Swamp Girl (1971) - full transcript

(upbeat music)

(slow mysterious music)

(water lapping)

(slow mysterious music)

(door closing)

(slow mysterious music)

(door closing)

- Man, Denton, I don't

know if a couple of them

ol' measly fish is worth

all these mosquito bites.

(hand slapping)

By God, that's one that

aint gonna bite no more.

- No, Fred, a few bites,

you know fish always taste

a little better if it

aint come by quite legal.

(slow mysterious music)

- What the hell's that out there?

(slow mysterious music)

- What the hell was what?

I didn't see nothing.

- I saw something disappear

into the darkness over there.

- All right, you guys are seeing things.

Probably some ol' gator on the prowl.

Come on, let's get going.

Those catfish love this light at night.

We oughta catch us a big mess of them

before that nosy swamp ranger

comes moseying around here.

Let's go.

(slow mysterious music)

Holy mackerel, what is this?

- Who is it? How'd he get here?

- Gators, huh? I told you I

saw something in that swamp.

- Look at that leg.

(crickets chirping)

- Well that's more than likely his.

- Oh, man, cottonmouths.

This guy aint got long

to go. We gotta get help.

Just stay quiet, Mister.

We gonna get help.

Hank, you go over and get help.

Jesse can stay here with me.

- Yeah.

- Right.

- There's a girl, in the swamp.

- What'd he say?

- Oh, he's out of his head,

some nonsense about

that girl who's supposed

to live in the swamp.

- It aint no nonsense. I've

heard stories like that before.

- Get going, you fool. Either

he gets help or he's dead.

(crickets chirping)

♪ Have you heard the song

the home folks sing ♪

♪ Who live near Waycross town? ♪

♪ The willow, the wisp

lives in the swamp ♪

♪ Where people die and drown ♪

♪ A girl, they say, with flaxen hair ♪

♪ With skin like golden cream ♪

♪ She floats above the slips and slews ♪

♪ In the midst of a swamp man's dream ♪

♪ Swamp Girl, Ghost

Girl, haunts the night ♪

♪ In the swamp fire gleam,

in the cypress stream ♪

♪ In the secret glow of a

moonshine whiskey still ♪

(gentle guitar music)

♪ Are you made of shadow, sun and smoke? ♪

♪ Is your song the summer wind? ♪

♪ Do you only live in the burning minds ♪

♪ Of some dying swamp madmen? ♪

♪ Or can it be that you really live ♪

♪ That the stories told are true? ♪

♪ Out in that dark and mysterious swamp ♪

♪ There's an angel such as you? ♪

♪ Swamp Girl, Swamp Girl, run away ♪

♪ But you'll not stay,

there will come a day ♪

♪ When your heart will

say it's time to go ♪

♪ When your heart will tell you so ♪

(gentle guitar music)

(frogs croaking)

- Dent, just outta curiosity,

what was you and Hank

doing wandering around out

here at that hour last night?

- Nothing, Ben.

Heck, me and Hank had just

been drinking a little beer

over to Stokely's, and we

was out getting a breath

of fresh air before calling it a night.

- Yeah, there's more of them probably

with old Harry out in the

swamps, out there poaching

and doing some moonshining.

He's the one stepped in

the trap and got snakebit.

That figures why these boys bring them in

themselves, don't it?

- Now wait a minute, Waters.

You aint got no right to talk like that.

Me and Hank might not be above catching

a few fish by lamplight

but we aint about to let

a man that's been snakebit

lay around and die just

to save a $10 fine.

- That's right, Sheriff.

Hell, that coulda been

any one of us out there.

- Yeah, and somebody said that man

was from down below Folkston.

I don't know nobody down that way.

- Well, don't let your

conscience bother you none, boys.

I checked down at Stokely's all right

last night, and you were there.

Playing pool and drinking a little beer

till about a half hour before you decided

to do a little night fishing on the side.

Now that we got a little more

light on the subject, Hank,

tell me, you say when y'all

pulled up here to the dock

last night that somebody was

pulling away as you pulled up

and you saw 'em but Dent

didn't see it, that right?

- Well, Dent went to the

truck to get some gear,

and by the time, beer,

I mean to get some beer,

and the time he come back,

we was just gonna sit around

and listen to the air,

and they'd already gone.

- Yeah, and from where we

was standing, we didn't see

that poor devil till we

was right on top of him.

- You say he was mumbling something

about a girl out in the swamp?

- That's right, Sheriff.

Hell, lotta people seen a girl in there,

and that's what they call her, Swamp Girl.

- (chuckles) Swamp Girl.

Some of the things you guys

cook up in them swamps,

it's a wonder don't see

something besides the Swamp Girl.

- It ain't funny, Waters.

You've allowed as how we mighta had

something to do with that death.

Accusing innocent men when

there's somebody in that swamp

maybe killing anybody that gets too close

to knowing too much.

- That's right.

I think we oughta get

together and go back in there

and find out what's going on.

- That's for sure.

Buncha us boys oughta get

us a buncha boats together

and go over that swamp inch by inch

and find out who's doing the killing.

- Well, Denton, now that

you've appointed yourself

as sheriff, what are you gonna do,

hold the trial right here in the swamp?

- Well I just might do that...

- All right now hold it.

Now hold it, everybody.

This place was set aside

here to preserve life

and not to take it.

If there's any manhunting going on

in there, I'm doing it.

I'm betting that if there

is somebody in there

and they're helping these poor devils out

when they get trapped in that swamp,

well, they're doing it outta kindness.

