Original subtitles

This must be one of them uppity men's clubs. Hey!

What's the matter, Carney? Don't you like the

place? I know mine, and it ain't it. Let's go.

Oh, no. You get sore because we run out of barmaids. Now, heave to,

and let's have us another drink, Carney.

Uh-oh, the measure D. Hmm?

Trouble?

I'm telling you, we're going to have to fight our way out of here.

Captain Holden.

Yeah.

Your drinks are waiting, gentlemen. Compliments of Mr. Cloud.

Ah, Captain Holden. You have no idea how delighted I am to welcome you to Vicksburg.

And you have no idea how curious I am to know why.

Mr. Clown?

You get the drift, Job.

There's a prudent river man,

always on guard against hidden dangers in uncharted waters.

Forgive me, Captain.

How can I convince you of my sincere desire for friendship?

Well, getting to the point might help.

Save yourself some trouble, Captain.

Leave the Yazoo River to me. I control the boats and shipping up there.

Well, I might take that as a threat, Mr. Cloud.

Oh, good heavens, no. Just advice.

You wouldn't want the credit risk involved in handling their cargo.

Which is cotton.

Cotton? Cotton?

Well, I'll tell you, Mr. Cloud,

you must run your boats as a hobby if that's the shipping that you want to control.

Not shipping, Captain.

The planters.

Gray, I tell you, I know my place in this, ain't I?

You know, Carney just might be right.

I don't think we got anything in common with these plantation aristocrats.

Captain Sodor?

You're sure there's no mistake?

No mistake, sir.

Something in common, huh?

Excuse me, gentlemen. An old friend awaits my presence.

I love her.

Sit down.

It's quite obvious, Captain, that you can't quite place me.

It has been a long time.

Do you really think it has?

Well, now, don't tell me, don't tell me. Let me guess now.

Memphis?

New Orleans.

No.

Well, don't tell me it was right here in Vicksburg.

No.

Captain Holden, I am one of the few unfortunate

women who do not occupy a place in your past.

What a shame.

Then we haven't met.

No.

But you do know me.

By reputation.

Celebrated enterprise arrives early.

Captain Gray Holden announces new records.

And your reputation makes me want to know you better.

Does that prospect disturb you?

Well, not all depends on the reason.

Must there always be one?

Well, I'm just curious about whether this meeting is for business or pleasure.

I can see where one might lead to the other.

Shall we talk?

That's a good way to start.

Pick a subject.

All right.

Cotton.

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of.

Did I say something wrong?

Well, ma'am, you've just picked the one subject in

the world for which I have a profound distaste.

Well, I can't see why.

I have a lot of cotton that has to go to market, and you have the enterprise.

We could start a fine friendship.

Just do a little business.

That's a wonderful idea.

But let's pick a business that pays.

Oh, I'm quite willing to pay your price, whatever it is.

Really?

Yes.

When?

Oh, just as soon as the cotton sold in Memphis.

Oh, ma'am.

Ma'am, that's impossible.

You see, the cotton market's too risky. It's too unstable.

Right now, the enterprise is making short hauls of hard goods for cash on the line.

I wonder if you know what this really means to me.

I can imagine if you're willing to go this far to interest a stranger.

Forgive me for trying.

My only hope was to interest you.

Ma'am.

Laurie.

Am I interrupting something? You are, Mr. Clark.

You two gentlemen know each other?

We talked.

You talked.

Have it your way, Captain Holden.

Don't you think this is a dangerous idea, Laurie?

Meeting this way?

This is a business meeting.

And please don't misunderstand me. I have only your best interests at heart.

I know the captain is a gentleman, and you know.

But after all... After all what?

Well, you know how people gossip? No, Mr. Clow. Tell me, how do people gossip?

Perhaps Mr. Cloud is right.

I must think of my husband.

If the captain will excuse us.

What a pity.

You know how those rivermen are, especially about women.

I'm sure Laurie didn't realize how dangerous they can be, how unscrupulous.

Of course not, of course.

You mustn't be too hard on her.

I'm sure that she had our best interest at heart.

