01x04 - The Ruth Owens Story

[bunniefuu]

WOMAN: ♪ I am a poor
wayfaring stranger ♪

♪ Traveling through
this world of woe ♪

♪ And there's no sickness,
toil or danger ♪

♪ To that bright land
to which we go ♪

♪ I'm goin' home
to see my Father ♪

♪ I'm goin' there
no more to roam ♪

♪ I'm only goin' over Jordan ♪

♪ I'm just a-goin' over home ♪

I'm so hot, Mommy.

It'll be cooler now, baby,

now that the sun has gone down.

Will you tell me another story?

Which one now?

About how it's
gonna be in Oregon.

Oh, that one.

Well, let me see.

Everything will be
cool and green.

And the trees will point
straight up to the sky.

And there'll be water.

Rivers and streams and lakes.

Maybe you'll have
your own little pony.

And later on, you'll go
to ba*ls and dances.

And I'm going to buy you
a lovely blue velvet dress

and white gloves,

and you'll twirl
around the floor,

and everyone will say,

"That's Mrs. Owens'
little girl...

A perfect little lady."

They will say it, baby.

They will say it.

♪ I know dark clouds
may gather 'round me ♪

♪ I know my way
is rough and steep ♪

♪ But beauteous fields
lie just beyond me ♪

♪ Where men redeemed
their vigils keep ♪

♪ I'm goin' home
to see my mother ♪

♪ I'm goin' there
no more to roam... ♪

Howdy! Howdy.

Is that the Adams
outfit down there?

Yeah.

Do you know my sister Ruth Drew?

Do you know what wagon
she'd be in?

Ruth Drew? Uh-huh.

I don't recall the name.

You can see it's a big train.

You come from far?

Far enough.

I guess it ain't been
raining there, either.

No.

Sorry I can't help you.

It's all right. Thanks.

Excuse me, mister.

Mister?

Do you know Ruth Drew?

MAN: Ain't no use askin' him.

He's blind as a hoot owl.

I'm sorry.

Who are you lookin' for, kid?

I'm lookin' for
my sister, Ruth Drew.

Do you know her?

Back in Saint Joe,
they told me for sure

she came with this train.

A man's gotta be real daft

to come this far on
somebody's say-so.

And in this drought, too.

No, it wasn't somebody.
The man that told me

knew her real well.

Said she'd been livin'
in St. Louis for a while,

but he'd seen her
go with this train

when she come back
through Saint Joe.

She used to work in that
big place there, you know?

What place?

I don't remember the name.

I'd never seen anything
like it before in my life.

Got chandeliers
all over the place,

and red velvet, you know?

And a great big staircase
all in marble,

every last step of it.

Well, if you ain't a real
corn-fed boob, now.

That's the Satin Slipper.

And you, uh, say your
sister used to work there?

Doin' what?

She was a waitress.

Don't make me laugh.

There's only one kind of
woman in a place like that.

We ain't got that kind.

Ain't no fancy women
on this train.

Are you callin' my sister that?

You're the one that
said it, not me.

Well, it ain't true.
You better take it back.

I ain't takin' nothin'...
You're a liar!

Nobody calls me a liar.

What's goin' on here?

You see this knife, boy?

I'm gonna cut you up real good,

you hear me?

Why did you have to k*ll me

over a cheap...

BLIND MAN: Help!

Help!

Help!

Help!

Help!

Help!

Help!

Halfway across Kansas,
the drought hit us...



I've rationed water, but
soon there won't be enough

to even boil food.

My name's Major Seth Adams,
U.S. Army, retired.

As wagon master, it's my job

to keep the train rolling.

My sidekick Flint McCullough

is a fine Indian scout,

but even he can't find water
where there ain't any.

Not even the smell of a cloud.

I've never seen anything
like it before, Major...

A drought as long as this
around this part of the country.

It's not natural.

Figure there's any water
at Porter's Creek?

I never heard of it
goin' dry before.

We gotta cut north of here,
thought, to hit it.

