Original subtitles

- [Narrator] Those who hunt by night

will tell you that the wildest

and most vicious of all animals is the tiny shrew.

The shrew feeds only by the dark of the moon.

He must eat his own body weight every few hours, or starve.

And the shrew devours everything.

Bones.

Flesh.

Marrow.

Everything.

In March, first in Alaska,

and then invading steadily southward,

there were reports of a new species.

The giant killer shrew.

- Sure is a lot of quiet out there.

Almost smell it, can't you?

- No, I but I can feel it.

That pressure's dropped so fast,

it's almost made my ears pop.

- Hurricanes got definite ways of telling you it's there.

Where is it?

- Dead ahead.

- What's that mean to us?

- Now boy, that puts our port right in the middle of it.

There's a cove on the east side, though.

We'll snuggle up close to the bluff and ride it out.

- What about the bottom?

- Well, the chart shows it's good holding ground.

It's clay.

You know something?

If this thing had an automatic pilot,

I wouldn't have to put up with you.

- Then you wouldn't have nobody to chew out.

- We should he there in a couple of hours,

these mills of yours keep running.

- Look, automatic pilots can't play dixieland jazz

on the mend, just like I can.

- Hey, Rook!

Rook, come here.

Take a look.

There she is, dead ahead.

- Man, that shore do look good.

- Man named Craigis owns this island, doesn't he?

- That's the name on the crate. Dr. Marlowe Craigis.

- We'll unload tomorrow.

I don't want this crap sitting high in that water,

when that blow hits.

- You gonna ride stern too, with a lot of water under?

- That's right. That sea won't make up in that cove.

That wind will have her whippin' around like a kite.

Step forward and break out the heavy weather hook.

Check it and make sure it's free to run.

- I don't mind, Mr. Sherman. - Good.

Aw, she'll ride like a duck.

If she swings loo far to starboard,

we might have to take a check line to shore.

Hey, Rook.

Take a slant up that trail.

Now, that's a rather strange setup. Wouldn't you say?

- Look like somebody's getting rid of somebody.

Huh, Captain?

- Maybe.

Hard to tell.

- I'm Dr. Craigis.

- Thorns Sherman. I have your supplies aboard.

- That's good.

Nothing wrong with Captain Ferguson, I hope?

- Well, I wouldn't know.

I just bought his run.

- Oh, I see.

Were you able to fill our order?

- [Thorne] Everything on the list. Here's the manifest.

- Missing last week's supply

has run us a little short, you know.

Captain, after you have unloaded I have a passenger for you.

Ann.

This is my daughter, Ann Craigis.

- Well, it's gonna be nice having you aboard.

I'm getting a little tired of looking at Griswold.

But we're, uh, we're not leaving today.

In fact, we're not even unloading.

That load will cut the roll in half.

You expecting an invasion?

- Yes. Animals.

- Game, or otherwise?

- Under certain conditions, it could be dangerous.

- [Thorne] Hey, Rook! You wanna shake the kinks out?

Limber up a little? - Not me, Captain.

You go right ahead and stretch your legs.

That ship's gonna be bucking

like a bucking bronc, before long.

Besides, I got some work left to do.

- If you do come ashore, wear a gun.

- Got you, Captain.

- When I told you about the hurricane,

you acted like you didn't know anything about it.

What's the matter? Your set broken down?

- We've been out of communication

for more than a week, Captain.

- Can't it be fixed?

- It's totally out of commission.

- My assistant.

Mr. Farrell. Jerry Farrell.

- Father, perhaps the captain would enjoy a drink.

- Well, of course. (chuckles)

Will you join us in a cocktail?

- Well, I've never been known to turn down a drink yet.

I'd be glad to accept.

- Yeah. Fine.

In that case, we'll have martinis.

Mario?

- Si, senor?

- Mix them, please.

Right this way, Captain. Come in.

- You have everything here you need?

- Oh, we are self sufficient here.

We have cows for fresh milk and chickens for fresh eggs.

- We even have Sermon horses.

- Sort of a world all to your own.