They don't feel like getting mixed up

answering a lotta fool questions.

- Well, I still wanna know

what's going on in there.

A man did die here last night, you know.

- Denton, you know I know the

swamps as well as anybody.

And if there was somebody

paddling up there last night,

which is likely that they did,

it's unlikely that they

lived here in the swamp.

May have been a moonshiner or a poacher

trying to do a good deed,

keep from getting involved.

Now I'll get my airboat, go

back in there and look for 'em.

I can cover a lotta territory with it.

If there's anybody in

there, I'm gonna find 'em,

and I'll bet you anything

it won't be no Swamp Girl.

- That's about the most sensible thing

that I've heard all day, Jim.

But you be careful out there, though.

Old Boggy's a mighty

big hunk of real estate,

and we don't wanna have to

come in there looking for you.

Now why don't y'all go

on about your business,

and we'll let you know

if anything happens?

Come on, Jim. I'll give

you a hand with your boat.

- You know, I don't care what the sheriff

or that smart aleck ranger says.

- I don't either.

- There's something mighty

fishy going on in there.

And if Waters don't find out what it is,

there's some others of

us just might could.

- Right.

- Come on.

- Look, Jim, you know as

well as I do that Dent Cole,

he's nothing but 90% hot

air, and all he's doing

is just talking up to the crowd.

- 90% hot air, I know

that, and I also know

that all of his friends are 90% hot air.

But you take all the 90% hot

air and take the 10% brains

that they've got, you add it

together, what have you got?

- You got trouble.

- Nothing but trouble.

That's what starts trouble.

- We've worked hard down in Okefenokee,

trying to make a Leif place for wildlife,

all the plants and everything

else that lives here.

Even a Leif place for sane

people to come and visit.

We can't be worried about

a buncha characters coming

out here and trying to

play Cops and Robbers.

- Now, Jim, you know that I

aint gonna let that happen.

Now I'll have my men keep an

extra eye out for a few days

till this thing kinda blows over.

We got some law here. I'm it.

- I know you are (laughs).

I'm proud of you, I'm for

you, I agree with you.

But you see anything that's gotta do

with the swamp involves me.

- Take it easy, Swamp Rat.

Call me when you get back, you hear?

(engine starting)

(upbeat dramatic music)

(engine idling)

(suspenseful music)

(Jim screaming)

(soft suspenseful music)

- Why do these men keep

coming in the swamp

when they can't even see

some ol' poacher's trap

right in the middle of the trail?

(metal clanking)

I'd throw all their

damn traps in the water,

if they wouldn't keep coming

back to look for them.

- I'll be darned. There is a Swamp Girl.

- Let me go.

- Wait a minute. I'm not gonna hurt you!

Wait a minute, calm down.

- Let me go!

- I wanna thank you for helping me.

- Now leave me be.

- I will, if you promise not to run away.

- I'm not promising you nothing,

not even to get you out

if you get caught again.

- Wait a minute.

I come in here as a friend,

because right now you need one.

- I got all the friends I

need, and that's my dad.

And if he catches you,

he aint gonna be half as kindhearted.

- Okay, I'll let you go, but

listen to what I've got to say.

- You couldn't come in

here to tell me nothing,

because nobody knows that

me and Pa live in here.

- That's what you think.

Now the people around the dock

think it's you and your daddy

killed that man you brought in last night.

- That aint true.

He stepped in a trip and

he was floundering around

trying to get back to his boat

when the moccasins got him.

Poor man. I knew it was too late.

- Look, I'll make a deal with you.

If my leg aint busted,

and I don't think it is,

if you don't wanna listen

to what I've got to say

you can run off, but sit

over there out of my reach.

I wanna talk.

- Well, I don't know about that.

- You aint got nothing to lose.

I couldn't catch you if I tried.

Probably won't even be able

to get back to the boat.

- Well, okay, but

nothing fancy, do you hear me?

- All right (groans).

If I hadn't had these

boots on, I don't know.

I wished I'd catch them son

of a guns that set them traps.

(soft music)

You know, getting caught in a bear trap

sure makes a fella hungry.

- You mean to tell me that

all them traps is illegal,

and that the men that put them there

could go to jail if they get caught?

- Sure could.

You see, this whole Okefenokee

Swamp is a park refuge,

and all the wildlife, plants, trees,

everything's protected.

- You aint gonna arrest me for catching

this little ol' duck, are you?

I mean, me and Pa, we only

kill what we have to for food.

We never figured that

was breaking any law.

- No, I aint gonna arrest you.

What'd you say your name was again?

- My name's Janeen.

- Janeen?

That's a pretty name.

I don't believe I ever heard that before.

- I asked you if you was gonna arrest me.

- No, I'm only gonna arrest the people

that comes in here and tries

to destroy the wildlife,

kill birds just to get a

feather to put in their hat.

Or, like shooting alligators

just to get them some boots

made out of them, or a purse.

Anything like that.

- Every trap I find from now on,

I'm gonna throw to the deepest,

darkest part of that swamp.

I always thought before I was

messing with private property.

You can get in lots of

trouble for doing that.

- Is that a fact?

- Well since I'm a swamp ranger,

I'll give you my permission.

Matter of fact, I'd like to have

somebody like you as a deputy.

- Dep,

deputy?

What's that word mean?

- Well in law enforcement, it means like

an assistant or a helper.

You still have the authority

to arrest somebody too.

Which brings me around to the point

I wanted to discuss with you.

- What's that?

