Original subtitles

They call me Mad Jack.

And if there's anybody in these mountains that knows the real story of

Adams, that'd be me.

So I'm putting it down and writing just the way it happened in hopes of setting

the record straight.

Now, my friend Adams was accused of a crime he didn't commit.

So he escaped into the mountains, leaving behind the only life that he

knew.

Now, that wilderness out there ain't no place for a greenhorn, and his chances

of surviving were mighty slim.

There was no time at all, for he was beaten down, ragged, and nearly stopped.

Long about then, he come upon a grizzly bear cub, all alone and helpless.

Now, Adams knew that little critter couldn't survive without his help, so he

started right down that cliff, risking his own life to save it.

Now that cub took to Adams right off.

And that was when he discovered he had a special kind of way with animals.

They just come right up to him like he was a natural part of the wilderness.

But that bear cub, he was extra special.

As he growed, he became the best friend Adams ever had. And together, they

became a legend.

There's a time we'll call our own Living free in harmony and majesty

Take me home Take me home

Take me home Take me home

The wilderness is a funny sort of place.

It can be all quiet and peaceful like in the morning, but there's plenty more to

it than meets the eye.

And the first one who's going to find that out is a greenhorn.

Adams can tell you about that. Before he got himself settled in with Ben and

learned how to survive, he went through it all. And then some.

But I'll say this.

He weren't never as green as that fellow we run into one autumn up in the

mountains. Now, there was a galoot who was a plumb, flat -out danger to himself

and everybody else, too. Well, I'm surprised we're all still alive today.

Good morning, Joshua.

I hope you're enjoying your rest,

Ben.

Really does my heart good to see you so comfortable.

Can't recommend it for my back, though.

But my heart feels great.

You know, Joshua,

we gotta find another place for Ben to sleep.

Had a few nights of sleeping on that floor.

I don't think I'm ever going to stand up straight again.

Morning, Gertrude.

Yeah,

that tree gives me an idea.

I guess I could build him a lean -to.

A little shelter of his own.

He'd be more comfortable.

And I know I'd be more comfortable.

Wish Jack was here.

With his help, I can get down a lot faster.

Something's funny.

Don't it feel funny to you, number seven?

That's peculiar.

The hackles on my neck is a raisin.

You get the feeling that somebody's got their eye on us.

Well,

I can't help it if you ain't sensitive.

I know I'm not crazy. I tell you, I feel something.

Whoa.

Do you reckon there could be somebody up there?

Yeah.

You're right. That's a fool notion.

Couldn't be anybody up there except maybe a longhorn sheep.

For a bounty hunter, looking for the price on Adam's head.

You want a drink?

Better get one.

Oh, I say there.

Marvelous day, isn't it? Sit right... You got your boots a little wet

there, young fella.

Well, glad you could drop in.

Where are you from, anyways? You lost from a hunting party?

Oh, I'm not lost.

No, indeed. I'm on my own. Quite alone.

And doing rather well, if I say so myself.

Well, in that case, you know where you are and how to get back to where you

from.

Wherever that is.

Well, nice meeting up with you.

I reckon.

Yes, it was.

I mean, it is.

Wait.

You don't mind if I follow along, do you?

It's company, you know.

It's so alone out here.

Can't stop you from following, I guess.

I'll be fine.

It's just asthma.

Chronic case.

There. You see? If you're smart, you'll be going home.

Now. Before you get yourself killed.

Come on, then, Seth.

You see? I mean... I can't.

Don't have to slow down for me.

I'm right behind you.

Oh, I ain't slowing down.

I'm stopping.

I can't go on further, you know.

Suit yourself.

I'm making camp right here for the night.

Oh.

Looks like a good place for it. What would you know about that?

I've studied these things.

Who ever heard of studying campsites?

The Outdoor Life by Leffingwell.

Greatest book ever published. Has everything in it.

How to blaze new trails.

How to survive.

under any circumstances, how to make the wilderness your natural home.

