Original subtitles

I told you she'd wait for us, ghoul.

All right, Barry, drive the wagon around to the livery

barn and tell Baker to take good care of it.

Y'all don't sail away like it back now, you hear?

What?

I'm scared.

Oh, come on, lovey. It don't even rock or nothing.

I never been on a boat before.

It's just like walking downhill on an old wide lawn.

Can't you help me?

Doggone it, lovey, ain't nothin' to help you with.

Rush, can't you help her? This is your wedding day, ain't it?

You're supposed to carry her all the way across the threshold.

Well, doggone it, Chassie, I'm a carryin' this.

Easy boy, easy boy. We got this far with that box. We don't know accidents now.

Where's Gray?

What's the matter with you? You look like you swallowed something you wish you had.

Well, two men and two women just came aboard carrying explosives.

And from the way they're carrying it,

it looks like there's enough to blow us clean off the river.

You better get back down the entrance.

Oh, Greg. Yes. The carnage just piped up.

There's some people coming aboard carrying explosives.

What? Here they come.

Well, hello, Captain Blake. These are the passengers I booked.

This is Captain Holden, my partner. Welcome aboard.

Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet my wife, Charity.

Charity.

And my brother, Rush.

And his wife.

Uh, Lovey Jackson.

Gould.

She's Lovey Jennings now.

That's right. Mrs. Lovey Jennings.

That's right.

Well, I reckon it'll take a bit of getting used to. It was just waited an hour ago.

Well, it looks kind of empty.

Oh, well, most of the crew are up in the hills hunting fresh meat for the galley.

But if it's your luggage you're worried about, why... No.

Easy, Captain.

Nobody handles this box but us.

May I ask why?

Well, you see, we're going to the Fletcherville Fair.

When we get there, what we got in this box is

gonna split that fair wide open up the middle. Wide open.

It is.

Well, may I ask what it is you have inside that box?

This box worry you?

Any box marked Danger Explosives makes us uneasy, yes.

Well, Captain, I'll just let you look inside this box.

You got a saloon on board this boat?

Yeah, we certainly have.

And if you'll just step right inside here, excuse me, Mr. Jennings,

I'll buy a round of drinks for the newlyweds on the house. Why not? Careful.

Easy with that box, Roy.

This bar isn't officially open, so it looks like I'm going to have to tend bar.

What'll it be, Mr. Jennings?

Well, anything you have, red eyes, red eye.

Rush, I think we better expose the contents of

our box before the captain here busts a button.

I wish you would, ma'am. I'm sure dying to know.

A watermelon. Well, this ain't no ordinary watermelon.

This here's the nearest perfect ever grown in these parts.

I bet half my farm it takes first ribbon at the Fletchersville Fair.

Well, now, Mr. Jameson, what do you say we just...

Take this pretty watermelon and put it up back

in the bar there where everyone can see her, huh?

It's a watermelon. Handle it careful. Well now,

what do you say we drink a toast to the watermelon, huh?

To the watermelon! To the watermelon! To the watermelon!

Well, now it's about time we're pulling up anchor.

Captain Blake, where'd you put these nice folks? Well, let's see.

There was a cabin for you and the missus. That's right.

And deck space for my younger brother, Barry. He's only 17.

He's putting the team away now.

Oh, and the deluxe cabin for the newlyweds.

Is that deluxe cabin all they say she is, Captain?

Oh, it surely is, ma'am. Wait till you see it.

We had it all done over last trip down river.

Yeah?

To the watermelon. Yeah, to the watermelon. Well, now,

you folks go right on ahead and finish up the bottle here.

I have a drink on the Enterprise.

Captain Blake and I got an appointment.

You go right along, Captain.

Beneath my chain, Gray, what is this? Now,

just what's this about your having rented the deluxe cabin? Yeah, that's right,

for the newlyweds. Yeah, well, Bill, why don't you consult with me first?

Look, I don't see why you're objecting to my booking the

deluxe cabin for a trip we nearly always run empty on.

Yeah, for the very simple reason that I have already

booked the deluxe cabin to a family named Cox.

Well, that's tough. First come, first served. Oh, no, not in this business.

