Original subtitles

(slow, mournful melody playing)

♪♪

♪♪

Well, folks, we... we come now

to the sad and sorry business of...

burying this here good woman, Cora Adams--

a protector and a guardian to her

- (Peg sniffles) - young niece Peg there, and...

well, just about the best neighbor

that us folks ever had.

I wish we had us a real preacher

to read over her, but, well, we ain't,

so, uh... well, take off your hats.

Come on, take off your hat.

Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil

for Thou art with me.

Thy rod and Thy staff-- they comfort me.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Amen.

ALL: Amen.

- Amen. - (Peg cries quietly)

Well, might as well go ahead and finish up here.

(Peg sighs)

Miss Brady, I want to stay with you.

Please, Miss Brady.

Please, can I?

MISS BRADY: Sheriff, would it be all right?

I can't do that, Miss Kate.

Her pa's got charges against him,

and the law says that she has to stay in my care

till the orphan's home comes to claim her.

Now, darling Peg, y-you come and stay with us,

and I'll keep you well and warm,

and you can see Miss Kate any time you want to.

Come on, darling.

You know this'll bring him down out of those mountains.

Maybe so, Frank.

But if Adams does show up,

I'll catch him, and I'll see him tried

for the murder that's been said against him.

He killed my partner.

I want him to pay.

Trial or no trial.

You all understand that?

Well, I finally got this fish trap

all set up for you, Mrs. Thompkins.

Now all we got to do is just get Ezra

to check it every morning and every night.

You're a good neighbor, Mr. Adams.

Well, I know it's not too much to look at,

but I guarantee you it's gonna catch you a few meals.

YOUNG MAN: Ma?!

Ma!

Down here at the crick, Ezra!

There's a fire.

Which way is it headed, Ezra?

Wind's headed up ridge, other side of the river.

Your place is all right, Mr. Adams.

Oh, thank goodness.

But I spotted old Bert Woolman.

- Where'd you see Bert? - Maybe a mile off.

I don't think he could see the fire

where he was, Mr. Adams.

He was going right to it.

I tried hollering, but he couldn't hear.

He's right between the fire and the river

on the other side of Barker's Point.

I'll tell you, if Bert gets caught in between that fire

and that river, you know he can't swim the lake.

- I better go with you. - I want you to stay here.

In case that wind changes, your mom's gonna need your help.

Well, you take Ezra's horse, Mr. Adams.

Thank you, ma'am. Ben, you stay here.

(Ben bellows)

(whines, groans)

- (donkey brays) - Easy, Stanley.

Come on now.

Once we get across that river,

we won't have to worry about them kegs of powder no more.

This way, come on.

(Stanley braying, Bert coughing)

(screeching)

(squeaking)

(coughing)

(chittering)

(Stanley braying, Bert coughing)

(Stanley wheezes)

(Stanley chuffing)

(Stanley wheezes)

(Bert grunting)

(Stanley braying)

There it is, Stanley, right where I told you.

Come on, come on, come on.

Whoa!

Come on now.

We got to get out of here,

somebody's gonna wind up with fried burro for dinner.

Bert!

Adams!

There's not much time!

(Stanley grunts)

Hold still now, Stanley.

Let's get this powder keg off'n you.

Adams, haul away!

Hang on, Bert. Hold tight.

I got you!

(Stanley brays softly)

(metallic creaking)

(creaking continues)

Adams! Faster! Faster!

(grunts)

(creaking)

(tree creaking)

Jump, Stanley, jump!

(grunting)

(gasps)

No!

Bert, jump off that thing!

Get off of it!

♪♪

(braying)

(grunts)

(Adams grunting with effort)

(groans)

(panting)

(braying)

He's alive!

- (Stanley grunts) - He's hurt some, but he's alive.

(panting)

Well, there's nothing broke up inside him

as far as I can see, Mr. Adams.

But he sure has a nasty cut on his head.

He shouldn't be moved.

Well, I'm sure obliged to you, Mrs. Thompkins.

Thank you, ma'am.

(weakly): Adams...

Oh, take it easy now, Bert.

I was coming to see you.

- It's about your sister. - What's wrong with her?

She come down with lung fever.

Cora?

James... she's dead.

Happened last week.

She went real quick.

Where's Peg?

Well, now, she's up to the sheriffs house and...

well, he's looking after her

till the stage gets her,

then he's shipping her off to the orphan farm.

I've got to go get her.

Now, don't you go after that girl.

The sheriff'll get you for sure.

I got to take that chance, Belt.

Son, you need me.

No, you wouldn't be any good to me or anybody

till you get yourself mended.

Doggone stubborn fool.

(door closes)

He's just gonna stand no chance at all...

(sighs): without me.

Ben?

- (bellowing) - Come on, Ben.

(bellowing)

May God go with you.

(Ben bellows)

Wait here, Ben.

(Ben bellows, grunts)

Don't you think you're overreacting to all of this?

Adams killed once.

There ain't no reason to think he wouldn't do it again.

All right, all right.

I'll... I'll leave Hank and Jud here to cover the jail.

We'll go deputize your men.

Come on. Over here.

(whispers): Let's go, let's go.

♪♪

- Pa! - Shh.

- Oh, Pa. - Ah, honey.

I knew you'd come for me, Pa.

That's been the trouble--

everybody knew I'd come looking for you.

Now, what we got to do is figure out

how to get out of here without getting caught.

(whispers): Why don't you get your dress on.

(window slides open)

(crickets chirping)

(dog barking in distance)

MAN: Adams!

Adams!

Hold it right there!

- (Adams groans) - Pa! Pa!