- Well, I guess it'd be hard

to explain to you, honey,

since you haven't been outside the swamp.

But it's a rough world out there. Wicked.

And, uh, it's good if you

know somebody on the outside.

- Why? The world leaves me and

Pa alone, we leave it alone.

Sounds fair enough to me.

- Well, that's the trouble.

The world won't leave you alone.

It's gotten pretty complicated.

That's the trouble of it.

For an example, honey,

there's people on the outside

right now that thinks you

and your pa is killers.

And they'll be in here looking for you.

Now if you wanna leave

the swamps, you can.

If you don't want to,

that's your own business.

But if you do go out, you

need somebody on your side.

- Me and Pa's too happy

the way things are now.

- Well I'm not trying to force you, but,

well, you talk it over to your pa.

And you tell him what we said

and see what he has to say,

and I'll be back in tomorrow.

- You think you can even find me again?

- You aint the only swamp rat in here.

Found you this time, didn't I?

- Yeah, but you wouldn't

have, if that poor old man

hadn't torn his shirt trying

to get away from them snakes

or if I'd seen it before you had.

You'd just gone sailing right on by.

- Well maybe so, but I can find you again.

I'll be back tomorrow.

- Well, I'll talk to Pa and

see what he says about it.

- Okay. Have it your way, but

I'll still be back tomorrow.

Thanks for the dinner.

(slow mysterious music)

- It's only me, Pa.

- Who else?

(door opening)

- Don't know, Pa, but

from what I hear, pretty soon,

we aint always gonna know for sure.

- What you mean by that, honey?

From what you hear?

- Well, Pa, I aint gonna lie to you.

I had a long talk with a man today,

and I promised him I'd tell you about it.

- Honey, I thought we promised years ago

we weren't gonna talk to nobody,

because all they wanted to do

was to make trouble for us.

- I know, Pa.

Well, after that poor man

yesterday got so snakebit,

Pa, that man died.

Died.

And that fella today said

that the people outside

this here swamp think that you and me's

been doing the killing,

and that they might come

in here after us and...

Well, just talk, so.

- What else did you do, honey?

- Well, nothing much really.

I mean, I cooked us a duck and

mostly we just sat around and talked.

- Talked?

About what?

- Well, this man, his name

is Waters, Jimmy Waters.

He's what he called a, a swamp ranger.

Pa, did you know that this

whole park is a refuge?

It aint legal to kill nothing

or even to chop down the trees.

And you know what else, Pa?

Every one of them traps out there,

they aint supposed to be there.

They illegal.

We can take 'em all and throw 'em

in the deepest part of

the water if we wanted to.

Jimmy even said he'd make me a de, deputy.

- (laughs) Is that all he

come out here to the swamp for

was to make you a deputy?

- No, Pa. It's just one of

the things we talked about.

I told you.

He told me that the

people outside the swamp

think that you and me has

been doing all that killing.

And, he was talking about

how people like you and me

can't keep living no more

pretending there aint

nobody else around and

how someday we might have to leave here

and go someplace else.

We might need a friend on the outside.

Pa?

Pa, he wants to be our friend.

He wants to meet me here

tomorrow and talk on it some more

and, well, I told him

I'd ask you about it.

Pa, Pa, can he be our friend?

- Well, Janeen, I been seeing

this coming for a long time.

I just didn't know how to,

how to get started telling you.

I guess I was waiting for something.

Waiting for something to force it.

- Force what?

- Well, in the first place,

you gotta stop calling me Pa.

- Why? You're my pa, aint you?

- Honey, I love you like your

pa, I raised you like your pa

and I loved you like your ma too.

But you see, honey, it

aint the same thing.

You can't call me Pa.

You see, Black folks

don't have White babies,

no more than White folks

can have Black babies.

- But, if you aint my pa, then who is?

I mean, why aint I never seen him before

and how come I call you Pa?

- Well, get yourself set, baby.

Because we gonna go all the

way back to the beginning.

And when I'm finished,

you just aint gonna be the

same little girl no more.

Now, don't call me Pa.

Call me Nat, or Nathaniel,

if you wanna get fancy

or you're mad at me.

Nat. Nathaniel.

That's what old Doc named me

years ago before you were born.

You see, this house, this

house was always kind

of a home for fugitives.

And ol' Doc, he fixed it up.

He was a pretty good doctor,

but he had kind of a weakness for whiskey,

and then when folks come

not to trust him too much,

he started getting less worried

about the kinda operations he did.

- I, I don't understand, Pa.

Nat?

- You see, that's why it's so hard.

I mean, it's just too much

to tell you all at once.

So just let me tell you about you and me,

and then we'll fill in all

the rest of the stuff later.

Okay?

- Yeah, sure, but...

- Now, now ol' Doc, he found

me years ago when I was a kid.

In the swamp, half dead from snakebite.

And then he brought me here,

to his hospital, as he called it.

And I helped him out around the place.

So, little girls that was in trouble,

I mean, that was gonna have

babies that wasn't married,

well, they came to ol' Doc,

and he'd do the operations on them.

- [Janeen] Is that how I

come to live in the swamp?

- [Nat] Well, you was sorta different.

- When Doc did those operations,

there really wasn't no baby.

Now, honey, don't go getting

yourself in particulars,

or I won't get this story told.

Sometimes, ladies would come

that was too near having

their babies to get the operation.

And that's the way your ma was.

So they'd pay ol' Doc

to let them stay here

until the baby come.

And then they'd go away.