Does it tell you anything in that backwoods Bible about collecting wood

fire?

You just leave the fire to me, old man.

Old man.

Let's see.

Firewood.

Well, it wasn't so hard to find.

I say, old man, there doesn't seem to be much wood about.

I sort of stumbled onto this.

I hope it'll be enough.

Nothing well says if you strike it at the correct angle.

our nation.

I'll take care of it.

Just get over here and stomp it out with them tender feet of urine.

Now, what you do that for?

That's all the water I had.

When roughing it, accidents will happen.

Oh, never mind about the water, old man. I'll get us some more.

Where?

There ain't no springs out here.

And that creek we crossed is miles back there.

That thing, well, is most explicit on the subject. Water can be found anywhere

if you just know where to look.

Well, look.

Right where Leffingwell said to look.

In the center of a hollow log.

Hold that right.

No, no, no, no, thank you.

Usually, uh, skunk water from a hollow log takes a mind of getting used to, but

I see you took to it right away.

Have some grub.

Oh, no, no, thanks. I couldn't.

When was the last time you ate?

Well, I don't exactly remember.

But Leppingwell says that a man can go without food for weeks without any ill

effect. It builds a man's stamina, fortitude.

Makes him strong.

You, uh, never did say exactly why you was up here in these mountains.

Oh, didn't I?

Well, I have a purpose.

A very important purpose.

Are you a bounty hunter?

Hardly, old man.

I've been called to high service.

I know that. I'm absolutely sure of it.

Destiny is beckoning to me.

You got religion?

Not like you mean.

I'm going to be somebody someday.

But I've been plagued with illnesses ever since I was a child.

My father says that physical fitness is the key to success.

That's why I'm out here.

To learn through hardship.

To build myself up. To be ready for those great years ahead.

Well, you wander around these mountains by yourself for very long, and you're

not going to have too many great years ahead of you.

I'll just stay with you.

Doesn't matter where you're going. The experience. Now, now, now, now, wait.

You may need the experience, but I don't.

So tomorrow morning, you're heading downhill.

You just follow right down this valley, keep the afternoon sun on your right,

and in five days, you come to a settlement, and you can take stagecoach

Your fortitude will take care of you, so you won't need any grub.

Got your skunk water, so you won't get thirsty.

Good night.

Well, I woke up before daybreak, left him some food, and lit out of there.

Tender feet, they, well, they make me nervous.

I figured he could keep himself alive at least till he got to a town somewhere.

Besides, he had old leffing wells along to help him out.

Where'd you all come from?

Just what I need.

An audience.

Well, come on, fellas. How about a little help?

Well, at least you didn't desert me. Come on over here.

Well, I appreciate the thought.

But I'm afraid I need a little more help than that.

Ben! Think you're big enough to handle this?

Come on over here. I need a little muscle on this.

That's a boy.

I got to get these logs over there.

Okay, pull.

That's a boy.

Why didn't I think of this sooner?

You can help build your own shelter.

Hey!

Ben! Hold it, Ben, no!

I thought you did that on purpose.

Anybody home?

I've been walking so long, these moccasins feel like two frying pans

a hot bar.

What'd you do?

Have an earthquake?

Yeah, by the name of Ben. I'm building him a lean -to.

He's been so used to sleeping in the house with me, and he just don't make a

good roommate.

Bunking with Ben would be a real pleasure compared to this fella I ran

couple of days back.

Stranger? As strange as they come.

A real greenhorn kid.

Out in this country all by his lonesome, never been any further away from home

than his mama's apron strings.

Talk about your tender feet. He wanted to tag along.

But I just pointed his nose towards home and I tailed it out of there.

Funny little guy?

Yeah. Wearing baggy pants?

Yeah. Knee boots?

Yeah. Has glasses?

Yeah. Who did you see?

Right behind you. Oh, no.

How do you do?

My name is Roosevelt.

Theodore Roosevelt.

Snowers, too.

