An Outpost of Progress

Setting: The bank of a river as a steamer ship pulls away. Two men stand side by side on wooden landing along the shore. The land moves steeply upward from the river and the bank is muddy and dirty looking. It seems to be maintained but in a very bad way. There are patches of long grasses and reeds and the hill is mostly dead grass and muddy. Up the hill is a small courtyard marked on two adjacent sides by two small shabby grass buildings on wooden frames. the courtyard is all dirt except for a few very small patches of short stiff dead grass and a ring of dead yellow sharp grass around a rather pathetic wooden flag pole slightly off from the center. One building has three rooms with entrance from the long wooden verandah that runs along it's front. Two rooms are bedrooms and one is a sitting room with a table and chairs. The adjacent building is a store room with a small attachment built of the far side in which a family lives. It is one room with a doorway covered by a small sheet. The store room is a little bigger than the other section but slightly lower as it is set into the ground. There are a few steps in the entrance way leading down into a square space filled with small odds and ends and many things that are useless in such large amounts, rags, beads, cloth. Things for trade but not for use. There is also food there. From the entrance to the house there is built a small awning for shade. The house has one window.

Page 1:

Panel A- The two men stand watching the steamer pull away and the men on the deck seem to be staring back.

Carlier: Well. That's that. (looking at the other Kayerts who is starring attentively after the steamer)

Panel B- Kayerts has his hand up and is waving to the steamer.

KAyerts: Six months.

Panel C- Both men are waving and a man on the boat is tipping his hat.

Carlier: Yes I suppose it will be.

Panel D- The men turn towards each other.

Kayerts: Well, shall we walk up?

Carlier: You're the Chief.

Panel E- The two men have turned and are walking close by each other up the hill.

Carlier: What's happened to the other chap, again?

Panel F- Close on Kayerts as he gives Carlier a grim look.

Kayerts: A fever took him they say.

Page 2

Panel A- The two men walk by a grave with a large wooden cross marking it.

Kayerts: Poor devil. (looking down)

Panel B- Kayerts looks over to Carliers and says knowingly.

Kayerts: I've been told he exposed himself recklessly to the sun.

Panel C- Kayerts Continuing his lecture.

Kayerts: The climate here, everybody says, is not all that worse than at home.

Panel D- Kayerts stops Carliers by with the back of his hand and looks up at him as if over a pair of invisible spectacles.

Kayerts: If you stay out of the sun.

Carliers: I see.

Panel E: The two men have stopped walking and face eachother.

Kayerts (pointing): Carliers! As chief of this outpost my orders are that you should not expose yourself to the sun!

Carliers (smiling, saluting): Yes sir!

Page 3:

Panel A- Shot from over a mans shoulder as the two men walk into the courtyard at the far end. They have their arms around each other's shoulders and are laughing.

Panel B- Front shot of Mr. Price (Makola) sitting outside the store room. Watching the men approach with obvious displeasure. He is grinding a stick in the dirt at his feet.

Panel C- A bird's eye view of the outpost to establish the layout. The two men have veered towards the big house on the west end of the courtyard. Makola's store room and house are on the north. The men approached from the south. To the east and down the hill there is another small hut on stilts by the water.

Panel D- Makola has stood and is walking into the Storeroom. He has stopped in the doorway, bracing himself on the steps with a hand on the doorframe, to look back over his shoulder at the men, in disgust and anger.

Panel E- Out the empty store room entrance at the two men approaching the house.

Carlier: We shall let life run easily here!

Kayerts: Aye, just sit still and gather up the ivory the savages bring.

Panel F- The two men entering the house. Carliers slaps Kayerts on the back.

Carlier: We shall let life run easily.

Kayerts: My dear fellow, this country has it's good points, after all!

Page 4

Panel A- A long establishing shot of the courtyard. There are many men squatting in rows in front of the big house and Makola and one of the men are standing in front of a tusk arguing. The two white men are on the Verandah watching the scene. There are other black men milling about the yard with tools and other things. Mostly sitting in small groups in the shade.