- Pa! - It's okay. Come on, come on.

Pa...

Jud! Get me untied!

- You all right? - Yeah. You see Adams?

Aw, he got away with the girl.

Come on, let's go.

Sheriff! Sheriff!

Adams's been here. He's got the girl.

I got a shot away, but he slipped off in the dark.

All right, you men, spread out and don't let him get past you.

Let's get back to the house and see if we can pick up his trail!

Let's stop, honey.

(groaning in pain)

- You okay, Pa? - (Adams panting)

I'll be okay.

I got to... stop the bleeding.

Don't you worry, princess.

We're gonna make it.

I just got to rest for a minute, honey.

(Adams groaning)

HANK: He's carrying a rifle, so be careful.

This way, Sheriff.

Pa, Pa, please get up.

SHERIFF: Let's split up.

You men check over there.

- HANK: Any trace of him, Jud? - Nothing over here.

Pa, please, I can hear 'em!

(rustling nearby, indistinct voices)

MAN (whispers): Let's go.

All right, you two check that side of the thicket.

Matt, come on.

Hey, there's some tracks over here.

Come on... keep your guns ready, just in case.

(twig snaps)

Oh, Miss Brady, I thought you were one of them.

Shh.

I heard all the shouting. What's happened?

It's my father.

How badly is he hurt?

He's been shot... in the leg.

Mr. Adams, do you think you could walk?

- My place is close by. - (Adams grunts)

Peg, you go ahead and see if the way is clear,

but be careful, all right?

(Adams grunting)

You can come now.

Hurry.

(Adams panting)

MAN: Sheriff, why did you call off the search?

We know he's out there.

We ain't gonna pick up his trail now; it's too dark!

Come morning, we can see what we're doing.

By morning, Adams will have a ten-hour start.

How far do you think he's gonna get

with a girl child to care for?

JUD: Sheriff! Sheriff!

It's blood!

Fresh blood.

Where'd you find this?

Over in the grove.

That shot you got off must've hit him.

Sheriff, he's got to be somewhere in town.

Well, let's just go dig him out.

MAN 2: Let's check this side of the street.

You did just fine, Peg.

You're a brave girl.

I'm awful proud of you, sweetheart.

Now, rinse these out on the porch

and empty the water, all right?

All right.

(cat meowing)

KATE: Get down, Peaches.

Go on. Get down.

(Peaches meowing)

I sure appreciate all your help.

You really are taking quite a chance.

Well, I, um...

I feel I've come to know you well through Peg.

And not just from her memories and the stories of you, but...

...from the sort of person she's become.

She's kind and she's gentle, and it's...

it's easy to see she got those qualities from you.

Can you see that, really?

Yes.

(laughs softly)

I hadn't lived here long before you left, but...

I have my own memories of the sort of man you were.

You haven't changed.

My only regret is that...

I brought my problems down on you and...

I think they're gonna paint you with the same brush

for helping me.

No matter what's been said,

I'll never believe you killed that man.

(sighs)

PEG: Miss Brady.

There's men on the street and they're coming this way.

They're stopping at every house.

All right, uh, both of you up in the loft.

Right now.

- (whispers): Hurry up. - SHERIFF (muffled): Kate?

- (pounding on door) - MAN: Come on, open up.

SHERIFF: Kate, are you in there?

It's Sheriff Hawkins.

Please open up!

(knocking insistently)

Uh, I'll be right with you, Sheriff.

What right...?

Sheriff, this man has no right in my house.

We're looking for that fella Adams and his daughter.

Now, maybe you've seen them.

KATE: No, I haven't.

We're searching every place.

Well, they're not here.

Then there's no problem for us to look around.

I said they're not here.

We'll just check to make sure.

(wood creaking)

Well, well, well...

what do you know.

All right, Adams...

don't try anything.

- (meows, yowls) - Aah!

KATE: And you're hunting a man

who keeps a grizzly bear for a friend?

Why, you can't even manage my cat.

You know something.

Maybe I ought to just shake it out of you.

Briggs!

You ain't gonna need that, Miss Kate-- now, put it down.

- (distant gunshots) - HANK: There he goes!

HANK: Come on! This way!

Jud! Jud! What's going on?

Hank was tracking some bear prints before.

Maybe he come on something.

If that's Adams' bear, he can't be far away.

Let's go.

Mr. Adams, they've gone.

I think they saw Ben.

Well, we don't have to worry about ol' Ben.

He can take care of himself.

But Briggs, he'll know that we're still here.

We're gonna have to be moving on.

Well, I... I hid your things in the smokehouse.

But I... I don't want you to go.

It'll be safer if we travel at night,

and anyway, they'll probably be following Ben's trail.

Will you just keep going, both of you?

Well, I figures when my leg got better,

Peg and I'd head on out to California,

maybe get us a fresh start.

Anyway, Peg's the only reason I stayed around this long.

Will I ever see you again?

I hope so, ma'am.

Maybe in a better time and a better place.

Miss Brady, I'm gonna miss you.

I'll miss you, too.

Come on, princess.

God bless you, ma'am, for everything.

All right.

- BERT: Oh, phew! - Hm?

Almost finished.

Any more of your soup and I will be finished.

Looks like you're feeling better this morning.

The only chance a fella has to escape around here

is to hurry up and start mendin'.

Oh, your oneriness is back,

which is good, I guess.

But you still feel pain in that head wound,

and you can't fool me on that account.

Don't you understand, I just got to light out after Adams.

There's no telling what kind of trouble

he's gonna get into in the town there, all by himself.