- That's exactly what I've tried to create.

- Well, to each his own.

If you have to be isolated for your work,

you've picked a lonely little island.

- Excuse me, please. I think I'll change.

- She's a little worried because

you aren't leaving until tomorrow.

- Well, I can understand that.

Bu! there's something else bothering her.

- Radford?

Radford.

Redford, would you please step over here?

I'd like you to meet someone.

- Just a second, Doctor.

- That could go on for hours.

Dr. Baines!

- There's no need to shout, Doctor. I'm right here.

- I'd like you to meet Captain Thorne Sherman.

This is my other assistant, Radford Baines.

- How do you do?

- Two new litters since lunch, Doctor.

Both support GT116.

- [Marlowe] That's good, but, uh-

- We can breed them to the 205 group in about three weeks.

But I'd prefer to wait and expose about half of them

to the Hoskins factor, first.

If you agree.

- Good idea.

Do you know there's a hurricane coming?

- Hurricane?

Well, I don't suppose there's much we can do about that.

Glad to meet you.

Sherman, was it?

- You have to excuse Radford.

Anything that does not concern his project

does not get through to him.

Brilliant mind.

He would starve to death,

if someone didn't remind him to eat.

- Must be very interesting work. What's his field?

- Biology. He specialized in genetics, heredity.

- I'm afraid my interest doesn't run in that line, you know.

- Think what would happen if you could isolate and identify

the inherited factor in each gene.

- Now, wait a minute.

I'm afraid I'm not very good with pure research.

- This is practical research.

Generally among mammals, the smaller the size,

the higher the metabolism and shorter the life span.

- Is that right?

- Well, I'm attempting to decrease the size

by maintaining a low metabolism,

and resultant, a longer lifespan.

- What reason?

- Overpopulation.

Not a problem now, but it will be, in time.

If we were half as big as we are now,

we could live twice as long on our natural resources.

- Father, may I speak with you a moment?

Will you please excuse us, Captain?

- Well, providing you drop the "Captain".

I prefer "Thorne".

- No.

Well...

Yeah.

- Tell me something, Doctor.

Has a hurricane ever hit this island before

that you know of?

- I wouldn't know. (chuckles)

We've only been here nine months

and this place has been unoccupied for years.

- Well, have you ever been through one?

- Only the fringes.

- Well, this one's building up very fast.

Pressure drops very quickly in the center.

I'd advise you to get some doors

and windows open in this place.

- (chuckles) Ventilators on the roof.

And if you'll freshen Ann's drink, I'll go and check them.

- I'd be happy to.

- Thank heavens you arrived today.

- Why? Are rations getting short?

- No, it's more than that. Much more.

We'll surely be able to sail tomorrow, won't we?

- Possibly.

But not probable.

Not till late, anyway.

Takes a long time for a sea like that to quiet down.

- Well, if you're worrying about me, you needn't.

I'm a good sailor.

- Oh, I'm not worried about you.

We'll sail when the time's right.

- Got them opened, all right.

Well, Captain, let me freshen you a drink.

One for the road.

Not trying to rush you, but it will be dark soon.

- I've invited Thorne for dinner, Father.

- Oh? (chuckles) I see.

If you're not worried about your ship, you are welcome.

- I'll take a rain check on that dinner.

- If you wish.

- Father, I've asked Thorne to stay.

- Progress, Doctor!

This is the sole survivor of group 30.

28 months old, today.

- Well, that's equivalent to 140 years to us.

- That's right, yet it still maintains low metabolism,

without any sluggishness.

- It's not the breakthrough, but,

it certainly sets our course.

Radford.

Suspend series 52

through, uh, 96, and we'll concentrate on the rest.

- What is that? - It's a sorex soricidae.

- Looks like a small rat.

Smells like a skunk.

- (chuckles) They have musk glands in their knees.

These little fellas are our subjects.

They have a birth cycle of 10 to 14 days,

and using them, we can establish traits.

We can trace the progressions,

through a number of generations,

over a short period of time.

