01x04 - Deputy Sheriff

[bunniefuu]

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowieeeeeeee

♪ He was a bold adventurin' man ♪

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

♪ Fights for our rights with a powerful hand ♪

♪ His blade was tempered and so was he ♪

♪ Indestructible steel, was he. ♪

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie.

♪ He was a fighter, a fearless and mighty ♪

♪ Adventurin' man.

- [Narrator] While today, American acclaim

Thomas Jefferson's foresight

in adding the vast land of Louisiana to our nation,

the decades that followed the purchase were troublous.

Animosities died slowly.

Latin blood boiled at real or fancied provocation

but nothing was troubling Jim Bowie,

he was heading for Shreveport on a red-hot

land speculation with nothing on his mind

but pleasant things.

[gentle choral vocalization]

[g*nsh*t]

[vocalization resumes]

- And put me in a nice piece of lean bacon

about two pounds, five pounds a meal.

- Is there an ugly old alligator in here

by the name of Carson Singletary?

- Now, that's gotta be an old rooster

with the name of Jim Bowie!

- How are a, boy?

- Ha ha ha ha! - Good to see ya!

- Well, you're not getting any prettier, are ya?

- Oh, I don't know about that! [laughs]

hey, I want you to meet the folks,

Mr. And Mrs. Nelson, they own the store

this is Jim Bowie from Appaloosa's

- Hi, howdy Mr. Bowie,

hey, you're bleeding a little there.

- Just a little scratch.

- How come?

- I stopped to look at a dead man.

- Where?

- Up the road, seven, eight miles.

The man with the red beard?

- That's right, big man with a red beard.

- That'll be Mal McDonald.

- Yeah.

- His horse come home last night,

his boys have been looking for him ever sense.

- Oh?

- How was he dead?

- Knife, in the back.

And this was beside the body.

- Let me see that.

So far Societe de tricolor

- Just like on Quimby.

- Yeah, same sign, same silk,

knife in the back.

Same thing happened to Ed Quimby about six weeks ago.

It's gotta be a Cajun.

- Aye.

- Why?

- Well, it' French, ain't it?

And then there was a lot of bare footprints

all around Ed Quimby's body,

like a big Cajun kid.

Was there any barefoot prints around

the McDonald's body?

- I didn't stop to look.

That's mighty slim evidence, Carse.

- Well, that's enough to stir up a heap of trouble

there's already a lot of bad feeling against the Cajuns here

and this is just gonna make it a lot worse.

- Hm.

- Oh, why can't people understand each other.

Now I gotta go break the news to Ms. McDonald.

- Um, Mr. Nelson, I wonder if I could

trouble you for a little hot water,

I think I oughta wash this off.

- Well, let Sarah do it for you

Mr. Bowie, she's really handy at that.

Take him in the back room.

- Very kind.

[solemn choral vocalization]

- Howdy.

- Furs.

- I'll trade.

- Powder.

- Powder.

- Lead for shot.

- Yes.

- Salt, flour.

- Flour.

- Pepper.

- Pepper.

Traps.

- Now we're even with this.

- [Bowie] Look like pearls.

- They are pearls, from mussels in the river.

They're for the Paris trade.

Alright.

No.

And three dollars.

- Eight dollars.

- No.

- How'd Ms. McDonald take it, Carse?

- You know, she took on something fierce.

- Hmm, you better go over there, still.

Maybe you can help out someway.

- It ain't a use, nothing to do but for her to

go up there with the boys to fetch the body back.

You said eight miles, Jim?

- Yeah, about.

- Well, I won't be back for two or three hours

but this sure is gonna be trouble.

Them boys are out to k*ll somebody

and they will, too, if the catch 'em.

- Carse, let me have a look at that piece of silk I found.

- Yeah.

- So, that Cajun boy with the Indian girl.

- Yeah.

- Just sold Mr. Nelson some pearls.

- [Mr. Nelson] Mussel pearls, little ones.

- Had 'em wrapped up in this red silk.

Had two more pearls in a piece of blue silk.

Red, white, blue.

Colors of the flag.

- Flag of America?

- Or the flag of France, tricolor.

Societe du Tricolor.

- And he was barefooted, too.

- Now wait a minute Carse,

that's not enough evidence, just an idea.

- Well, it's enough for me.

- Wait a minute there, boy.

I wanna ask you some questions.

- What about?

- About a m*rder.

- He did not do it.

- No?

Then where'd he get this piece of silk at?

Well, where'd you get it?

You won't answer, huh?

Well you better come along with me to jail.

- He did not do it, he only-

- Be quiet!

- You only what, son?

You better come to jail.

- Alright, young fella, calm down now.

- [screams in pain]

- Who is this wildcat, your sister?