Hmm. Well, what do you think?

Well... it's gonna delay you.

Cost you two,
three days at least.

Well, we're just gonna
have to take that chance.

You go on ahead. We'll meet
you there at sundown tomorrow.

Right.

And keep your eyes open!

Is he dead?

He looks it sure enough.

It's Lank.

It's Lank!

Who done it?

I heard him.

I heard the voice,
but I can't place it none.

Yeah, it sure tore him right up.

Must've been a horse p*stol.

Who do you suppose would
want to sh**t old Lank?

Doesn't anybody know.
Tell you what, though...

I sure wouldn't want to
be the one to tell Mr. Carr

that somebody
gunned down his boy.

Let me through! Let me through!

Lank!

Lank! Lank!

Anybody see who done this?

Anybody see who
k*lled my brother?

I ain't seen him,
but I heard it.

Pa?

Lank's been shot, Pa!

Set him down, Ralph.

Set him down to the earth.

Get up now, Lank.

Lank!

It's no use, Pa. He's dead.

Don't you tell me he's dead.

Don't you tell me my son's dead.

They took away my land,

and they took my sons.

What can the world
give a man but his sons

and the land?

You were the least of them,

but you were my son.

And I promise you that
whosoever did this

will pay for it.

Pa?

I found Lank's knife on him.

What are you saying?

I'll tell you later, Pa.

Lank would've sunk
his hands into the earth

in Oregon.

He would've built a new land.

And now...

he's gone.

An eye for an eye
and a tooth for a tooth.

You hear what I say, son?

Yes, Pa.

I'll find him.

I'll get the one
that did it, Pa.

Would someone be so kind

as to carry him into the wagon?

He should have a sheet.

He should have a clean sheet.

So, who's comin' with me?

Somebody better
hunt up Major Adams.

We can handle this without him.

There was a kid
come around tonight...

A stranger. Maybe he's
the one who done it.

We'll find out.

Hawks, you take a couple of men

and look around
outside the camp.

Make sure no one gets out. Yeah.

We're gonna color the camp
wagon by wagon.

Come on, Uncle.

I certainly hope we'll
get someplace soon

where there's enough
water to wash in.

Poor baby's gonna have
to wear this again tomorrow.

She'll survive it.

It's not her.

She loves nothing better
than to put on old clothes

and roll around in the dirt.

It's all part of being young.

And it only lasts a short while.

Surely when you were a child...

I never was a child.

Anyway, not that I
ever remember.

Ruth...

I never asked you
about those years

because I always had a feeling
you didn't want to talk about them.

No, it's not that.

It's just that I don't think I
could make you understand.

Well, do you want to...

Do you want to give it a try?

I'll listen.

Well, I...

You always had a big house

with clean walls
and clean curtains

and a hired girl to
keep it that way.

In my house, I was the
cook and the hired girl

and the slavey.

At night, I'd go to sleep

with the pounding of
the mine in my ears,

the screeching of the whistles.

I'd make believe that
I was out on a boat

in a lovely, clean fog.

Then I'd wake up.

There'd be coal dust
all over everything.

I had a little place
in the cellar

where I would hide magazines

with pictures of ladies
in velvet dresses

being helped out of carriages.

I dreamed that I was like them.

I don't want Sarah
to just dream about it.

She won't have to.

I promise you that.

She's my child now, too.

I know.

Oh, Paul, you're so good to me.

George Hanks?

Come on, get up on your feet.

Huh?

You got no cause
to bother anybody.

Maybe you ain't heard...
There's been a m*rder.

You got two sons...

Abraham and James.
Get 'em out of that wagon.

Ah, we ain't lookin'
for any trouble.

There's like to be
a passel of it

if folks around here
don't cooperate.

You know my boys
wouldn't k*ll anybody.

That ain't the point
of it, Mr. Hanks.

Somebody done it,
and we don't know who.

Now, I figure this is the
only fair way to find out.

You gonna get
those boys out of there,

or do I have to go in after 'em?

All right, boys. Come on out.

