Broken Trail (2006–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Part Two - full transcript
Hey, Dink.
That you, Ed?
Didn't recognize me or just figured
you'd never see me again?
Ed, I had nothing to do with you being
sent up. You got to believe me.
Why wouldn't I believe you, Dink?
Where I've been, they don't pay too good.
Thought maybe you could
help out an old friend.
None of us prospered much, Ed.
Think you could offer me a cup of coffee?
Yeah, sure, Ed. Come on in.
Right now I need you
to go after my property.
All right, I'll go after
those little girls of yours.
Soon as my boys are ready.
– Want me to go round up Dink Yeatman?
– No.
I took care of that little snitch for good.
You killed him?
You think that Yeatman snitched on you?
You're a damn fool.
What do you think
you're talking about, Kate?
It wasn't Yeatman.
It was Nola.
I just need to get this cleaned up, ma'am.
I know it's sore but it'll feel
a lot worse if an infection takes hold.
It hurts worse than it looks.
Take this hand, and hold it right on that.
Be right back.
Yeah.
So I guess old boy took
a pretty good whack on his brain pan.
This here's Mr. Lung Hay.
Yeah.
Mr. Lung Hay,
that's some gash you got there.
– You any good at stitching hide, nephew?
– Yeah.
Probably close it up.
Probably put a whip stitch on it.
Yeah. I don't know.
I don't know.
These Chinamen seem to set a lot of stock
on their head's appearance.
Well, what do you recommend?
Well, when I sew a pocket back on my shirt,
– I use a tight little chain stitch.
– Yeah?
See, I want a pretty job on what I wear.
– That'd work.
– Yeah. It's your lucky day.
You're fortunate to have two barbarians
that are experts at repairing top notches.
Got several of these
vicious-looking beauties from
a saddler in Klamath.
They're superb at stitching rawhide
and not bad on scalp work either.
Use this.
Yes.
Sorry again.
– Here.
– Good.
Sock it in there.
Mr. Lung Hay,
you look to be a tough old bird,
but you might want
a little whiskey before we start.
Are you sure? Okay.
Hell, I'll drink it.
All right.
Okay, let her rip, doc.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Easy.
Got a hell of a grip there, Chinaman.
That's good, Nephew. Good.
That's good.
Yeah.
That's not bad. Not bad at all.
Axle grease. Normally I use lard.
This will keep the flies off
and keep it clean, too. See?
There you go.
Good job.
Yeah.
Good.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Ma'am,
I'm Prentice Ritter.
The seamstress is my nephew, Tom Harte.
Tough little wart he's working on
is Mr. Lung Hay.
And these ladies are
One, Three, Four and Five.
Little Number Two died a ways back.
Why don't you get some more sleep?
We'll talk later. All right?
– Thank you.
– Yes, ma'am.
How's he doing?
– He gonna survive?
– Yeah.
He won't bleed out.
Good job, Nephew.
It's all right. It's all right, little girl.
It's all right. It's all right.
It's all right.
It's over.
It's over.
That's it.
It's all right.
It's all right.
Do you reckon we're gonna get
bogged down here by this storm, Mr. Ritter?
No, sir. Summer storm.
Here today, gone tomorrow.
You don't get this in August
back in Virginia, do you?
No, sir, we don't.
It'll be gone by tomorrow afternoon.
You can count on it.
This looks to be a good spot
to stop for a few days.
The horses could use the rest
and so can we.
We got more than a few sore-footed cavvies,
so let's picket them
in the river mud for a day
and cool them hooves out.
How's that woman
and the Chinaman holding up?
Tom did a fine job on the old boy's head.
The woman's all right. Nose is much better.
This deal gets more interesting
by the day, I tell you.
This deal's getting less profitable
by the day.
Never use money to measure wealth, son.
Let's get these sore-footed ones
into the water.
You know back there in John Day,
when I said
I didn't know what went on
between you and your ma, I meant it.
'Cause I know my sister
could be a difficult woman.
Comes from being German and Huguenot,
I suppose.
Huguenot?
That does make for the kind of people
that could up and leave the Cumberland,
my people, to come across this country.
Sure enough makes for a starchy person
to have to live with.
Yeah. No doubt, no doubt.
It was always hard for her, you know,
to reveal her feelings.
Now your pa, he was a regular hand.
Best thing that happened to my sister.
No matter how knotted up she might get,
she couldn't put a dent in him.
He was always, you know, a cheerful fellow.
Yeah.
Well, for all her hard praying,
she was fairly convinced she made it
all the way out here of her own steam.
Ain't nobody made it out here
without some divine luck attached.
You know, she never forgave me
for leaving the ranch.
Look at me, son.
That was a man-sized thing you done
back there with that shit bird, Fender.
And it was appropriate for what he'd done.
You understand?
You didn't blink. That's good, see?
That's good.
Now, we didn't go looking to save no
Orientals and a broken-nosed whore.
It just happened.
Sometimes you just gotta roll
with what's thrown at you, eh?
Yeah.
Yeah.
You know,
I'd like to see more of
your father in you sometimes.
I really would.
Yeah.
Not bad.
Give it a shot.
You must have come early
and got all the good rocks.
You bet.
Oh, a new champion.
There we go.
A little salt. Yeah. Yeah, that's nice.
Yes, ma'am.
My name is Nola. Nola Johns.
Welcome. We eat simple.
Mainly cowboy chuck.
Sit.
Yeah.
There's some biscuits, beans and
fresh antelope shank, Miss Johns.
Thank you.
I made a place for you and the girls to sleep.
Anything else you need, just ask.
Yeah, and we'll try and…
We'll try and keep the snoring down.
– That's good. Thank you.
– Yeah.
You ever been to Richmond
or anywhere back East?
I've never been east of the Mississippi.
Well, it's a little too neat back there for me.
I was fortunate enough
to get a good education
and all it did was make me itch to travel.
I cashed out, packed up
and headed out West.
Nothing like a couple of hot meals
and some sleep to put a shine on things.
– Relax, ruminate and reflect.
– Wild, woolly and hard to curry.
Yeah.
So what kept you out here, Mr. Ritter?
I spent most of my life on
the hurricane deck of a cow pony.
I've had my share of dust up my nose,
busted bones,
my heart stomped on more than once.
And most of that time
I was never worth more than $100.
Most of the time spent out here,
I'd say life's pretty grand.
So what about women?
Women.
The habits and ambitions of women
are more a mystery to me
than Egyptian hieroglyphics.
And I ain't found the Rosetta Stone yet.
So you're saying you led a monk's life, huh?
There's been a few.
One I even set up house with
down in Salida.
Black-haired, green-eyed beauty.
We was bedded but not churched,
you might say.
We had us a nice family for a while.
She even got me baptized.
Yeah, but the truth is
I never had women figured out
and that's a cold, hard fact.
Yeah.
The deal is there ain't enough of them
out here to go around, anyways.
He's always been a pushover for the ladies.
Oh, no.
Nephew,
God ain't made a man that could
stand up to the power that lays
between a woman's thighs.
You see, the hold
that little cooter has on a man's life
is unbreakable.
It can bring a strong man to his knees.
Read your history.
Now, look at the kings and kingdoms
that have fallen to that little split tail.
– Am I right, Heck?
– You are, indeed.
I can only assume you're referring
to the English King Henry.
Didn't exactly bring him to his knees,
but he did tell the Pope to kiss his ass,
and he started his own church
for want of his favorite gal.
Six wives. What a horrible punishment.
Well, I'll stick to horses.
Amen.