When did you make your booking?

Yesterday. Yeah, well, I made mine two weeks ago.

And I've already seen half the fare. Now,

I suggest you go back inside and reroute your

family of watermelon eaters to other quarters.

Oh, I can't do that. This is a wedding present for those newlyweds.

Besides, that... That Gould fellow seems dead set on having a cabin.

Yeah, well, so did my passengers.

Well, you can't monkey around with these kind of fellows. You know them.

Did you notice that the men are both packing big guns?

What about that?

Now, you will notice that they also carry very big guns.

And even from this distance, you can see they have a very mean look in their eyes.

You go reason with them, and I'll see what I can do with the Jennings.

Come on, Mr. Cox. Good morning, Captain Holden. Welcome aboard.

Thank you, Captain Holden. Meet my daughter, Arnie. Well,

glad to have you boarding us. She's a small girl,

so we need a small private cabin for her.

We've got just what you're looking for, a small private cabin. And my son, Salem,

we shared a deluxe cabin.

Well, all of our cabins are deluxe, Mr. Cox. Well, you know the one I mean.

The one you had, the big picture in a poster in a general store.

The big fancy one.

Yeah.

The one we already paid half on?

Yeah, yes, indeed. Well, right this way.

Mr. Cox, just how important is this deluxe cabin to you? We don't travel often,

Captain, on account of a saying my father and his father had before him.

If you can't afford to travel in first class, you can't afford to travel.

Last year, we missed the Fletcherville Fair. We couldn't

afford to go first class. This year, we can't.

I see.

Well, I, uh, before we go topside,

I think I'd better tell you that there's been a slight mix-up.

Sir?

Yeah, well, you see, this boat has two captains. Now, I know that's strange, but,

well, you like Captain Blake. He's our pilot.

Now, at the time that I sold you the deluxe cabin,

I didn't know that he had already sold to somebody else.

Sir?

Well, all of our cabins are very, very nice.

But if you don't like it, then I'll be glad to refund your money.

Captain, I don't want the money or I wouldn't

have given it to you in the first place.

We want that deluxe cabin like we paid for. Yes, sir.

Hey, Pa. Pa, lookie there.

Why don't you spoil my aim? What are you trying

to shoot that boy for? He's a general.

What'd you say? What are you drawing a beat on him for? Them coxswains. Waiter, Dex.

Stay where you are, and heat up the boilers. Aye, aye, sir. Heat them up!

I'm scared. I'm scared to death.

Well, get down on the floor, lovey. They can't see you there. Get down.

I might get hit by a ricochet.

There's a cabin right behind that door. Get in there.

I'd like to see you speak to your wife like

that. Please, man, one feud at a time, huh?

Who's out there? Jennings, more Jennings. What are they, outlaws or what?

Enemies, blood enemies.

You mean to tell me we've stumbled into the middle of a family feud?

What do you mean stumble? We've been in it for more than 50 years.

Give it up.

Just say it and be careful. You might hit somebody innocent.

Oh, listen, Mr. Cox, this has got to stop. The Enterprise is not a battlefield.

It's a family feud, Captain.

Just keep back out of the way, and likely you won't reach harm.

Jimmo!

Yo! We got him trapped!

Send somebody over to Bobo's for more men! Yo!

Yeah. I mean, they'd pick up trouble if they'd bring more men now.

That's not very sporting, Mr. Cox.

There ain't no gain, Captain. This is war.

What's going on out there? Don't mind what's going on.

How soon did you get up ahead of steam? I'm no fool.

I already got it up. Now, what are you gonna do with it?

Try and get us out of here. Let's get back out of here, Wes.

Come on.

Look.

I might be able to save the women and you two,

but I can't promise anything about that young fella in the water.

Well, I'd be obliged if you'd save the women, Captain.

Really can't worry too much about bare eyes,

slippery as an eel on a barrel of possum grease.

Stay here and watch these here stair steps. I'm gonna watch him.

I'll stay here and watch these stair steps.

Yeah, Holden. This is Bill.

You want to buy my share of this boat?

