Original subtitles

Did you lose yourself on that pen again?

You get back to the house. Rot this instant or else I'll be trading your

hide for salt.

All right?

All right?

You best heed what I say.

I'll probably be there.

I'm switching you three ways.

From ham hocks to pig nub.

Come on.

Come on.

What's the matter, Blossom Pig? What's spooking you?

I can't believe what my eyes are seeing.

That was a full-grown panther.

They're not supposed to be ranging these mountains no longer.

Partial. Tenimal and child alike, or tell.

All right, pig.

Wouldn't be seemly to send you back alone with the panther fear on you.

Come on.

All right, now. It's okay. It's okay. Settle down, pig.

He's gone. Don't worry.

Don't expect to be running off now.

Come on, Beauregard.

Come on.

Good

morning,

Mr. Sykes, Mr. Barnes, Mr. Everhart. Hi, Jamie. How you doing? How's your family

and your mama?

Passable, thanks.

Of course, she's having a time running the place without Pa.

Goods for trade?

That's a fact. Women need salt and cash money real bad.

Well, you're gonna have to wait a while. Old Ben Forrest is skinning the hide off

every customer.

Ain't nothing he can do about it.

Yankee blockade's cut most made goods to a dribble.

Hood's wounded coming in!

Hood's wounded coming in!

Hood's wounded coming in!

Did y'all come over to Tennessee Gap? Yes, we did.

Well, what happened?

We got whipped.

Hood's whole army was wiped out.

The Yanks rolled us up toward Nashville.

Well, it looked like the end, Jimmy.

With old Hood and his men gone, it means that Yanks General Sherman has a free

hand to burn his way through the rest of Georgia, then swing up through the

Carolines.

Like it or not, it won't be long till they're camped in our very own homes.

Thank you, ma'am.

Mister, have you ever heard of my pa, Jed McIver, 18th North Carolina?

McIver?

He was with Hood at Kennesaw Mountain.

Word that he was sawhead and then declared missing.

Sorry, son.

Didn't know it.

You ever heard of my pa, Jed McIver, 18th North Carolina?

Don't think so.

You ever heard of my pa, Jed McIver, 18th North Carolina?

Can't say I have, boy.

Have you ever heard of my pa, Jed McCauvery, from North Carolina?

No, boy, I haven't. Sorry, son.

That's your own boy.

You take it or you forget it.

All right.

Thirty-five.

Say, that is a right smart size of money.

Heard he made off with a couple of Silas and Jones, prime lamb, nightfall last.

Jack Arnold caught a look at it. Claimed it measured out at a good seven feet

from whisker to tailbone.

Digging on. Get me, boy.

Mr. Everhart?

What do you go up against when you try for a panther?

Usually about 200 pounds of bone, muscle, and claw and about 500 yards of

meanness. Ain't no job for a boy, Jamie.

Takes guns, dogs, and tracking savvy.

A cornered panther's been known to break out taking a whole parcel of hounds and

man with him.

$35 bounty money.

Be a holy pervade to us.

Boss is back.

Good

morning,

boss. You have a good trip.

You look good, boss.

I'm trying to drive for this here cat.

Aside from me.

No, no, no.

You?

Might.

How's that maw yawning?

She's passable.

She's Morden.

Passable.

That shoulder of yours is in fine fettler. You

add a mess of greens and she'll make a feast to marvel at.

There's a beast to marvel at.

Be pleased, Mr. Timberlake, if you put her down. She's pure sensitive to

strangers handling.

Come on, Peter. Now, hold on a minute.

I'll be taking your swine with me.

I figure I'm getting that there, Panther, and I'm gonna need your swine

to stake out for bait.

Now, here's five dollars.

It's Yankee gold.

More than that hide full of guts is worth, but...

Well, I'm in a generous turn of mind today.

Blossom's a pet. She's not for sale on any price.

Real uppity, ain't you, boy?

Just like your old man was.

Jamie? Hold on a minute, Jamie.

You oughtn't to beat Pops Timberlake.

That's a mean man.

Pass or no pass.

I'll be having a try at that, Panther.

We need the money.

Come on, boss.