Well, don't let my lack of success
put you off.
There's a lot to be said
for the friendship of a woman.
– Lung Hay.
– Yeah.
– Come on over here.
– Yes.
How's the head feeling?
Much better now, thank you.
– Care for a little whiskey, Mr. Lung Hay?
– Thank you. I prefer coffee.
Yeah, well, pour it. Yeah.
Male independence is all well and fine,
but too much, no, sir.
Without marriage and women
we'd all have been drunk,
shot ourselves to death,
or died of the clap.
Hear, hear.
Looks like it's bath time.
Yes, sir.
Freeze your balls off, boys.
Freeze your balls off.
They camped here. Herd went off that way.
I suppose we ought to go that way, too.
– Morning.
– Morning.
– What are you boys up to?
– Fly fishing.
Told you he could play the fiddle.
Sure can. You bet.
Miss Johns, may I?
I'll give it a try.
You're positively weightless, Miss Johns.
You're as light as my biscuits.
Thank you, Miss Johns.
Everybody, Number One, come on, let's go.
Come on.
Chinese say a deaf husband
and a blind wife will make a good marriage.
Watch out, make sure you don't
bump into something out there in the dark.
There's some safe and sobering advice.
Well, the best thing I ever found in my life,
I bumped into in the dark.
Yeah.
Time to turn in,
you fellows take care of the horses.
Yeah.
Make sure you put them
hobbles on the lead mares.
– Yes, sir.
– Good night, Lung Hay. Yes, sir.
You ever been married?
Many years. Still have wife in China.
And what brought you
over here to America?
What is that?
Gold mountain.
All Chinese hear California
was gold mountain.
I come here to be a rich man.
I leave my young wife with my parents.
Now she's old,
parents are dead,
and I'm not rich.
Do you ever think about going back?
Too late, too late.
Why'd you do it, Mr. Ritter?
Why'd you take those girls in?
Well, what was I supposed to do?
Give them a canteen
and a tin of crackers and say "Git"?
Most men in your situation
wouldn't even have done that.
Miss Johns, I am a thoroughly
failed Christian person.
But I wasn't about to leave them out yonder
in the middle of the prairie. No, sir.
And I didn't have
no carnal designs on them, neither,
if that's what you was thinking.
I never had that thought about you,
Mr. Ritter.
And it's Mrs. Johns.
How'd you wind up in the employ
of Miss Big Rump?
One dance with a girl and you want to
know all about her, Mr. Ritter.
Cal got a job freighting supplies
for a mining camp
until he drove off the switchback.
They had to take his legs off.
I clerked for a dry goods store
and he just sat
in the boarding house all day.
They came to the store the first day of May
to tell me he had shot himself.
I didn't have any family to turn to.
It's a rough trade, Mr. Ritter.
Easy enough for you men
but rough when you're on the receiving end.
I was in Rock Springs,
this man split my scalp with a bottle
and dumped me out the back door.
It was the middle of November.
When they found me the next morning,
my hair was frozen to the ground.
They had to cut it off.
Know what a whore with no hair
is worth in this world, Mr. Ritter?
Hair grows out, life goes on.
But time is against you.
Yeah, there's nothing more unforgiving
than time.
You start out in the parlor houses.
Soon you're in the rooming house
at the end of town.
Next are the cribs down the line.
And then it's the hog ranch.
It's the last rung.
I'm more than halfway down that ladder
toward the hog ranch
– and that's the truth of it.
– Yeah.
Guess you're down on men.
Not all.
I once had a miner pay me
just so he could watch
while I hung clothes on the line.
Never touched me.
He was a young man, too.
You still think you want to go
dancing with me, Mr. Ritter?
Who you getting all spruced up for?
Us?
None of your business.
Hey.
I've never seen you smoking before.
Night like this calls for a smoke.
Yeah.
This feels good.
You got to try it.
Yeah.
– Pretty good.
– It's really good.
Never could swim.
I was always afraid of water,
but this is all right.
Nice.
You really think women are so puzzling?
I heard you talking the other night.
Oh, you mean the Rosetta Stone?
Yeah, well…
I had some bad luck.
What was it you really wanted
from a woman?
See, this could be
a two or three-smoke night.
I mean, same as most fellows, I suppose.
Now what did you call it?
A bright, brief moment.
How about a partner, a companion.
Someone to keep your feet warm at night.
Like a…
A heart as true as a rancher's wife.
You're quite the romantic, Mr. Ritter.
No. Romance is for pikers.
I ain't talking about infatuation.
I'm talking about something
way beyond romance.
Bone deep.
You feel it just between the two of you.
Now, if you stub your right toe,
the left toe feels it.
Ain't no he or she, or you or me.
You're both just one.
You sound like an expert on the subject.
I don't know what the hell
I'm talking about. I'm just carrying on.
But I do know it does belong
just to the lucky few.
But not for most folks, huh?
Nope. Nope.
That's why there's so many
hard-edged and fearful people out there.
It's like living your life without salt.
You don't seem to lack any salt in your diet.
You know, all hard-edged and scared.
I get spooked same as everyone.
– Really?
– Yeah.
When?
I get rousted out of my sleep sometimes
for nature's call.
I find there's something frightening
about that hour of the night.
'Cause there ain't no fooling yourself
about what you've done
or what you haven't done with your life.
So what do you do?
I try like hell to get back to sleep.
So have you given up on women?
What was that?
Have you given up on women?
No, ma'am.
But I figure I got about
as much chance of finding that gal
as becoming King of Siam.
I have a hard time seeing you
as the King of Siam, Mr. Ritter.
You think you could call me Print?
Now, everybody calls me Mr. Ritter.
Well, I like to think that when I say it,
it has a different ring to it.
Yeah.
You have a unique sense of humor,
Mrs. Johns.
– Shall we go?
– Yeah.
Yup.
Easy, now. Here you go.
You know something,
I'd pay $40 just to watch you
hang laundry all day long.
No, I really would. I would.
You're a good woman.
You really are.
A bit of fall in the air.
All the more reason to push on.
Before we get caught in those passes.
Might be a handful this morning.
Well, we'll wheel them once, send them on.
– Okay?
– Yep.
Yep, yep, yep.
Yeah.
Like to try that fly fishing someday.
Really would.
All right?
No!
Good Lord.
Poor girl.
From the sweet grass to the packing house.
Birth till death.
We travel between the eternities.
There you go.
– We got some company, Mr. Ritter.
– Well, yeah.
Could be Piegan
but I'm fairly certain they're Crow.
You converse in Crow?
– Hell, no. Can you?
– Yes, sir.
I can muddle my way through pretty good.
Well, let's muddle on
and see what these lads want.
He says that we're crossing their land
and that we must pay.
What's the tariff?
He says it's gonna cost us two horses
to cross their ancient hunting grounds.
Tell them they can have one horse,
their pick.
They say two.
I say bullshit.
Tell them I'm an old man
and that I'm sick and dying.
Tell them I don't give a shit
if I die today or tomorrow. One horse.
Why would these good looking women
be with these ugly white men?
Two horses.
Tell them to go pick out the other one.
Come on, boys.
Hey.
It might not be anything at all
but it just feels like we're being dogged.
Well, maybe.
You push on ahead.
Pick out a good camp spot.
I'll give you as much distance as I can,
stretch the herd out.
Then I'll bring up the drag pretty quick.
All right.
Hello, Nola.
Print.
Stay in the dark, find a spot.
Where's Gilpin?
He's found his spot.
The rest are in the wagon off to the east.
