The Fortune Hunter - excerpt - Screenplay by Graeme Beck


              
               INT. DRILL RIG'S CABIN - DAY

               Jude is driving through the bush while her offsider is navigating with a 
               map and a hand held GPS. She does a hard right.

                                     DRILLER
                         No I mean left! Left.

                                     JUDE
                         Make up your bloody mind!

               He turns the map around 180'.

                                     DRILLER
                         Yeah, left back there.

            
               She slams on the brakes and reverses the rig.

               INT. MICK'S WORKSHOP - DAY

               In a workshop at the back of his suburban house, Mick files gold from an ounce bar 
               into a mortar and from a couple of dusty old jars adds a pinch of copper sulphide and zinc.

               EXT. MICK'S HOUSE - DAY

               He loads up his 4WD.

               EXT. DRILL RIG POSITION 1 - DAY

               The rig is positioned about a kilometer from Jack's mine.                                                    

                                     SUE
                              (shouting)
                         We're drilling an anomalie which 
                         runs through here.
                              (pointing towards 
                              Jack's mine)
                         It's located along Komatite and Basalt 
                         contact.  You can determine from the 
                         sulfurous smell.

               Sue takes a handful out of the sample bag and lets Mick smell it. It stinks.

                                     MICK
                         How far down are you?

                                     SUE
                         One fifty.

                                     MICK
                         One fifty!  Fuck, we can't afford to 
                         go that deep!

                                     SUE
                         They drilled to a hundred on this 
                         block in the seventies with no 
                         success.  
                              (pause)
                         At one twenty we struck abundant 
                         alteration and at one forty, some 
                         sulfides.
                              (shrugging)
                         It's a good sign.

                                     MICK
                         Yeah?

                                     SUE
                         The results aren't back yet so don't 
                         get too excited.

               EXT.  TRACK - DAY

               At an isolated spot Mick stops his vehicle and opens a few 
               of the collected sample bags.  He stirs in some of his powder.

               INT. TRADING FLOOR - MORNING

               TV screens flash out the bids as stockbrokers type in orders.  Others talk quickly on the 
               telephones.

               INT. PALACE HOTEL DINNING ROOM - MORNING

               Nial has finished his breakfast and is sitting back with a 
               coffee reading the newspaper.

               George in his new waiters outfit clears Phil's plate.

                                     NIAL
                         I'll have another coffee thanks.

               Nial is alerted to a headline.

                                     NIAL (CONT'D)
                              (loud)
                         Shit!  Gold strike by South Am.

               George is alarmed at hearing 'South Am.'  A couple of the 
               other miners look their way.

                                     GEORGE
                         South Am!

                                     NIAL
                              (reading)
                         The rumors were rampant in Sydney 
                         yesterday driving South Am shares up 
                         in heavy buying to one dollar twenty.

               Nial throws the paper down, and George picks it up.

                                     NIAL (CONT'D)
                         Fuck!  A dollar twenty!  I was given 
                         the tip when they were three cents.

                                     MINER 2
                         Hey Nial, didn't you put any money 
                         on South Am?  

                                     NIAL
                         Piss off!

               The miner laughs.  George is still reading the paper.

                                     GEORGE
                         Struth!

                                     NIAL
                         Fuck it!  Fuck it!  I would of done alright!