Heaven knows none of those rivermen ever cared whether a planter lived or died.

And it's a joy to know how much you do, Mr. Cloud.

Then you're not angry with me?

After what you've done?

We'll be expecting you at Shadow Dance's plant. Of course.

I am most grateful.

It is I who are the grateful one for your friendship.

Why do you crawl like that?

Now, Laura, you listen to me a minute.

Can't you see that man is your enemy, your curse, your trap?

He has kept me and all the Azu cotton planters going by lending us money for seed,

for food, for our workers, for equipment. He's been very generous.

At a handsome rate of interest. Now, you just don't understand.

I understand one thing. He lends you anything you need.

Just so long as you plant one crop, cotton, cotton, till the land's worn out.

But there's more land, richer land, along the Arkansas.

There is only one shadow dance left for me.

You promised me that this time we'd stay.

We both want the same thing, Laurie, you know that.

Don't turn away from me, Boldrin.

Look at me.

Oh, why do we fight like this?

I don't know.

We should be fighting for what we need, not fighting each other.

Only thing that's important is saving Shadow Dance.

Well, we'll talk about that tomorrow. We'd better get packed.

We've got to go back to the plantation.

There's the Enterprise.

That's our only chance.

Now, you wanted a chance to convince Captain Holden, and you had it.

Well, not really.

Your friend, Mr. Cloud, thought of that.

Laurie Pritchard Rawlings, you are returning to Shatterdance with me.

Do I have to?

Yes.

Absolutely and irrevocably yes.

I'm beginning to think you don't trust me, Bogey.

Oh, now, you know I didn't mean that.

I got a little old plan. Oh, it worked out if you'd like to hear it.

Later.

Welcome aboard, Captain.

Don't panic, Captain. It makes Job nervous.

Blake!

Jennings!

They're all ashore.

It's a pity you don't listen to advice, Captain.

I'm listening.

Well, this will be an education.

Yeah?

Where does school start?

See this?

Cotton is king in this little land,

and its aristocracy has some traditions you might not be aware of.

One of them is a way of treating intruders,

upstarts who think they can compromise the honor of a married lady.

Particularly a married lady who wants to break your grip on the Yazoo planters.

Don't confuse business and honor.

Do you know my servant's name?

Job.

And I'm afraid he has just run out of patience.

No, I just ran out of patience myself, Mr. Cloud. Now get off my boat, both of you.

From now on, stay out of my way.

H-O-L-D-E-N.

Is that the right spelling, Captain?

Yeah.

I can wait.

I have much more patience than Job.

You know where I live. Anytime you're ready for more.

Yeah, it's a good morning for a clear understanding, partner. Oh, boy,

what's biting you now? Cotton.

I thought we both agreed not to handle any more cotton

cargo while the market was as shaky as it is.

Now look. Now look at what?

What's the matter with you anyway? I'm on your side. You know that.

Yeah?

Then tell me, what is that woman, that cotton aristocrat,

doing waiting in the main salon for you right now? What?

Laurie, Laurie it is, huh? Well, why should that worry you? Oh, look,

I've got worries I never even thought of. Look, Gray,

it's plain to see what her idea is.

She wants to get the use of our boat, and we both said no more credit. Yeah, well,

don't let that bother you. Relax. Oh, Gray, look, there's other reasons, too.

Well...

You're from two different worlds.

Cotton and water, they don't mix, huh? Gray, she's married.

Thank you, Mother.

I came to tell you that Beaudry knows all about our little incident last night.

My husband.

Beaudry?

He was just furious when he found out about it,

and he wants to do something about it.

I bet he wants to fight a duel.

Whatever gave you that idea? No, it was Mr.

Cloud's uppity behavior that made him angry.

Well, I thought Mr. Cloud was your friend.

Money friend.

We're not at all like Mr. Cloud.

And we're not plantation aristocrats either.

Why, we're just plain old farm folk when you get right down to it.

Oh.

See?

I bet you never saw that in us.

Well, I ain't one whit different than any other redneck farmer woman.