– Where are you going to set?
– Well,
I'm gonna sit right here like a
big piece of cheese
waiting for the rats to come in.
And that's your plan?
Well, can't shoot it out with these fellows.
Gonna have to face them
and listen to what they have to say.
And then what?
Well,
find your spot and play it by ear.
There, there, there, there.
All right.
Yeah.
Evening.
Saw your campfire.
Thought you might share some coffee.
I'm fresh out of coffee.
But come on in, make yourself at home.
Too late for supper?
Supper's over. You know, done.
Where's the rest of your party?
That ain't none of your concern.
I think you might be traveling
with an old friend of mine.
Oh, I doubt that.
Well, maybe you should check with her.
We go back a ways.
You got shit in your ears, mister?
I told you it ain't none of your concern.
You don't run a very friendly camp,
do you, mister?
Well, you've been cutting my sign all day
and now you come riding in at night
with a hard lot.
What do you expect?
Well, I thought maybe
we'd do some horse business.
I ain't in the horse business,
more a sideline with me.
– What business you in?
– Blanket business.
What blankets?
Well, I sell blankets, mostly to Injuns
and any others in need
of smallpox or, you know, typhoid.
Whatever.
I ain't afraid of no blankets, mister.
Well, as nosy as you are, I figured you
must have heard of the name Smallpox Bob.
My friends call me Chickenpox Bob.
I'll burn you down right where you stand.
Nobody talks to me that way and lives.
I didn't ride in on the turnip wagon, mister.
Well, tonight's your night.
Now, I'll tell you what,
I'll give you a good price on this blanket.
Tonight's your night, I'll give you that.
Have you ever seen a white man's face
with the pox?
The pox!
The pox! Hell, giddyup.
The pox!
I'll meet up with you again!
I'll be waiting.
Hey.
Let's get out of here.
We gotta put some distance
between us and them fellows.
Hold your nose, boys.
Going by the hog ranch.
Ladies.
Morning, folks.
I'm Bill Miller, Sheriff out of Sheridan.
These men are my deputies.
Who's the jigger boss here?
You men care for coffee?
No, thank you.
Ain't got time.
– You the honcho here?
– Yeah, I am. This is my party.
Well, that's a good looking bunch
of horses you got there.
– Yep.
– You got papers on them, I suppose.
You bet.
You got a badge, I suppose.
Well, no need to get puffed up.
I should be eating ham and eggs
at the Blue Goose back in Sheridan.
Instead I'm out here
sleeping on the ground, eating jerky,
looking for a horse thief and a killer.
Yeah.
I'm after a pretty rough lot
run by a fellow named Big Ears Bywater.
I guess you can't be
on the other side of the law
and not have some ridiculous name
attached to your reputation.
Why do they call him that?
Well, they say he can hear a horse
at 20 miles.
Well, he paid me a visit the other night.
Well, now, can you tell me
which way he was headed?
No, sir.
He came into my camp, then he went out.
Well, Big Ears ain't a name
he responds well to.
And don't let that name fool you,
any of you.
That man's a killer and he's a horse thief.
My plan is to catch up with him right quick.
With any luck, I'll be wearing his ears
on my watch chain.
Y'all steer clear of anybody you don't know.
Folks in Carbon County
don't take to yamping livestock.
Don't dally long here, Mr. Ritter.
You'll sleep better.
Ladies.
Must be 500 head.
We can't do nothing with a herd that size.
No, except take them into Canada.
I ain't driving no herd through 800 miles
in which I can get shot or jailed.
We ain't gonna do nothing.
Let them fools do the work.
We'll dog them all the way to market.
Number One.
I want to tell you something.
Now,
birds fly to water in the evening
and away from water in the morning.
To water in the evening
and away from water in the morning.
Remember that.
Now, this here is for you.
That is you.
Number One, meet Number One.
It's yours. You take it.
Here, put it under your chin.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
In a week-and-a-half
she'll be better than you are, Heck.
I don't doubt it, Mr. Ritter.
I think we got a child prodigy on our hands.
Ma'am, thought you might like
a cup of coffee.
You seemed quiet at supper.
I heard you talking to Tom,
that we were just a few days from Sheridan.
Yes, ma'am.
Well, do you have any plans of
what you're gonna do once you get there?
Not yet. I have a few days to think about it.
How about you?
You made any plans?
Well, I was gonna wait for you.
I thought you might mention something.
Truthfully, it didn't occur to me.
Well, obviously.
Was that an error on my part, ma'am?
Of course not.
Why don't you take your coffee and go find
somewhere to have a smoke, Mr. Ritter?
I didn't mean to offend you.
Good night, Mr. Ritter.
We gotta redirect and cut north.
I thought you said it was too late
to hit the Lander Cutoff.
It is.
But I don't want to lose the herd
to a horse thief.
If it's too late to hit Lander's,
then how are you planning on heading?
Well, we gotta drive them straight north
to the Big Horns
and then take them over the Whale's Back.
Oh, and I want them
in Moncrieffe's pens and paid for.
All right?
Same as me.
What's a Whale's Back?
It's a tricky piece of real estate
that we gotta navigate.
I know it's dicey
but it'll save us time and maybe the herd.
Well, how about we forget that part?
I got 25% of the vote around here.
I'm for making a stand
and killing that son of a bitch now.
Well,
you can start by washing the dishes.
And after that, don't take on
more than you can handle. Okay?
Well, in case you hadn't noticed,
I've been handling things just fine
for the last 800 miles.
Listen to me.
I know Ed Bywaters.
Remember I told you about that man
that split my head open?
My hair frozen to the ground.
Ed Bywaters.
Damn.
Good thing you didn't tell me
how steep it was.
Well, it don't matter.
One way or another, we're going up this hill
and over the top. That's it.
They want us to climb up there?
It's too high.
It looks steep.
It's too high. It's too high.
Figure on freighting that wagon
over the pass?
No, sir. No, sir.
We keep the mules
and leave everything else behind.
Now, what I want you to do
is put Number Three on a horse.
Her name's Sun Fu.
I know what her name is.
Just let her ride alone.
Mrs. Johns can double up
with Ging Wing Ring, Number One.
I'll take the little girl with me.
What about Lung Hay?
I doubt he's too handy on a horse.
– I reckon the same goes for Ms. Johns.
– Yeah.
Unhitch the mules.
I'll lead the way. Keep the herd together.
We can't stop at all.
Now, let's do it. Let's go. This is it.
That's it, boys. Steady.
Come on!
Come on.
Okay.
Yeah.
Hold on. Hold on.
– Mr. Moncrieffe?
– I am.
My name's Ritter, Prentice Ritter.
I wired you in April
about bringing horses from Oregon.
Oh, aye, the man from Oregon.
Welcome, welcome.
We've been waiting for your arrival
with some anticipation, Mr. Ritter.
I'm not sure I understand that, sir.
Well, Sheriff Miller wired me from Cody
a few days ago asking about you.
He said he met you up there
on the buffalo range.
Oh, yeah, back there on…
Yeah, he did.
He was in a sweat
to catch some horse thieves, see.
I rode ahead to tell you
that we're coming in.
Who's your trail hand here?
Well, this here is Ging something or other.
I call her Number Five.
And would you mind if I leave her with you
and go back to the herd?
No, no, no.
She can keep Miss Foster company
in the kitchen for a wee while.
I'll lend you some lads to go out
with you, help you bring them in.
Where would you like me
to put these cavvies?
Put them over
in the south pasture corrals over there.
Keep them separated for a week.
– All right? Good.