- [Janeen] What about the babies?

Didn't the moms take 'em with 'em.

- [Nat] Well, some did and some didn't.

Doc never did much care,

except for the boys.

He always made the mothers take the boys.

See, they could take care of themselves.

It was a batch of girls he wanted.

- [Janeen] But how

could a mama just go off

and leave her baby like that?

Even the animals in the swamp

take care of their young'uns.

- [Nat] That's true, dear,

but some mothers are just that mean.

- [Janeen] Mine was one of 'em?

- [Nat] I'm afraid so, darling.

But now listen, you gotta just

let me get this story told

so it gets told complete.

Then we'll go back when there's time

and fill in all the little holes.

- Okay, but what did the

doc do with the children

whose mamas left the sw...

Why was I the only one that

growed up here in the swamp?

- Honey, that aint easy to say.

But, he sold 'em.

- He sold 'em?

- Yeah.

- You mean, like you used to

tell me about your granddaddy?

He sold them like slaves?

- I'm afraid so.

- But you told me

yourself, that aint right.

There aint no more slavery.

- Well, honey, I wish that

were true, but it aint.

The truth is, there's still

some places in this world

where a little girl is

worth a lotta money.

Especially a little White girl.

And the doc, he had a lotta

contacts down at the Harbor,

where the ships would come

in from all over the world

to buy lumber from the swamps.

And he had a lotta friends that paid him

a lotta money for nice little girls.

And then they would sell them

back for even more money.

Where there was no trees

and there wasn't no little White girls.

- If that's true, how come

I didn't get sold too,

along with the rest of them?

- Well, honey, that gets

us to the part about why

you and me is living

alone here in this swamp.

See, you was always a special kinda girl,

and you was always my favorite.

(soft music)

And Doc took a liking too you

too. You had a way about you.

A kindness with animals, a way of smiling.

I knowed everything Doc

was doing was wrong, but

I had no other home, no place

to go, as far as I knew.

And Doc led me to believe that

the police was still looking

for me for stealing a pair of

jeans when I was a little boy.

Well anyhow, I guess I

always looked the other way

when Doc did something I knew was wrong.

But with you it was different.

I begged and I pleaded that

he wouldn't sell you away.

But ol' Doc, he was greedy.

He was always hoarding

away the money he took in

and asking for me.

He knowed someday he'd get caught,

and he wanted money to buy off the police

or the judge, or the jury.

Or to run away. But he wanted money.

One day, he give me some

money to sneak outta

the swamp and go to Leif Turner.

(soft suspenseful music)

I aint never told you about Leif Turner.

He's one of the ones on the outside

that wouldn't be your friend.

He got a snake farm on

the edge of the swamp.

Mean as any snake you ever

wanna find around here.

Leif Turner, he's one of

the ones on the outside

that brings in the girls.

And other stuff we

needed, and he still does.

Costs a lot more than

any store would charge.

But he don't ask no questions.

(soft mysterious music)

I seen Doc drunk often enough.

But there was something

funny about the way

he acted that set me thinking.

So much so that I figured I'd sneak back

just in case what I was

thinking turned out to be true.

(soft music)

- Well, I've changed my mind.

Now this little lady is

worth more than that.

I want twice the normal amount.

- (chuckles) You're drunk, Doc.

I got your normal amount right here,

so we'll take the girl.

- That's right, Doc.

You sent word you had one.

We're here to collect her.

- Listen, that's right,

but I done changed my

mind about the price.

Now I know what you gonna get for her

from one of them Arab sheiks.

Yeah, thousands.

She's young,

strong.

She's mighty, mighty pretty.

So I'll take a thousand

for her, or it's no deal.

(soft suspenseful music)

- $1,000 or no deal.

All right, Doc. No deal.

Take the girl!

(Janeen screaming)

(punches striking)

(Doc screaming)

(suspenseful music)

(Janeen wailing)

All right, come on. Let's get going.

- Wait a minute. What's your hurry?

I know Doc's got a lotta

money stashed around here.

Why don't we see if we can find it?

- Because, stupid, that

nigger may be stomping around

out there, and he just may find a shotgun.

And he just may blow you and I to hell.

Let's get outta here.

(Janeen wailing)

- You're probably right.

It's a shame to leave

all that dough behind.

- Oh, come on, will you?

(Janeen wailing)

(suspenseful music)

(Janeen wailing)

(ax striking)

(snake rattling)

(Janeen wailing)

(dramatic music)

- [Nat] Well, baby, you was bit real bad.

I really thought you were gonna die.

But I did what I seen Doc do.

I cut open the bite, and I

tried to suck out the poison.

But mostly I let you lay there

and try to fight the poison yourself.

Oh, you was a stubborn little devil,

and you just wouldn't give up.

You had a fever that would kill a horse.

But slowly, slowly, you come around.

But when you got better,

well, it was funny.

Like the fever done

something to your brain.

You didn't remember nothing

about Doc, or the two men.

So, I figured it was better that, uh,

that I left it that way.

Sorta the way nature intended it.

But see, I always knew

there was gonna come a time

when I'd have to tell you.

- Pa, Nat,

I'm so mixed up.

What am I gonna do?

I mean, should I go see

Mr. Waters tomorrow?

I kinda have to now.

He knows, knows we're here.

- Well, darling, that's a tough one.

The first thing I was

gonna say was no, don't go.

Even if it meant leaving here

and living somewhere else in the swamp.

But then I got to thinking.

If something should happen to me,

you gonna need a friend on the outside.