Bert, you're better, but you still couldn't make it

halfway to town in your condition.

Ma... I could go.

I mean, I'd like to do something to help out.

You ride into town just as fast as you can.

Just see what's going on.

First sign of trouble you ride back here and tell me,

you understand?

Yes, sir.

Swallow.

(groans, grumbles)

Good morning, princess.

Morning, Pa.

(Adams grunts)

I brought you a little breakfast.

I know it's not too much to look at,

but I've been saving a surprise for us--

a little beef jerky.

(chuckles)

(groans)

How's your leg this morning?

Honey, I've felt worse.

I tell you, that Kate, she's a pretty good doctor.

- She likes you; I could tell. - Aw.

(twigs snapping)

Shh.

(grunting)

Ben, you just about scared us to death.

- (Ben bellows) - (Adams chuckles)

(Ben groans)

PEG: He's beautiful.

How'd you and him get to be friends?

Ben was just a little cub when I found him.

He was caught on this ledge.

I climbed down and got him and...

I bottle-fed him.

Before I knew it, he started thinking I was him mom.

I reckon he's big enough to know the difference now.

(grunts softly)

(chuckles)

I want you to do me a favor, princess.

I want you to sit right here

and be as quiet as a church mouse, all right?

Where you gonna be?

I got to go do a little scouting around,

see if they're closing in on us or if we can make a run for it.

I'll leave Ben here with you, all right?

I love you.

(grunts) Ben, I want you to stay here.

- That's a good boy. - (Ben bellows)

Be careful, Pa.

♪♪

- Ben, I'll be right back. - (Ben grunts)

Understand?

(grunting)

MAN: Aw, these tracks are too old to be theirs.

- MAN 2: Where do you think they are? - MAN 3: I can't

- find anything. - MAN: Smiley's checking upstream.

MAN 3: ls anybody checking the valley?

MAN 2: Yeah, Petey's doing that.

MAN 3: He couldn't find the tail on a horse!

(men laugh)

MAN 4: Ain't nothin' downstream.

- (raccoon chittering) - PEG: Come here, little fella.

Aw...

Don't go. I won't hurt you.

(screams)

- Gotcha! - (grunts) Let me down!

Let me down!

(Peg shouting)

- Ow! You-you little hellcat. - Ow!

You do that again, you'll get worse.

Get your hands off her, Briggs.

Get him, Tom!

Hold it! Hold it there, I said!

I told you I wanted a prisoner,

not a dead man!

All right, Adams, put that rifle down.

You're under arrest.

(growling)

Bear! Get him!

- Run, Ben! - (gunshot)

(grunting)

I'd have had him if Adams hadn't come at me!

I got him.

I know I got him.

That grizzly's his pet, Sheriff.

You see the way he obeys him?

You know he's gonna be hanging around as long as Adams is here.

If you don't send someone out to hunt him down-- now--

I will.

You want a grizzly scaring a whole town,

maybe a wounded one at that?

You ever see what a wounded grizzly can do?

Hank!

Get after him.

Whaley, go with him.

I'm sorry, Pa.

At least we had a little time together.

(dog barking)

Sheriff, is all this really necessary?

Mr. Adams already had a leg wound.

Well, he tried to get away before.

I figured if he got the chance, he might try it again.

It's all right, ma'am. He's just doin' his job.

There ain't nothing personal in any of this, Adams.

You're wanted for murder, it's my job

to see you're tried for it.

Oh, Pa, I don't want to leave you.

Can I stay with my pa tonight?

Please, Mr. Hawkins?

Oh, uh...

That wouldn't be fittin', not in no jail cell.

Come along, darling. Come with me.

I'm so sorry.

Thank you, Liz.

Pa, I love you so much.

I love you, princess.

Lock him up.

James...

don't lose hope.

I won't, ma'am.

I just don't know any other thing to say

but "thank you" and-and that surely isn't enough.

Thank you, ma'am.

I can't believe you've allowed yourself

to become a part of all of this.

Part of all of what?

You and Frank Briggs used that little girl like bait in a trap.

You knew James Adams wouldn't let his child be sent off

to an orphan farm.

Oh, now look, he's wanted for murder.

He come down here and he was caught.

That's the law.

And what kind of a trial do you think he'll get in this town?

Frank Briggs owns most of the people here.

Well, he'll get a fair trial, I'll tell you that.

I'll see to it!

He'll get a fair trial!

I want to see justice done.

So do we all, Miss Kate.

Do you?

(door opens)

(door shuts)

(sighs)

(rooster crows)

WHALEY: What do you think?

HANK: It's a fresh track all right, real fresh.

Come on.

(Ben growling)

- WHALEY: There he is! - (Ben groans)

(horse neighs)

Hey. Pa! Pa!

Folks say they're gonna hang Mr. Adams if he's found guilty.

That'll be something, huh?

(imitates choking)

Son... never,

never make sport out of someone's dying.

(horse whinnies)

(indistinct conversations)

(quietly): Hi.

Hello, Jeff. How are you?

- Nice to see you, Walter. - Nice to see you, Mr. Briggs.

- Get that sluice box built yet? - No, still working on it.

♪♪

(sighs)

(gavel banging)

Well, we may not have a regular judge

and we may not have a regular courtroom

or the trappings that go with it,

but we are going to have an honest trial

done according to the law.

Now, anyone who wants to say anything

is gonna have to prove it's true on this here Bible.

And, for or against, you're all gonna get your turn,

and the jury will decide.

Mr. Briggs here is the accuser.

He's gonna be calling on some of you

to serve as witnesses.

Mr. Adams here, he's doing his own lawyerin'.