– Yes, sir.
– Howdy.
– My nephew, Tom Harte.
– You put on a good show, Mr. Harte.
– Thank you.
– Congratulations.
– Yes, sir. Thank you.
I'll settle up with Moncrieffe.
Well, I thought I'd be a part of that.
Well, no need for that.
I've got your interests covered.
– Come on in.
– Yes, sir.
Now, I can write you a check
to the Stockman and Merchants Bank
in Denver, if you like,
but I find most people these days
prefer cash.
What would you prefer, Mr. Ritter?
Maybe we should work up the figure first.
All right, by all means.
Does that grab your fancy?
– Wasn't expecting that much.
– Aye, well…
You know, between the British Army
needing horses for the Boer War
and your army needing them
for that Spanish-American dustup,
the price of horseflesh has gone
through the roof.
Makes me sound like a war profiteer.
Can you live with that?
More than live with that, Malcolm.
You bet I can.
– Cash?
– Yes, sir.
A couple of times back there I didn't think
this transaction was gonna happen.
No, I'm sure you didn't.
– Well, you're good and safe now.
– Thank you.
Now, that's a good deal of money.
Got any plans?
Right now, a hot bath and clean clothes.
I meant, you got any plans for your wealth?
Not sure.
Been thinking of getting some land,
you know.
Right now I'm kind of wore out
so I'm gonna take my people into the town
for some hot water, soap
and some shopping.
I'm afraid I'm gonna have to be a wee bit
remiss in my duties as a host tomorrow.
Me and the lads have to take a herd
over to the Wallop Ranch.
We'll be back by nightfall.
Now, you'll be all right here on your own?
Miss Foster, my housekeeper,
is gonna be here, so…
Yes, sir. Do you need any help or…
Oh, no, no, thank you.
We'll be back by suppertime.
It's a great pleasure
to have a table full of people here.
A very rare occasion for us to hear this.
Thank you for coming.
Ging Wa. Ging Wa.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to propose a toast
to your successful venture.
Thank you.
Honkle Pren.
Well, look here.
Off to bed now.
Bedtime.
Yeah.
– Come on, baby.
– That's it.
There you go.
Which pocket? Come on.
Which one? Come on.
How about that one?
You got it? Yeah?
Okay, sweet dreams, now.
Good night.
I want to thank you, Mr. Ritter,
for everything you've done for us.
You've been so kind to me and the girls.
You've been so generous.
Well, you're so very welcome. You really are.
So, what are your plans now?
Well, I thought I'd step outside for a smoke.
That's not what I meant.
Yeah, well…
I had a long talk with Lung Hay.
I proposed that you and he take
the girls to San Francisco.
He says there's a place
that will look after them
in a more permanent way.
And you volunteered my services?
Yes, ma'am.
Well, that's very…
That's very kind of you. Thank you.
If Ging Wa is fit to travel,
then I shall make plans immediately.
Now, hold on now, lady. Hold on.
There's no need to rush off.
Well, there's no need to delay, either.
I can be ready tomorrow if necessary.
Yeah.
Every time I talk to you these days, you
seem to have a sudden urge for tobacco.
I won't smoke.
Yeah.
I've been thinking of going into Sheridan
to find out about real estate,
then mosey around some, you know.
Yeah, and…
You know,
I never told many people this before.
My one attempt
at having a family and settling down
turned out badly.
Now, I'm neither brave enough
nor strong enough to go that way again.
No, no.
And you see,
at one time I had… We had
a sweet baby child, a beautiful child,
and she… Excuse me.
She never reached seven years.
It was a horse-related accident,
my fault, you see.
And even today it's hard to talk about.
And I haven't got it right since.
Yeah.
Well…
Well, I think I'll
go have that smoke.
Excuse me.
How you doing?
Where are you off to?
I'm gonna get me a smoke
before I turn in.
What about you?
I figured I'd take off early in the morning,
go after some of those strays
that missed the pen.
Get some money on their hooves.
Speaking of money…
What's this? We weren't supposed to get
this much for the horses.
Son, I couldn't borrow enough back home
to buy the herd so I sold out.
– You sold out?
– I did
in order to make this financial deal possible.
Well, who gave you authority?
Excuse me?
In case you've forgotten, your mother did.
Yeah, she willed you the ranch.
She didn't tell you to sell it.
Look, I didn't take this deal
just to sell some horses.
I wanted to straighten out
some family wrongs.
Give you a new start, explore possibilities.
Now, I've still got eyes.
I've been seeing the way you been moving
around that Number Three gal,
which is all right.
So, that's your share of the proceeds
and then some.
That should square it
between you and your ma.
What about you and me?
More than square.
Old Bob Tate's gonna be good as new.
Yeah, take me into Sheridan
and buy me some land.
Hello, Nola.
Girls!
Print! Print!
It's Nola!
What?
He's in the barn!
Go around back!
You see this?
Honkle Pren. Honkle Pren.
Don't hurt the children.
I told you we'd meet again, old man.
I know what I'm gonna do
with Nola and her little friends there.
The question is,
what am I gonna do
with an old goat like you?
How about it, old goat?
What was that?
– Are you a praying man, shit bird?
– Yeah.
Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Yeah, well, you just keep going.
You'll be a praying man
by the time I leave my mark on you.
First thing I'm gonna do with you,
I'm gonna nail your credentials
to this log here.
Then I'm gonna push you over backwards.
Let's see what kind of savvy
you got then, huh?
When I'm through with you,
you're gonna wish the Mandan squaws
had got a hold of you, Mr. Blanket Man.
– You about through?
– Yeah.
All right, 'cause you just booked yourself
a ticket to hell.
You're gonna leave this world
a toothless, desperate old man.
You will not hurt these children. No, sir.
– Honkle Pren.
– Honkle Pren.
Everyone all right? No one's hurt?
Good job.
It's all right.
Tom.
– Where's Heck?
– Dead.
Thanks, son.
Cut his ears off and send them
to that marshal in Sheridan.
Yeah.
You all right?
Yeah.
Yes, sir.
Whoa! Whoa!
Here you go.
Number One, bye.
Well, buckaroo. Ging Wa.
Last one, buckaroo.
Thought I had this all worked out.
I reckon I got something to say to you.
I know you can't understand my words
but you can hear me.
I want to know how to
get in touch with you some day.
I want to know that things turned out,
that you had a good life.
Thank you.
Most men are afraid of failure in this world.
It seems like some are afraid of success.
Goodbye, Mr. Ritter.
This is for Mr. Ritter.
Let's go.
Dear Mr. Ritter,
I hope this letter finds you well.
I'm embarrassed it's been so long
since last I wrote to you.
Spring must almost be over at Siam Bend.
You have no idea how it touched me
to learn the name you've given
to that point on the river.
I seem so preoccupied with time these days.
You told me, right there on the river, that
nothing was more unforgiving than time.
Honey, you would not recognize me
as time can be ruthless,
especially to women.
You, on the other hand, I'm sure,
are as stout and straight as a ridge pole.
Ghee Moon and Ging Wa have grown
into wonderful young ladies.
I see them often
and they always ask of you.
Promise me that you will not laugh
at an old woman
when I tell you I still dream of the time I sat
and splashed my feet in the water with you.
There are so many things one wishes
they might change about their lives.
I want to say that it is you and you alone
who will abide in me in my final hour.
Thank you, Mr. Ritter,
for giving me back my life
even if I could not share it with you.
With warmest thoughts, Nola Johns.
We're all travelers in this world.
From the sweet grass to the packing house.
