04x20 - Path of the Serpent

[bunniefuu]

We're not

traveling as high in the Rockies
as our route will take us,

and then we pass through here
without thinking of Jim Bridger

and all the stories
he used to tell about the Mountain Man.

This is a strange, remote
part of the world.

Only a certain breed of men live here.

And whether they're Indian or white,
Roger has a friend named Ruddy

Blaine who has run these mountains
since he was a boy.

He knows them so well that even
the Indians call him the Trailblazer.

I often wonder if on some hidden pinnacle
out there, he watches our progress.

But there's no fining him
unless he wants to be found.

Not ready.

Or his constant companion, the Shoshone,
whose life he saved from the youth.

The Indian known as the Serpent.

They say there's to have a trail
through the impenetrable heights

of the Rockies, a trail
that has come to be known as the path.

Of the serpent.

There's only one route for wagons
through this part of the Rockies.

We'll follow it closely.

Check the landmarks every mile of the way.

It's the most dangerous stretch
of wilderness between Saint

Joe and San Francisco.

This is Shoshone country.

At this time of year, the tribes prowl
the forests utes right up from the south

and sometimes find a trading post

willing to give them g*ns and whiskey
in exchange for government goods.

And then a reign of terror sweeps
the countryside until the firewater

burns out.

Three men here.

Sitting on a bunk.

Easy with enough.

It's got its legs.

Easy now.

Easy.

Careful.

All right.

Yes, Sergeant.

This fine trailblazer

must come to me soon as possible.

Try to go quickly, boy.

If anyone can find him, you can.

I will

take care of him.

I heard my daughter's coming.

Coming here by wagon train 19.

She's come alone
all the way from England. 19.

Can you believe it?

Three years old.

She was when the mother took over me.

I know about you.

Ain't talked to nothing else for months.

Trains that do for three or four weeks

don't have that long.

Ready. You got to hold on.

Whatever.
What you do out here without you.

I wasn't expecting anything like this.

Man gets lonely for the sight of his own

flesh and blood.

Could you bring her here?

Ready? Could you do that for.

Oh, I know, but these mountains
is crawling with them Bloody.

You'd really wouldn't ask me to die
without seeing my daughter.

You could bring her here in five days

over the path of the serpent.

Take a girl over that path.

No one knows the path of the serpent,
but you and the Shoshone

would support you.

At least you'll have a chance to get away.

They'll go with you, won't you, boy?

Of course I will.

You better put on your buckskin.

Oh, her

sad times that. Come on us now.

What do you say, Red?

You know, I'll try.

I Shoreline.

Hang on. Now.

You hear me

about that?

Closing the door. Oh,

we're getting in your father's country
pretty soon now.

I've been hungering for something
all my life, not knowing what it was.

Now I see it all before me.

And the wonderful
smell of pine trees and cedar and firs

giant mountains holding up the sky.

It's all familiar to me.

I have such a sense of well-being.

I'm home at last.

Well,
I hope you find what you're hungering for.

Most people seldom do.

Haven't you? No.

No. I keep riding up the mountain,
hoping that I'll find a home.

But I always have an urgency
to keep riding on toward the horizon.

Oh, do you know a man named Ruddy Blane?

He's a scout, too, But he. Blaine.

Sure.

He's a legend out here.

He's my father's dearest friend.

That's all.

Jim Bridger says that Ruddy
Blaine is the greatest mountain

man alive.

What's the matter?

Oh, it's just the sounds.

What sounds? The sounds of the forest.

But there isn't any sound at all.

There's a pattern
to the sounds of the forest.

And if anything breaks it, it's a warning.

What kind of warning?

They keep your eyes open.

I'm going
right up ahead and have a look around.

What is it?

I don't know.

Maybe it's just my imagination.

Or maybe I'm just edgy about the news.

Yeah, me too.

I've been listening for w*r Cries
all afternoon myself.

Well, I think we'll go back
into these trees and sit.