You... say your name.

Come on, say it!

Abraham.

RALPH: Say something more
so he can hear your voice.

What do you want me to say?

You recognize it?

No. Ain't him.

You say something.

I didn't sh**t nobody.

I swear.

RALPH: Is he the one?

No. Ain't nothin' like it.

RALPH: Thank you, Mr. Hanks.

I'm gettin' bone tired.

Can't you let me set a little?

You'll set after we find
the one that done it.

You can go to bed now.

Oh, she's finally asleep.

Poor baby.

Paul, you have to get some rest.

Are you writing to Parker again?

Just finishing.

I was hoping that once
we were on our way,

you'd forget all about that.

I know, but I feel I ought
to let him know the truth,

whether he wants
to believe it or not.

St. Louis seems
a million miles away now.

It must be lovely
and cool in the park.

Ruth... did I do
the right thing?

I could've kept my eyes
closed, my mouth shut,

and the probably would've
made me head of the department.

No, you knew it was a bribe.

You couldn't have taken
in and lived with yourself

and still been the kind
of man that you are.

I suppose so.

But it won't be easy.

It'll mean starting
all over again.

I don't mind that.

Sometimes it's better
to get a fresh start.

You'll see, Pa.

When we're settled in Oregon
and you're teaching again,

you'll forget all about that.

I hope you're right.

I know I am. In a few years,

this school will be the most
important one in the whole West,

and you will be the head of it.

Heh heh. Well, even if I'm not,

I'll still be the luckiest
man in the world...

because I'm married to
a woman who understands

that there has to be
truth in a man's life...

and knows there's no peace
if you live with a lie.

RALPH: Professor Owens!

Professor Owens!

Shh! My child is asleep!

It's all right, ma'am. We don't
mean to cause you any trouble.

Ralph, what is all this?

All right, Uncle,
you heard his voice.

Is that him?

Can't tell.

He didn't say enough.

Who are you looking for?

Somebody k*lled Lank Carr.
We're hunting him down.

Does Major Adams
know about this?

He ain't around.
Must be with outriders.

You can't take a thing
like this in your own hands.

Somebody had better
go and get him.

That's what I was sayin'.

We got him! We got him, Ralph!

Come on, boys!

Paul, don't you get
involved with this.

There's nothing you can do.

I've seen mobs like this before.

There's no reasoning with them.

I can't just stand here.
I've got to do something.

What's happening?
Why all the shoutin'?

Nothing, honey. You try
and go back to sleep.

Paul! Paul, wait!

Where's Daddy goin'?

Nowhere, honey.
He'll be back in a minute.

I swear, I didn't
mean to k*ll him!

Shut up! You'll have
time enough for that

when we start hangin' you!

Now, wait! You don't
know what you're doing.

We'll know soon enough.

What do you say, Uncle...
That's him, ain't it?

I don't know.

RALPH: I'll give you
a chance to make sure.

Come on, you speak up!

I didn't mean to k*ll him!
I didn't mean it!

You've got no right to do this.

You keep out of this!

Well, Uncle?

It's him, right enough.
He's the one.

Listen, you.

You shot my brother down,
just like he was a dog,

and you're gonna pay for it.

I never done it on purpose.
I swear I didn't!

Come on, boy!

Let him go!

It's no use, Professor!

Mrs. Smith, have you
seen my husband?

Nope.

How do you like it?

Ridin' in here
as bold as you please,

lookin' for one of those
Saint Joe saloon women.

He said it was his sister
he was lookin' for.

Well, all I can say is that things
will be comin' to a pretty pass

if we had to have a
woman like that on the train.

It's the truth... everything I
said! Please! I'm not lyin'!

He said something about
my sister, so I hit him.

And he come after me with a
knife, and he was gonna k*ll me sure!

I had to sh**t him!

Look, he cut me!

Go on, you scratched it
on something!

No! Sis!

Get the rope!

Sis!

Sis!

Sis, help!

Help me!

Ohh!

Major Adams!

Major Adams!

You go on to camp.

