The Prisoner of Shark Island Page #4

I'm sorry, sir.

Marse Sam!

Marse Sam.

- Oh, Buck.

- Marse Sam.

I's sorry, sir...

but I was too scared this afternoon.

I couldn't say nothin' to you then.

Oh, I knew. I knew that.

Tell me, what are you doing down here?

- Oh, I've been here a month

waiting for you, sir.

- You have?

Yes. You see, Mrs. Mudd, she told me

to get on down this here man's island.

So here I is- done gone on down on it.

Oh, you-you've given me

the first hope I've had since this-

since this nightmare started.

Yes, sir. I guess so.

But, uh, here's some soap I brung you.

- What? Oh, yes. I guess I do need it.

- Yes, sir.

- But it's for the mosquitoes.

- Mosquitoes?

- Yes, sir. You put it on your face and hands.

- Oh, I know. I know.

Yes, sir, because there's more mosquitoes

on this here man's island...

than I've ever seen before.

- I know. That's why-

- Watch it.

My home, sir.

Darling, General Ewing.

How do you do, General? This is Judge Maiben

of the district superior court.

Why, how do you do, Judge?

- How do you do, sir?

- The judge is a Yankee, but he's honorable.

- Thank you, Colonel.

- He's gonna get Sam out of jail.

- But, Colonel- Colonel, please-

- Won't you sit down?

Let me take your things.

Please sit down.

Let me explain, General.

At my request

and for my own satisfaction...

Judge Maiben's gone over

the whole record of the case word by word.

On the evidence produced, no civil court

could hold Dr. Mudd for 10 minutes.

You have some sort of plan, Judge?

The plan is, uh, Mrs. Mudd's.

No judge'd dare devise

anything quite so, uh, extreme.

I explained to Judge Maiben

what happened...

to the writ of habeas corpus

you obtained for Sam.

The government simply laughed at it.

But... if a writ was served on him

in, say, Key West...

a civil municipality,

it would be honored, wouldn't it?

Of course.

But Dr. Mudd's not in Key West.

- I know he isn't... yet.

- What did I tell you?

But, great Scott, Mrs. Mudd,

you surely wouldn't dare-

General Ewing, I'd dare

anything for my husband.

And it isn't only freedom

I want for him. It's exoneration too.

He's innocent, and I want them to say so

to the whole world.

- But if we wait-

- Wait? Wait for what?

For the government

to kill my husband?

That's all we've done is wait

and trust and have faith.

Oh, I'm so sick of waiting.

I've found a way to get Sam out.

Just a moment, Mrs. Mudd.

Now, all I have to say is this.

If Dr. Mudd should be able to deliver himself

to the civil authorities in Key West...

I could have a writ of habeas corpus there

to be served on him.

Now, under its protection,

he could be brought back here.

I'd reopen the case,

and I feel sure...

give him a far different trial

than the one he had at the court-martial.

But as to how Dr. Mudd...

is going to be able

to get to Key West...

well, I think I'd rather not hear.

Good luck, my dear, and remember...

I won't be the only Yankee

who'll be praying with you.

- And don't let anything disturb you.

- I won't.

- Good day, gentlemen.

- Good day.

We'll sell, pawn,

mortgage everything.

We'll get enough money. Oh.

You understand what

this means to me, don't you?

It's all that's left of our lives-

Sam's and Martha's and mine.

And it's only your support-

your support behind us- that we're asking.

You can leave the escape

entirely to me, sir.

Within 24 hours, I'll have 5,000

of my old brigade under my command.

We'll seize a war vessel or two and blow

the whole dad-blamed prison to ashes...

and deliver Sam in Key West

with a guard of honor.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Mudd...

but if you're set on

such a foolhardy plan...

I must withdraw from the case.

But we have to do it.

He's got to be free to be tried.

- It's the only way. Oh, don't you see?

- I'm sorry.

- The risk is too great.

- Igad, sir!

And if you'll take my advice,

you too will abandon this mad scheme.

- What do you think?

Igad, sugar...

we'll show these dad-blamed,

chickenhearted Yankee lawyers!

You leave it to me.

I'm gettin' tired of this fiddlin' around,

messin' around.

Lawyers!

Lawyers are no-good-

Oh.

Yeah, lawyers are dad-blamed old women

with their habeas corpus and all that.

Lookee there.

There.

You see that?

Stonewall Jackson gave me that.

Pure Toledo.

And if I don't get $150 for that...

I'll have the pleasure of spitting the heart

of the swine that dare offer me less.

Open the door!

Marse Sam!

- Marse Sam!

- Yes, Buck?

Thanks. Thanks.

Yes, sir, that's me. I kind of fixed my name up

a little bit to make it sound kind of nice.

Buck, I'm ready.

- But tonight, sir?

- Yes, tonight.

But how about the moat

and them sharks?

- I'm gonna have to try the bridge.

- But they got a guard on it.

- Yeah, I know.

- Watch it.

- Marse Sam.

- Yeah.

- If I could go with you-

- Yes.

I can arrange to be the guard

that's on the bridge.

If you could arrange to be the guard

on the bridge, we could both go together.

- Now, listen.

- Yes, sir.

There's gonna be a boat.

It's gonna flash two lights.

I'm gonna have to swim to it.

Nice view?

What's outside?

Just outside.

Don't start anything

you might be sorry for, Doctor.

Second guard detail, forward step!

Guard detail, halt!

Right face.

Number two, step up.

What were you doin'

down in that cell block?

- Uh, cells which?

- I saw you!

No, sir.

T'weren't me.

As you were.

Left face.

Forward step!

- What's up?

- I don't know, but I'm gonna find out.

What post is that boy Buck on?

- The bridge. He swapped

with another one of them.

- That's what I thought.

Relieve him.

Place him under arrest and bring him here.

- What's up?

- Mudd's out.

Wait!

He's out, but I don't

want him back alive.

Do you understand? Post extra guards

to the bridge. Notify all sentries.

We'll see if we can give this Judas

what the court-martial should've given him.

Tell them to shoot and shoot straight!

Guard, watch that-

No. Wait.

Guard that magazine over there.

Quick step!

Halt! Who goes there?

Corporal of the guard!

The star boarder's out!

- What?

- Yeah, and Rankin don't want him back.

His orders are to shoot on sight.

If I see him, I will, with pleasure.

Mudd's out!

Double all your guards.

Guards, halt!

Cover that cell.

You cover that house there.

Go and watch that gate.

The rest of you, follow me. Get!

Soldier!

You're under arrest.

- But I just-

- Keep it to yourself. Move!

Take your post.

Buck!

Buck!

Buck!

Bring out those pieces

on the double. Hurry it up!

Give me that.

Wait!

There!

There he is!

Keep firing!

He'll never make it!

If we don't get him,

the sharks will.

- What sharks?

- What sharks do you think, sir?

Sergeant, with that

barrage on the water...

you're lucky if you've got a shark left

in a hundred yards of this spot.

Stop firing, you fools!

You wanna drive those sharks away?

Keep your eyes open!

L- I don't see anything down here.

Out yonder! He's outside!

There's a boat puttin' in toward him.

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