Jamie,

don't feel bad about the price you got for the trading.

You did your best.

Nobody's getting value for goods these days.

Thirty-five dollars would be a whole leap of faith to us, wouldn't it?

Blossom and I saw a panther on the trip down the trail.

Folks was offered a good-sized bounty on it.

You spotted a panther? What did it appear like, Jamie?

Unkindly. And you're gonna face it down?

You should be quiet and finish up those things.

Come on, I want to talk to you.

Jamie.

You know how proud I am of you.

The way you've taken over for your pa.

But you're still a boy.

And there's some things a boy shouldn't have to do nor try to do.

I'm asking you to put this idea of a panther hunt from your head.

I want you to promise.

I couldn't hold to such a promise, Mama.

Thirty-five dollars would put warm clothes on Mark and Sue Ellen.

It'd do a lot for your fret over the tax money.

But it's not worth getting you hurt, you hear me?

Maybe you're not too big for me to take a strap to.

That'd be a privilege, Mama, if it'd give a relief to your worrying.

In pure truth, I can't make you the promise you want.

Jamie McIver, you don't understand. Sorry, Mama.

Found yourself firmer ground, didn't you, Kat?

Oh

Yank. Where's his horns?

What horns?

I heard that all yanks have horns.

But he looks just like anyone else.

Only uglier. You children go over and sit down and stay out of my way.

Are you going to nurse him?

He's a yank.

He's a human being.

You're packing strong hate, Jamie.

He could have been the one that shot Pa.

There's been enough killing going on.

We can afford to let somebody live.

We could get in bad trouble, Mama, pampering a yank. Now, why don't you let

me go for the marshal?

Time enough for that tomorrow.

A day's rest and nourishment would be of help to him.

Sure.

Jamie.

It's a possibility your pa's sick in a Yankee prison.

If that be so, I'd like to think those people are treating him with humanity.

for the pure pleasure of it.

Now if we're going to turn him in, let's do it with decency.

Help me!

Now!

Into the bedroom.

Gorgeous, Emmy.

He's here!

Help me put him on the floor.

I don't recall inviting you here, Mr. Timmerlake.

I figured you folks should admire some fresh meat.

We don't need your charity.

I'd appreciate it if you'd take that and leave.

some sweet goods, young'uns.

Liquor's whipped.

Lips smacking.

You kids get on upstairs.

Now!

The point of my visit is to make you another offer for your land and its

trappings. I'll give you a fine price.

Ain't no chance of you holding on to it anyway with the taxes coming up.

Mr. Timmerlake.

No, no. No need to thank me.

I've got a surprise for you.

I'm thinking of taking you along with it.

Rightful marriage.

The fact is, I'm fast becoming a creature of property.

It's time I took a clean woman.

Is it necessary to remind you that I'm already married?

Jed MacGyver was seen gut shot at the Tennessee Mountain Battle.

You're holding a dream of foolishness, thinking he'll come back.

Oh, Timberlake, you get out of this house!

No.

I think I'll just squat and visit till I've had my fill.

That may take quite a spell.

Now! Well, now.

You keep that weapon loaded.

Take another step, Mr. Timberlake, and I'd be obliged to prove it.

Well, I... I tried to be decent with you.

You wouldn't have it so big.

But real soon now, I'll be saying the git.

And you'll all be doing the git.

Jamie.

Peter killed you.

Why did you try such a thing?

He said my pa wasn't coming back.

train on using a musket yank.

And it ain't no test for this distance.

I'm not going back to that prison.

I don't see you got a choice.

You're wrong.

I've made my choice.

The sort of boy that'd shoot an unarmed man.

You're a yank.

You're our enemy mortal.

I don't owe you no kindness.

Are you sure?

I could have killed you with that musket while you were lying there sleeping.

But I chose to leave your family in peace.

And that's all that I ask in return.

I'm a traitor.

I'm truly a dirty traitor.

That is a real dog.

Yeah, he's a beautiful ride.

I bought him from an old mountain ride up in the Smokies. They say he's got the

best nose for panther in the county.

You'll get that cat, sure, boss.

Yeah, no doubt about it. Good as tanning him right now.

