05x12 - The Bettina May Story

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On normal days,

we average as much as ten mile.

You have to take advantage
of the normal days

because we figured to lose a lot of miles.

Fighting rain, sleet, snow when

a never ending struggle
against the elements,

the constant threat of men who died hard
protecting their hunting ground.

It is enough to make a wagon
Master Gray before his time,

however, he was lucky enough
to keep his scalp on his own head.

When men, women and children
face eternity.

You see a lot of what is true,
good and bad.

And one thing stands out.

Men, women and children
don't k*ll for themselves.

They do what they must do for each other.

For the family.

Yes, sir.

On a wagon train, you couldn't miss
what strength there was in the family

or what weaknesses.

The families
had to stay together to survive.

You and I know that isn't as easy
as it sounds.

Bettina May went west with her
two sons and daughter.

And what happens when there are families
inside of families?

Here's her story.

A wagon

train is a small city on wheat

rolling village of families.

They left a place called home,
and they left practically everything

behind, but left everything behind
except their property

to be
part of the family was do all your life.

Children have an obligation
to your brother or sister

or to be a mother like Bettina,
a mother of Nathan.

Our first born who married Mabel.

Mother of Arthur, who married Rome.

Mother of Ginny.

Who was to have Eugene

Keeper's child and make Bettina
May a grandmother for the fourth time.

Someone once

said Children begin
by loving their parents

as they grow older.

They judge them.

Sometimes they forgive them.

Why, Maggie?

Where are you going?

No, I grandmamma.

Okay,

let's stay inside.

Oh, Mother, leave them alone.

You can't just leave children
alone out here.

Anything can happen,

Grandpa.

Be careful.

You're gonna love that.

Why don't you let Nathan and Arthur worry
about poor children?

I do.

I let them worry,
but I do something about it.

Oh. Oh, well,

what happened to one of the boys?

Neighbor, you wait here

and Christie?

Christie, What happened?

What happened?

Tell me what happened.

Print.

They tell me what happened.

Daddy

gave Lolly to be with a rock.

Daddy was alive.

Rockets hit him on the bridge of the nose.

Bloody. It'll be all right.

I didn't read it.

I didn't read it. What did you do?

What did you do? Nate?

No, no, no.

What happened? Matthew? No.

Now tell me so we can.

Help your brother.

With the wrap.

I'm gonna be the. I didn't need the guilt.

He'll be all right as my rock just broke
the skin.

I'll guarantee you'll have to add
the North Carolina side of the Rockies.

You go back to the wagon, Maggie.

Stop crying and do as I tell you.

There you go.

Matty.

You look at me, boy.

How many times have
I told you not to throw rocks?

Oh, you're going to get the whipping
of your life. Son.

I'll take lead.

You just calm down.

You'll be all right.

Yes. This is pressing.

Yes. You're going to be. Oh.

Oh, my.

If she.

If she took my child out of my arm.

Well, she just better not.

Think I said.

When are we going to stop her, Rose?

Maybe you want to go back
to your mother's arm.

My husband.

Well, I'm to be there in two days.

If you want to.

Nope.

But you want to spend some time
in Kingsville while the rest of train

splitting up.

You know, Charlie,
I hear that has become quite an oasis.

It's a truth.

I got it from a disreputable
old character.

He told me he'd never been in Townsville.

But I'm glad Mark will burn. It's damp.

Are you afraid to ask him?

Yeah.

You're forgetting one thing, Bill.

This is going to be our last chance

to enjoy the evils of civilization
for a long time.

Know I'm not forgetting now.

If you're half the man,
you say you are, you have to ask who what?

What are you doing?

Get the fire out.

They won't burn.

Chris and Mark Stamp.

You want Europe, Charlie?

That's life. Give a little. Take a little.

Yeah. We're going to be there two days,
you know?

Yeah.

What you want to.

Hooray
this next town like you did the last one?

Well, not exactly,

but I'd just like to give a little
and take a little, like you said.