And this here ranger

you been talking about,

he sounds like a pretty good man.

- Think I ought to go then, huh?

- Yeah. Yeah, I think so.

(gentle music)

- You know, Jim, if there

was anybody else but you

telling me this, I wouldn't believe it.

You mean, you found a girl out there

in that swamp, a Swamp Girl?

- I really did.

- So you got yourself a

cute little girlfriend now,

and aint nobody gonna take

her away from you, huh?

- Listen, Cutler, I'm serious.

You know as well as I do that it's illegal

to live in the Okefenokee.

Because it's a wildlife refuge.

If somebody find out you're in there,

they gonna come in, move you out.

And if they move her out,

then we really have got a problem.

She aint never been on the outside.

She knows all there is to know

about cottonmouths, gators,

everything else, I guess, in the swamps.

But she don't know

anything about the outside.

She's liable to get knocked down

by the first car that passes.

- Yeah, or knocked up by

the first boy that comes by.

- Listen, I'm serious.

We've got a problem.

- Now hold it, Jim.

You know I was just joshing you

and trying to get you riled up.

It's fun to get you all riled up.

And besides, I know we got a problem.

But look at the bright side of it.

The mystery's all cleared up,

and there aint no murderer

here in the swamp.

It's just some folks out there

that like to be left alone.

Now, if you should see her tomorrow,

maybe you can talk her pa

into coming in with her,

and you and me'll give them a hand

and try to help them get settled.

We might get her a little schooling.

Things could just work out fine.

- Well I durn sure hope so.

(radio beeping)

- That's my ring. Be right back.

(soft suspenseful music)

Sheriff Cutler here, over.

(upbeat dramatic music)

- [Steve] Dammit, we're outta gas.

(upbeat dramatic music)

Uh-oh.

(siren blaring)

(upbeat dramatic music)

- See, what I tell you?

We shoulda hit that little store

back there so we'd have some gas.

But no no, not you, smarty pants.

Now we don't even have enough

to make it across the line.

And that damn cop looking for us.

- Not us, honey, you.

You're the brain that went and killed

that prison guard back there.

Oh yeah, yeah, something to

bust out of a prison camp,

but killing a guard doing it.

Man, you're something else.

Who the hell do you think

we are, Bonnie and Clyde?

All right, we're both in it together.

Now what the hell do you wanna do?

- We'll put as much distance between us

and this car as possible.

Because if they find it,

they're gonna know we been here.

Which way is the Florida state line?

- That way, through the swamp.

- Then that's the way we're

gonna go. Let's get it on.

- You're crazy. You gotta be crazy!

That's the Okefenokee Swamp in there.

They got everything in there.

They got alligators, they got snakes.

There's not one square foot

of solid ground in there.

We could drown in that damn place.

- Well that's a good place to hide.

Now I know there's people going in there

and coming out alive.

Aint you read about them

moonshiners and poachers?

Let's walk alongside the swamp.

I know there's a boat

hidden there somewhere.

There's gotta be. We might

even find us a still.

- That's the best thing

you said all day long.

- Come on, it's getting

dark and some nosy cop

might recognize that car.

Come on!

(soft suspenseful music)

- Come over here. Follow me.

(soft suspenseful music)

All right, honey, you asked for it.

(soft suspenseful music)

Damn.

(soft suspenseful music)

I told you there wasn't one

square foot of solid ground

around here, but you won't

listen to me, will you?

Well, come on. You wanted to go this way!

(soft suspenseful music)

(water splashing)

(soft suspenseful music)

(water splashing)

(soft suspenseful music)

We'll try and get across over here.

(soft suspenseful music)

No, honey, wait up.

We aint gonna make it

this way. Go over here.

(soft suspenseful music)

Honey, we're gonna have to

stop here for the night.

All we're doing is

going around in circles.

Last thing we wanna do is fall

in a pothole and get drowned.

- I hate to agree with you,

but I guess you're right.

- There's some high

ground up there. Come on.

(soft suspenseful music)

(birds calling)

- Steve?

- What?

- I'm scared silly.

- (chuckles) You'd be a damn

fool if you wasn't, honey.

(soft suspenseful music)

(wings flapping)

(soft suspenseful music)

(birds chirping)

(wind whistling)

(engine starting)

(upbeat dramatic music)

- You really think I

ought to go, huh, Nat?

I mean, still haven't found the cabin yet.

- Well, I think so.

Seeing as how he's almost

found out where we is.

- Well, oh, I don't know what to do.

Seems like everything's

just happening all at once.

- Well,

I guess that's my fault.

I shoulda been getting you

ready for this a long time ago.

- Well, I guess it don't

make no real difference now.

(soft suspenseful music)

(engine revving)

(soft suspenseful music)

- Holy mackerel, there's a house here

right in the middle of the swamp.

- Sh, might be somebody around.

Take a look inside. Maybe

there's some food to eat.

- Yeah, well, don't

you go using that thing

because you only gone one shell left.

- I know. Come on, let's get going.

(soft suspenseful music)

(metal clanging)

(soft suspenseful music)

- That you, Janeen?

(gun firing)

(Nat groaning)

(wings flapping)

(water splashing)

(wind whistling)

- Suppose somebody else comes around here?

We aint got anymore shells left, baby.

- We'll use this.

- Oh, why don't you ever

cut yourself a potato?

- Pa! Nat, Nat!

- Get up off there, right now too!

- Why did you do this (cries)?

- Okay, little girl,

you must know your way

out of this godforsaken swamp,

and you're gonna take us outta here.

