Red Dust

I thought so. This flow isn't worth a dime.

I told you Guidon tapped them too young.

Now, it'll take three years with the best of care

to get 'em back in shape.

Guidon, that squealing liar.

Before he left, he told me he'd cleaned out

all the bamboo in 347.

- Yes, he did. - We could use some rain.

Ah, the rains will just flood us rotten

if those drain ditches aren't finished.

Look at those slugs.

That's another one of Guidon's finished jobs.

Whining for leave when I'm short-handed.

I knew he'd overstay it.

Oh, he will have come up on today's boat, sure.

Yeah?

He tells me any more of his lies

and I'm gonna kick in his face.

Oh-ho-ho. Not that, Denny.

It's hard enough for a man to breathe up here as it is.

Here she comes for fairs.

Ah, that roof will go in a minute!

There's Limey.

Hey! Did you bring Guidon?

Yes. I dropped him.

He's home to stay alright.

The prodigal is returned.

He's got a lot of nimble explaining to do.

Maybe he's already pounding his ear.

These dust storms are something like the fogs

off the coast of Labrador.

Only, uh... the result is different.

Holds up a whole day's distilling.

Now, tomorrow, you and Guidon take a clearing squad and..

Mr. Guidon come back. Him very happy see me.

Me hit like a hell, see him.

Uh..

Grab his feet.

Smells like as if he's been drinking benzene.

At that, he'd sell pretty well in the States

if we could put a label on his chest

and seal up both ends.

Alright, heave.

'Hey! What's the idea?'

You poor saps.

How many times do I have to tell you

you haven't a chance of..

Well, for the love of muds

where am I sleeping, on a race track?

Come on, let's have it!

Who are you? Where did you come from?

Don't rush me, brother.

I'm Pollyanna, The Glad Girl.

I see. Came up on the boat with him, eh?

I came up on the boat, sure, but not with that.

He was in the steerage as far as I was concerned.

I thought I'd convinced this drunken rug.

Get him out of here, will you?

Why did you get off the boat at all?

You know it doesn't stop here again for four weeks, don't you?

Sure, I do. Think I'm overjoyed about it?

But it's just got to be.

- That's all. - Well, then?

I left the boat here for the same reason

I took it at Saigon.

What reason?

I got mixed up in a little trouble

and I thought I'd stay out of town

until the gendarmes forgot about it.

And what a cast iron nerve you've got.

You have to have in my line.

But don't worry, big boy, I'll stay out from underfoot.

I'll even pay for my board, if you insist on it nicely.

You're the headman around here, aren't you?

Come on, Mac.

You're not gonna leave the corpse here?

It's his room.

- Didn't you know? - Honest, I didn't.

I just took the first room the houseboy showed me.

Aw, please, you guys

this place is full of lizards

and cockroaches as it is.

One more won't hurt.

Well, you know, Denny

she might be able to sew.

I haven't got a pair of pants to my name

with a full set of buttons on 'em.

It's bad enough having to play around

with them in Saigon, much less have one in your house.

Not bad looking.

That doesn't change her.

A-ha, beans!

What happened to that quarter of beef?

Did you leave the refrigerator door open again?

Yes, sir, Mr. Denny. Ice all water.

You no want beef now.

Oh, stinky, stinky.

Uh, better eat something, Denny.

Yeah, later maybe.

Mac... did you ever wanna quit?

Oh, sure. I quit your old man once.

And when I sobered up in Singapore

I saw a British loading rubber

and I turned around and came back.

The company's made me a swell offer.

- I could sell out pretty. - But you won't.

You was born smelling rubber and sweating to get it

and you'll die that way.

You think so?

Do you think I'm going to sink my whole life

in this dry rot just so the rest of the world

can ride around on balloon tires?

- Sure, you will. - Who says so?

Why should I spend the rest of my days

worrying about guys like Guidon?

Kicking a herd of crawling coolies around

fighting fever

swallowing dust one month

wading in mud the next?

Just so some old woman can take

a hot water bottle to bed with her.

Yeah, and just as long as there's one baby in the world

to suck on a rubber nipple.

Now, listen, Dennis

you've got your yearly case of nerves.

'Now, why don't you go down to Saigon and'

'uh, blow the lid off?'

'Get a laugh out of your liquor.'

With this outfit running the way it is

how am I going to get to Saigon?

Well, as a matter of fact, what came up

from Saigon isn't so bad lookin'.

Yeah. I've been looking at her kind

ever since my voice changed.

Let's lay off tomorrow and knock that fellow over.

Haven't got time.

Don't mind me, boys. I'm just restless.

Hello, Polly.

And I thought you were going back to sleep.

Not with that alley cat yodeling out there.

Guess I'm not used to sleeping nights anyway.

Listen... tomorrow, you and Guidon

see about clearing a road down to that creek area..

I thought you were gonna let that wait

until that new survey, engineer fellow, uh..

- You mean Willis? - Yeah.

He's due on Limey's next trip up, isn't he?

Yes, but I'm not counting on him.

Probably some textbook ingenue like the last one.

What Polly's name?

Hmm, she never had one.

Well, I'll have to tend to that.

You can't have a poor bird without...

You just tend to minding your own business.

Hmm, this place certainly reeks

of hospitality and good cheer.

Or maybe it's this cheese.

Ooh, Gorgonzola. My favorite tango.

Mr. Denny, you no wanna eat?

No. Clear this stuff.

You won't grow up to be a big, strong boy

like grandpa here if you don't eat your din-din, Fred.

Hey, listen, Lily, as long as you've got to use it

the name's Dennis Carson.

Okay, Fred.

This name is Vantine

as long as you've got to use it.

Don't worry, I won't have much occasion to.

Nice lighthearted little fellow, isn't he?

Well, we've had a hard day's work, Vantine.

What else do you do besides work?

Don't you know any games?

If it was the summer of 1894

I'd play games with you, sister.

But life is much simpler now.

I bet you painted your hometown red.

I'll say I did.

- Goodnight, Denny. - Goodnight, Mac.

Goodnight.

Here, cut that out and eat something.

You'll just get stewed...

I never get stewed.

And what if I did, would it turn your hair gray?

No, but it'll put red spots on your liver

especially if you don't eat something.

Aw, come on, big boy.

I know you've had a hard day in the office.

Hey, get out of here.

Put the rest of that cheese in your mouth

where it will do the most good.

I'll go quietly, officer.

That's Roquefort. The other's Gorgonzola.

I happen to like Roquefort.

I like Gorgonzola.

Is there any brand that would stop you from talking?

I'll order a ton of it.

I'll keep quiet.

You know, you wouldn't like Roquefort

if you knew the way it was made.

They've got a whole town that does nothing