Crawl up on your passport.

Yeah.

Tell the people no sh**ting, no

loud noises of any kind, and tell Charlie
not to build any fires.

And Hurry, hurry.

In charge of this outfit here

I am.

And I'm glad to see you.

I'm ready, Blaine.

Ready, Blaine.

The devil you are.

No, the devil. I ain't ready.

Blaine's who I am
and no kin to the devil is.

Here is Corporal Clay Taylor.

Taylor, I'm glad to meet you.

I'm Flynt McCullough.

McCullough Bridger.

Raise him a cub named McCullough.

That'd be me.
Well, now I'm glad to meet you.

How is that old co*n Bridger?

Oh, it's the same.

Last time I saw him was in Saint Louis.

He was getting ready to take a train west
for the Army.

Oh, that's him.

I tell you, that old fellow would
in a train West when he's ready to die.

Come on into the camp.

Oh, I'd sure like to, but.

Well, it's urgent business I'm here on.

We're here to collect a young lady for PA.

Her name's Penelope Huntington.

Something gone wrong.

The youth attack, the fort, her paws.

The sergeant there, they wiped out nearly
half the command he's saw wounded his

just barely hanging on,
hoping to see his girl.

Well, it'll take us 12 to 14 days to get.

To the fort.

I figure I can make it in two
over the path of the serpent.

Do you think that's going to be safe
for the girl?

I ain't one to deny. What?

She'd be a lot better off here with you.

But if she wants to see a pile of,
she's got a chance.

What about the youth?

We scouted both sides of the river.

There ain't no sign of them now.

I don't take

all my life.

I've heard of the path of Serpent
all my life.

And now you're going out there after him,
and I can't even go on.

Well, this isn't exactly a pleasure trip,
you know.

Why do I have to stay back
with the women and children?

I don't.

People are beginning to call me
a homebody. Charlie.

Homebody. Charlie.
That's what they call me.

We have to keep you in a safe place Now.

Every time an Indian sees that brush
on your face, he gets an itchy finger.

I want to see the path of the serpent.

What was that you said, Charlie?

Oh, nothing.

I just talked.

He wants to see the path of the serpent.

Well, I can't blame him for that.

But you and I have got a job to do.

Taking care of the train.

Well,
as long as you put it that way, that's.

The only way to
put it. That's the way it is.

I'll pick out a horse.

All right.

You know, Charlie,

I'll take a good look at it for you, huh?

Stay home, Charlie.

Yeah. Then we women. Children.

I hope that serpent. By Jove.

I sure hate to be the one to bring you
this bad news, girl.

I know you are.

And I appreciate your kindness
in making such a dangerous trip.

This is my friend.

He's going to make the trip with us.

He's a Shoshoni.

Was raised in captivity by the U.S..

He can only talk with us in sign language.

They cut out his tongue
when he was just a little fella.

It's his path. We're going to journey.

I can do it.

You know,
now that I met you, I know you can.

You better get started If you're going
to cover any ground before daybreak.

I get a hand.

Huh? Huh?

I hope you'll find that

your father's better.

And I'll see you when I see you.

Yeah,

I'm glad I met you.

Ready?

You see your Bridger?

Tell him we met up and tell him
you're doing a fine job

on you

out here.

You learn to sleep whenever you can.

I can't sleep.

Well, you don't have nothing to fear.

Serpents watching from the trees.

I'm watching down here.

I'm not afraid.

You know,
I seem to remember this place before.

Something about the way
the trees are bending over me.

I remember it from a long time ago.

But you was born in this country, girl.

Well,
I was only three years old when I left.

How could I possibly remember that Now?

The engine's got a saying.

They say when a baby is born,
first opens its eyes.

If it sees a shining mountains,
it never be happy.

No other place.

The shining mountains, the beautiful name.

Why would anybody want to call them
the Rockies?

Oh, I don't know.

I guess maybe
because they're old and tough and cranky.