Oh, smart. We're not going to have anything to sell if we don't get

out of here except a pile of kennel with a bunch of holes in it.

I'm ready to move. How quick can we pull out? Just watch the dock.

Now, you keep that door bolted,

and don't let anybody in unless they knock like this.

Got that? Right, sir. Now, if anybody else tries to get in,

you tell them to go away. If they won't go away,

shoot over their heads through the door.

You got it? If they're going out there again, won't you need a rifle?

That'd be the quickest way to die. If I took a rifle out there,

they'd be fired on by both sides.

Are you gonna sneak up that Salem?

Maybe so.

Let me go. I never got me a Jennings.

When you gonna find out your girl?

I never been much treated like one.

Rush! Rush! Someone's sneaking up the stairway!

Oh, God!

Look, Rush!

Don't do that! You might hit that nice Captain Holden!

Yeah?

Yeah, it might.

Who are you?

I'm Captain Holden of the boat. Stay there and I'll throw you a line.

Can you make it? Yeah.

Come on, this way. Lieutenant, we're going to try and pull out of here. Now,

when we do, they might rush this pilot house. Can you give me some cover?

Give you a country try. Yeah, will you give her a country try, huh?

It's in there. It's against the door. Hand it out. All right,

now you get in there and lock the door.

Don't let anybody in unless you hear this signal.

All right, Captain, and I'm obliged to go.

Hello, Captain, sir.

Well, hello, Miss Cox.

What's behind that door?

Oh, that door?

Nothing, just a bunch of odds and ends. Yeah,

I was just going to put this axe away, but it seems to be locked.

How's the fighting going?

Would you like me to shoot the door open for you so you can put the axe away?

Oh, no, that won't be necessary. I've got a key up topside.

I wouldn't damage it much.

Not much.

Miss Cox, tell me, are you engaged?

Why?

Well, I know it's rather a bold question, but... Who are you?

You?

I'm sorry. I'll see you later. I got some work to do. Get it free!

Carney, level the water, come on!

You're all wet, Captain.

Oh, yes, I am. Well, just an accident.

We've got them gin in his apron, Pa.

No, we ain't got them. We're deadlocked again.

Going up that ladder. Try that, Pa.

Yes, Captain?

Well, what are you doing?

Oh, I was just looking around your boat.

Oh, I see. We were in the middle of discussing something now. Where were we?

Oh, uh...

We had just found out that neither one of us was engaged.

Oh, yes, yes.

Are you trying to court me, Captain?

Uh, court you?

Well, yeah, I might be leading up to that.

I would like that.

You're very handsome to me.

And a riverboat captain is considered important where I live.

Well, that's probably because there aren't very many around there.

And I like you.

You appeal to me very thickly.

Thickly?

I imagine I shock you.

But my pa and my older brother and all my cousins are men.

Well, that's amazing.

That's a very good thing. I mean that your brothers and your father are men.

And I think like a man.

I like different things, of course,

but I go after them the same way a man goes after the things men like.

Oh, I see.

And I like

Thank you.

But there's just one other thing.

I aim to kill a Jennings before I die, and I'm going to.

Oh, honey, you've got a long time before you die, little one.

Unless, of course, you go through doorways you don't know

what's on the other side. Watch the ladder, Salem.

What's going on here?

Well, we seem to be moving, don't we? How did you manage that?

Well, I've been here, right here, right from the beginning.

You got anything to tell me, daughter?

Oh, no, Pa. He was just flirting with me, that's all.

Oh.

Well, I don't know how you did it, Captain.

But your triumph will be short-lived. You forget one thing.

What's that? A boat cannot move without steam in its boiler. Do you think of that?

Oh.

Oh, yes.

You thought of that?

Yes. Now get over there and open up that boiler room door.

Now, Mr. Cox...

Would you really pull that trigger? An angry man might do anything,

and I'm an angry man. Yeah.

Captain Holden, open up in there.

He said not to open it unless you give the right knock. Then don't.

I said open up in there.

Pa, I bet I can knock that door down. Well, do it then.

Next time it'll be long.

Or worse yet, I'll open the door and meet you with me fist.