You know,
they did more to ruin the reputation

of the wagon train
by giving a little and taking a lot more.

I only got half the time, you know,

So it's, you know, maybe not,
but it's a doggone good reason that.

Charlie, why don't you grow up,
find a nice woman your old age?

Settle down, Mary.

Why don't you?

Well, I might find the right woman again.

How are you going to know
when you find the right woman?

Ain't nobody that smart.

You gamble, you find a good woman,
you get much happiness,

you find a bad one,
you become a philosopher.

Old Chinese proverb.

Philosopher.

I guess I fix them up.

Yeah.

You fix them so we won't be corrupted
by civilization for some time.

What kind of a woman do you think, Mr.
Hail Mary?

Well, women like. I like horse trading.

I You'd like a thoroughbred
like Mr. Maiden.

You gotta make What for?

I mean.

Well, at her age.

Her age, Son, what do you know about age?

Life begins at 50.

Yeah.

For them, it's
willing to start all over again.

Mrs. Amazing Grandmother.

You don't mean to say that She.

I mean to say that at times
these women lead her own life.

Well, what would your generation know
about aged wine, anyway?

She won't get any thanks from her sons
and daughters for running their lives

the way she is. That's true enough.

Did you see the way her daughter
La Rose, popped up when Mrs.

May took that kid
right out of the mother's arms?

Yeah.

And I saw enough to bet my last bottle
that that family's riding for a bow.

What do you mean?

What do I mean?

I mean, when is the last time you gave
your mother something in return for.

For what?

Well, there's only one thing
wrong with being over 50.

What's that, Charles?

The people under 50.

You won't come to bed.

You think I'm ugly?

I have to finish what I'm doing.

You think the least you would do
is keep me company?

You think it'd be more important
than whatever it is you're up to?

It's a surprise.

For you and your surprise.

I could die having your baby.

It wouldn't surprise me
if you went out looking for another girl.

Right away. Jenny,

you're not going to die having babies.

It's natural.

Well, that's easy for you to take.

As if it weren't enough.

But Wally's eyes are black and blue.

Nathan whipped Mattie,
and he's sick from crying.

Gene, I can't hear you

if you leave me alone.

Gene, are you there?

Yes, I'm right here. Now, you go to sleep.

Do you think my mother would care?

Even if you don't, Nathan's brats
would like to k*ll each other.

I better have a girl.

I have a brat
like Nathan's. I'd rather die.

Gene, are you there? Yes.

Your mother and.

I won't go to sleep
until my mother is here.

Go get her.

You got a Jenny.

It's not going to be another week.

She's taking

poison, Mother.

She won't come.

She's staying with Wally.

She has no right.

He only has a black eye. And I could die.

Jenny.

Jenny,
you must stop counting on your mother.

What?

You're grown up, Jenny.

You're going to be a mother.

You've got me to think about now.

I promise
I won't let anything happen to you.

We don't need your mother.

You have no right to say that
I do need her.

She needs to

just hate her because she's always here.

You just don't want her around, Jenny.

If you send her away,
whatever you do, don't her you do to me.

You just don't understand.

What's there to understand?

You don't want my mother around.

You don't think it's fair?

You think she should live
with Nathan or Arthur?

I didn't say that.

Nathan won't have her.

He can't cope.

And selfish like my father.

Your father was a military.

Right there has no spine.

A peasant wife of his wears his pants.

She can ungrateful daughter in law,

just like you're a hateful son in law.

Virginia.

When are you going to grow up?

I hope I die having your baby

and you get rid of my mother to.

Oh, go away.

Leave me alone.

I hate you.

It's all your fault.

Everything.

Two days will be
when I meet you at the wagon train.

All I said in two days will be
where they meet the other wagon train.

I know,

sweetheart.

Will you stop calling me sweetheart?

It's bad enough you act like a daddy.

Don't talk like one.

I'm sorry, Rose.

You're sorry? You're sorry.

How are you going to do
something? Are you?

You're always sorry.

This is our last chance.

I'll tell her tomorrow.

