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The African Queen (1951)

by James Agee, John Huston and Peter Viertel.
Based on a novel by C.S. Forester.
Shooting draft.

More info about this movie on IMDb.com


FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY


EXT. A NATIVE VILLAGE IN A CLEARING BETWEEN THE JUNGLE AND 
THE RIVER. LATE MORNING

LONG SHOT -- A CHAPEL

Intense light and heat, a stifling silence. Then the SOUND 
of a reedy organ, of two voices which make the words distinct, 
and of miscellaneous shy, muffled, dragging voices, beginning 
a hymn:

			VOICES
		(singing)
	"Guide me O Thou Great Jehovah..."

INT. CHAPEL -- LONG SHOT -- THE LENGTH OF THE BLEAK CHAPEL 
PAST THE CONGREGATION, ON BROTHER, AT THE LECTERN, AND ROSE, 
AT THE ORGAN

BROTHER, a missionary, faces CAMERA near center; ROSE, his 
sister, is at side, her face averted. Everybody is singing.

"Pilgrim through this barren land..."

MEDIUM SHOT -- BROTHER:

middle-aged, rock-featured, bald, sweating painfully, very 
much in earnest. He is very watchful of his flock. He sings 
as loud as he can, rather nasally, and tries to drive the 
meaning of each word home as if it were a nail. He is beating 
with his hand, and trying hard to whip up the dragging tempo:

"I am weak, but Thou art mighty..."

CLOSER SHOT -- ROSE

early thirties, tight-featured and tight-haired, very hot 
but sweating less than Brother.

She is pumping the pedals vigorously, spreading with her 
knees the wings of wood which control the loudness, utilizing 
various stops for expressiveness of special phrases, and 
rather desperately studying the open hymnal, just managing 
to play the right notes -- a very busy woman. She, too, is 
singing her best and loudest, an innocent, arid, reedy 
soprano; and she, too, is very attentive to the meanings of 
words:

"Hold me with Thy powerful hand."

INSERT -- HALF-WAY THROUGH THE FOREGOING LINE, AN EXOTIC AND 
HORRIBLE CENTIPEDE-LIKE CREATURE SLITHERS INTO VIEW BETWEEN 
TWO OF THE ORGAN KEYS. WITHOUT INTERRUPTING HER PLAYING, AS 
METHODICALLY AS SHE WOULD PULL OUT A NEW STOP, ROSE SWIPES 
IT AWAY.

ROSE -- AS BEFORE --

completes "Thy Powerful Hand"; o.s. Voices of singers. 
Unperturbed, Rose finishes her casual disposal of the bug 
and pulls out a new stop.

MISCELLANEOUS SHOTS --

Through rest of hymn, SHOOT and CUT against its lines for 
meaning, irony and pathos, roughly as follows:

FULL VIEW of congregation past Brother and Rose. They are 
all Negroes and nearly all are dressed in glaring white -- 
the women in garments like camisoles, the men in pants which 
reach about to their shins: splayed, bare feet. Some of the 
faces bear the marks of heavy savage ornaments which have 
been removed, or of tatooing and scarring rituals which have 
been outlived -- torn nostrils, lips and ear lobes, a neck 
curiously thin and weak from the enormously heavy metal bands 
which used to surround it. Some of the children are naked or 
near-naked. Nearly everybody dutifully shares open hymnals, 
but it is obvious that few, if any, can read. The singing of 
most of them is weirdly shy and inchoate -- a little like 
that of a neighborhood audience when a group "sing" is imposed 
upon them. But on certain high phrases a glad, rich, wet 
soprano lifts out large and happy, very child-like; and a 
big male voice bleats forth joyous, jazz-like improvements 
on the tune, a little off-key. There are very few men present.

We detail or bring into salience, bare feet slapping time 
and an anklet shimmying; a very earnest young married couple 
with the wedding ring prominent and an impressive phalanx of 
children in tow; the owner of the happy soprano, a sweet, 
contented, pre-moral face; the owner of the big male voice; 
the inevitable rather effeminate man in every congregation 
who loves religion because he loves Beauty. He is immensely 
pleased that he knows all the words (the others just dab at 
them): he sings them without any knowledge of their meaning: 
they sound Hawaiian. Also, we SPOT a tremendously old, 
wrinkled, bent-over woman, dressed in white like a good 
Christian, but with a bone stuck through the septum of her 
nose. She croaks, toothless, bleary-eyed.

These things must be disposed of by late in the first stanza, 
which continues:

"Open now the crystal fountain Whence the living waters flow, 
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar Lead me all my journey through."

We close on the old dame with the bone singing --

"...my journey through." o.s., on "...fiery, cloudy pillar", 
a queer SOUND, steadily louder: the absurdly flatulent, 
yammering syncopation of a rachitic steam motor. Eyes begin 
to wander from hymnals: CUT IN Brother frowning and singing 
harder trying to impose order; attention to the hymn begins 
to fall apart a little; FOLLOW the white, veering eyes to 
FRAME, through the open window.

LONG SHOT -- THE AFRICAN QUEEN

whose WHISTLE lets out a steamy whinny, then REPEATS it, 
with great self-satisfaction. She is squat, flat-bottomed -- 
thirty feet long. A tattered awning roofs in six feet of her 
stern. Amidships stand her boiler and engine. A stumpy funnel 
reaches up a little higher than the awning.

ON SECOND WHINNY,

							CUT TO:

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- ON HIS BOAT

He is in worn, rather befouled white clothes. He is barefooted 
and his feet are cocked up and he is sitting on his shoulder 
blades, smoking a bad cigar. He wears a ratty boater, 
slantwise, against the sunlight. He is attended by two young 
Negroes so tall, thin and gracile they suggest black macaroni. 
One is proudly and busily puttering at the engine, which 
requires a lot of attention: the other is fanning ALLNUTT, 
who is feeling just fine. Allnutt speaks to the fanner in 
Swahili. The young man without breaking the rhythm of his 
fanning, licks out one long, boneless arm and alters the 
lashed tiller; the Queen begins to swerve toward shore. o.s., 
the hymn continues, all but drowned by motor noise.

LONG SHOT -- INT. CHAPEL

Rose pulls out all the stops, spreads her knees, and pumps 
like mad in her effort to drown out the ENGINE SOUND. Brother 
sweats and sings even harder, scowling, shaking his head. 
The singing is fraying out half to hell; the congregation is 
a solid black wall of wandering eyes; a few pious converts 
frown or nudge at the less pious; a little group is coalescing 
toward the window.

The hymn, meanwhile, continues:

"Feed me with the heavenly manna in this barren wilderness, 
Be my sword, my shield, my banner, be the Lord my 
righteousness."

Rose's sense of artistic propriety is too much for her. To 
keep things going, she ought to play loud, but on the next 
line --

"When I tread the verge of Jordan..." she shuts down to the 
vox humana and the tremolo and maintains that through --

"Bid my anxious fears subside."

On this line, Allnutt appears and lounges against the front 
door frame still drawing on his cigar. Rose lets everything 
rip fortissimo on the closing lines:

"Death of death, and hell's destruction land me safe on 
Canaan's side."

By the time of "hell's destruction," Allnutt becomes aware 
that a lighted cigar in church is bad manners, and, nodding 
casual apology to Brother, tosses it away onto the packed 
dirt, out of our sight. Instantly there is a hell of a 
hullaballoo o.s., all in gibberish, against which the closing 
words of the hymn compete stridently.

The less self-controlled of the flock are no longer singing, 
and are craning their necks and rolling their eyes, but with 
just enough Sunday-Schoolish discipline to stay in their 
places. The more pious, with effort, keep their eyes where 
they belong and SING all the harder. IN QUICK SHOTS, Brother 
and Rose redouble their efforts. There is a final long-drawn 
"Aaaa-men," and it is clear this is the closing hymn of the 
service. Brother closes his book and picks up his service-
book; Rose shuts and locks the box-organ and puts the key 
(which is on two shoestrings) around her neck. Brother strides 
with decorous alacrity down the middle aisle. Immediately 
following him, the natives hurry from their benches.

SHOOTING PAST ALLNUTT -- THROUGH DOOR

on the cause of the hullaballoo -- a squabbling football 
scrimmage of virtually nude male heathens, battling for the 
cigar butt. In b.g., if permissible, a couple of equally 
nude women; a thin, pot-bellied little boy dashing happily 
toward the fight. Brother and the eager heads of white-clad 
Christians come into the SHOT, BACK TO CAMERA, watching. One 
of the heathen fights his way up from the heap with a yowl 
of supremacy, filed teeth in a great grin, prancing and 
holding high above them all the frantically busted cigar of 
vaudeville; others leap after it.

REVERSE ANGLE

Allnutt, seeing the wrecked cigar, looks kind of bleak. As 
Brother comes out, he meets his annoyed eye with mingled 
reproach, apology and indifference.

			ALLNUT
		(to Brother)
	Hello, Reverend.

			BROTHER
	Mr. Allnutt.

			ALLNUT
	Here's your mail. Sorry I'm late, 
	but one thing and another kept me in 
	Limbasi. You know how it is, Reverend.
		(he winks)
	Or maybe you don't.

Brother clears his throat.

			ALLNUT
	They gave me a real going over when 
	I got to the mine. They called me 
	all the names they could think of -- 
	in Belgian, but I don't mind so much 
	bein' cursed in a foreign language, 
	so I just took it with a smile. They 
	wouldn't fire me, I was sure of that. 
	There ain't nobody in Central Africa 
	but yours truly knows how to get up 
	a head of steam on The African Queen. 
	It may sound like bragging, Reverend, 
	but I'm mighty close to being in-di-
	spensable. Seein's how them Belgians 
	is too damn cheap to buy 'er a new 
	engine.

Rose joins them at the door.

			ROSE
		(indifferently)
	Good morning, Mr. Allnutt.

			ALLNUT
	Mornin', Miss.

Rose's prayer book is clamped under her sharp elbow. Her 
walking is used to country, yet tight and spinsterish.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT, BROTHER AND ROSE

For a moment Allnutt looks at Rose with utter casualness and 
indifference; his eyes leave her even before Brother speaks. 
Brother is looking through the mail. Past them, the liberated 
Christians walk into the sunshine.

			BROTHER
	Ah, splendid, At last they've come.

			ALLNUT
	Huh?

			BROTHER
	My marrow seed.

Behind these lines, the TINY OLD WOMAN with the nose-bone 
makes herself prominent; she's waiting to speak to Brother, 
almost plucking his sleeve.

			BROTHER
		(to Allnutt)
	Yes.
		(to Grandma)
	Yes?

			OLD WOMAN
		(in snaggle-toothed, 
			adoring enthusiasm)
	Oh Mistah Sayuh, I does like how you 
	preach!

			BROTHER
	'k you?

			OLD WOMAN
	All dat hell-fish!

Brother nods and smiles uneasily.

			OLD WOMAN
	De way yo' neck swell up.

			BROTHER
		(in dismissal)
	Thank you, thank you.
		(to Allnutt, without 
			enthusiasm)
	You'll stop for tea, Mr. Allnutt.

			ALLNUT
	Don't care if I do.

They start walking TOWARDS AND PAST CAMERA.

							DISSOLVE TO:

INT. DINING ROOM. MED. SHOT -- RIGIDLY SYMMETRICAL, ACROSS 
DINING ROOM TABLE

Rose at dead center, Brother at her left, in profile, Allnutt 
at her right, opposite Brother, in profile. The room is so 
shaded against heat it is gloomy. The silence, gloom and 
heat are stifling. Rose is pouring the second of three cups 
of tea; she pours the third. Brother is deep in the news of 
a Mission paper. Allnutt sits oppressed by the silence, like 
a child on his good behavior. A long silence while Rose 
leisurely pours.

			ROSE
	You take sugar, Mr. Allnutt, I seem 
	to remember.

			ALLNUT
	That's right, Miss. Couple 
	o'spoonfuls.

She doles them into his cup.

			ROSE
	And cream.

			ALLNUT
	Right.

Rose passes him his tea.

			ROSE
	Bread and butter?

			ALLNUT
		(taking some)
	'oh obliged.

He picks up his cup an inch to drink and puts it down again. 
Nobody else is served yet. Rose fixes Brother's tea and plants 
it beside him. She puts a slice of bread and butter on his 
plate.

			BROTHER
		(reading)
	'k you?

Rose finishes fixing her own tea, and helps herself to bread-
and-butter. She lifts her cup, not quite crooking her pinkie, 
and sips. Allnutt still doesn't move; he is waiting for 
Brother. Brother finishes and turns his page, and, without 
shifting his eyes, finds his tea with a blind hand and blindly 
drinks it and sets down the cup again. Allnutt, licensed, 
takes a big bite of bread-and-butter and picks up his cup 
and washes it down. By Rose's covered reaction, it is clear 
that she has been taught never, never to do this, but that 
she expects no better of such as Allnutt. Allnutt sighs wetly 
and contentedly. This, too, is bad manners to Rose, but she 
takes it in her stride.

They go on soberly eating bread-and-butter and drinking tea. 
The only SOUNDS are those of china, sipping, chewing and 
swallowing. Nobody looks at anyone else. Brother and Rose 
are wholly, stiffly reposeful; they are used to this. Allnutt 
begins to get a little squirmy, like a child in church. The 
silence makes him visibly uneasy, but he tries not to show 
his uneasiness.

All of a sudden, out of the silence, there is a SOUND like a 
mandolin string being plucked. At first the sound is 
unidentifiable, though instantly all three glance sharply 
up, each at the other two, then away; in the next instant 
they recognize what it is and each glances sharply, 
incredulously, at the other two -- and then again, quickly 
away; then Brother and Rose glance with full recognition at 
Allnutt, at the instant that he knows the belly-growl is 
his. At the moment of recognition, he glances down at his 
middle with a look of embarrassed reproach. He glances up 
quickly and slyly -- hopeful they've missed it -- to find 
the eyes of both still fixed on him. The instant their eyes 
meet they bounce apart like billiard balls, and fix on the 
first neutral object they happen to hit. Then Allnutt looks 
at them again: neither will look at him.

All three lift their cups at the same moment, for a covering, 
disembarrassing drink of tea. Rose and Allnutt simultaneously 
recognize what they are doing (Brother is pretending to read, 
misses it, and goes ahead and drinks his), and both, at the 
same moment, lower their cups to saucers with an almost 
simultaneous clink. Both look away from each other. Brother 
clears his throat rather loudly and turns a page. Rose and 
Allnutt reach for their cups; Brother beats them to it. When 
Brother has again put down his cup, Rose -- the tail of her 
eye on Allnutt -- picks up her cup and drinks, her eyes 
carefully empty above the cup. Allnutt has his cup again on 
the way to his mouth when his insides give out with a growl 
so long-drawn and terrible that Rose first flinches, then 
makes a noise across it with her spoon, stirring her tea. 
Brother tightens up like a fist, his first reflex being that 
this loud one is a calculated piece of effrontery. Allnutt 
just endures it, with a look of suffering stoicism. When it 
is over there is a tense silence. Allnutt slowly, slyly looks 
up at Brother; he is stone. He looks to Rose; she is gazing 
far off into space. Allnutt is quite embarrassed, and knows 
they are. He does his best to relieve his own embarrassment 
and theirs.

			ALLNUT
		(in a friendly, yet 
			detached tone)
	Just listen to that stomick of mine.

There is a silence. By their almost invisible reaction, it 
is clear that to just listen to that stomick of his, is the 
last thing they want to do. Allnutt is a bit chilled by the 
silence, but he tries again.

			ALLNUT
	Way it sounds, you'd think I'd got 
	an 'eye-ener inside me.

A silence.

Rose looks at Allnutt; their eyes meet; he attempts a friendly 
smile. Her face goes stony with embarrassment and she looks 
quickly away. So does he.

			ROSE
		(as soon as she can 
			manage it)
	Do have another cup of tea, Mr. 
	Allnutt.

			ALLNUT
	Thanks, Miss, don't mind if I do.

He passes his cup, while she pours. There is a third growling; 
not so bad. Allnutt says nothing. Then, after a pause:

			ALLNUT
	Scuse me.

Rose looks stone deaf. She hands him his cup.

			ALLNUT
	Much obliged, Miss.

He drinks some tea.

			ALLNUT
	Queer thing, ain't it.
		(a silence)
	Wot I mean, wot d'you spose it is, 
	makes a man's stomick carry on like 
	that?

			ROSE
	Bread and butter, Mr. Allnutt?

			ALLNUT
	Thanks, Miss.

He takes some and eats. After a little chewing, his jaws 
slow; he is expecting another growl and listens intently; so 
does Rose; none comes, After a little, Allnutt relaxes and 
Rose relaxes at least to a state of armed truce. They are 
both munching methodically, eyes out of focus, when Brother 
takes a curiously official-mannered gulp of tea, sets down 
his cup, and breaks the silence.

			BROTHER
	Herbie Morton's a bishop.

			ALLNUT
		(thinking the remark 
			is addressed to him)
	Huh?

			ROSE
	Who's that, dear?

Allnutt is pretty embarrassed to have said "huh."

			BROTHER
	Surely you remember Herbie Morton.
		(Rose looks doubtful)
	Blond, ruddy-complected chap, a bit 
	younger than me. He sang a solo at 
	the graduation exercises. "Holy, 
	Holy", I believe.

			ROSE
		(dubiously)
	I think I remember. It was so long 
	ago.

			BROTHER
	Well, he's a bishop now.

			ROSE
	Splendid.

			BROTHER
	I'd say Herbie was a bit younger 
	than I -- four or five years.
		(Rose pours more tea 
			into his cup)
	Surprising in a way. I mean -- well, 
	there was nothing outstanding about 
	him. He was no great shakes as a 
	student and he didn't have any more 
	than his share of the social graces.
		(a pause; he drinks 
			then eats bread and 
			butter, but with 
			rather less relish 
			than before)
	No doubt one does get ahead quicker 
	at home than in a foreign field... 
	And then, of course, he did marry 
	well.

			ROSE
	Oh!

			BROTHER
	That manufacturer's widow. What was 
	his name? Briggs -- Griggs -- Briggs -- 
	yes, Alfred Briggs. Soap flakes, I 
	think. Yes, Mrs. Alfred Briggs.
		(pause)
	Not to take anything away from Herbie.
		(pause)
	I am delighted for him.

			ROSE
	Of course.

			BROTHER
	It was "Holy, Holy."

			ROSE
		(pause)
	Yes.

A silence. Brother isn't even looking at his paper. Allnutt's 
stomach talks gently. They all accept it stoically.

			ALLNUT
		(after quite a silence)
	There ain't a thing I can do about 
	it.

A silence.

			ROSE
	More tea, Mr. Allnutt.

			ALLNUT
	No, Miss, I reckon not. About time I 
	shoved off, if I'm gonna get back to 
	the mine by tomorra night.

			ROSE
		(insincerely)
	Don't hurry, Mr. Allnutt.

			BROTHER
		(sure he is safe)
	Stay for dinner.

			ALLNUT
		(shaking his head)
	Thanks all the same.

Brother pushes back his chair. Allnutt pushes back his chair 
and gets up. Rose pats her lips with her handkerchief, pushes 
back her chair, and gets up.

			BROTHER
	Mr. Allnutt brought the marrow seed 
	at last.

			ROSE
	Splendid.

			BROTHER
	I must say, though, they were forever 
	getting here.

			ALLNUT
	Lucky they come through now, cause 
	it don't look like they'll be no 
	more mail for a while.

			BROTHER
	Why not?

			ALLNUT
	Reckon the Germans'll hold it up.

			BROTHER
		(irate -- we sense a 
			background of 
			unpleasant relations 
			with the Germans)
	In heaven's name why?

			ALLNUT
	Cause it looks like there's a war 
	on.

			BROTHER
	No. Really? Where, Mr. Allnutt?

			ALLNUT
	Europe.

			BROTHER
		(with the patronizing 
			concern of one who 
			hears of another 
			Balkan brawl)
	Indeed! Between whom?

			ALLNUT
	Oh, Germany, England, the whole --

			BROTHER AND ROSE
		(electrified)
	England!!

			ALLNUT
	Right.

			BROTHER
		(pop-eyed)
	You mm -- you really mean war?

			ALLNUT
	Wot they tell me. Germans claim the 
	British started it. British claim it 
	was the Germans. In any case, it's 
	war.

			ROSE
		(with great intensity)
	But what's happened! What do you 
	know about it!

			BROTHER
		(like a whip)
	Rose!
		(she shuts up fast)
	Exactly, Mr. Allnutt, what has 
	happened?

			ALLNUT
	Well, now, that's about all I can 
	remember. Oh yes -- France is in it, 
	too. She's with us, I fink. A lot 'o 
	them little countries are in it too -- 
	Austria-Hungary, Spain, Belgium -- I 
	forget 'oo's with 'oom.

A pause.

			BROTHER
		(quiet desperation)
	And that is all you can tell us?

			ALLNUT
	All I know. -- I'll try to pick up 
	some more, next trip to Limbasi.

			BROTHER
	I wonder to what extent we here shall 
	be affected.

			ALLNUT
	None, I shouldn't think.

			BROTHER
	This is German territory.

			ALLNUT
	Why would they want to bother a poor 
	devil of a missionary and his maiden 
	sister? -- beggin' your pardons.

			BROTHER
	We are enemy aliens.

			ALLNUT
	Wot's the difference -- in this God-
	forsaken place?

			ROSE
		(bridling)
	God has not forgotten this place, 
	Mr. Allnutt -- as my brother's 
	presence here bears witness.

			ALLNUT
	No offence, Miss.

Another puzzled pause.

			BROTHER
	Really war.

			ALLNUT
	Looks like it... Well, I better shove 
	off now. Many thanks for the tea.

He opens the door and goes through it.

REVERSE ANGLE SHOT -- GROUP

as Brother and Rose come through after him.

			ALLNUT
	Well, take care of yerselves.
		(he goes down the 
			steps)
	See ya next month.

			BROTHER
	Goodbye. And thank you.

			ALLNUT
		(at bottom of steps)
	'Bye, Miss.

			ROSE
	Goodbye, Mr. Allnutt.

LONG SHOT -- PAST THEM

CAMERA watches them watch him as he shambles towards his 
boat. He soon lights a stogie; his relief in smoking and in 
being free of them is eloquent in his back. His boys jump to 
action; curious villagers make way for him; the engine is 
going by the time he gets there. The boat backs out and sets 
its course upstream; Allnutt turns and lifts a hand. Brother 
lifts a hand; Rose doesn't. The boat soon goes out of sight 
beyond trees.

OVER the above, back-to-CAMERA, or quarter-profiled from the 
rear as they idly watch his departure, Rose and Brother talk 
quietly as follows:

			ROSE
	Shouldn't we perhaps call him back? 
	Get to Limbasi while we can?

			BROTHER
		(with unction, yet 
			with dignity)
	The good shepherd does not forsake 
	his flock when wolves prowl.
		(a pause)
	Besides, I think Allnutt is very 
	probably right... I can't imagine 
	any reason why the Germans should 
	trouble us.

			ROSE
	No, I suppose not.

By now, the boat is pulling out; Brother and Allnutt exchange 
their not very friendly waves. Rose looks idly after Allnutt, 
in Sunday boredom. Nothing is said for a few seconds after 
the boat vanishes; the SOUND of the engine dwindles.

			BROTHER
		(awed, and moved)
	War. England. Just think!

As he speaks, CAMERA STARTS a coldly SLOW PAN, past the 
chapel, and square onto the jungle, so altering its position 
behind Brother and Rose that they are held in -- l.s. (where 
before they were in r.s.).

(N.B.: BY MID-PAN the ENGINE SOUND dies.)

An almost nude native explodes from the wall of jungle, 
running as fast as he can, bellowing breathlessly in Swahili 
and English. Until they hear his bellowing, Brother's and 
Rose's heads are still ANGLED AWAY from jungle -- not towards 
river still, but idle and unfocused. With the first sound of 
his voice, their heads turn sharply, with weary impatience, 
not alarm, towards the sound.

The native does not pause in the village, though he shouts 
vague things in Swahili as he runs, setting up a kind of 
helpless agitation among the villagers; in b.g. we see still 
more of them coming with lazy interest out of their huts, 
while the native tears towards the bungalow bellowing, 
breathlessly.

			NATIVE
	Mistah Sayuh! Mistah Sayuh!

MEDIUM CLOSEUP -- ROSE AND BROTHER (FROM RUNNER'S ANGLE)

favoring Brother.

			NATIVE'S VOICE
		(o.s.)
	Mistah! Oh Mistah Sayuh!

The eyes of Brother and Rose abruptly lift beyond the runner 
and come into focus as hard as hawks; almost instantly, their 
faces become terrible with recognition, despair, and courage -- 
and, for the moment with uncertainty, still, whether such 
emotions are needed.

REVERSE SHOT -- (FROM THEIR ANGLE AND DISTANCE) -- GERMAN 
TROOPS

emerge from the somber wall of the jungle, tiny against the 
wall, but looking very efficacious and professional in their 
tropical uniforms. Instantly they form ranks before an officer 
who barks an order in German, just audible to us. The natives 
are somewhat scared and awed, but mainly immobilized with 
scare, awe, and curiosity. Upon the order, the Germans 
promptly break ranks and start swiftly and effectively about 
their business. One group starts rounding up the natives. 
Another starts collecting live-stock, usable food and 
supplies. Another covers operations with rifles. Two men 
light torches and start setting fire to straw huts. One man 
stands by the officer.

			BROTHER'S VOICE
		(o.s.; as soon as it 
			becomes clear what 
			the Germans are up 
			to, his voice is 
			quiet but harsh)
	Rose -- go indoors and stay there.

o.s., the SOUND of their feet on the front steps. They come 
swiftly into the SHOT BELOW the CAMERA and walk fast, Rose 
trailing, towards the officer. After only a few steps Brother 
begins to trot, ungainly; Rose, still more ungainly, in her 
narrow skirt, trots too.

CLOSE SHOT -- THE OFFICER --

a tired, rather heavy, neutral, thoroughly unmemorable face. 
He is not as tall as Brother, to whom he is giving the once-
over. His look is neither brutal nor humane: just experienced. 
It seems to say, roughly and humorously: "Well, well, what 
have I got to deal with here?" His guardian soldier steps 
quickly to one side and forward; a nonentity with a gun.

LESS CLOSE SHOT -- BROTHER -- (ROSE IN B.G.)

			BROTHER
		(boiling mad, the 
			innocent courage of 
			a lion)
	What is the meaning of this outrage!

OFFICER --

centered, but a little less close than before; his guard in 
extreme r.s.

			OFFICER
		(calmly, in German)
	Speak German, please; I speak no 
	English.

CLOSER SHOT -- BROTHER

the crest of a wave of righteous fury mounting just before 
breaking; toppling forward; the terrifying face of a man 
almost ready to murder out of a sense of being right.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- THE FOUR OF THEM --

as close as the CAMERA can frame all four; as, simultaneously, 
Brother lunges forward at the officer, Rose lunges forward 
to prevent Brother; the officer steps neatly backward and 
sidewise, and his guardian steps forward briskly and, sharply 
but just hard enough to be effective, and with an ugly SOUND 
of impact, strikes Brother on the left joint of the jaw with 
his rifle butt. Brother goes heavily to the ground with a 
groaning gasp.