- Well how big do they get? (ominous orchestral music)

- That's an adult.

See, the muzzle is long and thicker than a rat's.

It extends over the lower mandible, see?

- Does he bite?

- Only when he's hungry.

- [Thorne] Well, maybe you'd better take him.

He doesn't know me.

- All he knows is his next meal. (chuckles)

Ah.

He's just been fed.

He'll be all right for another eight hours.

A shutter blew open!

Radford!

- I got it, senor.

- Don't let that scare you. It's gonna get worse.

- Storms always frighten her, ever since she was a child.

They are not climbers.

They are digging animals, like the mole.

They feed only at night, unless they are starving.

And when they are hungry enough, they,

they'll tackle anything, regardless of size.

- No kidding. - Mm-hm.

If you leave two of them in a cage for 12 hours,

without food, the stronger will eat the weaker.

- Like cannibals.

- Precisely.

You see, their intense activity requires

a tremendous amount of energy.

To supply, they must eat

three times their own weight in food

every 24 hours, or starve.

Radford?

Would you please take this?

Take him.

Some call them bone eaters.

When the flesh is gone, they'll eat the bones for marrow.

All they'll leave are teeth, horns-

- I could use another martini. Do you mind?

- Of course, my dear. I'll get you one.

There you are.

Mario?

Mario!

Mario will show you to the bath, you will freshen up a bit.

- Excuse me. - Mm-hm.

- Have you got a problem, too?

Que paso?

But you will leave on the ship tomorrow.

- Well, I think that all depends on the wind and the sea.

Don't you?

- Si. Si, senor.

I no know.

Ah!

I feel the point.

I see.

- Well, I'm glad to hear that.

Now, if anybody else is concerned about my sailing tomorrow,

why, you see they feel the point too, huh?

I don't like to repeat myself.

- [Mario] Okay, senor.

- I know, but I'm not saying that you created them, Jerry!

I am saying that because of your drunken stupidity

in leaving the cage door open,

you created the horrible situation that now exists.

- Look, Ann, this is a mistake

any one of us might have made.

And I'm getting a little sick

of being called "An irresponsible drunk."

Now, believe me I am.

Excuse me.

- Care for a cigarette? - Thanks.

And thank heavens you arrived today.

- You said that before. What's the strain?

- [Ann] If I don't make sense, please excuse me.

But it seems like everything is coming to a head at once.

- [Thorne] Oh?

- I want to leave, but I want my father to go with me.

- Well, then why doesn't he?

- We've discussed it many times, but he's adamant.

I'm sure Jerry has a lot to do with his decision.

He tried to convince me that the crisis

will only last for a few...

- Well.

This is certainly a cozy little scene.

Might even be called intimate. Boy meets girl-

- Stop it, Jerry. That remark is uncalled for.

What I do or have to say does not concern you.

- I can't disagree with you more, my dear.

I'm concerned with everything you do,

and I intend to keep it that way.

Now, in my book, an engagement isn't a casual thing.

- In my book, it isn't, either.

And last night ended ours.

- Help! Help!

Captain Thorne!

Somebody help!

Help!

Captain Thorne!

- Be reasonable!

Everybody in the world is scared to death of something.

- That's evident.

When they came at us last night, you knocked me down,

getting inside the fence.

- Oh, it's just that I can't stand them.

- And I've discovered something I can't stand.

- All right.

But I advise you not lo mention it to anyone.

I'm gonna complete these experiments with your father,

regardless of anything, do you understand that?

Nobody is gonna take this chance away from me.

- Where's Captain Sherman?

- Checking the weather. I'll get him.

Captain?

Time for dinner.

- Somebody help!

Somebody!

Help, Captain!

Help!

Captain Thorne!

Somebody!

Help!

Help!

Help! Captain!

Captain!

- Well, a miss as good as a mile, I always say.

- You know, if one of those trees crashes through,

it might just knock the whole-

- Look, honey, any tree on this side of the house

will fall away from us, so just relax.

But I think I'd better go back aboard.

Oh, don't think I'm not grateful for your hospitality.