Yeah.

Excuse me, boys. I got a mind of business.

Get out.

Go get Beauregard shod. But I thought we came for a sack of flour.

You heard me. Go on.

the other night, wasn't you?

Ordering me out of your house like I was some varmint snuck in from the cold.

Be pleased if you wouldn't use that on me, Mr. Timberlake.

I figure you need a lesson.

Maybe if I took a few yards of hide off of you, I might settle some of that

McIver sass.

Let's see how brave you are.

Boss Timberlake?

Boss

Timberlake?

I got a warrant for your arrest for failing to conscript for army service.

No, Paz, no.

Wow.

Janie, what's that?

Stay here.

That's no bobcat. That's a panther for certain.

Why'd he come here?

Why, ever he came, he's here, and he's a devil.

Blossom! She's in an open pen!

Oh, Janie, no!

It's going to be all right, Blossom Pig. It's going to be all right. You're safe

now.

Mama, that can't get in the house, can he?

Oh, no, of course not, baby.

Now, don't you worry.

Sure wish Pa was here.

Yes, sir.

Sure wish he was. Well, he's not, so make do.

Jamie? What would you do if you came on that panther eyeball to eyeball?

Pure possibility I'd run.

Hate to think of it myself, but it's a possibility.

Mama, why does a panther want to hurt Blossom?

She never did anything to him.

Well, some creatures are just born predatory.

What's that?

Well, that means they're just naturally made to hurt helpless things.

Why?

I don't know.

Maybe to give us people a chance to extend kindness to those helpless.

Mama, ain't the war something like we're talking?

We're the helpless and the Yankees are the Panthers ready to come on us?

You suppose they're all like that crazy prisoner we had in the house?

Oh, I reckon they're just people like we are.

No better, no worse.

That's not what I heard.

Oaks down at the settlement yesterday was saying how they burned through

Georgia, leaving nothing but smoke and fire for 50 miles wide, and how it will

soon be here.

Nobody can really say, darling.

All we can do is cling together as a family and draw our strength from that.

Jamie, will you start?

What should I read, Mama?

Oh, let the Lord make the choice.

And the king demanded that Daniel be put into a den of lions.

Came to pass.

that Daniel faced the lions, and protection of the Lord came to him.

And the

power of the Lord protected him.

My mom was even afraid to let me go to school today.

But I was wishing that panther show itself.

Was you hoping the same?

Not so she'd notice.

You hear what that panther did last night?

Took off a cold and sick sheep from four different farms.

A panther needs sprout wings to do that.

Well, maybe it was three sheep.

Jamie!

Jamie! What is it, Mark?

Go home now, Jamie.

Mama will be worried.

Blossom's probably hanging in somebody's smokehouse by now.

We can't go back till we've had a tolerable look.

Blossom Peak, you've surely gotten yourself in one fine mess.

It's the panther.

He's above us someplace.

Come on.

Come on, hurry up. Get down there.

Come on, move in.

Jamie, I'm scared.

Remember the story we read the other night about the old boy and the lion's

den?

He got protected.

We will, too, unless we run out from under our heads.

I only got one shot.

If I don't hit him clean, he'll be down on us, matter and fury.

Can you hear me?

You're going to be all right.

Mama?

You got him, Jamie.

Right through the heart.

Where's Blossom?

Out in the pen where a pig should be.

I got the panther.

I've purely got them.

You'll be getting that bounty money, too. Thirty-five dollars.

I've got them.

Makes me close to being a mayor.

Master Jamie McIver, on behalf of all the citizens who

stuck you saved by your damn action, for the courage you've

shown in tracking down that unholy panther... Hey,

foresty, cut your blathering and give the boy his money.

be, Jimmy.

Thirty-five dollars gold.

Did you ever see so much money?

Not lately, Jamie.

You better keep it, Mama.

I'd be likely to lose it.

Bushwhackers coming this way!

Bushwhackers!

What's a bushwhacker? I don't know.

Let me give you a hand there.

Come on.

Let's get him inside.

Come on, Al. Let's get him inside.

No, no, no. Wait.

I'm all right. What happened?

Blue Ridge.