			BROTHER
		(rage, shock, 
			astonishment)
	No!

			ROSE
		(at same instant, 
			squatting beside 
			him, turning his 
			head; she is beside 
			herself)
	Judkins!

CLOSE UP -- BROTHER -- (SHOOTING DOWN PAST ROSE) as she turns 
his head.

			BROTHER
		(semi-conscious; his 
			jaw not broken but 
			bleeding and already 
			swelling)
	No. No.

			ROSE
		(across his words)
	Oh, Judkins. Brother dear. Come, 
	dear. Come, Brother.

She helps him to his feet; past them, the officer and his 
guard walk briskly, aloofly away, and past the whole business, 
as Brother and Rose get up and the CAMERA LIFTS to normal 
eye level with them, a much later stage of the destruction 
of the village is visible in b.g. and is implied o.s. by 
Brother's eyes.

Brother's eyes, scorched-looking, appalled, all but demented, 
flick from horror to horror; he is watching the annihilation 
of his life's work and, to his mind, the annihilation of 
Christian and potential Christian souls; his head quavers in 
the negative gesture like that of a paretic; his mouth, always 
hard up to this moment, trembles now and looks curiously 
large and sensual.

			BROTHER
	No! No, Lord! O no! O no! Lord! No! 
	O no!

Rose is in the SHOT with him; shorter and less favored than 
he is. Her eyes are constantly upon his face. Tears come out 
of her eyes, but she is doing no vocal crying. She is watching 
his heart break and, essentially, she is watching him die, 
and knows it.

							SLOW FADE:

FADE IN:

LONG SHOT -- SAME AS THAT WHICH OPENS THE PICTURE --

the hottest part of the day -- most smashing sunlight 
possible.

There is no village now -- only the round scorched marks 
where the huts stood; a sketch of debris.

At some distance from the bungalow, and in the middle of a 
lot of gaping space, Brother is hoeing in his vegetable 
garden. He is terribly small in the enormous barrenness and 
light. He hoes long enough to convey great loneliness and a 
kind of blind perseverance, then straightens and looks rather 
vaguely around him, mopping his face and bald head with a 
handkerchief. Then, with an abrupt look of purpose, he starts 
walking, letting the hoe fall where it happens to. He walks 
towards the bungalow, across the bare ground, not very fast 
or very steadily, but purposefully. The sunlight makes a 
near-halation on his bare, bald head. The walk takes him 
long enough to infer utter loneliness and the destruction of 
any human sense of time. He starts up the front steps.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE IN THE PARLOR

She hears him coming up the steps o.s. She continues mending 
his nightshirt. On SOUND of him coming through front door, 
she glances up again and her face becomes curious, then 
concerned.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- BROTHER -- (FROM HER VIEWPOINT)

as he advances into room. He is dressed in his Sunday best, 
immaculate except for sweat-and-dust of immediate garden 
work. His face is carefully shaven, but it has thinned and 
he is very pale. The wounded jaw is not bandaged and is 
virtually healed; stubble around it. There is a streak of 
garden dust across the temple and up onto the bald head. He 
is looking hard at Rose, but his eyes can't keep in focus.

			BROTHER
		(sweat pouring from 
			him, teeth rattling)
	Why aren't you dressed, Rose? It's 
	time for Service.

SIDE ANGLE SHOT -- ROSE

gets up, deep concern on her face, comes quickly to him, 
bringing both into SHOT, and lays a hand against his forehead. 
Her reaction infers that Brother has a terribly high fever.

			ROSE
	You must wear your hat!

			BROTHER
		(teeth chattering)
	Time, this minute!

Rose starts to lead and support his obstinacy, CAMERA WITH 
THEM, towards his bedroom door.

			ROSE
	You must lie down a bit. You're not 
	at all well.

			BROTHER
		(resisting feebly but 
			coming along, shakily)
	But it's time. It's time.

			ROSE
	You're not well enough. Lie down a 
	bit, dear.

			BROTHER
	Perhaps I should. I feel rather odd.

			ROSE
	I'll help you off with your things.

			BROTHER
		(in a suddenly normal 
			and shriveling voice; 
			quietly)
	Rose.

She opens his door for him; he starts through.

			BROTHER
		(as he turns to shut 
			his door)
	'k you?

He shuts the door in her face.

For a moment she stands outside the door as if paralyzed. 
Then she starts somewhere fast.

CLOSE UP -- THEIR FORLORNLY POPULATED BOOKSHELF.

Rose hurries into the SHOT and takes down a large obsolescent-
looking Home-Medical Compodium.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

SHOOTING LOW across the bleak dining room table as she hustles 
the big book to it and opens it. She is standing. She is 
still in a painful rush through the index when o.s. there is 
the NOISE of a catastrophic fall.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE (BACK TO CAMERA)

at Brother's door. By reflex, she hesitates and raps timidly. 
Instantly realizing the idiocy of this, she bursts in.

REVERSE ANGLE SHOT -- ROSE

inside Brother's bedroom, SHOOTING FROM LOW as she enters 
and stands a moment transfixed by what she sees, her face 
suddenly rigid and masklike with horror and pity.

CLOSE SHOT -- DOWN -- BROTHER (FROM ROSE'S VIEWPOINT)

He is piteous, absurd and ugly; sprawled out on the floor as 
ill-shaped as a wounded bat, with his nightshirt partly on, 
shrouding his head, and his trousers half off, trammeling 
knees which are grotesquely angled. Between lowered pants 
and hiked-up nightshirt, a sad, humiliating expanse of long 
white drawers in this furnace weather. His feet are fouled-
up in his suspenders. The SHOT is to be both preposterous 
and shocking.

CLOSE UP SHOT -- ROSE

past Brother from floor.

			ROSE
		(almost whispering)
	Brother! Brother dear!

She rushes stooping towards him. CAMERA MOVES into CLOSE UP, 
as she lifts his heavy head clearly into the SHOT and gets 
it unveiled from the nightshirt. The big face looks ruined, 
disgraced, dead, but a low mumbling sighing comes from him. 
He is far gone.

She is about to try to lift him towards his bed when he begins 
to walk; she waits and listens.

			BROTHER
		(eyes shut; a faint, 
			delirious voice)
	Smite them, Lord! Smite the 
	Amalekites, hip and thigh!

			ROSE
		(whispering -- almost 
			by reflex)
	Amen.
		(with a long a)

			BROTHER
	So cold and so foggy. My eyes are so 
	tired. Where is Rose? Rose, are you 
	down there in the shop? Rose, bring 
	me a cup of hot tea.

			ROSE
	I'm here with you, Brother dear. 
	Right here beside you.

			BROTHER
	I try to study -- so hard. I haven't 
	had the start some have: 'Ebrew; 
	Greek -- no -- facility. If only 
	there were more time. Well, if I 
	can't pass the examinations, I can 
	volunteer. I can be a missionary. 
	Rose, too. Not comely among maidens, 
	but she can become a servant in the 
	house of the Lord. Yes, even for 
	such as she, God finds a goodly use.

There is deep pain on Rose's face. She almost wants to say 
something, but knows the senselessness of it. She just keeps 
looking at him and listening.

			BROTHER
		(with calm, resolve, 
			acceptance)
	I'm going to put my books away, Rose. 
	I'm not going to study any more. If 
	I don't pass, it only means that God 
	has other work for me. Thy will be 
	done.
		(in a different voice, 
			secret, piteous, 
			impassioned)
	But, Lord, if it be Thy Will, O let 
	me distinguish myself and give me a 
	call here in England, right here at 
	home, Lord. Mother will be so proud, 
	Lord. Abash and put to shame all 
	them that revile me and persecute me 
	for Thy Name's sake.
		(whispering; pleading)
	Lord, I have tried so hard.

He is silent; she is motionless. Slowly LIFT CAMERA, losing 
Brother, CENTERING ROSE IN CLOSE UP.

							SLOW FADE:

FADE IN:

FULL SHOT -- MUDDY WATER -- MORNING

The screen is filled with a foamy, strongly sliding floor of 
muddy water; a strong, serene freshness of water SOUND. The 
SHOT is VERTICAL onto this water from perhaps three feet 
above it. o.s., already loud, and loudening, the NOISE of 
the engine of The African Queen.

LIFT CAMERA, picking up the launch unexpectedly close as, 
slanting into broadside, she draws the letters of her name.

THE AFRICAN QUEEN

large across the SHOT.

CONTINUE LIFTING; as boat passes, we see Allnutt very briefly 
and see that he is alone.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

over SOUND of expiring engine and rattle of anchor chain, 
reacting to his first sight of the vanished village. He looks 
a little scared and very cautious; he has seen what was done 
at the mine, and now even the smell of violence, or the echo 
of its impact, makes him very uneasy. He is even dirtier and 
more unshaven than when we first saw him and he looks 
extremely tired.

LONG SHOT -- THE VILLAGE

what we see of it from his angle. Since he is lower than the 
village, all we can see is a lot of abnormal, empty sunlight.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT (SAME AS BEFORE)

He is wary, but knows he must investigate. He goes overside, 
almost out of the SHOT, stepping across a stump to shore. 
SWING WITH HIM.

As he reaches the top of the low bank, TRUCK with him, MEDIUM 
CLOSE, as he walks through a little of the burnt-out village. 
Past him, the scorched circular blotches where the huts were; 
burned and half-burned little pens and fences; ravaged 
gardens. He is still careful and uneasy. Unaware of it, he 
walks through this silence of devastation almost on tiptoe. 
Now he raises his eyes towards the intact bungalow o.s., and 
a new kind of carefulness comes into his eyes.

STOP the TRUCKING and PAN with him as he walks past and bring 
in the bungalow, looking cavernous, very still, and cryptic 
or menacing in the sunlight, as he walks the last few paces 
towards it. He hesitates a moment at the foot of the steps. 
It obviously occurs to him that he may find corpses, or nobody 
at all. He starts up the steps, still walking a little 
stealthily.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

through the screen door, from inside, as he comes up the 
quietly creaking steps, sensitive to the mood of a kind of 
desolation different from that of the village; uneasy. He 
crosses the porch very quietly, again hesitates, peers through 
the gray screen door into the dark interior, and raps rather 
timidly.

			ROSE
		(o.s., a dry quiet 
			voice with the calm 
			of exhaustion in it)
	Come in, Mr. Allnutt.

Her voice startles him as much as it should ourselves. He 
peers again, forehead wrinkled like a monkey's. He can't see 
her. He shyly opens and comes through the door, mumbling 
something apologetic and subversal.

As he catches sight of her, SWING CAMERA to RIGHT, losing 
him, and PICK ROSE UP, MEDIUM CLOSE. She is past the angle 
of visibility from the screen door. She is in a wicker rocking 
chair, sitting quite primly, working with those rings on 
which embroidering is done. She glances up at him with eyes 
like fused glass -- then quickly back to her needlework. It 
is clear by the over-precision of her motions, and their 
rigidity and tension, that she is under great strain, but 
this is to be keyed low and simple.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT (FROM HER ANGLE)

He watches her; he knows enough to keep quiet; he waits; 
becomes aware of his muddy feet and quietly tries to clean 
one against the calf and shin of the other leg.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE (SAME AS BEFORE)

She does a couple more stitches, obtains sufficient control 
of herself, and lowers the needlework into her lap.

			ROSE
		(quietly, as before)
	Thank God you've come.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT (AS BEFORE)

Nobody has ever thanked God in connection with him before. 
His reaction is quiet, but clearly this is a surprising and 
novel experience. He says nothing.

			ROSE
	(o.S.) Sit down, Mr. Allnutt.

			ALLNUT
	Don't mind if I do.

He walks into:

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

He sits on the edge of a chair and jockeys it, shyly, a little 
nearer her.

			ALLNUT
	So they got here afore I did, eh?

			ROSE
	Yes, they got here. Just after you 
	left.

			ALLNUT
	No!

She says nothing.

			ALLNUT
	Couldn't a been more wrong, could I? 
	Bout the Germans.

			ROSE
		(a quieter, remote 
			voice)
	Burning villages.

			ALLNUT
	That's to keep the natives from 
	runnin' away. No place to come back 
	to. Been doin' it all over, they 
	told me up at Limbasi. The Germans 
	are gonna train 'em into an army and 
	try to take over the whole of Africa.

			ROSE
	Poor helpless natives!

			ALLNUT
	It was the same up at the mine when 
	I got back from Limbasi. A clean 
	sweep of everything. Just plain luck 
	I was on the river. They could 
	certainly use my launch and what's 
	in 'er, too. Blastin' gelatine, Miss. 
	Eight boxes of it. An' a lot of canned 
	grub. An' cylinders of oxygen an' 
	hydrogen for that weldin' job on the 
	crusher. Lots o' stuff.

			ROSE
		(same dead voice)
	Oh, trust them.

			ALLNUT
	But as it 'appens, I got the stuff -- 
	an' the launch. Only I've got no 
	crew, an' she ain't an easy boat to 
	run single-'anded. Cause them two 
	boys o' mine just skipped in the 
	night. Don't know if they were scared 
	o' me or the Germans.

			ROSE
		(quietly, always)
	They are fiends out of hell... His 
	whole life's work smashed. Ruined. 
	In a few minutes.

			ALLNUT
	The Reverend, eh?
		(Rose nods)
	Where's 'e now, Miss?

			ROSE
		(pause; quietly)
	He's dead.

			ALLNUT
	I say, that's too bad! Pretty rough 
	on you, Miss.
		(embarrassed; trying 
			to keep the ball 
			rolling)
	What'd 'e die of, Miss?

			ROSE
	They killed him.

			ALLNUT
		(really a little 
			surprised and shocked)
	Well, now that's just awful! If 
	they'll up and shoot a Reverend, who 
	couldn't do 'em a bit a 'arm, there 
	ain't nobody safe.

			ROSE
	They didn't shoot him, Mr. Allnutt. 
	But they are accountable to God just 
	as surely as if they had.

			ALLNUT
	'Ow d'you mean, Miss?

			ROSE
	They broke his heart. He didn't take 
	care of himself. He didn't want to 
	live.

She is looking into his eyes as if daring him to doubt or 
disagree. He is timid, perceptive and kind enough not to 
argue with her. After a moment, he avoids her eyes.

			ALLNUT
	Well, Miss that's cert'nly too bad, 
	that's all I can say.
		(both are quiet and 
			he is uneasy in the 
			silence. Making 
			conversation)
	When'd 'e die, Miss?

			ROSE
	Early this morning.
		(an odd gesture)
	He's in there.

			ALLNUT
	Hey!

			ROSE
	I beg your pardon?

			ALLNUT
	'Scuse it, Miss.
		(delicately)
	Wot I mean to say is -- the climate 
	'n all -- quicker you get 'im under 
	ground the better, if you don't mind 
	me sayin' so.

Rose nods.

			ALLNUT
		(getting up)
	Got a shovel?

			ROSE
	Behind the bungalow.

			ALLNUT
	Right. -- Tell ya wot. While I'm 
	diggin' the grave, you get yer things 
	together, Miss -- all the things ya 
	want to take. Then we can clear out 
	of 'ere.

			ROSE
	Clear out?

			ALLNUT
	Germans might come back any time.

			ROSE
	Why should they? They left nothing.

			ALLNUT
	Oh, they'll come back, all right. 
	Lookin' for The African Queen. They'd 
	dearly love to get their 'ooks on 
	'er. She's the only power boat on 
	the river.

			ROSE
	Where will we go?

			ALLNUT
	I thought, Miss, 'ow we might find 
	somewhere quiet behind an island. 
	Then we could talk about what to do.

			ROSE
		(a pause; then with 
			quick decision)
	I'll get my things ready.

			ALLNUT
	Fine, Miss, I'll be quick's I can.

He starts for the front door.

			ROSE
	Thank you, Mr. Allnutt.

			ALLNUT
	You'd do the same for me, Miss.

As he thinks it over, he begins to wonder, literal-mindedly, 
whether she really would. He goes on out.

							DISSOLVE TO:

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT -- AT THE GRAVE

They stand on opposite sides of the new grave. At its head 
is an improvised cross, two pieces of wood carefully and 
securely wired together.

Rose is reading the last lines of the burial service from a 
Methodist or Presbyterian prayerbook.

She reads rather badly; (i.E., with the Protestant shadings 
of "expressiveness") yet between the language and the conflict 
between restraint and deep emotion in her voice, it is quite 
moving. Allnutt, while she reads, is trying to pay polite 
attention; he even says "Amen", and such, in a sheepish kind 
of way. But his eyes keep sliding uneasily to the jungle; 
the Germans really do worry him.

When she has finished, she stands very silent, for longer 
than he can take. He tries reasonably hard, but finally he 
has to speak.

			ALLNUT
	Well, Miss, let's get outa here while 
	the gettin's good.

Rose, without looking at him or at the grave, and without 
speaking, walks away; he picks up his spade and follows.

MEDIUM SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT at the edge of the porch. 
Rose pauses, looks over towards Brother's grave for the last 
time. Allnutt stands beside her, carrying her suitcase, not 
wanting to hurry her again, but wishing she'd get a move on.

MEDIUM LONG SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT -- (SHOOTING PAST THEM, 
FROM THE INSIDE EDGE OF THE PORCH)

By the turn of her head, our eye is led across the scarified 
clearing. We see the stunted cross and the overwhelming jungle 
and, perhaps, a little of the chapel.

			ROSE
		(really meaning it; 
			but very restrained 
			and prim)
	It was very kind of you, Mr. Allnutt, 
	to think of the cross.

			ALLNUT
	Shucks. Just seemed like he oughta 
	have one, him a Reverend 'n all.

Rose walks down the steps and towards the river. Allnutt 
eagerly keeps pace. We SWING the CAMERA losing the grave, 
and passing and losing the chapel, and centering them getting 
smaller along the bare ground in the hot sunlight, bringing 
in the river beyond them.

			ALLNUTT'S VOICE
		(o.s.)
	Careful now, Miss. Watch your step. 
	That's right.

MEDIUM LONG SHOT -- OF AFRICAN QUEEN AT ANCHOR (SHOOTING 
PAST BOW) and keeping the noisy SOUND of the water. We pick 
up Rose and Allnutt as Allnutt helps her aboard. In her long 
and somewhat narrow skirt she is distinctly old-maidish.

			ROSE
		(with the upward 
			English inflection -- 
			a little as if he 
			had passed her a 
			teacup)
	Thank -- you?

Allnutt steps aboard.

MEDIUM SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT Rose sits down at the rear 
of the boat and looks around her. Her feet are drawn under 
her and knees close together and hands lightly folded on her 
knees (perhaps a lady's scrap of handkerchief in one hand), 
as prim, genteel and ladylike as if, on a holiday afternoon, 
she were about to be rowed across an artificial lake fifty 
yards wide. And that is more or less the way she glances 
about her in her new surroundings -- politely and 
restrainedly, as if a little critical of a parlor somewhat 
humbler than her own.

(This SHOT, at the very beginning of her voyage, is to be 
quite touching, delicate and ironical, and through her very 
genteelism and total unconcern for what she is up against -- 
an unawareness -- we begin already to sense her complete 
intrepidity.)

Allnutt pauses to light up a cigarette before getting to 
work. He hangs the cigarette inside his upper lip. This 
cigarette, dead or alive, is a chronic fixture with Allnutt.

Allnutt kneels in the bottom of the boat and addresses himself 
to the engine. He hauls out a panful of hot ashes and dumps 
them overside with a sizzle and a splutter. He fills the 
furnace with fresh wood from a pile beside him, and soon 
smoke appears from the funnel, and we hear the ROAR of the 
draught. The engine begins to sigh and splutter, and then 
begins to leak gray pencils of steam. Allnutt peers at his 
gauges, thrusts in some more wood, and then leaps forward 
around the engine, displaying monkeyish agility in handling 
more tasks than he quite has the hands or the stamina for. 
With grunts and heaves of the small windlass, he hauls in 
the anchor, the sweat pouring from him in rivers. We see 
already that he is physically not a strong man.

Allnutt thrusts mightily at the muddy bank with a long pole, 
snatches the pole on board again, and then rushes aft to the 
tiller.

			ALLNUT
	'Scuse me, Miss.

He sweeps her aside unceremoniously (she is astonished but 
quickly reassembles herself) and he puts the tiller over 
just in time to save the boat from running into the bank.

CAMERA IN on Rose, resettling her plumage, and on Allnutt at 
the tiller. The river bank starts to swing in square to the 
stern. Their eyes are past the CAMERA.

MEDIUM SHOT -- (MOVING WITH BOAT) -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT Rose 
is deeply sad and very tired, but a very quiet kind of 
exhilaration is already growing in her; and still more 
clearly, her calm and tremendous, unreflecting resoluteness 
begins to show.

A pause.

			ROSE
	Mr. Allnutt.

			ALLNUT
	Yerss...?

			ROSE
	What are the chances of our getting 
	out through Limbasi on the railway 
	to the Coast?

			ALLNUT
	The railway was in German 'ands when 
	I was in Limbasi -- and by this time 
	Limbasi is too, I'll bet.

			ROSE
	Then how do we get out, Mr. Allnutt?

			ALLNUT
	You got me, Miss.
		(after a pause)
	We've got 'eaps of grub 'ere, Miss, 
	so we're all right, far as that goes. 
	Two thousand cigarettes, two cases 
	of gin. We could find a good 'iding 
	place an' stay there for months if 
	we want to.

Rose's astonishment at this suggestion keeps her from 
replying.

			ALLNUT
		(rattling on)
	I spose there's goin' to be a fight. 
	If our troops come from the sea, 
	they'll attack up the railway to 
	Limbasi, I spose. In that case, the 
	best thing we could do would be to 
	wait round down 'ere an' just go up 
	to Limbasi when the time came. -- On 
	the other 'and, they might come down 
	from British East, an' if they do 
	that we'd 'ave the Germans between 
	us and them all the time. Same if 
	they came from Rhodesia or Portuguese 
	East. We're in a bit of a fix, 
	whichever way y'look at it, Miss.
		(abruptly)
	Mind takin' the tiller, Miss?

Allnutt stands up and Rose takes over the tiller, holding 
the iron rod resolutely. Allnutt goes to his engine and is 
violently active once more. He pulls open the furnace door 
and thrusts in a few sticks of fuel; then he scrambles up 
into the bow and stands balanced on the cargo. The river is 
studded with islands so that it appears as if there were a 
dozen different channels.

			ALLNUT
	Port a little, Miss.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE She is confused by the command.

			ALLNUTT'S VOICE
		(o.s.)
	Pull it over this side, I mean. -- 
	That's it! Steady!

MOVING SHOT -- THE LAUNCH The boat crawls up a narrow tunnel 
of leaf and shade. (If color photography is used, the SHOT 
would be startingly juicy and green -- many shades of green 
reflected in rich brown water.)

Allnutt comes leaping back over the cargo and shuts off the 
engine; the propeller stops vibrating.

Allnutt dashes into the bow again. Just as the trees (SHOOTING 
PAST ROSE and her interest in it) begin apparently to move 
forward again as the current overcomes the boat's way, he 
lets go the anchor with a rattling CRASH, and almost without 
a jerk the launch comes to a standstill.

A great silence seems to close in on them -- the silence of 
a tropical river at noon. The only SOUND is the subdued rush 
and gargle of the water. The sober air is filled with a 
strange light -- a green light.

Allnutt turns from his work at the anchor. He and Rose look 
about them and at each other, for a moment mysteriously 
bemused by the stillness and by the beauty of the place. The 
sudden quietness and the look of the place are richly 
romantic; the two people are quieted by it, but they are 
wholly unaware of any such potentiality between them. They 
are just a couple of oddly assorted derelicts who hardly 
even know each other, and don't care for what little they 
know.

A pause.

			ALLNUT
	So far so good. 'Ere we are safe an' 
	sound, as you might say.
		(he beams upon his 
			surroundings)
	Not too bad a spot, is it, Miss, to 
	sit a war out in? All the comforts 
	of 'ome, includin' runnin' water.

He laughs at his joke and is disappointed when Rose does not 
join him.

			ROSE
	I'm afraid, Mr. Allnutt, that what 
	you suggest is quite impossible.

			ALLNUT
	'Ave you got any ideas?
		(he takes a map out 
			of his pocket and 
			hands it to her)
	'Ere's a map, Miss. Show me the way 
	out an' I'll take it.

Rose opens the map and starts studying it.

			ALLNUT
		(after a while)
	One thing sure; our men won't come 
	up from the Congo, not even if they 
	want to. They'd 'ave to cross the 
	lake, and nothin' won't cross the 
	lake while The Louisa is there.

			ROSE
		(blankly)
	The Louisa? What's that?

			ALLNUT
	It's an 'undred-ton German steamer, 
	Miss, and she's the boss o' the lake 
	'cause she's got a six-pounder.

			ROSE
	What's that?

			ALLNUT
	A gun, Miss. The biggest gun in 
	Central Africa.

			ROSE
	I see.

			ALLNUT
	If it wasn't for The Louisa, there 
	wouldn't be nothin' to it. The Germans 
	couldn't last a month if our men 
	could get across the lake... But all 
	this doesn't get us any nearer 'ome, 
	does it, Miss? Believe me, if I could 
	think wot we could do...

			ROSE
	This river, the Ulanga, runs into 
	the lake, doesn't it?

			ALLNUT
	Well, Miss, it does; but if you was 
	thinkin' of goin' to the lake in 
	this launch -- well, you needn't 
	think about it any more. We can't 
	and that's certain.

			ROSE
	Why not?

			ALLNUT
	Rapids, Miss. Cataracts and gorges. 
	There's an 'undred miles of rapids 
	down there. Why, the river's even 
	got a different nyme where it comes 
	out on the lake to what it's called 
	up 'ere. It's the Bora down there. 
	No one knew they was the same river 
	until that chap Spengler --

			ROSE
	He got down it. I remember.

			ALLNUT
	Yes, Miss, in a dugout canoe. 'E 'ad 
	half a dozen Swahili paddlers. Map 
	makin', 'e was. In fact, that's 'is 
	map you're lookin' at. There's places 
	where this ole river goes shootin' 
	down there like out of a fire 'ose. 
	We couldn't never get this ole launch 
	through.

While he talks, Rose begins to look restive and vague, as 
well as discouraged. By the time he is through, she has stood 
up, CAMERA WITH HER; she hardly hears him. She strolls a 
little aimlessly PAST THE CAMERA, which SWINGS TO CENTER HER 
BACK as she walks forward. As if half in her sleep, she 
sidesteps the engine.

REVERSE ANGLE -- ROSE (SHOOTING FROM THE BOW) as Rose 
sidesteps. She walks toward CAMERA into MEDIUM CLOSE UP, 
eyes glazing with dreamlike concentration. She sees something 
before and below her eye-level; stops, focusing on it.

CLOSE SHOT -- (FROM ROSE'S ANGLE) -- THE GELATINE CASES not 
marked or labeled as such.

