The Sand Pebbles Page #4

Where did you learn to speak

English this good, Maily?

My secret.

Oh.

Why $200?

Is there something special about $200?

Yeah, I know...

your secret, huh?

Well... what happens

when Shu gets his $200?

I go to Hankow,

to Shanghai.

I'm free.

I wish I had 200.

I mean just to give you.

You would do that?

Yeah, sure.

- Look, I- I'll get it.

- Time's up.

Next table. You gotta work

fast around here, boy.

My name's Farren.

I don't come from nowhere...

and I don't want

to talk no geography.

Anybody want to shoot

a little craps?

You ain't getting

200 bucks from me, lover boy.

Next trip, Frenchy.

Next trip.

Hey... come here.

You-

You likee be boss?

All same

like Chien?

Like same who?

Chien, number one

engine coolie.

Him all die.

Yeah, him all die,

and that's too bad.

But I wantee new boss. Savvy?

Teachee all pidgin.

Oh... engine's not proper?

No, the engine's okay.

Teach you how to run it right.

Come here.

Now... the valve.

See that?

Belong same.

- Valve.

- "Wowel. "

- Valve.

- "Wowel. "

"Wowel. "

Yeah.

Okay. "Wowel. "

Now, main steam

stop valve.

Main steam stop "wowel. "

Where?

You find.

No, no.

No, not proper "wowel. "

Main steam stop...

"wowel. "

Main steam stop "wowel"?

- Yeah.

- Main steam stop "wowel"?

Main steam

stop valve.

But I don't know.

You, me...

can do... Jake.

Okay.

If you go that way,

then we're going reverse.

- Okay?

- Okay.

Huh?

The generator...

makes juice for the lights.

See?

Okay.

This is the boiler.

Inside belongs live steam.

Savvy?

Strong steam.

- "S-s-stim. "

- Steam.

"Stim. "

Live "stim"

goes through this pipe.

Live "stim" goes into the feed pump.

Live "stim" make pump go-

Live "stim", huh?

Live "stim. " Live "stim. " Live "stim. "

Exhaust "stim. "

Condenser.

Makee steam all dead.

You know, sleepy steam.

Live "stim. "

Dead "stim. "

Before live "stim. "

Now water.

Water belong dead "stim. "

All same dead "stim. "

"Stim" dead.

- Stim dead!

- That's right.

That's it.

Now you got it.

That's right.

That's the way it works.

That's the throttle.

I'll teach you

about that throttle one day.

Go ahead, grab ahold of it.

- Boo!

There ain't no ghosts

in that engine.

Hey.

- Who's your new throttle man?

- Out.

Why don't you ask the new throttle man

if you can have some coffee, Ski?

Maybe he'll let you

use his cup.

Yeah. Why, you slant-eyed bastard-

Holman, you better watch out.

Let that slopehead drink coffee down here,

touch the throttle.

You watch out, Holman.

Get you real good!

Pick up your coffee cup.

Looks like you ain't

runnin, this ship after all, Lop Eye.

Sir, do you think it's wise

overruling Lop Eye about the coolie?

That's not what I've done.

The crew wants Po-han off the ship.

They seem to believe Stawski

about what happened in the engine room.

- You believe Holman, sir?

- Not necessarily, but he makes more sense.

Yes, sir, but Lop Eye's

the one who fired Po-han.

He'll lose face if Holman

makes the crew change their mind.

Unlikely as that is,

it might serve a purpose.

Lop Eye has a tendency

to forget his place from time to time.

That's right.

That's what happened, Holman.

The slopehead hit me, and you jumped me

before I had a chance to kill him.

- Right, Perna?

- Just like that.

You're lucky

I busted it up when I did.

If he'd have hit you,

he would have killed you.

The slopehead would have killed me?

You never- You ever

see a slopehead fight?

- You guys saw a slopehead fight.

- Yeah.

He would have

put out your lights.

- Who says so?

- I got 50 bucks that says so.

- I'll take it.

- You got it.

- You got any more?

- Yeah, I'll take some of that.

Now wait a minute.

Hold it, hold it, hold it!

Just one minute!

Hold it!

Who's gonna do

the fighting here?

I don't go for it

unless you bet me 100.

- You holding 100?

- Yeah, I'm holding 100.

And I need 200 to buy myself

a very special present.

A hundred says

he'll take you.

- Oh, Maily, Maily, here I come!

Hey, hold it.

Beside the money,

if Po-han wins, he stays aboard.

That's my deal.

- Sure.

- It's a cinch.

He's not gonna win

anyway.

- Bets right here.

- You said 50, huh?

- You got any more, "Holmang"?

- I got an extra 50.

- I'll bet you 10 on the side the slopehead don't fight.

- He'll fight.

Put me down for 10.

Hey, Chief, when is it gonna start?

- Frenchy, you mustn't worry.

- How the hell can you say that?

- Excuse me.

- If Ski gets me, then-

- Then he's supposed to.

- That big ape?

It will only mean

that I'm being punished.

- For what?

- My secret.

Look, you quit

that "my secret" stuff.

Who'd want to punish you?

God.

- Who?

- God.

- What'd you do to him?

- I-

I stole some money...

from American missionaries.

They found me as a baby

and brought me up.

- Why did you steal it?

- To get away.

They wanted me

to be a missionary too.

Oh.

I meant to go to Shanghai and earn

enough money to send it back to them.

But I couldn't get there,

so I came to Changsha instead...

and Mr. Shu advanced it...

and now he must be paid.

And so must God.

You're bughouse, Maily.

What kind of religion did they teach you?

- Don't you worry about it.

- That Chinaman can't fight.

Yeah, he's big...

but he's blubber.

How can you fight

and drink beer?

Po-han, get him in the throat...

in the kidneys, in the gut.

- Hurt him.

- Too much cold this side.

Suppose cold this side,

any man no can fight.

You plenty time

fight Chinese man.

- How you no fashion fight Stawski?

- Ski no same.

Come on, boy!

Listen to me.

He's gonna try to hurt you.

Forget what color he is.

You want you come back ship,

you fight.

Fight.

Give me a bell.

- Come on out here.

- All right, let's go.

Come on, Po-han. Get out here.

Come on, come on, come on.

No kickee, no scratchee.

None of that stuff. You savvy?

- Me savvy. - All

right. - Me no savvy.

Wait you, wait you.

Give me a bell.

Okay, let's go.

Come on, hit me. Come on.

Come on. Hit me.

What's the matter? Your man

don't seem to fight, huh?

I'll give you even money

Ski don't knock him out in the first round.

You're gonna blow your dough, Harris.

Drop anchor, will ya?

Hit him!

What do I do now, Ma?

This is gonna be like

the Dempsey-Firpo fight.

Come on, fight! Fight!

Fight!

Hit him!

Break! Break!

- Hi. How are ya?

- Hit him!

Hit him!

Get up, Ski!

Get up there!

Get him, Ski!

Get him!

Get him! Break his head!

- Hit him!

- Get him!

One, two-

Finish him off!

One, two...

- three, four, five...

- He wants his mother, Ski! He wants his mommy!

- Get back here, you-

- six, seven...

eight-

Thanks for the 50, Holman!

Now listen...

he's getting tired.

You think

he tired hit me?

I'm telling ya,

he's running out of steam.

Now hit him, Po-han.

Hit him in the guts.

Hammer! Hammer!

Pack your bags for that trip

across the Delaware, baby!

Hammer!

Hammer!

Hammer!

Why you-

Get him, Ski!

- One, two-

- Get up! Get up!

Hammer! Hammer!

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