Why, ma'am, I can purely see that so. Well,

I just bet you make the best old fatback and chitlin' swimmin' inside.

No, really.

Bodrie would like you to be our guest at Shadow Dance. That's why I'm here.

Yasmin, why?

To show you what we're really like.

But more important, to make up for Mr. Cloud's insulting behavior.

Well, I don't really see why he should care one way or the other.

I care, Grant.

Well, man, you're very, very flattering.

And if you don't come, our friend Mr. Cloud might feel very superior.

He's going to be there, too.

He might think that you felt out of place.

Yeah.

Well, I imagine the Enterprise can spare me a few days.

Hey, you're a pretty good driver, for a woman.

Just warming him up. From here on, we'll really travel.

Better take a brace, Captain.

We'll stop here and rest the horses.

You hungry?

Well, have you ever found a river man who wasn't?

I hope you're not too disappointed.

What?

A fatback in sock.

Oh.

I couldn't find a bit of him.

I guess you'll just have to do with fried chicken.

So there was more than one shadow dance, huh?

There was one other in Mississippi.

Boldwee's family's place.

And Cotton built it?

And cotton took it away.

Same crop year after year till the soil was blasted.

And now the same thing's happening here.

Well, they say that some planters are moving up the Arkansas.

Well, I'm not.

This is where I dig in and fight.

This is the last shadow day.

It takes money.

We'll have enough.

Once we get our crop to the Memphis market, all we have to do is ship it.

All you have to do is pay for it.

In advance.

I'll do it.

I'll do anything to keep us out of Mr. Cloud's grabbing fingers.

Don't you think those horses are cooled off by now?

Yeah.

Yeah, I'll give them some water.

Come on, get down! You all right?

I'm just fine. How are you?

I'd feel a lot better if I had those two pistols in the buggy seat.

Well, take him.

You feel better now?

Yeah.

How'd you get here?

I crawled, engine style.

You crossed that clearing? Well, it's impossible.

Unless, of course, they're only after me.

Well, who'd even know you were here, much less want to kill you?

Brian Cloud?

I don't want you hurt. Let me see if I can't make a deal with him.

No, wait. I think the shooting's stopped.

Yeah, it has. Yeah, but listen to that.

No, Gray, no.

Laurie Pritchard Rowland.

Might have known.

Go round up them bushwhackers.

Captain Holden, take a look at the meanest, most vengeful man along the Yazoo.

Well, now that I met him, what do I do?

Thank him for saving our lives or fight him for trying to take him?

I know there was a bad luck day when I got up this morning.

Here I am helping the wrong side again.

See what I mean?

Wingate Pritchard Pardee, you put up and shake hands.

Guess it don't look like it, Captain, but this here little spitfire is my cousin.

Not that I'm proud of it, since he took up with that Baudry Rawlins.

New friend of his or her.

He's a guest of Chateauvin.

Well, kinfolks, kinfolks,

you're welcome to stay at my house tonight and fresh horses in the morning.

That is, if our younger cousin still recollects how to sit a horse.

That is, if you still recollect how to walk.

Come back here!

Come back here!

Concerned tomboy. He'll never change.

Yes, sir, he's full of fire. You preach it all right through and through.

Well, come on, sailor. Might as well start walking.

Cotton did all of this?

Not cotton, Captain.

It's the way the land was misused.

The good Lord puts food in this rich soil.

What man takes out is put back.

That's the law of nature.

If he don't, vengeance is mine, so saith the Lord.

Foxtail, weed.

And the time when we could have stopped all this Beaudry to come in with us.

But no, just one more crop.

Just one more.

Till Cloud had us in his fist.

What are you going to do about it?

I don't know.

One thing I do know for sure, we got to get rid of Cloud.

Gotta get a chance to plant something else besides cotton.

I heard talk you're figuring on moving up to Arkansas.

I've been thinking about it.

Wayne, I'm tired too, just like you.

I'm tired of waste, of running away from used up land.

I don't want to lose Shadow Dance.

I know how you feel, Laurie.

But Boudreaux had his chance.

He chose to go along with Cloud.

There was no other way.

