Original subtitles

HEREWARD: Ah!

There it is.

That's it, all right.

Going to be a bit awkward, I'm afraid.

No crane, of course.

-Typical. -Don't worry, Hereward.

Sammy and I are expert piano movers.

Sammy!

We need to go as close as possible to the train, Sammy.

Okay.

-

-MAN: Whoa.

Now we've got our own railway, the world's our oyster.

Even be able to get to Nairobi and back in a day.

NJOMBO: Memsabu Elspeth.

ROBIN:

What is in this great box?

It is a piano for Memsaab Palmer.

What is that?

A piano is a thing with which you make a noise, music.

It must be a big noise, indeed.

No.

Not big, but good.

You make it with your hands, like this.

NJOMBO: Will Memsaab Palmer be able to make a noise with it?

Yes, of course.

She has only small hands.

Surely this must be for a giant.

You wait and see, Njombo.

MAN: Come here!

Hurry up. Hurry up.

Hurry up. Come here!

Come here. Come here.

Hurry up.

Hurry up.

HEREWARD: Jolly good of Robin to help us out.

He enjoys it.

I was afraid I was gonna have to ask that damned bore Roos.

One thing he is good at is handling oxen.

He's not too bad, is he?

Awful fellow.

I hear he's living with an African woman.

TILLY: It must be very lonely.

HEREWARD: I know, but a black woman?

TILLY:

Do you play the piano, Elspeth?

No, but I'd like to learn.

Good.

Pretty silly notion bringing a piano out here

in the first place in my opinion.

Lettice would have it.

I'm sure she'll enjoy playing it.

It's always useful to put photographs on.

Ha!

Well, if it makes her any happier,

I shall feel it's been well worthwhile.

Quite frankly, I'm rather worried about Lettice.

I can say this to you, Tilly,

because you're her best friend out here.

I sometimes wonder if it's the right sort of life for her.

Just coming out here to live is pretty hard on a woman...

especially someone who's...

who's led a rather sheltered sort of life before.

I sometimes have doubts even now.

Good Lord. Do you really?

Some days, I feel quite soft in the head.

Put it down to the vertical rays of the sun.

Lettice's latest craze is to go off on safari with Crawford.

I mean, she's far too delicate, as you implied.

Someone like you -- quite different.

Probably do her good.

They say Ian Crawford's a marvelous shot

and knows the country inside out.

Never done a proper day's work in his life.

He's a conceited young puppy, if you ask me.

MAN: Come here! Come here!

Sammy. When they're across, keep them going.

Otherwise, they won't get up.

SAMMY: Hyah!

MAN: Hyah! Come here!

Hyah!

MAN #2: Hey! Hurry up!

Sammy, where are the wheel chocks?

There are no wheel chocks, bwana.

ROBIN: Use stones.

Get some stones under those wheels.

Bit of a close-run thing.

Damn branch.

Silly idiots forgot to bring the wheel chocks.

-I told them about three times. -Well, what can you expect?

I suppose God gave them brains.

They'll do anything to avoid using them.

Come on, Sammy. Let's stop all this caterwauling

and get that crate secured properly again.

And get that branch cut off.

It sounds all right...

which is just as well, as the nearest piano tuner

is probably at least 2,000 miles away.

Oh, darling!

You are sweet to have taken such trouble to get me my silly toy.

Well...

now that my Indian heads have arrived,

I thought we might put one or two of them up in here.

Oh, I know it's rather coals to Newcastle.

I believe that's the 12th time you've said that, Hereward.

And I don't think we want any of your heads in here.

Well, they are rather fine, and some of them quite rare.

Took a great deal of getting.

Fine they may be. Also rare.

But not in here.

Not unless you would like to build me a music room...

for my piano...

out there!

With a rose garden beyond...

which we could fill with Italian statues.

Oh, wouldn't that be divine?

And you could have your own trophy room.

Your very own head room.

Wouldn't that be exciting?

Why, you could sit for hours

just smoking your pipe and drinking whiskey

and telling your friends of your adventures

-and exactly how each head... -Lettice, Lettice.

Do try to be serious.

But I am.

