White Cargo

In the present-day opening, Worthing travels aboard the Congo Queen seaplane to inspect a remote West African rubber operation. He stresses the need to maximize production now that Malaya's rubber supply is constrained, foreshadowing wartime priorities. He also points to a wall photograph of the old days, which suddenly comes to life as the film slips into a flashback.

At a remote West African river outpost, Ashley, Witzel, Langford, the doctor, and Reverend Roberts eagerly await the Congo Queen’s arrival. The stark isolation pushes the men to test one another as Witzel hurls barbed expectations at Langford. The encounter sets the template for the volatile dynamics that will dominate their years there.

Witzel relentlessly badgers Langford, insisting he will never fit in or last in the jungle. The others scramble to prevent an open clash, but the simmering feud only grows. Their squabbling underscores how fragile order is in such isolation.

Tondelayo returns, stirring trouble as she moves among the men with her seductive ways. Despite warnings from the others, Langford succumbs to her charms, seeking to spite Witzel and Ashley. Roberts sees in her presence a moral dilemma that threatens the fragile balance.

Roberts reveals that Tondelayo is half Egyptian and half Arab, complicating the locals' sense of propriety. He invokes faith to justify marrying her to Langford, attempting to keep peace by tying her to the outpost. Witzel and Ashley protest, but Roberts proceeds with the ceremony.

Langford and Tondelayo are wed, despite strong objections from Witzel and the others. Roberts officiates, grounding the ceremony in faith as an attempt to stabilize the outpost. The union lasts for five months, but it binds the men to an increasingly volatile arrangement.

Langford falls ill, and the doctor prescribes medicine. Tondelayo obtains poison by trading a rifle with a native, and she administers it to Langford. Suspicion grows as the doctor and Witzel realize something is wrong and that the poison could be intended for Langford.

Harry, suspecting her deception, hides and ambushes Tondelayo as she moves to give Langford a lethal dose. He forces her to drink the rest of the poison, and she collapses in the jungle. His dual roles as magistrate and avenger complicate the ethics of his intervention.

The doctor ferries Langford away on the Congo Queen for better treatment, while Witzel labels him simply as “white cargo” to mask his status. The departure marks a shift in the outpost's power dynamics and foreshadows further upheaval. The Congo Queen becomes the thread linking the outpost to the outside world.

Langford's replacement, a fresh and overly enthusiastic Worthing, arrives aboard the Congo Queen. His naïve optimism clashes with the worn, hard-edged realities of the outpost and with Witzel's controlling leadership. Worthing's arrival signals a new chapter in the rubber enterprise and in the power dynamics.

Worthing tries to fit into the tense, predatory environment but quickly meets resistance. Harry seizes him and declares that Worthing will stay and endure the jungle's pressures. The moment crystallizes the outpost's brutal daily grind and Worthing's stubborn resolve.

Back in the present, Worthing reflects that he did indeed stay, having endured the isolation and the volatile power dynamics of the Congo Queen operation. The narrative ties the flashback to Worthing's continued role on the vessel. The contrast between past and present underscores the lasting impact of these events.