For eight years
as you've been going to tell her tomorrow.

Well, maybe
I don't want to do this to my mother.

Maybe you just don't want to do that
to your mother.

Maybe you're afraid
to do this to yourself.

I don't think that is.

Anything
I don't care what you think now, either

we get away from this family of yours
and your mother, or.

Oh. What?

Look, I'm your husband.

Priscilla's my daughter,
so there's nothing that you.

Can do better than her.

Do you think I can go on like this
the rest of my life?

Do you think I want a husband
who thought a man?

Do you think I want my daughter.
To grow up.

To be a sniveling coward like her father?

Ah, If you don't do something,
I'll do something.

If we don't get away from your mother,
I'll do something.

My mother never did anything to make
you hate her.

You hate her because she's a lady.

And your mother was nothing but a peasant
from the old country.

No, I don't hate her.

I hate you for not being able
to let go of the apron strings.

Don't try to blame me on your mother.

It's your fault.

Until you get away from her,
you're nothing.

I've got nothing.

I haven't got a husband.

I haven't got a home.

I won't have any more children.

You're not a man.

You're not man.

I have to see my mother.

Oh, she's not with your sister.

Find her over at Nathan's waiting.

A nice brother of yours wasn't satisfied
having one child.

Harry had a whip,
the other one within an inch of his life

inside bed.

You have. To.

Which

I can

calm.

He can't help but.

Look helpless, child.

It's more than I can bear on this.

It is

Matthew.

Nancy.

Matthew, wake up.

Wake up. Grab me.

Grab me now.

Oh, you're all right now.

You got that?

We're all right here.

Thank you.

Glad to help.

Ow, ow, ow,

ow, ow, ow!

Morning.

Good morning, Mabel.

I hope they had a better
night's sleep than we did.

Don't wake. Up.

They need lots of sleep.

Thank you, Mr. Hale.

The leeches drew up all the bad blood.

Nathan has himself over the whipping.

He gave Matty good.

He had to teach him.

Nathan's just like his father.

He never did learn it.

You can teach more with kindness
and with the end of a stick.

Naval

Get the boys ready to travel.

Good morning, Mother.

Good morning, sir.

By the way.

Appreciate
you staying with him last night.

Well, I didn't expect Dex.

Mabel, what are you waiting for?

Will you get the boys up and washed?

Can't expect Mother to do that for you. Do

Nathan say a kind word to Matty

to take the sting out of the whipping
and the nut out of your stomach.

Mother,

when are you going to leave us alone?

You treat me as if I were still in short
pants.

I treat you as I want to treat you.

I am still your mother.

Now you do as I tell you.

And if you ever use a stick on those boys
again, I'll use one on you.

But you're not going to run me
or my family anymore.

Nathan, I don't want to run your you.

Well, then. Leave me alone.

If I thought
you could take care of yourself and them,

I would be delighted to leave
you all alone.

Please,
Mama, let's not get into that again.

Nathan, If you need me,

you know where I'll be.

I'm going to do something about her.

Wait and see.

She's your.

Mother.

Mabel,

please pick up those blankets.

I don't want to see you, by the way.

Something wrong?

Pretty father's went away.

Not going inside.

Could you go to Uncle James
and actually have your breakfast?

And don't say anything about your father
and mother.

Understand?

What's the matter with you now?

What's the matter?

Well,
I only know what you told me to tell me.

Why did she think her father ran away?

She must have overheard us quarreling.

What did he say?

He was going off somewhere?

No. Christie made that up.

Out of the mouths of babes.

Where is Arthur?

You know.

I don't know.

How did they come to you?

I haven't seen Arthur
since Mattie hit. Why?

You're lying.

What did you quarrel about?

Where is my husband?

Christie.

Christie, come here right away.

Christie is confused enough.

I don't want to know any more
than she already knows.

Christie may know more than you think.

She does.

What did you say to answer
that made you so sure he came to me?

Well, I don't know. I don't know.

Oh, there's so many things.

What difference does it make now?

