The Sand Pebbles Page #8

Ain't there enough trouble

with those slopeheads?

Take him down below

where he belongs!

You get down there yourself!

Get down!

I'll give you one more try!

Now get down!

The rest of you, what are you

standing around here for?

I want you to start

wearing sidearms. Franks too.

When the water

in the channel rises...

and we can get down to Shanghai,

everything will be all right.

Till then, the men

are not responsible.

They have to be protected.

- So stay clear of them.

- Aye, aye, sir.

There's never been a mutiny

aboard a United States ship of war.

I'm not gonna give them

the slightest chance on this one.

I understand, sir.

I told him to go back to the ship...

to see a doctor.

But he was afraid

they would lock him up.

How long has he been dead?

Last night.

You can't stay here.

I'll be all right.

You go back

to your ship.

I'm all through with that.

Come up to China Light with me.

I can't.

Listen. Listen.

Frenchy

would want you to.

It's gonna be

all different up there.

Nobody's gonna ask you

whether you're Chinese...

or American...

or where's your father

or anything.

Its just gonna be everybody,

all together.

You got your kid

to think about.

Shirley says

they grow vegetables...

and they got a milk goat.

What the hell happened?

Don't say nothing about this

on the ship, will you?

All right.

Captain! Mr. Bordelles!

Captain?

- Repel boarders.

- Repel boarders!

All hands to stations!

Repel boarders!

Repel boarders!

Hey, what the-

- Get Holman up here on the double.

- Aye, aye, sir.

Captain wants

to see you.

- What the hell they mean?

- Now what's going on?

I don't know.

- What's this all about?

- I don't know, sir.

You were ashore yesterday.

What happened? Tell me. That's an order.

I don't know anything

about no murder, sir.

He is a murderer! He killed a Chinese

woman who was carrying his child!

What is it?

What's he talking about?

Frenchy's wife, Maily-

I think they killed her.

What happened?

Frenchy's dead.

He got sick...

and he couldn't make it back.

While I was there,

they busted in, and they-

I didn't think they'd do that.

They say you killed her.

That's all that's important.

How do they know your name?

They must have found my hat.

Within two days, this will be

an international incident.

American gunboat sailor

kills Chinese woman.

Is the channel deep enough yet?

I think we could make it, sir.

We may have to fight

our way out of here.

Not for you, personally, Holman.

You only matter now

as a symbol of your country.

That's all.

- Secure from repel boarders.

- Aye, aye, sir.

We want to talk to you.

The word is, they ain't gonna let us

out of here till they get you.

Even if we did get out, as long

as you're aboard, they ain't gonna give up.

They got guns between here and Hankow,

blow us out of the water.

You ought

to turn yourself in.

Tell the captain you'll go ashore

and stand trial, so we can get out of here.

I didn't kill Maily.

Then you got no problems.

They'll let you go.

You give yourself up, Holman.

You've been a Jonah

since the day you come aboard.

Captain.

Looks like Nationalist

soldiers this time, Captain.

- Repel boarders. Get Holman up to the flying bridge.

- Aye, aye, sir.

Under just and equal law

of nations...

we demand you give up

murderer Holman for peoples justice.

Under the just law of nations,

you people are pirates.

I will not parley with you.

We will! Come and get him!

Come and get him!

Silence from the main deck!

Holman, come down.

Holman!

Come down!

Holman, come down.

Holman, come down.

Holman, come down.

Holman, come down!

Holman, come down!

If you make any effort to give yourself up-

Holman, come down!

You in the sampan, shove off!

Shove off or I'll fire into you!

Crosley, fire a burst into the water.

Crosley, damn you, fire a burst!

The gun is jammed, sir.

- Bronson, fire a burst!

- Guns jammed, sir.

Holman, come down!

Holman, come down! Holman,

come down! Holman, come down!

Holman, come down!

Holman, come down.

Holman-

Mr. Bordelles, make all preparations

for getting underway.

Take her out of rifle range

and anchor her.

Aye, aye, sir.

Captain?

Uh-

Make preparations

for getting underway.

Aye, aye, sir.

Here, wear this.

Come back up as soon as we secure.

Make all preparations

for getting underway!

Captain? Sir?

There's an urgent message.

Nationalist troops have taken Nanking.

They're killing American treaty people.

British and American ships

have been shelling the city.

The marines are landing

in Shanghai. Sir?

Treaty people are being directed to flee

to the coast for their lives.

Plan red will be put into effect

upon confirmation from Washington.

Mr. Bordelles, get Franks-

Come into my cabin, all of you.

What happened this morning

has not gone down on paper yet.

It is not history

unless it goes down on paper.

What is going down on paper

for the end of San Pablo is quite different.

Our radio communications

are out of order.

They're out of order.

We are, therefore,

on our own...

not hampered

by orders from above.

At dawn, we will get underway.

We will proceed into the lake, then instead

of turning downriver to Shanghai...

we will cross the lake

and turn up the Chien River to China Light.

Our objective will be to rescue

the missionaries at China Light.

After the slaughter at Nanking,

they will be desperate for rescue.

We will make one last

savage thrust deep into China...

and if the San Pablo dies,

she dies clean.

It is my responsibility

to the ship...

and to the men.

They've been put through

intolerable strain.

They rate this...

last chance.

Intelligence reports

indicate...

the Chien River is blocked by a boom

of junks linked with bamboo cable...

and defended by militia.

We will break that boom, and we will move

on to rescue the people at China Light.

All right, there's the boom.

About a dozen junks,

50 to 60 feet apart...

a cable from bow to bow.

- Half speed.

- Half speed.

Looks like sampans

are bringing more men from shore.

Drop the armor flaps.

Call general quarters.

All hands, general quarters.

Man your battle stations.

Let's go, let's go.

Look alive, look alive.

Minimum crew in the engine spaces.

All others topside.

Aye, aye, sir.

Minimum crew

in engine spaces. All others topside.

Coming up!

Stawski, take the throttle.

Perna and MacDonald, handle the boilers.

The rest of you, on deck.

Bronson.

Holman, set up a B.A.R.

Position forward.

- You others lend a hand.

- Aye, aye, sir.

I'll get it.

From the bulkhead over.

Battle stations manned

and ready, Captain.

Very well.

Run up the battle flag.

Aye, aye, sir.

Battle flag!

- Full speed.

- Full speed.

Holman, you and your men

lower the jackstaff.

Let's go.

Here you go.

Steer for the center

of the channel.

Steering for the center

of the channel, sir.

Prepare to concentrate fire

on the center junk.

Have Wellbeck

take the conn below.

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