He chose his road.

Let him walk it.

Shatterdown's just up ahead. You'll be safe from here on in.

When Bodrie finds out you saved our lives, he'll...

I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention it to him.

Well, you've come this far. Why not go all the way? No.

He's not beholden to me.

I'm not beholden to him.

That's the way I want it.

You and your redneck pride.

If you'd make the first move... I'm sorry, Laurie,

but I can't see that it'd do any good.

Man, why don't you try using your head instead of your muscle for a change?

Oh, we leave that to the ladies.

Ha! Hi-yah! Ha! Ha-ha-ha!

Ha-ha-ha!

Yes, there you go.

You know, there's a story behind everything in this room.

It's lovely, Laura, absolutely lovely.

These aren't just possessions.

They're a part of me.

Can't you tell?

Yeah, yes, I can tell. That's what worries me.

What worries me is that I'm just afraid I might lose them.

Well, if you do, it won't be the end of the world.

It would be the end of mine.

No, no, no.

Now that's where you're wrong. This room's beautiful, but nothing lasts forever.

Everything in this room you could replace with the exception of you.

You're very kind, but I'm afraid you missed the point.

Which is?

Which is that you can replace a piece of furniture A chair, a lamp.

But you can't replace the memories, the joy you had in buying it,

the pleasure of living with it,

and the satisfaction of using it to breathe life into an empty room.

It makes this place sound very much alive.

Well, it is.

Can't you feel the warmth and the glow?

The soft shadows dancing in the candlelight?

Would you see to the punch, Leona? I'll be ready to serve in a few minutes.

I hope you will enjoy your stay with us, Captain Holden. Why, thank you very much,

and I must admit, you do have a lovely, lovely house.

Well, I'm delighted for Lorick.

She's poured her life into it.

Shadow dance is my life.

Yes, I know, my dear, and... Cotton is mine.

I'll see to dinner.

We'll be in the study. I have asked Mr. Cloud to join us for a matter of business.

Bodrie, you're still not thinking of signing our crop away to that evil man?

My dear, we do have obligations.

You see, Captain, we so-called plantation aristocrats are...

Not really the masters, we are the slaves. To do what?

Oh, to cotton, credit, and to a tradition that

is too old to survive and too young to die.

Oh, pardon the murky allusion.

But if cotton is your king, then its prime minister is Brian Cloud.

He accepts our word as gentlemen. Mr. Cloud understands our code of honor.

Yeah, so we rivermen have a code, too. It's not particularly honorable,

but it's very practical. Pay as you go. Cash on the line.

You see, that's what makes our world go around.

Each of us has his own tradition.

Part of mine is this brace of dueling pistols.

Oh, that's beautiful.

My. I'll bet you're a crack shot, aren't you?

Well, I have to be.

I don't suppose you know Richard II.

Mine honor is my life. Both grow in one.

Take honor from me, and my life is done.

Yeah, well, I like Henry Ford better.

What is honor? A word.

What is in that word, honor? Who hath it?

He that died went to sea.

Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? No.

It is insensible, then. Yea, for the dead. Captain Holden, what a surprise this is.

Surprise that I got here?

To find you quoting Shakespeare, that's uncommon, isn't it, for a river man?

Captain Holden is most uncommon for any kind of man.

Of course.

How fortunate for you, dearest Laurie. I heard about your trouble on your way home.

What trouble was that, Laurie? Oh, nothing to be concerned with.

We were attacked on the road is all. By Wingate and his troublesome friends.

You know as well as I do that Wingate had nothing to do with that.

Really, Laurie, there's no need to keep it a secret after all.

Everyone knows how Wingate feels about Beaudry.

You're a liar.

Laurie.

Laurie, come back.

I'm just upset over the contract. If you have it, I'll sign it now.

She'll come back, Baudry.

After all, she has her own house guest.

You're an evil man with a filthy mind.

Sticks and stones, Captain.

Would you pour me a drink?

The lorry makes delicious punch.

Of course.

Captain, you are trying my patience. The patience of Job, but Job isn't here, is he?

