Charlie!

Hurry, hurry, hurry.

We got away from them.

You can come out now.

I'm ashamed of myself, Charlie,

acting this way,

but I couldn't help it. I was going mad.

You're so bitten.

The bites themselves ain't so bad.

It's having them all around you.

I've heard of them driving buffalo

and native cattle stark-staring mad,

so they just run and run

till they fall down dead.

Will it be that way wherever we tie up?

Probably.

What are we going to do, Charlie?

Well, if the river keeps straight

and deep and slow,

there ain't nothing much can hurt us.

I'll let the anchor out a way.

That'll keep us out of trouble.

How much further do you suppose

it is to the lake, Charlie?

Well, not so many miles,

as the crow flies.

No telling how many days.

All depends on how much

winding around this old river does.

What a time we've had, Rosie.

What a time.

We'll never lack for stories

to tell our grandchildren, will we?

Nothing but grass and papyrus

as far as you can see.

Which is the main channel?

Don't look like there is one.

What are we going to do, Charlie?

I don't know.

We can't just go round

and round here forever.

We can't just go round and round.

Well, if we get in there and the grass

closes in back of the stern,

there's no going back, Rosie.

If anything happens, we just sit there

till we go off our heads with fever.

I know it.

All right.

You pays your money

and you takes your choice.

- That way.

- Put her over.

We've come along by steam,

we've paddled and pushed

and pulled this old boat

along with the hook.

What we ain't done up to now

is get out and carry her.

Looks like that'll come next.

Hard to breathe, the air is so heavy.

Yeah. You can't tell it from the water,

or the water from the land,

for that matter.

All the channels we've lost,

all the twisting and turning we've done.

We may come out back

where we started, if we come out at all.

We've always followed the current,

what little there is of it.

That don't mean nothing with this river.

This river's crazy, crazy as I am.

- Charlie, Charlie.

- Sorry, old girl.

Well...

The only thing that'll put the roses

back in our cheeks is to

get out of these reeds.

What I said about having to get out

and carry this old boat

was meant to be a joke.

It don't look like a joke now. Well...

The little beggars.

Pull them off me.

No, no.

The heads stay in, poison your blood.

Salt. Salt, salt.

Your legs.

If there's anything in the world I hate,

it's leeches.

The filthy little devils.

There.

There, dear, there, there.

Fine specimen of a man I am, ain't I?

You're the bravest man that ever lived.

You just overdo, that's all.

What you need is a few hours' sleep.

There. Now, are you all comfortable?

Go to sleep, dear.

When you wake up,

we'll be on our way again.

- Rosie.

- Yes, Charlie.

You want to know the truth, don't you?

Even if we had all our strength, we...

We'd never get her off this mud.

We're finished.

I know it.

But, Rosie, I'm not one bit sorry I came.

What I mean is, it was worth it.

Dear Lord,

we've come to the end of our journey.

In a little while, we will stand before you.

I pray for you to be merciful.

Judge us not for our weakness,

but for our love.

And open the doors of heaven

for Charlie and me.

Rosie.

Rosie, dear.

Look. We're on the lake.

The rain did it,

just lifted the old Queen up

and carried her over the mud.

We couldn't have been

100 yards from it last night.

Look. Look, Rosie.

Let's build the fire

and get the engine started

and go right out into the middle,

away from these reeds

where we can breathe.

Sure, sure. We'll be out of here in a jiffy.

This air, isn't it wonderful?

Yeah. It's like...

I know you don't approve,

but it's like a shot of gin.

It makes your blood race,

your face numb and your spirit soar.

I'm sorry I poured that gin out, Charlie.

Forget it, Rosie.

And just to show you

there's no hard feelings,

I'll make you another cup of tea.

You carry on more over a cup of tea

than I do over a glass of gin.

Is it?

Yes, it's the Louisa,

and she's coming right toward us.

She must be doing a good 12 knots.

We've got to make a run for it,

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