Mrs. Owens, what's the trouble?

They're gonna hang him.

They're gonna hang him.
You have to stop them.

Gonna hang who? He's only a boy.

Just a child. Please,
you've got to stop them.

Come on, you'd better
come with me.

No, don't wait for me.

You go, please. Hurry. You go!

Hyah!

Giddyap! Hyah!

I hope you ain't plannin' on
makin' a living as a hangman,

'cause you just ain't
got the callin'.

Here, you try it!

You gotta listen to me.

Somebody's gotta
listen to me, please!

He lied about my sister!

All right, shut up! I'm ready!

Get out of here!

No!

Pull away! Please, don't! No!

Hey! Hold it!

Hold it!

There'll be no hangin' here!

I'm runnin' this outfit!

You ain't gonna
tell us what to do!

Don't let him scare you off!

Now, get away from him!

My son is lying under a
sheet in that wagon over there.

I'm sorry about that, Mr. Carr,

but you don't hang a man
without a trial.

It's a long way
to the nearest judge.

If you'll read the articles of
this wagon train that you signed,

you'll find out
that I'm the judge here.

Then what are you waitin' for?!

We'll give him a trial
tomorrow night at sundown,

after I've found out
what this is all about.

Why tomorrow? Why not right now?

Quiet!

Shut up!

We hit water at
Porter's Creek tomorrow.

We'll try him there after you've
had a chance to cool down.

Till that time, nobody lays
a hand on this boy!

I'll prepare myself to wait.

But, Major Adams...

I intend that my son's death

should be paid for.

I'll ask you to remember that.

I won't forget that.

Now, go back to your wagons.

Go on back to your wagons,
all of you!

Come on, son.

Oh, Paul! Paul!

You were right. I couldn't
do a thing with them.

What happened?

Major Adams got there
just in time.

He stopped them. Oh, thank God.

Thank God.

Want a chaw, boy?

Why don't you try sleepin'?

I don't feel like it.

I reckon I wouldn't, either.

The rope...

came awful close.

He shouldn't have said
what he said about my sister.

I'm deep sorry I k*lled him.

That's the truth.

But he shouldn't have said that.

And when he come at me
with that knife,

it was like somethin' wild.

I couldn't think.

Well, you'll get a fair trial.

If it was self-defense, you
got nothin' to worry about.

You mean that?

Sure he means it.

But Mr. Carr is gonna be
a hard man to convince.

I put my word down,
and that's how it's gonna be.

You go on, Charlie. I'll take
over the rest of the night.

Right, Major.

Thank you. That sure
feels better.

Hmm. Who'd you say
your sister was?

Ruth Drew.

Hmm. What does she look like?

She's some older than me,

got long hair, kind of light.

She was the prettiest
girl in the whole county.

And she's just... nice.

You understand?

Mm-hmm.

She always used to
take care of me

when I got in trouble...

and put me to bed
and say prayers for me.

And she used to hide me when
Pa took after me with a belt.

Sounds like a pretty good
kind of a sister to have.

Here.

Oh, thank you.

That's right good.

Ruth used to boil up
coffee in a pot like that.

Always used to like it that way.

You reckon I can trust you
to not try to run off now?

You can trust me.

I'll be back in a minute.

Oh, Miss Owens.

Major Adams, I brought the boy

a plate of supper
and some rock candy.

Didn't you think
we was gonna feed him?

Well, I just, uh...

Could I please see him?

Well, I don't reckon
there's any reason not to,

if you want to.

Go ahead. Thank you.

Jimmy.

Ruthie.

Oh! I knew I'd find you.

No matter what anybody
said, I knew I'd find you.

Oh, Jimmy.

I was feelin' all lost.

I don't know what I would've
done if I hadn't found you.

It's all right.

It's downright good to see you.

Look.

Rock candy. You remembered.

Oh, Jimmy, you're hurt.

No, it's just a cut.

You've grown so big.

You've grown do big,
I'd hardly know you.

What are you doing
way out here, honey?