I am, but I'll see you tomorrow.

- Thorne. Your ship is safe.

Please, stay here with me.

- Why?

You scared or lonesome?

- Both.

- I'll take a rain check on it.

- Thorne!

You can't leave.

No one opens that gate after dark.

- Well, who's gonna stop me? You?

- With this.

No one opens that gate at night.

- Now, look, I don't ask questions,

because it's against my principles.

But wouldn't you like to explain that?

- All right. Sit down and I will.

- Give me the gun.

Not very becoming, anyway.

- Do you believe in fairy tales?

- Well, I'm a little old for that sort of thing,

but uh, what'd you have in mind?

- Well, I'll tell you about one.

A true fairy tale, and you've right in the middle of it.

- Oh?

- Have you ever heard of a shrew?

- As in "Taming of the"- - No, the animal.

Radford called them sorex soricidae, when he showed you one.

- Oh, well, then shrew must be the common name

for those cute little animals.

- "Cute"?

That's the last word you can use to describe

those little monsters.

They're the most horrible animals on the face of the earth.

As father told you,

they breed within three weeks after birth.

Their lifespan is around one year.

- Yeah, I know what your father told me,

but what's that got to do with me opening that gate?

- There are 200 or 300 giant shrews out there.

Monsters, weighing between 50 and 100 pounds.

- 50 to 100...

Wait a minute. You must be kidding.

- I'm definitely not kidding.

- That's as big as a full-grown wolf.

- And what's more, they are beginning to starve.

- No wonder you didn't want me to go out there.

Thanks for saving my skin.

- And I'm sorry I had to threaten you with a gun,

but I didn't know how else to stop you.

- Oh, it was very effective.

Bu! all you had to do was tell me about them.

- Well, I hoped I wouldn't have to.

But you changed everything, when you started to leave.

And I had to stop you, some way.

- You say there's 200 or 300 out there?

- Ann.

That's right, Captain Thorne.

And if you'd stuck with your row boat and played captain,

instead of trying to play detective, you wouldn't have

to worry about how many are out there, would you?

- [Marlowe] That's enough, Jerry!

What's wrong, Ann?

- Thorne decided to leave.

To dissuade him, I started to tell him about the shrews.

- He might as well know the whole story as half of it.

I guess we're all a little jumpy, Captain.

- Yeah, well, I'm sorry.

Six months ago, we managed to isolate

the path to controlling size.

Two litters were born.

Six individuals, we kept for study.

They were about the size of buckshot, at birth.

But the rate of growth was abnormal.

They continued to grow and grow.

They were mutants.

But they inherited all the negative characteristics

of their breed.

Somehow, they managed to escape.

About a month later, we saw one of the offsprings.

They were multiplying.

We did everything in the world to exterminate them,

but no apparent luck.

Then we haven't seen any, since daylight blinds them

and they forage only at night, unless starving.

But the fact that two of them charged Ann and Jerry

at the gate last evening

indicates that their available food on the island

is nearing depletion.

- Then what, Doctor?

- They will exterminate each other.

It'll take a couple days.

- And what do we do during that time?

- Stay indoors and wait until it's over.

- [Thorne] I guess some wires blew down on the transformer.

- [Ann] I'm sorry. I'll gel some lamps.

' [Jerry] Mario! Mario!

- [Mario] Si, senor?

- There's a lantern in the pantry.

Light it and bring it in here.

Radford, light all the candles you can find.

- All right, I will. - Where's the generator?

- Outside. Can't get at it at night.

- [Jerry] Here. Let me help.

- A lantern will give you all the light you need.

I will join you shortly, Jerry.

- Well, Jerry, I felt she was sincere

and made sense, from her standpoint.

- Wanting her father to leave the island with her

makes sense?

It'd be much better for the project

if I went with her for a few days.

As a matter of fact, I think I'll talk to Doctor about that.

That might be the answer.

And another thing, I don't take much to this Thorne Sherman.

He looks to me like the type that'd try anything.

- That left-handed dinner invitation.

