01x07 - Natchez Trace

[bunniefuu]

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

♪ He was a bold adventurin' man ♪

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

♪ Battled for right 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 ♪

[gentle music]

- Hello, anybody here?

[g*nsh*t]

You there, in the wagon,

how about a little talking first and sh**ting after, huh?

I don't mean you any harm.

What are you scared of?

Where is everybody?

- There was only me and pop,

they k*lled him.

- They?

- Yeah, I thought you was one of them coming back after me.

- You mean, I look like one of the men

who k*lled your father?

- Well, I don't know, I never saw him.

It was still dark when they came last night.

And I was asleep in the wagon.

I heard their voices and heard them ask pop

if they could sleep by the fire.

He said yes, and pretty soon it was quiet,

so I went to sleep again.

Some shots woke me up, and all I could see

was some men riding away on horses.

Taken pop's money and shot him.

- I see.

Who buried your father?

- I did.

- What's your name, son?

- Peter Jelkins.

- I'm Jim Bowie.

Where are you from?

- Catlettsburg, Kentucky.

- I was born in Kentucky too.

Where are you heading?

- Natchez, we was gonna meet my mother.

She was kinda sick, so Pa sent her by boat.

- Oh, well, just so happens, I'm heading that way.

You want to come with me?

- I'm not afraid.

I can take care of myself and them robbers too,

if they come back!

- Well, I wasn't thinking of you, I was thinking of myself.

It's kind of scary traveling alone.

It's nice to have company,

especially company that can sh**t as good as you.

How about it, Peter?

You want to come with me?

Well, let's take a look around, shall we?

A lot of hoof marks here in this soft earth.

Looks like two horses and a donkey or a burro.

See those little hoof marks there?

- Oh Samuel, I'm so tired of hearing your excuses.

Obviously, the guide wanted more money.

Why didn't you offer it to him?

- I did, he wouldn't budge a foot further.

- Well, Hawk or no Hawk, we can't sit here

in the middle of the wilderness forever.

Either we go on without a guide, or we turn back.

- It's times like this,

when a woman needs a man like your father.

He'd never been scared off by any Hawk.

- Pardon me, folks, I couldn't help overhearing.

What is this about the Hawk being on the trace again?

- It is true.

Twice the Hawk struck here in the past week.

He robbed and m*rder*d both victims.

- Oh, allow me to introduce myself.

I am Deacon Haskell of Pioneer Ridge.

I have traveled the trace many times, spreading the gospel,

and I have yet to come to any harm.

Perhaps you are unduly alarmed.

- Don't fool yourself, deacon.

It was the Hawk, all right.

He always treats his victims the same way,

robs them and then kills them.

Now you, folks, want my advice,

you won't venture out on that trace without a good guide.

- Whoa!

Whoa!

See what I mean, Peter, about a man moving out west

to find some breathing room?

Hereabouts a man can hardly find a hitching space.

Come on, let's you and me go in the store,

get ourselves some groceries and be on our way.

[birds chirping]

Howdy, Andy.

- Well, howdy, Jim.

Hey, I see you're carrying that new knife

Mr. Black made for you.

Oh boy, that sure is a beauty.

- Yes, sir, don't mind telling you,

it feels good hanging there too.

- I thought you was heading for home.

- I was, changed my mind.

I got myself a new partner.

He's got an appetite bigger than mine.

We need some groceries, slab of bacon,

five pounds of beans, please.

- Right.

Say, wasn't you in here just yesterday

with kind of an oldish man?

- That was my father.

- His father was m*rder*d and robbed

on the trace a few miles south of here.

I'm taking him to Natchez to his mother.

- You hear that, folks, his father was robbed and m*rder*d

on the trace just south of here.

- Oh, you poor boy.

- Was it a man called the Hawk?

- He doesn't know, he was asleep,

he only woke up when they were riding away.

He didn't see them clearly, just heard their voices.

Peter, will you take this out to the wagon?

- Well, don't just stand there, Samuel,

with your mouth open, tell us what we do now.

- What can we do without a guide?

- The trace is clearly marked, just follow the wagon track.

- Well the truth is, Jim, these folks ain't used

to traveling by trail,

they're from the city. - Oh.

- Our guide was scared out by all this talk

of the Hawk operating again.

He left us flat.

Ms. Pope and I have to get to Natchez.

We're getting married.

- Mr. Cummings is her fiancé,

and the lady there is her mother, Mrs. Pope.

- [Jim] Howdy, ma'am.

- And I didn't catch you name, mister.

- August Meyer, I come from Germany.