Want me to hear it again, Paul?

Salem, who's watching the top deck? Me.

Well, watch it!

I know you can get them to open that door if you want to.

Yeah.

Yeah, and I know you're not going to shoot me if I don't get them to.

Do you? Well, I think so.

You see, Mr. Cox, you're not a savage.

The man I met a couple of days ago was a civilized, intelligent man.

What do you expect all them pretty words to get you?

A discussion between two civilized, intelligent men.

Talk to him.

Now, we're bound for Fletcherville.

I've got enough wood stored in there to get us there without stopping.

So we'll be in Fletcherville the day after tomorrow.

Not if I stop you.

Well, now, what sense would that be?

Your friends are a mile back. They're getting further away every minute.

Not if I turn you around.

Mr. Cox, we're going to Fletcherville.

Now, it can either be a good journey or a bad one, but we're going to Fletcherville.

Now, uh, tell me, just how did this fighting all

start, anyway? We're Cox's. They're Jennings's.

We're blood enemies.

Nobody's born blood enemies.

Every living Cox and Jennings was. This feud's over 50 years old.

Older than most of us alive today.

How'd you manage to keep it alive 50 years?

What churches do your clans go to? We live a ways out. We only have one church.

One church for both families? Only one church.

And we honor preachers of any denomination that is dedicated enough to call on us.

Well, your church must be quite a bloody little battlefield then.

We don't fight in church.

We leave our guns in the wagons.

Oh, I understand in the old days they used to pick up the fight in the afternoon,

but in my day, we never fought on Sundays.

Why not?

Sunday's a holy day.

Church is holy ground. Well, there's reverent places right on this boat, Mr. Cox.

I married a young couple right where you fired that first shot this morning.

Don't try to confidence me, sir. You also drink

and gamble in your saloon. Yeah, that's true.

You see, as I said, you're not an ignorant man.

Now, then we're going to Fletcherville.

Now, I think you'd rather have a good journey rather than a bad one.

Should we spend our time killing each other or

eating good food and enjoying the scenery? What are you getting at?

I want you to pretend that every day is Sunday for the next two and a half days.

What day is it going to be to the Jennings's?

I don't know. I'll have to ask them.

Would you be willing, as the leader of your clan,

to meet with me and the leader of their clan to talk?

Why should I trust you? You've got nothing to lose. Oh, on the contrary, Mr. Cox,

I've got a great deal to lose.

You see, in order for me to talk with anybody topside,

I've got to go into the engine room in there and

speak to my pilot through the speaking tube.

Now, that leaves my boat and myself pretty much at your mercy.

And if my pilot, Mr. Blake, topside there,

can't convince the Jennings of our good intentions, well,

I just might lose the pilot.

All right.

I'll talk.

Good.

Jennings, hold your fire!

It's Captain Holden.

I'm bringing the Cox's up to the main salon. Unarmed and ready to talk.

I want you Jennings up there too, also unarmed and ready to talk. Agreed?

Can I trust him? You can trust him.

Sure.

Gentlemen, you are both trapped on this boat. Now, is it agreeable?

Agreeable.

All right. You'll be up in the main salon in ten minutes,

ready to give up your arms. Joshua, get topside and get Captain Blake. Yes, sir.

Tell him I think this war is just about over.

Maybe.

All right, there's your receipt.

Sure feels funny being this close to a parcel

at Jennings' without no firearms in my hand.

Yeah, well, you'll be surprised how soon you're looking like the feeling.

Now, there's just one weapon that I gave you a seat for that I haven't received yet.

It's all of them.

Miss Cox.

I'm a lady, and a lady has a right to defend herself.

Now, honey, if we get attacked by any pirates or robbers or what have you, well,

I guarantee you I'll give you your gun back.

I don't know.

Put your gun on the table, daughter.

All right, Blake, let the Jennings in while I lock these weapons up.

Let the rest of the liquor. Right. Come on in, folks.

Mr. Jennings, I... Checking in our firearms as agreed, Captain.

All right, here's your receipt, Mr. Jennings.

Rush.

The reason we're here is because we want to try and

work out some agreements so we can all have a nice,

quiet trip up the river to Fletcherville.

