Original subtitles

(upbeat orchestral music)

(clacking hooves)

(horse neighs)

- Danni!

Morning, Danni McGregor.

- Morning, Mr. O'Shea, having a good day?

- If I had time to enjoy it.

Is your father back from Melbourne yet?

- I'm just going to the station to pick him up.

- Give him my regards. - I will.

(suspenseful music) Whoa steady, girl.

Steady, Nellie.

It's alright, Nellie, it's alright.

What was all that about, eh?

(train whistle blows)

(peaceful music)

- Mrs. Walker.

Hi, Michael. - Morning, Matt.

- Is your mother here? - Just over there.

- Hello, Matt, how was Melbourne?

- Oh, Melbourne was fine.

Not as fine as being home, though, how are you?

- I'm good.

- Is Danni here?

- I haven't seen her but I'm sure she's not far away.

(Matt sighs)

Is everything alright?

- Oh... - Dad, Dad!

Dad, it's Nellie, there's something wrong with her.

(suspenseful music)

(peaceful orchestral music)

- No sign of any lameness, Matt.

- No, she seems firm enough.

- Sure she wasn't startled by a snake or a lizard, Danni?

- I'm sure, it's just like her legs kept going on her.

- Were you riding her hard? - No harder than normal.

- She might be coming down with something, she feels hot.

Best to get her on home, don't ride her, though.

George, can you lend her a horse?

- You're not coming?

- No, I'll be along later, someone I have to see.

Give her a good wipe down, leave her in the stables,

keep her away from the other horses.

If she's ill, we'll know soon enough.

- Well can I come with you?

- It's government business, sweetie.

I'll help you saddle up, I'll be home soon.

- Okay.

- [O'Shea] This must be a mistake.

- It's what they transmitted, Connor.

I'm sorry.

- But they're taking my land.

They're taking my land.

(suspenseful music)

Dave, Brandon!

Look at that.

They're takin' my land!

- What do you mean? - No.

- It says so right there, the government's buying me out.

- They can't do that!

- Governments can do what they want.

- Matt won't let that happen.

- Good morning.

- Do you know anything about this?

- No.

No, I don't.

- What about Matt?

He must know something.

- Oh, I'm sure Matt wouldn't support something

that took away a man's land and livelihood.

- You could ask him.

- Matt!

- Connor, I was just on my way up to see you.

- This government telegram says they're takin' my land.

Now, you tell me it can't be right.

- Well I'm afraid it is, the government needs your land.

- Needs my land?

- It's what's called a compulsory acquisition.

- More like stealin', that's what it is.

I've known you since I first came here, Matt.

One of the first horses you ever broke you broke for me.

On my land, this land.

- We need to talk about this, Connor.

- You stand by and you watch them take my land

and all you wanna do is talk?

- There's more to it than this, you know.

- You're too right there is.

You can do all the talkin' you like, I'm not movin'.

Not the government, not for you, not for anyone.

(somber music)

- [Danni] How are the others?

- Well they seem alright.

What is it exactly?

- Dad didn't know.

- She feels pretty hot.

- Alright, Nellie, you're gonna be alright.

- It might be some kind of fever.

Maybe we should use some of this.

- Dad's tonic. - Yeah, what's left of it.

- What's he put in it?

- Who knows?

Not as good as Mom's, though.

- So Mom made tonic as well?

- Mom had a cure for everything.

Come on, girl.

Right, pour it in. - Okay.

That's it.

- Good girl.

- What do we do now?

- Well we just wait.

- I wanted to tell him myself,

I didn't want him to find out like this.

- Why do they want his land?

- You remember last summer how dry it got?

Well, it was even worse for those below the high country.

- So this is all about water?

- Government's planning to dam the valley,

build a reservoir.

It'll mean water for everyone, Kathleen.

- It's Connor's land.

- It's leased land.

- So how long have you known?

- Well it was privileged information so I couldn't tell him.

I mean, this reservoir's for everyone.

Connor's not gonna lose money because of it.

- He'll lose his way of life.

- Well I better head out there and talk to him.

- I don't think that's a good idea right now,

let him cool down.

- Might ride out in the morning and see him.

- Matty, are you sure there wasn't anywhere else?

- I wish there was.

- [Emily] More stock?

- Just a little.

- Mm, smells wonderful, Mrs. Tan.

- Delicious, what would we ever do without you?