I don't mean to no big town either.

I mean to some quiet road

on the way to Florida.

I could steal me a car. Do you hear?

- You killed Nat, the

only friend I ever had!

- I killed an old nigger

that got in my way, dammit!

I'll kill you too if I have

to. Now take us outta here!

- All right.

I'll take you out.

- Let's get outta here.

This whole place is giving me the creeps.

(soft suspenseful music)

- Hey, not that way!

We came in over there.

- If you come in over there,

you been walking in circles.

- All right, let's go.

- Janeen?

There's no need to

hide. I'm all by myself.

Come on out.

(soft mysterious music)

Well, I guess Cutler's

got a laugh on me now.

- I'm sorry, ma'am. The

sheriff's out in the swamp.

You'll just have to wait'll he gets back.

- Well I'm not satisfied with that.

Come on, Gif, we'll go to the swamp

and find our baby ourselves, come on!

- Right, honey.

- Pardon me. Excuse me

for butting in, folks.

But I understand your concern

and I just wanted to let you

know there's a lotta folks around here

don't think much of that sheriff

or that smart aleck deputy neither.

- Well we appreciate

your interest, Mr. Um?

- Cole, ma'am. Denton Cole.

- Pleased to meet you.

I'm Ella Martin, and this

is my husband, Gifford.

- Most people just call me Gif.

- Pleased to meet you.

They all call me Dent.

- How do you do?

- What I wanted to say is

that going into that swamp

can be dangerous iffin

you don't know your way

or have good boats.

Now, me and my friends,

Hank and Jesse here,

well, we're regular swamp rats.

Know the Okefenokee as well as any man.

More than likely better.

Now if you happen to be looking

for some guides, why...

- Well I tell you now, that

sounds interesting enough.

How much for guiding around here?

- Well, you know,

everything's gone up a sight.

Lotta folks around here aint never been

so hard put to make do.

It'll be me and the

boys, mighty experienced,

and of course the boat, right good boat.

Then there's a problem with the law.

Sheriff Cutler aint gonna take too kindly

to us messing in his business.

I expect we'd have to...

- I'll give you $500, Mr. Cole.

If you find my baby

before anybody else does.

And we'll give you 500 more

if you can happen to get her to Florida.

- That's right.

- Mr. Martin, Gif, you

just made yourself a deal.

Come on, boys, let's get ready to go.

- Okay.

- Now you wait for me at the hotel, honey.

I'll be in touch the minute we find her.

Don't you worry now.

- All right.

- Howdy, Ben.

Now don't you start needling me,

because I aint in no mood for it.

She didn't show.

- Don't worry, Jim, I won't because we got

a much bigger problem than that now.

I just hope that it's not tied into Janeen

not showing up out there in the swamp.

- Oh really, what happened?

- Well you remember when I

got the call last evening?

It seems that there was a prison break

down at the woman's

farm there in Weedville.

Some bow hunk got in

there and tried to bust

his girlfriend and, we guess that she shot

and killed a guard with a shotgun.

- Well I'll be durned.

- Yeah, and they stole a car

and came town this a-way.

We found the car down below Waycross,

and it was outta gas, and

the best that we can figure,

they gotta be out here

somewhere in the swamp.

- I wonder if that had anything to do

with Janeen not showing up.

- We don't know, Jim, but

I'll tell you one thing.

I'm gonna feel a lot better

when we get that pair

under lock and key where they belong.

- Durn, I hope she aint

got nothing to do with it.

- Just a minute, there's

a call. Be right with you.

Hello, Tom, this is

Cutler. What is it, over?

- [Tom] That Martin guy just

hired Cole along with Hank

and Jesse to guide him into the swamp.

- Well what am I supposed

to do about that?

Hell, I could probably

get him fined for guiding

without a license, but I got

too much on my mind right now.

- [Tom] I know, Ben.

I just thought you'd like to know, over.

- I'm sorry, Tom. You're right.

It's just that that Cole,

he's bad news no matter where he is.

Anything else, over?

- [Tom] That's it, over.

- Okay, but you just

stay tuned to the rangers

radio frequency because

we gonna be out there

in his airboat cruising

around, and we might need

to get back in touch

with you, over and out.

Well you were worried, so

now you got me worried.

Let's go see what we can see.

(suspenseful music)

- Well now, howdy, gentlemen.

What can I do for you?

- Leif, we got a little

proposition for you.

This here's Mr. Martin.

We think his little

girl's lost in the swamp.

(wind whistling)

(Carol shrieking)

(water splashing)

- [Carol] Snake right there.

I don't know what it is!

Wait a minute. Help me.

Help me. Please help me!

Oh God, it's there.

- Come on, get up here. Get up here.

- [Carol] It's dragging me.

- It aint dragging you

nowhere. Now get up here.

Give me that gun.

- Grab the bushes. Pull

yourself up with the bushes.

(bushes rustling)

- We been walking for hours,

and it don't look no different.

I don't want no funny

stuff from you, you hear?

- You can walk through this swamp for days

and it won't look no different.

And to get out of it,

there's gonna be times

when we gotta wade and swim.

It aint gonna look no different.

- She's right, girl. I

been watching the sun.

She's heading south toward Florida.

- Ha ha, real swamp rat, aint you?

- I've been around some, honey.

- Knock it off, you two, let's get moving.

(Steve hollering)

- Come on.

(leaves rustling)

(engine revving)

(upbeat music)

- Well, friend, looks like

you're gonna have to show me

where she lives after all, huh?