Yesterday afternoon, they hit us.

Bandy Yankee and Confederate deserters burned the whole town.

Blundered the stock.

Murdered anybody who stood in the way.

Bushwhackers? What bushwhackers?

I don't know. Big heavy set fella.

A lot of noise.

Heard him called Posse.

Posse? Well,

where was the army? Couldn't they protect you?

Ain't you hear?

The war's over. Lee surrendered.

Ain't no army. Ain't nothing.

I'm clearing out.

Now. Come on, I'll get you over to the dock.

If it's past Timberlake, I know where he'll be heading.

Hurry up.

You're taking no chances, pig.

We're in bad trouble, Blossom.

Just stay quiet and pray like the rest of us.

I'll be back just as soon as I can.

Use Jamie.

It's no use.

I told you that someday I'd be saying get and you'd be doing the getting.

That day has come.

You were right, Timberlake.

This house is a natural fort.

With this terrain, we could hold off a whole regiment.

You won't get away with it.

I won't get away with it.

You know what this is?

Latest union issue.

Suspenser repeater.

A couple of our new recruits were savvy enough to lift the supply of them when

they took their leave to join us.

Like to see how it works?

Could be you wouldn't have to leave your home if you were sensible.

I mean, if you happen to change your mind about me.

I have changed my mind.

You're lower than I thought.

You're a deserter, a thief, and a cowardly murderer.

Here's our new home, boys!

Now, get.

Take those whelps with you. Start walking the road.

When you get sore foot and hungry enough, maybe you'll come crawling back.

Come on, Blossom.

Come on, Blossom.

No, Jamie.

You stay here with the children.

Mr. Everhart?

No sign of anybody.

Lizzie McGarver?

Oh, Mr. Everhart.

Are you all right?

I heard him coming.

Took to the woods.

Back in the pen, quick!

ready now cut

Mark and Suelman are not looking good, Blossom.

They need a lot of nourishing at their age. Honest, they do.

And we just can't get hold of enough food.

I'm about to commit murder, Pig.

I'm sorry.

Dreadful sorry.

Jamie, what is it?

It's what I am. Young.

Too young to do anything.

Digging in the dirt like a filthy varmint whilst past Timberlake is living

off the land we sweated to make good and fruitful.

Jamie.

Why can't I be old enough to do something?

Trade every inch of my soul just for an hour of manhood so I could march up that

mountain and kill him.

Jamie.

Will you try to ease your hate?

He isn't worth it.

even saw the fellas shot me.

Woke up in the Yankee Field Hospital. Hardly had time to sew me up before they

transferred me to a prisoner of war camp in Maryland.

Was it bad, Pa?

Real bad, son.

Only thing that kept me alive was the notion to get back to y'all.

Your children's bedtime.

Come on now, say goodnight to your Pa.

Now we're going to have time for a snort of talk.

Ain't nobody going to separate us again.

I'm going to raise a force and drive them off our land.

Any man that doesn't join will have to own up to being a coward.

Sid? You just stop and think about it.

Ain't no way to get up that road to that house with them hole-in-spence

repeaters. Anybody who charged across that open ground would be hog meat

before they got three steps.

Got to try.

Couldn't hold myself a man if I just sat here doing nothing.

You're hardly ashamed to stand, let alone fight.

Jed, we didn't wait for you through four years of war to lose you to a

bushwhacker's bullet.

No more talk, Leah.

First thing in the morning, I'm going to go out and raise myself some men.

I'm asking to go with you.

You ain't too steady with your wounds yet.

Maybe I could be of help.

Your mama and the children need you worse, Jamie.

You stay and be the family head for just a little longer.

Now you take care, you hear?

What's that?

Jamie. I'd think friends.

They raided into Piedmont yesterday and murdered one of our citizens.

Now we got them holed up.

We'd like to finish the job.

You don't have the men nor the firepower, Captain.

Bushwhackers are holding repeating rifles.

Newest issue.

Best we find some reinforcements and work out a solid plan of attack.

Let's go in and have it out now.

Better than going back and waiting to get raided again.

You'd be charging into a well-fortified position.

All right, all right.

We'll put it to a vote.