I come to find you.

You know, Pa died.

Did he?

Yeah, a couple of months back.

What'd he die from?

He worked his shift
in the mine, like always.

And then at night, he took
to hackin' and coughin',

and the next morning,
he just died.

We buried him up at
Creegan's Knoll.

Aunt Martha came
and Old John Hosmer.

That's all.

I got no tears for him.

He drove me off.

I don't care
what happened to him.

The last thing he said...
He wanted me to find you

and tell you
as how he forgave you.

That's very kind of him.

You didn't say good-bye to me

when you run off.

Jimmy, it wasn't
like he told you.

He wouldn't let
poor Tom in the house.

When Tom's orders came,

all we could do was
run off and get married.

Pa never said nothin' about you.

Never even spoke your
name... until he was dying.

What happened to Tom?

He died.

In the w*r?

Camp fever...

The very first week.

But I've got a little girl.

Sarah... she's seven years old.

And I'm just married
again, Jimmy,

to a wonderful man,
a schoolteacher.

Jimmy?

How'd you know where to find me

on this wagon train?

A man in Saint Joe
swore up and down

he saw you take this train.

What man?

I don't remember his name.

He wore a fancy vest

and lace on his shirt.

Eddie.

That's it... Ed Stevens.

That place he runs...

The Satin Slipper... what is it?

It's... just a place.

What was it you did there?

What was it you did there?!

Why can't you tell me?

Jimmy, you're so young.

That man I k*lled... what
he said was true, wasn't it?

Wasn't it?! Jimmy, I...

And I k*lled him for it!

I had a baby, Jimmy.

I had nowhere to go... no family,

no one to take care of me.

I always looked up to you.

You weren't like the
other girls down the mine.

You could've become something!

You didn't have to sink
into being a cheap...

Jimmy, don't!

Oh!

Oh, Jimmy, don't.

You're so young.

You don't really know
what life is like.

Jimmy, if you're a woman
and you're alone,

it can crush you like
the earth falling in on you.

Honey, I had to get
away from that mine.

I had to... from the coal dust

and the men staggering down
the hill drunk every Saturday night,

and the women getting
gray and old

and spent before their time.

Oh, Jimmy, I know what
I did was wrong, I know.

But I had to keep
my baby. I did.

I built a wall
around her, honey.

Nothing touched her, nothing.

Jimmy, look at me.

Major Adams?

Major Adams!

Jimmy, don't do this to me.

It's all buried and forgotten.

I made a new life for
myself and for her.

Jimmy, try to understand!

Get her out of here! I don't
want to look at her anymore!

Oh, Jimmy.

You'd best go now, ma'am.

Anything you'd, uh,
like to tell me?

No.

He's my brother.

I sort of figured.

I don't know what to do.

I have a husband
and a little girl.

I can't tell you
what to do, ma'am.

You won't say
anything, will you?

Not if you don't want me to.

No.

Thank you.

Good night, ma'am.

Good night, Major.

Hello, Paul. Morning.

Morning. I thought
you were still sleeping.

Looks like another scorcher.

It certainly does.

Ruth, where did you go
last night?

What?

I saw you leave.

It was a long time before
I went back to sleep.

You weren't back.

Well, I just went for a walk.

It was so hot, I couldn't sleep.

Paul.

Nothing.

What is it, Ruth?

You're upset about something.

Is it that boy last night?

He'll get a fair trial. You
heard what Major Adams said.

I'd better fix breakfast.

Now, Ruth...

you remember what I told
you when we were married?

Well, it's still true.

I'm older than you are,

and I'm crotchety
and set in my ways,

but I love you, Ruth.

And you can always trust me.

I do, I do.

Mighty hard on my husband,

being held down to
one cup of coffee a day.

Why, back, he drunk
near a quart of it

every morning and night.

Good morning. Good morning.

You're late with
breakfast, Mrs. Owens,

not that I blame you.

Hardly done with the night,

and it's hot enough
to boil a body alive.

Did you see that boy
they caught last night?