- Well that's not the problem.

I only know where I met here.

I don't know where her house is.

- Well we still have a

problem then, don't we?

I guess we better do a little

more looking, huh, Jim?

- Stick with me, Hoss.

I won't let you down.

(engine roaring)

- Well now that just don't

make much sense to me, Cole.

I mean, you want me to tell

you how to get to a house

in the swamp, which I

don't know where it is.

And, if you find this missing girl,

you gonna give me $20 (chuckles).

I don't know what you talking about.

- Okay, Leif.

Mr. Martin, I got a little

personal business here

with Mr. Turner, would you mind

waiting for us in the truck?

I think he might find it

a little easier to talk

if there wasn't no strangers around.

- Sure, I understand.

- Okay, now, Leif, I know

you know where that house is.

And if it's still there,

that Swamp Girl lives in it.

She'll be able to find them kids for us.

I think you oughta tell

us while you still can.

- You're crazy, Cole.

I don't know nothing.

- Now you listen to me.

10 years ago, I give Thelma Lacey money

to go over and see the doc.

She told me who took her. You did.

I never said nothing for obvious reasons,

but I'm a-saying it now.

- I don't know, Cole, that's

a long time ago. I forget!

- You know, old buddy, I aint got time

to play games with you.

(Leif groaning)

Give me that rope.

(dramatic music)

- [Leif] No (groans)!

Let me up!

(men chattering)

Oh no!

(men shouting)

- [Denton] Okay, boys, hoist him up there.

- No, Cole! Let me up!

(snakes rattling)

Cole!

- [Denton] Okay, boys,

lower him down till one

of two things happens, he remembers

or he forgets everything.

- Cole, come on, I'll tell you.

Just get me outta here, Cole!

Why don't you tell us

while you're down there.

It seems to be helping your memory.

- All right, all right.

You take Green's Channel into the swamp.

When you get to Buxton Slide,

you make another right now, you hear?

It's about two miles long.

It seems like you come to this little oak

that's all covered over

with solid land and cypress,

but it aint.

Back in there, about two miles,

you come to this little tiny oak

and it don't look like much,

but it gets bigger, twisting and turning.

About 500 yards, you see the house.

I guess you will!

I aint been there in 10

years, not since Doc died

but it's there.

Now pull me out, Cole!

- Okay, boys, pull him up.

Let's get outta here.

(both straining)

- I'll get you, you son of a bitch.

I swear, I'll get you.

- Get him, all right? Don't get us.

We're scaring him a little.

- [Leif] You're damn

right I'm gonna get you!

- Well, Leif, we can't have none of this,

never knowing who might

sneak up behind us.

(knife slicing)

(Leif screaming)

(birds singing)

- Wait here, Steve.

Our lady friend needs a moment of privacy.

Come on, let's go, and no funny stuff.

(engine revving)

(engine revving)

(suspenseful music)

- Over here! Then we'll

be back on the trail.

(suspenseful music)

(Steve screaming)

- Hold it! You dirty

lying little swamp bitch!

You get him outta there, or

I'll blow your brains out!

- Not with that, you won't.

I been listening to you two.

You used one of them shells on the guard

and the other one on Pa/Nat.

- I reloaded. Now you come on and help me.

- Look at those clothes you're wearing.

You couldn't carry a

dry pin in them pockets.

(dramatic music)

And if you wanna get

outta the swamp alive,

you better be able to follow me.

(gun thudding)

(engine revving)

- I don't know, Ben.

We can't be too sure as to find Janeen.

But they did have as good

a chance as anybody else.

- That's right, and I'll

tell you something else.

They're really not after Janeen,

but if those kids do find her out there,

they're more than likely

gonna force her or her pa

or maybe both of them to

lead them outta this swamp.

- You're right.

- If that does happen,

they gonna have to cross

some water out there somewhere.

I think our best bet is to

just cruise around out here

in the boat as quiet as possible

and keep our eyes and ears open.

- Yeah, because if they hear us coming,

they're gonna run and hide anyhow.

- That's right. Let's go.

(soft suspenseful music)

- She's been here, all right.

She's a real sweetheart, that'un is.

- You don't know for sure if she done it.

Come on, you're getting

paid good money to find her.

- Well, it aint likely they had a boat.

We'd have seen them trying

to get out as we come in.

No sign of there being one here.

They must be trying to

cross that swamp on foot.

- Damn fools if they think

they can get outta that swamp.

- Well if they killed

that old man in there,

they aint got nothing to lose.

This way.

(upbeat dramatic music)

- When I get my hands on

you, I'll rip your eyes out!

- What's the matter, killer?

Afraid of a little old swamp?

You aint so tough without

your shotgun, are you?

Come on now and run!

(dramatic music)

(Carol grunting)

(dramatic music)

- Wait. Did you hear that?

I could swear I heard a girl scream.

- Oh, don't let the swamp

noises fool you, Gif.

A man can stand out here in the swamp

and hear just about

anything he wants to hear.

- Don't tell me what I

hear and I don't hear.

I heard a girl scream.

Come on, it was this way!

(upbeat dramatic music)

- [Carol] I'm coming! I'm coming!

(dramatic music)

(Carol screaming)

(Carol screaming)

(dramatic music)

(Carol screaming)

(dramatic music)

- My God, what you done to

my baby? My little girl!

It was you, you little swamp rat bitch!

- No, wait.

Come back here.

I aint gonna be a part to no more killing.

Give me that gun!