Birth till death.
We travel between the eternities.
That you, Ed?
Didn't recognize me or just figured
you'd never see me again?
Ed, I had nothing to do with you being
sent up. You got to believe me.
Why wouldn't I believe you, Dink?
Where I've been, they don't pay too good.
Thought maybe you could
help out an old friend.
None of us prospered much, Ed.
Think you could offer me a cup of coffee?
Yeah, sure, Ed. Come on in.
Right now I need you
to go after my property.
All right, I'll go after
those little girls of yours.
Soon as my boys are ready.
– Want me to go round up Dink Yeatman?
– No.
I took care of that little snitch for good.
You killed him?
You think that Yeatman snitched on you?
You're a damn fool.
What do you think
you're talking about, Kate?
It wasn't Yeatman.
It was Nola.
I just need to get this cleaned up, ma'am.
I know it's sore but it'll feel
a lot worse if an infection takes hold.
It hurts worse than it looks.
Take this hand, and hold it right on that.
Be right back.
Yeah.
So I guess old boy took
a pretty good whack on his brain pan.
This here's Mr. Lung Hay.
Yeah.
Mr. Lung Hay,
that's some gash you got there.
– You any good at stitching hide, nephew?
– Yeah.
Probably close it up.
Probably put a whip stitch on it.
Yeah. I don't know.
I don't know.
These Chinamen seem to set a lot of stock
on their head's appearance.
Well, what do you recommend?
Well, when I sew a pocket back on my shirt,
– I use a tight little chain stitch.
– Yeah?
See, I want a pretty job on what I wear.
– That'd work.
– Yeah. It's your lucky day.
You're fortunate to have two barbarians
that are experts at repairing top notches.
Got several of these
vicious-looking beauties from
a saddler in Klamath.
They're superb at stitching rawhide
and not bad on scalp work either.
Use this.
Yes.
Sorry again.
– Here.
– Good.
Sock it in there.
Mr. Lung Hay,
you look to be a tough old bird,
but you might want
a little whiskey before we start.
Are you sure? Okay.
Hell, I'll drink it.
All right.
Okay, let her rip, doc.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Easy.
Got a hell of a grip there, Chinaman.
That's good, Nephew. Good.
That's good.
Yeah.
That's not bad. Not bad at all.
Axle grease. Normally I use lard.
This will keep the flies off
and keep it clean, too. See?
There you go.
Good job.
Yeah.
Good.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Ma'am,
I'm Prentice Ritter.
The seamstress is my nephew, Tom Harte.
Tough little wart he's working on
is Mr. Lung Hay.
And these ladies are
One, Three, Four and Five.
Little Number Two died a ways back.
Why don't you get some more sleep?
We'll talk later. All right?
– Thank you.
– Yes, ma'am.
How's he doing?
– He gonna survive?
– Yeah.
He won't bleed out.
Good job, Nephew.
It's all right. It's all right, little girl.
It's all right. It's all right.
It's all right.
It's over.
It's over.
That's it.
It's all right.
It's all right.
Do you reckon we're gonna get
bogged down here by this storm, Mr. Ritter?
No, sir. Summer storm.
Here today, gone tomorrow.
You don't get this in August
back in Virginia, do you?
No, sir, we don't.
It'll be gone by tomorrow afternoon.
You can count on it.
This looks to be a good spot
to stop for a few days.
The horses could use the rest
and so can we.
We got more than a few sore-footed cavvies,
so let's picket them
in the river mud for a day
and cool them hooves out.
How's that woman
and the Chinaman holding up?
Tom did a fine job on the old boy's head.
The woman's all right. Nose is much better.
This deal gets more interesting
by the day, I tell you.
This deal's getting less profitable
by the day.
Never use money to measure wealth, son.
Let's get these sore-footed ones
into the water.
You know back there in John Day,
when I said
I didn't know what went on
between you and your ma, I meant it.
'Cause I know my sister
could be a difficult woman.
Comes from being German and Huguenot,
I suppose.
Huguenot?
That does make for the kind of people
that could up and leave the Cumberland,
my people, to come across this country.
Sure enough makes for a starchy person
to have to live with.
Yeah. No doubt, no doubt.
It was always hard for her, you know,
to reveal her feelings.
Now your pa, he was a regular hand.
Best thing that happened to my sister.
No matter how knotted up she might get,
she couldn't put a dent in him.
He was always, you know, a cheerful fellow.
Yeah.
Well, for all her hard praying,
she was fairly convinced she made it
all the way out here of her own steam.
Ain't nobody made it out here
without some divine luck attached.
You know, she never forgave me
for leaving the ranch.
Look at me, son.
That was a man-sized thing you done
back there with that shit bird, Fender.
And it was appropriate for what he'd done.
You understand?
You didn't blink. That's good, see?
That's good.
Now, we didn't go looking to save no
Orientals and a broken-nosed whore.
It just happened.
Sometimes you just gotta roll
with what's thrown at you, eh?
Yeah.
Yeah.
You know,
I'd like to see more of
your father in you sometimes.
I really would.
Yeah.
Not bad.
Give it a shot.
You must have come early
and got all the good rocks.
You bet.
Oh, a new champion.
There we go.
A little salt. Yeah. Yeah, that's nice.
Yes, ma'am.
My name is Nola. Nola Johns.
Welcome. We eat simple.
Mainly cowboy chuck.
Sit.
Yeah.
There's some biscuits, beans and
fresh antelope shank, Miss Johns.
Thank you.
I made a place for you and the girls to sleep.
Anything else you need, just ask.
Yeah, and we'll try and…
We'll try and keep the snoring down.
– That's good. Thank you.
– Yeah.
You ever been to Richmond
or anywhere back East?
I've never been east of the Mississippi.
Well, it's a little too neat back there for me.
I was fortunate enough
to get a good education
and all it did was make me itch to travel.
I cashed out, packed up
and headed out West.
Nothing like a couple of hot meals
and some sleep to put a shine on things.
– Relax, ruminate and reflect.
– Wild, woolly and hard to curry.
Yeah.
So what kept you out here, Mr. Ritter?
I spent most of my life on
the hurricane deck of a cow pony.
I've had my share of dust up my nose,
busted bones,
my heart stomped on more than once.
And most of that time
I was never worth more than $100.
Most of the time spent out here,
I'd say life's pretty grand.
So what about women?
Women.
The habits and ambitions of women
are more a mystery to me
than Egyptian hieroglyphics.
And I ain't found the Rosetta Stone yet.
So you're saying you led a monk's life, huh?
There's been a few.
One I even set up house with
down in Salida.
Black-haired, green-eyed beauty.
We was bedded but not churched,
you might say.
We had us a nice family for a while.
She even got me baptized.
Yeah, but the truth is
I never had women figured out
and that's a cold, hard fact.
Yeah.
The deal is there ain't enough of them
out here to go around, anyways.
He's always been a pushover for the ladies.
Oh, no.
Nephew,
God ain't made a man that could
stand up to the power that lays
between a woman's thighs.
You see, the hold
that little cooter has on a man's life
is unbreakable.
It can bring a strong man to his knees.
Read your history.
Now, look at the kings and kingdoms
that have fallen to that little split tail.
– Am I right, Heck?
– You are, indeed.
I can only assume you're referring
to the English King Henry.
Didn't exactly bring him to his knees,
but he did tell the Pope to kiss his ass,
and he started his own church
for want of his favorite gal.
Six wives. What a horrible punishment.
Well, I'll stick to horses.
Amen.
Well, don't let my lack of success
put you off.