Now, you fellas in the jury,

I want you to hear me good.

I want you to listen to everything that's said or heard,

and I want you to come in with the truth

just as close as you can come to it.

Now, if you say that Adams is guilty of murder,

then he'll hang.

But if you say he's innocent, I'll let him go.

That's all there is to it.

(low, indistinct chatter)

All right, quiet.

Quiet, now! Quiet!

You have a statement, Mr. Briggs?

Well, gentlemen, the long and short of it is, uh,

when me and Pete Ferguson partnered up

for the B and F Land Company,

and got the water rights to that 30 sections north of Willawa...

Adams turned bad.

He argued and fought with Ferguson all the time,

about paying fare for the water and grazing.

It built up between 'em...

until the night Adams...

took a hammer to old Pete in his blacksmith shop...

and done him in.

I was witness to it.

(townsfolk murmuring)

(gavel banging)

Adams...

is there anything you wanted to say to that?

Yes, Sheriff, there is.

Ladies and gentlemen...

...I did not kill Peter Ferguson.

I've never killed a man in my life.

I don't know if I can prove it to you...

...but I'm sure gonna try.

SHERIFF HAWKINS: All right, Mr. Briggs,

start calling your witnesses.

Well, look, uh, I can't say it was Adams himself

that started the barn fire at Ferguson ranch,

but he sure wasn't sad about it.

I remember that.

All us farmers in the north end of the valley

had a grudge against Ferguson over the water rights.

But Adams, well, I'd never seen him

quite so worked up as he was.

He said it wasn't right what Ferguson was doing.

He said he was gonna square things.

You wouldn't call yourself a friend of Ferguson's, would you?

I would not.

How about Adams?

Adams was a good neighbor and... a good man.

But you saw that good neighbor and good man

attack Ferguson in town one day, didn't you?

Ferguson was beating a poor old horse nearly to death

with a whip...

just because the horse was...

was getting nervous about getting shod.

What did Adams do?

Well, everybody knows how...

how Adams was about... about animals.

He grabbed the whip away from Ferguson.

Ferguson tried to hit him with an iron bar.

Well, Adams took it away from him, threw him on the ground,

and put his foot on top of Ferguson's chest

so he couldn't get up.

What did Adams say right then?

He told Ferguson if he ever caught him

beating an animal again, he'd do the same to him.

(murmuring)

Any questions, Adams?

How's the family, Mr. O'Laughlin?

Good.

All those years that we were neighbors,

do you ever remember anybody saying that I had a bad temper

or that I was cruel?

They said just the opposite.

You're a kind, gentle man.

Do you really think that I threatened

to kill Ferguson that day in the street?

You only said you'd whip him good.

That's what you meant.

That's all, Michael.

Wait, there's one other thing.

When the B and F Land Company cut the water rights off

to your place and mine, and all the others,

was I the only one that had angry words for Ferguson?

No, no. No, sir.

Everyone did.

More than 30 of us were left without water.

And the way Ferguson handled things,

he made a lot of enemies out of it.

That's all, Michael. Thank you.

Mr. Briggs, you got any more witnesses,

let's get 'em heard, huh?

Just one more, Sheriff.

Tom Quigley.

Tom...

will you come down here

and tell 'em what you saw with your own two eyes?

Me and my boy...

Daniel...

well, we had... we'd just been in town for a couple of days.

His ma had been dead for more than a year,

and, uh, I was stone broke and without work.

Mr. Ferguson allowed me and Daniel

to, um... bunk out in the-the hay shed

out behind the blacksmith shop.

I was just getting ready

to tuck me and Daniel in for the night

when I heard a terrible argument coming from the inside.

Mr. Ferguson and... and somebody that I didn't know,

they was having mighty angry words.

Well, I come out and I went to the back door

to, uh, to have a look.

And the men,

they was, uh, scuffling with each other

and wrestling and... and cursing and calling names.

It was dark inside, so...

I couldn't rightly say who the other man was.

I mean, I was new in town,

and I... and I didn't have a friend here, you understand.

Anyway...

whatever the argument was, it wasn't any of my business,

so, uh... I just slipped on back.

In just a couple of seconds,

I heard the awful sound of somebody being hit.

I heard a man cry out,

and then... the sound of the fighting...

stopped.

When I went back to have a look...

I saw a man standing over Ferguson's body

with a hammer in his hand.

Is that man in this room?

He's right over there.

BRIGGS: James Capen Adams?

Yes.

(townsfolk murmuring)

Adams, you got anything you want to ask Tom here?

Tom, I remember the night you're talking about very well.

It was the tenth of September,

very warm for that time of year.

I suppose you remember how the moon was set that night

and how many horses were tied up on Main Street.

(laughter)

I do remember it was the last time

I saw my daughter and my friends, Mr. Briggs.

There hasn't been a day gone by these last few years

I haven't tried to figure out what went on that night.

Over and over, I run it around in my mind,

trying to make sense of it.

I heard the argument

and the angry words you're talking about, Tom.

The same as you.

I was walking down the street

and went straight for the smithy's.

I couldn't have got there more than a minute

after Ferguson had been hit.

(horse neighs quietly)

(townsfolk chattering)

(man speaks quietly, indistinctly)

(horse neighs, townsfolk murmur)

What you doing, Adams?

Nothing. I heard an argument in here, I came in

to see what was going on, and I found him just like this.

You killed him.

No!

I did not kill him!

You can't put this off on me, Briggs.

I didn't do it!

- Come back here! - (townsfolk shouting)

SHERIFF: Let's get on with it, Adams.