- [Bartender] And the gent with the stovepipe hat

is Deacon Haskell from Pioneer Ridge.

- How do you do, sir.

- Folks, meet Jim Bowie.

- I don't mind telling ya'll the trace

is no place for a bunch of greenhorns.

I'm begging your pardon, ma'am.

- Don't apologize, Mr. Bowie,

we're greenhorns, all right, there's no mistake of that.

- All the same, if I were a man,

I'd show that Hawk a thing or two.

- Ah, I bet you would at that.

- Mr. Bowie, as long as you're going along to Natchez,

why don't we tag along with you?

We'll pay you guide's fees.

- Well now, Ms. Pope, I--

- Please, Mr. Bowie, I have funds with me.

It will be a disaster, if I lose them.

- And I have my dowry.

You wouldn't want me to be a popper, when I got married,

would you, Mr. Bowie?

- With beauty such as yours, miss,

a lady would never be poor.

- You hear that, Samuel?

Why can't you ever say nice things like that?

- You'd be doing them a real favor, Jim.

If the Hawk is loose on the trace,

these folks wouldn't have a chance.

Now, seeing is how you're going that way, anyhow,

with a little problem,

you might as well take along a big one.

- [chuckles] Well, all right,

but on one condition, I am boss.

- That's fine with me.

Now, Lucy, don't you give Mr. Bowie any trouble.

If she does, you have my permission

to give her a good switchin'.

- Thank you, ma'am, that'll be a pleasure.

- Fine with me, Mr. Bowie.

- Me too.

- May I go along too, sir?

- Of course, deacon.

- Well, now that that's settled, when do we start?

- Right now, load up everybody.

- I'll be ready in about half an hour.

- No, we're leaving now, miss.

- But I would like to take a bath and change.

- We're leaving now with or without you, Ms. Pope.

Excuse me, ma'am.

- I have a feeling he can give a good, hard switching, Lucy.

- Mother, can't you hurry?

I'm so hungry.

- You can't cook anything on this till it burns down.

There's fire enough here to roast the side of a cow.

- That fire's to keep warm by, Ms. Pope.

In a few minutes you'll have a small fire to cook over.

- Who's missing?

Where's Cummings?

- I sent him after some bath water for me.

- I said no one was to leave camp without my knowledge.

You want to get your young man k*lled, Ms. Pope?

- Mr. Bowie, you have such a loud, threatening voice.

I'm sure no robber would have the courage to come near us.

[gasps] You!

- There's work to be done, Ms. Pope.

Get on your feet and help your mother cook supper.

- Mr. Bowie, you remind me so much

of my dear departed husband.

- Thank you, ma'am.

You, grind.

Go on, grind.

- How many fires you see, Jacques?

- Two, looks like the Hawk has discovered upon pigeon.

- Thank you, ma'am.

Well, guess it's about time to turn in.

- No.

- Right now, come on, Peter, you sleep in the wagon.

- Time to stop, time to eat, time to sleep.

If there's anything I can't stand, it's a bossy man.

- Well, he's done right well being bossy.

Owns nearly the biggest plantation in Louisiana.

- Really?

- You better give me your jewelry, Lucy.

- Where are you gonna sleep, Mr. Bowie?

- I'll just curl up in the blanket over by the fire.

You're not scared, are you?

- No.

- You just keep this long g*n of yours handy, son,

and you'll be all right.

Good night, Peter.

- Good night, Jim.

- Time you were going to bed too, Lucy, dear.

- I'll go to bed, when I feel like it.

- Cummings, women are like horses,

have to break them in early, let them know who's the boss.

I'll get a log for the fire.

- Horses, I'd like to see somebody try and break me!

- Oh, go to bed and stop talking like a fool.

See her to her tent, Sam.

- Yes, Mother Pope.

- Will you go first, Samuel?

- [Samuel] Of course, dear.

- For a preaching man, you don't have much to say, deacon.

- Well, preaching is for them that need saving, ma'am.

I keep the good word for them that needs them.

The book says not to cast your pearls

where they won't do no good.

I mean no offense ma'am, but you don't look

like a woman who needs no preaching.

- [Peter] Mr. Bowie?

[frogs croaking]

- What's the matter, sonny, you want something?

You ever seen me before, sonny?

- No, sir.

- I wouldn't say anything to Mr. Bowie, if I was you.

I wouldn't like that.

I'll be watching you.

- This ought to keep it burning for the rest of the night.

- Mr. Bowie, I'd feel better

if you kept this box for me tonight.

- All right, if it'd make you rest easier, Mrs. Pope.

