Hunter Quatermain adaptation

Hunter Quatermain’s Story Comic Script


We see a group of people at a party in a lavish home in Yorkshire. Close up panel of Sir Henry Curtis showing off large diamonds to party guests. The guests look very impressed.

Panel with thought text: “I asked Curtis about it, and he did not deny me the truth of the story; but my on pressing him to tell it he would not,

Panel thought text continued: “nor would Captain Good…”

Panel: Sir Henry “You would not believe me if I did”

Panel: Sir Henry “You must wait till Hunter Quartermain arrives, he will arrive to-night from Africa.

Panel: Sir Henry walking toward the exit of the drawing room with Captain Good in the back

Sir Henry “And I am not going to say a word about the matter, or Good either, until he turns up.”

Captain Good is showing diamonds to visitors when Sir Henry walks into the room accompanied by Hunter Quartermain.

Sir Henry “Let me introduce you to one of the oldest hunters and the very best shot in all of Africa”

“One who has killed more elephants and lions than any other man alive.”

Full page shot of Hunter Quatermain standing his hat off in his hands.

Narrator “He spoke with… a curious little accent, which made his speech noticeable.

Shot of dinning hall and table. Oak panel vestibule. People eating, lavish decoration, fancy food and butlers. Hunting trophies line the walls.

View from behind Hunter at a particular set of elephant tusks hung on the wall.

Narrator thought: “I noticed Hunter Quatermain’s kept glancing at these trophies.”

Looking over towards Hunter Quatermain
Narrator says: “Do you know anything about them?”

Hunter Quatermain, eyes still fixed on the tusks.

With a smile on his face Hunter Quatermain says: “I ought to.”

Hunter Quatermain: “They tore my party apart abou eighteen month ago…”

Zoom out of the room, view above the table. Quatermain’s head is looking down.

Hunter Quatermain: “They were nearly my death.”

Lady from the side turns and asks Hunter Quatermain a question.

Lady: “Please we can simply bear it no longer, tell us the story of the world of treasure.”

Shot from behind Hunter Quatermain’s head looking at the other guests. Everyone is staring at him, nodding or saying “Yes” “Go on, please.”

Looking at Hunter Quatermain from profile.

Hunter Quatermain: “Ladies and Gentlemen, I am sorry to disappoint you, but I cannot do it.

Shot of Captain Good and Sir Henry looking on at Hunter Quatermain.

Hunter Quatermain: At the request of Captain Good and Sir Henry I have written down a true account of King Solomon’s Mines and how we found them.”

Shot back to Hunter Quatermain.

Hunter Quatermain: “You can learn about the adventure yourselves until then.”

Lady sits back in her chair, arms crossed.

Lady: “I believe you are hoaxing us.”

Hunter Quatermain with one hand on his chest, the other out stretch to the lady.

Hunter Quatermain: “Believe me, though I live amongst savages, I have neither the heart, nor the want of manners…”

Close up of Lady with Hunter Quatermain leaning in to bow a bit.

Hunter Quatermain: “…to wish to deceive one so lovely.”

Shot of the narrator breaks in, looking displeased.

Narrator: “This is dreadful!”

Hunter Quatermain looking at the Narrator.

Narrator: “We ask for bread and you give us a stone, Mr. Quatermain.”

Shot to them looking at the tusks.

Narrator: “At least tell us the story of the tusks!”

Back to Hunter Quatermain.

Hunter Quatermai: "I am but a poor story-teller, but if you will forgive my want of skill, I shall be happy to tell you.”

Everyone cheers. “Bravo Hunter Quatermain.” Ect.

Flashback sequence to Africa.

Hunter Quatermain in narration text: “About ten years ago I was hunting up in the far interior of Africa, at a place called Gatgarra.”

Shot of the four servants, the driver and leader around the wagon.
“I had with me four native servants, namely, a driver and voorlooper, or leader, who were natives of Matabeleland…”

Shot of Hans, inspecting a gun.

“…a Hottentot named Hans, who had once been the slave of a Transvaal Boer…”

Shot of Mashune, walking through the brush with a spear.

“and a Zulu hunter, who for five years had accompanied me upon my trips, and whose name was Mashune.”

Shot of overall camp site.

“I found a fine piece of healthy, park-like country, where the grass was very good, considering the time of year; and here I made a little camp or head-quarter settlement.”

Shots of the men looking at a map and pointing in a certain direction. One holding a picture of an elephant.

“I went on expeditions in search of game, especially elephant.”

Men coming back to camp, looking weary carrying a few tusks.

“My luck, however, was bad; I got but little ivory.”

Shot of the men again walking crouching through the brush to an enclave. Herd of elephants can be seen.

“We had gone out one day an stumbled upon a splendid herd of elephants.”

Hunter Quatermain taking aim through his gun sights.

Sounds effect K-POW

Shot of the men standing around a dead elephant.

“I was only able to shoot one bull…”

Shot of the camp on fire.