There's a lot to be said
for the friendship of a woman.
– Lung Hay.
– Yeah.
– Come on over here.
– Yes.
How's the head feeling?
Much better now, thank you.
– Care for a little whiskey, Mr. Lung Hay?
– Thank you. I prefer coffee.
Yeah, well, pour it. Yeah.
Male independence is all well and fine,
but too much, no, sir.
Without marriage and women
we'd all have been drunk,
shot ourselves to death,
or died of the clap.
Hear, hear.
Looks like it's bath time.
Yes, sir.
Freeze your balls off, boys.
Freeze your balls off.
They camped here. Herd went off that way.
I suppose we ought to go that way, too.
– Morning.
– Morning.
– What are you boys up to?
– Fly fishing.
Told you he could play the fiddle.
Sure can. You bet.
Miss Johns, may I?
I'll give it a try.
You're positively weightless, Miss Johns.
You're as light as my biscuits.
Thank you, Miss Johns.
Everybody, Number One, come on, let's go.
Come on.
Chinese say a deaf husband
and a blind wife will make a good marriage.
Watch out, make sure you don't
bump into something out there in the dark.
There's some safe and sobering advice.
Well, the best thing I ever found in my life,
I bumped into in the dark.
Yeah.
Time to turn in,
you fellows take care of the horses.
Yeah.
Make sure you put them
hobbles on the lead mares.
– Yes, sir.
– Good night, Lung Hay. Yes, sir.
You ever been married?
Many years. Still have wife in China.
And what brought you
over here to America?
What is that?
Gold mountain.
All Chinese hear California
was gold mountain.
I come here to be a rich man.
I leave my young wife with my parents.
Now she's old,
parents are dead,
and I'm not rich.
Do you ever think about going back?
Too late, too late.
Why'd you do it, Mr. Ritter?
Why'd you take those girls in?
Well, what was I supposed to do?
Give them a canteen
and a tin of crackers and say "Git"?
Most men in your situation
wouldn't even have done that.
Miss Johns, I am a thoroughly
failed Christian person.
But I wasn't about to leave them out yonder
in the middle of the prairie. No, sir.
And I didn't have
no carnal designs on them, neither,
if that's what you was thinking.
I never had that thought about you,
Mr. Ritter.
And it's Mrs. Johns.
How'd you wind up in the employ
of Miss Big Rump?
One dance with a girl and you want to
know all about her, Mr. Ritter.
Cal got a job freighting supplies
for a mining camp
until he drove off the switchback.
They had to take his legs off.
I clerked for a dry goods store
and he just sat
in the boarding house all day.
They came to the store the first day of May
to tell me he had shot himself.
I didn't have any family to turn to.
It's a rough trade, Mr. Ritter.
Easy enough for you men
but rough when you're on the receiving end.
I was in Rock Springs,
this man split my scalp with a bottle
and dumped me out the back door.
It was the middle of November.
When they found me the next morning,
my hair was frozen to the ground.
They had to cut it off.
Know what a whore with no hair
is worth in this world, Mr. Ritter?
Hair grows out, life goes on.
But time is against you.
Yeah, there's nothing more unforgiving
than time.
You start out in the parlor houses.
Soon you're in the rooming house
at the end of town.
Next are the cribs down the line.
And then it's the hog ranch.
It's the last rung.
I'm more than halfway down that ladder
toward the hog ranch
– and that's the truth of it.
– Yeah.
Guess you're down on men.
Not all.
I once had a miner pay me
just so he could watch
while I hung clothes on the line.
Never touched me.
He was a young man, too.
You still think you want to go
dancing with me, Mr. Ritter?
Who you getting all spruced up for?
Us?
None of your business.
Hey.
I've never seen you smoking before.
Night like this calls for a smoke.
Yeah.
This feels good.
You got to try it.
Yeah.
– Pretty good.
– It's really good.
Never could swim.
I was always afraid of water,
but this is all right.
Nice.
You really think women are so puzzling?
I heard you talking the other night.
Oh, you mean the Rosetta Stone?
Yeah, well…
I had some bad luck.
What was it you really wanted
from a woman?
See, this could be
a two or three-smoke night.
I mean, same as most fellows, I suppose.
Now what did you call it?
A bright, brief moment.
How about a partner, a companion.
Someone to keep your feet warm at night.
Like a…
A heart as true as a rancher's wife.
You're quite the romantic, Mr. Ritter.
No. Romance is for pikers.
I ain't talking about infatuation.
I'm talking about something
way beyond romance.
Bone deep.
You feel it just between the two of you.
Now, if you stub your right toe,
the left toe feels it.
Ain't no he or she, or you or me.
You're both just one.
You sound like an expert on the subject.
I don't know what the hell
I'm talking about. I'm just carrying on.
But I do know it does belong
just to the lucky few.
But not for most folks, huh?
Nope. Nope.
That's why there's so many
hard-edged and fearful people out there.
It's like living your life without salt.
You don't seem to lack any salt in your diet.
You know, all hard-edged and scared.
I get spooked same as everyone.
– Really?
– Yeah.
When?
I get rousted out of my sleep sometimes
for nature's call.
I find there's something frightening
about that hour of the night.
'Cause there ain't no fooling yourself
about what you've done
or what you haven't done with your life.
So what do you do?
I try like hell to get back to sleep.
So have you given up on women?
What was that?
Have you given up on women?
No, ma'am.
But I figure I got about
as much chance of finding that gal
as becoming King of Siam.
I have a hard time seeing you
as the King of Siam, Mr. Ritter.
You think you could call me Print?
Now, everybody calls me Mr. Ritter.
Well, I like to think that when I say it,
it has a different ring to it.
Yeah.
You have a unique sense of humor,
Mrs. Johns.
– Shall we go?
– Yeah.
Yup.
Easy, now. Here you go.
You know something,
I'd pay $40 just to watch you
hang laundry all day long.
No, I really would. I would.
You're a good woman.
You really are.
A bit of fall in the air.
All the more reason to push on.
Before we get caught in those passes.
Might be a handful this morning.
Well, we'll wheel them once, send them on.
– Okay?
– Yep.
Yep, yep, yep.
Yeah.
Like to try that fly fishing someday.
Really would.
All right?
No!
Good Lord.
Poor girl.
From the sweet grass to the packing house.
Birth till death.
We travel between the eternities.
There you go.
– We got some company, Mr. Ritter.
– Well, yeah.
Could be Piegan
but I'm fairly certain they're Crow.
You converse in Crow?
– Hell, no. Can you?
– Yes, sir.
I can muddle my way through pretty good.
Well, let's muddle on
and see what these lads want.
He says that we're crossing their land
and that we must pay.
What's the tariff?
He says it's gonna cost us two horses
to cross their ancient hunting grounds.
Tell them they can have one horse,
their pick.
They say two.
I say bullshit.
Tell them I'm an old man
and that I'm sick and dying.
Tell them I don't give a shit
if I die today or tomorrow. One horse.
Why would these good looking women
be with these ugly white men?
Two horses.
Tell them to go pick out the other one.
Come on, boys.
Hey.
It might not be anything at all
but it just feels like we're being dogged.
Well, maybe.
You push on ahead.
Pick out a good camp spot.
I'll give you as much distance as I can,
stretch the herd out.
Then I'll bring up the drag pretty quick.
All right.
Hello, Nola.
Print.
Stay in the dark, find a spot.
Where's Gilpin?
He's found his spot.
The rest are in the wagon off to the east.
– Where are you going to set?