- [Emily] My cooking wasn't that bad, was it?

- Well, just not enough of it. - Greedy.

- The fever, it's spreading.

- I think we've got real problems.

- Yeah, what?

- Another horse has come down with the fever.

- [Matt] Any more?

- Three and I think one of the others is getting it.

- What about Nellie?

- She's worse.

She's not gonna die, is she?

- If we don't do something, they're all gonna get it, Dad.

So what do you reckon we should do?

- Put him with Nellie, then get Palomena.

- Will I put her in the stables, too?

- Yep, they're the worst of the three.

When you're done that, saddle Rob to my horse,

put him in the top paddock, get Emily to give you a hand.

- Okay.

- That the lot? - Yeah.

I used the last of your tonic on Nellie.

- And?

Well we'll just have to make up a stronger batch, then.

- Anything else we can do?

- No, I think we've done all we can.

Separate the horses, cleaned out the stables.

The day's almost done.

See what tomorrow brings.

(rooster crows)

(door opens)

- Good morning.

Did you stay here all night?

- Feels like it.

- How's Nellie?

- I can't get her to take any water.

- Poor old Nellie.

- I don't think the others are any better, either.

Dad seems really worried.

- I can't remember seeing him this worried.

- What was Mom like?

- Where did that come from?

- Rob said she used to make tonics and things,

I never knew that.

- Too young, probably.

- Hardly remember anything about her.

- [Colin] Remember her singing?

- I think so.

- Lullabies, mostly.

- What sort of tonics did she make?

- All kinds.

Aches, pains, fevers.

She had a tonic for everything and everyone, man or beast.

People used to say she had the touch.

- What do you mean the touch?

- She seemed to know what was ailing people.

How to make them better.

Not every time but uh,

often enough for people to believe in her.

- Really?

- You really can't remember it, can you?

- Did she use recipes for the tonics she made?

- She kept them in a book.

- Well where would it be?

- Probably in the trunk, in Dad's room.

- Rob, when you're finished that, I want you and Colin

to move all the cattle from the home paddock

down to lower valley.

- Do you really think it's that contagious?

- Well I don't wanna risk finding out.

If it gets into the herd, it could wipe us out.

- Well your horse was in contact with Danni's,

and he's alright, isn't he?

- It seems to be striking randomly.

- Come on, gotta move some cattle.

- Morning.

- Ah Danni, we have to make up some more tonic.

What you can't get at the general store, Custer should have.

- Sure, I'll make up some more when I get home from school.

Dad? - Hm.

- Where are you going?

- Oh, I have to see someone.

Morning, Elizabeth.

- Matt.

- I'm, uh,

I'm looking for Connor.

- He's with the horses in the holding yard.

There's something ailing them.

- Oh, how bad?

- Bad enough.

Something else to trouble us.

- Elizabeth...

- If you have something to say, Matt,

it's Connor you should be saying it to.

Good day to you.

- Connor.

- I've got nothing to say to you!

- Elizabeth tells me your horses are ailing.

- I can manage them.

- I uh, I think it's some sort of fever.

Half my horses are down with it, too.

- Danni's mare?

- Yeah.

- My horses were fine 'til I saw her yesterday.

That mare of hers must have passed it on.

- Well if that's what's happened, then I'm sorry.

Connor, about this reservoir.

- Don't let them do this, Matt!

They'll listen to you.

- They already have listened to me.

- You were part of it?

- My responsibility's to everyone, Connor.

- Why my place?

There must be somewhere else where they can do this!

- I'm afraid there is nowhere else.

If I could flood my land, I would.

- I'm not giving it up.

- They'll pay a good price.

- No amount of money is gonna change my mind!

- Will you listen to me, Connor?

It doesn't have to be like this.

We worked things out in the past, we can do it again.

- I don't think so.

This land is all I've got, I'm not giving it up.

You tell them they'll have to take it over my dead body.

- Oh, Connor... - Just tell them, Matt!

- I just can't believe he'd let them do that.

- Yeah, 20 years Connor O'Shea's been up here and Matt's

just standing by doing nothing while they lose everything.

- It's not right, if you ask me.

Not right at all.

- Danni. - Morning, Mr. Custer.

- Morning.

Oh hello, Danni.

- Oh, hi.

- How's Nellie?

- No better, worse if anything.

- Half a dozen other horses the district

have come down with it.