- Well, from the fight she just put up,

she's either his mother or his wife.

- I am his wife.

- Come on, son.

You'd better come with me.

- Just go home, Justine.

- Come on.

- [laughs]

- Well, I wish you was.

- Wish I was what?

- The sheriff.

- [laughs]

- 'Cause now I gotta take this silver-tongue to order

and clean up the Champlain.

I got enough trouble here!

- Why Champlain?

- Because that's where the judges are sitting

that's the county seat.

Hey, you could take him up there for me.

I'll make you deputy sheriff!

- I'm on my way to Shreveport.

- I know, but it won't be out of your way, now.

You can drop him off and leave the horse there

and you can go on about your business.

I'd do the same thing for you, Jim.

- Maybe it'd be simpler to hang him here.

- No, he's gotta be tried first, dummy.

- Maybe not.

Look at this.

- Holy!

Look at that rope,

why, they fixin' to hang that boy!

- [Crowd Member] Let's hang him sheriff!

Give us that boy!

Bring him out here, or we'll come out and get him.

- Don't let them k*ll me, monsieur.

- No one's gonna hand ya, son.

- Well, I don't wanna shot them boys.

- It's my wife, monsieur.

She would be alone, she's only 16.

Sit down, Jerome.

- What's the matter, you scared of that thing?

Alright, Carse, put a star on me, I'll take him.

- Hey, what's this all about?

- He never knifed anybody.

He doesn't even know how to hold a knife

let alone throw one.

- And you'll take him, you really will?

- Give me the keys to his handcuffs.

- Yessir, boy, I sure am obliged to ya.

Gotta swear you in.

- Alright. sh**t.

- You solemnly swear.

- Wait a minute, gonna have to raise my right arm?

- [laughs] Hm, I forgot all about that,

that's a big thing.

You solemnly swear to uphold the law

and defend the constitution of the United States

so help you, God?

- I do.

- You're a sheriff.

- Where's my star? - Well, I haven't got a star.

The only one I-

- Oh, well, in that case.

- Wait a minute, here, take mine.

- Well now, look at this, I'm a sheriff.

- No, you're a deputy sheriff.

- Put the key to your handcuffs in this pocket.

You remind me if I forget where it is, will ya?

- Oh. You old rooster you,

you never will change, will ya?

Hey [whoops]

take this.

- No, I'll take my r*fle.

- No, a deputy needs both hands free, take this.

- Alright, let's go out and face them people, now.

- Turn him over, peaceful, sheriff.

- Now, just a minute, John.

Folks, there's a couple of horses tied off over there.

This boy's gonna mount one of 'em

and ride up the river to Champlain

in the custody of Jim Bowie here, deputy sheriff

who's gonna make certain that guilty or not

he gets a fair trial.

Now just a minute Ms. McDonald.

I'm sorry for your loss, I really am.

But we got a way of runnin' things in this country

and that's the way we gonna run 'em.

- Oh. No you don't.

We want that m*rder*r.

- You bet, we want that m*rder*r.

- Wait a minute, you're all Americans, aren't you?

- [Crowd Member] We all are.

All Americans.

- Some of you men may have fought with Andy Jackson.

Some of you even with George Washington.

What were you fighting for?

To hold onto your independence wasn't it?

To hold onto your rights.

Well, that's what this boy is gonna get,

his rights, it's American justice.

He's gonna get a fair trial

if the jury finds that he's guilty, he'll hang.

If the jury finds that he's not guilty, he won't hang.

Now, I'm gonna put him on that horse

and take him to Champlain.

Any of you wanna stop me, you're welcome to try.

come on. Son.

- He's gonna hang now.

- You cover me, Carse.

[gentle choral vocalization]

- Come on, boy, lets get going.

- Don't monsieur, please.

- Well, we have to call a ferry don't we.

- No, he is sleeping, the ferryman.

- We'll wake him up,

we're not gonna swim it.

- Yes we can swim it, monsieur, further down for nothing.

- Look, I'm not that poor.

- Why don't you want me to ring it?

- Because

- Yeah?

- Ring it, monsieur.

- No, no. Why don't you want me to?

Tell me.

- This is the ferry of my father, monsieur.

That is my house across the river.

- Oh.

- Or, it was my house, until.

- Until what?

- Until.

Until I got married and got a house of my own.

- So now you don't want your folks to see you

wearing handcuffs, that it?

- Yes, monsieur.

I didn't k*ll those men. Monsieur.

I didn't k*ll them.

- Who did k*ll them?

- I don't know.

[g*nsh*t]

- Father, no!

- Justine, you shot him?

- Please, come, the canoe.

- No! Wait.

- You missed.

The key.

- I will take you in through the bayou

then no one will find us.