I call them a lot worse than that
in my time.

I'll never call them anything
but the shining mountain.

You sure got to look here, Mother.

Here.

You almost take my breath away.

You knew my mother. Oh, your partner.

We met her at the same time

as you.

Your hair is like hers
and your eyes share like hers.

I think your smile,
that's more like your palms.

I think you're feeling for this country.

That's like your past to him.

She hated it.

I never knew that. Oh,

she wouldn't have lasted another winter.

PA, he done wrong bringing her out. Here

I am.

I was a beautiful, gentle person, but

she didn't have the kind of strength
it took to stand up against this country.

Well,
I came here because I wanted to come.

I can stand up against it.

I've seen a lot of women come out here.

I've seen what it does to them.

I'd like her already.

No one ever came out here.

I like her.

Thank you.

I've come to stay.

You can't stay alone.

I don't have to cross that bridge yet.

We decided something.

Clay, you stay here with Penny.

Come up here.

I was born here too.

Then you must feel as I do.

I've lived here all my life, but

never took notice of the shining mountains

until the day.

Decided that you'd signifiers,

saying they've seen a party

of three white men
and a white woman in the forest.

I know, I know.

There's danger for the girl.

Leave the horses ready.

We won't make any time at all.

On foot would be a lot harder to find
on foot, though, than on horseback.

Yeah,
I guess I'm just too worried about Penny.

I want to get her there as soon as we can.

You got to trust this Indian, Billy.

Never fail. Me

neither. We can leave the horses here.

There's feed and water.

They might be here when we get back.

Let's go.

No, we're in for the river. How?

How do they know.

This is a part of the country?

Every time we make a move,
we send them a message. The

sounds of the forest, isn't it?

It's a simple way to put it.

Yeah,

And you.

Can k*ll that Indian.

You might not be alive.

Now, be quiet.
You see what the serpent's doing to him?

Only what any other Indian would do.

It spoils a w*r
and they never very pretty.

You're going to have to get used to that
if you want to stay in this country.

It's all part of your shining mountains.

We got to get out of here.

There's bound to be more than mute around
here.

Got to get down to the river quick.

I got a couple of canoes hidden there.

Bill. Clay, you ready? Yeah.

Let's go.

How long will it be now?

We're lucky
We ought to reach the fort by daybreak.

As long as I've lived.

I dreamed of coming out here.

Oh, Mr.

Blaine, I can't lose my father. Now.

Now, don't
you go letting your mind dwell on that.

You're right.

You live at the Post, Mr.

Blaine? No. The forest is my home.

In a cabin.

That I was always going to build a cabin.

I just never got around to it.

Maybe if I was married,
it would have been different.

As it is, the older I get, the more
four walls sort of squeeze me.

You never married?

Oh, now, girl.

Oh, dear.

So some men is husband material? Some?

No. I took a big old sky to win
mountains to mine.

He never loved anyone.

I wouldn't say that.

I lost her once when I was younger.

I no one ever loved me, though.

Not someone who wanted me.

It might have been a little different.

You mean a man
whose love has no need of a mountain?

Something like that.

My mother loved my father very much.

She never loved anyone else
but him As long as she lived.

She stayed in England
and he stayed here on the mountain.

And if I had a lover,
someone like your mind.

But I lived in Timbuktu.

Oh, I see.

It's all a long time ago.

I've never met anyone like her before.

She's a mighty nice young lady.

Nice.

But she's a kind of girl.

If you see her, you know. You see?

You mean she's beautiful?

You think so? Yeah.

And a brotherly sort of way.

I'm glad that's all.

It. It's

not that it'll be perfectly
all right after all, I have no hold on it.

That's right.

There was a moment last night
when she'd turn and smile.

She didn't say anything. Mind you.

She just smiled.

But it seemed a very special smile,

one that really meant something,

if you know what I mean.

You're not hard to follow.

And in just that much time,

it was as though my whole

life was starting over.

As I sound.