See, these are books I like to read while we're underway. They're history books.

I like to read about the past.

But you can't hardly read anything about history

without learning a little bit about war. Small wars, big wars.

We've always had them with us.

But even the long wars, well, they've only lasted 10 years or so. Mr. Cox,

how come your war lasted 50 years?

Mr. Jennings.

Maybe you can tell me how this all got started.

The water.

At Gorgeous Springs.

Gorgeous Springs?

Well, it's a mighty pretty name for such a bloody

endeavor. Hard to start. Ma, you stay out of this.

I've stayed out of enough in my life, Gould.

Men shoot guns.

Women only talk.

It may be boring sometimes, but at least it ain't harmful.

We had a drought that year.

The springs was on our land.

Yeah, well, now, I'm afraid Mr.

Cox might disagree with you about whose land the spring was on,

but you go right ahead. Cox has not only tried to take over the springs,

he tried to fence it off, too.

Our men had to come out to stop him.

They say there was seven in all killed that day. Seven men.

What a waste.

Well, who uses the water now?

It hasn't been used since that day, Captain.

All that's left there now is a rotten old mill wheel.

Well, how have you gotten along for 50 years without water?

We haven't had a drought since, Captain.

Springs are popping out all over the place now.

Someday I'll be burying me and mine over water nobody needs.

Well, what you're trying to say, Mrs. Jennings...

Is that the waters and gorgeous springs have nothing to do with your feud today.

I've been listening to you, Captain, and I reckon you mean well,

but you sound a lot like a half-dozen preachers

I've talked to who had the same idea.

Only you can't shut off hate that easy.

Yeah, well, that's the funny thing about fighting.

You see, in wars, one side or the other has to win before

the fighting can stop. What are you getting at?

Well, I just said it.

You see, somebody has to win the point before the fighting can stop,

even if it is an old mud hole like I imagine Gorgeous Springs really is.

You say we ought to keep on fighting? Absolutely.

Until this episode of Gorgeous Springs is cleaned up once and for all. And then,

then if you can just have one generation grow up.

Without any killing, then I think this war just might peter out of itself.

But wouldn't it be nice to end all of this without any more bloodshed?

Amen to that.

You see, in the old days...

When the armies finally realized that the only thing they could

accomplish by continuing fighting was to kill each other off,

everybody in the war, they decided to pick two champions.

Now, two men were chosen, one from each army. The one who won, he won for his army,

and the one who lost, well, he lost for his side.

We ain't got no gun slicks in our country, Captain.

I say one thing for both sides.

Neither one of us never hired no professionals. Well, now,

who said anything about guns?

I should think you'd be sick to death of killing and guns by now.

Let your champions fight without any weapons.

Use hands, knees, legs, whatever.

And then I'll just bet that this whole feud could be all

finished by the time we hit Fletcherville tomorrow.

I don't know.

Well, that's too bad.

But wouldn't it be nice to go home and plow your fields without

worrying if there was any snipers up there in that tree?

It'd be lovely.

Lovely.

I just married Rush yesterday.

Sure don't want to be burying him today or tomorrow.

Now, wouldn't it be nice to just climb up on top of a horse and let him meander

around without worrying about whose property you were getting close to?

Keep talking, Captain.

What have you accomplished by your 50 years of hate? What have you won?

One day.

One day in which you can feel safe.

I don't know.

The other six?

You're scared to death and have to hide.

That's the truth.

I'll say one thing for you, Captain.

You're a lot more convincing than them preachers I heard.

But it's a child's dream.

Oh, he just says that, Captain, because he'd lose.

Cox's ain't got no champions.

Who?

Are you saying you got a man that can whoop my Salem?

Sure.

Rush.

He ain't never been whipped, not even by me.

Oh, come on now, go. Oh, I admit your Salem's a mite bigger, but he's...

He's slow like a workhorse.

You really believe that, don't you? Believe it? I know it. Well,

if you both believe what you claim you do, well,

then we can settle this thing by tomorrow night.

All right, Jimbo, we're ready. Hey, Rush?