I'm printing a warning in tomorrow's paper.

Is Matt in town?

- No, he had someone he had to see.

What's going on with Connor O'Shea?

I just heard Mr. Custer, he was blaming Dad for something.

- The government want to take over his farm

to build a reservoir.

- And they're blaming Dad?

- Some people think he's let Connor down.

- Has he?

- Perhaps you should ask him, Danni.

- Any more horses down? - Two.

- Dad, she's getting worse.

(Matt sighs)

- Poor old Nellie.

She's suffering, Danni.

- Isn't there something we can do?

- Afraid there's only one thing we can do, sweetie.

(melancholic music)

- You can't, you can't do that.

- We can't let her suffer like this.

- I won't let you, I won't.

Oh Nellie, please.

- Just uh, leave us for a minute, huh?

- Alright, I'll be in the house if you need me.

- [Matt] Danni,

this is cruel.

- I don't want her to die.

- Sweetie,

we've done everything we can. - No, we haven't.

- We have.

Sometimes,

well, sometimes the best we can do just isn't good enough.

- Well maybe there's something that Mom used to do,

some medicine she used to make.

Collin said she could cure anyone or anything.

- No, Danni.

- We have to try.

- [Matt] It won't work.

- You don't even wanna try.

- You know that's not true.

- None of this would have happened if you hadn't gone away.

- My being away has got nothing to do with this.

- You're always in Melbourne,

you're never here when I need you.

- I was in Melbourne on important business.

- Important business, taking away Mr. O'Shea's land.

- Don't do this, Danni.

- Well just give it one more day.

Please, Dad.

(melancholic music)

I'll stay with her, just one more day.

- One more.

- Wire's been humming all night.

- They've got horse fever as far away as Ballarat.

- Another one of Custer's went down with it overnight.

- Do you know if any horses have died?

- Three at Blaine's Ravine and,

another couple at Digger's Rest.

- Nothing else from the wire service?

- No, that's it, oh!

There is something for Matt if you're seeing him,

came in early.

- I'm going out to Langara this morning.

- Well if he wants to send a reply, just bring it back

and I'll send it out straight away.

- Thanks, Mr. Perkins.

Bye. - Bye.

- Where are they going?

- To check the cattle, they shouldn't be long.

How's Nellie?

(suspenseful music)

- [Man] Well it's just not like Matt.

- Nothing, he's done nothing!

You ask Connor, just stood by and watched them do it.

- I voted for him. - So did Connor.

- Well a lot of good it did him.

- Good morning.

Haven't you got better things to do than stand around

talking about things you can't change?

- Well, Mrs. O'Neil, with due respect, there are a lot

of people not happy with the way Matt's handled this.

- And what are you doing to help solve the situation,

Mr. Custer?

Apart from talking about it and blaming Matt.

- Well someone should have a word to him.

- And if they did, they'd find out

he did what he thought was best, best for all of us.

- He's supposed to be protecting our interests.

- And that's exactly what he's doing.

This reservoir is for everyone, including you, Dave Daniels.

- It's not for Connor.

- No, it's not.

So now we owe Connor, all of us,

and it's a debt we're going to have to repay.

But no good's gonna come of this by blaming Matt.

So if you're gonna stand around talking all day,

at least talk about ways of helping Connor.

Now if you've finished the work on my sulky, Mr. Custer,

I'll be off.

- Right away, Mrs. O'Neil.

- Keep well away from the others.

- I'll them them down to the creek?

- Okay.

(peaceful music)

Danni?

What are you doing?

- I found it.

- Found what?

- Mom's medicine book, the recipes.

All the different mixtures, what they're for.

- You shouldn't be looking in there.

- But it's got something in here about fever in horses.

- You should have asked me.

- How could I ask you?

I didn't even know it was here.

You didn't tell me about any of this.

- Because it's private.

- Private?

- Yes, you had no right, now give me the book.

- Dad, I had every right, she's my mother.

- Danni!

- Whoa.

Matt?

Matt?

Oh, Matt.

- She never wanted her photograph taken.

It was a big thing for her.

We had to go down to Melbourne.

That was the year she died.

Did you see Danni on the way in?

- No, no.

- Connor's horses have got the fever.

He's blaming Danni's mare.

- Well it is spreading through the district,

but it could have been anyone's horse.

- Well, if people are expecting me to do something about it,

I can't.