It could make the difference of your life
and his life. And.

Christie,

come here.

Why did you think your father ran away?

I don't know.

Did he say he was going somewhere?

I don't know.

Christie.

Grown ups act like children
sometimes they say things

they don't mean, just like children
say nasty things to each other.

I think

he think me.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry. Forgive me.

I love your father.

And I didn't mean to hurt him.

And I hurt you too. And I'm sorry.

Forgive me, but give me prissy gross.

I'll try and find out.

It's gonna be all right.

We're going to get them makeup
just like you kids do.

All right.

Jim, do you?

I hope you'll stay with Jenny. But,
you know, she's terrified.

She thinks the time has come
and she keeps saying she's going to die.

Oh, no, don't lose your head, too, Jean.

The baby won't come for a week or two.
Where's Arthur?

I don't know.

Did you see him last night?

Did you see Arthur last night?

If you're trying to find out whether Rose
has been hand-picking your date,

either the answer is yes.

She lay the law down to
him. Last night by the bath.

What about

now? What do they all fight about?

Bettina, You.

Did you see Arthur afterwards?

Yes. He want to know where you were.

He went off to ask you something.

Ask me what?

I only want to talk to you.

I guess he went over to Nathan's wagon.
Now, how could I have missed you?

When I went off with Mr.

Hale to find some leeches,
And I was back minutes later.

Jean,

did Arthur
look as if he might do something

foolish?

I don't know.

But I'll tell you this.

If my wife yelled at me like Rose
did at him,

I do something more than foolish.

Help Rose get her wagon

ready to travel with you.

Thank you.

I'm going to find Arthur.

I'll just sleep last night.

Charley, I've told you before,

Don't ever wake me up
when I'm going to go me over it.

Well, then quit complaining

that my sleep.

I seem to remember something.

Do you hear anything, Mr. Hale?

The only one I wanted to mention.

Any names

I ever do.

Look, you'll be doing me a favor.
Let me know.

I'd sure like to remember
some of their names.

It's great.

You remember what you were.

Well, that's very interesting.

I cannot remember names.

You remember faces, Charley?

Certainly I remember faces.

Give me a look at one. I never forget it.

You know, I had a dream last night.

It was about Mr.

Hale and his hair.

Where could a man hide on the wagon train?

To do what?

To act like a schoolboy and worry
his wife and family?

These me who do Charley thing like that?

My son Arthur.

You sure he hasn't
been seen since last night?

Well, I wrote him out.

That's all. That's troubling.

It was good to see just a man. Like you.

Boys. That's the word up.

Not line. We're pulling out right away.

See if he can round out
Arthur May getting back to his wife.

Yes, sir.

I'm afraid you won't find him
around these parts, sir.

No, Sir.

William rode out last night.

You sure?

And so why didn't you tell me?

Well, you were with Mrs. Mayhugh.

Well, that's no excuse. I came right back.

Yes, sir.

Poor Arthur.

Who knows where he could have gone?

Well, that's pretty obvious, man.

There's only one place
he go to go on Kingsville.

Arthur wouldn't go to Kingsville.

That town's worse than Sodom and Gomorrah.

Sodom and Gomorrah,

I don't believe.

Ever been at those towns.

But this Kingsville,
it's pretty wild place out here.

Tell you how I hear tell you.

Better go on about your business, do

you, sir?

I think an old man may be had a spat with
his wife.

Wanted to get even with his mother.

He'd probably had more time
to tie one off.

Oh, not my son.

Well, that's the only place
he could have gone without provisions.

He wouldn't be the first man
to try to escape through a bottle.

Well, maybe he just went off to be alone
somewhere.

He'll be back today,

four years, and I'll go get him.

All right. All right.

I better saddle up.

When you lost a wagon train,

you can't help
but be involved with family problem.

You know what? Reading it.

Nathan May, You know what's
troubling his wife and bugging his kids?

It isn't only the running
out of Brother Arthur.

Another man's troubles with his wife.

Well, that's his troubles.