As though
I've suddenly taken over my senses. Huh?

Well, you have it all.

Sometimes it happens that way.

But tell me you've had experience.

You're an older man.

Well, Claire, the older you get
and the more experience, the more you

find out the age and experience doesn't
get you to know about women.

Yeah, well, that's pretty depressing.

Oh, no, it isn't.

I find that it feels kind of good
to think that

no matter how old I get,
that someday I might feel like you again.

Absolutely miserable.

Absolutely.

I wish I knew how she felt.

Why don't you ask her why?

I don't know her well enough.

Oh, no,

no. Oh,

there's
a big w*r party between her and a fort.

Then another raid.

Another one.

Only had
the command was alive when we left.

They couldn't hold off another attack.

What did the serpent say?

w*r party between us and the fort.

Is that all just about?

Is my father still alive?

I don't know, girl, dear.

But it sure wouldn't hurt you
none to start saying your prayers.

It's only a short
walk to the fort from here.

I'll send the serpent ashore to make sure
all's well I will not be walking into

no trap.

You and Bill stay here

and take care of the girl.

You still alive?

All right.

Ready?

Ready.

Friday.

I've been gone five days.

It left me some brand target. It

all. Goodbye.

Hello.

What's been going on around here?

There's corpses standing around out there.

Raised a hair on the back of your neck.

Come back, devils.

Come back to finish.

We drove them off
and orders come to abandon the fort.

Move on to the colonel's garret.

I told him not to take me.

I had to wait to see my daughter.

You brought her ready?

It didn't feel me. I.

I brought her.

You know this side?

I got a walker through the Bennington

Brown and Charlie in heels,
standing around out there.

It was a lute, and it's.

And spirits.

Put your old comrades out
to keep the watch for you.

It blasted you, too.

So full of liquor.

They'll think the food's still mad.

Will they returned it?

Would you give me a right of troops
singing to her face when you walked up

to it?

The groom joked It. It,

it best fetch my daughter.

They want us to come in.

Everything must be all right.

I got a terrible sight to walk you.

Bye, girl.

Do I know.

Who they're

living?

God is good.

You heard my my prayers.

Oh, no, no, no.

They won't waste time until,

if ever, your mother

hoped you'd

ready.

Don't see favor of mother.

Yeah. Great

little boy.

Glad to see you're expected
to lay eyes on you again in this life.

Let me take a look at that wound.

But not now.

I want to look at my daughter

there.

They come together
barely in time to say a proper goodbye.

You're all I have in this world.

I'm all you.

I've been thinking of nothing else
in here.

Oh, Father.

I don't have much to leave here.

And we are worldly goods.

But I have a friend

behind this man that ever drew breath.

Ready?

Come closer to me is an eye to see.

And like they should.

You never fail me.

Never once all these years

you're not fail me now

your grant made a last request.

You just name her by

Penny.

Do as I ask.

Like a true affectionate daughter.

Yes, Father.

Very.

You're on my deathbed.

Ask you to give me assurance.

I can believe in this world in peace.

I ask you to marry my daughter

Mary.

I part time old enough to be a PA.

It has got nothing to do with it.

You're the bravest scout in the Rockies.

She ought to marry someone.

Young. Young.

You're in your prime

at a young man in this country

and stand against ready blame.

Any woman would be proud

to tell him.

Tell him daughter.

But, Father, Mr.

Blaine and I have only just met.

I never wrote your letter
without mentioning his name.

The or not.

Yes, but

look, it

is a do.

Bard quit it.

You're embarrassing her.

Look at you blushing.

While you're getting to me to quit it.

We've got to wait outside.

No, Bill, time is running out.

I want my friends about me play here.

Grew up in this man.

But I have to say, it can be said
in front of friends like you.

You must be going out of your head
with pain.

Now I want you to stop it.

You know I ain't suitable for her.

I'm a mountain man.

Trailblazer.

No need for you to apologize
to the daughter of mine for what you are

about.