All those against?

All those four.

Mount up.

Well?

Jed, no!

No choice, Leah.

These men are trying to reclaim our land.

Mr. Garber, let's get him in the house.

Pa, are you all right?

Just a scrape.

It almost got worse.

Because now it's Spencer's as he's coming around the bend.

Time to go now, son.

Bye,

darling.

Where exactly are you sending us, Pa?

If there's some Kinnars near Charlotte, you'll be safer till trouble's over and

your Ma and I'll come for you all.

Pa? I figured I was old enough to take my share of the troubles here.

I'm powerful proud of you, son.

Your ma told me what a man's size helped you bend to her while I was away.

So don't you fret.

You done your part of carrying a man's load.

Now I'll do mine.

Now, you be good, you hear?

Get up in there.

Ho, ho!

Mr. Everhart, are there any Yanks Garrison near where we're going?

Likely. How much you figure they'd be willing to sell some of them Spencer

repeaters for?

I don't figure they'd be willing to sell at all.

Anyhow, what you gonna pay with?

Mama gave me $10 of the bounty money.

That might afford you trigger housing on one of them rifles.

Best you forget about it, boy.

But Pa's bound to get killed if he goes up against the bushwhackers again with

just muskets and muzzleloaders.

Your Pa's a stubborn one.

Figures a man ought to die to protect what's his.

Now, you better lie down and get some sleep.

I gotta get some, too.

Evening.

Out for a ride, are you?

About to leave these children to some safety for the East.

Now, if you got any humanity about you, you'll leave us in peace.

Sounds fair enough.

Should be doing some walking. I fancy them horses.

All right, I'll hit you.

Cheers now. Get down out of there.

Quick.

Get over there.

Put your guard here.

All right, you kids, stay right there.

Let me have that weapon, boy.

Stay back.

Come on now.

It's got a hair trigger on it. You don't know how to work that piece.

Look out!

You two go on back to that horse.

Go on, kid.

Just got to circle around a little and get my mark in. What mark in? You've

never been in this part of the country before.

I'm cold.

And I'm hungry. I'm doing the best I can.

Now you two just settle down and count your toes till I... What is it?

Must be a Yankee camp.

They'll kill us. Let's get out of here.

Yanks. They'd be bound to have a whole pass with them Spencer E. Peters down

there.

It's our chance to help Pa.

You figuring to walk up and ask those Yankees for them?

Not hardly.

But maybe they'd have some laying around loose they wouldn't miss.

You're crazy.

They'll shoot you.

Please, Jamie, I...

Let's go home.

I'll be back just as soon as I can.

All right, boy, where did you come from?

Who put you up to this?

What were you doing with those rifles?

Looks as though you got yourself a...

Well, that'll be all, man. I'll handle

this.

don't remember me, do you, boy?

You're that crazy young prisoner whose carcass we dragged in out of the cave.

That's right.

Aaron Galt, Major, U.S. Cavalry.

Still a bit crazy, but a lot healthier, thanks to you.

Now, how about this trouble you're in?

You tell me you were trying to steal some rifles.

Were you planning on selling them?

Look, boy, I'm trying to help you.

I wanted to return the kindness that you extended to me.

There's nothing I can tell you, Major.

Well, I'm not going to push you, and I'm not going to punish you. And since I owe

you my life, I'm going to let you go with my blessings.

I hope you won't try such foolishness again.

Major?

What if you was to find out that some southern men had tried to fight back

against a group of Yankee deserters and Confederate deserters who were killing

and plundering terrible in a particular place? What would you do?

Well, I expect I'd...

See what I could do about stopping such things and arresting the outlaws.

You wouldn't hang the southern men for taking up against a bushwhacker pack,

part of which is wearing Yankee blue?

Suppose you tell me the full particulars.

Our home was taken.

The bushwhackers are using it as a fort from which they're doing their raiding

and murdering.

Request Lieutenant Saunders to form a detachment with full arms and field

rations for duty against guerrilla depredations. Be ready to move at dawn.

Yes, sir.

I bodaciously forgot about Mark and Sue Ellen.

My blood brother and sister.