You got any questions for the witness?

Mr. Quigley, you work for Briggs?

Well, I guess everybody around here knows

that I'm the foreman of his ranch.

Earlier you said,

when you come to town, you had no money and no job.

How soon after Ferguson's death did you go to work for Briggs?

Directly after.

Would you say that Mr. Briggs is a rich man?

What's that got to do with this trial?

Just answer the question, Tom.

Well, I-I'd say he probably has more than most.

ADAMS: Are you telling me the truth about

what you saw that night?

Everything I've said here is the God's truth.

But are you telling me everything?

I don't get what you're driving at, Adams.

Somebody killed Peter Ferguson that night, Sheriff,

but it wasn't me.

After Ferguson's death,

Mr. Briggs became a very rich man.

Do we have to listen to this?!

Whoever killed Ferguson that night had

to run out the back way, right past Tom Quigley.

Now, maybe Mr. Quigley doesn't want to say who that was

because he's beholden to that man--

you, Mr. Briggs, being that man.

- (townsfolk murmuring) - You killed Peter Ferguson,

then laid the blame on me.

Sheriff, he's the one on trial here, not me!

All right, Adams.

All you're doing is raising a lot of suspicion.

Then, Sheriff, you ask Tom Quigley

who ran past him that night in the smithy.

I'll do it for you, Sheriff.

Tom, did you see anybody run out the back door of the smithy

the night of the murder?

- Well, did you?! - No, I didn't.

There you are, Adams!

You didn't see anybody run out the front door,

and Tom didn't see nobody run out the back door

'cause there weren't nobody there.

You were the only one in there with Peter Ferguson,

and you killed him.

(townsfolk murmuring)

(townsfolk conversing indistinctly)

SHERIFF HAWKINS: You can step down, Tom.

You folks in the jury,

the time has come for you to decide.

It's come down to a choice between the word of Frank Briggs

and Tom Quigley against that of James Adams.

Now we know a man was killed here.

These are the facts as good as we can have them.

It's up to you to decide.

(men conversing quietly)

(quietly): Uh...

We, in the jury,

based upon the testimony presented before us,

find James Capen Adams...

guilty.

(clamoring)

(gavel banging)

(clamor continues)

(horse sputters)

Sheriff? Sheriff!

WHALEY: Well, we got it, Sheriff.

Whoa.

Here's Adams' grizzly bear.

Or what's left of it.

(Adams cries)

Oh, no.

(Adams cries)

(horse neighing)

Thank you very much.

I really appreciate it.

Miss Kate.

What are you doing out this late?

Trying to prevent a horrible miscarriage of justice.

Something no man in this town has the courage to do, it seems.

Excuse me.

(sighs)

Thank you, Mrs. Conway.

And if you could just try to persuade your husband,

I know he'd feel the better for it.

Well... I don't know if it will do any good,

but, uh, maybe if he sees Liz Hawkins standing there,

he'll come over.

Well, I'm going to talk to her right now.

- Good night. - Good night.

Well, Kate, come on in.

Is Liz still up?

I'd like a moment with her.

She's up.

I doubt if she'll sleep tonight.

Here, I'll take that for you.

Thank you.

KATE: Liz?

Kate.

How's Peg?

Doc Eustace gave her a tonic

to help her sleep.

Poor little girl.

First her Aunt Cora, now this.

Yes. I'll, um...

I'll-I'll make us some tea.

No. No, thank you.

Uh, Liz, I need to talk to you.

I've been going from house to house

speaking to anyone who would listen.

You're a fool, Kate.

There's nothing more you can do, nothing at all.

Well, I can't believe that.

I won't believe that.

This is a civilized town

of God-fearing, law-abiding people.

We wouldn't hang an innocent man.

We couldn't, Liz.

Kate, James Adams has been found guilty by the jury.

In the eyes of the law, he is a convicted murderer.

You don't believe that, Liz.

Not you.

(wry laugh) You don't have to prove

anything to me, Kate.

There never was a time

I believed that James Adams ever killed anybody.

Not six years ago, and not now.

Then help him.

Help me, help that little girl.

LIZ: How?

What can I do?

Be there, at that hanging tree, before dawn.

More than 20 women have said they would be there.

Join hands with us around that tree.

Oh, Kate.

Look, even if we kept them

from hanging James Adams in the morning,

we can't stand around that tree holding hands forever.

But if we could stop the hanging for just a few hours,

maybe the whole town would have time to come to its senses.

Maybe the people would rise up and refuse

to take part in the murder of an innocent man.

There has never, ever been a time

when I have put myself between my Mr. Hawkins

and his duty as sheriff.

And I don't know as I could start now.

Do you really believe it's the sheriffs duty

to hang a man we all know is innocent?

I'll think about it, Kate.

That's all I can give you.

But you're not going out in the night again?

There's more people to talk to.

(door opening)

(rooster crows)

Elizabeth, you-you didn't come to bed at all last night.

There isn't a person in this town

with a conscience who could have slept last night.

Well, I didn't convict Adams.

All the years that we've been married,

I've always been proud...

...until now.

Oh, now, wait a minute, Elizabeth...

wait... listen, I want to tell you something, Elizabeth.

You don't understand what I'm trying to do.

Elizabeth!

(distant): Elizabeth!

(wind gusting, whooshing)

Mr. Briggs? Mr. Briggs?

The Wind's knocked down four sections of fence

below the ridge!

We got more than a hundred head of cattle

in the woods out there!

All right, you heard him!

Back to the ranch!

Let's get this done before the hanging.

MAN: Let's go.

Come on.