That was just to keep me here till after dark, wasn't it?

- I wanted you here tonight.

I thought something terrible was going to happen.

- Well, do you still feel the same way about it?

- Not as much. Not since you're here and know everything.

I love an open fire. Don't you?

- Mm-hm.

- The wind has a lonesome sound.

Doesn't it?

- [Thorne] Sure does.

- Back in Sweden, we don't have a wind this strong.

You're a strange man, Thorne.

I never met anyone like you.

- Oh?

- You seem so disinterested in everything.

Aren't you the least bit curious?

Don't you wonder about the unusual things around here?

The guns, the fence,

the shattered windows,

my accent, anything?

- I'll tell you something.

I'm only interested in anything that concerns me,

and then I do something about it.

You're gonna sail with me tomorrow,

whether your father intends to or not.

- [Ann] Thorne, no!

Father! Rad!

Out there!

- I don't think he was going out, Jerry.

- I couldn't take a chance! He's fool enough to!

- Don't be stupid.

I had no intentions of going out there,

opening that gate, unless somebody needed it.

Did you hear it, Doctor?

Sounded like a human voice. I was thinking of Rook.

- It was the livestock. The shrews got into the barn!

- What was it, Father?

- I! was the livestock.

- [Jerry] Did Mario forget to bar those doors?

- No.

I put them in the barn myself.

They couldn't get through the wood doors.

They dug through the dirt floor.

- Let me ask you something, Doctor.

How could you expose all our lives, yourself included,

with those things out there?

All you had to do was get the coast guard or the navy

to come in here and burn 'em out.

If those things got loose-

- Any unusual experiment can produce unusual results.

That's why I chose this island.

It's isolated.

Miles of open water, in any direction.

Our project is privately financed.

It's not a product for the government, or military.

And the world is in no danger.

This species does not swim,

And as far as the shrews are concerned,

this island is their world.

- Very soon, right here on this island, there's going to be

a miniature reproduction of an overpopulated world,

and you'll see the importance

of what we're working to avoid!

- I'm not concerned about all this theory.

What I'm concerned about is our lives!

- There'll be ample time to panic when they run out of food

and go on a 24-hour forage.

- How do you know they haven't already?

- That's possible.

Their main diet has been the small animals on the island.

That source could have been depleted, 18 or 20 hours ago.

And that's why they went after the livestock.

- There's still some food on this island,

before they reach the crisis.

- Where?

No worry about them digging in here.

The floors are tile.

- But the walls aren't, Doctor. They're adobe.

Our safest bet would be on that boat.

- You may be right.

You can reach your boat in daylight.

The shrews will gorge themselves on livestock.

That should keep them lethargic for several hours.

- There's no sense looking at the dark side.

- And there's no sense minimizing a serious situation.

It leaves you completely unprepared to cope with it.

Now, we certainly can't make it tonight.

That's out of the question. Maybe tomorrow.

I have it.

We'll get some sleep tonight, but we'll have a watch.

An hour and a half, apiece.

Doctor, you go first, and then Radford,

Mario, Jerry, and then me.

Shutter all the windows.

Make sure they're locked good and tight.

Check all these walls.

- Come, darling.

- No, I think I'll stay here by the fire. I feel safer.

I couldn't stand it in that room alone.

- All right. As you wish.

But try to get some sleep.

- I will.

- [Mario] Senor Farrell, it is Mario.

You are next to make the patrol, no?

- Uh, sure, Mario. Come on in!

I've been, been waiting for you to finish.

I must have dozed off. You kinda startled me.

Sit down!

Here.

Have a drink. It'll help you to relax.

- Gracias, senor.

- Sit down!

Rest a while.

You just checked every room in the house, didn't ya?

- Si.

- Fine.

You're a good man, Mario.

A man that can be trusted.

You know what I've been thinking about, Mario?

Ann,

and that captain.

You and me.

Imagine an intelligent girl like her, going for a

COMMON

sea tramp, like him.

I know why! You do, too.

In case anything goes wrong,

she's looking out for her own hide.