I was a man growed when she was born.

Look at her part.

She's young and fair.

She belongs with someone young and fair
like herself.

A name, a heaven man.

You know, I had no time to shop around.

She's a girl of education. She.

She's even been across the big ocean

and leaving age out of it.

But what have I got to offer
a girl like her?

You've got your name,

Your Honor, and your good right on

all this. Holy.

Well, you're suddenly turning into
a shrinking violet before my very eyes

are not good enough for you.

I'm trying to tell
you ain't good enough for her.

Do I know what I am?

Blind man can see where she is.

I say good enough for

nobody in this world

knows you as well as I do.

And just the last wish of my heart.

Harriet, my friend here.

I know how you spent
your life in the mountains.

And I know how little place a wife has
and where you've lived.

But if you honor my father's wish,
I'll try to learn your ways

and not be a burden.

You don't know what you're saying to me.

It's like the doorway of heaven.

I live and die for a part.

And die for you.

I will build the finest cabin
in the country, for

I will bring furniture from New York
and Boston.

All the furs myself.

Oh, that young and beautiful life.

And you're giving it to me.

I sure take good care of

it. Said it's

okay now.

I'm content

done.

Well for you, Penny

The years to come work show.

Yeah, well,

usually right away.

The devil should be back come night.

He's done for.

You. Not going to leave you.

Much longer to go.

Go now, please.

It'll be hunting for you.

Going to quickly

go as you come

by the path Serpent.

Like ours is riding.

The serpent went off?

Nah, they've been gone about an hour.

You know, it's strange. Our peaceful.
It is.

It's like any summer day.

I was thinking of winter

every year.

As soon as the winter snows
melted, Ruddy would come to the fort.

Yes. Any of the parapet below
six years old,

watching for the first
sign of him on the mountain.

As always.

Up the mountain. I met him when I was 15.

My father
that we spend the whole winter with ready

ready to be a trap.

sh**t
part of the canoe, live from the fires

in the stream

next year.

My father died and I went with Roddy
in the serpent again.

I have no other family.

Yeah, I know.

One week ago, I stood in the same spot
looking about those same hills.

I never loved the woman, nor hated a man.

Now I'm here
burying comrades of a week ago,

torn and too, with love and hate,

hoping for the death of a man
that's been like a father.

All because I want the love of a woman
I didn't even know a week ago.

I realize
this isn't a time to tell you this, Clay,

but the world doesn't begin or end
with one person.

You're at the age to fall in love again.

You will?

Yeah, well, I'm not as cynical as you are.

It's like you said yourself,
you're not as old.

Ooh, ooh.

I'll get Penny.

You tell her what I said last night.

Nope.

And least she doesn't know how I feel.

Oh, I don't know how she could miss it
if she's taken a good look at you.

Bill,

don't let me do anything.

I'd be sorry for a wait a minute.

You're not threatened and ready, are you?

I'm not threatening.

I'm asking for help.

Afraid of what I might do.

Penny has made up her mind.

Buster, You get that through the carriers.

I'm going to go with a certain
in case he has to leave it.

I think it'd be best
if you took the girl with you.

She's better off with you.

Can I go with Mr. Hawks?

Well, we have business to discuss.

The rest of my belongings
are still with the train.

Well, no matter who you go
with, let's get going.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Hey, have you quarreled with that girl?

No. I feel there's something wrong
between.

There's nothing I feel there is.

But we've hardly spoken.

How could we have quarreled?

And why wouldn't you pilot her canoe?

I thought you two should ride together.

You must have a lot to talk about.

Oh, there's time for a talk
when she's out of danger.

Clay, look, I've raised you
since she was a little kid.

You're
almost like a son to me in that girl

ground.

This thing ever walked this earth.
I want you to be friends.

Now, tell me what's wrong between you.

There's nothing.

There's nothing between us.

I thought you wanted to talk to me.

I do.