“We arrived back at camp to find it burned down.”

Can see in a bit of a flashback the servants burning the grass, but clearly missing a spot.

“Before leaving I had left orders with the driver to burn the grass as a means to prevent a bush fire.”

Shot of the wagon wheel and grass around it. Can see the driver and other running off.

“The lazy rascals had not burned around the wagon and most probably had set the resinous tambouki grass near by, on fire and bolted.”

Hans, Mashune and Quatermain standing around the burned wagon. Some sitting against it.

“All of our supplies we totally destroyed and we were nearly 300 miles away from Bamangwato, the capital of Khama’s country.”

Overhead shot of the men looking at a map spread out on a burned box, pointing to a location on the map.
Long widescreen shot of the men walking silhouetted against the sky.

“I will spare you the long journey and get right to the story about the tusks.”

Men sitting at a makeshift camp, clearly exhausted, clothes in tatters and dirty.

“We had been traveling for about a month, living as best we could. We were some 40 miles from Bamangwato.”

Shot of the men looking at the ammo they have left for their guns.

“We were exhausted and so was our ammunition.”

Hans walking out into the brush.

“Hans, who was a better shot than Mashune took two of the three remaining Martini Cartridges to try and find us something to eat.”

Shot of Treeline, birds flying up.

POW

“Mashune and I heard the shot apparently fired from about a mile away.”

Darker now, sun is setting, the men are sitting around a fire they have built.

Actual speech.

Hunter Quatermain, “Mashune, where is Hans, my heart is heavy for him.”

Mashune looking at the fire.

Mashune, “Nay, my father, I know not; mayhap he is weary, and sleeps, or maybe he has lost his way.”

Hunter Quatermain looks directly at Mashune.

Hunter Quatermain: “Tell me, in all the years thou hast hunted by my side, didst thou ever know a Hottentot to lose his path or to sleep upon the way to camp?'

Out shot of the two men.

Narrative speech: “But though we talked thus, neither of us liked to hint at what was in both our minds, namely, that misfortune had overtaken the poor Hottentot.”

Both men walking through the brush, following foot prints.

Narration: “The next morning we went out looking for him.”

“A mile or more from the site of our camping-place, when we discovered the spoor of a solitary bull buffalo mixed up with the spoor of Hans.”

Crouched down, feeling the ground for tracks. Can see blood, kicked dirt.

Mashune: “Look! here the bull came like a boulder down the hill, his hoofs turning up the earth like a hoe. Hans had hit him: he bled as he came; there are the blood spots. It is all written down there, my father--there upon the earth.”

Worm-eye shot looking up at Hunter Quatermain.

Hunter Quatermain: “Yes, but where is Hans?”

Looking over his should as Mashune points.

Next panel, shot of dead Hans in a tree.

CRASH!

Both men turn to see the bull has returned, charging towards them.

Mashune shouts and run off into the thorns to dodge the bull as Hunter Quatermain takes aim at the bull.

BANG!

Quartermain shoots the bull in the shoulder, see the bullet hit.

Shot of the bull staggering a bit.
Quatermain runs for cover in an ant bear whole, the bull is thrashing it’s horns trying to gore him.

He is stuck in one shoulder by a horn.

View from behind Mashume, hiding in the bush watching.

Hunter Quatermain: “He has got me!” “Mashune, stab!”

Mashume jumps towards the bull with his spear and stabs it.
He is thrown to the ground and gored. Bull turns and tosses Mashune.

The bull bellows loudly, you see the spear has hit it’s mark.
And the bull falls dead.

THUD

Quatermain runs to Mashune.

Quatermain is crouched next to him, as Mashune sits up against a tree.

Mashune: “Is he dead, Macumazahn? My eyes are blind; I cannot see.”

Quatermain: “Yes, he is dead.”

Mashune puts his head back and smiles a bit.

Mashume: “Ow! I am glad.”

Narration, scene, taken back high.

“Then came the long silence, broken only by the sound of the air whistling through the whole in his lung as he breathed.”

Mashune: "Macumazahn, art thou there? I cannot feel thee.”

Hunter Quatermain holds his hand.

Hunter Quatermain: “I am here, Mashune.”

Profile shot of Mashune, eyes closed.
Mashune: “I die, Macumazahn… the world flies round and round. I go… I go out into the dark! Surely, my father, at times in days to come.. thou wilt think of Mashune who stood by thy side..when thou killest elephants, as we used.. as we used…”

Shot of Hunter Quatermain laying Mashune out.

Narration: “They were his last words, his brave spirit passed with him. I dragged his body to the hole under the tree, and pushed it in, placing his broad assegai by him, according to the custom of his people, that he might not go defenceless on his long journey…”

Half cut off, only see his cheek, Hunter Quatermain releases a tear.

Hunter Quatermain: “..and then, ladies--I am not ashamed to confess--I stood alone there before it…”

Narration: “…and wept like a woman."