He just didn't look like
a k*ller to me somehow.

Well, my husband says
that kind never does.

What do you think
about it, Mrs. Owens?

Well, I really wouldn't know.

All right, ladies, let's go.

Get back to your wagons
and get loaded up.

If we're gonna get to water by
sundown, we gotta get movin'.

All right, everybody,
get loaded up!

Load up!

Let's get movin'!
Come on, let's go!

Close 'em up.
Keep 'em closed up.

Keep 'em closed up, now.

Well, is it hot enough
for you this morning, son?

What's the matter?
The cat got your tongue?

He's been like that all day.

I reckon he ain't said more
than two or three words.

There's something I meant
to talk to you about...

That knife that you said
Lank pulled on you.

You don't need to worry
yourself none about that.

What's eatin' you, boy?

That's the only defense you got.

What do you figure
to tell 'em at the trial?

If they want to hang me,

they can go ahead and do it.

I had no cause to sh**t him.

I k*lled him, and I
didn't have no right to.

And there's something
else out there in Oregon

you've never seen.

What? An ocean.

The biggest ocean in the world.

What's beyond the ocean?

China.

But we won't get
that far this trip.

Howdy, Professor!

Howdy, Major!

How are you, ma'am?

How's my little girl today?

You gettin' tired
of that old wagon?

Oh, yeah!

I tell you what you do...
You ask your pa

if he won't take you
for a ride on my horse.

Tell him I'll drive the
horses for him for a while.

Please, Papa?

All right, puddin'.

All right, fine.

Well, you've gotten
him out of the way.

What is it you wanted
to tell me?

That kid... your brother...

What happened between you two?

Nothing. Why?

Well, he ain't the same boy
I talked to yesterday.

Jimmy was always very moody,

even as a child.

I guess you'd know about that.

But I'm sure gettin'
worried about tonight.

Why?

You promised him
a fair trial, Major.

You know you promised.

He'll get it, just as
fair as I can make it.

Then there's nothing
to worry about.

He'll be all right.

They'll have to see
that he's innocent.

All you have to do
is look at him

and you'd know he
wouldn't do a thing like that.

I don't know what they can see

in a man who won't
defend hisself.

What do you mean,
he won't defend himself?

What did he say?

He said he was guilty.

Well, that doesn't make sense.

You know that's not true.

You know he wouldn't do that.

Makes do difference what I know.

If he won't say it,
I can't make him.

You can't make a man
want to live

that's already dead inside.

What do you want me to do?

Well, some things are
just buried too deep

for a stranger to meddle with

Sometimes a man can't say

whether it's right or wrong.

You know, Mrs. Owens...

during the w*r,
I had a sergeant.

He got pinned under a canon

that was shot off its carriage.

He was quite a little
ways away from me,

but maybe somehow I
could've gotten to that man.

I don't know.

The Rebs were
comin' up the hill,

stormin' at us.

I had the rest of
my men to think about.

I had a choice to make.

I made that choice,
and I never turned back.

But I can still hear
that man screamin'

when I left him.

I don't know, Mrs. Owens.

Don't know.

Maybe my men could've
gotten out of there on their own.

And maybe I could've
saved that fella.

I just don't know.

But I'll guarantee you
there's many a night

when I think
a great deal about that.

But this isn't a w*r,
and I'm not alone.

I have to think about
my husband and my child.

Oh, I feel so helpless
and guilty.

The Bible says
each of us is born

with guilt trailin' from us,

and I believe that.

But I also believe that no
man can speak for another.

I can't speak for you,
Mrs. Owens.

I know.

I know.

Hyah.

Mommy? Mommy...

what are they gonna do
with that man they caught?

Nothing, Sarah.

Honey, see if you
can find your book.

I'm tired of it.

Well, try and find the
rag doll I made for you.

I did, and I put lace
on the shirt,

like that man who used to
come see us when I was a baby.

Where was that, Mommy?

Sarah, please!

Paul? Yeah?

Where's your g*n?

Still in the valise with
my books, I guess. Why?