That's why I keep thinking about you and me.

Anything goes wrong,

we're gonna outlast them all.

I'm going to trust you

to take my turn at patrolling the house.

Bu! when you finish,

don't wake the captain.

Come back here and get me.

See, I'll probably feel good enough by then

to take his turn.

Okay, Mario?

- Si. - Okay.

- Senor, it is Mario.

- [Thorne] Oh, Mario. Come on in.

What is it?

- A shrew in the cellar? - Si!

I hear him singing down there.

- Well, how did he get in?

- The storm breakout the kitchen window but I close it off.

He went down there.

- Why should he go down there?

- The food for the (speaks Spanish).

(speaks Spanish) They love it.

- Well, did you tell Jerry? - No, senor.

He get your turn next. Here is on the loose.

We kill him, no?

- Yeah.

Ann.

Ann, wake up.

A shrew got in.

It's all right!

He's down in the cellar.

Now, we're going down after him, bull don't want you

to let anybody open that door, till I tell you to.

You understand?

Good girl.

Okay.

Open it just a crack.

Open it.

Hold on to it!

Okay.

You take that side.

Mario?

- [Thorne] You see anything?

- I see where he was.

I do not see where he is.

(Thorne speaks Spanish) - Si, senor.

I will be careful.

- Here, let me fix that.

- You all right down there?

- Doctor! Get down here, quick!

Mario, Mario.

- Mario?

He...

He's dead.

- Dead?

I got this on him right away!

He couldn't have bled to death.

- Might as well let go of it.

Won't do him any good now.

- What could've killed him?

- I'm not certain.

Till the autopsy.

- Hemotoxic syndrome.

- I'm afraid so.

We'll know, after pathology.

- Doctor, that's not the same animal you showed me.

That's a monster.

- As I said...

They are mutants.

In controlling the size factor,

we seem to have crossed some of the other characteristics.

- Well, you certainly did a good job of it!

- I've known that for some time, Captain!

Would you please give me a hand with Mario?

Radford, bring up the animal.

- Extremely high poison content in the shrew's saliva.

- Mm-hm.

Now, compare it with this.

Careful count isn't necessary.

Any indication it's the same poison in Mario's blood

will give you the answer.

- Yes, you're right.

- Look, Ann.

Brooding about it's not gonna do any good.

Now, why don't you try to think of something else?

Tell me, what do you do around here?

Are you a scientist?

- I'm a zoologist.

- Oh? That's the study of animal life, isn't it?

Well, do you specialize? What do you specialize in?

- Their diet.

Oh, I had a hand in this, too.

And I'm partly to blame.

If we ever get off this island,

I'll never have anything to do with it again.

- What will you do?

- Live normally, like normal women do.

May seem a little dull, after the life I've been living,

but rather dull and alive, than excited and-

- I'll take a dull, alive woman, every time.

- Say, Thorne.

The autopsy has proved what we suspected.

Several weeks ago,

I concocted the most virulent poison I could

with the materials I had at hand.

And we put it out as bait.

Mario was killed by poison.

- Doctor, I wonder if you thought the system of the sorex

enabled them to assimilate that poison.

It remained in the salivary glands of their jaws.

Isn't that wonderful?

Well, I am sorry.

Of course, I always speak from the clinical point of view.

- Well, don't you have something to counteract that poison?

- Once Mario was bitten,

I'm afraid there's nothing anyone could have done.

This indicates that we cannot afford to get

even so much as a scratch from these animals.

They're more poisonous than snakes.

- What, do you think they're all affected?

- Best way to find out is let 'em all bite ya,

and see which bite you die after.

- We might just all get that chance, Jerry. You included.

Doctor, I've closed all the doors in the house.

I suggest we do the same thing with this hall and this lab.

It'll cut down the chances

of getting in the front of the house.

I think if we keep a close watch on those walls

and windows in there, we might make it till daybreak.

- [Marlowe] Hm. The walls are two-feet thick.

Do you think they have a chance to dig in?

- Of course there's a chance!