I hate him.

Every time I look at him, he just makes my flesh crawl.

But Captain Gray Holden, that's another story, isn't it?

Now that's the kind of man you find it easy to be nice to.

I'm sorry.

I truly am.

I was only trying to help.

I know.

But I must meet my obligations. You understand that.

And I will if I have to sell this place brick by brick.

Not shadow dance.

I mean, these obligations are a matter of honor.

Shadow dance is mine. Without it, I have nothing.

Laurie, you have me.

No, I don't.

You belong to Brian Clout, lock, stock, and barrel.

Trespasser. Call him off. I said call him off!

Stop him or I'll burn him!

Yeah!

Drop it!

I told you he was desperate. See that torch?

He was going to set fire to your cotton.

He was trespassing.

Trespassing.

He just came here to help you save yourself.

You did this to him. You did this to Cousin Wingate.

Surely you don't believe that I knew this was going to happen.

Whip like a dog!

I didn't know.

There's dog here, but it isn't you.

I ought to whip you with that thing.

I was only trying to protect their interests.

Tell him he's gone too far.

I didn't have a chance to tell you.

One of my boats will be here tomorrow for your cotton.

But I'll still have to sign the contract first.

Mere formality.

I have no other choice.

Wait a minute.

If you can get your cotton to a free market,

can you clear enough to pay off him and the enterprise?

Well, if you would forego cash now,

I will give you a bank draft from the Memphis State.

I have accounts receivable there.

Then, of course, there's always my cotton.

Any other security?

Yes, sir. My word is a gentleman.

Oh, sir, you just got yourself a boat.

The coat of honor for it is a gentleman, I should have known.

Blake!

Oh, good morning, Captain. Back from the bank already, huh? Well,

I'll just take my share in cash.

Uh, there'll be no cash.

Bank closed.

Account closed is more like it.

Well, I don't want to be an I told you so, but I told you so.

We just have to sell this cotton, bail ourselves out that way.

Market's broken. Cotton isn't worth the stuff it's wrapped in.

Well, we'll just have to use this check for something else, like lighting the fire.

Oh, no, no. That cotton will burn in the boilers.

This check I'm going to use to collect from Shadow Dance.

Carney!

You!

He up those boilers!

Aye, sir!

Go away.

That's far enough. I've been expecting you, River Man.

I'll tell you.

Cotton picker.

You gave me your word that this bank draft

would be honored by the Memphis State Bank.

I went all the way down there to find out that

your word is worthless as this piece of paper.

I see.

Now you've come here intending to do something about it.

Well, I aim to collect it, yes.

Does that mean that you are demanding satisfaction as a gentleman?

Your furniture will be satisfactory enough.

I imagine it will fetch a pretty fancy price in Cincinnati.

When a gentleman demands satisfaction, he's asking for a duel.

And what does it take to make a river man fight?

Perhaps this will help.

Whenever you're ready. He's accepted our challenge, Mr. Cloud.

You and Joe will be my second.

Accepted. Your second, sir.

Mr. Blake and Wingate Pritchard Pardee.

Shall we say at dawn?

Dawn it is.

Well, this is the stupidest thing I've ever seen.

I told you cotton and water wouldn't mix.

Plantation aristocrats.

Look, Ray, I'll fight you tooth and nail for control of that boat,

but I don't want to get it this way.

Mm-hmm.

Here they come.

Mr. Blake, pistols are ready.

Fully primed and loaded.

Would you like to inspect them?

Ten pieces, Laurie. That's a deadly distance.

Nobody can stop it but you.

You've got all darn fancy furniture.

He's not gonna have Shadow Dance.

The furniture's just the beginning.

Your other second.

Mr. Pardee, we are ready to demand a default.

Listen to Cousin Wayne.

I'm selling my land for a good price.

Let me go the shipping fee, huh?

There's a dog.

That's me.

Job, the gentlemen are ready for their weapons.

Are you ready, gentlemen?

All right.

Hold on.

Just a minute. According to the code, we get first choice of weapons.

Of course.

Didn't get first choice. Boudry did.