The best thing everyone else can do is

keep out of the middle.

It makes your skin tight
to see the miserable.

But pity in your eyes
doesn't help them any gossip.

There's only salt in their wounds

no one wanted to admit to,
let alone talk about the real problem.

The one that would have to be met
before much more time runs out.

Usually he.

Does.

She's not sleeping comfortably, but

he's asleep.

Jean,

don't ever let Jennie's maternal instinct

get in your way
after she becomes a mother.

You will lose part of us
and you won't like that.

I think you ought to be happy together.

You must accept it

and always remember one thing.

Whatever a mother does.

Right or wrong.

She does it because she loves her children

more than herself.

Tina,

I want you to know I'll always love Ginny.

I don't know which way to turn.

You can always turn to me, Bettina.

I think I'll eat my beans.

Cole.

He's never going to get that thing
started.

Chances good won't burn. It's petrified.

Don't tell me how to start a fire.

Starting a fire before
either one of you was born

to me.

I met one.

If I got on here someplace.

Here, you great one

Kerosene.

Yeah.

Prepare food properly.

You got to cook it slow.

Who said that?

Any good cook?

Now that we got it, that

you got to start your fire early.

How am I going to start my fire
with everybody crowding me?

Mr.. Have I decided
I must try and find my son tonight?

Well, I'll go and bring him back.
Tomorrow is me.

Tomorrow could be too late.

I wish to drive him to Kingsville tonight.

I think you're doing the right thing
and making him come by.

Let me be the judge of that.

All right.

I'll have to be back by sunup.

Better

keep that fire going
If we're going to have any breakfast,

keep the fire going.

Said I'm. I want to go it town.

Bring that boy back.

You know what mean?

What?

Kerosene.

Gee, gee,

the baby.

Come get my mother.

Get my mother quick.

I'll get your mother, honey.

Now, you stay right here

and make potato.

She's not here

with something coming out.

Arthur,
please tell me what happened to Arthur.

Janet having a baby. Now,
where's your mother?

You sure?

Yes, I'm positive.

No, no, She must be related to boys.

Do you want me to help?

She wants her mother.

She's got to have her mother

misses me.

Why don't you go with my boy?
Where's your mother now?

How do I know who needs are now?

Jenny's having a baby.

Can we help? Well, somebody better.

She's going to die
if I don't find your mother.

Jenny's been looking for

attention ever since she found out
she was the only girl in the family.

Do what you can, Mabel.

I'll find Bettina.

Well, come on, Mabel.

My sister probably does need help.

I'll get right.

In the open. Do?

Yeah, we can open.

We can open. It was playing
had you were Duke living alone.

Get him a couple of dollars.

$2 alcohol, $2 cards, please.

No, not those. Cut it out.

They play it on cards

to do to you.

Get back to myself.

You know, I bet Mr.

Hilton, enjoy that trip into town tonight.

We didn't have much choice, did he?

Well, people think that the wagon master

is responsible
for everything that happens.

And a trip in a town is probably
just what that boy needed.

Mrs. Macon,
I got into the act. Where's Mrs. May?

Who will?
You just said something about it.

Where is she? Why?

My wife's about to have a baby.

She needs her mother, Mr. Hale,
just wearing it out.

Well, we have to get her back. Yeah,
I'll go get her.

You better stay here.

You heard what the man said.
His wife got what you need.

Your mother.

That's why to tell Mrs.

May. She's got to get here fast.

I'm positive the baby is coming.

Understand? Understand.

And don't you worry about a thing.
All charges that many.

A r*pe of a daughter.
You never lost one yet.

I'll bring her back.

Bye bye.

Bye bye.

Be there pretty soon.

I'm Mother

and mother. Close your eyes, Jerry.

Close your eyes.

Go on.

Get out of here. What can I get.

Mother?

Oh, please, Mother.

How can that.

Nice people.

I'll never understand Men.

I old man, understood women.

I guess they wouldn't act the way they do.

I wonder in which one of these places
Arthur is.