– Well,
I'm gonna sit right here like a
big piece of cheese
waiting for the rats to come in.
And that's your plan?
Well, can't shoot it out with these fellows.
Gonna have to face them
and listen to what they have to say.
And then what?
Well,
find your spot and play it by ear.
There, there, there, there.
All right.
Yeah.
Evening.
Saw your campfire.
Thought you might share some coffee.
I'm fresh out of coffee.
But come on in, make yourself at home.
Too late for supper?
Supper's over. You know, done.
Where's the rest of your party?
That ain't none of your concern.
I think you might be traveling
with an old friend of mine.
Oh, I doubt that.
Well, maybe you should check with her.
We go back a ways.
You got shit in your ears, mister?
I told you it ain't none of your concern.
You don't run a very friendly camp,
do you, mister?
Well, you've been cutting my sign all day
and now you come riding in at night
with a hard lot.
What do you expect?
Well, I thought maybe
we'd do some horse business.
I ain't in the horse business,
more a sideline with me.
– What business you in?
– Blanket business.
What blankets?
Well, I sell blankets, mostly to Injuns
and any others in need
of smallpox or, you know, typhoid.
Whatever.
I ain't afraid of no blankets, mister.
Well, as nosy as you are, I figured you
must have heard of the name Smallpox Bob.
My friends call me Chickenpox Bob.
I'll burn you down right where you stand.
Nobody talks to me that way and lives.
I didn't ride in on the turnip wagon, mister.
Well, tonight's your night.
Now, I'll tell you what,
I'll give you a good price on this blanket.
Tonight's your night, I'll give you that.
Have you ever seen a white man's face
with the pox?
The pox!
The pox! Hell, giddyup.
The pox!
I'll meet up with you again!
I'll be waiting.
Hey.
Let's get out of here.
We gotta put some distance
between us and them fellows.
Hold your nose, boys.
Going by the hog ranch.
Ladies.
Morning, folks.
I'm Bill Miller, Sheriff out of Sheridan.
These men are my deputies.
Who's the jigger boss here?
You men care for coffee?
No, thank you.
Ain't got time.
– You the honcho here?
– Yeah, I am. This is my party.
Well, that's a good looking bunch
of horses you got there.
– Yep.
– You got papers on them, I suppose.
You bet.
You got a badge, I suppose.
Well, no need to get puffed up.
I should be eating ham and eggs
at the Blue Goose back in Sheridan.
Instead I'm out here
sleeping on the ground, eating jerky,
looking for a horse thief and a killer.
Yeah.
I'm after a pretty rough lot
run by a fellow named Big Ears Bywater.
I guess you can't be
on the other side of the law
and not have some ridiculous name
attached to your reputation.
Why do they call him that?
Well, they say he can hear a horse
at 20 miles.
Well, he paid me a visit the other night.
Well, now, can you tell me
which way he was headed?
No, sir.
He came into my camp, then he went out.
Well, Big Ears ain't a name
he responds well to.
And don't let that name fool you,
any of you.
That man's a killer and he's a horse thief.
My plan is to catch up with him right quick.
With any luck, I'll be wearing his ears
on my watch chain.
Y'all steer clear of anybody you don't know.
Folks in Carbon County
don't take to yamping livestock.
Don't dally long here, Mr. Ritter.
You'll sleep better.
Ladies.
Must be 500 head.
We can't do nothing with a herd that size.
No, except take them into Canada.
I ain't driving no herd through 800 miles
in which I can get shot or jailed.
We ain't gonna do nothing.
Let them fools do the work.
We'll dog them all the way to market.
Number One.
I want to tell you something.
Now,
birds fly to water in the evening
and away from water in the morning.
To water in the evening
and away from water in the morning.
Remember that.
Now, this here is for you.
That is you.
Number One, meet Number One.
It's yours. You take it.
Here, put it under your chin.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
In a week-and-a-half
she'll be better than you are, Heck.
I don't doubt it, Mr. Ritter.
I think we got a child prodigy on our hands.
Ma'am, thought you might like
a cup of coffee.
You seemed quiet at supper.
I heard you talking to Tom,
that we were just a few days from Sheridan.
Yes, ma'am.
Well, do you have any plans of
what you're gonna do once you get there?
Not yet. I have a few days to think about it.
How about you?
You made any plans?
Well, I was gonna wait for you.
I thought you might mention something.
Truthfully, it didn't occur to me.
Well, obviously.
Was that an error on my part, ma'am?
Of course not.
Why don't you take your coffee and go find
somewhere to have a smoke, Mr. Ritter?
I didn't mean to offend you.
Good night, Mr. Ritter.
We gotta redirect and cut north.
I thought you said it was too late
to hit the Lander Cutoff.
It is.
But I don't want to lose the herd
to a horse thief.
If it's too late to hit Lander's,
then how are you planning on heading?
Well, we gotta drive them straight north
to the Big Horns
and then take them over the Whale's Back.
Oh, and I want them
in Moncrieffe's pens and paid for.
All right?
Same as me.
What's a Whale's Back?
It's a tricky piece of real estate
that we gotta navigate.
I know it's dicey
but it'll save us time and maybe the herd.
Well, how about we forget that part?
I got 25% of the vote around here.
I'm for making a stand
and killing that son of a bitch now.
Well,
you can start by washing the dishes.
And after that, don't take on
more than you can handle. Okay?
Well, in case you hadn't noticed,
I've been handling things just fine
for the last 800 miles.
Listen to me.
I know Ed Bywaters.
Remember I told you about that man
that split my head open?
My hair frozen to the ground.
Ed Bywaters.
Damn.
Good thing you didn't tell me
how steep it was.
Well, it don't matter.
One way or another, we're going up this hill
and over the top. That's it.
They want us to climb up there?
It's too high.
It looks steep.
It's too high. It's too high.
Figure on freighting that wagon
over the pass?
No, sir. No, sir.
We keep the mules
and leave everything else behind.
Now, what I want you to do
is put Number Three on a horse.
Her name's Sun Fu.
I know what her name is.
Just let her ride alone.
Mrs. Johns can double up
with Ging Wing Ring, Number One.
I'll take the little girl with me.
What about Lung Hay?
I doubt he's too handy on a horse.
– I reckon the same goes for Ms. Johns.
– Yeah.
Unhitch the mules.
I'll lead the way. Keep the herd together.
We can't stop at all.
Now, let's do it. Let's go. This is it.
That's it, boys. Steady.
Come on!
Come on.
Okay.
Yeah.
Hold on. Hold on.
– Mr. Moncrieffe?
– I am.
My name's Ritter, Prentice Ritter.
I wired you in April
about bringing horses from Oregon.
Oh, aye, the man from Oregon.
Welcome, welcome.
We've been waiting for your arrival
with some anticipation, Mr. Ritter.
I'm not sure I understand that, sir.
Well, Sheriff Miller wired me from Cody
a few days ago asking about you.
He said he met you up there
on the buffalo range.
Oh, yeah, back there on…
Yeah, he did.
He was in a sweat
to catch some horse thieves, see.
I rode ahead to tell you
that we're coming in.
Who's your trail hand here?
Well, this here is Ging something or other.
I call her Number Five.
And would you mind if I leave her with you
and go back to the herd?
No, no, no.
She can keep Miss Foster company
in the kitchen for a wee while.
I'll lend you some lads to go out
with you, help you bring them in.
Where would you like me
to put these cavvies?
Put them over
in the south pasture corrals over there.
Keep them separated for a week.
– All right? Good.
– Yes, sir.
– Howdy.