I can't perform miracles.

- No one expects you to, Matt.

- Don't they?

- Some of the men in town think you've done the wrong thing

by Connor.

- If I'd done the right thing by Connor,

I would have done the wrong thing by them.

You didn't have to come out all this way to tell me that.

- This came.

- I told them to wait.

- Who?

- They're sending some government surveyors out

to start work on the reservoir.

They've already left Melbourne.

Well, Connor's got every right to be angry.

- Matt, you can only push some people so far

and Connor O'Shea less than most.

- Don't I know it.

Rob, keep an eye on Danni's horse.

If she gets any worse, you'll have to put her down.

- Sure, Dad.

- [Matt] Where do you think you're going?

- With you.

- Colin...

- Connor's a good church-going man, Dad.

If he doesn't listen to you, he might listen to me.

- Alright.

Would you give this to Danni, tell it's uh,

tell her it's hers to keep.

- Excuse me, is there anywhere I can hire a wagon in town?

- Livery Stable's straight on up the street, can't miss it.

- Thanks.

Let's get this over with.

- I've brought you some lunch.

- Thanks, but I'm not really hungry.

- There's an apple for Nellie.

- I don't think Nellie's hungry, either.

- Matt said to give you this.

He said it's yours to keep.

Don't be angry with him, Danni.

- He's the one that's angry with me.

At least he was.

He caught me going through the trunk

where he keeps all Mom's things.

He'd never even shown me,

he'd never even told me it was there.

- I see.

- Well why wouldn't he tell me?

(Kathleen sighs)

- Well, when two people love each other as much as Matt

and your mother did and then one of them dies,

that love can live on in all sorts of things,

in the memories they shared, in the things they cherished.

- And this book?

- Of course, even in that book.

- Why didn't he tell me, why did he get so angry?

- Perhaps you made him realize it was time to move on.

Maybe that scared him.

- Well what about you?

How can he...

- Still love me?

What we all have, Danni, is a great capacity for love.

Matt loves you, he loves me and when he thinks about Claire,

he remembers how much they loved each other,

but that doesn't mean he loves you or me any less.

- Maybe when he gets back we should have a talk.

- Think that'd be a good idea.

What about this book?

- There's something I wanna try, could you help me?

- Of course.

(horse neighs)

- Who are they?

- Government surveyors.

- So what does the book say?

- Mom didn't write anything.

- Have you got any ideas?

- We could add more eucalyptus oil.

- No, no I don't think that's right.

We could boil it down and concentrate it.

- How are we going to get the horses to ingest it?

- We could make an infusion and put it in their feed bags

and they could inhale it.

- Is that what the books says?

- No, it just feels right.

- Infusion it is, then.

- [Connor] No good.

- Connor!

Who are they?

(suspenseful music)

- Government men, here to take my land away.

- Connor!

Oh Connor, no.

No, oh please.

Please don't do this.

- They're not gonna get away with it.

- You can't, someone will get hurt!

- If that's what it takes, so be it!

- No, please don't, Connor!

(groans)

Whoa.

Matt.

It's Connor, he's gone after some men with his gun.

(suspenseful music)

- Do you know whose land this is?

- Take it easy, mister. - It's mine!

I work it.

- We've got a legal right to be here,

we're government surveyors.

- Government thieves, more like.

You're not taking my land so you can just clear off!

- [Matt] Connor!

- I don't need your help, Matt.

- You wait here.

Put it down, Connor.

- I'll do what I have to do, Matt.

If you want someone to blame, then blame me.

These men are just doing their job.

- Dad, behind you!

- Now let 'em go, Connor.

If you wanna pick a fight with someone it's me, no one else.

- What have you done to me, Matt?

- I didn't send them, they weren't supposed to be here.

- How could you let them do this?

- I know this land like my own.

Every tree, every hill, every turn in the creek.

- Then you, more than anyone you must know what it's like

and still, you let them do this.

That's what I don't understand.

- I would have done anything to spare you this.

You know I would.

But you gotta let it go.

No matter how much it hurts, you gotta accept the fact

that some things just can't be changed.

- If I let it go, then I've got nothing.

- You've got your friends.

- Where are they now?

- Connor!

Whoa!

Connor!

You've made your point.

I want you to put the gun down now,

and let these men be on their way.

- Can't you see, Elizabeth?

We've got nothing.