I left them under a tree up on that old ox trail road.

I'll send a detail up and bring them down here.

Meanwhile, I think you could use some rest, boy.

Major.

I reckon I'd like to be shaking your hand again.

Sue Ellen, what are you doing?

Jamie, things aren't mean. They've been treating us like kin.

Head up!

Howdy, gentlemen.

Well, looks as though you two are doing all right.

Yes, sir.

Boy, we're going to need you for an intelligence briefing.

Will they be all right?

Till this trouble's over, I'm sure they'll be well taken care of.

Remind your manners, here.

It's just a bed.

Jamie McIver!

Who have you been up to?

I didn't figure to be returning home in such style.

Well, where's Mark and Sue Ellen and Mr. Everhart?

The kids are fine.

Being taken care of back at these soldiers' camp.

Mr. Everhart is dead, Mama.

We got waylaid by a bushwhacker.

Oh, no.

Mrs. MacGyver?

Mama, this is Major Galt.

Why, you're the prisoner.

That's right, ma'am.

Major Galt and his Yank troops are here to help whip the bushwhackers.

Where's Pa?

Oh, he and Captain Bradley's men left to make another attack on the cabin.

They had some reinforcements from Skyline County.

How long ago, ma'am?

About an hour.

They planned to dig in around the summit of the mountain and attack after dark.

Looked like another suicide attempt. I begged him not to, but... How far is

your cabin from here, ma'am?

About three miles.

Well, there's not much time left. Sunset will be shortly.

We'd better go.

Wait! They'll figure you to be bushwhacker reinforcements and fire on

you.

Mrs. MacGyver, they can't possibly take my soldiers as bushwhackers.

Listen to me.

It'll be dark. Your uniforms won't make any difference.

Bluecoat deserters are joining up with them all the time.

What if I went up there and held them?

Pa would recollect my voice right off.

Maybe your pa will recognize your voice, but the other members of his group may

not.

Oh, I know I can get up yonder without being stray shot. I can cut through the

woods and climb up the rest of the way through the gorge that runs by the road.

Are you sure you'll be safe from gunfire from the cabin?

Sure. No, Jamie.

Major, I don't think it's necessary. Mrs. MacGyver, I don't think we have any

choice. And if we waste any more time, it might be too late to save your

husband.

This is about as far as you can go, Major.

All right, you tell your pa we'll be waiting right here, Jamie. And Jamie, be

sure and tell him about the field piece. He'll know what I'm talking about.

Gonna try to get those bushwhackers to surrender without having to charge and

risk losing more men.

Boy.

Use this if you need it.

Yes sir.

Hold your fire till they get halfway across the ground.

How many figures we'll try this time?

Make us know, never mind.

Once they get between us and the others, our crossfire will tear them to shreds.

Crossfire.

for your power, boy.

Hush. They're on the move.

As long as you're here, you might as well stay and see what's going to happen

to that poor you.

Run, it's a trap!

Get back!

happen to you when i get my hands on you boy

i'm

right behind you boy

You better hold your breath, boy.

Please don't kill me, boss.

Please. Jamie.

Jamie.

Jamie.

It's all right, boy.

It's all right.

It's all right now.

All right.

Together, we have enough men to ring the summit. Uh-huh. And they've got no line

of retreat. Good.

I'm going to take the artillery piece.

and place it right here on the knob.

Now, if you can take your men and deploy them on the other side of the cabin and

dig in, and you take to the attachment and spread the men out in front of the

cabin at the foot of the hill.

Now commence operations at dawn, which doesn't give us much time.

All right, let's move up.

Hey, not this time, son.

You done enough for one long day you sleep now

Ready to fire, Corporal.

Ready to fire, sir.

Master Kinlan, are you, Major?

Jed MacGyver.

The Yanks treat you good?

Well,

it appears that everything is in order now.

I don't know how to thank you, Major.

You already have.

Jamie, I got a boy your age at home. I thought maybe next year I'd bring him

down and visit.

We'd be welcome here, Major.

me home

blossom

pig i clean forgot about you i'm not surprised you growed up to be a man all

of a sudden come on blossom pig come on

come on

It's good to be home.