Well and comes into town
to forget his troubles.

He usually hits the saloon
on the edge of town and

works his way on down the other end.

Unless, of course, you get thrown in

jail, Can't make it

evening.

Even you.

The law here

will ain't after done.

Well, you mind if I ask you a question?

Do you see any young fellow,
a stranger around here?

About five, ten dark hair, Probably
trying to get into trouble fast again.

That's all we got.

His name is Arthur May.

We don't get honest names either, Mother.

Let's take a look.

Safety boys cooling off inside.

Thank you.

I'll see what they say in here.

You don't believe that bartender?

He hasn't been here.

Wait till I get my hands on that. Boy.

He hasn't already learned his lesson
the hard way.

Well, well,
we got a lot of ground to cover.

Mother, I want you to help me out.

Mother,

where are you?

Jane?

Jane, please.

Where is the mother?

Come up, please.

Judy.

Judy, you're your mother.

Your mother went to find out.

She doesn't know you're. Leave it here.

She isn't going to be here to help you.

You and I have to do this without her.

Oh, no, Judy.

Jenny, you have to face it.

Your mother can't do this for you. And

I guess I get it.

Virginia,

you keep praying for
your mother and you will die

soon. Try.

Come on, Artie, Honey.

Artie.

That's your real name.

Lagarde.

You've come to town
to have some fun right now.

Haven't

you been sitting in the same spot
since you walked in?

You cannot move.

You've got to take root in that spot.

Come on, honey.

Make up your mind.

Leave it up.

We go home.

After all.

Mania.

Oh, hurry

back, Artie.

I guessed wrong.

You never made it to this side of town.

Well,
maybe he didn't. Come into town at all.

Maybe he. He went somewhere else.

I had to follow his horse tracks
far enough to see where he was heading.

He came into town. I'm sure of that.

Oh, let's try that one.

We're

looking for a young fellow of the wagon
train with the name of Arthur May.

And again, as you see. Us, Father.

Pusey,

he just left for

a week.

Student has been a lady and a gentleman.

A good looking somebody.

At youth, Father.

But he ain't nobody.

Father You cute little.

You want to buy me a drink Henry?

Yeah.

I'll be right back.

But I don't approve of the way
I wasn't my family.

Do you? To?

Honestly, I can't say I do.

You're a man.

How could you possibly understand
what it's like to be a mother?

Can. Can't blame me for that. No.

And you can't blame me
for being the kind of mother I am.

I don't do no good to talk about it.

Chris.

Chris.

Oh, Mr.

Chris, I've been looking
all over town for you. I'll bet you have.

Mrs. May they want you back at the wagon
train?

Your daughter's in a bad way.

The babies are
almost here. Oh, poor Jenny.

Please hurry.

Mr. Hale. Here

you've got Jenny.

You've done it.

She all right?

Yes, She's perfect.

Sure.

What?

Mother? Be surprised.

I did it without her.

Do you know what the real trouble
with my family is?

Me, their mother.

Well, aren't you being too?

I should let
Nathan be the head of the family.

He has a right to be.

You can't just blame yourself for that.

But Arthur is still tied
to my apron strings.

I've come between him and his wife.

And who else is to blame for Jenny being
frightened to have her baby without me?

Well, you don't know differently
than a lot of other mothers.

Then they deserve what's happening to me.

My children don't need me anymore.

I've.

I've got to let them live their own lives.

And that's not an easy thing to do.

Coffee?

No falling out in a couple of minutes.

You've made up your mind.

I've made up my mind.

And I heard a preacher
say once God couldn't be everywhere.

So he made mother.

And I haven't seen many mothers
who could do what

Bettina made in our own free will.

She told her family to go on without her,

to find their own way
and lead their own lives,

just as she should lead her.

She told me something I'll never forget.

She said, Forgive me.

I'm like every other mother.

But whatever I did, right or wrong,

I did because I love her.

Yes, It took a lot of courage to go west.

Want to do a lot more for Bettina.

Made a go

of.