- We've got each other, Connor.

No one can take that away.

Put down the gun.

(somber orchestral music)

- Make sure they're soaked well.

- [Rob] Sure smells potent enough.

- Well that's one done.

- How often do we have to replace them?

- Every couple of hours.

- When will we know if it's going to work?

- Well if it doesn't work by morning, it's not going to.

We better get the others done.

Come on, Nellie.

Come on, Nellie.

You can do it.

Come on, girl.

(melancholic music)

It just has to work, it just has to.

- I've had enough for one day. - I'll talk to them.

- No, I'll hear them out, they've got a right to be heard.

The guest house is just down the road.

I suggest you rest up there until you hear something

official from Melbourne.

- Yeah, thanks.

- Dave.

Jack.

- I guess you've been out to Connor's place.

- Yeah, that's right.

- A few of us have been talking about this new reservoir.

- Mm, so I hear.

- It was Kathleen got us thinking.

- Oh, she has a way of doing that.

- We've come up with a plan to maybe compensate Connor

for the land he's losing.

- Mm, go on.

- Well we thought if we all pitched in with some land.

I've got a few acres, so does Jack, maybe we can get enough

together and give him a new holding.

- Well, you can put me on that list.

- It's a start, Matt.

That's all, but at least we owe him that.

- Well I think the sooner you go out

and tell him the better.

- We thought maybe you should do that, Matt.

- Oh I don't think Connor's got much time for me at present.

You should see him.

All of you.

- Let's give him the good news, then.

- Come on.

- Nellie, you've just got to get better.

You've just got to.

- She's getting worse, Danni.

She's in pain, we can't leave her like this.

- Well isn't there anything we can do?

- We can't let her suffer.

Don't think we've got a choice anymore.

(somber orchestral music)

- I'm sorry, Nellie, I'm sorry.

I'm gonna miss you.

(gun fires) (horse neighs)

(sobs)

- Danni.

Rob told me about Nellie.

Do you remember when I first broke her in?

- You said she was too big for me.

- Yeah, but you got on anyway.

- And she was as quiet as a lamb.

- Like she knew.

- She did know, Nellie knew everything.

- Did, uh...

Did Kathleen give you the book?

- I tried something but it didn't work.

Now they're all gonna die just like Nellie.

- Danni, I was wrong to keep those things from you.

Claire was as much your mother as she was my wife.

I loved her very much and I was scared that

if I didn't have those things, I might forget.

But you and Rob and Colin,

have as much right to those memories as I do.

- What was she like?

- Only have to look at you to remember

you're so much like her.

She had a wonderful smile.

And eyes, eyes that could look right into you,

and always find the very best.

- She used to sing lullabies to me, that's all I know.

- Well then, we've got a lot of talking to do, haven't we?

(ominous tones)

- Come and have a look at this.

Danni, it worked.

Was too late for Nellie but,

well it looks like you've caught the others in time.

(horse neighs)

- Oh, Danni.

- It worked, it really worked.

(chuckles)

(peaceful music)

- Then you just slip it on like that and replace the

infusion every couple of hours until they show improvement.

- Well, there'll be some folks mighty relieved

when they hear about this, Matt.

- Yep, well they got Danni to thank for that.

She's the one with the touch.

- [Surveyor] Whoa, whoa.

- Be back in a minute.

- [Connor] Thanks, Jeff, I appreciate it.

- Connor, you uh,

you don't have to do this, you know.

- You've heard, then.

I thought we might go west, there's still land out there.

- Well, I'm sorry it came to this.

- I've made my mistakes, Matt.

We all have.

Yesterday I didn't have a friend, last night there were

20 of them on my doorstep offering me help.

It's a grand gesture but,

would never really be the same, would it?

- No, I don't suppose it would.

- Well, maybe it's for the best.

If there's any good to come out of this it's made me realize

what you own isn't important, is it?

It's who you love.

Having them there standing by ya.

Goes for friends too, Matt.

- Good luck.

- Bye, Matt.

Giddy up!

- Goodbye!

Good luck!

Bye!

Don't tell me you and Danni are finished

curing those horses already.

- Are we getting married or not?

- You alright?

- Yeah, I'm fine.

- Then what's this all about?

- It's about our lives.

And we've been engaged long enough.

I need to know if we're getting married.

I want you in my life, Kathleen.

It's time to decide.

(peaceful music)