			ROSE'S VOICE
		(o.s.)
	Mr. Allnutt --

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

			ALLNUT
	Yes, Miss.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE -- (FROM ALLNUTT'S ANGLE)

			ROSE
	What did you say is in these boxes 
	with the red lines on them?

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- (FROM ROSE'S ANGLE) lounging 
and lazy.

			ALLNUT
	That's blastin' gelatine, Miss.

MEDIUM SHOT -- ALLNUTT AND ROSE (SHOOTING FROM BOW)

			ROSE
		(head towards him, 
			away from CAMERA)
	Isn't it dangerous?

			ALLNUT
	Bless you, no, Miss, that's safety 
	stuff, that is. It can get wet and 
	not do any 'arm. If you set fire to 
	it, it just burns. You can 'it it 
	wiv an 'ammer and it won't go off -- 
	at least I don't fink it will. It 
	takes a detonator to set it off. 
	I'll put it over the side if it 
	worries you though.

			ROSE
		(sharply, yet absently 
			as she turns into 
			CAMERA)
	No. We may need it.

Allnutt keeps watching her idly, a little amused and very 
slightly contemptuous. She wanders away from the boxes, eyes 
downcast in thought, and pauses again.

			ROSE
		(not looking up)
	Mr. Allnutt --

			ALLNUT
	Yeah?

INSERT -- THE STEEL CYLINDERS IN BOTTOM OF BOAT

			ROSE'S VOICE
		(o.s.)
	And what are these queer long round 
	things?

MEDIUM SHOT -- THE BOW -- (PAST ROSE -- ON ALLNUTT)

			ALLNUT
	Them's the oxygen and hydrogen 
	cylinders, Miss. Ain't no good to 
	us, though. Next time I shift cargo, 
	I'll dump 'em.

CLOSER SHOT -- ROSE

			ROSE
		(sharply, yet still 
			more subconsciously 
			and quietly than 
			before)
	I wouldn't do that.

She keeps looking down at them, musingly, "subconsciously," 
while CAMERA CREEPS CLOSER to her.

			ROSE
	They look like -- like torpedoes.

"Torpedoes" is spoken over:

INSERT -- CYLINDERS -- a new and most deadly possible looking 
SHOT of the cylinders.

STILL CLOSER SHOT -- ROSE Slowly she raises her eyes from 
floor angle to normal; a wild light is dawning in her eyes.

			ROSE
		(in the voice almost 
			of a medium)
	Mr. Allnutt --

She turns very slowly towards him.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- (FROM ROSE'S ANGLE)

			ALLNUT
		(a little bit smug)
	I'm still right here, Miss, and on a 
	thirty-foot boat there ain't much of 
	any place else I could be.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE -- (FROM ALLNUTT'S ANGLE) walking 
slowly and somewhat portentously towards him.

			ROSE
		(full of the wild 
			light)
	You're a machinist, aren't you? Wasn't 
	that your position at the mine?

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- (FROM ROSE'S ANGLE)

CAMERA ADVANCING on him at Rose's pace, stopping, looking 
down, during his last six or eight words.

			ALLNUT
		(comfortably)
	Yeah, kind of fixer. Jack of all 
	trades and master o' none, like they 
	say.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE -- (FROM ALLNUTT'S ANGLE) disconcertingly 
close.

			ROSE
	Could you make a torpedo?

			ALLNUTT'S VOICE
		(o.s.)
	Come again, Miss?

			ROSE
	Could you make a torpedo.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

			ALLNUT
	You don't really know what you're 
	askin', Miss. It's this way, you 
	see. A torpedo is a very complicated 
	piece of machinery what with 
	gyroscopes an' compressed air chambers 
	an' vertical and horizontal rudders 
	an' compensating weights. Why, a 
	torpedo costs at least a thousand 
	pounds to make.

He relaxes; his manner is "The State Rests."

SWING CAMERA to center Rose, still perched on the gunwale.

			ROSE
		(after a short pause; 
			unperturbed)
	But all those things, those gyroscopes 
	and things, they're only to make it 
	go, aren't they?

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- (NEUTRAL ANGLE)

			ALLNUT
	Uh-huh. Go -- and hit what it's goin' 
	after.

ROSE -- (AS BEFORE)

			ROSE
		(at the height of her 
			inventiveness; the 
			words triumphant and 
			almost stumbling out)
	Well! We've got The African Queen.

She stands up with these words, CAMERA RISING with her, 
SHOOTING FROM A LITTLE BELOW; her eager eyes are constantly 
on Allnutt.

			ROSE
	If we put this -- this blasting stuff -- 
	in the front of the boat here -- and 
	a -- what did you say -- deno -- 
	detonator there, why that would be a 
	torpedo, wouldn't it?

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT looking up at her, greatly amused, 
almost sardonically admiring her.

			ROSE'S VOICE
		(o.s.)
	Those cylinders. They could stick 
	out over the end, with that gunpowder 
	stuff in them and the detonator in 
	the tips where the taps are.

ROSE -- (AS BEFORE)

			ROSE
	Then if we ran the boat against the 
	side of a ship, they'd -- well, they'd 
	go off, just like a torpedo.
		(somewhat doubtfully, 
			in a return to her 
			submissive feminine 
			habit)
	Wouldn't they?

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

			ALLNUT
		(tremendously amused; 
			gravely)
	That might work.
		(humoring her along, 
			and a little taken 
			in by his own fondness 
			for makeshift)
	Them cylinders'd do right enough. I 
	could let the gas out of 'em and 
	fill 'em up with the gelignite. I 
	could fix up a detonator all right. 
	Revolver cartridge'd do.
		(warming up to it, as 
			an impossible project)
	Why, sure, we could cut 'oles in the 
	bows of the launch, and 'ave the 
	cylinders stickin' out through them, 
	so's to get the explosion near the 
	water. Might turn the trick. But 
	what would 'appen to us? It would 
	blow this ole launch and us and 
	everything all to Kingdom come.

			ROSE
	I wasn't thinking that we should be 
	in the launch. Couldn't we get 
	everything ready and have a -- what 
	do you call it -- a good head of 
	steam up and point the launch toward 
	the ship and then dive off before it 
	hit? Wouldn't that do?

			ALLNUT
	Might work, Miss. But what are we 
	talkin' about, anyway. There ain't 
	nothin' to torpedo. 'Cause The African 
	Queen's the only boat on the river.

			ROSE
	Oh, yes there is.

			ALLNUT
	Is what?

			ROSE
	Something to torpedo.

			ALLNUT
	An' what's that, Miss?

			ROSE
	The Louisa.

			ALLNUT
		(on mention of The 
			Louisa, a blank, 
			silent stare of mock 
			amazement. Then, 
			patiently)
	Don't talk silly, Miss. You can't do 
	that. Honest you can't. I told you 
	before we can't get down the river.

			ROSE
	Spengler did.

			ALLNUT
	In a canoe, Miss!

Rose looks stubborn.

			ROSE
	If a German did it, we can, too.

			ALLNUT
	Not in no launch. We wouldn't 'ave a 
	prayer.

			ROSE
	How do you know? You've never tried.

			ALLNUT
	Never tried shootin' myself through 
	the 'ead, neither.
		(pause)
	Trouble with you is, you just don't 
	know nothin' about boats, or water.

A pause. They look at each other, Rose much more fixedly and 
searchingly than Allnutt

			ROSE
	In other words, you are refusing to 
	help your country in her hour of 
	need, Mr. Allnutt?

			ALLNUT
	I didn't say that.

			ROSE
	Well then --!

			ALLNUT
		(sighs deeply)
	'Ave it your own way, Miss -- only 
	don't blame me, that's all.

Allnutt stands perplexed and inarticulate, his cigarette 
drooping from his upper lip. His wandering gaze strays from 
Rose's feet, up her white drill frock to her face; he starts 
slightly at her implacable expression.

			ROSE
	Very well, let's get started.

			ALLNUT
	What! Now, Miss?

			ROSE
		(impatiently)
	Yes, now. Come along.

			ALLNUT
	There isn't two hours of daylight 
	left, Miss.

			ROSE
	We can go a long way in two hours.

Allnutt starts to speak; refrains; limps over to windlass 
and raises the anchor. Rose watches him. CAMERA PANS after 
The African Queen as Allnutt backs her out into the channel, 
then turns her nose downstream.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT AND ROSE

He is at the tiller -- back to CAMERA; Rose, standing looking 
downstream. The Mission clearing on the bank, which they now 
approach, is unobserved by both of them. Presently pencils 
of steam begin coming out of the engine. Allnutt, feeling 
that it requires his attention, signals to Rose, who takes 
his place at the tiller. Allnutt goes to the engine and begins 
to tinker.

CLOSE UP -- ALLNUTT -- (ROSE IN B.G.)

			ALLNUT
	A lot o' the time I'm going to 'ave 
	more than enough to do, keepin' the 
	ole engine goin.' So you might as 
	well start learnin' to steer right 
	now.

Rose nods. Her hand takes a firmer, more authoritative hold 
on the tiller.

			ALLNUT
		(continuing)
	She ain't no one-man boat, the Queen. 
	Not in the shape she's in.

Rose again shifts her hand a little; and she sits up very 
straight with her new sense of responsibility.

			ALLNUT
	Know port from starboard, Miss?

			ROSE
	I've heard of them.

			ALLNUT
	Well, that's port --
		(gesturing)
	-- an' that's starboard.

			ROSE
	Isn't that a bit -- well, silly? Why 
	not just say left and right?

			ALLNUT
	Well, spose yer facin' the other way 
	in the boat an' I say "to the left." 
	You might think I meant to your left, 
	see, an' move to starboard. It's the 
	boat ya gotta think of, see? So port's 
	always that side --
		(gesturing)
	-- an' starboard, that -- an' 
	forrard's always up there an' aft is 
	where we are right now -- no matter 
	what way we're turned around or the 
	boat is headed.

			ROSE
	Why yes, I see. It's really quite -- 
	sensible, isn't it?

			ALLNUT
	Uh huh. Okay. Now go easy, Miss -- 
	light on the tiller. Now steer her 
	just a little to starboard.

Rose puts the tiller to starboard; the launch swerves a little 
to port. She looks at Allnutt, bewildered. Allnutt is quietly 
amused.

			ALLNUT
	Okay, Miss, just straighten her out 
	again.
		(using flat hands to 
			demonstrate)
	Now looky here. Here's yer tiller.
		(he extends his right 
			hand)
	Here's yer rudder.
		(he extends his left 
			hand, below and beyond 
			his right)
	They're joined. Tiller sets the 
	rudder, rudder steers the boat.
		(he slants both hands 
			rigidly to one side)

			ROSE
		(eagerly)
	Oh, I see!

Rose lifts her own hand from the tiller to show; the boat 
yaws abruptly.

			ALLNUT
	Tiller, Miss!

Rose, startled, grabs the tiller and rights her course.

			ROSE
		(blushing)
	Sorry.

			ALLNUT
	'S all right, just don't never do 
	that, 's all.

			ROSE
	Why, the water -- well -- pushes 
	against the rudder, where it turns, 
	and -- sort of drags the boat that 
	way. Turns it.

			ALLNUT
	You're catchin' on fine, Miss.

Rose looks as pleased as if she had personally invented the 
rudder.

			ALLNUT
	Now a little to starboard, Miss. 
	Easy now.
		(Rose does it right)
	Fine. Now a little to port.
		(Rose does it right)

			ROSE
	Is that all there is to it?

			ALLNUT
	Well, ya gotta know how to read the 
	river.

			ROSE
	Read?

			ALLNUT
	Ya gotta know the water an' what's 
	under it, that ya gotta steer clear 
	of.

			ROSE
	Steer clear of. Why, that's where 
	that expression comes from.

			ALLNUT
		(uninterested)
	Uh huh. Mostly ya can tell it by the 
	surface o' the water. Now ya see 
	that long thing out there like a "V" 
	kinda?

LONG SHOT -- ACROSS THE LINE

a long, quiet "V" on the water.

			ALLNUTT'S VOICE
		(o.s.)
	That always means a snag. Limb 
	stickin' up from a dead tree; likes 
	o' that.

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

			ALLNUT
	Stay off them "Vs," they're murder.

Rose looks very seriously, almost reprimandingly, towards 
the "V."

LONG SHOT -- A DIFFERENT PART OF THE RIVER

The higher light shows it is later in the morning. In the 
distance, past smooth water, a choppy patch.

			ALLNUTT'S VOICE
		(o.s.)
	Now all that little choppin', them's 
	shallas, Miss.

TWO SHOT -- ALLNUTT AND ROSE

Rose's eyes move from the shallows to steering; she shifts 
course a little, and a long "V" trails past.

LONG SHOT -- FORWARD ALONG THE BOAT

as she resets her course.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

her eyes to starboard. Again the light is later. Rose's face 
is a shade more pleased and in bloom than before.

			ROSE
		(pointing)
	What's that queer flat place, Mr. 
	Allnutt?

MEDIUM LONG SHOT -- ANOTHER PART OF THE RIVER

at medium distance off starboard bow, an odd flat turbulence 
in otherwise easy water.

			ALLNUTT'S VOICE
		(o.s.)
	That's a rock. An' it ain't only a 
	few inches under water. The Queen's 
	got a shalla draft, an' that's where 
	we're lucky. 'Cause anythin' ya can't 
	read on the surface, we're safe to 
	go right over it.

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT -- (HIGHER LIGHT)

The BEAT of the engine alters a little.

			ALLNUT
	Only thing to worry us is much of a 
	breeze. I reckon you know why.

The BEAT of the engine alters still more.

			ROSE
	It makes us -- it -- pushes the boat 
	around?

			ALLNUT
	Naw. It chops the water so --

He rushes forward to the engine.

MEDIUM SHOT -- THE ENGINE -- ALLNUTT

starts rapping the boiler's safety-valve smartly with a 
wrench. After a few socks, it blows off steam.

WIDE SHOT -- THE AFRICAN QUEEN

			ALLNUT
		(loud, over his 
			shoulder, while steam 
			blows off)
	Chops it up so bad ya can't see no 
	signs to warn ya.

			ROSE
		(louder)
	Oh. Of course.

Allnutt is intently busy at the feed pump -- this time, a 
brief operation. Rose watches him out; he does a little 
refueling. (Wood is piled high in the waist now, drying in 
the sun.)

(NOTE: From here on until indicated, no TWO SHOTS. Allnutt 
is amidship, in hot sunlight; Rose, at stern, in cool, breezy 
shadow of awning.)

			ROSE
	What was the matter, Mr. Allnutt?

			ALLNUT
	Feed pump choked. An' one o' my boys 
	dropped sumpin in the safety valve; 
	can't count on it, ya gotta hit it.

			ROSE
	What happens when the feed pump 
	chokes?

He finishes fueling and sits down and dries his sweat.

			ALLNUT
	Whole boiler can blow up. Specially 
	the shape she's in. This water's 
	awful muddy. Rots the tubes, plugs 
	'em up with scale. 'Sides that, the 
	pressure gauge is kinda on the blink. 
	Can't count on it fer sure, but ya 
	can't forget it, neither. Bring 'er 
	higher'n fifteen pound, the whole 
	engine starts fallin' apart. An' 
	much less'n that, she quits. Oh, 
	come to think of it. Know why I got 
	to keep the engine goin'?

			ROSE
	Why, so we can go, of course.

			ALLNUT
	That ain't wot I mean.

Rose looks blank, and interested.

			ALLNUT
	'Cause if the engine dies ya ain't 
	got enough --

			ROSE
	Oh. The water doesn't push against 
	the rudder hard enough to --

			ALLNUT
		(nodding approvingly)
	That's right. No steerage-way. An' 
	in bad water that's life or death.

Rose looks at him, for the first time aware that he is as 
important to navigation as she is.

			ALLNUT
	If you steer wrong we're goners; if 
	I let the engine die, we're goners, 
	too.

He adds another couple of pieces of wood. Rose nods, and 
takes on both a sense of dignity and a sense of 
interdependence.

			ALLNUT
		(proudly)
	Oh, she's fulla tricks, this ole 
	engine. Even the fuelin'. Ya gotta 
	fuel 'er light an' steady, keep the 
	pressure right. An' that ain't so 
	easy as it sounds, Miss. 'Cause wood 
	makes an awful lotta ash an' chokes 
	yer draft. Ya gotta plan it all very 
	careful. Empty the ash pan, ya gotta 
	figure 'ow it'll change yer draft. 
	Ya got 'alf a dozen different kinds 
	o' wood an' every one burns different. 
	Got to figure on wot the heat o' the 
	sun does to the boiler, different 
	times o' day. An' that safety valve. 
	An' the water pipes keep springin' 
	leaks, an' the water gauge just works 
	when she's a mind to.
		(he looks over the 
			whole engine with 
			affection)
	You got to know 'ow she's feelin', 
	Miss -- keep a step ahead of 'er. 
	Right now she's got 'er best foot 
	forrard 'cause there's a stranger 
	aboard. But don't be took in, Miss. 
	Wait till you see 'er in a mean 
	streak.

He puts on a little more fuel, and lights a cigarette.

MEDIUM SHOT -- THE BOILER AND ENGINE HEAD-ON

like an altar. Allnutt lounges in one side of the SHOT like 
an acolyte, and quietly watches toward Rose, steering.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

steering. There is something regal about the way she sits 
holding the tiller, as though it were a scepter.

							FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

EXT. THE RIVER -- TWILIGHT

MEDIUM LONG SHOT -- THE PROW OF THE LAUNCH

as it noses upstream along a narrow channel. A swerve and a 
steadying; the prow advances into MEDIUM CLOSE UP; the anchor 
starts to drop. Before it hits the water:

MEDIUM SHOT -- THE FAÇADE OF THE ENGINE

with SPLASH and RATTLE of anchor and chain o.s., as Allnutt 
rushes into the SHOT and shuts off steam. The pencils of 
steam abruptly fade and drift.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

standing very attentively. PAST HIM, a wall of leaves shows 
that the boat, after a couple of inches of drift, stops 
gently. He still stands attentive, as if he were listening 
in the abrupt new silence. He is much more grimy and sweaty 
than before.

			ALLNUT
	It's 'ot work, ain't it, Miss? I 
	could do with a drink.

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

He goes to the locker beside Rose, produces two dirty enamel 
cups. Watching him, Rose frowns slightly. Then, from under 
the bench he drags out a wooden case. From the case he brings 
out a bottle. He opens the bottle, proceeds to pour a liberal 
portion into one of the cups.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

watching with a kind of fascination.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

as he makes a movement with the bottle toward the second 
cup.

			ALLNUT
	'Ave one, Miss?

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

			ROSE
		(horrified whisper)
	What is it?

			ALLNUTT'S VOICE
		(o.s.)
	Gin, Miss. And there's only river 
	water to drink it with.

			ROSE
		(appalled)
	No!

MEDIUM CLOSE UP OF ALLNUTT -- (ROSE'S VIEWPOINT)

He dips the empty mug overside. He turns back straight and, 
with care, decants the water into the gin.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

She is in conflict between her intensifying fascination, and 
her sense of actually watching something forbidden and even 
outrageous. Impulses play through her, covertly suggested in 
her face, to protest, to appeal to his better nature, even 
to snatch the drink from him. And now a new shading enters 
her face. All she has seen up to now as mere preparation for 
sin: now she is witnessing Sin itself. Something related to 
fear begins to enter her face.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- (FROM ROSE'S ANGLE)

He slaps casually at a mosquito, and lifts the mug for a 
second swig.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

eyes still more fixed, fascinated and full of wild doubts 
and suppositions.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- (FROM ROSE'S ANGLE)

Allnutt lowers the mug. Happier now than before, he glances 
at Rose in an impersonal way; looks away; looks back in doubt 
at her, mildly puzzled by what he sees, but not interested.

STILL CLOSER SHOT -- ROSE

as she watches him very sharp. She is puzzled by how quiet 
and peaceable he is, but she knows better than to trust him. 
She is waiting for the trouble she is sure is bound to come. -
o.s., Allnutt hiccups slightly. She tightens and withdraws a 
little more, then comes to a standstill.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT (FROM ROSE'S VIEWPOINT)

He looks up again, a little more puzzled.

			ALLNUT
	Somethin' the matter, Miss?

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

			ROSE
		(shortly)
	No.

ALLNUTT -- (AS BEFORE)

Still a bit puzzled, he raises his mug and finishes his drink 
off. Across this nice, long drink:

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

Rose's whole body and posture is as withdrawn, pinched and 
tense as her face.

			ALLNUT
		(setting down his cup)
	Now, Miss, 'ow 'bout some tea?

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

By the way she lets out a long, long-held breath, we realize 
for the first time the extremity of tension she has been 
under.

PULL AWAY to INCLUDE ALLNUTT, as Rose relaxes all over, all 
but trembling, between relief and her ravenous need for tea.

			ROSE
		(able to speak now)
	Ohhh! Yes!

CAMERA PANS with Allnutt as he goes over to the boiler. He 
draws hot water into the two cups, then places them on the 
bench before her and makes tea.

			ALLNUT
		(stirring)
	'Course it tastes a bit rusty, but 
	you can't 'ave everything.
		(a little formally)
	Sugar, Miss?

			ROSE
		(also a little formally)
	'k you?

			ALLNUT
		(a little bit caught 
			by her tea-party 
			manner; bashfully)
	don't mention it.

Allnutt brings out a lantern and lights it. They both drink.

She takes a ladylike trial sip; then really guzzles as never 
before. Sweat starts out on her forehead and she shuts her 
eyes. Across her bringing down the cup:

			ROSE
		(in a tea-wet voice, 
			more relaxed and 
			female than at any 
			time before)
	It's simply delicious!

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

			ALLNUT
		(surprised, and 
			somewhat pleased)
	Not 'alf bad, is it!

He tastes his again. Living to himself, he has not been much 
interested in taste and such.

Rose sets down her cup and, angling her sharp, long-sleeved 
elbows high, extracts a long pin from her hat, lays it beside 
her and lifts the big, dark hat from her head and lays that 
beside her too, and carefully thrusts the pin back into the 
hat and briefly tidies her tight hair. Then, picking up her 
cup again, she drains the last of her tea.

			ROSE
		(holding out her cup)
	If you please?

			ALLNUT
	Right.
		(he starts the business 
			of making tea again)
	'Ow long you been out 'ere, Miss?

			ROSE
	Almost ten years.

			ALLNUT
	You're from the midlands, ain't you?

			ROSE
	Manchester.

			ALLNUT
	Ever get 'omesick?

He goes over and gets crackers and tinned meat out of the 
locker.

			ROSE
	Every day of my life.

			ALLNUT
	I'd give my eye teeth to be back on 
	a Saturday night, rubbin' elbows 
	like they say -- all the jostlin' 
	an' the noise an' the music -- ain't 
	nothin' can touch it for cheering a 
	chap up.

			ROSE
	It's always Sunday afternoons I think 
	of -- the peace and quiet.

They are eating the meat and crackers as they talk.

			ALLNUT
	I don't remember very much about the 
	Sundays. I was always sleeping it 
	off.

They finish eating. For a few seconds they listen to the 
quiet soliloquy of the water.

			ALLNUT
		(continuing)
	Didn't see no crocodiles in this 
	arm, Miss, did you?

			ROSE
	Crocodiles? No.

			ALLNUT
	No shallas for 'em here. An' current's 
	too fast.
		(he coughs, a little 
			self-consciously)
	I could do with a bath, 'fore supper.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

			ROSE
		(spontaneous, 
			unconsidered)
	I'd like one too.

She is a little surprised at herself, but not troubled.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

			ALLNUT
		(getting up)
	I'll go up in the bows an' hang onto 
	the anchor chain. You just stay back 
	'ere an' do what you like to, Miss. 
	Then, if we don't look, it won't 
	matter.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

She is semi-aware of a change in herself, but still 
irresistibly spontaneous.

			ROSE
	Very well.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- (PAST ROSE)

			ALLNUT
		(hesitant)
	Well...

			ROSE
		(coolly)
	Very well, Mr. Allnutt.

He walks towards the bow, sidestepping the engine. Bring up 
SOUND of water a little.

REVERSE ANGLE -- ROSE

Rose looks after him, checking the six-inch width of the 
funnel which will stand between them; not much concerned. 
While she watches, she is undoing her dress at its cuffs and 
at its high neck. She stands and takes it off over her head 
with a voluminous motion. She starts to remove an undergarment 
and hesitates, frowning a little; compresses her lips and, 
clearly, decides not to remove the garment.

CLOSE SHOT -- THE FUNNEL

centered, in the lamplight. The water SOUND rises another 
fraction; other SOUNDS fade a little.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE'S FEET IN THE WATER --

not more than shin-deep. (She is sitting on the gunwale.) 
The water distorts and drives and sways them a little and 
she is moving them gently.

CLOSE UP -- ROSE (HEAD AND SHOULDERS)

Her head bent forward, she is watching and quietly enjoying 
her feet in the water.

There is a little NOISE o.s.; her eyes slip a little in the 
direction of the bow.

TAIL-OF-THE-EYE SHOT -- PAST ENGINE AND FUNNEL

A dim grayish-white shape lowers itself over the bow.

ROSE -- (AS BEFORE)

eyes not too quickly forward. She is not shocked, excited, 
or self-conscious; just calmly interested. (o.s., prodigious 
KICKINGS and SPLASHINGS and WHOOSHINGS as Allnutt takes his 
bath.) Slowly her head goes lower in the SHOT and her head 
and shoulders begin to twist as she turns to cling to the 
gunwale. Bring up WATER SOUND a little. As she lets her body 
loose into the water, CAMERA SWINGS loose along it; it is 
clear as she lengthens out and submerges that she is wearing 
bloomers and camisole.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE'S FACE -- (PAST HER HANDS)

clinging to the low, stern gunwale, as her arms stretch. 
There is a deep and delicate sensuous enjoyment in her face; 
her body lifts out full length behind her, a dim and water-
addled blur. Then she pulls herself up towards the boat as 
strongly as she can; her wet, strapped shoulders rise, and 
one elbow clamps over the gunwale.

VERTICAL INSERT -- SUITCASE

Over SOUNDS of her vigorous drying o.s., the insect- and 
moisture-proof tin suitcase or box in which Rose has packed 
all her worldly goods. It is open. By lantern light some of 
its contents are visible; a few garments and undergarments, 
neatly folded; her prayer- or service-book and her Bible; 
and a group photograph of Rose and Brother and their family, 
in which the intention is to anchor Rose deep in English 
puritanism. Perhaps eight seconds are allowed for a look at 
this photograph; then Rose's thin, cleansed hands lay in the 
dark dress in which she began this voyage; it is neatly 
folded; it covers not only the picture but also the religious 
books.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

Her head emerges from the white drill dress into which she 
is shuffling herself; the head, with its slightly dampened 
hair (which is still pinned up, but strands are loose) looks 
so refreshed and integrated in the lantern light that it is 
as if it were brand new. With somewhat freer motions than 
she has made before, she pulls, straightens and pats the 
dress, and buttons it at the bosom.

			ALLNUT
		(o.s.)
	Are you ready, Miss?

			ROSE
	Yes.