– My nephew, Tom Harte.
– You put on a good show, Mr. Harte.
– Thank you.
– Congratulations.
– Yes, sir. Thank you.
I'll settle up with Moncrieffe.
Well, I thought I'd be a part of that.
Well, no need for that.
I've got your interests covered.
– Come on in.
– Yes, sir.
Now, I can write you a check
to the Stockman and Merchants Bank
in Denver, if you like,
but I find most people these days
prefer cash.
What would you prefer, Mr. Ritter?
Maybe we should work up the figure first.
All right, by all means.
Does that grab your fancy?
– Wasn't expecting that much.
– Aye, well…
You know, between the British Army
needing horses for the Boer War
and your army needing them
for that Spanish-American dustup,
the price of horseflesh has gone
through the roof.
Makes me sound like a war profiteer.
Can you live with that?
More than live with that, Malcolm.
You bet I can.
– Cash?
– Yes, sir.
A couple of times back there I didn't think
this transaction was gonna happen.
No, I'm sure you didn't.
– Well, you're good and safe now.
– Thank you.
Now, that's a good deal of money.
Got any plans?
Right now, a hot bath and clean clothes.
I meant, you got any plans for your wealth?
Not sure.
Been thinking of getting some land,
you know.
Right now I'm kind of wore out
so I'm gonna take my people into the town
for some hot water, soap
and some shopping.
I'm afraid I'm gonna have to be a wee bit
remiss in my duties as a host tomorrow.
Me and the lads have to take a herd
over to the Wallop Ranch.
We'll be back by nightfall.
Now, you'll be all right here on your own?
Miss Foster, my housekeeper,
is gonna be here, so…
Yes, sir. Do you need any help or…
Oh, no, no, thank you.
We'll be back by suppertime.
It's a great pleasure
to have a table full of people here.
A very rare occasion for us to hear this.
Thank you for coming.
Ging Wa. Ging Wa.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to propose a toast
to your successful venture.
Thank you.
Honkle Pren.
Well, look here.
Off to bed now.
Bedtime.
Yeah.
– Come on, baby.
– That's it.
There you go.
Which pocket? Come on.
Which one? Come on.
How about that one?
You got it? Yeah?
Okay, sweet dreams, now.
Good night.
I want to thank you, Mr. Ritter,
for everything you've done for us.
You've been so kind to me and the girls.
You've been so generous.
Well, you're so very welcome. You really are.
So, what are your plans now?
Well, I thought I'd step outside for a smoke.
That's not what I meant.
Yeah, well…
I had a long talk with Lung Hay.
I proposed that you and he take
the girls to San Francisco.
He says there's a place
that will look after them
in a more permanent way.
And you volunteered my services?
Yes, ma'am.
Well, that's very…
That's very kind of you. Thank you.
If Ging Wa is fit to travel,
then I shall make plans immediately.
Now, hold on now, lady. Hold on.
There's no need to rush off.
Well, there's no need to delay, either.
I can be ready tomorrow if necessary.
Yeah.
Every time I talk to you these days, you
seem to have a sudden urge for tobacco.
I won't smoke.
Yeah.
I've been thinking of going into Sheridan
to find out about real estate,
then mosey around some, you know.
Yeah, and…
You know,
I never told many people this before.
My one attempt
at having a family and settling down
turned out badly.
Now, I'm neither brave enough
nor strong enough to go that way again.
No, no.
And you see,
at one time I had… We had
a sweet baby child, a beautiful child,
and she… Excuse me.
She never reached seven years.
It was a horse-related accident,
my fault, you see.
And even today it's hard to talk about.
And I haven't got it right since.
Yeah.
Well…
Well, I think I'll
go have that smoke.
Excuse me.
How you doing?
Where are you off to?
I'm gonna get me a smoke
before I turn in.
What about you?
I figured I'd take off early in the morning,
go after some of those strays
that missed the pen.
Get some money on their hooves.
Speaking of money…
What's this? We weren't supposed to get
this much for the horses.
Son, I couldn't borrow enough back home
to buy the herd so I sold out.
– You sold out?
– I did
in order to make this financial deal possible.
Well, who gave you authority?
Excuse me?
In case you've forgotten, your mother did.
Yeah, she willed you the ranch.
She didn't tell you to sell it.
Look, I didn't take this deal
just to sell some horses.
I wanted to straighten out
some family wrongs.
Give you a new start, explore possibilities.
Now, I've still got eyes.
I've been seeing the way you been moving
around that Number Three gal,
which is all right.
So, that's your share of the proceeds
and then some.
That should square it
between you and your ma.
What about you and me?
More than square.
Old Bob Tate's gonna be good as new.
Yeah, take me into Sheridan
and buy me some land.
Hello, Nola.
Girls!
Print! Print!
It's Nola!
What?
He's in the barn!
Go around back!
You see this?
Honkle Pren. Honkle Pren.
Don't hurt the children.
I told you we'd meet again, old man.
I know what I'm gonna do
with Nola and her little friends there.
The question is,
what am I gonna do
with an old goat like you?
How about it, old goat?
What was that?
– Are you a praying man, shit bird?
– Yeah.
Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Yeah, well, you just keep going.
You'll be a praying man
by the time I leave my mark on you.
First thing I'm gonna do with you,
I'm gonna nail your credentials
to this log here.
Then I'm gonna push you over backwards.
Let's see what kind of savvy
you got then, huh?
When I'm through with you,
you're gonna wish the Mandan squaws
had got a hold of you, Mr. Blanket Man.
– You about through?
– Yeah.
All right, 'cause you just booked yourself
a ticket to hell.
You're gonna leave this world
a toothless, desperate old man.
You will not hurt these children. No, sir.
– Honkle Pren.
– Honkle Pren.
Everyone all right? No one's hurt?
Good job.
It's all right.
Tom.
– Where's Heck?
– Dead.
Thanks, son.
Cut his ears off and send them
to that marshal in Sheridan.
Yeah.
You all right?
Yeah.
Yes, sir.
Whoa! Whoa!
Here you go.
Number One, bye.
Well, buckaroo. Ging Wa.
Last one, buckaroo.
Thought I had this all worked out.
I reckon I got something to say to you.
I know you can't understand my words
but you can hear me.
I want to know how to
get in touch with you some day.
I want to know that things turned out,
that you had a good life.
Thank you.
Most men are afraid of failure in this world.
It seems like some are afraid of success.
Goodbye, Mr. Ritter.
This is for Mr. Ritter.
Let's go.
Dear Mr. Ritter,
I hope this letter finds you well.
I'm embarrassed it's been so long
since last I wrote to you.
Spring must almost be over at Siam Bend.
You have no idea how it touched me
to learn the name you've given
to that point on the river.
I seem so preoccupied with time these days.
You told me, right there on the river, that
nothing was more unforgiving than time.
Honey, you would not recognize me
as time can be ruthless,
especially to women.
You, on the other hand, I'm sure,
are as stout and straight as a ridge pole.
Ghee Moon and Ging Wa have grown
into wonderful young ladies.
I see them often
and they always ask of you.
Promise me that you will not laugh
at an old woman
when I tell you I still dream of the time I sat
and splashed my feet in the water with you.
There are so many things one wishes
they might change about their lives.
I want to say that it is you and you alone
who will abide in me in my final hour.
Thank you, Mr. Ritter,
for giving me back my life
even if I could not share it with you.
With warmest thoughts, Nola Johns.
We're all travelers in this world.
From the sweet grass to the packing house.
Birth till death.
We travel between the eternities.