- Get him off me!

- Don't stand there like idiots!

(gun firing)

(dramatic music)

(gun firing)

(dramatic music)

(gun firing)

(gun firing twice)

(Ben shouting)

(gun firing)

(dramatic music)

- Where's the Swamp Girl, Janeen?

- Over onder in the bush, where she fell.

- Hold it. Don't be a fool, Martin!

(gun firing)

(dramatic music)

(Gifford groaning)

(Gifford screaming)

You and your flunkies come give me a hand!

If it aint too late.

(Gifford screaming)

(birds calling)

- The dirty son of a...

Hey, honey, you all right?

- Oh, Jimmy, I'm so scared!

- Don't be scared.

- Jimmy, that girl, the gators killed her,

and I just let them.

I didn't do nothing to help.

And she killed my pa. She killed Nat.

He was my only friend.

- No, honey, you gotta lotta friends.

You'd be surprised the friends you have.

Don't worry about it.

Everything'll be all right.

You scared the hell out of

me. I thought you was dead.

(Jim chuckling)

You all right?

(birds singing)

You all right?

You'll be all right. Come on, honey.

This is Waters, Unit Four.

Do you read me, Tom?

- [Tom] Roger, Jimmy,

loud and clear. Any luck?

- Yeah, but mostly bad.

You better have an ambulance

and, what's her name?

Mrs. Morton, to meet us at the dock.

- [Tom] Roger. Anything else, over?

- No, that's all for now, but

stay on the same frequency.

Unit Four clear.

(birds calling)

(birds calling)

(boat creaking)

(engine revving)

(dramatic music)

(siren wailing)

(dramatic music)

(engine chugging)

(dramatic music)

(soft music)

- Watch his head!

(soft music)

(Ella crying)

- Oh God, Gifford, speak to me.

Please.

Oh God (cries).

Gifford.

- I'm sorry, Mrs. Martin.

With these many bad bites,

there's nothing we can do.

I'm sorry. Take him away.

(soft music)

- Where's my baby? Where's Carol?

- She's dead too. Swamp Girl

there fed her to a big gator.

- That aint true!

She stepped in a bear

trap, fell in the water!

- I'll kill you!

- Now just hold it!

- Don't you worry, Janeen.

Everything's all right, honey.

Janeen? It's all right.

- What he call you?

- My name is Janeen.

- How'd you come by that name?

They told me you was a

swamp rat with no folks

and no kin and no name.

- My pa, I mean my friend Nat,

the one Carol killed this

morning, he give it to me.

He said my ma, before

I was born, told him,

if it's a girl, call her Janeen.

It was her ma's name.

- Oh my God.

After all these years.

After, after all the pain, the guilt,

my own daughter comes back to kill

my husband and my daughter.

- I didn't kill them. The

snakes got your husband.

I wasn't even there. He

was trying to kill me.

Oh, I'm, I'm so mixed up.

- You're all right, honey. It's all right.

- And even if you are my mother,

why should I care about you?

You left me in the swamp,

knowing what ol' Doc did

to those girl children.

- Janeen, it's too much to

hope you could ever forgive me,

but please try and understand.

Please try.

Your father was in the service,

and when he went overseas

I didn't know I was pre...

I didn't know I was gonna have a baby.

And then, then your pa was killed.

And of course, when it

began to show, how I was,

my pa was furious, and he'd have killed me

for shaming the family if my

mother hadn't stopped him.

That's why I wanted

the baby named for her.

Of course they threw me out

and I didn't have no place to go.

Well, I heard of ol'

Doc over in the swamp,

and I'd been working,

and I saved a little.

And you was almost here by then.

So I went to him.

But he told me he always

found good homes for his kids.

Oh, Janeen, my baby!

We're all each other has now.

Please, come with me.

Let me try and make up some

of the wrong I done for you.

Oh, Janeen, Janeen, please! Please come!

- I'm going back home.

Jimmy, I know now that I

can't live out there forever,

but just let me have some time by myself

out in the swamp please.

With them knowing where the house is,

I won't be able to stay

out there for long anyway.

- Don't you worry,

honey, where they going,

they won't bother nobody

for a long, long time.

- Hey, Cutler, what do you mean by that?

We aint done nothing.

- We'll see about that.

It just so happens that

Leif Turner's woman arrived

over there at the snake

farm just about time

you boys pulled away from over there.

About five minutes before she found him

tied up and dead in the pit.

Guess you fellas just aint too smart.

Let's take them in, Tom.

- I've just gotta think all this over.

- Honey, I understand.

Your first day in civilization

hasn't exactly been the pleasant side.

But there is one, and you'll see.

- I know. I trust you, and Ben.

I'll be back out later. I promise.

- Okay.

- Don't worry. I'll bring

this here boat back.

Then maybe you can make

me a, a dep, a deputy.

- A deputy, yeah.

(water lapping)

(birds singing)

(upbeat music)

♪ Have you heard the song

the home folks sing ♪

♪ Who live near Waycross town? ♪

♪ The willow, the wisp

lives in the swamp ♪

♪ Where people die and drown ♪

♪ A girl, they say, with flaxen hair ♪

♪ With skin like golden cream ♪

♪ She floats above the slips and slews ♪

♪ In the midst of a swamp man's dream ♪

♪ Swamp Girl, Swamp Girl, run away ♪

♪ But you'll not stay,

there will come a day ♪

♪ When your heart will

say it's time to go ♪

♪ When your heart will tell you so ♪

(upbeat music)