I couldn't hear them over the racket you was making last night. It reminded me

of the sawmill at logging season.

I don't snore.

Us mountain men can't afford to snore. We live too dangerously.

Incidentally, did I ever tell you about old one -eared Grogan?

When it come to snoring, he was a regular one -man riverboat band.

One time, he was a... blaring away, thinking he was hit out in his bivouac

his old sheet -type mountain lion comes along, and thinking all that

tatterwallering was a heat -type mountain lion, she just jumps right in

mirror. It is here, Al.

It is here. You heard that?

Yeah. Yeah.

Incidentally, I'm sorry about that jaybird following me in here at the

Oh, it's no harm done.

Did he tell you what he's doing out here anyway?

Yeah, something about proving himself, being a naturalist, and a bunch of funny

talk about Being a man of destiny. Can you imagine that, a little runt

tenderfoot like that?

Well, it's hard to judge what's inside a man by the way he looks or by the way

he acts.

Well, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, but if he looks foolish, acts

foolish, and talks foolish, you can be pretty darn sure he is foolish.

I'm an expert.

I would advise you to surrender immediately, or I may have to exert

Indians!

Indians? There ain't but one, and he's friendly.

Leastways he was.

A little misunderstanding, Mr. Roosevelt.

This is Nekoma, my blood brother. Nekoma?

Teddy Roosevelt.

That stranger.

What were you doing?

He attacked me with a bucket of water.

Bucket of water?

Huh?

Bala Haja.

Dearly chick.

I'll see what you've done.

He says you're crazy and that you stink. And he's on his way home.

Well, I didn't mean... I certainly didn't expect... It'll soon work itself

A pitch in the hand, let's clean this mess up.

It's hardly my fault, after all.

Why do you like that?

It wasn't his fault, so now he doesn't want to help clean it up.

I got a feeling Teddy Roosevelt never had to do much for himself.

I think he's always had somebody to pick up after him.

Poor little rich boy.

All by himself.

Not worth the powder it'd take to blow him up.

Don't do that.

Oh, terribly sorry, old man. And don't call me old man. My name is Jack.

Fella doesn't like to be reminded. And besides, I ain't that old.

Just a figure of speech, old man.

Jack.

What is that?

Oh, that's, uh, Gertrude.

She's a friend of Adam's.

Appears she's taken a liking to you.

This should be interesting.

Do you

want something, or do

you plan to just make it a career following me around?

I wanted to ask you something, old man.

What?

Well, now that I'm here, I'd like to look around a bit, you know? Well...

There's nothing stopping you. I wanted to borrow your animal.

My what?

Your burro.

Oh,

number seven? What for?

To ride.

Get around a bit better than on foot.

Oh.

You want to ride number seven?

Right -o!

Well, if it's all right with number seven.

It sure is all right with me. But I feel I better warn you, young man. I'm not

sure that number seven is the right type.

Ah, that's a mere bag of towel. Bag of what?

I mean I'm a splendid horseman.

Ridden all my life.

Master of the Oyster Bay fox hunt, you know.

Number seven's right over there.

You just help yourself.

Thanks, old man.

Say goodbye to your friend.

What's going on out here?

Mr. Theodore Roosevelt is about to show us some of his splendid horsemanship.

On seven?

Yeah.

It's amazing the way some fellows are picked to commit suicide.

We get all dressed up for the occasion to boot.

Gentlemen?

Well, didn't you warn him? Sure, I warned him. But he wouldn't listen.

Didn't think he would.

Like he told me.

He's destined for high places, and he's about to go to one right now.

What he's forgetting is that when you go up, you gotta come back down, too.

Whoa! Good try, Teddy!

Not good enough.

Oh, he ain't gonna try it again.

I'm afraid... Mr. Theodore was behind the barn door when they passed out the

brains.

I sort of figured that number seven wouldn't take to be in road.

A bully try, huh?

It sure was, Teddy. You all right?

Just fine.

I'll just put this around here and tighten it up.

It'll be fine.