Anywhere that Master's off,

that adobe's as soft as mush where that rain hit it.

It's not a bad idea, Doctor.

But here's another possibility, Doctor.

It's very light out. It's going to be daylight soon.

We'll take the shrew that killed Mario

and throw it over the fence and use it for bait.

If they show up for it,

of course, the run for the boat's out.

But if they don't, then I'll go down

and have Rook lay to with a lighter.

Then I'll return to the bend in the trail

and give you the all-clear signal.

- Sounds fine, Captain.

- Good, then you explain it to the rest.

- Yes, I will.

- Well, the bait's been out for 20 minutes.

Nothing's touched it.

- Even the wind has gone down. Isn't that wonderful?

- I'm afraid it's not over, my dear. It's just a lull.

There'll be a lot more.

- He's right. I'll be back a! the bend, shortly.

Now, you watch for my signal, hm?

- You can't go alone! - I'll go with him.

- Not you, Father. You haven't even fired a gun!

Take Rad or Jerry.

- Sure, I'll go.

Then you'll be sure of getting a signal.

- Don't shoot that gun, unless you have to.

We've only got 20 rounds all together.

- I know that as well as you do.

Sherman.

You stay away from her.

- Do you have that gun pointed at me?

- Right at the middle of your back.

- Look, we got enough problems without worrying about Ann.

- I'm telling you, stay away from her

or when the shrews get through with you,

they won't even find the buckshot.

- Hey, Rook!

Hey, Rook!

Rook!

- Where's the skiff?

- I'll follow that check line. I've gotta find him.

- Since last night, you won't find much of him.

- Would you shut up? - I'm not going back!

- You what? - I'm staying here.

- All right. You suit yourself.

But if I were you, I'd swim out to that boat.

- Can't swim!

- Then stay here.

- Wait a minute! You gotta give me a gun!

- Give you a gun?

- Sherman, wait!

- This is the gun we had on the boat.

They don't leave much, do they?

- Sherman, we've gotta make a deal for...

What is it? - Shh!

They've been trailing us on both sides.

- Where? I didn't see anything.

Look, Sherman, you gotta give me a gun.

- All right.

Whatever you do, don't you run.

And you stay in front of me, 'cause I don't trust you.

- They're coming!

Open the gate!

Open it!

Open the gate!

Open the gate!

-[Thorne] open up!

- [Marlowe] You've got to let him in! Let him in!

- Jerry, open the door!

- [Marlowe] Jerry, you have to let him in!

Sherman!

- The shrews were out there! I couldn't take a chance!

- For heaven's sakes, Doctor! Stop him!

- All right. Didn't he have it coming or didn't he?

- What happened out there?

- Oh, nothing much.

Jerry just tried to kill me twice, in the last five minutes.

Rook came ashore last night.

He's dead.

This is all that was left.

Won't do us any good. It's got no ammo.

- I'm deeply sorry, Captain.

I wish he had followed your orders.

- Look, Doctor. You casually mentioned animals.

You didn't explain to us what we were facing out there!

- You have every right to feel the way you do.

My mistake was only mine. It was one of judgment.

I didn't know about the hurricane.

I didn't anticipate the effect it would have on the shrews.

I thought the house would be safe through the crisis.

- How could you expose your own daughter?

How could you expose Ann to that?

- She was going to leave last week but the boat didn't come.

- I need a drink.

Anybody else care for one?

- I could use some coffee.

- I'll make some.

- Thank you, my dear.

- Cream and sugar?

- [Radford] Oh, my leg!

- [Jerry] Slam the door!

- You all right, Doctor?

- He just ripped my trousers, that's all.

- Are you sure that's all?

- I'm completely aware of it, Doctor.

- I'll kill them! (gun fires)

- That was a stupid waste of ammunition.

Every one of 'em, a clean miss.

There's still four of 'em in there.

- [Marlowe] How did they get in?

- Through that kitchen window. That rope must be rotten.

- (gasps) It got him!

Radford!

He...

He's dead.

-[Ann] Oh, no!