All right. Well, our side won't be lacking either.

Right, Salem? Right.

Well, then it's agreed.

No matter who wins, the loser agrees to give up this warfare forever

and also to give up the claim to Gorgeous Spring once and for all.

Agreed?

Agreed. Agreed. Agreed.

Amen.

And glory to the Lord.

I'd like to speak to you.

Of course.

I've got to give you my thanks for what you've done.

For you stopped those men from killing.

Many's a day I've watched the sun come down and wondered how

many of them was gonna be sitting down to supper at my table.

A woman in that country is lonesome.

Always I wondered how much more lonesome they was gonna make me be by killing.

Well, it'll all be over in an hour or so.

No more killing, no more war.

No more killing.

It's got a fine sound, Captain.

No more killing.

Heat's a terrible thing.

Old ones pass it down to the young ones.

Nobody knows how deep the poison's gone.

I hope you're right, Captain.

There won't be no more killing anymore.

I hope so too.

You know, look, I ain't got no gun.

I always wanted to kill Mia Jennings before I died.

Seems like now's the time.

Oh, come on now, you're just kidding.

Am I?

Well, you wouldn't shoot a man down in cold blood, would you?

I don't know.

But I'm gonna think about it right now.

So you just stay right where you are while I'm doing my thinking.

Well, gentlemen, this fight will mark the end of killing.

This fight will mark the end of hate.

This fight will mark the beginning of peace.

He ain't dead.

No.

No, he's still alive.

We didn't mind having our firearms back, Cap. Not on your life.

He's my youngest brother. He's only a boy.

I'll kill you for this! Get started!

We gave our word, Captain, and we kept it. The Cox's didn't.

Help him, Pa, do something.

You shamed us.

We give our word and you shamed us.

Oh, Pa, I didn't think, I didn't know what it was like.

You took our honor away.

I'll whoop you like you've never been whooped. You leave her alone.

It's not her fault entirely. It's yours and yours.

All her life, all she's been taught is to kill a Jennings. Well,

she finally almost got one. Your poison's gone deep.

You pass it on to your children.

Maybe the deed's hers, but not the guilt. No, sir, that's yours. And yours.

I didn't know what I was doing until I saw him bleeding there.

You go on into your cabin, Miss Cox, and lie down.

No.

All right, let's get him out of here.

Let's get the boat.

Inez! Inez!

THE END

Hey! Be careful, there's a swamp in there.

You got no call to risk yourself looking for my daughter. I'll come.

Thank you. Let's go then.

She could have gone a dozen different ways.

How big is this swamp, Captain? Big enough.

It's put up into three parties. I'll go this way.

You go here, and you go over there. We'll keep in touch by yelling. Agreed? Agreed.

Well, Captain, you may know this swamp, but still

in all, you take care. Who said I know it?

In it!

Inez!

Inez!

Inez!

Inez!

Inez!

Help me.

Help me. Help me.

I'm going to die. I know I'm going to die.

You're not going to do anything of the kind.

Niles!

Go!

Hey, over here!

Now, you listen to me. Don't thrash around and don't move about.

I'm gonna do what I can till I get here.

Oh, no! Miles! Gold!

You listen to me, you hear?

It's punishment. It's punishment for shooting that boy.

Here, now grab hold.

Grab hold.

Reach!

Reach! Come on!

Gould!

Gould! Come here! Hurry up!

It's quicksand, hurry up!

Make a change!

Grab each other's arms.

Hurry up.

Let me in.

Slow. Grab hold!

Grab hold of me around the waist. All right, here we go.

Well, now, ladies and gentlemen,

now that we know that Barry's going to be all right...

And that Miss Cox is, uh, fine.

I'd like to propose a toast. Good.

I'd like to propose one to the river. No.

No.

To 50 years of love and friendship after 50 years of war.

Amen to that.

Yes, sir. Captain, that's a mighty fair looking melon you got back there.

A real beauty.

Look at that.

I happen to have a long, sharp knife if you ever feel the urge to cut into her.

Well, uh... Cut it, Captain.

It'd be a pleasure to share this melon with my good neighbors.

The pleasure is all mine.