You're putting on your cross spaniel face.

-Are we quite mad, darling? -Mad?

I don't think I'm particularly mad.

No?

To be staying out here with your stuffed heads and my piano.

Wouldn't it be much more sensible to sell up

and go and live somewhere like Yorkshire?

-Yorkshire?! -Well, somewhere!

There must be somewhere safer.

You're perfectly safe here.

I'm here to protect you.

Not that sort of safe.

I mean us.

Um...

Look, perhaps they might take you back in the Army if we...

I mean, if you pulled a few strings.

That's absolutely out of the question.

You know it is.

LETTICE: Even if we told them that it was all my fault?

That I was the wicked one, not you?

Which is true, really.

What on earth are you doing, Lettice?

Do you know, I think the servants

must be trying to poison the dogs.

Zena wasn't at all well yesterday.

So from now on, I'm doing their food myself.

Here, dogs.

Chang? Zena?

Lovely dinnies.

I've had a lock put on the dressing-room door.

I'm going to sleep in there with them for the time being.

Um...

I'm just going to go and change.

Twinkle, stop it.

No, they're not for you to eat.

Hello, Elspeth. How are you?

ELSPETH: Hello, Ian. I'm fine.

You look busy.

Geraniums.

It's a pretty boring job planting them out.

Almost worse than lessons.

IAN: Well, you'll certainly have plenty of them.

It's Daddy's latest idea to keep the bank manager happy.

Apparently, when they all grow up, he will take the leaves

and put them into something called a still,

like they use for whiskey in Scotland,

and make something called...essential oils,

which is very good for the bank balance.

-How's Moyale? -ELSPETH: Fine.

-Come see her. -Mm.

Yeah, she looks well.

-Ian. -Mm?

Are you really in love with Lettice?

Good Lord!

You impudent little brat.

Are you going to run away with her?

-Ian. -Hello, Tilly.

How lovely to see you. Come and have some tea.

Well, actually, I come as a messenger

appointed to invite you to Lettice's piano-warming party.

TILLY: Oh.

I dread this evening.

I was rather looking forward to it.

A little music. Make a nice change.

Storm music.

Of course, this piano business is ridiculous, really.

Come on! Get over!

Hereward does spoil Lettice outrageously.

Women like to be spoiled sometimes.

I'm afraid you don't get very much.

Don't be silly.

I wouldn't swap you for Hereward.

Not with all that money?

Well, perhaps.

Poor Hereward.

The trouble is, he absolutely worships

the ground Lettice treads on,

and she'd run away if she could.

ROBIN: From what?

From Africa.

From Ian's love for her.

From her love for Ian.

She's trapped.

Hereward ran away with her.

She can't go back home.

You're looking very beautiful tonight.

-Tilly. -TILLY: I hope.

Thank you.

I love the way you've done your hair, Lettice.

Well, I thought I'd better dress like a concert pianist,

even if I can't play like one.

My fingers feel like sausages

and make sounds like the wild asses

that stamped on Jamsheed's grave.

Thank you, Lettice.

Never mind. We've got Ian back.

And that makes up for everything.

He's going to become a big white hunter

and take us all on an exciting safari.

Now that we have the railway,

you'll be able to import rich Americans by the dozen.

God forbid.

Ian, my dear, please stick to smuggling your ponies.

Smuggling? Never.

Though I do admit, last trip,

we had to cross the emperor's palm with silver

before he let us out of his kingdom.

If you'll forgive me saying so, I think that when an Englishman

resorts to bribery in a foreign country,

he betrays our name to the world.

I don't see how Ian can be expected

to reform the Abyssinians single-handed.

I've never been able to understand the difference

between a bribe and a tip.

You're a blaggard if you give one,

and the same if you fail to give the other.

All very confusing.

It's perfectly clear to me.

You're lucky to see things so clearly.

There's no luck about it, my dear Tilly.

It's probably a matter of how you're brought up.

Enough said, what?

Quite enough.

Please bring your drinks with you.

Ian.

Thank you, Robin.

IAN:

I have vowed to love you

change my mind?

no, John, no

Oh, hark, I hear the church bells ringing

and be my wife?

have you settled

all your life?

no, John, no

TILLY: Very good. Very good.