- Thank you, good night. - Good night.

- Good night, Mother Pope. - Good night, Sam.

[gentle music]

[frogs croaking]

[horse neighs]

[screams]

- [Mrs. Pope] What happened, Sam, who's yelling?

- I don't know, Mother Pope.

[groans]

[grunts]

- Hold it, Cummings, we don't know how many of them

are maybe out there, we might get trapped.

- I'm sorry, Bowie,

I guess I kind of messed things up for you.

- Forget it, deacon, we all bungled this one.

[screaming loudly]

- What is it, Ms. Pope?

His money belt's empty.

And his shoes are missing, that's funny.

He had them on, when he lay down to sleep.

Well, they didn't get the strong box,

although they intended to, that's for sure,

they attacked me first.

They must've known I was guarding it.

- But how?

- I wish I knew.

- Mr. Bowie!

- [Bowie] Yes, Peter, what is it?

- Nothing, Mr. Bowie.

- Well, I'll stand watch for the rest of the night.

You, folks, try and get some rest.

- I don't believe any of us feel

very much like sleep, Mr. Bowie.

If you'll kick up the fire,

I'll make us all a cup of coffee.

Lucy, fetch some water.

- Oh, mother.

- You heard your mother, fetch some water!

- Samuel, get some water for mother.

- Yes, dear.

- Aw, Cummings, Cummings.

- Mr. Bowie, I want to tell you something, quick.

- What is it, Peter?

- Shh, not so loud, the deacon will hear.

- What about the deacon?

- Last night, the minute I got in the wagon

and covered my head with the blanket,

I heard the deacon's voice and I remembered.

It's the same voice I heard when my Pa was k*lled.

- You sure?

- I'm sure, all right, he knows I know, too.

I think he wants to k*ll me, Mr. Bowie.

- Peter, you mustn't start imagining things.

- I'm not imagining things.

That's the man who k*lled my Pa.

I bet he k*lled August too.

- You could be right.

But we'd have to catch him in the act.

They didn't get the strong box,

so they'll probably try again tonight.

If they do, we'll have a little trap ready for them.

Go on, climb in.

Everybody ready?

- Ready, Mr. Bowie.

- [Bowie] All right, let's go.

[gentle music]

- Lucy, collect the plates.

- Samuel, collect the plates for mother.

- Samuel, collect the plates for mother.

You certainly don't believe in spoiling your future husband

before marriage, do you, Ms. Pope?

- If you think a woman should spend her life

waiting on a man hand and foot, I pity your poor wife.

- Oh, I pity her too, miss.

In fact, I pity a wife so much, I never took one yet.

[laughs]

Come on, young fella, it's time for you to go to bed.

Oh, and son, you take the strong box,

nobody would think of a kid guarding it.

- Thanks, Mr. Bowie, I'll guard it real good.

- All right.

- Good night, lad.

Lucy, bedtime for you and me too.

I want you to rub my back with some of that liniment.

Good night, Sam.

- Good night, Lucy, dear.

- Good night, Sam.

- Cummings, you take the first watch

before I get too sleepy.

- Oh, that's very kind of you, Mr. Bowie.

- Say, Bowie, maybe I better look at the horses.

- That's a good idea, deacon, that's a good idea.

And see they're tied close,

so they can't move around too much.

- I'll see to it.

- Where's the big fellow with the knife sleeping?

- I'll take care of him.

You go for the kid in the wagon, he's got the strong box.

And make a good job of him.

That boy knows that I k*lled his old man.

You handle the young fellow standing watch.

He's over there by the surrey.

- Oui.

- All right, we know what to do, you get back there.

- See that you do.

Everything's fine.

- I hope so.

[frogs croaking]

[whistling]

[whistles]

[thud]

[g*nsh*t]

- Drop that knife!

Go on, move.

- Quick, the deacon's running away!

[g*nsh*t]

[groans]

- Deacon, you're no deacon are you?

- No.

- Well, now.

[man grunts]

- No.

- Jim.

- Yeah.

- How long will it take us to get to Natchez?

- You'll be seeing your mother tomorrow night, son.

You, fellas, comfortable?

Everybody ready?

- Get in the back seat, Lucy.

- Well, I think I'd like to ride

in the front seat for a change, Samuel.

- The name's Sam, and I said get in the back seat!

[gasps]

- Whatever you say, dear, Sam.

- Ready, Mr. Bowie.

- [laughs] Yes, Sam, I reckon you are.

Come on, let's go.

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

♪ He was a fighter

♪ A fearless and mighty

♪ Adventurin' man