You know very well those pistols are perfectly matched.

And there's no reason not to swap pistols, is there?

Come on, let's get on with it. Unless there's something wrong with Holden's pistol.

That's ridiculous, so let go.

Mr. Cloud? You know, they have a point, and they won't let go.

Clear the line of fire.

Are you ready, gentlemen?

At my command, you will each pace off ten paces.

Turn, aim, and fire.

Understood?

Good.

Now, one, two, three, four, five.

Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

Hey!

Bring your gun to bear!

Go on, shoot!

Now, you wanted to commit murder, gentleman's

style? Well, here's your chance. Shoot!

Go on, what's the matter, huh?

Shoot me!

What's the matter with you?

Shoot!

Leave him be.

Wing, make him go away.

Make him go away and leave us be.

Don't let him shame us anymore. Keep away from me.

Keep away.

Oh, I'm not hit.

No, I'm not hit. I think he used a blank. He must use a blank cartridge.

Of course, Captain, it was to be a charade. You both would have dueled and missed,

and everybody's honor would have been preserved.

Job.

Get Beaudry's pistol, show Captain Holden like Laurie showed him.

You want me to fire this gun?

No.

Well, then talk.

I'm afraid that when you switch guns, you change poor Beaudry's plans.

I guess he even failed trying to die. It was a matter of honor, pure and simple.

Anything wrong with that?

Insurance money would have done it,

would have paid off the bills and saved Shadow Dance.

He had to be killed by someone.

By me, with a properly loaded pistol.

Vaudrey is a dead shot, Captain.

He couldn't take a chance in hitting you.

Well?

We will meet again.

There's not one river in the world that's big enough for you and my boat.

And that is why I say we will have to meet.

What happened?

Vaudrey sold it all. Pay his bills.

Well, he's an honorable man.

I fought him.

I hated him for it.

He promised me Shadow Dance forever.

Well, there are some promises that are broken because they can't be kept.

I'm sure Borger did his best. He'll make it back.

It's too late now.

Too late for us.

Too late for everything.

Well, maybe it's too late for the furniture,

but it's not too late to save your husband and your marriage. You know, Laurie,

you've got to make up your mind whose side you're on.

Your husband's, You're wrong.

Because you can't be on both sides, which is what you've been trying to do.

Arkansas, huh?

Yes, sirree, Bob. That's where she'll be.

I guess you must have got an awful good price for the old place, hmm? Good price?

A real good price to make a mean old fellow

like you cut out and run. Who told you that?

Why, you don't mean that you're heading up in those tangled wilds just to try it.

Well, I thought the land up in the Arkansas... Nothing.

Well, what difference does it make anyway?

The land's no good for farming anyway. It's good land.

Here, here, smell it. Smell it? Smell it.

Yeah, yeah.

Look at him.

Look at his face, you can't deny it.

That's the best bottom land I ever did smell. Could be made into a growing farm.

Man had sense enough about what to plant.

Wingate, I had no choice. The only way I could get credit was to plant cotton.

So that's your birthright, that's what you're doing?

It doesn't make any difference now, anyway. Well,

we'll be glad of the business of ferrying you fellas up the Arkansas.

I wonder just how much cash it'd take to save this

sweet smelling land from the mortgage clowns.

Big enough to make a man a fool partner. Huh?

Oh, no.

Wing?

Oh, no, not me.

Arkansas, here I come.

Wingate Pritchard Pardee.

Come here.

Now, look what you're going to do. You stirred up the Pritchard in her.

Was it something you wanted, Cousin Larry? You just pranked some Colin Hogg.

Well, now, I guess she wants you to help out

her husband so that he can pay off his debts.

I ain't making any commitments, you understand?

If you think you're gonna get more than 49% partnership... Now,

don't that sound familiar?

Great.

This just came by messenger.

Oh, beautiful, aren't they? Yeah.

Compliments of the partners of Shadow Dance.

When are they going to give us the money they owe us?

In time, Bill, in time.

Remember, we have the word of a gentleman.

You believe that?

Well, after all, a man has to believe in something, Bill.