We get this lashed up, good balance.

covering, it'll be good.

What do you think, Ben?

It's like a pretty nice place to spend your nights, don't it? All handmade.

I got the feeling he's not too impressed with it. He ain't slim with me no more.

He's just gonna have to get used to the idea.

Well said.

Remain calm in the face of it, Brady.

How come you'd be chasing Ben Franklin that -a -way?

Is that your bear?

He thinks I'm his.

Oh.

Chasing a bear.

You know, he wasn't chasing Ben.

He thought Ben was on a rampage.

He risked his life to warn us.

Speak of the devil.

I wanted to say goodbye.

You don't mean you have to leave us.

No, not exactly.

Oh. I want to try it myself.

What you've accomplished here in this valley, I'm very, very impressed.

I want to do the same thing.

I'm sure I can succeed.

I have quite a few ideas of my own.

I'd like to wish you luck.

He's going to need it.

Thank you.

So that tenderfoot Theodore Roosevelt, he just marched right off into the

Figuring to conquer the wilderness, I guess.

Well, hello.

Hello.

Wonderful how friendly the animals are.

Gertrude, that's not very polite.

Don't do anything right.

I wonder how Leffingwell recommends we talk to a porcupine.

Cautiously, I presume.

Gertrude?

Gertrude, where are you?

This is a sticky situation.

I wish I could tell you I was sorry to see you go.

A selection of a permanent campsite is all important.

Next, is the construction of a sound weatherproof shelter.

Seems reasonable.

First, choose a medium -sized sapling, carefully notch it in the direction

you wish it to fall, and hew away.

Well, as a medium -sized sapling,

It ought to fall that way.

Carefully notch it in the direction you wish it to fall and hew away.

Now, notching a tree to fall where you want it to fall ain't as easy as it

sound. First off, you gotta know what you're doing.

Rossi felt could chop a pretty handy lick all right, but it's... Where on the

tree you do the chopping, not how good you do it, it counts.

If you notch a tree on one side, the tree falls away from you.

If you notch it on the other, it'll land right smack on top of you.

Shoo away.

I guess it don't take a heap of figuring to know on which side of the tree Mr.

Roosevelt made his notch.

Well, that does it. I think that's sturdy enough.

Not even number seven could pull that down.

Let's show it to Ben.

Ben?

There you go, Ben.

Your new home.

Pretty nice, huh?

He don't seem too impressed with it.

Well, just give him a little time. He'll get used to it. Come on, Ben. Go on in.

Come on, Ben. Go on inside.

He loves it.

No, Jim, no!

He loves it, huh?

Well, Adams, I got to admit, when you're right, you're right.

He just loved it.

He tore it!

That's good proof.

What's the matter, Gertrude? You upset?

You sure as hell have your feathers in the ruffle.

Probably got tired of hanging out with that four -eyed hoot -owl. I don't think

so, Jack. She's awful upset.

Something must have happened to Theodore.

Something happened to Theodore long before he attached himself to us.

Come on, Jack, let's go.

But Theodore said he could take care of himself.

You're dumber than number seven.

First you lose your home to a bear, now you lose your senses to a greenhorn.

Well, I better go look after him.

Will you slow down, Adams? I ain't got wings.

We could walk, you know.

Dumb greenhorn kid anyway.

I don't think Leffingwell fully explained all aspects of the wilderness

experience.

My

foot's

caught.

Help!

Help me!

Help! Somebody!

Help!

Look out! There's a rabbit's name.

I'll handle him.

Be careful.

Easy now.

You just got to grab him right behind the head. Don't you move, Theodore.

Well, nothing broken.

That's good.

Now, why don't you take your pack and your woodsman Bible and get on home

you get yourself killed or one of us.

No.

You didn't understand.

That tree falling on me was just a fluke.

I've learned a lot since I've been on my own.

Theodore, Jack's got a good point.

It takes a long time to learn to survive in the wilderness.

You can't expect to... I can, too, survive.