- Hyah! Hyah! - (horse neighing)

- Hyah! - Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!

PEG: Pa?

My baby.

Let me look at you, princess.

You're a pretty girl.

(Peg sniffles)

You gotta go.

(crying): I can't do it, Pa.

You promised me.

(sniffling)

But... how can I say good-bye to you...

like you were just going off somewhere,

instead of...?

(crying)

We did it once before, didn't we?

You said good-bye to me, gave me a big kiss, didn't you?

But I knew that you were alive

and that you'd come back to me someday.

I want you to go out into the morning.

I want you to walk right by those people.

And you go out into the woods, like we talked about, all right?

Wait till this is all over.

I'll come to you.

When you see all them little critters playing in the woods,

or you see the hawk dancing in the sky,

I'll be with you.

- (sniffles) - All right?

I promise.

I love you, Pa.

I love you, honey.

ADAMS (sighs): Oh...

LIZ: Now, will you please stand clear of the doorway?

(sighs with annoyance)

Elizabeth!

(distant): Elizabeth...!

(wind gusting, whistling)

Thank you, Elizabeth.

Thank you for coming.

(wind whistling)

(horse neighing)

(horse neighs)

What do you think them there ladies are up to?

(keys jingling)

Peg, what are you doing in here?

I came to say good-bye to my father.

I'm sorry, little girl.

I'm sorrier than you know, but, well, you don't belong in here.

Now come on.

(footsteps approaching)

Do as he says, honey.

(Peg sniffles)

That wasn't very decent of you, Adams.

You know she don't belong in here.

What's decent about any of this, Sheriff?

(wind whistling)

ADAMS: I want you to be my big girl.

I want you to walk out into the morning.

I want you to walk right by those people.

I want you to go out into the woods,

just like we talked about.

Wait till this is over, okay?

(wind whistling)

(wind whooshing, whistling)

(indistinct, overlapping chatter)

WOMAN: Remember...

All right, ladies, move out of the way.

Come on, ladies. I've got a job to do.

(horse sputters)

No, sir.

- Come on. Won't let him in. - Hold tight.

Let me in there, come on!

Now I understand how you feel,

but the law's the law.

(women speaking indistinctly)

Fine, but the sheriff ain't gonna like this.

We ain't gonna need them things.

I'm not gonna put those chains on you.

I figure you got a right to walk your last piece on Earth

like a man.

Sheriff, I'm trying to do my job,

but those women are out there around that hanging tree,

and your wife is one of 'em.

Well, we can't let that interfere.

It's time, James.

Let's go.

(door opens)

(wind whistling)

(horse neighs)

BRIGGS: We'll have to take cover!

(men shouting)

(horse neighing)

(indistinct shouting, wind whooshing)

- MAN: Hold on! - (horse neighs)

(horses neighing)

ADAMS: Tornado!

- Tornado?! - It's headed straight this way!

Come on! Let's run for it!

(townsfolk screaming)

(screaming, shouting)

Miss Brady!

Children, into the cellar!

KATE: Quickly! This way, hurry!

(indistinct shouting)

WOMAN: Hurry! Move to the back!

WOMAN 2: Go! Go on! Right on in! Now!

Now! Come on, now!

(townsfolk screaming, shouting)

(horse neighing)

(child crying)

MAN: Hold on! Hold-hold-hold on!

(shouting, clamoring)

Oh, hurry!

(screams)

(shouts)

(shouts, grunts)

(shouts)

(shouts)

(grunting)

(shouts, grunts)

(grunting)

(thudding, clattering)

(yelling, groaning)

(glass shattering)

(crying)

(screaming)

(screaming)

(screaming)

(people groaning, crying)

(woman sobbing deeply)

MAN: Betsy! Betsy, where are you, Betsy?!

WOMAN: Bobby!

(grunting)

- (Adams panting, grunting) - (Ben groans)

(Adams grunting with effort)

(Ben growls, grunts)

Oh, Ben...

They didn't kill you.

(groaning)

(sighs)

It makes me happy to see you, Ben.

(deep grunting, growling)

(quiet, indistinct chatter)

- Mr. Hawkins. It's Adams. - (Sheriff Hawkins grunts)

Adams...!

Adams, it's my...

- How bad is it? - ...my back!

Hang on. Let me get this off...

Feels like I busted a rib or something.

(Sheriff Hawkins groans)

(Sheriff Hawkins pants)

You just lay here and take it easy.

Let me see if I can get some people to help you.

- All right. - I'll organize things.

(moans)

- MAN: Betsy? - MAN 2: Please, please, here.

(man groans)

Easy. Easy.

(woman sobbing)

Put 'em up, Adams!

Got you covered!

ADAMS: I've had it, Jud!

There's people hurt and dying in the street!

Now, put it away!

Do what he says.

Put it away!

Has anybody seen the doc?

That's him coming now.

Hank, you start at that end of town,

Jud, you start at this end of town,

and help anybody that's hurt and cover up the dead.

ADAMS: Move it!

Easy, Sheriff. Easy.

- (groans) - I'll get you down to the doc's.

I'm all right. I just...

I can't get my wind.

(exhales)

Sheriff...

the women and the children...

by the tree, where'd they go for cover?

When I last seen them, they was...

heading for the cellar under the hotel.

My wife and Kate and... your Peg is with them.

- Are you gonna be all right? - Don't worry about me.

I can't help you none; you'll have to do it yourself.

I want you men to get the sheriff down to the doc!

Make sure he takes a look at him.

(grunting)

(groaning)

Ben!

- (deep grunting) - What'd you find, Ben?