Mommy?

I don't want
Sarah to find it. Oh.

Don't you remember, Mommy?

The man who used to come see us,

with the soft, pretty
shirts with lace.

Don't you remember, Mommy?

No, I don't remember, Sarah!

What's wrong, Mommy?

Nothing. I'm sorry, honey.

Look, here's your
funny little lamb

with the ear torn off.

Here, honey, play.
Play with him.

Mommy!

It's all right, baby.

Howdy, Major.

Porter's Creek, huh?

Never goes dry.

It's the same all the way up...

Just black mud.

Them folks back in the wagons

are sure gonna take it
rough when they see this.

Yeah, I think they will.

It'll be roughest of all
on that kid.

What kid?

Ah, never mind.

Did you see any sign
of rain at all?

No, not a cloud.

You'd best go on ahead,

see if you can find
something for us for tomorrow.

All right, Major.

Oh, and, Major...
I'll keep my eyes open.

Hyah! h*!

Can't you smell it?
Can't you smell the water?!

Go now! Come on!

MAN: Porter's Creek.
Not even a trickle.

Mud. Plain mud.

All right.

I took you off the trail,
wasted two days.

Aw, heck, Major,
we can't blame you.

You never made this drought.

Be that as it may,
we gotta keep on rollin'.

We'll rest here for a few
hours and then push on.

At least it'll be a little
cooler traveling at night.

What about our teams?

They won't last without water.

Get some shovels
and dig down deep.

You'll get enough water
there for the stock.

That's all right for the
stock, but what about us?

We ain't got a drop left
in our barrels, Major!

It's the same with us.

Now, wait a minute.
Wait a minute!

I ain't through yet.

We're gonna have to pool
whatever water we got,

go on strict rations till
we get out of this drought.

Charlie! Yes, sir.

You and the Professor are in
charge of the collection of water.

Right.

There's to be a trial, Major.

That'll be at sundown, Mr. Carr.

My son is lying out
in that waste behind us,

where no one will ever see him.

You understand?

That was a part of
my immortality

that was just torn off from me.

I mean to have that
paid for, Major.

Now, don't get yourself
all worked up

into a lather, Mr. Carr.

You'll get your pound of flesh.

But it'll be at sundown,
like I said.

Ain't no one gonna touch it!

You got no right holdin' out!

You're not better
than the rest of us!

We want that water!

Give us that water!

Come on, give us that!

I'll lay this on the first man

that comes near to me.

I told you, it ain't water!

It's cider! And it's mine!

Every last drop of it!

He's lyin'. It's the truth.

I made it from my own apples

before the wind
tore up the farm.

And if I have to
k*ll to keep it,

that's just what I'm gonna do.

But don't you be makin'
no mistakes about it!

You just try it.

Mr. Williams, I'll
make you a proposition.

Let me taste it. If it is cider,

I'll keep it
in my wagon for you.

I promise you,
no one will touch it.

MAN: We can drink cider.
It's wet, ain't it?

It'll only make you
more thirsty!

Come on, let's take it!

By gosh, it is cider.

Mr. Williams, I'm sorry.

I didn't want it to drink.

I just wanted it for the kids

to remember what
it was like back home.

It was for them...

for memory's sake.

Jimmy?

I got nothin' to say to you.

You understand that
they're going to hang you?

I don't care.

Jimmy, don't be
childish and bitter.

Don't throw your life
away for nothing.

You're too young.

You have no right to do that.

You listen to me.

There's a horse around
the bend. Here, you take this.

I told you, I don't want
nothin' from you anymore.

Jimmy, please, take it...

Not for me, for Sarah.
She's only a little girl.

Please, Jimmy.

Don't make her pay
for what I did.

After you left,

when Pa used to come
after me with a belt,

I used to go hide in the attic

and think about when
we was together.

And I used to think how I
was gonna run off and join you.

I loved you then.

But I don't love you now.

And I don't forgive you.

Everything that man
said was true,

and I don't forgive you!

All right.