She glances past her shoulder towards him as she wrings out 
a damp undergarment, overside. Allnutt comes past the engine 
out of the shadows, into SHOT, carrying a couple of rolled 
rugs.

			ALLNUT
	You better sleep 'ere under the 
	awnin', Miss, 'case it rains. 'Ere's 
	a coupla rugs. There ain't no fleas 
	in 'em.

			ROSE
	Where will you sleep?

He unrolls a rug and spreads it on the bottom of the boat as 
he talks.

			ALLNUT
	Forrard, Miss. I can fix up a sorta 
	bed outa them cases.

			ROSE
	The -- explosives?

He spreads the other rug.

			ALLNUT
	Sure, Miss. Won't do 'em no 'arm.

The idea is queer to Rose, but everything is now.

			ROSE
		(a little curtly)
	All right.

			ALLNUT
	Be sure you cover up good. Gets a 
	bit chilly on the river, towards 
	mornin'.

			ROSE
	All right.

Allnutt returns into the bow. SWING and HOLD CAMERA a couple 
of seconds on the shadows; he is vaguely visible and there 
are the SOUNDS of his arranging the gelatine cases.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

finishing her hair into the second of two short, tight braids. 
She reaches into the tin box and under the dark dress and 
brings out the folded spare clothing. SOUND of the picture 
rattling against the bottom. With one hand she puts her hat 
and her comb in on top. She closes the box. HOLD on the closed 
box a moment.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE -- (ANOTHER ANGLE)

On one rug and beneath another, in her dress, Rose arranges 
the spare clothes as a pillow and settles her head; from the 
instant it settles she is immensely but not unhappily tired. 
Over Allnutt's line, o.s., her eyes focus and follow his 
sentence, sleepily in the lantern light.

			ALLNUTT'S VOICE
		(o.s.)
	I'll turn out the light if you're 
	ready, Miss.

			ROSE
	Quite ready.

The light on her face begins to dwindle.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- (FROM HER ANGLE)

at the lantern. He turns it down. He neither looks at Rose 
nor takes squeamish care not to.

			ALLNUT
		(quietly, impersonally, 
			when the light is 
			very low)
	'Night Miss.

ROSE -- (AS BEFORE)

in the lowered light.

			ROSE
		(as quietly and 
			impersonally)
	Good night, Mr. Allnutt.

o.s., the SOUND of his blowing out the lantern; darkness.

The darkness is almost total for a second; then there is 
faint visibility. o.s., very subdued, the brief SOUNDS of 
Allnutt's settling-down; then silence from him.

Deeply subdued, the SOUNDS of water slowly dwindle and die 
entirely, and Rose's eyes are closed. Her mouth softens a 
little and opens a little; in sleep her face is even more 
deeply virginal than when she is awake. But now in her sleep 
one hand moves up to her throat and slips inside her dress, 
next the skin.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

in a similar hovering SHOT, asleep in his nest of explosives-
boxes. He is not snoring, but with each exhalation his lips 
blow out lightly, with a small SOUND of "Puhhh" -- "Puhhh..." 
In his sleep, comfortably, his fumbling hand scratches his 
haunch. There is no sound of water.

							FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

CLOSE SHOT -- ACROSS TOP OF AWNING -- (NIGHT)

It is raining, quietly but firmly.

CLOSE SHOT -- VERTICAL -- OVER ALLNUTT

It is raining into his face. Not quite waking, he pulls his 
blanket over his face.

CLOSE SHOT -- VERTICAL -- ALLNUTT'S FEET

as the pulled-up blanket exposes them to the quietly 
increasing rain. They pull up under the blanket like a touched 
snail into its shell.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT'S FACE

He is peering disconsolately from under the torn blanket. 
The rain is increasing. He glances aft.

MEDIUM SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- FULL-LENGTH

The rain is bristling meanly all over the hunched blanket; 
he gets up, wrapping it around him, and walks past CAMERA.

MEDIUM SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- (PAST ROSE)

He comes in under the leaky awning and on into a

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

as he comes under the awning as quietly as he can, clearly 
trying not to wake up Rose. He lies down beside her, CAMERA 
TILTING and bringing ROSE IN CLOSE UP, and rising into 
VERTICAL TWO SHOT above them.

Rose is asleep. He is being just as discreet and careful as 
he can, but the margin of dryness is narrow; in avoidance of 
leakiness, and efforts to settle himself comfortably, he 
jostles her awake. She wakes up, facing him (his head and 
body are turned from her) and instantly assumes the worst of 
him. In profound shock and outrage, she sits up and clutches 
her rug about her -- though she is wearing a dress.

			ROSE
	Mr. Allnutt!

			ALLNUT
		(turning, murmuring)
	Sorry I woke you, Miss.

			ROSE
		(across his line; her 
			eyes cold blaze)
	What are you doing here?

He meets her eyes and understands what she thinks of him. He 
is very much astonished and embarrassed.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

			ALLNUT
	Blimey, Miss!

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

			ROSE
		(measuring her words, 
			with her really 
			terrifying quiet 
			anger)
	Get out -- this instant!

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

He feels an explanation is hopeless and is beyond words 
anyhow. He gets up out of the SHOT.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

settling down prostrate again. Her eyes follow him in cold 
fury.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- (FROM HER VIEWPOINT)

as he walks humbly out into the rain.

A splendid outburst of THUNDER and LIGHTNING blinds and 
deafens the SCREEN, and the rain really cuts loose.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

The thunderbolt makes her leap like a salmon; spray from the 
rain gets at her face, even under the awning. Now she 
understands and she is a bit embarrassed and sorry; her 
changed eyes look at Allnutt.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- (FROM HER VIEWPOINT)

He is sitting, hunched, in the open, patiently adjusting the 
blanket over his head. He is facing away from her.

			ROSE
		(o.s.)
	Mr. Allnutt.

Her voice is barely audible in smashing rain. He does not 
hear.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

			ROSE
		(calling loudly)
	Mr. Allnutt!

MEDIUM SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- (FROM HER VIEWPOINT)

He turns his head sadly towards her.

			ROSE
		(loud, o.s.)
	You may come in out of the rain, Mr. 
	Allnutt!

He looks unsure of himself, but gets up and comes towards 
her. He stumbles against an awning stanchion and gets a 
cataract down his neck and comes along under the profusely 
leaky awning towards Rose, stooping, then lying down and 
adjusting his bedding; he is whimpering gently.

			ALLNUT
	Thanks, Miss.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE -- (PAST ALLNUTT)

			ROSE
	Certainly, Mr. Allnutt.

VERTICAL TWO SHOT -- ALLNUTT AND ROSE

			ALLNUT
		(after a pause)
	Miss...

			ROSE
	Yes, Mr. Allnutt?

			ALLNUT
	Sorry I give you such a turn.

			ROSE
	That's quite all right, Mr. Allnutt.

			ALLNUT
	Thanks, Miss. Night.

			ROSE
	Goodnight, Mr. Allnutt.

He turns away from her and tries to make himself comfortable. 
A quick drop-drip-dropping of water starts directly into his 
face. He miserably pulls his head out of the way and it drops 
loudly onto the boards beside him. Back to her, Allnutt 
huddles into the dry space, doing his best not to touch her, 
yet to stay dry.

As CAMERA DESCENDS INTO CLOSE UP OF BOTH, he has already 
dropped off. Upon one elbow she hovers over him, watching 
him, with a strange cool virginal tenderness. Splatterings 
of rain which have hit the bench above them, spray his 
sleeping face. Gently but inhumanly, as if he were an ugly 
little doll, she draws a corner of her rug across him, to 
protect him.

							FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

FULL SHOT -- THE AFRICAN QUEEN

moving down the river. The water is almost painfully bright 
in the midday sun.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

at the tiller. There is a new shading of pleasure and 
confidence in her expression. She is almost smiling.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

in the killing sunlight, and beside the devastating heat of 
fire and boiler (an extreme shimmering of heat waves); he is 
half-drowned in sweat, yet his face is unconcerned as he 
oils the cylinders.

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

			ROSE
	What a frightfully strong smell, 
	isn't it! I suppose it's bound to be 
	at its worst in the middle of the 
	day.

			ALLNUT
	What smell?

			ROSE
	The river. I never realized before 
	how very strongly it smells.

Allnutt sniffs at it, curiously.

			ALLNUT
	Hmm. So it does, now I notice it. 
	Guess I'm on the water so much, I 
	forget all about it.

			ROSE
	It's like marigolds. Stale ones.

			ALLNUT
		(tries again)
	Don't guess I ever smelt no marigolds.

			ROSE
	Well, they smell just like this.

			ALLNUT
	Do, huh? Not a very good smell for a 
	flower.

			ROSE
	They're very pretty, though. 
	Marigolds.

			ALLNUT
	Are, eh?

He puts on some more fuel. o.s., a NOISE of soft ROARING 
begins. Allnutt's eyes hear it and look mean and happy; he 
starts aft.

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

as he sits down, with cruel and secret pleasure, the ROAR 
loudens.

			ROSE
	Mr. Allnutt.

			ALLNUT
		(all innocence)
	Yes?

			ROSE
	What is that roaring sound?

			ALLNUT
		(licking his chops)
	Oh, that? Rapids, Miss.

			ROSE
	Really? So soon?

			ALLNUT
	Just around the bend.
		(pause)
	Kind of dangerous.
		(pause)
	P'raps I better take over, Miss.

			ROSE
	You be ready to -- but I'd like to 
	try it.

			ALLNUT
		(gloating)
	Well -- maybe that's a good idear at 
	that, Miss.
		(malicious)
	Learn by doin', like they say.

MEDIUM SHOT -- THE RAPIDS

Shooting against the prow of The African Queen, which is 
charging downstream quite rapidly. The NOISE of water is 
joltingly louder.

CLOSE UP -- ALLNUTT

Past him, wild water, rocks, a swiftly moving, ragged shore. 
He is pretending to tinker with the engine, in order to leave 
Rose alone with her fear. He is a little scared, knowing 
that Rose is a neophyte at steering and being a woman, may 
get rattled -- but mainly he is feeling fine -- by God, 
this'll big rapids. He takes time off for a quick glance 
back at her (o.s.); turning back to his tinkering, his face 
is even more satisfied.

ROSE -- MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- (FROM HIS ANGLE)

Her face is extraordinarily chiseled and tense; her eyes are 
hard as diamonds. We can easily suppose her expression to be 
one of cold terror, as Allnutt does.

NOTE:

This SCENE is to last about thirty seconds. The rapids are 
to be rough enough to excite and to give a considerable sense 
of hazard, but they are mild compared to what will be seen 
later on. A fair amount of the SCENE is just racing through 
loud, ragged water, but there are to be perhaps three real 
hazards. They might, for instance, be: the two rocks the 
scene opens with; a buried rock, just spotted and avoided in 
the nick of time, scaring the daylights out of Allnutt and 
tightening Rose's face still more into this simulacrum of 
fear (he is comforted out of his own fears, seeing this face); 
and, caught between rocks, jutting into their only available 
channel, a large jagged tree-limb, bony-looking as antlers. 
There's no way out: Rose drives dead against it with an 
instinct for the angle which will bring against it the most 
powerful leverage: it hits hard and there is a tremendous 
NOISE of CRACKING and BREAKAGE. Within another couple of 
seconds they are in quieter water; within a couple more, the 
water is almost normal, the ROAR is fading. The boat has 
slowed down. The ENGINE SOUND is near normal balance; Rose 
distinctly relaxes, and sits down; Allnutt relaxes at his 
tinkering, and finishes it off with a bit of a flourish. 
(From the breaking of the branches, SHOOT FROM AMIDSHIPS, 
sternward, on Rose past Allnutt.)

While he stands, back to Rose, finishing his tinkering, 
Allnutt looks happy as a clam and thoroughly smug. 
Everything's the way he wants it, now. He checks his gauges, 
o.s., and turns away, and strolls back towards Rose with 
something of a swagger.

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

as Allnutt seats himself a little too smugly on the sternbench 
at right angle to Rose. He sizes her up for a couple of 
seconds, greatly relishing the moment.

			ALLNUT
		(quietly gloating)
	Well, Miss, had enough?

			ROSE
	Enough? Of what, Mr. Allnutt?

			ALLNUT
	White water. Rapids. Now ya got a 
	taste of it, how d'ya like it? Huh?

			ROSE
	Very much indeed.
		(Allnutt's eyes change; 
			his mouth falls open 
			a little)
	I'd never dreamed that any -- any 
	mere -- er -- physical experience 
	could be so -- so stimulating.

He just keeps looking at her. He begins to need a cigarette. 
Without taking his eyes off her he gets one out. Rose is 
quite unaware of what she is doing to Allnutt -- much 
friendlier in her tone than ever before.

			ROSE
		(fishing up the mot 
			juste)
	So -- exhilarating.

Allnutt puts the cigarette between his lips, and gets out a 
match; he is still watching her; every moment, he is more 
and more deeply aghast.

			ROSE
	I notice that near rocks, the water 
	seems to push away from the rock. 
	One must take that into account in 
	steering, mustn't one?

Allnutt scratches a match; it fails to light. He gets another.

			ROSE
	You know, I've only known such -- 
	excitement a few times before.

His look inquires of her. He gets a match lighted.

			ROSE
	A few times, in my dear Brother's 
	sermons, when the Spirit was really 
	upon him.

Allnutt raises the match to light his cigarette. His eyes 
leave hers for the lighting. His eyes look bruised and sick; 
his hands are shaking. He stands up, in quiet desperation, 
to beat it into her thick head.

			ROSE
	Tell me, Mr. Allnutt.

He looks up at her hopelessly.

			ALLNUT
		(just managing to 
			shape the sound)
	Yes?

			ROSE
	I steered rather well for a beginner, 
	didn't I?

			ALLNUT
		(without spirit)
	Not so bad, Miss, considerin'. But 
	that wasn't such bad water -- nothin' 
	compared to what's farther on.

			ROSE
	I can hardly wait!
		(Allnutt looks as if 
			he could wait quite 
			a while. A pause)
	Now that I've had a taste of it I 
	don't wonder you love boating!

He gives her one last flabbergasted, hopeless look, wheels 
abruptly and walks away -- CAMERA SWINGING, losing Rose -- 
and sits near the engine, turned away from her, looking 
crumpled and beaten. He is still shaking his head. o.s., 
blithely, Rose hums the opening bars of Guide Me, O Thou 
Great Jehovah.

Allnutt shifts a little as if to look at her; hasn't the 
heart to; shudders faintly; and stretches his shaking hands 
toward the furnace.

							DISSOLVE TO:

DETAIL SHOT -- GIN BOTTLE (TWO-THIRDS FULL)

as Allnutt pulls out cork, with luscious SOUND.

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT (AT RIGHT ANGLES IN STERN SEATS)

SHOT slightly favors Allnutt. Late twilight; the boat is 
moored near a bank. Rose is taking a swallow of steaming 
tea; she lowers her cup. Allnutt's full mug of tea stands 
beside him on the bench, untouched.

Rose watches him with interest. Allnutt lifts the bottle to 
drink; he raises his eyes and meets hers; sullen and defiant. 
He puts the bottle in his mouth, cocks it up and drinks deep 
of neat gin; past the bottle, the hostility of his eyes 
increases.

Rose looks perplexed.

The rum gin burns him; he has a brief spasm of the gasping 
shakes. He tries not to show this, and avoids her eyes.

Genuine concern blends with her perplexity.

			ROSE
		(gently)
	Is something the matter, Mr. Allnutt?

He meets her eyes again, sullen, a little bitter. His eyes 
still on hers, he raises the bottle, cocks it up showily, 
and drinks again -- looking at her past the bottle. The gin 
makes sweat start out on his forehead. He keeps on, though, 
taking a deep drink, watching her all the time. Finally he 
brings the bottle down. His eyes go out of focus, against 
his will. And against his will and pride, he wipes the sweat 
off his forehead with the palm of his hand, and the sweat 
from his hand onto his shirt.

			ROSE
		(gently, again)
	Tell me.

He looks at her with angry reproach. A pause.

			ALLNUT
		(already affected by 
			the gin; proud and 
			sullen)
	Nothin'.

A pause. He raises the bottle; lowers it.

			ALLNUT
	Nothin' you'd understand.

He drinks.

			ROSE
		(after waiting him 
			out)
	I want to understand. I just can't 
	imagine what's the matter. It's been 
	such a pleasant day.
		(pause)
	What is it, Mr. Allnutt?

Allnutt looks at her bitterly. Suddenly he looks mad and 
stands up. Just as suddenly he sits down again. This makes 
him sore at her.

			ALLNUT
		(bitterly; after a 
			pause)
	All this fool talk about The Louisa. 
	Goin' down the river...

			ROSE
	What do you mean?

			ALLNUT
	I mean we ain't goin' to do nothin' 
	of the sort.

He needs a drink on this, but Rose interrupts.

			ROSE
	Why, of course we're going! What an 
	absurd idea!

			ALLNUT
		(feeling his oats and 
			his gin; mimicking 
			nastily)
	What an absurd idea! What an absurd 
	idea! Lady, I may be a born fool, 
	but you got ten absurd idears to my 
	one, an' don't you forget it!
		(pause. Speechless 
			with scorn and 
			resentment)
	Huh!

He drinks. A pause.

			ROSE
		(with a glimmer of 
			tact)
	Why don't you want to go, Mr. Allnutt?

			ALLNUT
	What do I want to blow up sumpin' 
	for? You tell me. Yeah. You tell me. 
	That's all!

			ROSE
		(quietly)
	Why don't you want to go?

A pause.

			ALLNUT
		(sullenly)
	Already come further'n I ever meant 
	to. Don't hardly even know the river, 
	this far down.
		(bitterly and a little 
			incoherently)
	Only come this far 'cause there you 
	was all by your lonesome, lost your 
	brother and all -- wot you get for 
	feelin' sorry for people.

			ROSE
		(quietly)
	Why, Mr. Allnutt?

			ALLNUT
	This river. That's why. An' Shona.

			ROSE
	Shona!

			ALLNUT
		(mimicking her tone, 
			nastily)
	Shona!
		(pause)
	If there's any place along the whole 
	river the Germans'll keep a lookout, 
	it'll be Shona. 'Cause that's where 
	the old road ferries over from the 
	South.

			ROSE
	But they can't do anything to us!

			ALLNUT
	Oh, they can't, eh? They got rifles, 
	maybe machine guns, maybe even 
	cannons, an' just one bullet in that 
	blastin' gelatine an', Miss, what's 
	left of us would be in bits and 
	pieces.

			ROSE
	Then we'll go by at night.

			ALLNUT
	Oh no, we won't!

			ROSE
		(with asperity)
	Now why not?

			ALLNUT
	'Cause the rapids start just a little 
	ways below Shona, an' they ain't 
	nobody in his right mind 'ud tackle 
	'em even in daylight, let alone at 
	night.

			ROSE
	Then we'll go in daylight. We'll go 
	on the far side of the river from 
	Shona, just as fast as ever we can.

			ALLNUT
		(a sudden realization. 
			Boozily, sorely)
	-- Say, who do you think you are, 
	all this we'll do this an' we'll do 
	that? 'Oose boat is this, any'ow? 
	'Oo asked you aboard? Huh? Huh? You 
	crazy, psalm-singin', skinny old 
	maid.

CLOSE UP -- ROSE

In the first phase of realization, her lower lip thrusts out 
like a shovel or like the lower lip of a baby within a stone's 
throw of crying, and her eyes look soft with dampness. Then 
she catches her lower lip between her teeth in her effort to 
restrain herself, and her eyes harden with self-discipline. 
Then she doesn't need the teeth any more. Her lips are tight 
and thin. Her whole face is edgy. Her eyes are hard with 
bitter resentment and with hatred. Slowly, without moving 
her head or altering her face, she lifts her tea into the 
SHOT and drinks, and lowers the cup out of the SHOT. Her 
face grows still harder and more immovable.

Against this, o.s., mostly in breathy, lonesome undertone, 
on one or two phrases loudly and assertively, Allnutt is 
singing, rottenly and inchoately, some part of the following:

			ALLNUTT'S VOICE
		(o.s.; singing)
	Gimmy regards ter Leicester Square 
	Sweet Piccadilly an' Myefair, Remember 
	me to the folks darn there They'll 
	under-sta-and.

SLOW FADE on Rose as first daylight begins to appear. FADE 
IN

							SLOW FADE:

EXT. RIVER AND THE AFRICAN QUEEN -- MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- 
ALLNUTT

He is prostrate beside the engine in early morning sunlight. 
Except that his eyes are closed, he looks as if he had been 
dead for about a day.

o.s., the HARSH SCRAPING of broken glass against wood and 
the happy shouts of early birds; also the quiet gurgling of 
river water.

For a few seconds, these sounds don't even register. Then 
they reach into him and he winces profoundly. (NOTE: Suddenly 
and painfully exaggerate all SOUNDS.) His dry mouth works a 
little. His eyelids twitch. The eyes open -- and shut fast; 
light is painful to him.

o.s., the SOUND of a small avalanche of broken glass being 
thrown overside and hitting the water.

Rose's hand reaches down past the far side of his head and 
picks up an empty bottle and an almost empty bottle, and 
withdraws from SHOT. Allnutt registers vague awareness that 
someone is near, but doesn't open his eyes.

o.s., again painfully exaggerated, the SOUND of the gin case 
being DRAGGED along the deck. His eyes still shut, Allnutt 
suffers intense pain. He opens his eyes, squeezes them tight 
shut (which hurts him badly), opens them again, and gazes up 
past CAMERA in listless, uncomprehending horror.

ROSE -- (FROM HIS VIEWPOINT)

She is in painfully bright, early sunlight, and she is wearing 
white. She has lifted the bottles and the case to the bench 
beside her. She kneels on the bench, aloof to the CAMERA. 
She tosses the empty bottle astern. She is on the verge of 
disposing of the gin in the nearly-empty bottle; on second 
thought she sniffs at it with mistrustful curiosity; her 
reaction indicates disgust with the smell, with Drink, and 
with Allnutt. She turns the bottle upsidedown and lets the 
contents pour overside into the river, and tosses the bottle 
contemptuously astern.

ALLNUTT -- (SAME ANGLE AS BEFORE) -- A LITTLE CLOSER

His eyes are bloodshot and are swimming with tears induced 
by the light. He doesn't quite take in what he sees.

			ALLNUT
		(a whimpering moan, 
			pure misery; not for 
			what he sees)
	Oh... Oh...!

Allnutt shuts his eyes. o.s., the GLUG-GLUG-GLUGGING of a 
full bottle. He looks again. He begins to comprehend and 
what he sees is, to him, terrible and almost unbelievable.

			ALLNUT
		(with deeper feeling 
			but quietly; reacting 
			now to what he sees)
	Oh...!

o.s., the SOUND of another flung bottle hitting the water, 
and of another being opened. Allnutt, using all his strength, 
manages to lift his head from the floor. The effort is so 
exhausting and the pain so excruciating that he just lets it 
fall; the bang is even more agonizing. He licks his dry lips 
with his dry tongue and tries speaking.

			ALLNUT
		(in a voice like a 
			crow)
	Miss.

ROSE -- (FROM HIS VIEWPOINT)

She is emptying gin and pays him no attention.

			ALLNUTT'S VOICE
		(o.s.)
	Miss?

She pays him no attention except to turn the inverted bottle 
to absolute verticle.

ALLNUTT -- (AS BEFORE) -- A LITTLE CLOSER

			ALLNUT
	Have pity, Miss!
		(pause; SOUND of "glug-
			glug" o.s.)
	Miss?
		("glug-glug")
	Oh, Miss, you don't know what you're 
	doin'... I'll perish without a hair 
	o' the dog.

SOUND, o.s., of bottle hitting water.

			ALLNUT
		(continuing)
	Ain't your property, Miss.

SOUND, o.s., of a new bottle being opened. CAMERA CREEPS 
CLOSER on Allnutt, whose eyes become those of a man in hell 
who knows, now, that his sentence is official, and permanent. 
With terrible effort, he lifts his head and shoulders.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE -- (NEUTRAL ANGLE) -- NORMAL 
EXPOSURE

She is emptying gin. She hears the SOUNDS of Allnutt's moving 
o.s. Her hard face hardens still more. She glances towards 
him, continuing to pour.

MEDIUM SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- (FROM HER VIEWPOINT)

He is with great pain and effort getting himself to his knees 
and his arms onto the side bench. It may seem for a moment 
that he is going to try to come at Rose and make a struggle 
for it, but no: he now gets his knees to the bench and hangs 
his body far out over the gunwale and drinks ravenously of 
the muddy water. He overhangs so far that he is in clear 
danger of falling in.

ROSE -- (SAME ANGLE AS BEFORE) -- A LITTLE CLOSER

She is watching him. SOUNDS, o.s., of the gin emptying, and 
of his drinking. She is aware he may fall in and she doesn't 
care.

ALLNUTT -- (AS BEFORE)

He finishes drinking and tremulously pulls himself back, and 
turns, and collapses into a sitting position on the bench.

ROSE -- (AS BEFORE)

She is opening another bottle and casually watching him, and 
as casually looking away. She is pitiless, vengeful, 
contemptuous, and disgusted.

ALLNUTT -- MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- (NEUTRAL ANGLE)

His head hangs between his knees; his hands hang ape-like 
beside his ankles. After a little he is able to lift his 
head. He props his temples between his hands and his elbows 
on his knees. He is so weak that one elbow slips, letting 
his head fall with a nasty jolt and a whimper of anguish. He 
sets himself more carefully solid and gazes ahead of him at 
the floor.

			ALLNUT
	Oh...!

ROSE -- (AS BEFORE)

She ignores him completely; she lays the flap back from some 
canned meat.

ALLNUTT -- (AS BEFORE)

He gets out and fumblingly lights a cigarette; his hands are 
shaky. He takes a deep drag and it gives him a dreadful fit 
of coughing. He glances toward her piteously.

ROSE -- (AS BEFORE)

She is slicing bread; she ignores him. His coughing is loud, 
o.s.

ALLNUTT -- (AS BEFORE)

Recovered from his spasms, he timidly tries a lighter drag. 
This time he can taste it. It tastes foul. He puts it out, 
carefully, for later use, takes one look at it, and 
disconsolately tosses it overside. He looks again towards 
Rose. He looks away again. He sighs deeply and buries his 
face in his hands.

o.s., their SOUND abnormally sharp, the birds are singing 
like mad.

							DISSOLVE TO:

MEDIUM SHOT -- ROSE -- (MID-AFTERNOON)

She is sitting on a side-bench in the shade of the awning, 
calmly reading her Bible. She is in a clean white dress, 
exactly like the one she wore yesterday. Not a hair is out 
of place in her tight hair-do. Her bare feet are crossed 
demurely at the ankles. She sits up straight. She looks very 
cool, considering the weather.

PULL BACK, bringing in her day's work: up past her left, 
pinned to the edge of the awning, hang her newly-laundered 
dress and undergarments, full of sunlight. There are a few 
ineradicable streaks of grease in the dress. On the bench to 
her right, her sewing-basket and some evidently finished 
sewing chores.

o.s., the steady GURGLING of river water among the treeroots 
of the bank; the nervous SCRAPING of a razor.