(Ben growling)

Peg? Kate? Mrs. Hawkins?

- Oh... - Oh! Pa, is that you?

Yes, honey!

Go on, Ben. Go on.

- Everything's gonna be all right. - It's my pa!

I knew he'd come!

- Pa, help us! - All right, listen to me!

Don't move! Stay right where you're at!

I'm gonna get you out of there! Don't move!

Hurry, James! The floor is caving in!

You men! You men, get over here, help me!

There's women and children trapped down here.

MAN: Come on!

Move these beams easy.

ADAMS (muffled): The floor's caving in on them.

Pa, I can see out!

ADAMS: Listen careful, now.

Those beams are very loose,

so keep still till I get down there, understand?

All right, now.

There's just enough room for one man to get down there

and brace up that beam.

Now, you stay up here while I lift the folks out to you.

(wood creaking)

All right, everybody stand back.

Don't want these beams to hit you.

(quietly): We'll get you out of here.

(grunting)

All right, kids...

one at a time.

Come on, honey.

That's a girl.

Watch your head.

Nice and easy.

That's a girl.

- MAN: Easy... - (wood creaking)

- There you go. - Here you go, baby.

Keep going, honey-

Here's another one.

- Watch your head, ma'am. - Thank you.

- Thank you, James. - Yes.

All right, ma'am.

(grunts)

- BOY: Help! - That's Daniel Quigley.

The whole thing's gonna come down, Adams!

Get out of there if you can!

Jud! Throw me a timber or something,

so I can brace this beam!

Place it under the beam.

DANIEL: Help!

Somebody help me!

Don't leave me in the dark!

I'll get you, Daniel!

Help!

Help me!

I can't get my leg out.

I see you, son.

Hang on.

(rumbling, crashing)

Hold on.

I got you, son.

All right, scoot out.

That's it, put your arm around me.

I got you.

That's a boy.

Easy.

Watch your head.

All right.

(groans)

(crashing, clattering)

Watch his legs, Jud.

Watch his head.

- Got him? - Got him.

- Oh! Oh, honey! - Sure, he's all right!

(wood creaking)

(groans, pants)

(sighs, groans)

James...

God bless you, Mr. Adams.

(townsfolk cheer and applaud)

♪♪

You men, come on over here, bring that stretcher right away.

Let's get this girl over to the Conway house.

Here, give her here.

MAN: Over there.

(injured man groans weakly)

Okay.

Take it easy, now.

(injured man groans)

Let me help you there, ma'am.

Aw, there's a cut on your head.

(Ben grumbles)

Okay...

There you go.

One, two, three!

(grunting)

- Right there. - Look out.

- Make a little room, now. - Set it down.

Ma'am, would you check this little girl?

Here you go, honey.

Come on, honey, jump up.

That's a girl.

Well, all I know is that Adams disappeared

from this here town when the tornado hit.

I don't see him no place. Nope.

(chuckles) I kind of figure that maybe him

and his little daughter went off together.

And when and if this town

ever pulls itself back... together again,

I'll bet you I got to go searching for him again.

(chuckles)

I-I don't really think I'll ever find him, though.

KATE: Take care, Peg.

Godspeed, Mr. Adams.

Thank you, Kate.

Bye, Miss Brady.

Mr. Hawkins...

I'm proud of you.

I don't know what you're talking about.

(Sheriff Hawkins chuckles)

(grunts, bellows)

- What about Ben? - You go back to the cabin, Ben.

(grunts, whines)

(grumbles)

We're gonna be safer traveling alone.

(horses neighing)

There's Briggs's men.

We're gonna have to ride fast and hard, so hang on.

Don't you worry none about me, Pa.

That's my girl.

♪♪

MAN: My God, there ain't nothin' left.

BRIGGS: Whoa.

That twister hit hard.

Tore up half my ranch.

My stock's spread out across half the territory.

Well, now, that is sure too bad, Frank.

But we've got troubles of our own.

- What happened to Adams? - He's gone.

Along with the jail.

Killed him, huh?

No, he just got away.

You let him get away.

Now, look, Frank, I've had plenty other things on my mind.

TOM: Where's my boy?

Where's Daniel? Anybody seen him?

DANIEL: Pa! Pa!

You all right? You all right, boy?

Mr. Adams saved me from the caving-in cellar.

He lifted the beam off my leg.

That's true, Tom.

Dan wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Adams.

- And a lot of the others, too. - Never mind that.

Me and my men is still a sworn posse.

We'll get Adams.

He can't have got far.

BRIGGS: Come on, Tom.

I ain't going, Mr. Briggs.

(horses galloping away)

Frank ain't gonna stop till he kills Adams.

KATE: He's got to be stopped.

He's fair game; he's a convicted killer.

TOM: Sheriff...

I don't have much in this world,

and my boy means everything to me.

That's why I did it.

You never saw James Adams kill that man, did you?

I'm sorry.

God above knows I'm sorry.

Tom, you best tell it all.

Adams didn't kill Mr. Ferguson.

It was Frank Briggs I saw coming out that back door.

- SHERIFF HAWKINS: Jud! - JUD: Yeah?

SHERIFF HAWKINS: Saddle us up a couple of horses.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

Hyah!

Hyah!

Keep it moving back there!

Adams came this way, all right.

Briggs right after him.

Well, let's get going.

♪♪

River's awful high, honey, and it's fast.

We're gonna have to go across.

I want you to hold on as tight as you can.

You bet, Pa.

That's my girl.

(horse whinnies)

(yells)

Pa! Pa!

Pa!

Back him up, honey!