- No, Justine, I cannot.

- Why not?

- They would have hung me back there in the village,

he fought for me.

- He is taking you to prison.

- Oh no, to court, to be tried.

- They will try you and then hang you, come.

- No, we will take him to my mother in the canoe.

[door knocking]

- Mama!

Mama, it's your son, Jerome.

- Jerome!

- Enter, Justine.

- You must help him, he has been shot.

- If your father finds him here, he will-

- Where is father?

- At the meeting with the Societe but he will return-

- Then we must hurry.

The b*llet, get it out!

- I, how?

- I don't know.

A needle, a crochet needle, a knife, anything, try mama.

- Who shot him, Jerome?

- Justine.

He is a sheriff, a deputy.

She did not understand, she was trying to save me.

He is a good man, he was kind to me.

He was taking me to Champlain to be tried for m*rder.

- m*rder?

You did no m*rder, did you?

- An American was m*rder*d yesterday.

I have been charged with it,

and with another six weeks ago.

On their bodies was found the same sign,

Societe du Tricolor.

- Societe.

- They would have k*lled me, the friends of the dead man.

But he saved me, saved my life.

Now we must save his.

Please, mama.

[solemn choral vocalization]

- Who are you?

- Justine.

- Jerome's Indian girl.

- [Justine] I am his wife.

- His broomstick wife!

- I am not his broomstick wife,

we were married by a priest.

- [sighs]

where is Jerome?

Where is he, where?

- I am here, father.

- Yes, you are.

I warned you not to come here.

I told you I would k*ll you if you came here.

- I know.

- And yet, you came.

- I had to, father.

- Then I will have to k*ll you.

- Jacques, stop.

Are you mad?

- He tore up the flag my emperor gave me.

- But he was angry, Jacques.

- He tore up the tricolor.

- But you drove him to it.

With your Societe, your senseless hatreds

with your m*rder.

- The men I k*lled were our enemies.

They have stolen our country.

- But this is our country.

Louisiana and your emperor sold it.

His enemy sold it, he would never sell it.

- But it is sold, it's done, it's past, long ago.

You are here, not in Osterich or Waterloo.

You are in the land of the Americans,

I am an American, can't you understand that?

- You are a Frenchman living on French soil!

- When I hid the body of Mr. Quimby,

the dead American you m*rder*d,

I realized what I was.

That's why I tore up your tricolor.

And I'd do it again if

- Who's that?

Who are you?

- My name's Jim Bowie.

- Bowie, an American, you brought him here to my house.

- Yes.

- Then we will fight.

He for his country and I for mine.

- No, he cannot, he is too weak, can't you see?

- Then you will fight and die as I warned you.

- No, Jacques.

- Defend yourself.

- I do not want to fight you.

- En garde!

[clanging]

- My parents came here from Nova Scotia.

Here, I met my wife, and here our son was born.

He's a fine boy, my son.

You should meet him.

- Father, I am your son.

- I was a boy myself when I

came to fight for the emperor.

- [Jerome] Father, you're in America.

- A brave soldier, he called me.

The emperor himself.

Who is that brave bronzed soldier, he said.

He said that to my captain.

- Please father, you told us.

- Will such a brave soldier be deported from New France?

To be thrown out like his father was from Arcadia?

Our days here are numbered.

In New Orleans are the ships to take us.

- There are no ships to take us, father.

The Americans do not want to drive us out.

- Drive us out?

They will never drive us out.

Now, die for France.

- [Jerome] Please, father.

[g*nshots]

- Viva la [coughs]

- [crying] I shot your father Jerome!

I k*lled him.

- You had to do it, Justine.

It's alright.

- [crying]

- [Bowie] She didn't k*ll him.

Look, will you look at this?

A r*fle b*llet, just dug it out of the mantle.

You did not sh**t him, you understand?

- No Justine, you didn't.

Jerome, will you call for the police?

- Yes, mama.

But I am still his prisoner.

- It's all over, boy.

I'll take care of it in Champlain.

Go on, now, take our horses.

- I'm ready now, monsieur.

- For what?

- To go with you.

To prison.

- Why?

- I k*lled my husband.

- No, no you did not.

My b*llet k*lled him.

Will you get that in your head, ma'am?

- You are misled, you could barely lift the p*stol.

- Your b*llet missed, mine was the one that hit him.

I'll explain it to the judge in Champlain.

Ma'am, if you'll forgive me for saying so,

I don't think the man I shot was your husband.

I mean, the man you married

had changed into something entirely different

and in any case, my b*llet k*lled him.

- Yes, monsieur, I understand.

I also understand why my son admires you.

You are a good man, monsieur.

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

♪ He was a fighter

♪ A fearless and might adventurin' man! ♪