-Very nice. -

-Lovely. -IAN: Thank you so much.

-Very well played. -Bravo, Ian.

And now we're all going to sing this one.

Oh, no.

I'm hopeless at this sort of thing.

Oh!

-

-

-

What's the matter, darling? Hmm?

Chang?

Chang?

Where's Chang? Chang!

-Don't go out there! -What?

It's dangerous. A leopard probably.

Let's get the servants and some lamps.

Surely we'd have heard.

My poor little Chang.

What can have happened to him?

Probably saw something and ran after it.

But the basket!

Did you hear what Ian said?

He knows Africa.

Poor little Chang.

He's so tiny.

-He's been killed. -Now, now.

It's a leopard.

I know, Tilly. He's been killed by a leopard.

-I know it. I know he has. -You can't be sure.

It's all my fault.

I should have known.

People warned me.

I mean, you warned me often enough.

-Here, drink this. -LETTICE: Poor Zena.

They were inseparable.

I'm afraid I don't have very good news.

There's no sign of the dog,

but one of the boys found a leopard spoor just out there.

I'm so very sorry, my dear.

Of course, we'll get the fellow.

-Come on. -

Most unfortunate.

Not having much luck.

Any help you need...

HEREWARD: Thank you, Robin.

I'll put off my ship to Nairobi,

if you like, Hereward, and help you organize the shoot.

Thank you very much, Crawford,

but I've done a considerable amount of big-game shooting,

and I'm quite capable of destroying a leopard...

on my own land.

Of course.

As you wish.

Well, if you do find that you require any assistance...

Good of you.

Let's have a drink.

I'm off now.

Oh, I've got your sandwiches.

Thanks.

Cheerio.

-Take care. -Mm.

Poor Lettice.

I'm afraid she's pretty upset.

Yes.

She does adore those silly little dogs.

The best thing is for her to get another one quickly.

Couldn't we give her one ourselves?

I should think they cost the earth.

The Palmers have been awfully kind to us,

giving Elspeth the pony, and...

I mean, the cost of a single Peke puppy won't break us.

The bank won't give me any more.

We'll blow a bit of capital.

Rather late for that, I'm afraid.

Well, then I'll sell something.

-A pair of my breeding turkeys. -Now, that would just be silly.

Think of what they'll be worth at Christmas.

Besides, the Palmers could afford

a dozen Pekes if they wanted.

They're terribly well-off.

That's not the point, darling.

The point is that Lettice is miserable.

Well, let's not do anything

until we've disposed of this damn leopard.

HEREWARD: Hello, Robin.

Alec's come along to give us a hand.

Alec.

Well, I'm not having much luck, I'm afraid.

I lost the spoor in the bush almost immediately.

Absolutely no sign of the leopard or the dog.

So I've been trying to put my mind in the mind of the animal,

but, I mean, there are so many options open to him.

I mean, he could be over the mountains by now

or 20 miles the other way, beyond the Athi River.

I don't think he'll be far away from here myself.

You know what a taste leopard have for dogs.

And he knows there's another one handy...so to speak.

I agree with you, Alec.

Sammy's been telling me the natives 'round here

usually trap leopard and suchlike.

They're pretty cunning at it, apparently.

I don't like trapping animals.

No, nor do I, but...

Well, I suppose we'd better let them have a try.

We've got to get this damn leopard.

A question of morale, if nothing else.

All right, well, 'round about here

seems to be a good a spot as any.

Have they caught it?

No. Only a wretched hyena.

None of them are willing to touch it.

Some damned silly superstition.

So I've ordered them to fill the whole thing in.

ELSPETH: Hmm.

Why won't anyone touch it?

He is unclean.

Dead men's spirits live in hyenas.

Hereward.

Hereward.

-What's the matter? -Listen.

It's the leopard.

Stay there.

Ah. He was too quick for me in the dark.

He's still here, all right.

I'll get that brute if I have to sit up every night.

Don't you think it's about time

we got in some professional advice?

If you mean Crawford, I don't consider --

-I mean Roos. -That damned Dutchman?