Pull back on the reins!

Back! Get back!

- Back! Back! - (horse whinnying)

Back!

ADAMS: I love you.

♪♪

- There. - That's them, all right.

All right, let's go.

Hyah! Hyah!

- It's awful risky. - I ain't going in that thing.

Well, let's move it!

Appears a little rocky in there, Mr. Briggs.

I said move!

(horse whinnies)

(grunts)

Watch it, Will!

(gasps, yells)

Hold on!

Watch out where he goes! Watch out where he goes!

Well, quit your gawking and get over here!

If Will's not dead, he's gonna need our help down there.

What's done is done.

Let's keep after Adams.

Then you'd better do it alone.

We've had enough!

Come on, now.

Come back here, you...!

Hyah!

Hyah!

(horse whinnies)

Easy, easy, easy-

ADAMS: Easy, easy... easy.

Easy.

She bruised her hoof pretty bad, honey.

We're gonna have to go the rest of the way on foot.

It's okay, Pa.

We'll be all right, I know we will.

That's my girl.

Thank you.

(Weighs)

♪♪

WHALEY: There he is!

He's still alive! Give me a hand here!

Easy, now. Watch his back.

Whoa.

Where'd Briggs go?

He crossed over the river with Adams.

All right.

Come on. Let's get going.

WHALEY: All right, loosen his shirt a little bit.

Yeah, he's all right. He's coming around.

That's some spill he took.

(exhales) Easy, honey.

We're almost to the top. Watch your step.

That's a girl.

(gunshot)

Quick, honey! Hurry up!

Aah!

(Adams gasping)

(grunting)

Here you go. Come on.

PEG: Got it.

(gunshot)

PEG: Pa, look out!

(rumbling, clattering)

(rumbling continues)

We're almost there.

As soon as we get to the top,

we'll be under cover, honey.

Come on, let's hurry.

(Adams panting)

You ready, princess?

- We're going across the bridge? - It's the only way.

We got to.

Well, will it be safe?

Well, sure it will.

You'll be with me.

Just hold on real tight.

Here we go...

(grunting)

(bridge creaks, cracks)

Hang on, honey. That's it.

(creaking)

(creaking)

Hold on.

We're almost there.

- (Peg screams) - ADAMS: (screams) Hang on!

Hold on!

That's a girl!

Climb over...! (grunting with effort)

- That's a girl. - Pa...

Hang on tight!

Hang on.

That's a girl.

(grunts)

(horse neighs)

Pa, look out!

Freeze right there.

(gasps)

It's too bad. You almost made it, Adams.

I guess nobody can blame me

for shooting an escaped murderer...

can they?

No! Don't shoot him!

(gunshot)

(horse whinnies)

PEG: Oh, Pa.

Don't you ever get tired of running, Adams?!

Don't you get tired of killing, Briggs?

(laughs)

I know you're the one that killed Ferguson.

I didn't know it for sure until the trial.

There's just too much pure hate inside of you.

Pure hate? (laughs)

Yeah!

You broke up my family.

You took everything away from me that meant anything.

Why would you do that?

Why?

'Cause you was there!

You was handy.

Pa, get away from him!

Yeah, Papa, get back, Papa.

Right, Adams... run again!

Not this time, Briggs.

A man like you's got to be stopped.

Pa, be careful!

(grunting)

(both grunting)

(Adams shouts, groans)

(shouts)

(grunts)

(shouts)

(grunts)

(Adams shouts)

Aah! Ah, ah...!

(grunting)

(groaning)

Jud, get on downstream!

See if you can pull that body out-- he might be alive!

Adams!

Adams, it's all right!

I seen everything, Adams!

It's all right!

(exhales)

(panting)

Oh, Pa, I was so scared.

Hey, Adams!

Not bad for a greenhorn.

Bert... (chuckles)

Bert, here all this time, I thought you was just about dead.

Any more of that widow's home brew medicine,

I just might've been.

- (laughs) - You know,

Ezra durn near got killed coming through that twister

to tell me about your predicament.

Well, you're just about the best friend a fella could ever have.

Well, now, just 'cause I went and saved your life,

there's no reason for you to go and get all sentimental.

(all laughing)

Tom Quigley finally told the truth,

and your daddy's a free man.

- Did you hear that, Pa? - I sure did, honey.

But another man did die, Mr. Hawkins.

Well, lots of folks were killed when the tornado hit that town--

lots of good folks-- not like Briggs.

You don't have to mourn him at all, James.

Not after what he tried to do to you.

But that's behind you now.

You have a future.

And I got a family again.

Have you thought about what you might be doing?

Well, I rightly don't know.

But what happened to Peg and I,

I'd like to see that it doesn't happen to anybody else.

You really do care.

You like helping people, don't you?

Well, when you come to think about it,

all a person has is other folks.

And I reckon there's a lot of folks in these parts

that could use a helping hand.

Well, there's a lot of people here that could use your help

in putting this town back on its feet.

She's right about that.

Yes, Pa.

Let's stay and help.

Let's get started.

Uh, Pa...

...aren't you forgetting something?

ADAMS: Come on, Ben.

(bellowing)

♪ Deep inside the forest is a door into another land ♪

♪ Here is our life and home ♪

♪ We are staying ♪

♪ Here forever in the beauty of this place ♪

♪ All alone ♪

♪ We keep on hoping ♪

♪ Maybe ♪

♪ There's a world where we don't have to run ♪

♪ And maybe ♪

♪ There's a time we'll call our own ♪

♪ Living free in harmony and majesty ♪

♪ Take me home ♪

♪ Take me home... ♪