Panel B- Shot from near Makola and the other man, looking toward the verandah where Kayerts is shouting things to Makola with a lazy wave of his hand.

Kayerts: You, Makola! Take this herd to the fetish and give them some of that rubbish in there.

Panel C- On the porch, Kayerts looks round at Carlier who is starring down at the rows of men squatting.

Kayerts: I'd rather see it full of bone than of rags.

Carliers (leaning on the rail): Fine animals!

Panel D- Carliers points down.

Carliers: Look at the muscles of that fellow.

Panel E- Kayerts comes to look over Carliers shoulder to where he is pointing.

Kayerts: I wouldn't want a punch on the nose from him!

Carliers: Yes, fine arms but the legs no good below the knee.

Panel F- He turns his head to Kayerts standing beside him.

Carliers: Couldn't make calvary men of them.

Panel G- Makola and the man have turned and begun to walk away from the verandah. Kayerts shouts to him. Makola still looks away annoyed and disgusted trying to ignore the men.

Kayerts: Yes, Yes. Makola, go finish over there.

Page 5

Panel A - Kayerts and Carlier are both asleep on chairs they have drug out onto the verandah.

Panel B- Carlier is woken by the presence of Gobila standing over him. He is bent and starring into Carliers face.

Panel C- Carlier wiping his eyes reaches back and pushes Kayerts shoulder to wake him. Gobila stands over him still.

Carlier: Wake up, Kayerts you lazy dog. We have company.

Panel D- On Kayerts, who is twisting slightly in his chair and wiping his eyes with the palm of his hands.

Kayerts: Company? What do you mean?

Panel E- Carliers is getting out of the chair and looking over at Kayerts. Gobila stands upright and stately next to him.

Carliers: Go get that ammonia bottle he likes to smell so much.

Kayerts: No, light some of your matches for him.

Panel F- Carliers looks around Gobila and sees women carrying jugs and baskets with food and drink.

Carliers: He's brought the food with him.

Panel G- On Kayerts who looks up and smiles.

Kayerts: Well isn't that fine! I thought we'd have to eat rice.

Panel H- The verandah with Kayerts sitting still struggling to wake properly, Gobila still standiing starring at the two men, and Carliers leaning on the rail watching the women pass below.

Carliers: Yes. They are a bit late today.

Page 6

Panel A: Carliers looking out at the yard.

Carliers: We're lucky we have Father Gobila here.

Kayerts: Yes, the damn company doesn't provision us fully.

Panel B: Kayerts slaps Gobila on the back.

Kayerts: We'd be in quite a bad way without this old chap.

Panel C: Carliers again.

Carliers: Indeed. Five more months here would be intolerable.

: Now if we could only get these station hands to work.

Panel D: Kayerts turns to Gobila to explain. Gobila stares blankly as he does not
understand.

Kayerts: Yes, they're very bad you see.

Panel E: Kayerts turns to Carliers.

Kayerts: They just won't work, will they Carliers?

Carliers: Aye. The station looks a mess.

Panel F: Gobila stares blanky and they both look at him.

Panel G: Gobila begins making a speech but they don't understand.


Page 7

Panel A: A shot of the station from above. The hands milling around and sitting in the shade. No one else is around. The porch is in shade.

Panel B: Kayerts and Carliers sleeping in their chairs.

Panel C: shot through the feet of a group of men at Makola looking out of the store room startled.

Panel D: Close on the sleeping men as they are woken by someone shouting.

Panel E: Show the group of seven men with muskets on their shoulders.
They're all lined up behind the man shouting.

Panel F: The Men look at each other dumbly.

Page 8

Panel A: The leader of the men continues to make his speech. And Kayerts
looks to Makola who has come out of the store room and is watching.

Kayerts: Makola, What does he say?

Makola: I don't know, maybe Mrs. Price will understand.

Panel B: Makola leads the leader of the men over to his hut and calls over his shoulder.

Makola: They come from very far. They may be bad men.