FORMAL SHOT -- THE ENGINE

It looks much cleaner than ever before. (Same SOUNDS o.s.) 
The CAMERA IS RISING as the SHOT OPENS. It soon brings in 
Allnutt's head, past the engine, very hot-looking in strong 
sunlight. He is shaving.

SLOW PANNING DETAIL. A welter of wet footprints and splashed, 
soapy deck, Allnutt's clean bare heels glistening high in 
the SHOT as he stands shaving. CAMERA TILTS and brings in a 
drowned sliver of soap. Allnutt's filthy clothes, a wet and 
arrestingly filthy towel.

Same SOUNDS o.s., razor-scraping a little UP.

Past the back of Allnutt's head on his close reflection in a 
small mirror, hung from a funnel-stay; past that, Rose.

Allnutt is shaving; Rose, in b.g., is reading. It is painful 
to take off as much beard as Allnutt has been carrying, and 
he is not a man who takes pain easily; but he does his best 
to keep his reactions private, and by now he is nearly 
through. He is whistling softly against his teeth, and 
frowning at his reflected work with the concentration of a 
surgeon. He knows, however, that he is visible to Rose, and 
unwisely keeps glancing towards her (she never looks up once); 
thanks to this, he lets the razor slip.

			ALLNUT
	Ow... cut myself.

He glances sharply at Rose to see if she has taken any notice. 
She does not glance up. Allnutt resents this bitterly. He 
finishes shaving, and strokes his smooth cheeks with 
satisfaction. Rose turns a page. With a Rembrandt's patience 
and concern, he perfects, with his comb, the ideal coiffure, 
with an artistic quiff along the forehead. His eyes go vain. 
He treats himself, in reflection, to his idea of what the 
Lord of Creation should look like. Then he glances towards 
Rose, who keeps on reading. His look is aloof, miles above 
her.

CLOSE UP -- ROSE

SOUND o.s., of Allnutt's entrance past the engine. She does 
not glance up, but her eyelids flicker.

ALLNUTT -- (PAST ROSE)

He walks a couple of steps towards her in the brilliant 
sunlight, swaggering a little. Then he stands still, the 
Stag at Eve, looking at her with a certain high contempt. He 
is obviously challenging response and recognition. He gets 
none.

			ALLNUT
		(after a pause; 
			scornfully)
	Huh!

He walks in under the shade of the awning and into

MEDIUM CLOSE UP -- (CAMERA SWINGING PAST AND OPPOSITE ROSE)

As he sits down. After another silence, he decides on a new 
approach. He arranges his face to express high good humor.

			ALLNUT
		(brightly)
	Well, Miss, 'ere we are, everything 
	ship-shape, like they say.

PULL AWAY to TWO SHOT of Rose and Allnutt, as he awaits her 
reaction. No answer.

			ALLNUT
		(continuing)
	Great thing to 'ave a lyedy aboard, 
	with clean 'abits. Sets me a good 
	example. A man alone, 'e gets to 
	livin' like a bloomin' 'og.
		(no answer)
	Then, too, with me, it's always -- 
	put things orf. Never do todye wot 
	ya can put orf till tomorrer.
		(he chuckles and looks 
			at her, expecting 
			her to smile. Not a 
			glimmer from Rose)
	But you: business afore pleasure, 
	every time. Do yer pers'nal laundry, 
	make yerself spic an' span, get all 
	the mendin' out o' the way, an' then, 
	an' hone-ly then, set down to a nice 
	quiet hour with the Good-Book.
		(he watches for 
			something; she 
			registers nothing)
	I tell you, it's a model for me, 
	like. An inspiration. I ain't got 
	that ole engine so clean in years; 
	inside an' out, Miss. Just look at 
	'er, Miss! She practically sparkles.
		(Rose evidently does 
			not hear him)
	Myself, too. Guess you ain't never 
	'ad a look at me without whiskers 
	an' all cleaned up, 'ave you, Miss?
		(no look)
	Freshens you up, too; if I only 'ad 
	clean clothes, like you.
		(huh-uh)
	Now you: why you could be at 'igh 
	tea.
		(no recognition from 
			Rose)
	'Ow 'bout some tea, Miss, come to 
	think of it? Don't you stir; I'll 
	get it ready.

Rose does not stir. Allnutt is running low. A little silence, 
now. He watches her read.

			ALLNUT
		(continuing)
	'Ow's the book, Miss?
		(no answer)
	Not that I ain't read it, some -- 
	that is to say, me ole lyedy read me 
	stories out of it.
		(no answer; pause)
	'Ow 'bout readin' it out loud, eh, 
	Miss?
		(silence)
	I'd like to 'ave a little spiritual 
	comfort m'self.
		(silence; he flares 
			up)
	An' you call yerself a Christian!
		(silence)
	You 'ear me, Miss.
		(silence)
	Don't yer?
		(silence; a bright 
			cruel idea. Louder, 
			leaning to her)
	Don't yer?
		(silence. Suddenly, 
			at the top of his 
			lungs)
	HUH??

EXTREME CLOSE UP -- ROSE

In spite of herself she flinches; but swiftly controls it.

LONG SHOT -- FROM OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER

A half mile of hot, empty water, then jungle, silent on a 
dream of heat. On the far side the tiny boat and the two 
infinitesimal passengers.

After two seconds, Allnutt's "HUH?" is heard.

EXTREME CLOSE UP -- ROSE

In her face are victory, cruelty, and tremendous secret 
gratification: a Jocasta digesting her young.

The ECHO comes. Over it --

							CUT TO:

EXTREME CLOSE UP -- ALLNUTT

A second, further echo comes, and dies.

			ALLNUT
		(yelling)
	Heyy!!

Watchful, listening, he walks out of SHOT; CAMERA LOWERS to 
Rose, whose quiet, pitiless eyes -- wholly unamused -- follow 
him secretly. The ECHO returns to her; she resumes reading.

TWO SHOT -- FAVORING ALLNUTT (PAST ROSE)

He wanders all over the boat, CAMERA ALWAYS CENTERING him, 
always shifting past the statue-like reader. He barks like a 
dog; he yowls like a tomcat; he roars like a lion; he bleats 
like a goat; he crows like a rooster. Finally he sickens of 
it and walks back past her to his old seat at right angles 
to her.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

as he sits. Clearly now he is going to try silent decorum, 
in imitation of her. He crosses his ankles in imitation, and 
settles his hands in his lap, and even holds his head primly, 
watching her. But something itches him under the arm and he 
scratches -- first covertly and insufficiently, then to his 
heart's content. His exertions have worked up quite a sweat; 
the midges of late afternoon convene enthusiastically about 
his head. He looks bitterly towards Rose.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

There isn't a bug near her. Taking her time, she finishes 
the last page and, not hurrying, but without pause, starts 
right in on Genesis.

SWING CAMERA, losing Rose, bringing Allnutt into CLOSEUP. He 
hates her and the Good Book.

PULL AWAY into TWO SHOT -- of Rose and Allnutt. After a few 
moments of silent, motionless tableau, Allnutt hating, Rose 
reading, he speaks.

			ALLNUT
	Feller takes a drop too much once in 
	a while. T's only yoomin nyture.

			ROSE
		(remotely)
	Nature, Mr. Allnutt, is what we are 
	put into this world to rise above.

			ALLNUT
	Miss, I'm sorry. I 'pologize. There. 
	What more can a man do than say he's 
	sorry. Eh?
		(no answer)
	You done paid me back, Miss. Didn't 
	even leave me a drop.
		(no answer)
	Come on, Miss. 'Ave a 'eart, can't 
	ya? Fair's fair.
		(no answer)
	Miss, I don't care wot ya say, long 
	's you say somepin.
		(no answer)
	I'll be honest with ya, Miss: I just 
	can't stand no more of it. I ain't 
	used to it, that's all.

A pause.

			ROSE
	So you think it was your nasty 
	drunkenness I mind.

A foolish, helpless gesture from Allnutt.

			ALLNUT
		(bewildered)
	Well -- wot else?

			ROSE
	You lied to me.

			ALLNUT
		(with earnest dignity)
	Lied? Oh no, Miss. Lyin's one thing 
	I don't never do. Not unless there's 
	no way out.

			ROSE
	You promised we'd go down the river.

He is so honestly flabbergasted, this brings him up on his 
feet, goggling at her. When he can find words:

			ALLNUT
	Why, Miss! Is that wot it's all about?

			ROSE
	Of course.

He draws a deep breath and sits down closer to her than 
before. He begins quietly, with great patience and 
reasonableness.

			ALLNUT
	Now for the last time, Miss. Just 
	try and listen, won't you? Try to 
	understand.
		(Rose looks at him 
			coldly; her jaw is 
			set)
	It's sure death a dozen times over 
	down this river. I 'ate to disappoint 
	you, Miss. But don't blyme me. Blyme 
	the river.

			ROSE
	You promised.

			ALLNUT
		(shouting)
	Well, I'm takin' my promise back!

He gets up and strides away, CAMERA CENTERING HIM, and walks 
past the engine.

CLOSE UP -- ROSE

She watches after him. She is not a hundred per cent sure of 
victory; only ninety-five or so.

							DISSOLVE TO:

CLOSE UP -- ALLNUTT -- (DAWN)

He is asleep on his box of high explosives. o.s., SOUNDS of 
early birds -- and of Rose's bustling, and of a strong breeze, 
and of leaves. Presently he stirs, groans and opens his eyes. 
After a moment he glances in her direction.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

She is readying the fire for tea.

ALLNUTT -- (AS BEFORE)

After a little, Allnutt gives up. He creakily, painfully 
rises from his bed and gets up into:

MEDIUM SHOT -- FROM OUTSIDE THE BOAT -- (ON LINE WITH ENGINE 
AMIDSHIPS)

He walks towards CAMERA into CLOSE UP and passes engine, 
CAMERA SWINGING INTO TWO SHOT of Rose and Allnutt.

Rose is thrusting a saucepan of water into the crackling 
furnace. Allnutt pauses shyly.

			ALLNUT
		(a pitiful effort to 
			sound casual, and 
			dignified)
	G'mornin', Miss.

Rose straightens up and doesn't even see him, and turns and 
walks away, CAMERA on her, losing Allnutt.

She sits on the stern bench and gets out bread and one mug 
and a can, and starts opening the can. He does not exist.

After a few seconds, he walks into the SHOT, BACK-TO, and 
sits down on a right-angle bench, a few feet away from her.

She continues opening the can. He lights a cigarette from 
the open tin; it is damp and swollen from the night air, 
lights slowly, and tastes poorly, but he tries to make the 
best of it.

o.s., the SOUND of hot water joins that of the crackling 
fire. Rose gets up with a cloth for the hot handle and walks 
up past Allnutt into CLOSE UP and OUT OF SHOT.

SOUNDS, o.s., of her getting out the water and shutting the 
door. Allnutt's eyes follow her, wretchedly, wherever she 
goes.

She reenters the SHOT, BACK-TO, and returns to her place, 
still ignoring Allnutt, and starts fixing tea for herself.

CLOSE UP -- ALLNUTT -- NEUTRAL ANGLE

He is watching her; the last of his staying-power is 
dissolving.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE -- (FROM HIS VIEWPOINT)

She is stirring her tea and now she drinks some.

ALLNUTT -- CLOSE SHOT -- (NEUTRAL ANGLE)

He is watching her and thorough despair is in his eyes, and 
unconsciously his head begins to shake a little.

ROSE -- (AS BEFORE)

Now she is eating bread and canned meat.

ALLNUTT -- (AS BEFORE)

He stops shaking his head and just looks.

			ALLNUT
		(quietly)
	All right, Miss. You win.

CLOSER SHOT -- ROSE -- (AS BEFORE)

She meets his eyes, immediately, but says nothing.

ALLNUTT -- (FROM HER ANGLE)

			ALLNUT
		(accepting utter defeat)
	Down the river we go.

He turns to the engine.

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

			ROSE
		(quietly)
	Have some breakfast, Mr. Allnutt.

He is so moved by this line that he is on the verge of tears.

			ROSE
	Or, no. Get up steam. Breakfast can 
	wait.

He reacts with the quiet hopelessness of a slave; one beaten 
look at her, gets to his feet and walks towards CAMERA and 
engine, filling SCREEN.

							DISSOLVE TO:

SHOOTING FORWARD ALONG PORT SIDE OF BOAT -- (ABOUT NINE IN 
THE MORNING)

The boat is going along at full speed. Boat fills most of 
r.s., a downstream vista of the river, and the bank, l.s. 
The breeze is strong now; two-foot waves; clear sunlight. A 
calmly exhilarating NOISE of water and, o.s., strong, the 
SOUND of the engine.

STRAIGHT ACROSS THE BOAT -- ON ALLNUTT

He is sitting on the starboard bench, back to the sun, 
transferring canned meat to bread.

The floor of the SHOT is a high stack of firewood. The left 
wall of the SHOT is the engine.

			ROSE
		(o.s., calling 
			something not fully 
			distinguishable, as)
	Which bank is Shona on?

			ALLNUT
		(shouting; leaning 
			his ear towards her)
	'Ow's that?

ROSE -- FROM SAME POSITION OF CAMERA -- (DIFFERENT ANGLE)

She is at the tiller but in spite of cross-bucking the waves 
she now has the casualness of experience. Except for much 
more difficult steering, she doesn't have to think much about 
it now. Her hair is done up, but has blown part free. Her 
dress is flecked with the dampness of blowing water.

			ROSE
		(shouting)
	Which bank is Shona on?

			ALLNUT
		(loudly, o.s.)
	Left. On a hill.

			ROSE
		(shouting)
	Good. The sun will be in their eyes.

			ALLNUT
		(o.s.)
	Huh?

			ROSE
		(louder, gesturing)
	The sun. Will be in their eyes.

ALLNUTT -- (AS BEFORE)

It is becoming more real to him now. He glances towards her. 
He sets his breakfast aside, gets up, and goes past the engine 
into the bow section.

ROSE -- (AS BEFORE)

Her eyes strain curiously after him.

MEDIUM SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- (IN THE BOW SECTION)

He walks in among the boxes of blasting gelatine, his face 
troubled, and looks down at them.

THE BOXES -- (FROM AN ANGLE OPPOSING THAT OF HIS EYES)

They are disposed irregularly in the sunlight; their red 
lines look sinister.

MEDIUM CLOSE UP SHOT -- ON ALLNUTT

as, with face still more troubled, he bends over and lifts a 
box.

REVERSE ANGLE -- ALLNUTT -- (SIDE TO CAMERA)

The prow and river beyond him; he is stacking the boxes along 
the port bow. He has stuck a rug between them and the hull. 
Now he stacks the last box and covers it with a rug. He stands 
and looks at the rug a moment, rather helplessly, then turns 
to CAMERA and into MEDIUM SHOT; his face is still more badly 
worried. He glances back towards Rose. He stoops and drags 
the heavy cylinders into the starboard bow, trimming ship. 
He walks back towards the engine, mopping his forehead.

ROSE -- (AS BEFORE)

She is watching him curiously.

ALLNUTT -- (FROM HER ANGLE)

as he comes past the engine, he meets her eye, and looks 
away. He goes towards his bench and breakfast.

ALLNUTT -- MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT

as he sits down. He glances towards his gauges and resumes 
eating. But his appetite is not so good now.

			ROSE
		(o.s., not quite 
			distinguishably)
	Don't worry, Mr. Allnutt.

			ALLNUT
	If a bullet hits them boxes, there'll 
	be no time to worry.

Taking his knife to use it eating, he suddenly goes still 
and wary with a new idea. He glances secretly at the knife, 
and secretly towards the engine.

INSERT: A PIECE OF ROTTED RUBBER HOSE, PART OF THE WATER 
LINE.

ALLNUTT -- (AS BEFORE)

His face gets still darker with guile. With a clumsy imitation 
of concern for the engine, he gets up and walks out of the 
SHOT, the open knife in his hand filling the SCREEN.

TWO SHOT -- PAST ENGINE -- FAVORING ALLNUTT (CLOSE)

ROSE STANDING IN BACKGROUND. As he pretends to tinker with 
the engine below SHOT, his eyes flicker towards the hose and 
the knife and think, obviously, of danger and of Rose, of 
whom he is painfully aware.

It is clear by his eyes and face that he is trying desperately 
to make up his mind to cut the hose; and delays because he 
so dreads the consequences with Rose, who is watching him 
with mild curiosity. The decision is taken out of his hands.

Past him, Rose looks with interest ahead, off the port bow.

			ROSE
		(shouting and pointing)
	Mr. Allnutt!

She shifts course sharp to starboard. Allnutt hears her and 
looks around and sees her pointing, and quickly turns and 
looks ahead and to port. Great fear comes into his face, but 
also some excitement unrelated to fear.

LONG SHOT -- PAST ALLNUTT AND THE ENGINE

As a curve opens, the walled hill-town of Shona is disclosed. 
Above one building of corrugated iron, a German flag flies.

EXTREME CLOSE UP -- ALLNUTT

Besides the fear and excitement in his face, indecisiveness 
reaches the point of agony. Past him, the right bank of the 
river approaches, moving more and more swiftly.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

She is near the bank. She straightens her course.

EXTREME CLOSE UP -- ALLNUTT

He glances desperately toward the rubber hosing.

INSERT: RUBBER HOSING.

ALLNUTT -- (AS BEFORE)

He glances desperately towards Shona. Shona is swinging wide 
into view. People are seen, including two men apparently in 
uniform. Allnutt glances desperately towards his knife.

INSERT: He closes the knife and slips it into his pocket.

ALLNUTT -- (AS BEFORE)

His face is committed helplessly to catastrophe. He turns 
his head to call to Rose.

REVERSE ANGLE -- MEDIUM CLOSE -- ALLNUTT

			ALLNUT
		(over his shoulder, 
			as he crouches)
	Keep as low as ya can, Miss.

ROSE -- (FROM HIS ANGLE)

She nods, and crouches below the benches, her hand still 
high to steer.

INSERT: THE RUBBER HOSE.

as it bursts; a strong spume of water.

CLOSE UP -- ALLNUTT

eyes to SOUND.

CLOSE UP -- ROSE

eyes to SOUND.

INSERT: The WATER GAUGE slowly drops.

ALLNUTT -- ANOTHER CLOSE UP

as with frantic speed he gets tape and a piece of flat rubber 
out of his toolbox.

INSERT: RUBBER HOSE, as Allnutt claps the rubber to the burst 
hose and starts taping; water still escapes abundantly.

CLOSE UP -- ALLNUTT -- (FROM ANGLE OF HOSE INSERT)

His desperate face as he works.

INSERT: The PRESSURE GAUGE, sinking.

INSERT: The WATER GAUGE, still lower.

o.s., the engine SOUND slows and fades to a lugubrious 
CLANKING, then stops altogether.

From here on, very quiet but in all shots on the boat, 
steadily LOUDER, a faint RUMBLING ROAR, o.s., the rapids.

MEDIUM SHOT -- ROSE

anxious and much interested, but no fear.

			ALLNUT
		(o.s.)
	Just turn 'er loose, Miss. Let 'er 
	drift.

Rose looks uncomprehending.

MEDIUM SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- (FROM HER ANGLE)

He is hard at work. There are no pencils of steam any more.

			ALLNUT
		(over shoulder; bawling 
			desperately in the 
			silence)
	Let 'er drift! All we can do!

ROSE -- (AS BEFORE)

She nods. She releases the tiller. o.s., the SOUND of a 
bullet; followed, seconds later, by the REPORT of a rifle. 
Rose looks towards Shona and towards Allnutt.

ALLNUTT -- (AS BEFORE)

He is working. Water is still splattering.

			ALLNUT
		(over shoulder)
	'Cross our bows, I reckon. Didn't 
	'it us any'ow.

He ducks still lower to his work.

LONG SHOT -- THE AFRICAN QUEEN

and its occupants, through field glasses, from high bank. 
Even so, they are small, on the far side of the river.

			1ST OFFICER
		(o.s. in German)
	But why didn't they put in?

			2ND OFFICER
		(o.s. in German)
	Probably they're making for the lower 
	landing.

ACROSS THIS:

							CUT TO:

LONG SHOT (NOT THROUGH GLASSES) -- LOWER LANDING

Deep in l.s., the lower landing, which is small.

High in r.s., The African Queen.

MEDIUM SHOT -- 1ST AND 2ND OFFICERS AND SWAHILI TROOPS

on hard, bare ground, corrugated iron building, and German 
flag, and a portion of the town, in b.g.

1st Officer is a moderately stupid German. 2nd Officer is a 
moderately intelligent German. The Swahilis, in their whites, 
with their elderly Martini rifles, are all eyes and teeth 
and excitement -- and eagerness to use their weapons.

			1ST OFFICER
		(in German)
	Fire twice more across their bows.

2nd Officer raises rifle, with telescopic sight.

LONG SHOT -- THE AFRICAN QUEEN -- (THROUGH CROSS-HAIRED SIGHT)

raked from stern to stem.

			2ND OFFICER
		(o.s. in German)
	She is adrift.

			1ST OFFICER
		(o.s. in German)
	Fire.

The shot moves ahead of the boat. A little kick in the SHOT 
as the rifle fires; SOUND o. s. The boat advances into the 
SHOT.

			1ST OFFICER
		(o.s. in German)
	Again.

The shot again leads the boat safely. Some kick, SOUND o. 
s., and advance of boat as before.

MEDIUM SHOT -- THE OFFICERS AND THE NATIVES

			1ST OFFICER
		(in German)
	She's not turning.

LONG SHOT -- THE BOAT

is opposite the lower landing, still at far shore.

			2ND OFFICER
		(o.s. in German)
	She can't. She is adrift.

OFFICERS AND MEN -- (AS BEFORE)

1st OFFICER She could anchor.

2nd Officer has no answer for that.

			1ST OFFICER
		(quietly, to Swahili 
			corporal, in Swahili)
	Order your men to fire.

The corporal clicks heels and salutes with enthusiasm, and 
about face, to his men.

			CORPORAL
		(happily and bossily, 
			in Swahili or in 
			Swahili-esque German)
	Fire!

The boys are all eagerness and delight. They hurry forward 
into:

A TRUCKED FRIEZE OF MEDIUM CLOSE UPS

Some fall prone to fire as they have been trained; others 
stand; several squat where they take aim. It is clear by 
their handling of their weapons that they are all farcically 
lousy shots.

A SHOT ALONG THEIR RAGGED LINE --

some prone, some standing.

			CORPORAL
		(with a sweeping 
			gesture)
	Fire!

They fire a ragged volley, rifles at all sorts of angles.

MEDIUM SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- (PAST ROSE)

Allnutt is still hard at work. The boat is moving faster, 
near the bank. There is a peculiar multiple NOISE in the 
air, like bees in a violent hurry, accompanied by the SOUND 
of tearing paper.

			ALLNUT
		(crouching still lower 
			at his work)
	They got us!

ROSE -- (FROM HIS ANGLE)

curious about the sound. Now comes the straggling REPORTS OF 
RIFLES; a volley echoing back from cliff to cliff.

INSERT: Allnutt completes his taping.

ALLNUTT -- (FROM ROSE'S ANGLE)

stepping away.

			ROSE
		(o.s.)
	Finished?

			ALLNUT
	Yes -- if we can get up steam in 
	time, an' the boiler'll stand that 
	much cold water, an' the mend holds.

He puts on a lot of wood, and he gets the pump going, 
cautiously. There is a dangerous straining and CRACKLING 
SOUND from the boiler as the cold water rushes in. Across 
it, there is another BUZZING of bullets. Some speckle the 
water; some hit the heightening rock cliff above and past 
the boat; the reports arrive and ECHO.

			ALLNUT
		(continuing; he has 
			been cringing and 
			mute during the 
			buzzing; he speaks 
			across the reports)
	If only we don't drift into the back 
	eddy.

ROSE -- (AS BEFORE)

She nods. She is watching anxiously, helplessly.

ALONG STARBOARD -- (SHOOTING FORWARD FROM HER ANGLE)

The fast current in which they drift, and the slow back-eddy, 
and their dividing line, are visible. SWING SHOT to CENTER 
along axis of boat and on Allnutt. o.s., there is the SOUND 
of a much faster bullet, and suddenly, causing Allnutt to 
leap like a stricken faun, the whole boat RINGS like a harp.

INSERT -- THE WIRE FUNNEL-STAY

on portside has parted, close above the gunwale. It hangs 
loose by the funnel.

ALLNUTT -- MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT

noting and reacting. He turns to Rose, CAMERA SWINGING into 
TWO SHOT. She has noticed it too, but is not particularly 
frightened. o.s., there is a METALLIC SMACK. They glance up 
sharply.

DETAIL SHOT -- (FROM ALLNUTT'S ANGLE) -- A HOLE

high in the funnel.

DETAIL SHOT -- (FROM ROSE'S ANGLE) -- ANOTHER HOLE

on the far side of the funnel.

INSERT: WATER GAUGE, rising.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

checking gauges, working hard.

INSERT: PRESSURE GAUGE, rising.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

crouching. He adjusts pump to let more water in. The straining 
SOUNDS intensify. He opens the furnace door.

LONG SHOT -- THE BOAT (THROUGH TELESCOPIC SIGHT)

o.s., the rifle FIRES; the shot kicks.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

as a bullet WHINES past overhead. o.s., the furnace door 
CLANKS SHUT and there is an increased SOUND of fire. She 
looks reprimandingly towards the bank. We can scarcely see 
the figures of the officers and men. The rifle REPORT comes 
through.

MEDIUM SHOT -- THE OFFICERS AND MEN

The men are sheepish and downcast in b.g. The 1st Officer, 
who fired, lowers his rifle. The 2nd Officer has field 
glasses. They look at each other. The 1st Officer shrugs.

			1ST OFFICER
		(in German)
	Give it to me.

He takes the rifle and takes careful aim.

LONG SHOT -- THE BOAT -- (THROUGH THE TELESCOPIC SIGHT)

He is leading Allnutt just a trifle, and leisurely trying to 
perfect his aim. While he takes his time, the boat crosses 
the path of the full glare of the sun. He mutters some German 
expletive under his breath, and FIRES into blind glare.

DETAIL SHOT -- GELATINE BOXES

A corner of one of the gelatine boxes flies apart in 
splinters.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- THE TWO OFFICERS

as the 1st Officer lowers the rifle, his eye hurt by glare, 
he hands it back to the other.

			1ST OFFICER
		(in German)
	Fire at random.

			CORPORAL
	Everybody shoot.

Everybody happily starts shooting at random. The natives 
love it.

FULL SHOT -- ALONG THE FULL LENGTH OF THE BOAT -- ON ALLNUTT -- 
PAST ROSE Ahead, the escarpment looms, the right bank narrows, 
a deep shadow between them. The ROAR is by now almost 
deafening.

			ALLNUT
		(shouting as loud as 
			he can)
	Man the tiller now -- we'll try.

She doesn't understand; she does nothing. He gestures -- the 
manipulation of a tiller. Rose takes it.