- He recorded every symptom and reaction,

right up to the moment of his death.

- Jerry, tear down one of those drapes and cover him up.

- Sure!

Sure!

Craigis'll cover Ann and I'll cover him.

You'll cover me, but who'll cover you?

- Shut up!

- We can get on mantle, sway from the chan-

- I told you to shut up!

Now, you stop sniveling and think!

- [Jerry] It'd take a tank to get us outta here!

- Thorne!

There!

- [Thorne] Give me a hand with this.

- It won't take them long to dig around this.

- You're right. No telling where else they're digging, too.

- [Jerry] There!

- Come on! - Oh, no!

There's not enough stuff here to barricade those walls.

I'll tell you we'll pile some of those crates up over there.

That roof's our last chance. Here, help me, Doctor.

Ann, see if you can find something light!

- (groans) All right.

- Here, help her with that, Doctor.

Jerry, see if you can find some rope.

Yes. Use these chemical drums as tanks!

Individual tanks!

Here, I'll show you. - All right.

- Se! it down here. - Yeah.

- Let it down now. - All right.

- Slow. - All right.

All right? - Yeah.

I've got you. It'll work!

It'll work!

- But these drums are too tall for the base!

If the shrews don't push us over, the wind will!

- Not if we lash 'em together! - Huh? All right.

- Hey, are there any more around here?

- Only that one over there!

- Have any coal chisels or hammers or anything

I could knock a hole in here and make air pieces?

- [Marlowe] There are some tools over there in the corner!

- Hey, here's another one!

Hey, get that out there and we'll work on it.

Hey, this is even better!

Give me a little more slack.

Get some rope and put it on that latch,

so we can reach it from the ground.

Jerry!

- [Jerry] Somebody hold the other end!

- Now, hold this end. - All right.

- All right. We're all set!

Look, it's gonna be rough,

bu! we should be able to duck walk to the beach.

Where's Jerry?

- [Jerry] There's a lot of 'em out there! I can see 'em!

I'm not going!

- [Thorne] Look, come down here!

That wind will blow you right off that roof!

- I told you, I'm not going!

I'm staying here!

- We've got to get him down here, somehow.

Ann, see if you can coax him down here.

- Jerry! Jerry, please come down with us!

- No, Ann! They'll get you if you go out there!

- Come down here, you fool!

Poor devil. I hope he makes it.

- We can't leave him! He's not responsible for himself.

- We've got to go now.

All right, Doctor. - All right.

All right!

- Now, hold it up!

Put it down slow. - All right!

- Everybody ready?

I'm gonna open that gate!

- [Marlowe] We're ready!

- Ready.

- Okay, here they come!

Hold on! Hold on!

- Ann, what's the matter?

Your side's dragging.

You wanna rest? You tired?

- What'd you say?

- She says she's all right.

She's keeping her eyes closed.

- All right. Keep your eyes closed.

They can'! get at you through the slit.

- This empty drum is too heavy for her.

I can barely hold up my side.

- I'll be all right in a minute.

- All right.

You walk.

I'll drag for a while.

Listen. Don't let their head get under.

They'll flip us over!

- He got my foot!

- Check your foot!

- No, my foot is free, but he got my boot.

- Is there a scratch?

- No. Not a mark.

- Keep moving!

Let's go! Let's go!

- Thorne, I don't think I...

- What?

- Sand! (gasps)

We have sand!

Thorne, we're close!

- We'll hi! the water soon.

It doesn't sound like they're following us anymore.

- We'd better walk deeper.

- I'm about drowned out.

- Okay, let's swim for it.

- Okay.

We are safe, aren't we? I mean, the storm.

- Oh, sure.

She rode out the first half all right,

and that's always the roughest.

Anyway, riding an anchor out will give me a chance

to learn a little bit more about that Swedish accent.

- In 24 hours, there'll be one shrew left on the island,

and he'll be dead of starvation.

An excellent example of overpopulation.

- Well, you know something, Doctor?

- What's that?

- I'm not gonna worry about overpopulation, just yet.