And I'll prove it.

I'll lead us back to your cabin by the shortest, safest route.

Hmm.

Hmm, he said.

He's going the wrong way. I know it.

But you gotta admire his determination.

Come on, let's follow him. Are you crazy?

He's going the wrong way.

You know, sometimes number seven is easier to understand than you are.

Now, how's come you to take an interest in a four -eyed, bow -legged tenderfoot

like that?

You once took a shine to a clumsy, good -for -nothing tenderfoot. Yahoo!

Me.

Come on, let's go.

Will.

Give me your hand.

Hold on.

There.

Better all the time.

Stronger, too. A regular Hercules.

Are we getting close to home, Theodore?

Uh, yes.

Very close.

Um, this way.

Have you seen enough determination yet?

Come on.

Say one thing for you, Theodore. You sure know how to pick the hardest way to

get some words.

Here, I'll take Gertrude.

Give me your hand.

Hold on.

There you go.

Hang on, Gertrude.

Grab a hold of my hand, Teddy.

That's it.

Watch them loosen up.

goes the trail down, what trail there was.

This is great.

Here we are on top of a gorge, and the only way down is to have wings or a

thousand feet of good rope.

You should have just let those rocks take me with them.

There's something else I should tell you.

I'm lost.

I know that.

You know that?

Why didn't you say something?

Because you had to find out for yourself.

Let's go find ourselves a way out of this place.

I've been in some pretty nasty predicaments in my time, but I usually

some greenhorn to help me get in them.

Now, me and Adams was stuck on top of a mountain with a tenderfoot whose

gumption was bigger than his brain.

I don't mind telling you I had a better day.

This was a bridge once.

Not much of it left anymore.

I doubt if it'd hold a man's weight.

And that's a long ways down.

No, wait.

I don't weigh much.

Teddy, no!

Teddy!

Theodore, you're crazy if you go out there. That bridge wouldn't hold a

flea, much less a green kid with no brains. Now get back here!

You know, I started to think you might have took on some sense back there when

you figured out you was locked.

But now I can see that you and number seven are probably the two of the

critters on this earth.

Hold on, Teddy.

Nothing well never said anything about business.

I'm on my own.

Hop up slow and easy. I'm all right.

Don't come out.

Over there.

You've got to drop that tree across the gorge.

Right there.

I'm not sure I can make it fall properly.

If it misses, Teddy, notch it on this side.

Down low.

And then put a notch deep on the other side, just above it.

Use that rock as a wedge. You understand?

That'll be the day.

Now, maybe if your name was Leffingwell.

right, Theodore.

That's an ax.

Now get yourself to chopping.

Notch it on this side. That's right.

All right.

Living well eats your heart out.

Ha!

Easy, Jack.

One step at a time.

Adams, I didn't know how to walk. Been doing it for years.

Can I give you a hand?

Jack?

That about does it, eh?

Yeah.

Now let's find a way out of here.

Up this way would be my guess.

Come on.

The coma's gonna lead you back to town.

I won't say goodbye.

Because I'd like to come back again someday.

But I will say thank you.

All of you.

For putting up with me and my mistakes.

Certainly made enough of them. Everybody makes mistakes, Teddy.

But you realized yours.

And you've got the courage and the determination to overcome those

Okay.

I got the message.

You got as much determination as Teddy.

You can sleep in the cabin.

But I get the bed.

I've grown to love the wilderness.

I think everybody should have the opportunity to experience nature the way

have.

Right in the thick of it, you might say.

Well... I've had a bully -bully time.

So long, Teddy.

So long, old... Jack.

Eddie.

Funny thing about Teddy.

What's that, Adams?

I got a good feeling about him.

Theodore Roosevelt.

You'll never mount to a hill of beans.

Take my word for it.

Deep inside the forest is a door into another land.

Here...

We are staying here forever in the beauty

of this place. Although we keep on hoping.

Maybe there's a world where we don't have to run. Maybe

there's a time.