The SINGING of the bullets is all but inaudible, but three 
hit the boat. Allnutt starts the engine. It stammers and 
gulps and dies. The boat swings with great speed into deep, 
cool shadow as he tries again. It stammers and catches, and 
dies.

SHOT PAST ALLNUTT -- AND THE PROW

The water is terribly swift, but not yet stony; but within a 
hundred yards ahead there is a terrific cataract.

EXTREME CLOSE UP -- ALLNUTT -- (PAST HIM, ROSE)

There is terrific tension in his face, but he is much too 
busy to be frightened. Rose's face is a sharpening image of 
her face among the easier rapids. Now that they have come 
within close, high stone banks, the ROAR is prodigious.

Allnutt, below SCENE, is working on the engine.

THE CATARACT -- (FROM HIS ANGLE)

twice as near.

ALLNUTT -- (AS BEFORE)

The engine catches and rises, just AUDIBLE ABOVE the ROAR OF 
WATER.

CATARACT -- (FROM ALLNUTT'S ANGLE)

They swallow ten of the last twenty yards before the cataract.

CLOSE UP -- ROSE

standing, looking intensely ahead, hand firm on tiller.

THE BOAT -- (FROM ALLNUTT'S ANGLE)

as it enters upon the cataract.

CLOSE UP -- ALLNUTT

as he drops onto his bench next the engine.

			ALLNUT
	Our Father Who art in Heaven...

The African Queen bucks like a bronco. The air is full of 
spray and of the ROAR of rushing water. Allnutt serves the 
engine with panic in his soul. Out of the tail of his eye, 
he glimpses rocks flashing past.

CLOSE UP -- ROSE

She rides the mad tide like a Valkyrie, weaving a safe course 
through the clustering dangers.

There comes a place where the river widens and the sweep of 
the current takes The African Queen over to the opposite 
bank, as if she were no more than a chip of wood. Rose tugs 
at the tiller with all her strength. The bows come around. 
It looks for a space as if the stern would be flung against 
the rocks. The boat just manages to hold her way.

Then a backwash catches her, flinging her out again into 
midstream, so that Rose has to force the tiller across with 
lightning swiftness. Hardly are they straight again when the 
banks close in upon them and Rose must instantly pick out a 
fresh course, through the rocks that stud the surface in 
flurries of white foam.

FULL SHOT -- THE AFRICAN QUEEN

plunging down a narrow ribbon of water between vertical faces 
of rock.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

as he waves at the engine and shouts something that is drowned 
out by the ROAR of the waters.

CLOSE UP -- ROSE

She shakes her head and her lips form the words: "I can't 
hear."

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

gesticulating frantically. He moves forward into a CLOSE UP 
and shouts:

			ALLNUT
		(shouting)
	Need fuel! We got to get fuel!

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

She nods, to show her understanding of their plight.

FULL SHOT -- THE AFRICAN QUEEN

There is a natural dam ahead, only broken in the center, and 
there the water piles up and tumbles over in a vast green 
hump. The launch puts her nose and heaves up her stern as 
she hits the piled-up water; then she shoots down the slope, 
landing with a crash on the high green waves beneath the 
waterfall.

MEDIUM SHOT -- THE AFRICAN QUEEN -- (SHOOTING PAST ROSE)

Green water comes boiling over the port deck and into the 
boat. Allnutt must hold onto the engine to keep from being 
swept off his feet. It seems as though The African Queen is 
doomed to put her nose deeper and deeper into the torrent 
until she will submerge entirely -- but at the last possible 
moment she shakes herself loose and comes clear.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

as she throws her weight on the tiller

			ROSE
		(shouting)
	Stop the engine!

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

as he obeys dazedly.

MEDIUM SHOT -- THE AFRICAN QUEEN

The maneuver was nicely calculated; the launch's momentum 
carries her through the edge of the eddy into the slack water 
under the lip of the dam. She comes up against this natural 
pier with hardly a bump, and instantly a trembling Allnutt 
is fastening painters to rocks.

			ALLNUT
	Whew!!!

FULL SHOT -- ROSE

as she starts to rise, but finding herself weak in the knees, 
sits back momentarily. Despite an empty feeling in her stomach 
and a pounding heart, she wears a smile of satisfaction.

She looks around. They are moored in what must be one of the 
loveliest corners of Africa. There are numerous shelves on 
the high banks bearing flowering plants which trail shimmering 
wreaths down over the rocks. A beam of sunlight reaches over 
the edge of the gorge and turns its spray into a dancing 
shadow. The NOISE of the fall is not deafening, but rather a 
pleasant musical accompaniment to the joyful SINGING of the 
river.

			ROSE
	How lovely!

Allnutt enters the SHOT from BEHIND CAMERA. She turns her 
smile on briefly. then raises her eyes again to the hanging 
gardens above.

			ROSE
		(continuing)
	Lovely, isn't it.

			ALLNUT
		(following her gaze)
	It is at that.
		(he laughs suddenly)
	We sure pulled it off, didn't we, 
	Miss? Sucked the Germans in proper. 
	They were so surprised to see the 
	ole African Queen -- they didn't 
	think of shootin' at us till we were 
	almost past. They didn't believe 
	anybody'd try to get down these 
	gorges. Didn't believe nobody could. 
	Well, we showed 'em, didn't we?
		(Rose nods)
	Not that I'd like to do it every day 
	of the week. We took on enough water 
	to sink anything else that floats. 
	He reaches for the pump and goes to 
	work.

			ROSE
		(coming out of her 
			reverie)
	Here -- let me do that.

			ALLNUT
		(protesting)
	Oh, no, Miss.

			ROSE
	Please let me.

			ALLNUT
	All right -- but don't wear yourself 
	out... I'll pick up some wood.

Rose applies herself to the pump. It takes her a little while 
to get into the right rhythm, and when she does, even so 
small a thing as this brings a thrill of achievement.

			ROSE
	I hardly know what happened after 
	Shona. Everything's a jumble. I have 
	no idea how far we've come or whether 
	it's morning or afternoon or --

MEDIUM SHOT -- ALLNUTT AND ROSE

as Allnutt gathers wood on the bank.

			ALLNUT
	I guess you were too busy, Miss, to 
	pay attention to anything but what 
	you were doing.

			ROSE
		(hesitantly)
	Did I -- do all right?

			ALLNUT
		(with deep feeling)
	Better'n all right, Miss...

CLOSE UP -- ROSE

Her face flushes with pride.

PAN SHOT -- ALLNUTT

as he goes back onto the boat carrying an armload of wood. 
He is limping a little. He lets the wood fall by the engine, 
then sits down and begins to unlace his canvas shoe.

			ALLNUT
	Picked up a thorn on the bank, I 
	guess. Went right through the rubber 
	sole.

			ROSE
	Let me.

On her knees, she slips the shoe off; she takes his slender, 
rather appealing foot into her hands. She finds the place of 
entry of the thorn and presses it with her finger-tips while 
Allnutt twitches and jumps with absurd ticklishness.

			ROSE
	No, there's nothing there now.

She lets his foot go.

			ALLNUT
	Thank you, Miss.

He lingers on the bench, gazing up at the flowers, while 
Rose lingers on her knees at his feet.

			ALLNUT
		(a certain awe in his 
			tone)
	It is pretty at that.

Rose looks up at his face. There is something appealing, 
almost childlike about the little man as he looks wonderingly 
around. Her expression grows tender; she would like to pet 
him. He looks down at her. She averts her eyes.

			ALLNUT
	It reminds me -- that waterfall does -- 
	of --

Allnutt never tells what it reminds him of. He puts out his 
hand toward Rose. She catches it -- to hold it, not to put 
it away. Allnutt comes down to his knees and they are in 
each other's arms.

							FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

LONG SHOT -- AFRICAN QUEEN -- (EARLY MORNING)

as a few slanting rays of the sun strike her funnel. Vapors 
still cling to the surface of the river. Over the SOUND of 
the waterfall, comes the tuneful SINGING of a bird. Presently 
Rose's figure is revealed moving about.

MEDIUM SHOT -- ROSE

as she pours tea into two cups, and moves with them toward 
the stern, CAMERA PANNING WITH HER as she crosses to the 
sleeping Allnutt. CAMERA MOVES into CLOSE TWO SHOT as she 
kneels beside Allnutt and puts one tea-cup down close to his 
outstretched hand.

			ROSE
		(softly)
	Mr. Allnutt. I mean -- dear.

			ALLNUT
		(opening his eyes)
	Well now -- blimey! This is more 
	like it.

Breakfast in bed.

			ROSE
	Two spoonfuls of sugar is right, 
	isn't it?

			ALLNUT
		(nods)
	Fancy your building the fire and all -- 
	while I slept.

Rose regards him tenderly for a long moment; then, with a 
birdlike movement, she kisses him on the cheek. Allnutt puts 
his arms around her.

			ROSE
	Dear -- there's something I simply 
	must know.

			ALLNUT
	What's that?

			ROSE
		(after a blushing 
			interval)
	What's your first name?

			ALLNUT
	Charlie.

			ROSE
		(to herself like a 
			schoolgirl)
	Charlie... Charlie... Charlie...

			ALLNUT
	Give us another kiss.

			ROSE
		(her arms around him, 
			kissing him)
	Charlie! Charlie dear...

They hold each other for a while. Then she slips out of his 
arms, hands him his cup and they begin stirring their tea. 
Rose looks at the beauty all around them.

			ROSE
		(her eyes suddenly 
			wet)
	This must be one of the loveliest 
	places in all Africa.

			ALLNUT
	I've been around a bit and I must 
	say I never seen no place to compare 
	with it in the whole world. Kinda 
	hate to leave it.
		(hastily, as though 
			he fears being 
			misunderstood)
	Not that I ain't all for goin' on, 
	Y'unnerstand.
		(she gives his hand a 
			squeeze)
	Do you spose that last big cataract 
	coulda been Ulanga Falls? As I 
	remember the map, it was just a little 
	way down from Shona. And if it was 
	Ulanga, there ain't no more big 
	cataracts between us an' the lake.

			ROSE
	How much farther is the lake, Charlie?

			ALLNUT
	Oh -- 'bout two 'undred miles.

They are quiet a moment. Abruptly, Rose gets final, and 
energetic -- swallows the last of her tea in that manner and 
stands up, a touching blend of spinsterish edginess and 
blossoming female softness.

			ROSE
	Well, I suppose it's time we were on 
	our way.

FULL SHOT -- DECK OF BOAT

Rose takes her place at the tiller and Allnutt goes forward 
in unquestioning obedience. He is boss of the family, but 
she is boss of the boat and the voyage. He casts off, and 
starts up the engine. Again The African Queen is under way.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

at the tiller. She looks back, drinking in the place with 
her eyes. She wants never to forget a single detail. Allnutt 
enters the SCENE -- puts his arm around her, and stands 
looking back at the loveliest place in the world.

MEDIUM SHOT -- AFT -- PAST THEM

We see the waterfall and the flowers withdraw. The SOUND of 
the waterfall still dominates -- a SOUND of serene, 
inexhaustible vitality like that of their bloodstream.

			ALLNUT
		(in a broken voice)
	Give us another kiss, old girl.

They kiss, as the boat is swept into motion.

							DISSOLVE TO:

FULL SHOT -- THE AFRICAN QUEEN

The river is smooth, swift and fairly straight. The launch 
passes some hippos bathing in the shallows. The deep, swift-
running channel carries her to within a few yards of the 
great beasts.

Allnutt and Rose shout at them and wave their arms. The hippos 
squeal like pigs. Allnutt imitates the SOUND, a feat which 
Rose finds to be funny beyond words. She laughs until it is 
painful and she has to hold her side. Allnutt laughs too, 
between squeals, hugely delighted with the success of his 
imitation. Just as Rose is about able to control her laughter, 
he squeals once again, which sends her off into fresh peals 
of mirth.

			ROSE
	Stop, Charlie -- stop it!

Their laughter begins to die down, then starts up again. 
Finally comes a moment of silence while they struggle to 
regain breath, and during that moment Allnutt hears a SOUND 
which is not at all funny.

			ALLNUT
	Rosie, listen... You 'ear wot I 'ear?

OVER the SOUND of the engine, comes a distant ROAR.

			ALLNUT
	I guess that wasn't Ulanga Falls, 
	after all.

			ROSE
		(soberly)
	I guess not.

Allnutt applies himself to the boiler, putting more wood in, 
adjusting the draft.

The speed of the river increases, as does the DIN of the 
approaching cataract. The African Queen begins to heave among 
the first waves of the race.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

staring forward as she braces herself once more to hold the 
tiller steady.

LONG SHOT -- THE RIVER AHEAD -- (FROM ROSE'S VIEW)

as the waterfall comes into view, Allnutt in f.g.

He throws her a swift, backward look.

CLOSE UP -- ROSE

scared, but game.

			ROSE
		(calls)
	Goodbye, Charlie.

CLOSE UP -- ALLNUTT

shouting an answer; his voice is lost in the UPROAR.

FULL SHOT (MOVING) -- THE AFRICAN QUEEN

as she rears up and hangs for a moment at the crest of the 
waterfall. Then she shoots forward and down, finally to crash 
in a tangle of currents below the waterfall. She shakes with 
the impact. Water flies back, high over the top of the funnel, 
then she surges on.

There is a TEARING SOUND beneath, followed by a horrid 
vibration which seems as if it will shake the boat to pieces.

CLOSE UP -- ROSE

			ROSE
		(screams)
	Keep her going, Charlie!

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

opening the throttle. The devastating vibration increases.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

as she fights to keep the boat in mid-current, but something 
is wrong with the steering.

			ROSE
		(screams)
	Charlie!

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

He points toward the bank where a big rock juts out into the 
river.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

fighting the tiller. The boat swings around crabwise toward 
the rock, and it looks for a moment as though the stern will 
surely crash into it. Rose keeps the tiller hard over. Sure 
enough, The African Queen comes all the way about, her bows 
to the shore, grounded; but the maneuver is not completely 
successful. Instantly she heels and rolls. A mass of water 
comes boiling in over the gunwale. The boiler fire is 
extinguished and a wild flurry of steam pours out.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

Grabbing a painter, he leaps like an athlete into the whirling 
eddy, gets his shoulder under the bows and heaves.

MEDIUM SHOT -- THE BOAT

The bows slide off and the boat rights herself, wallowing, 
three-quarters full of water. Instantly the current pulls 
her downstream.

CAMERA PANS as Allnutt leaps up the face of the rock, 
clutching the painter. He gives it a turn around an angle of 
the rock and braces himself. His shoulder-joints crack as 
the rope tightens, but slowly the boat swings in to shore. 
Five seconds later, she is safe, and Allnutt is making painter 
after painter fast to the shore.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

standing on the bench in the stern, the water slopping at 
her feet. She manages a smile at Allnutt. She feels a little 
sick and faint now that it is all over.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

He sits down on a rock and grins back at her.

			ALLNUT
	We nearly done it that time, didn't 
	we, Rosie.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

as she sits on the gunwale. She doesn't wish to let her 
weakness be seen. She forces herself to be matter of fact.

			ROSE
	I wonder how much we've lost.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

			ALLNUT
	Let's get this water out and see.

He swings himself aboard, splashes down to the waist and 
fishes about for the pails.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

as she tucks her skirt up into her underclothes as though 
she were a little girl at the seaside. CAMERA PANS with her 
to Allnutt. She takes a pail and the two of them go to 
bailing, and conversation ceases with the effort.

							DISSOLVE TO:

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT -- (SHOOTING DOWN OVER ROSE'S 
SHOULDER)

He has gotten up a couple of floor boards in the waist, and 
is down on his knees inspecting the planking.

			ALLNUT
	It's better than we coulda hoped 
	for. We 'aven't lost nothin', far as 
	I can see. 'Aven't damaged 'er skin 
	worth mentionin'. I shoulda thought 
	there'd been an 'ole in 'er 
	somewheres, after wot she's been 
	through.

			ROSE
	What was all that clattering just 
	before we stopped?

			ALLNUT
	We still got to find that out, old 
	girl.

			ROSE
	How are we going to do that, dear?

			ALLNUT
	I'll 'ave to go underneath and 'ave 
	a look.

He is out of his shirt and trousers in a jiffy. His drawers 
are the old-fashioned kind reaching to the knee and tying up 
with a string behind. He picks up a rope and ties one end 
around his middle and gives the other end to Rose.

			ALLNUT
	There ain't no other way. You stay 
	'andy with that rope -- case there's 
	a fancy current down at the bottom... 
	'Ere goes!

And over the side he goes. His feet remain in view for a 
moment; then, kicking, they disappear.

UNDERWATER SHOT -- THE PROPELLER SHAFT OF THE LAUNCH

Allnutt swims into the picture, giving forth with bubbles. 
He inspects the shaft.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

leaning far over the stern, trying to glimpse what is 
happening beneath The African Queen. Presently, Allnutt's 
head breaks the surface of the water.

			ROSE
		(hovering anxiously 
			over him)
	Could you see anything, dear?

			ALLNUT
	Yes.

MEDIUM SHOT -- ALLNUTT AND ROSE

With her help, he climbs back aboard, sits down on the bench. 
Rose sits beside him and waits for him to regain his breath. 
She puts out her dry hand and clasps his wet one.

			ALLNUT
		(dully)
	Shaft's bent to blazes like a 
	corkscrew, and there's a blade gone 
	off the prop.

			ROSE
	We'll have to mend it, then.

			ALLNUT
	Mend it!
		(he laughs bitterly)
	Not likely.

			ROSE
	Why is that, dear?
		(he doesn't answer)
	What shall we have to do before we 
	go on?

			ALLNUT
	I'll tell ya.
		(savage despondency 
			in his tone)
	I'll tell ya what we could do if we 
	was sittin' in the landin' slip at 
	Limbasi. We could pull this old tub 
	out an' take the shaft down an' 'aul 
	it over to the workshop where they'd 
	forge it straight again. An' then we 
	could write to the makers and get a 
	new prop. They might 'ave one in 
	stock 'cause this boat ain't over 
	thirty years old. An' while we was 
	waitin' we might clean 'er bottom 
	an' paint 'er. Then we could put in 
	the shaft an' the new prop an' launch 
	'er an' go on as if nothin' 'ad 
	'appened. -- But this ain't Limbasi, 
	an' so we can't.

			ROSE
		(after a pause)
	Can't you get the shaft out without 
	pulling the boat on shore?

			ALLNUT
	I dunno. I might. Means workin' 
	underwater. Could do it perhaps.

			ROSE
	Well, if you were able to get the 
	shaft up on shore, could you 
	straighten it?

			ALLNUT
	Ain't got no hearth. Ain't got no 
	anvil. Ain't got no coal. Ain't got 
	nothin'. An' furthermore, I ain't no 
	blacksmith.

			ROSE
		(tapping her memory)
	I saw a Masai native working once. 
	Using charcoal... on a big hollow 
	stone. He had a boy to fan the 
	charcoal.

			ALLNUT
	Yes, I've seen that, too! But I'd 
	use a bellows, myself -- make them 
	easy enough.

			ROSE
	Well, if you think that would be 
	better.

			ALLNUT
		(the engineer in him 
			taking over)
	There's 'eaps an' 'eaps of driftwood 
	up on the bank.

			ROSE
	Why don't you try it?

			ALLNUT
		(suddenly shying)
	No. It ain't no use, Rosie, old girl. 
	I was forgettin' that prop. There's 
	a blade gone.

			ROSE
	Can't we go on the blades that are 
	left?

			ALLNUT
	There's a torque. Prop wouldn't be 
	balanced. Wouldn't take five minutes 
	for the shaft to be like a corkscrew 
	again.

			ROSE
	We'll have to make another blade. 
	There's lots of iron and stuff you 
	could use.

			ALLNUT
		(ironically)
	And tie it on, I suppose.

			ROSE
		(missing his irony)
	Yes, if you think that will do. But 
	wouldn't it be better to -- weld it? 
	That's the right word, isn't it? 
	Weld it on?

			ALLNUT
	You're a one, Rosie. Really you are.
		(laughs)

			ROSE
	Isn't weld the right word, dear? You 
	know what I mean even if it isn't, 
	don't you?

			ALLNUT
	Oh, it's the right word, all right.

He laughs again. At first, Rose is afraid that his laugh is 
caused by desperation, but when she sees that it is not, she 
laughs with him.

Directly they are in each other's arms, kissing as two people 
might be expected to kiss on the second day of their 
honeymoon.

							DISSOLVE TO:

UNDERWATER SHOT -- ALLNUTT

working on the shaft. Now and then he bangs his hammer on 
the hull of the boat. Apparently he and Rose have a system 
of signals. Just as he succeeds in loosening the bracket 
supporting the shaft, a whim of the river expresses itself 
in a fierce underwater swirl. Allnutt is turned upside down, 
but he holds onto the bracket like grim death.

ROSE -- IN THE STERN

pulling in on the rope. Allnutt comes to the surface, drops 
the bracket into the boat.

			ALLNUT
		(gasping)
	Swallered about half the river that 
	time.

			ROSE
	You were down there an awfully long 
	time. I got scared.

			ALLNUT
	Shaft is ready to come out now. It'll 
	be too heavy for me to swim up with. 
	I'll 'ave to walk with it in to 
	shore... Well, 'ere goes -- for the 
	last time, I 'ope.

			ROSE
	Charlie.

			ALLNUT
	Huh?

			ROSE
	Let me help you.

			ALLNUT
	'Ow do you mean?

She begins to peel off her clothes.

			ALLNUT
	Wot d'you think you're goin' to do?

			ROSE
	Go down with you.

			ALLNUT
	An' get drownded? You don't know wot 
	it's like, Rosie. Them currents is 
	just fierce.
		(he shakes his head)
	Wot'll you be thinkin' of next!
		(he takes two deep 
			breaths)
	Well, 'ere goes.
		(After a third and 
			deeper breath, he is 
			gone.)

CLOSE SHOT -- UNDERWATER -- THE SHAFT

Allnutt swims into view, slides the shaft out through the 
bearings and begins to carry it toward shore. The current 
catches him. He loses his footing, regains it, only to fall 
again. The heavy shaft is too much for one man to handle.

He is struggling vainly with it when into the SCENE swims 
Rose. She takes one end of the shaft, Allnutt the other, and 
together they walk under water toward shore

							LAP DISSOLVE TO:

CLOSE SHOT -- MAKESHIFT FORGE -- NIGHT

Rose is working the bellows while Allnutt hammers patiently. 
Presently he lays aside the hammer and, using a taut string, 
judges the straightness of the shaft. Apparently he is pleased 
with his work, for he grins at Rose and nods briefly.

			ALLNUT
	If my old dad 'ad put me to 
	blacksmithin' when I was a kid, I 
	don't think I should never 'ave come 
	to Africa. I might've --
		(a faraway look comes 
			into his eyes; he is 
			thinking about Charing 
			Cross on a Saturday 
			night; finally he 
			shakes himself)
	-- But then I shouldn't never 'ave 
	met you, Rosie old girl.
		(he goes back to 
			hammering)
	I wouldn't trade you for all the 
	fried fish shops in the world.

			ROSE
		(protesting this 
			accolade)
	Oh, Charlie!

He slips a ring of wire over the end of the shaft and moves 
it up and down its length, testing the diameter.

			ALLNUT
		(finally)
	Well, I guess it's just about as 
	good as I can get it -- And it didn't 
	take so long a time, neither.

			ROSE
	Only a week.

			ALLNUT
	The blade's a different proposition. 
	I'll 'ave to make it.

							LAP DISSOLVE TO:

INSERT: THE NEW PROPELLER BLADE (DAY SHOT)

held in place on stone anvil with a pair of pliers; it is 
beginning to take shape under blows of Allnutt's hammer. The 
pliers carry it over the other two blades, which are its 
models, and turn it this way and that for purposes of 
comparison.

							DISSOLVE TO:

UNDERWATER SHOT -- ALLNUTT AND ROSE

getting the shaft, with its new propeller, back into position.

							DISSOLVE TO:

CLOSE SHOT -- THE PROPELLER (UNDER WATER)

turning. SOUND of the engine, o.s. CAMERA TILTS UP. Allnutt 
is leaning over the stern, watching. In the b.g. stands Rose, 
with her hand on the throttle.

			ALLNUT
	It turns right enough. But that don't 
	prove nothin' much. Will it stand up 
	under a full head of steam, that's 
	the question. We'll get our answer 
	out there -- and Lord 'elp us if it 
	ain't the right one.

			ROSE
	Let's find out right now.

			ALLNUT
	Why not?

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

Rose comes back and takes the tiller in hand. Allnutt casts 
off the moorings. As the bows come out into the current, he 
gently opens the throttle.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT

			ALLNUT
	Goodbye, darling.

He bends over the engine.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

			ROSE
	Goodbye, darling.

Neither she nor Allnutt hears the other; neither is meant 
to; there is a high courage in them both.

FULL SHOT -- THE AFRICAN QUEEN

CAMERA PANS with boat as she surges out into the stream. She 
spins around as her bows come into the river, and Rose puts 
the tiller across. Next moment she is flying down the stream 
once more.

							FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

EXTERIOR -- THE RIVER -- LONG SHOT

In the foreground, a spray of jungle foliage in sharp and 
exotic contrast to the upland pines of the last sequence. 
The African Queen comes into view, and CAMERA PANS with her. 
A flock of ibis in the path of The African Queen rise on 
great snowy wings, only to settle again when she has passed.

CLOSE SHOT -- ALLNUTT AND ROSE

looking about them.

			ALLNUT
	Well, we done it, old girl. We got 
	down the rapids all right. I didn't 
	think it could be done. If it 'adn't 
	been for you, sweetheart, we shouldn't 
	be 'ere now. Don't you feel proud of 
	yourself, dear?

			ROSE
		(indignantly)
	No, of course not. Look at the way 
	you made the engine go. Look how you 
	mended the propeller. It wasn't me 
	at all.
		(with even greater 
			emphasis)
	I don't think there's another man 
	alive who could have done it.

			ALLNUT
		(wryly)
	I don't think anyone's likely to 
	try.

LONG SHOT (MOVING) -- A TURN IN THE RIVER

Her waters widen and a dreary, marshy, amphibious world is 
revealed; tree trunks and little creeper-entangled islands 
take the place of the foaming rocks of the upper river.

MEDIUM SHOT -- ALLNUTT AND ROSE

			ALLNUT
	Looks like this old river got tired 
	of all that runnin' an' jumpin' she 
	did an' decided to lay down an' rest 
	for a while... 'Ow about our doin' 
	the same, Rosie -- seein' as 'ow the 
	sun's goin' down.

Rose nods. She edges The African Queen in towards the shore. 
Allnutt gets his boat hook into the stump of a large tree 
which, still half alive, grows precariously on the edge of 
the water with half its roots exposed.

Rose goes to the boiler and starts making tea, while Allnutt 
gets a line around a root. There is hardly any current. The 
light is fading.

			ALLNUT
	It must be right 'bout 'ere the river 
	changes her nyme from Ulanga to Bora.
		(he slaps at a mosquito)
	Not that it matters. Nobody lives 
	between 'ere and the lake. Unless 
	you call monkeys people.

He slaps again. There is the high frequency SOUND of 
mosquitoes which fill the air.

			ROSE
		(slapping)
	How much farther do you think it is 
	to the lake?

			ALLNUT
	Oh -- not so many miles, but --

He slaps his arms and legs, get up and stands and makes swift 
passes in the air, as though shadow-boxing.

			ROSE
		(slapping)
	But what, Charlie?

			ALLNUT
		(a note of hysteria 
			in his voice)
	I got a feelin' that before long 
	we'll wish we was shootin' the rapids 
	again... Ow!... Ow!

							DISSOLVE:

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

It is nightfall and the mosquitoes have left their homes in 
the mud, under leaves, on stalks of reeds, to hunt flesh and 
blood. They close in on Rose and Allnutt; they bite through 
clothes -- they crawl under clothes; some of the smallest 
creep into nostrils and under eyelids. Rose and Allnutt are 
used to ordinary attacks, but this is beyond all experience. 
They slap ever more wildly; they begin to show panic.

			ROSE
	Oh!

			ALLNUT
	This is awful!

			ROSE
		(pulling at her dress)
	I'm going in! I'm going to get under 
	the water!

			ALLNUT
	Yes! That's it!

But looking past Rose toward the river, he sees something 
that makes him grab her wrist.

			ALLNUT
	No!

			ROSE
	But I'm being eaten alive!

			ALLNUT
		(pointing)
	Look.

MEDIUM SHOT -- LARGE CROCODILE

on the bank.

			ALLNUT
		(o.s.)
	What'd you say 'bout bein' eaten 
	alive?

And now we see that it is not one crocodile but several 
submerged and partially submerged. Two slide into the water 
from the bank.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

After their first start at the sight of the crocs, they go 
back to fighting the cloud of mosquitoes that, hungry for 
blood, fill the air with their WHINING.

			ROSE
	Get me out of here, Charlie! I'm 
	going mad!

MEDIUM SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

Allnutt runs to the engine, tries to start it.

			ALLNUT
	Ain't no steam. Can't start engine.

			ROSE
		(wails)
	I can't stand it, Charlie!

			ALLNUT
	'Ere! Lay down! Get under the canvas 
	there! I'll get us out into the 
	channel.

She obeys. Allnutt casts off, and seizing a deckboard begins 
to paddle. The space between the launch and the bank slowly 
widens till at last they are in the channel. Rose peeps out 
from under the canvas.

			ALLNUT
	Right, Rosie. We got away from 'em. 
	You can come out.

			ROSE
		(crawling out)
	I'm ashamed, Charlie, acting like 
	that -- but I couldn't help it. I 
	was going mad.

			ALLNUT
	Me, too.

			ROSE
	You're so bitten!

Even in the faded light, his face and body show innumerable 
bumps.

			ALLNUT
	The bites themselves ain't so bad; 
	it's 'avin' them all round you. I've 
	'eard of them sendin' buffaloes an' 
	native cattle stark starin' mad -- 
	an' they run an' run till they fall 
	dead.

			ROSE
		(after a pause)
	What are we going to do, Charlie?

			ALLNUT
	Now you're asking!

			ROSE
	Will they be like that wherever we 
	tie up?

			ALLNUT
	Can't say.

			ROSE
	We can't just drift all night.

			ALLNUT
	If the river keeps straight an' deep 
	an' slow, there ain't nothin' much 
	can 'urt us -- I know! I'll let the 
	anchor out a ways. She'll stop us 
	before trouble gets too near.

He lets the anchor chain out, then sits on the bench. Rose 
leans against him. He puts his arm around her.

			ALLNUT
		(after a long silence)
	What a time, Rosie -- what a time! 
	We'll never lack for stories to tell 
	our grandchildren -- if we live to 
	'ave any.

The launch seems to be floating in space, solitary as any 
one of the stars that are now beginning to shine and twinkle 
overhead.

							DISSOLVE:

EXT. DELTA -- DAWN

The river ends in a five-mile-wide pool, fringed all the way 
round with reeds. These reeds extend as far as the eye can 
see.

The boat comes down into the pool, nosing along the edge, 
looking for an opening. Allnutt and Rose are talking as she 
steers and he feeds the furnace.

			ALLNUT
	Look -- maybe that's a channel.
		(it isn't)
	No.

A herd of hippopotami suddenly surface and scatter. Plunging 
through water, mud and reeds just ahead of the boat. Behind 
them is left a faint indication of a channel.

			ROSE
	What about there?
		(pointing)
	That looks like a way through.

ANOTHER ANGLE

showing a very doubtful passage into the reed bed.

			ALLNUT
	Could be.
		(worried)
	I dunno.
		(pause)
	Once we get in, an' these 'ere reeds 
	close up be'ind our stern -- we'd 
	never get back, you know, Rosie.

			ROSE
	We can't stay going round and round 
	out here.

			ALLNUT
	If anything goes wrong a few 'undred 
	feet in there, we're 'eld in a trap, 
	you know -- till we starve or go orf 
	our 'eads. I dunno!
		(loudly. decisively)
	All right. Put 'er over.

Rose swings the tiller and the boat charges at the little 
opening in the reeds.

FULL SHOT -- REEDS

looking from outside. We see the boat nose into the opening. 
In front of her the reeds part. Others are pressed under 
water. But as soon as her full length is inside, the reeds 
she has parted or submerged close together again, or rise 
slowly from under water. As they close, they form an 
increasingly solid barrier behind her wide stern. Very soon 
The African Queen is completely hidden from us except for 
the top of her tall funnel, which moves more and more slowly 
as she goes on into the reed bed.

EXT. REED BED

seen from a few feet above. A view of the endless miles of 
papyrus reed. At one place we see the top of the funnel of 
The African Queen.

EXT. -- THE LAUNCH

the engine choking and gasping, shaking the launch. CAMERA 
PANS DOWN TO:

CLOSE -- BOW OF LAUNCH

pushing ineffectually against the knotted roots of the reeds, 
which have piled up under it. There is almost no water -- 
just the tangled roots and an inch of liquid mud.

MEDIUM SHOT -- ALLNUTT

shutting off steam. The corners of his mouth tighten. He is 
badly frightened. He tries to keep the fear out of his voice 
as he tells Rose; but we can see that Rose is desperately 
scared too.

			ALLNUT
	It's the propeller, I think. It won't 
	work in this mud.

Allnutt looks down over stern. He gets up.

			ALLNUT
	Where's the boat-'ook?

ANOTHER ANGLE

Allnutt finding boat hook and moving forward.

			ALLNUT
	Maybe we can pull 'er along.

MEDIUM SHOT -- BOWS OF LAUNCH

Allnutt reaching forward with boat hook, hooking it into 
strong clumps of reeds, pulling desperately. The clumps 
resist; it seems as if the boat is about to move. Then the 
clumps give way.

MEDIUM SHOT -- ROSE

amidships, watching Allnutt.

			ROSE
	Here! Wait a minute!

She finds a long pole or plank, chooses a good spot and begins 
to push. After a couple of ineffectual attempts, Allnutt 
hooks an especially strong clump at the same time as Rose 
finds a solid spot against which to push.

The boat heaves and shakes, and, with a final heart-breaking 
effort on the part of Rose and Allnutt, it moves forward a 
couple of feet.

ANOTHER ANGLE -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

gasping for breath, hope flickering up again.

			ALLNUT
	Come on -- again!

As they resume their efforts, CAMERA DRAWS BACK, RISING TO

FULL SHOT -- REED BED

from twenty feet above. We see the funnel of the launch 
inching slowly and painfully through the reeds.

							DISSOLVE TO:

FULL SHOT -- THE AFRICAN QUEEN

in the reeds. Rose and Allnutt are poling with their boat 
hooks. Even through the masks of mud they are wearing, we 
can see that they are both terribly haggard and exhausted.

			ALLNUT
	We've come along under steam, and we 
	paddled an' pushed 'an' pulled the 
	ole boat along with the 'ook. Wot we 
	ain't done yet is get out an' carry 
	'er. I spose that'll come next.

			ROSE
	Hard to breathe! -- the air is so 
	wet and heavy.

			ALLNUT
	Can't 'ardly tell water from land -- 
	or for that matter, day from night.

			ROSE
	The whole thing is like a fever dream, 
	isn't it?

			ALLNUT
	All the channels we've lost -- an' 
	the twistin' we've done -- we may 
	come back out where we started -- if 
	we come out at all.

			ROSE
	We've always followed the current, 
	dear -- what little there is.

			ALLNUT
	That don't mean nothin' -- with this 
	river. This river's crazy. Crazy as 
	I am!

			ROSE
		(gently)
	Charlie.
		(she touches him)
	We must try to keep hold of ourselves.

			ALLNUT
	Sorry, old girl.

Allnutt starts pushing all the more energetically on his 
pole.

			ALLNUT
	Best thing to put the roses back in 
	our cheeks is to get out o' these 
	reeds.

Allnutt's exertions carry them into the shallows. The boat 
touches bottom. Not all of their strivings with the boathooks 
serve to move it an inch further.

			ALLNUT
		(finally)
	What I said a while back about 'avin' 
	to carry the boat was meant for a 
	joke -- but as it turns out, I wasn't 
	jokin'.

Taking the painter, he goes over the side and starts pulling 
like a draft animal. Slowly, ever so slowly, the boat begins 
to move, until at last she is floating again.

Rose helps him back in. Suddenly she gives a cry of horrified 
surprise.

			ALLNUT
	What's the matter?

Rose can only point. As he sees what it is, Allnutt's face 
contorts with panic and disgust. He makes a kind of growl of 
horrified surprise, across which:

DETAIL SHOT -- ALLNUTT'S ARM, CHEST OR BELLY

A couple of leeches hang to him, visibly swelling with his 
blood.

QUICK PULL AWAY TO TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT -- Over his 
line; we see 20 or 30 leeches on him.

			ALLNUT
	Augh, the little beggars --
		(a cracking voice)
	Pull 'em off me, Rosie -- no, the 
	heads stay -- poison yer blood.

			ROSE
		(sudden remembrance)
	Salt!

She rushes to get their tin box of it.

EXTREME CLOSE UP -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

eyes on what she is doing below SCREEN.

DETAIL -- DAMP SALT

applied to a leech. It flinches, elongates, bunches and 
swells, and drops off.

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

She dabs salt on the last two or three, while he stands like 
a partly calmed, still shocked horse.

			ALLNUT
	Anythin' I hate in this world it's 
	leeches -- filthy devils.

He stands trembling quietly, the triangular bites still bleed 
freely. Rose dabs tenderly at one of the sinister little 
wounds.

							DISSOLVE:

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT -- AT BOWS (SHOOTING FORWARD 
FROM STERN)

They hook the boat with great effort slowly along. The hull 
grazes something. They work still harder. There is a rumbling 
SCRAPE. Then, also, a sludgy GRINDING.

With the grinding, Allnutt moans as if in his sleep and tries 
desperately to reverse direction.

			ALLNUT
		(gasping)
	Back! 'Old 'er back --

			ROSE
		(imitating him)
	Mud?

			ALLNUT
	Yes.

There is too much momentum for them.

			ALLNUT
		(reversing his dragging)
	Let's try an' get 'er over it, then. 
	Give 'er all you got, Rosie.

They strain enough to half kill them; the sludgy grinding 
intensifies.

			ALLNUT
		(gasping)
	Good girl -- we're still makin' 
	'eadway -- All you got now --

Abruptly the boat comes to a dead stop.

							DISSOLVE:

VERTICAL SHOT -- THE MOTIONLESS GUNWALE AND MANGROVES

and the just perceptibly moving slime on the water between.

ROSE AND ALLNUTT

They sit by each other, she holding his forehead; he is in a 
dry nausea of exhaustion.

			ROSE
	There, there, dear. There, there. 
	There, dear.

Able to speak, ashamed, he tries to joke.

			ALLNUT
	Fine specimen of a man I am, ain't 
	I!

			ROSE
	You're the bravest man that ever 
	lived.

He is silent, slowly and rather inanely shaking his head; 
she watches him.

			ROSE
		(like a very old wife 
			to a very old husband)
	Lie down, dear. Rest. Both of us.

He keeps on shaking his head.

			ROSE
	You just overdo, that's all. You 
	must take care of yourself! You're 
	not one bit well.

			ALLNUT
	Well! We're both of us half dead.

			ROSE
		(ignoring this)
	Besides, it's high time we had our 
	supper. It'll be dark before long.

			ALLNUT
	You 'ave some. I ain't up to it yet.

			ROSE
	Or a nice steaming cup of tea.

			ALLNUT
	You fix yourself some.

			ROSE
	Not just yet, thank you.
		(she gets up, taking 
			his hand)
	Come now.
		(she helps him weakly 
			up)
	Lie-down.

CAMERA STAYS WITH THEM, MOVING INTO VERTICAL TWO SHOT --

Rose helps Allnutt to the floor, and nurse-like, puts bunched 
rags under his head.

			ROSE
	There now. All comfy?

He tries to smile.

			ALLNUT
	You rest, too.

			ROSE
	Indeed I will.
		(she lies down beside 
			him and smiles at 
			him)
	That's all we need, a good long rest, 
	and we'll be on our way in a jiffy. 
	You'll see.

			ALLNUT
		(managing a smile)
	Sure.

She turns her back to him because she can't meet his eyes. 
Both lie with eyes wide open, obsessed.

			ROSE
		(after a pause)
	Try to sleep, dear.

			ALLNUT
		(pause)
	Sure. You too.

			ROSE
	Of course.

She reaches a hand behind her and pets him. He clearly has, 
and resists, an impulse to take her hand.

She withdraws her hand. A pause.

			ALLNUT
	Rosie.

			ROSE
		(pause; with quiet 
			dread)
	Yes, Charlie.

			ALLNUT
	You want to know the truth, don't 
	you?

			ROSE
		(pause; very quietly)
	I know it.

His eyes show deep pain.

			ROSE
	We're finished.

			ALLNUT
	That's right.

			ROSE
	Even if we had all our strength we'd 
	never be able to get her off this 
	mud.

			ALLNUT
	Not a chance in this world.

They are silent a while; everything is in their eyes. As 
suddenly and swiftly as her weakness allows, she turns to 
him; their faces are close.

CAMERA DROPS NEARER.

She looks into his quiet eyes; her own eyes are fiery, not 
with tears but with passionate, incredulous despair; 
speechless, trying to speak; a sort of palsy.

			ROSE
	So useless!

He puts a hand along her cheek. Slowly he realizes, and 
enhances for us, her only concern with dying.

			ALLNUT
	They don't come no better'n you.

They lie still, looking at each other.

Within about 15 seconds, their faces profoundly alter; by 
changes of makeup, every couple of seconds, the motionless 
faces become years older, and take on a kind of worn majesty; 
and gradually lose consciousness; by the end of the seconds, 
the eyes are closed. The CAMERA meanwhile very slowly 
withdraws upward. In the last we can clearly see of their 
faces, they are quite possibly dead. As CAMERA RISES, we see 
them at full length, as prostrated and flattened as grasses 
pressed in a book; then, their static boat and the crawling 
water; the CAMERA RISES among the overhanging mangrove 
branches which obscure and trap them; and, as it rises, the 
SCREEN slowly darkens.

The CAMERA STOPS RISING. The dead silence is broken by an 
infinitesimal SOUND OF RUSTLING. By eye and ear, after a few 
seconds, it becomes recognizable as the stillest, slenderest 
kind of rain, splintering downward, very gradually increasing 
in volume and in richness of SOUND as the darkness deepens, 
to an immense, peaceful, steady, flooding downpour. The 
darkness pales into full daylight and the downpour continues, 
and through it we can dimly see the boat and the prostrate 
bodies, and after perhaps ten seconds of the new daylight 
(after maybe fifteen of darkness), the rain begins to abate 
and the CAMERA BEGINS VERY SLOWLY TO DESCEND.

It gets down through the branches. The bodies are motionless; 
so is the boat; but the slime on the water, though still 
slow, moves with a distinct new kind of energy.

THE CAMERA STOPS DESCENDING. A couple of seconds later, the 
boat stirs, just perceptibly; motionless again; then stirs 
again, more distinctly.

At height of PULL UP OF CAMERA and darkening, a quiet rich 
CRUMPLING OF THUNDER. (Throughout this short sequence all 
sounds, even those recorded at full blast, are held way down 
on the track -- as if heard in a dream or in imagination.)

Across MUTTERING OF THUNDER --

							CUT TO:

SHOT -- SKY AND MOUNTAINS

Low in foreground, a sharp watershed peak; all foliage is 
fiercely ruffled, showing pale undersides: beyond, a 
tremendous valley, a dim streak of river through it; beyond 
that, magnificent peaks: but most of the SCREEN is sky, in 
which (sped up by SLOW CAMERA) prodigious black and white 
clouds bloom, explode and wrestle. Over all, a solemn, ominous 
light. A moment of absolute stillness; then first huge drops 
of splattering rain; then SCREEN is blinded and deafened 
with simultaneous THUNDER AND LIGHTNING, over which CAMERA 
TILTS DOWNWARD along the line of enormous columns of rain 
which take over SCREEN.

SHOOTING UPSTREAM, to breadth of a swollen river, in heavy 
rain:

PAN DOWNSTREAM, past Mission clearing.

Possible CUT IN: Mission bungalow screen door flapping and 
banging in wind; or porch rocking chairs' ghostlike cradling:

PAN ON DOWNSTREAM flooding water.

LONG SHOT across roaring river on Shona, PANNING DOWNSTREAM; 
one tiny figure struggles miserably through mud:

Possible CUT IN: the drowned German flag, clinging 
disconsolately to its pole.

END PAN on water at mouth of rapids; bring up ROAR From high 
and to one side: where the rapids enter the Basin: (greatly 
augmented water NOISE.)

PULL CAMERA DOWN and to right to VERTICAL SHOT over the Rose-
Allnutt waterfall, much more water than before, plunging 
into pool; bringing up SOUND sharp.

TILT CAMERA UP to right, to center on where rapids leave the 
pool; the whole pool, dark and calm on first trip, is now 
boiling white. TILT A LITTLE FURTHER and CUT OFF SHORT.

The rock behind which they sheltered for the welding; it is 
so over-whelmed with water it is no longer visible; there 
could be no anchorage here now. QUICK PAN DOWNSTREAM.

Where the river enters the pre-Delta broadening: the water 
is markedly slowed, but there is much more movement than 
when we were here before; TILT UPWARD across a solid floor 
of calmer, rain-marked water, lighter rain and THUNDER, 
overcast; SOUND of calm, steady rain on miles of water; the 
reeds where Rose and Allnutt entered: lighter rain; its SOUND 
among reeds; the water is distinctly higher on the reeds and 
broken reeds distinctly move on it; LIFT towards mangroves 
past reeds.

Mangroves and shadow; and the infinitesimal splintery 
whisperings of light rain. TILT CAMERA DOWNWARD and resume 
the vertical SHOT on which we faded from Rose and Allnutt, 
and SLOWLY BRING THE CAMERA TOWARDS THEM, through and beyond 
mangrove tanglings, to MEDIUM CLOSE. The boat shines with 
wetness and they are drabbled with it. Nothing moves except 
the slime-flecked water and that moves slowly, but with a 
new kind of energy. Neither Rose nor Allnutt is conscious.

At MEDIUM CLOSE, halt CAMERA. A couple of seconds after it 
stops, there is a first, scarcely discernible shifting motion 
of the boat. They are still unconscious. Bring up the SMALL 
SOUNDS OF RUNNING WATER a little; another little shifting of 
the boat; a little more distinct. They are still unconscious.

ROSE -- IN EXTREME CLOSE UP

She looks as if she had cried herself dry, and she looks as 
if she might quite possibly be dead.

ALLNUTT -- EXTREME CLOSE UP

His face is crumpled and distorted against one elbow; in his 
face, too, there is the look of incredible sadness and defeat; 
and he, too, could be dead.

(In both faces, also the epitome of utter weariness and of 
rest after weariness.)

DETAIL SHOT -- Allnutt's emaciated hand, motionless, caressing 
her shoulder, and involved in her hair.

ANOTHER -- Her own hands, motionless; they are folded -- 
quite unconsciously -- in her automatic gesture of prayer.

TILT CAMERA UPWARDS from this -- past gunwale, we see by 
quiet motion of mangrove roots, that the whole boat is 
cradling gently in the rain.

FROM BENEATH BOAT -- DETAIL SHOT -- past bottom of hull, dim 
daylight opens just discernibly as boat lifts from muck.

PAST PROW -- ON MANGROVES

Prow is just perceptibly rising.

UNDERWATER SHOT -- BENEATH THE KEEL

a real, gaping light now, visible in motion of boat and of 
water and of muck-flakes in water.

PAST PROW -- ON MANGROVES

The prow really moves forward now.

ANOTHER SHOT -- PAST PROW (UNDERWATER)

A new obstruction looms; a thick, dark root; prow (and CAMERA) 
come right up against it but hit it slowly, a little to one 
side, and the whole boat, with a hollow SCRAPING, glances 
along past.

ACROSS THE GLANCING

							CUT TO:

MEDIUM SHOT -- BOAT (FROM DOWNSTREAM)

silently floating towards CAMERA in rustling rain, pointing 
slantwise, beginning to straighten.

ABOARD -- (PAST ROSE AND ALLNUTT)

who are still unconscious; athwart the boat; the quiet 
movement past the mangroves.

THE ENGINE -- (SHOOTING FORWARD FROM STERN)

The engine approaches a low and dangerous-looking branch; it 
just clears

BOAT -- (SHOOTING PAST PROW)

The boat nears a splitting of waterways. Both look bad, but 
one looks far worse; prow nudges a mangrove mass and for a 
few seconds everything is at stalemate; then stern begins to 
swing forward.

BOAT STERN

as it begins to swing forward. It looks as if everything 
would jam; and with soft bumpings and subdued underwater 
scrapings and near-misses above water too, the boat does a 
slow, somnambulistic broken-field crawl during which the 
light becomes stronger and the rain less, and its SOUND less.

TWO SHOT -- ALLNUTT AND ROSE

The strengthened lights and shadows move on their faces and 
their closed eyes. Rose registers nothing. Allnutt's face 
and his slow, weak, negative hands both convey that he is 
dreaming something and doesn't believe it. His face goes 
inert again. There are fewer shadows now, brighter light, 
and there is a deep quiet scraping SOUND which makes him 
open his eyes. Still unable to believe what he sees, he turns 
his face up toward CAMERA.

MEDIUM SHOT -- THE MOVING, THINNING OVERHEAD TANGLE OF 
MANGROVES -- (FROM HIS VIEWPOINT)

and the sun-touched last of the rain.

			ALLNUT
		(o.s., softly; an 
			almost incapable 
			voice)
	Rose. Rosie.

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

He is half-up, hands on her, trying to stroke and pat her 
awake.

			ALLNUT
	Darling. Dear.

He takes her head gently between his hands and turns her 
face up to him.

			ALLNUT
	Look at us, Rosie! My God just look! 
	We're movin', dear! We're movin'!

She opens her eyes and looks up. All she sees at first is 
Allnutt's face, close to her. She looks at it with devotion 
and with terrible sadness.

			ROSE
	We did our best, dear.

He grabs her quite roughly into his arms and kisses her 
several times, rapidly and without passion.

			ALLNUT
		(talking through this)
	No, look, Rosie, just look at us! 
	We're movin', don't you see? Movin', 
	that's what!

And with this, as we catch her first realization and reaction, 
we leave the last of the mangroves and are among the reeds, 
gliding slowly yet freely; with a RUSTLING of reeds against 
the boat reminiscent of the rustling of the finished rain, 
and the late afternoon sunlight moving through the reeds as 
though they were harpstrings, and casting an almost rustling 
of slender light and shadow across their faces. Her face 
becomes quietly transcendent. She gets with great difficulty 
to her feet (she is very weak; so is he) and, reaching over 
the gunwale, begins grabbing reeds and with what strength 
she has, tries to help them along. As soon as he realizes, 
he gets up weakly, too, and hurries and gets the pole, crying:

			ALLNUT
	Easy, Rosie dear! You just rest, old 
	girl. Easy now.

Meanwhile, with what strength he has, he is poling.

Past them and past prow, we see light beyond the high reeds 
which steadily, slowly part for the prow and sweep past the 
flanks of the boat.

ANOTHER ANGLE -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

Both continue working; their incredulous eyes are fixed past 
the prow. Behind them, reeds partly close back, dark mangroves 
recede. Their eyes intensify.

PAST PROW -- FROM THEIR VIEWPOINT

The last few feet of the reeds part and the boat drifts free 
and clear onto a horizonless floor of golden light (or if in 
black and white, a kind of unearthly silver); a low group of 
wooded islands in the distance.

TWO SHOT -- MEDIUM CLOSE -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

as they still drift, a soft breeze on them, looking around.

He sits down, obviously because he feels too weak to stand. 
Rose, still standing, looks towards him, waiting his authority 
to believe what she already knows. They speak quietly, as if 
someone were asleep.

			ROSE
	It -- really is?

He reaches out his hand to her.

			ALLNUT
	Come on -- sit down, old girl. Yer 
	tremblin' like a leaf.

But she gets down quietly onto her knees and bows her head. 
He looks at her a few moments, then a little uneasily and 
shyly, gets down onto his knees. She begins to cry very deeply 
and silently; we don't see her face. Allnutt puts his arm 
around her, and she hides her face against him and cries, 
audibly now but quietly, taking his free hand in her own.

			ALLNUT
		(very quietly)
	There, there, Rosie. There, old girl. 
	We're all right now, dear. There, 
	there.

			ROSE
	It's like Heaven.

By Allnutt's face, it is better than that, but he knows what 
she means.

			ROSE
		(in a queer voice)
	God let us live.

			ALLNUT
	Musta been 'Im, all right -- 'tweren't 
	nothin' in our power.

A pause.

			ROSE
		(quiet, charged voice)
	It wasn't for our sakes, either.

			ALLNUT
		(pause; carefully)
	'Ow you mean, Rosie?

			ROSE
	He brought us here to do His work.

She gets to her feet and walks past CAMERA towards bow.

ROSE -- (PAST BOW) as she comes up, Allnutt following. She 
is looking all around, and past her we see only empty water 
and empty sky. She begins to look impatient.

			ALLNUT
		(quietly)
	Rosie, this lake's an 'undred miles 
	long; forty wide, at the biggest. It 
	might be days afore she comes our 
	way.

			ROSE
	Then start the fire. We'll go find 
	her.

			ALLNUT
	No, Rosie, we won't 'ave to go out 
	of our way. She'll come to us.

			ROSE
	Come to us?

			ALLNUT
	Patrolin' the lake. She's bound to 
	come by, don't you never worry. An' 
	when she does, we want to be well 
	'id.

			ROSE
	Hmmm. Perhaps you're right.

			ALLNUT
	Sure I am. So let's just cruise about 
	a bit till we find a good 'idin' 
	place, an' then we'll lay in wait 
	fer 'er. Right?

			ROSE
	Right.

They go back towards engine.

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT as, Rose watching almost with 
reverence, Allnutt strikes a match and touches it to the 
carefully prepared wood.

THEY WATCH:

THE CURLING SMOKE -- (FROM THEIR VIEWPOINT) and catching 
flame and the SOUNDS -- an image almost of resurrection.

ROSE AND ALLNUTT -- (FROM FIRE'S ANGLE) their faces 
revitalizing, as light of flame works on them over increasing 
SOUND of fire; he gently shuts the furnace door, and adjusts 
the draft; the fire begins a really happy ROARING. Allnutt 
looks up and around across the water, clearly figuring where 
they might cruise around.

			ALLNUT
		(murmuring)
	Let's -- see. We might, uh --

His eyes sharpen into great intentness on something very 
distant.

All of a sudden he picks up a bailing pail, dips it full, 
and douses the fire.

TWO SHOT -- ROSE (PAST ALLNUTT) Rose looks at him amazed. He 
gestures silently with a jerk of his head. She walks towards 
CAMERA and looks.

LONG SHOT -- THE LAKE Almost invisibly small on the horizon, 
a small black smudge, a gleaming white speck, which sharpens 
like a fresh star as we look.

			ALLNUTT'S VOICE
		(o.s.)
	That's The Louisa.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT He gets up on the gunwale.

			ALLNUT
	Yes, that's The Louisa all right.

			ROSE
	Which way are they going?

			ALLNUT
	They're comin' this way.

			ROSE
		(forcing herself to 
			be calm)
	They mustn't see us here. Can we get 
	far enough among the reeds for them 
	not to see us?

			ALLNUT
	Got to work fast.

Pulling and tugging with the boat hooks, they swing the launch 
around and head her into the reeds.

			ROSE
	We'll have to cut some down. How 
	deep is the mud?

Knife in hand, Allnutt goes over the bows among the reeds.

WIDER SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT as he goes over the bows. He 
sinks in the mud until the surface of the water is up to his 
armpits. Floundering about, he cuts every reed within reach. 
Then, pulling on the bow painter, he is able to work the 
launch up into the cleared space.

			ROSE
	There's still a bit of her sticking 
	out.

She throws a desperate glance towards The Louisa, which is 
making good time, and is less than half the former distance 
away.

Allnutt splashes back among the reeds and goes on cutting 
and hauling. Rose helps him to get back on board. He is in a 
state of near collapse from his exertions. He lies on the 
deck panting while Rose cranes her neck over the reeds.

LONG SHOT -- THE LOUISA

			ROSE
		(o.s.)
	She's coming right toward us, Charlie!

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT Groaning, Allnutt staggers to 
his knees, then to his feet. Together they watch the approach 
of The Louisa.

LONG SHOT -- THE LOUISA white, spotless, beautiful. At her 
stern floats the flag of the Imperial German Navy. On her 
foredeck, we can pick out the six-pound gun which gives the 
Germans command of the lake. We can see the figures of sailors 
moving about on the deck.

Over the SOUND of her engines comes a smartly given order, 
following which The Louisa alters her course by a point or 
two.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT Allnutt groans again, this 
time from relief.

			ROSE
	They're going a different way now.

			ALLNUT
	I thought they'd seen us.

LONG SHOT -- THE LOUISA heading toward some little islands 
in the middle of the lake.

ROSE AND ALLNUTT -- AS BEFORE

			ALLNUT
	They're makin' for them islands to 
	anchor for the night. They'll go on 
	in the mornin'. But don't you worry. 
	They'll come 'ere again. You just 
	see if they don't. You know 'ow 
	Germans are; they lays down systems 
	an' they sticks to 'em. Mondays 
	they're at one place. Tuesdays 
	somewheres else. Wednesdays p'raps 
	they're 'ere. Same ole round, week 
	after week. You know.

LONG SHOT -- THE LOUISA as the SOUND of her engines ceases.

			ALLNUTT'S VOICE
		(o.s.)
	Look! Wot did I tell ya! She's 
	droppin' 'er anchor.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

			ROSE
		(nods)
	How long will it take to get the 
	torpedoes ready?

			ALLNUT
	I can get the stuff into the tubes 
	in no time, as you might say. Don't 
	know 'bout the detonators. Gotta 
	make them up, you see -- devise 
	something. Then we got to cut 'oles 
	in the bows. Might 'ave it all done 
	in three days. Depends on them 
	detonators.

Rose receives this information in silence. Her eyes remain 
on The Louisa, now lying at anchor.

			ALLNUT
	Rosie, old girl -- Rosie --

			ROSE
		(a faraway note in 
			her voice)
	Yes, dear.

			ALLNUT
	I know wot you're thinkin' 'bout 
	doin'.
		(he takes her hand 
			and presses it)
	You're thinkin' 'bout takin' The 
	African Queen out at night next time 
	The Louisa comes 'ere, ain't you, 
	old girl?
		(Rose nods)
	We ought to manage it.

							DISSOLVE TO:

PAN SHOT -- ALLNUTT'S HAND as it takes one of the packages 
out of the box and carries it to one of the cylinders and 
places it inside. A wrench and the cylinder head are in view 
lying on the deck.

Allnutt's face comes into the SCREEN. He puts more packages 
into the cylinder.

CAMERA PULLS BACK to include Allnutt and Rose in TWO SHOT. 
Leaning over the side, Rose brings up handfuls of mud from 
the bottom and dumps it on the deck. Allnutt carries the 
sticky stuff to the cylinder and drops it in.

							DISSOLVE TO:

INSERT: A DISC OF WOOD IN ALLUTT'S HAND. Three holes have 
been punched through it. Allnutt's fingers fit cartridges 
into them. Then a second disc of the same diameter is placed 
over the first. The second disc has three nails in it. It is 
turned so that a nail point rests on the percussion cap of 
each cartridge.

			ALLNUTT'S VOICE
		(o.s.)
	Ought to work all right.

He begins to screw the pair of discs together. CAMERA PULLS 
BACK revealing Rose and Allnutt intent upon his handiwork.

			ALLNUT
	Can't put them into the cylinders 
	yet. They're a bit tricky. We can 
	put 'em in when we're all ready to 
	start.

			ROSE
	It will be dark then, of course. 
	Will you be able to do it in the 
	dark?

			ALLNUT
	Case of have to...
		(he puts the detonators 
			away in the locker)
	Better get the cylinders into place 
	now.

With Rose's help he drags and pushes one of the cylinders 
forward.

							DISSOLVE TO:

CLOSE SHOT -- THE BOW The cylinders in position, projecting 
like cannon through two holes on either side of the stem 
just above the waterline. o.s., the SOUND of hammering.

The CAMERA RAISES and DOLLIES FORWARD TO: CLOSE SHOT -- 
ALLNUTT -- SHOOTING at him over Rose's shoulder. He is nailing 
the cylinders solidly into position with battens torn from 
provision cases. Finally, the work done to his satisfaction, 
he tosses the hammer aside.

			ALLNUT
	Well, old girl -- I done it all now. 
	Everything. We're all ready.

It is a solemn moment. He shakes his head.

			ALLNUT
		(reminiscently)
	You know I been thinkin'. There ain't 
	no need for us both to -- to do it. 
	Now I've 'ad time to study it, I can 
	plainly see it's a one-man job.

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

			ROSE
	You couldn't be more right, Charlie 
	dear.

			ALLNUT
	Glad you agree, Rosie. When the time 
	comes I'll put you ashore on the 
	south side of the lake and you wait 
	for me while I attend to The Louisa...

			ROSE
		(interrupting)
	Certainly not! You're the one to be 
	put ashore.

			ALLNUT
	Me...?

			ROSE
	Of course, you. This whole thing was 
	my idea, wasn't it?... I'm the logical 
	one to carry it out.

			ALLNUT
	Why, Rose! I'm surprised! You're a 
	very sensible woman as a rule. Now 
	we won't 'ave no more talk along 
	those lines.

			ROSE
	I can manage this launch every bit 
	as well as you, Charlie Allnutt, and 
	you know it!

			ALLNUT
	Rosie, you're cracked!

			ROSE
	Didn't I steer going down the rapids?

			ALLNUT
	Oh, you steered well enough. But you 
	don't know nothin' about the engine. 
	Spose she broke down on you out there 
	in the middle of the lake? Where 
	would you be? But me, I'd leave the 
	tiller and go and do a thing or two 
	to the engine -- you know, spit on 
	'er or kick 'er in the belly -- an' 
	she'd go right to work again. She 
	knows 'oo 'er boss is, you bet, that 
	ole engine does.

			ROSE
		(defeated)
	All right, Charlie. I guess you have 
	to be there.

			ALLNUT
	Well, now, that's more like it. I'll 
	dive off a second or two before the 
	crash and swim over to where you'll 
	be waitin' on the north shore.

			ROSE
	Charlie...

			ALLNUT
	Yes.

			ROSE
	No need of our pretending.

			ALLNUT
	I don't know wot you're talkin' about.

			ROSE
	Oh, yes you do. There's got to be a 
	hand on that tiller right up to the 
	last.

Allnutt would like to protest; he opens his mouth to do so, 
but no words issue. He falls into a stricken silence.

			ROSE
		(continuing)
	Don't you understand, dear? I wouldn't 
	care about going on to Nairobi -- 
	without you.

Having no words, Allnutt can only nod.

			ROSE
		(continuing)
	We'll do it together. It will be you 
	at the engine and me at the tiller, 
	as it has been from the start.

			ALLNUT
		(in a choked voice)
	Right.

			ROSE
	When you come to think of it, we're 
	a very lucky couple, really.

			ALLNUT
	Aren't we just.

			ROSE
	Charlie.

			ALLNUT
	Yes, dear.

			ROSE
	Let's make The African Queen as clean 
	as we can. Let's scrub her decks and 
	polish her brass.

			ALLNUT
		(in quick agreement)
	I've got a can o' paint for 'er mast. 
	She ought to look 'er best. 'Er very 
	best. Representin' as she does the 
	Royal Navy.

MEDIUM SHOT -- THE AFRICAN QUEEN Quite a transformation has 
taken place in her appearance. Her decks are clean, her brass 
polished. Rose is engaged in painting her stumpy mast. Her 
old boiler shines like a mirror. In fact, Allnutt is using 
it as such while he shaves.

			ALLNUT
		(between strokes of 
			the razor)
	I wish I 'ad somethin' clean to put 
	on. It don't seem right for the ship's 
	captain to be without pants.

			ROSE
	Charlie...

			ALLNUT
	Yes, dear.

			ROSE
	I have a pair you can wear.

			ALLNUT
	You mean a pair o' yours?

			ROSE
	What's the difference?

			ALLNUT
	Well, you're the one'll have to look 
	at me.

She gives them to him. Getting into them, Allnutt begins to 
laugh. When he reveals himself to Rose, it is with obvious 
embarrassment. He assumes a position rather like September 
Morn's.

			ROSE
	Here. Put this on, too.
		(she displays one of 
			her singlets)

			ALLNUT
	Ain't that goin' a bit too far?

			ROSE
	Don't be silly!

He takes it and puts it on. He looks intently at Rose, 
expecting ridicule. Her eyes are not on him; they are on the 
horizon.

LONG SHOT -- A PUFF OF SMOKE AND A WHITE DOT The Louisa.

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT as she stares at the horizon. 
His eyes follow hers.

LONG SHOT -- THE LOUISA

							DISSOLVE TO:

CLOSE SHOT -- A CYLINDER -- (NIGHT) as Allnutt's hands finish 
fitting a detonator into its fore-end, tapping around its 
edges with a hammer. He is in the water. CAMERA PANS with 
him around the bow to the other cylinder. Rose passes down 
the second detonator. Allnutt puts it into place and pulls 
himself up over the side. He goes to the boiler which casts 
a red glow on the surrounding deck, and inspects the gauge. 
Steam is up. He looks across the waters of the lake toward 
the little group of islands.

LONG SHOT -- THE LOUISA A bundle of faint lights in the 
distance.

TWO SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT as a sudden gust of wind strikes 
the surrounding reeds, causing them to bend and toss. Allnutt 
takes Rose in his arms. Clinging to one another, they kiss; 
try to speak; fail -- then separate.

			ALLNUT
	Blowing up a bit. We better get 
	started. All right?

			ROSE
	All right.

He unfastens the side painter, then takes the boat hook and 
thrusts it against a clump of reeds. The African Queen moves 
slowly out into the fairway. Allnutt lays the boat hook down, 
feels for the throttle valve and opens it. The propeller 
begins its beat and the engine its muffled clanking.

FULL SHOT -- THE AFRICAN QUEEN coming out of the reeds into 
the lake.

TWO SHOT -- ALLNUTT AND ROSE Allnutt is staring at the bows, 
scowling.

			ROSE
		(observes his 
			expression with 
			anxiety)
	Is something the matter, dear?

			ALLNUT
	'Er bows are ridin' awful low for 
	this kind o' water. Them 'eavy 
	cylinders are what's doin' it.

A wave splashes over the bows into the boat, so that her 
decks swim in water.

			ALLNUT
	Got to get 'er nose way up 'igh or 
	we'll be in trouble.

He begins shifting ballast into the stern of the boat, which 
is swaying and staggering about in haphazard fashion.

			ROSE
	We've been through worse.

			ALLNUT
	Rivers is one thing -- open water 
	another. She ain't built for it. Not 
	when it's rough.

He goes to the engine, begins to tinker with it for a moment.

CLOSE UP -- ROSE

steering. She is calm, resolute. Allnutt comes back into 
SHOT. His brows are working.

			ALLNUT
	Rosie.

			ROSE
	Yes, Charlie.

			ALLNUT
	This 'ere storm is messing things up 
	a bit. 'Er bows 'ave got to ride 
	'igh or we'll be swamped before we 
	get 'alf way to The Louisa. On the 
	other 'and, they've got to be low 
	when we 'it 'er, so' the explosion 
	will be down at 'er waterline.

			ROSE
	Can anything be done?

			ALLNUT
		(nodding)
	Just before we 'it, I'll bring the 
	ballast back forrard.

			ROSE
	Goodbye, darling.

			ALLNUT
	Goodbye, sweetheart darling...

A wave breaks over the side, drenching them both.

			ALLNUT
	Blimey!

FULL SHOT -- THE BOAT

It rolls extravagantly as a wind of incredible speed whips 
down on the lake and rouses the shallow waters to maniacal 
fury. A series of waves come crashing against the flat sides. 
Then suddenly the darkness is torn away by a dazzling flash 
of lightning which reveals the wild waters around them. 
Thunder follows with a loud BANG like a thousand cannon fired 
at once. Then comes the rain pouring down through the 
blackness in solid rivers.

The wind abates momentarily, but the surface of the lake 
still heaves. The boat begins to pound, raising her bows 
high out of the water and bringing them down again with a 
shattering CRASH.

Allnutt seizes a pail and begins to bail furiously, but to 
no purpose.

Now the wind strikes from a new quarter, laying its grip on 
the torn surface of the lake and building it up into 
mountains.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE

numbed and stupefied, but struggling to maintain her hold on 
the tiller. Suddenly Allnutt is at her side, putting her arm 
through a life buoy. They totter and sway for a long moment, 
then the stern of the launch is engulfed by a heavy wave, 
and they are up to their waists in water. The African Queen 
is swamped. Very slowly she capsizes. In the distance we see 
the lights of The Louisa, safe at anchor.

							FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

INT. CAPTAIN'S CABIN -- THE LOUISA

The CAPTAIN and FOUR of the SHIP'S OFFICERS constitute the 
court in a proceeding against a small man dressed in woman's 
bloomers and a ragged singlet. The latter stands, chin on 
his chest, gazing dully at the carpet.

The CAPTAIN is President of the court, of course. He is a 
corpulent man with whiskers, groomed in imitation of von 
Triplitz. Behind him on the wall is a portrait in oils of 
the Kaiser. He keeps his eyes closed throughout the 
proceedings.

To the Captain's right, stands the ship's FIRST OFFICER, who 
is acting as prosecutor. He is clean-shaven, dark, with pale 
blue eyes; his manner is rigidly correct. To the Captain's 
left, sits the ship's SECOND OFFICER, who is serving as 
defense counsel. He is a sleepy, stupid looking man with a 
big scar on his cheek. All three members of the court are in 
snowy ducks with gold buttons, white gloves and decorations.

			1ST OFFICER
		(in broken English)
	What is your nationality?

Allnutt does nothing to indicate he hears the question.

			1ST OFFICER
	French?... Belgian?... English?

			ALLNUT
		(thickly)
	English.

			1ST OFFICER
	Your name?

			ALLNUT
	Charles Allnutt.

			1ST OFFICER
	What were you doing on the island?
		(Allnutt remains 
			sullenly silent)

The punishment for not answering the court is hanging.

			ALLNUT
	All right. 'Ang me. 'Oo cares?

			1ST OFFICER
	What were you doing on the island?

			ALLNUT
	Nothing.

			1ST OFFICER
	How did you get there?

			ALLNUT
	Swam.

			1ST OFFICER
	Do you know that you are in an area 
	prohibited to all but members of the 
	forces of His Imperial Majesty, Kaiser 
	Wilhelm II?

			ALLNUT
	'Oo cares?

			1ST OFFICER
	What is your rank.

			ALLNUT
	'Ow's that?

			1ST OFFICER
	You are a soldier, are you not?

			ALLNUT
		(disgustedly)
	Naaa!

			1ST OFFICER
	What are you then?

			ALLNUT
	I ain't nothin'.

			1ST OFFICER
		(in German)
	The prisoner is obviously here to 
	spy on the movements of the Königin 
	Luise.

The Captain, without opening his eyes, turns to the Second 
Officer; nods to him to proceed. The latter is completely at 
a loss. He rises, stammers a few words in German.

			2ND OFFICER
		(in German)
	No proof of criminal intent --

He stops, tongue-tied; then throws up his hands in a final 
gesture, sits heavily and starts wiping his face with a 
handkerchief.

			CAPTAIN
		(to Allnutt in English)
	What were you doing here, if you 
	were not spying?
		(Allnutt doesn't answer)
	The Court sentences you to death by 
	hanging.
		(then in German to 
			the others)
	Not from the yard arm, but when we 
	reach port.

At this moment, there is a bustle outside the tiny crowded 
cabin. Then the door opens and a colored Petty Officer comes 
in and salutes them.

			PETTY OFFICER
		(in Swahili)
	We are about to pick up another one. 
	A woman.

The Captain rises and goes to the door.

LONG SHOT -- ROSE

FROM HIS VIEWPOINT

She is sitting on one of the small barren islands, a little 
way up from the beach; the dinghy manned by native oarsmen 
with a white officer, is already half way there.

			CAPTAIN' VOICE
		(o.s.)
	She looks like she's white.

INT. CAPTAIN'S CABIN -- AS BEFORE

			CAPTAIN
		(to Allnutt in English)
	Was there a woman with you?

Allnutt drops his mask of sullen stupidity and turns quickly 
to the door, but the Captain's bulk is blocking his view. He 
tries to push him aside. The First Officer hits Allnutt a 
hard blow across the face. Allnutt runs to a porthole and 
looks out in time to see:

LONG SHOT -- ROSE FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW

She is struggling with the WHITE OFFICER who is trying to 
make her enter the boat.

CLOSE UP -- ALLNUTT

frantic with excitement.

			ALLNUT
		(calls, shouting)
	Rosie! Rosie!

LONG SHOT -- ROSE

SHE STOPS STRUGGLING,

			ROSE
		(calling back)
	Charlie!

INT. CABIN -- AS BEFORE

The First Officer, who seems to enjoy hitting Allnutt, now 
delivers a second blow, this time knocking him down. He 
remains standing over Allnutt while the Captain and Second 
Officer resume their seats.

			CAPTAIN
		(to Allnutt)
	Who is that woman?

			ALLNUT
		(rising unsteadily)
	I don't know.

			CAPTAIN
	But you just called her by name.

			ALLNUT
	I thought it was somebody else.

			CAPTAIN
		(in German)
	Maybe I'll change my mind and hang 
	you from the yard arm after all.

o.s., the SOUND of approaching steps; then Rose, followed by 
the WHITE OFFICER, enters the cabin. She stands staring at 
Allnutt for a long time.

			ROSE
	Charlie dear!

			ALLNUT
	'Ello, Rosie.

			CAPTAIN
	Aha! You do know her!

			ALLNUT
	I calls all the girls Rosie.

The WHITE OFFICER swings into view a life buoy on which is 
printed "The African Queen".

			WHITE OFFICER
		(in German)
	She had this with her.

			CAPTAIN
		(to Rose, in English)
	Who are you?

			ROSE
	Miss Rose Sayer.

			CAPTAIN
	English?

			ROSE
	Of course.

			CAPTAIN
	What are you doing on the lake?

			ALLNUT
	I ain't told 'im nothin', Rosie.

			1ST OFFICER
	Silence!

			CAPTAIN
	Answer the question!

			ROSE
	We were boating.

			CAPTAIN
	Last night? In such weather?

			ROSE
	We were not responsible for the 
	weather.

			CAPTAIN
	And why were you boating?

			ROSE
	That is our affair.

			1ST OFFICER
	As your fellow-prisoner has already 
	learned, the penalty for not answering 
	the court is death.

			ROSE
		(slow take)
	You mean he --

She gets it. She goes swiftly close to Allnutt.

			ROSE
	Charlie! Are they telling me...

			CAPTAIN
		(in German)
	Order!

The First Officer lays a restraining hand on her shoulder.

			ROSE
		(wheeling in fury and 
			slapping him hard 
			across the face)
	Stop that!

He goes cold and smiles yellow.

			ROSE
	Are they, Charlie? The truth?

Allnutt looks back at her; his chin begins to tremble; with 
heroic effort he masters it. He nods.

			CAPTAIN
	Fraulein Sayer, you will come to 
	order and answer the questions of 
	this court.

Rose wheels and faces him; she is all cold fire.

			ROSE
	Ask your questions.

			CAPTAIN
	What were you doing on the lake?

			ROSE
	We came here to sink this ship, and --

			ALLNUT
		(in a loud voice)
	Rosie!

			ROSE
	-- and we would have, too, except 
	for --

			ALLNUT
	Rosie!

			ROSE
	Let's at least have the fun of telling 
	them about it, Charlie.

			ALLNUT
	Don't you believe her, yer Honor. 
	She's touched with the fever.

			ROSE
		(impatient)
	Oh stop it, Charlie, we've been 
	through all this.
		(primly)
	I'm not going to outlive you and 
	that's all there is to it.

			CAPTAIN
		(a bit amused and 
			skeptical)
	Just how, Fraulein, did you propose 
	to sink -- the Königin Luise?

			ROSE
	We were going to ram you.

			CAPTAIN
	With how large a vessel?

			ROSE
	With torpedoes.

			CAPTAIN AND 1ST OFFICER
		(look at each other; 
			in unison)
	Torpedoes!

			2ND OFFICER
	Torpedoes?

			CAPTAIN AND 1ST OFFICER
		(in unison; tossing 
			bones to a dog; in 
			German)
	Torpedoes.

			2ND OFFICER
		(gaping)
	Nein!
		(foolish enough to 
			believe Rose and 
			Allnutt, he looks at 
			them with awe)

			1ST OFFICER
		(interpreting, smooth 
			and sardonic)
	I think it is safe to assume, Miss 
	Sayer, that the British Admiralty 
	did not entrust you and this -- 
	gentleman -- with the torpedoes. 
	Will you be so good as to tell us 
	precisely where and how you acquired 
	them?

			ROSE
	Acquired? Mr. Allnutt made them.

First Officer and Captain exchange a significant glance: she 
is obviously nuts. (All through this, the Second Officer, 
who no spik English, is like a puzzled observer at a tennis 
match.)

			1ST OFFICER
		(a little like a warden 
			in a loony house)
	How very interesting.

			ROSE
	I don't think you even believe me. 
	Tell him how you did it, Charlie.
		(Over Allnutt's lines, 
			the officers exchange 
			glances which mean: 
			"He's loony, too".)

			ALLNUT
		(100% the engineer)
	Well -- wot I did was take the 'eads 
	off two cylinders of oxygen an' fill 
	'em up with 'igh explosive -- 'bout 
	two 'undred weight. That was easy 
	enough -- it was the detonators took 
	some hingenooity. Know wot I used? 
	Cartridges, an' nails, in blocks o' 
	soft wood. A pretty job. Then I 
	mounted the cylinders so they stuck 
	through the bows of The African Queen, 
	near the water line, so when we rammed 
	you --

			CAPTAIN
		(half believing what 
			he can't believe)
	Where is The African Queen?

			ROSE
	She sank in the storm.

			CAPTAIN
	How did you get onto the lake?

			ROSE
	We came down the Ulanga -- the Bora, 
	you call it down here.

All three officers look at each other -- even the Second 
Officer catches this -- and back at Rose.

			CAPTAIN
		(in English)

			1ST OFFICER
		(in English)

			2ND OFFICER
		(in German)
		(together)
	But that is impossible!

			ROSE
	Nevertheless!

			CAPTAIN
	Everybody knows the river is 
	unnavigable.

			ROSE
		(proudly)
	We came down it, though -- didn't 
	we, Charlie? -- on The African Queen.

CLOSE SHOT -- THE DERELICT AFRICAN QUEEN

floating keel up. She is under water except for the two 
cylinders which stick up like the antennae of a snail.

CAMERA DOES LONG PULL BACK, to show The Louisa approaching.

EXT. DECK -- THE LOUISA

MEDIUM SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

as they come out of the cabin surrounded by the ship's 
officers. The company stops near the main mast where a crew 
member has finished making a hangman's noose of one rope and 
is now tying a knot in another.

			1ST OFFICER
		(to Captain)
	The man first.

			ROSE
	Please -- hang us together.

			CAPTAIN
	Very well.

He nods to the First Officer to proceed with the execution. 
Allnutt and Rose exchange a look of satisfaction.

			ALLNUT
	Rosie, I ain't gonna say goodbye 
	again. It's gettin' to be an old 
	story.

			ROSE
	Darling!

The next moment, the deck heaves upward. There is a rush of 
air and a frightful ROAR. Smoke and flying debris fill the 
SCREEN.

MEDIUM LONG SHOT -- THE WATER

where those who were on deck are now struggling. There is 
something ludicrous about the Germans in their ducks with 
the gold buttons and decorations trying to keep above water.

CLOSE SHOT -- ROSE AND ALLNUTT

			ALLNUT
	Wot 'appened?

			ROSE
	We did it, Charlie, we did it!

			ALLNUT
	But 'ow?

Rose points to a piece of wreckage floating on the water in 
the near distance.

			ALLNUT
	Well I'll be... Are you all right, 
	Rosie?

			ROSE
	Never better. And you, dear?

			ALLNUT
	Bit of all right.

			ROSE
	I'm all turned round, Charlie. Which 
	way is the south shore?

			ALLNUT
	The one we're swimming towards, old 
	girl.

CAMERA MOVES TOWARD the piece of wreckage, losing Rose and 
Allnutt, into CLOSE SHOT showing the printed words "African 
Queen" on the wreckage. When the name fills the SCREEN --

							FADE OUT:

					THE END
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