Panel C: From behind the two men sitting on the porch talking.

Kayerts: I don't know about this, I don't like them.

Carliers: I say, they must be from the coast, they've got firearms.

Panel D: On Kayerts who looks worried.

Kayerts: We don't need this kind of disturbance a month before the steamer arrives.

Panel E: Carliers looks sternly out at the yard.

Carliers: Well, Makola will find out what they want.

Page 9

Panel A: Makola walks over to the porch as the Kayerts and Carliers watch the armed men leave.

Kayerts: Well, Makola. What did they want.

Makola: They have ivory, do you want?

Panel B: Kayerts and Makola.

Kayerts: Certainly. Who are they?

Makola: Bad men and got guns. They catch women and children.

Panel C: Makola.

Makola: Station in bad order sir, director will growl.

: Better get ivory, then he say nothing.

Panel D: Kayerts and Carliers.

Kayerts: The men won't work.

Makola: they are no good. You want ivory.

Kayerts: Yes, when will you get it.

Panel E: Makola looks away, distracted.

Makola: Soon. Perhaps tonight. Stay indoors sir.

Panel F: Makola's face darkens.

Makola: Stay indoors. You leave it to me.

Page 10

Panel A: Kayerts is yelling at Makola. They are standing over a bunch of large tusks which are sitting in front of the store rooms.

Kayerts: Who've sold our men for Ivory!

Makola: I did the best for you and the company.

Panel B: Kayerts still yelling.

Kayerts: I dismiss you! I'll report you, I forbid you to touch them!

Makola: You are very red sir. You should be careful.

Panel C: Makola looks annoyed.

Makola: If you are so irritable in the sun.

:you will get fever and die like the first chief.

Panel D: Kayerts returns to porch and complains to Carliers.

Kayerts: Can you believe this mess?

Carliers: The worst part is that some of Gobila's men were there.

:One was shot that night.

Panel E: Kayerts puts his head in his hands.

Kayerts: We haven't seen Gobila in days.

Carliers: If this keeps up we'll have nothing but rice and coffee till the steamer arrives.

Panel F: Kayerts looks up over his arms.

Kayerts: The thought alone could drive me mad.

Page 11

Panel A: Kayerts is running frantically through dense jungle.

Kayerts: Must run.

:Get away

: he'll kill me.

Panel B: Kayerts throws himself against and tree and pants heavily. Sobbing and sweating, clutching his revolver to his chest.

Kayerts: And over sugar.

: We have to save it. I told him.

: if the steamer wasn't so late...

: It's been months.

Panel C: Over Kayerts shoulder looking at Carliers Standing by the back of their hut. Kayerts is squirming behind the tree in extreme fear.

Carliers: If you don't bring that sugar out I'll shoot you on site, like a dog!

Panel D: Kayerts looks around the tree and doesn't see Carliers.

Kayerts: He must have gone back in...

Panel E: Kayerts is peering around the side of the hut.

Panel F: He is around the corner of the verandah and lifts his pistol and takes a deep breath.

Panel G: He rounds the corner and runs into Carliers shooting him in the chest
as the collide.

Page 12

Panel A: Kayerts is sitting in a chair looking at Carliers body. The horn from the
steamer sounds through the fog.

Makola (from out of the panel): Sir, the Steamer! The Steamer! They cannot
see him!

: You go meet them, sir. I'll ring the bell.

Panel B: Kayerts looks out on the station from his seat and sees the top of the
cross over the mist.

Panel C: The Director is walking up the hill with two men.

Director: There was no one to meet us at the shore.

:Something may be wrong.

Panel D: A man runs past them into the mist as another shouts from somewhere.

Man: Sir! We've found one of them. He's been shot.

Panel E: Just the tope of the cross can be seen in the foreground and the men have stopped and are looking at it. The two men look shocked and the Director is looking with a very serious, somber expression.

Page 13

Panel A (Full page): Kayerts is hanging from an arm of the cross, his belt around neck and his feet only inches off the ground. The three men stand below. Still in shock.