He does make his living hunting animals.

I doubt if he'd come.

1 don't think he likes us any more than we like him.

He's always had a bit of a soft spot for Elspeth.

I could send her over with a note.

Hey!

Now, isn't it nice to see you.

You don't often come riding this way, eh?

Neighbors and strangers.

ELSPETH: I've got a note for you.

Come on. Now you're here, I'll show you some things on my farm.

Come on.

Now, you see that, man?

10 foot from nose to tail.

A beauty.

And what a trek.

For three days, he led me,

and he was the one who was first tired.

He got four legs, you see, and I got two,

but that don't help him none.

You must be very good at walking, Mr. Roos.

Man, I walked from Bulawayo with an ox whip in my hand.

Is that even farther than Nairobi?

You come with me,

and I'll show you the nest of the boomklop.

Come on.

-You think I eat little girls? -No.

It's just, the note -- I think you should read it.

Oh, there's plenty of time for that.

You know what's down there inside, I bet.

It's rather important, I think. It's about a leopard.

Yeah.

Yeah.

They like dogs like you like chocolate.

Very sweet flesh.

You can tell them I'll be over.

So off you go.

Boomklop next time.

Thank you, Mr. Roos.

You don't want to dig a hole to catch a leopard.

They got brains, leopards.

They put their kill up in the branches of the trees,

where the hyenas and jackals can't get it.

-

The leopard will like that.

He is thinking he's getting another one's dinner.

What a horrible-looking thing.

Not very sporting.

You want sport, or you want your cattle alive?

I never did think the fellow knew what he was doing.

Now he's landed us with a wounded leopard.

Never known this happen before.

Man.

He's a kali one, this one.

I'm sorry, Twinkle,

but you've got to stay in there until they get the leopard.

He's wounded and very dangerous.

No.

Stay here.

Bwana Palmer say

Good morning.

HEREWARD: Morning.

-Slippery here. -ELSPETH: Hello.

Good morning.

We've tracked the beggar down to that thick patch of bush.

Now, I've decided not to use beaters.

Yes, I've told them.

It's too dangerous. Wounded leopard.

Beside, the country's too thick.

I'll go in and walk him up.

If he tries any nonsense, I've got this.

That should settle his hash.

Now, you three go on ahead to cut off his retreat

and bag him in case he tries to break back towards the reserve.

Robin, your stand's down there amongst the thorn trees.

Roos, get up on those rocks by the big tree,

stop him running on.

And, Alec, up on that rock

overlooking the bush where he's lying.

Got it?

Right.

Here we are, darling.

Grandstand view.

Be careful.

Roos.

Did you hear me explaining what we were going to do?

You go ahead, man. Finish him.

The skin is yours. It's your land.

The skin?

Should be a nice skin.

Worth a bit of money.

Incredible.

Incredible.

Everyone says these Dutchmen are born hunters.

They're only interested

in how much money they can get for the pelt.

Not an ounce of sportsmanship in them.

-As for discipline... -If you'll lend me a gun,

I'll take his place over by the tree.

That's the last thing I'll ask you to do.

As far as I'm concerned, you're a woman and under my protection.

There's a wounded leopard out there.

I want you to go back to the house.

Take Elspeth with you.

And I should like to stay and watch.

After all, you can't say we're not adequately protected.

Oh, have it your own way...

if Robin is agreeable...

which, presumably, he is.

Where's Mr. Roos?

I don't know.

Do you think Moyale's ever hunted leopard in Abyssinia?

Shh.

Oh, my God. It's not the wounded leopard.

-Aah!

Come on. Go carefully.

Thank you, Roos.

A bit of luck.

You were just in the right place.

Not luck, man.

Where you find one chui, you look for two --

the mate.

God Almighty!

Two of them!

So beautiful.

Yeah, beautiful.

I'll keep this skin, yeah?

Of course, my dear fellow.

Worth a bit, I daresay.

A few rupees, maybe.

Of course, he didn't care two hoots for my life.

All he was after was the skin.

Lucky he saved yours in the process.

I bet he knew there was another leopard there all the time.