We've been traveling
for a couple of hours.

You haven't said anything yet.

I know.

You want me to tell you what I know
about Roddy Blaine.

My father already told me all about him.

Nice man, Penny.

I know it's in his face
for everyone to read.

You want to talk about the decision
you made?

The decision's already made.

But what I'm trying to say is that

there's something bothering on here.

Friend.

So much has happened to me.

I can't just sit on it.

I feel more

has happened to me in the last few hours,
and it's happened in my whole lifetime.

I only don't talk about your lifetime
until you've already lived your lives.

Just beginning. Isn't

he? Spotted us.

Here.

There's a river below.

Yeah.

There's signaling to head for this river.

We'd better trust our luck on land

so you can find a hiding place
for the girl over there.

Go get. Go.

You expect
we can get these canoes underwater?

Let's give them a try.

How long to wait here?

Until the serpent says it's all clear.

Palsy doesn't come back.

Well, don't worry.

If you.

See anyone follow you

calling Miss.

Sister is a big w*r part of him

filming because he's taken north counter
out to guitars.

No g*ns play one shot you.

How many of my companions.

Start this way.

She can't

have my head

around and.

Darn near had me.

Do the same for me

Now the horses are still here.

They never did find it.

Seems so long since we were here.

The serpent says.

A forest mostly clear now.

Take a couple of
hours rest before we show up.

I expect you arrived in

the. All right, girl.

Dear, I'm fine.

Just tired.

I built

something wrong here.

Clay, say anything to you.

Said he wants to go as far as Denver
with the wagon train.

That Army post
wants a change of duty once it.

Why would he want that?

You raised him, Ruddy.

You know him better than anybody else.

You going to tell me
what's chewing on you?

I told you it was nothing.

You never told me
you was going to join up with Wagon Train.

I would want to see Denver for a long
time.

Is this child

I used to run across the hills to meet me.

The kid?

Would I help raise son?

I never had.

Well, why don't you tell me
what come between us?

How come you change towards me? I.

I ain't changed toward you.

How many times
I have to tell you, it's nothing.

Saghir.

Hey, it is the girl.

That's
why you figured you couldn't tell me.

Did you think I wouldn't understand?

I would.

I not understand.

The moment I saw her,

it was as though a spell came over me.

I didn't know her father's plans.

I didn't know she was to be yours.

The world suddenly glowed with excitement

and a fire in the world was Penelope.

Sorry.

Why did you make me tell you?

Now it's been said.

It's always going to be between us.

There
ain't nothing going to be between us.

You can't wipe out 20 years of friendship
just like that.

Have you told her how you feel

you're aiming to?

And you know,

don't you figure
she's got a right to know She.

Has no right.

A man's love is his own to speak
and not as he chooses.

I don't see it that way.

I figure she's got a right to know.

I think you ought to tell her.

She's made her decision.

You ain't going to tell her.

No, I'm not going to tell her.

Why are you telling me this?

While my father was dying.

Paul was my oldest. My closest friend.

I know what was in his heart
when he gave you into my keeping.

He wanted to make sure of your happiness.

And if he thought
it was going to be with him.

I hadn't said my happiness was with Clay.

You don't have to say that, girl, dear.

You guys just full of it already.

I didn't want to hurt you.

Clay and I have never spoken of love.

Well, you speak of it now.

You got a lot to say to each other.

Oh, now, look,

the time is long past for me to go
build in a cabin.

Woman's got to have a home.

I told you before that forest is my home.

But we pledged our words.

If you, Paul was here and no defects,
we was all in.

I don't think he'd mind
if I gave up my trust to another

black.

Yeah. You're both young.

You're full of all the promise and
happiness that belongs to the young'uns.

Now, I love you.

I love you both. I always will.

You. You go on.

I leave you with my blessing.

Go on.

You go to.

Where you want it to. End.

So in a way, I could end.

Bill.

The only way for us

ain't no home
for a woman on the path of the serpent.