The Macomber Affair Page #6

I really have.

It's a little late,

isn't it?

Not for me...

as you'll find out.

Here comes kongoni.

You think we've given

the buff enough time?

Well, we might have a look.

Have you any solids left? No.

He'll have some.

I hate you,

Francis Macomber.

I know you do.

And I know why.

For years, I've tried to...

I know.

I've tried, too,

as well as I could.

For years,

I've been hoping

What's happened to you now

would happen.

And now that it has,

I hate you more this way

than the way you were before.

Because,

without your knowing it,

You always wanted me

as a mouse.

Well, now you're gonna

have to get used to me as a man.

I've been too easygoing

with you,

But things

are gonna be different now.

I know just how

they're going to be different.

So this is the sinister side

of Francis Macomber.

Here you are.

Shall we get started?

The sooner,

the better.

Here we go.

You shoot the Springfield.

You're used to it.

We'll leave the mannlicher here

in the car with the memsahib.

Kongoni

has your big gun there.

Let's get started.

All right.

Kongoni, you take the spoor.

Ndiyo, bwana.

And keep both eyes opened.

Both eyes, bwana.

He says he's proud

to be tracking for you.

He'd like

to shake your hand.

Thank you, kongoni.

Sit tight.

Now, listen to this...

when a buff comes,

he comes with his head high

And thrusts

straight out.

The force of the horns covers

any kind of a brain shot.

The best shot

is straight into his nose.

The only other shot's

into his chest.

But if you're on one side,

into the neck or shoulders.

Once they're hit, they take

a devil of a lot of killing.

So don't try

anything fancy.

Just take the easiest shot

there is.

Stop a minute, Wilson.

Kongoni!

You're not getting nervous

again, are you?

No.

Just a little ashamed.

Ashamed of what?

You know, that feeling

we were talking about.

You said

it cleaned out the liver.

Oh, it does

a lot more than that.

Well, it left a lot of hatred

in me... Toward my wife.

Before we went in after

the buff, I hated you, too.

Well,

I had that coming.

Well,

I just want you to know

That I've wiped out

everything now...

Last night,

Everything

right up to this minute.

Just tell me one thing.

Of course. Anything.

You've fallen in love

with her.

Yes, I have.

All I want's

an even break.

Can't blame her alone

For the mess we've made

of our lives.

Would you care

to go back?

No, I'll feel better

after I get this finished.

Let's go.

He says the buff

is dead in there.

Good work.

I'll just run back to the car

and tell Margaret everything.

Francis!

Francis!

Francis!

Francis!

Don't turn him over.

Don't touch him.

Not a bit of use.

No!

Blanket.

Oh, no!

I didn't mean to do it.

I know you didn't.

I know you didn't.

I didn't mean to!

It's all right.

Everything will be all right.

I didn't mean to!

Of course you didn't.

I didn't mean to!

I know.

It's all right.

It'll be perfectly all right.

Oh, I didn't mean it.

Believe me.

Of course you didn't.

I know that.

It was an accident.

It was an accident.

Just try

to control yourself.

Where's the rifle?

Leave it

exactly where it is.

Tell Abdulla to come here

And witness

the manner of the accident.

Then you take

the truck.

Go to the lake.

Send a wireless.

Have them send a plane

to take us back to Nairobi.

I'll stay with the memsahib.

Ndiyo, bwana.

Good morning, Mrs. Macomber.

Hi.

Uh, make yourself

as comfortable as possible.

I'm sorry to have to ask you

to come here.

Thank you.

You've been very kind.

Oh, I see no reason

for making things

More trying

than they should be.

I'll speed this thing through as

quickly as possible. Thank you.

Captain Smollett,

just what will be needed of me?

Oh, just a few questions...

Routine.

Maybe you won't be called

at all.

Of course,

a lot depends upon

What Wilson put down

on his report.

Here he is now.

Good morning.

Good morning, Wilson.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Expected you

an hour ago.

Well, I had to be down at

the white hunter's association.

Were they hard

on you?

Well, they were fair.

I lost my license.

Well, buck up.

You'll probably

land on your feet.

Do you have your report?

The coroner's jury is waiting

to question Mrs. Macomber.

Well, you asked for it

for the American consul.

There isn't

anything in it

That shouldn't be seen

by the jury, is there?

No.

Don't worry,

Mrs. Macomber.

I'll start the machinery

rolling with this.

Excuse me.

I shan't be long.

Why didn't you come

last night?

Well, I couldn't

come over there.

I'm sorry

about your license.

Thanks.

How did they find out we chased

the buffalo in the car?

Did you tell them?

No. They suspected.

They knew everything.

Everything?

Everything about the hunting.

We weren't alone out there.

Oh, don't worry.

You'll be all right.

There may be a certain amount

of unpleasantness in there,

But Smollett has the photographs

I had taken at the scene.

And they have the testimony of

the driver and the gunbearers.

You've got

nothing to worry about.

You'll be

perfectly all right.

Why didn't you come

to the funeral?

It goes against my grain

to be part of a farce.

You're talking rot.

Maybe I am,

but that's the way I feel.

You see, I'd begun

to like your husband.

Must we talk about him?

No, we don't

have to talk about him.

I just want to say that I'm glad

that at least before the end

He found out

what it was like to be a man.

The short, happy life

of Francis Macomber.

No, I couldn't attend

his funeral.

You mean

you didn't want to.

That's right.

You don't believe

it was an accident.

Is that

what you're getting at?

That's for you to tell me.

You're the only one who knows.

You mean

you want to question me?

You of all people.

No, you put it wrongly.

I'm no judge.

I'm no better

than you are.

We're both in this

up to our necks,

But I've got to know

for myself.

Ask then.

You saw me shake hands

with Macomber

Before we went in after the buffalo.

Yes.

You couldn't imagine how we two could

be friends after what had happened,

Unless Macomber was through with you.

No, I couldn't.

You knew he was through with you,

and you knew you'd lost his money.

He would have left you,

too.

Well, what does that philosopher

of yours say now?

How does it feel to kill something?

It was an accident.

What does it do

to a person?

What about hunting

and conquering,

The savagery of it,

The emotions that make a man

a man and a woman a woman?

Are you glad he's dead?

You're out of your mind!

You hated him,

and you were afraid of him.

You became afraid of him when

he lost his fear. Maybe.

You hated him,

and you wanted him dead.

All you needed

was a chance,

And when that chance came,

you took it.

It was easy to kill him,

wasn't it?

Yes. Yes.

It would have been easy.

I did hate him.

I was afraid.

You were watching us

with a gun in your hand.

You found yourself looking

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes