The World in His Arms

$100 bonus to any man who'll sign aboard the Golden Clipper!

Come on, let Shanghai Kelley buy you a drink.

$100 bonus and top wages! What about you?

$100? Forget it. We're off for the gold fields.

A glass of whiskey before you go, gentlemen.

Let Shanghai Kelley buy you a drink, come on!

Keep your drinks, Shanghai, we're off for the gold fields.

- Hey, you! - Watch it, mate.

You want no part of him. That's Jonathan Clark.

- The Boston Man? - Yeah.

I thought the Russians had hanged him.

Shanghai Kelley will wish they had.

Come on.

Welcome home, Captain Clark.

The first drink's always on the house.

- What'll it be? - Whiskey.

You shanghaied some of my men. Where are they?

- You're wrong, mate. - I'll just take a look.

You're not going in there.

The door, little heathen. Use your head.

We go!

Look out, it's the Boston Man!

Go below and cut 'em loose.

Back up, back up. Turn your face to the wall.

What thine eyes seeth not will never hurt thee.

Three hours in port, and you're tied up

like a lot of seal hides.

I told you fools to stay away from the Barbary Coast.

You were supposed to meet me at Clegett's.

Ah, gently, Jonathan, a man's entitled

to a drop of whiskey after two years at sea.

If it was whiskey they want, I'll buy every man a barrelful.

Now let's get outta here before I lose my patience.

We go!

What is it you want, sir? I'm in charge here.

What... hey you can't go in there, that's private!

Father, I told this man you were not to be disturbed.

Jonathan, it's good to see you.

William, this gentleman is Captain Jonathan Clark,

- the Boston Man. - The Boston Man?

It's always been William's dream that he might one day

go to sea with you, Captain.

We'll be glad to have you aboard, William.

Talk to my mate about it.

This is Deacon Greathouse from Nova Scotia.

Proud to know you, sir, very proud.

You're gonna be proud to know him, too.

His name is Ogeechuck, Master Private.

William, some whiskey for the gentlemen.

- The Demijohn. - Yes.

I've been hoping that William might get to meet you

before the, eh... That is, before the...

Before the Russians hang me, huh?

Now that you mention it, yes.

You see, news came to us that a Russian schooner

put out from Sitka with orders to take you dead or alive.

Oh, we ran into the Russians off the Pribilofs,

but the wind was fair, and we didn't wait because...

- He had to meet a woman. - Oh, a woman.

May I ask the name of this fortunate woman, sir?

- Any woman. - Woe unto you, Jonathan.

Women.

The mouths of these women are smoother than oil,

but the end is bitter as wormwood.

Tell me, young man, is it true that this city

now boasts of having ten times as many beautiful women

as any other city of its size in the world?

My son is hardly an authority on statistics of that kind, sir.

Well, perhaps you could help us out.

- Well, I could investigate. - Oh, no.

That's an errand I'd send no man on but myself.

But, uh, talking about seals.

Seals?

A prime pelt.

Why, this is the best I've seen since you were last here.

- Any more like this? - A boatload.

A boatload of prime seal? At what price?

You set the price. I've always found you honest.

- Meantime I'll need some funds. - By all means, a thousand? Two?

- William, some cash from the safe. - I'd say 50,000 for a start.

Uh, 10,000 in cash if you have it handy.

10,000, William. A boatload of prime seal.

Well, we'll be over at the Occidental Hotel.

Come on over tonight for a drink.

I'll be glad to.

We go.

Just a moment, Captain.

I've been talking to some gentlemen about the deal

you proposed two years ago?

They're extremely interested. The contract with the Russian.

- Yes. - It was your idea to take over the charter

- of the Alaskan fur company. - I've changed my mind.

You don't want to buy the Alaskan contract?

I've decided to buy Alaska.

Buy Alaska? Why, that would take millions.

Ten millions, to be exact.

Wait with the idea, Mr. Clegett.

I'll get you my barouche. Barouche! Driver, driver!

Now, Captain, if there's anything we can do

to make your stay in San Francisco pleasant,

we're at your command.

The Occidental.

What about us?

Ye shall walk in chains at the tail of the chariot

keeping your feet in the paths of righteousness

and your eyes away from the swinging doors.

He can't be serious about buying Alaska.

Of course he's serious.

The man is fabulous, mad, he's impossible.

But if he's decided to buy Alaska, he'll buy it.

Oh, the Boston Man is back!

- And the Deacon is with him. - Mamie, Jonathan Clark is here!

He's got Ogeechuk with him.

Ah-ha, passing us up for the Occidental.

I'll lay you two to one they don't get in the joint.

Did somebody ring?

I'd like some rooms for myself and my crew.

I'm sorry, the hotel is full to capacity.

Better put us up on the second floor near the front.

We'll need about, um, ten suites.

Will ten suites be enough?

May I suggest you try some hotel

a little closer to the waterfront?

We'll also want the main ballroom for tonight.

Set up some extra bars and dinner for about 100 people.

For it is told that Salomon in his wisdom

decreed the toiler should revel and make merry.

You think he has ever reveled? Or made merry?

- That's debatable. - It's not only debatable!

It's preposterous! I tell you, we are full.

There are no accommodations, and I'd be greatly obliged

if you'd take this evil-smelling...

aborigine out of my lobby before I swoon!

I'll pay you 1,000 a day for the rooms,

food and liquor extra.

Don't you understand I...

1,000 a day?

The keys of the Presidential Suite.

Hurry, you blithering imbeciles. The keys of the...

Take the gentlemen's luggage.

They have no luggage, Mr. Eustace.

Don't argue with me.

Hello, my friend!

Hey, I see that fish boat of yours out in the harbor,

I said to me, hey, Portugee, what you know?

Boston Man come back from Pribilofs.

I bet you my life he don't catch one little seal.

That's what I tell me. What do you think, eh?

I think you tell yourself one big lie.

You make big catch, eh?

Fair to middling. But we missed you, Portugee.

What happened?

I don't go to Pribilofs this year.

Got no crew, all get shanghaied.

To China maybe. I got no crew.

Too bad.

Let's take a look at those rooms.

Uh, this... gentleman is with your party?

This gentleman is no gentleman.

He's a seagoing thief who makes his living

stealing seals from the Russians.

He neither bathes, shaves,

nor knows the feel of good clean linen.

When the moon is bright he stays out all night

and howls like a dog.

Then curls up and sleeps on the floor till mid-day.

- That right, Portugee? - He knows me pretty good.

I got big surprise for you.

I don't steal seals no more, no. I got big deal, very big deal.

Very important Russian fellow hired Portugee's boat.

We're gonna take Russian Countess to Sitka.

What you think about that, eh?

You make good company for each other.

Hey, that nice way to talk about Russian Countess?

Hey, you, you, how you like to sign on as first mate, eh?

Cast off, Portugee.

For as vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eye

so is the sound of your voice to the ears of an honest man.

Hey, I got good crew! All New England boys.

Hey, I got the best crew on all Pacific Ocean.

Hello, my friends, come!

Everybody drink on Portugee. I treat everybody.

Only beer.

Hey, amigo, amigo!

Well? Is everything ready?

Everything is ready.

Fine, then I shall tell her highness

that we sail on the evening tide.

Hey, we gonna sail on the evening tide.

We go! We go!

My friend, we don't sail on no tide.

- Huh? - We got no crew.

But you told me you had a crew.

That were true. This morning, I have a crew.

You see them boys? Best crew in whole world.

I steal 'em from Boston Man. Now, no crew.

Boston Man steal 'em back. I think he's a thief.

This is preposterous.

Ah, we have two, three, maybe six little drink, eh?

You assured me we would leave on the night tide.