Oh, I know he did. Afraid one of us would bag it.

Not an ounce of sportsmanship, as I said.

Lettice didn't even bother to come.

I should think she was far too worried.

Anyway, I don't think she'd have enjoyed

a leopard hunt very much.

She's as keen as mustard to go on safari with Crawford.

I rather wonder if she cares any more than the Dutchman

if I get a mauling.

Don't be silly.

I wouldn't say this to anybody else but you, Tilly.

I sometimes think I'd get more attention if I was a dog.

You'd need it then.

You'd have to be deticked every day.

And dogs need constant reassurance

that everyone loves them.

Some men need that, too.

You're an old silly.

This wounded buffalo comes straight for me.

I'm still on the ground -- no gun, no knife, nothing.

And he was a big one, man, I can tell you.

As he comes, I take his horn, and oop!

Over his back 30 feet.

As I hit the ground, I put out my hand, and there is my gun.

This gun.

Just in time to get my shot in.

And he's dead right in front of me.

Gosh! That was lucky.

I don't want to be left a widow in the middle of Africa.

You must be careful, Hereward.

Very careful.

That's a silly thing to say to a man, isn't it?

They hate being careful.

It betrays a finicky, suspicious nature.

The sort of man who would set traps

not for leopards, but perhaps for wives.

Well, I'm sure Hereward would never set a wife trap.

He's far too sporting.

And the poor leopards -- faithful unto death,

with no vows or anything.

How much nicer animals are than we are

once you get to know them.

The leopard wasn't going to be very nice to Hereward.

-HEREWARD: Mm. -The leopard is a wicked animal.

When you attack it, it defends itself.

Oh, we're all carnivores, after all.

Here, it just seems so close.

God, or whoever it is,

makes leopards like to eat little dogs,

so we kill the leopard,

and the leopard tries to kill us.

All the time, it's killing.

We have to become expert killers to survive.

Like Mr. Roos.

Especially Mr. Roos.

We must be especially nice to Mr. Roos for saving your life.

Well, aren't we?

I mean, I've shaken him by the hand and thanked him.

He's busy boring my guests,

drinking my best whiskey by the pint on my veranda,

and he's got the best pelt.

You know what I mean.

Never trust a buffalo. They're bad.

Well, I'm going, so goodbye.

You come to visit me and see the boomklop, yeah?

-Can I come soon? -Any time.

Jump on your pony and come.

Goodbye, Mr. Roos.

ROBIN: I'll give you a hand with that pelt.

What's a boomklop?

-ELSPETH: I don't know. -Yes, you do.

It seems to be something Mr. Roos showed you.

He didn't show me, because, well...

-uh... -Because what?

Well, I was rather frightened.

Someone came.

Well, is this something he can only show you in private?

Not really.

I don't think so.

This all sounds rather strange to me with his reputation...

...unless it's true about the native girl.

'Tis true.

I think.

What do you mean, you think?

Well, I thought...

Anyway, the boomklop has a nest.

A nest?

ELSPETH: That's what Mr. Roos said.

Elspeth, in future, you're not to ride over to Mr. Roos alone.

Well, you sent me last time.

That's not the point.

That's another hen, silly.

Oh, God.

Oh, let's forget this wretched puppy

and give them a turkey for Christmas.

-No. We've promised. -Promised who?

-Promised ourselves. -I haven't.

Well, I have.

Gotcha.

-

Oh!

What a lovely little thing!

-Oh, thank you. -TILLY:

Thank you both so much.

I must say, he is adorable.

Zena, darling, look at your new little friend. Come on.

-Perhaps husband. -Oh?

Don't you like him?

You'll grow to like him.

Oh, come on.

You're just like a little puffball.

That's what I shall call him -- Puffball.

Oh!

Palmer says I am no sportsman.

I'm sure he didn't mean it.

I kill animals to live.

So, he kills them to put their heads up on the wall.

What is so sporting about that?

So...

is an old Boer hunter no less a sportsman

than an English rooinek gentleman?

I kill animals for rupees, yeah.

But I also respect them.

But Palmer does not respect me.

I respect you, Mr. Roos.