The Fighting Seabees Page #3

Watching a ship's wake

always makes me think...

of the things that time

puts behind us forever:

Hopes, dreams, illusions.

What does it make

you think about?

If they changed the

pitch of that propeller,

we'd get a couple of more

knots out of this thing.

I thought I'd caught you

being human for once.

Don't you have anything under

that thick hide of yours...

except cylinders

and a carburetor?

A spark plug, maybe.

The last time I saw a night

like this, I was in Hawaii.

- Ever been to Hawaii?

- No.

- Europe?

- No.

Why not?

- Never had the time.

- Why didn't you make the time?

Oh, for the same reason.

Do I bore you, Mr. Donovan?

No, no.

Keep talking.

I will if you listen to me.

I'll listen to anything

you have to say.

Then that makes it easy.

Why don't you help Bob put across his

ideas for the construction battalions?

- Oh, I tried...

- You tried.

If you hadn't been such a hotheaded ape,

he'd be working on it in Washington now.

- What do you mean, now?

- I mean, he was sent on this mission...

to keep you from

hunting trouble.

To play nursemaid to me, huh?

Don't be so contemptibly self-centered.

There's a war on.

What Bob wants to

do is important,

and you're the only

man who can help him.

How?

Work out the details for

a model unit with him.

Then fly back with

him from the island.

Eddie Powers can

take over your job.

Your going on it was

only a gesture anyway.

The navy will have to listen

to you when you talk its way.

They respect you for what you

are, for what you've accomplished.

And if it's any added

inducement, Wedge, so do I.

I'm sorry I did that.

For a minute, you

made me forget.

- Forget?

- That you're Bob Yarrow's girl.

- This is beautiful, ain't it?

- Yeah, but it's hot.

- Oh, we'll have a swell time here.

- Yeah, a hot time.

Just like the movies,

eh, Novasky?

Yeah, just like the movies.

Soon, me and Natasha will be

right under them palm trees.

Soon, you and Natasha will be

knocking down them palm trees.

Oh, sure enough. Wait, you

blow 'em up! That's right.

How do you do, gentlemen?

I'm glad to see you.

How are you, Captain?

I'm Lieutenant Kerrick, commanding

the navy detachment on the island.

This is Lieutenant Commander Yarrow,

the officer in charge of construction.

- How do you do, sir?

- How do you do?

I believe we have some

friends of yours on board, sir.

Hello, Bob!

Connie! What in the

world are you doing here?

I'm on my way to Australia

for Inter-Ocean.

"A woman's viewpoint on the war down

under by our special correspondent."

By my special correspondent.

Come on, I want you...

Oh, sorry, Kerrick.

- Lieutenant Kerrick, this is Miss Chesley.

- How do you do?

- How do you do?

- Come on, let's go ashore.

- Eddie!

- Powers!

Get 'em ashore.

Step on it.

Okay, Wedge. All right, men,

hit the deck. We're goin' ashore.

Showin' him a job is like showin'

Sawyer Collins a bottle of rye!

A bottle? Who has it?

Come on, come on.

We'll find a jug on shore.

- Come on, now, get out of here.

- Wait for me!

It's lovely here, Bob.

How far is it to the barracks?

Along the beach a little

ways, and off to your right.

- Nice seeing you again, Yarrow.

- I hope it'll be nice, Wedge.

It will be if you

leave me alone.

I'm just here to do a job.

The navy way.

Then how about telling me

where my men are to stay?

Oh, that's Lieutenant Kerrick's end.

Will you talk to Mr. Donovan

about where to billet his men?

We'll make room for

'em in the barracks.

I don't want 'em

in the barracks.

They're not used to regulations.

In the islands, Mr. Donovan, it's

not always what one wants.

It is with me.

- Are you comfortable here, Bob?

- Sleeping under a palm tree isn't so bad.

- As you'll find out tonight.

- I will?

Yes, you're staying ashore.

But don't worry about anything.

We've rented a porcupine

to chaperone you.

Oh, I can't believe it!

It's like a little paradise.

- Complete, even to the serpents.

- Serpents?

Oh yes, but these aren't on the ground.

They have wings, and call

themselves mosquitoes.

- These are copra sheds, aren't they?

- Uh-huh.

- Using 'em?

- No.

I'll have them cleaned out

and fumigated for my men.

I'd advise against it.

I know what's best for

my men, Lieutenant.

- How are you, folks?

- Hey, some friends of yours?

Preposterous, never saw the

people before in my life.

- No glamour.

- Too plump.

Don't worry, they'll all look thin

enough after you're here a month.

Hello there.

You know, Bob, I think it'll improve

the north end if we dig a little deeper.

- Sounds like a good idea, Tom.

- We'll need bedding and dishes.

We'll take care of our own food, but

you gotta take care of our water supply.

- I've already made provision for that.

- Good.

Now, where's the site

for our airfield?

Come on over here.

I'll show it to you on a model.

With only 30 days to complete this job,

we better start as of now.

You see, here's the station.

And over here's the quarry where you'll

be supplied with your servicing materials.

Now, this brush section

is the site of the airfield.

We'll start first with the

east-west landing strip.

Start east-west?

That'll add a week

on to the job.

Yes, but we want a place for planes

to land as soon as possible.

I don't see any difference,

but then, I'm no sailor.

Maybe I can show you

the difference.

This wind rose shows

that for the next 60 days,

the prevailing winds will blow

from an easterly direction.

And since an airplane has to

land into the wind, or crack up...

We'll start with the east-west strip.

- Right.

It's first things first

in the navy, Mr. Donovan.

First of all is the

military consideration.

Okay.

You make with the pencils, and

we'll make with the shovels.

Have you ever tried to make a

story jell when it didn't want to?

Not since I was a plebe before

the commandant at Annapolis.

This is awful. The home office will

take one look and put me on ice.

You better come up with something

good before the next boat sails,

or you'll be in the

soup for staying over.

Oh, well, maybe Wedge Donovan

will dig up a buried city,

or get himself

captured by cannibals.

Maybe he will.

Speaking of that big ape, have

you seen him around today?

I'm on my way to see the "big ape" right now.

Want to come along?

I certainly do.

Where is he?

Much too close,

I'm afraid.

As a matter of fact, he's

standing between us right now.

I suppose I should pretend I don't

know what you mean by that.

- But I won't.

- Am I wrong?

Yeah, you're wrong.

Connie, look, for the past

few days, all you've done is...

All I've done is what?

Well... is to tell a man in a

thousand little ways...

Tell what man in a

thousand little ways?

Well, not with words maybe,

but with looks, actions and...

Aren't you ashamed?

All right. Maybe, as

you say, I'm wrong.

This is the last one, Yump!

It's enough.

Come on, Brick.

Let's get out of here.

- Oh, I'll be all right here.

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