You're just like Pa.

You're filled with
righteousness and hate.

You have to punish
somebody, Jimmy,

even if it kills you.

You let them hang you.

I don't care.

I don't care anymore
what happens to you.

Quiet!

Quiet!

Shut up!

This is gonna be a trial,

like I said.

My son is dead.

This man k*lled him.

I want to see justice done.

We heard your side
of it, Mr. Carr.

Now, boy, you tell
your story to 'em,

like you told it to me,

and I'll see that
they listen to you.

You better speak up, son.

This is your last chance.

I got nothin' to say.

Do you want that rope
around your neck?

I don't care what they do to me.

You hear me? I don't
care what you do!

Is there one among you
that'll speak up

in this boy's defense?

Just one?

All right.

All of you that
think he's guilty,

step across that rope.

All right, we voted.
Now get the rope on him!

No, wait! Please wait!

Listen to me!
Please listen to me!

MAJOR: Listen to her!

Listen to her!

You all know my husband

and my little girl Sarah.

Maybe I have no right
to do this to them,

but I'm the woman.

I'm the woman that
Jimmy was looking for.

I'm the woman from
the Satin Slipper.

I'm his sister.

He didn't know anything
about me, nobody did.

I thought that it was
all past and forgotten,

that I would never have
to think about it again.

I know that what
I did was wrong.

I never thought that it wasn't.

But I'm starting a new life.

You've all left
something behind,

something that you don't
want to carry with you.

You want the West to be a
new start, a new kind of life.

Please.

Don't you see,
the only thing Jimmy did

was to believe that I was
still the sister he remembered,

the girl that took care of him

and wiped his tears away.

He's not really guilty.

I am. I k*lled Lank Carr.

If someone has to pay for it,

let it be me!
Please let it be me!

That don't change nothin'.

Lank just told the
truth about it, that's all!

You shut up, sayin' that!

And don't you go on
beggin' those people, sis.

They ought to all ask you
to forgive them

for what you had to do.

I didn't mean to k*ll him.

It happened just like I said.

He come at me with a knife.

He was gonna k*ll me for sure.

I wouldn't lie.

You tell 'em, sis... even when
Pa whipped the blood from me,

I never lied. Tell 'em.

Come on! It don't
change nothin'!

Put the rope on him!

Get away from him!
That's enough!

You heard what this kid said.

If Lank had a knife,

somebody must know about it.

What about you, Uncle Foster?

You was there.

Everybody knows
I can't see nothin'.

But you can hear.

I heard him some.

I heard Lank...

You heard Lank what?

Pay him no mind, Major.

He's old and weak in his head.

I may have lived
off your charity

for 20 years, Brother Carr,

and I'm beholden for it.

Every scrap.

It won't be long till they'll
be throwin' dirt on me.

And I can't take
a sin of God on my soul.

I can't do that.

You don't know what
you're saying, brother.

I can't do it! I heard him!

I heard Lank say,

"I'm gonna cut you up!"

What become of that knife?

Where is it?

I gave it to Pa.

Mr. Carr...

I want to see that knife.

My boy wouldn't attack
a man with a knife

except for cause.

He wouldn't do that.

You're a fair man, Mr. Carr.

You know we have every right
to look at that knife.

There's dried blood
on the end of that knife.

Look at it. Sure is.

Lank wouldn't jump a man.

He wouldn't do that.

You hear what I'm saying?

My boy's dead.

And somebody's got
to pay for that.

Do you hear me?

You can't take a man's sons

and his land away
without somebody paying.

Ain't no more use in it, Pa.

Come on.

All right, get back
to your wagons.

Get that rope down.

Paul. Ruth.

Paul, you don't have to
bother with me anymore.

Why didn't you tell me?

It would've made no difference.

I love you, Ruth.

We, uh... we gotta go
back to Sarah now.

Jimmy... you comin' with us?

Yes.

There's a breeze
buildin' up, Major.

Some clouds over that-a-way.

Might mean rain.

You know, Charlie...

for once, you might be right.