Original subtitles

This was Hampton, violent, corrupt, a holding up spot for every thief, gambler,

and killer who'd been run out of matches in Vicksburg.

Here they built a monument to greed and rottenness.

And here they watched it torn down.

One tyrant and his henchmen ruled a kingdom of evil.

Now they were corpses.

I saw it happen. I was part of it. And I know why it happened.

We were on our way down river to New Orleans.

Business had been bad.

I was hard pressed finding the money just to pay my crew.

You know I'm good for boys, you know that.

How come you couldn't pay Doc money at Memphis?

Yeah, I thought I could get away with that one, all right.

But I sure wouldn't be smart enough or dumb enough

to think I'd get away without paying my own men.

Now that makes sense, doesn't it, boys?

I guess.

Why, sure. Well, then why don't I get back to your stations, huh?

Two crops bought due, cotton week after next.

Yes, sir, that means a pocket full of money for all

of us if we can get the dollar country by then.

New Orleans with a full poker. The purple lady, huh?

Go on. Okay. All right.

That's right.

Let's see him out there, Pete.

Attaboy.

Well, if you don't beat all, Gray,

I swear you could soft up the devil into thinking he was a psalm singer. Yeah,

but what's going to happen when the crew finds out you couldn't make

dock charges in Memphis because you used their pay for it in Cairo?

Oh, yeah.

Well, Ben, as soon as we get to New Orleans, pick up a full cargo,

we'll have more than enough to pay for these bills. That'll complete me sitting,

too. Just one hitch, Gray. Yeah, what's that?

How are you going to get back down river?

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

Ben, wasn't there a small town right about in Hampton? Yeah, Hampton, that's it.

It sprung up about a year or so ago.

The only kind of cargo you're going to get there, Gray, is ferro wheels and dice.

Oh? Not a farm country behind it. Farm country?

That means crops.

Ben, let's make for Hampton.

I got a hunch. I don't think the crew is going

to accept any of your hunches as legal tender.

Let them take it out of our hides.

Mighty lean pickings.

We docked the Enterprise at Hampton, and I set out to look for some business.

No business, and I could lose my boat.

Oh, Captain, this man's been waiting to see you. His name is Ansel Torgan.

He's a farmer. This is Captain Holden.

My pleasure, Mr. Torgan. Thank you.

I have heard about your boat. Oh?

I would like to rent it, and I'll pay you whatever you want. Oh, you're my man.

Tell me, what kind of cargo?

Oh, no cargo.

I wish to rent it for a wedding. A wedding? Yeah, for my daughter, Sonia.

Oh.

Well, I'd certainly like to oblige, Mr. Torrigan,

but I'm afraid our cook can't bake a good enough cake. Thanks for thinking of us.

But you don't understand!

Any river port and farm country should have a dock bustling with cargo.

But this was the original deserted village.

Hello there!

I'm Gray Holden.

I'm captain of the riverboat, the Enterprise.

Maybe you've heard of her?

I put in here looking to pick up a cargo. You won't find one here.

I passed some of your land coming down river.

Crop's ripe for picking.

Overripe.

Rotting.

Rotting where they lay, and they'll stay that way.

That doesn't make sense.

Maybe not.

But that's the way Mr. Fowler wants it.

And the way Mr. Fowler wants it, that's the way she is.

I decided to hunt up this Fowler and see what kind of a man it

took to make a whole community tuck in its tail and whimper.

So I headed for the only part of town that showed some sign of life.

Hi there, honey. I'm Lucy. You look awful lonesome.

I'm looking for a man named Paula.

Won't I do? All right.

All right.

Come on!

Take your bets, this ferocious bear or those ferocious canines.

And I bet five dollars that this magnificent animal

here will outlast these ferocious canines.

All right, give your bets to my betting commissioner over here, will you please?

All right, make your bets, ferocious bear.

Captain, come over here. I want you to make a bet.

Are you out of money? Have you got any more money left? If you have,

make your pick. There's ferocious bears or those ferocious genies.

Well, where do you wait, Captain?

You'll have to make a bet if you're going to watch.

Listen, Captain, make him pay you double if you take the bear.

Those dogs don't give up until the bear drops.

What's your wager, Captain?

Nothing.

Oh, don't go, honey. Come on.

Get back where you belong.

Hey.

You, out.

After I present my compliments to Mr. Fowler.

I set out.

Bye, honey.

Don't touch him.

Mr. Fowler wants to see him.

I hear you're looking for me.

That's right.

You're a man who's traveled around, Captain Holden. What do you think of it?

How did you know my name?

You're in Hampton.

I own Hampton.

Where's your deed? What do you think of those swords? A king on them.

And that's a... Clavichord.

Clavichord, yeah, from Vienna.

Why are you stopping the planters here from shipping cargo?

Drink?

Thank you, no.

You worried about the outlanders? They're scum.

Don't trouble yourself with them.

What do you call that rabble downstairs? Nobility?

There's no cargo ready to be shipped, Captain. It's

stacked and rotting. There is no cargo!

Get on your boat and take off, mister. Before something happens to it.

And to you.

Get out of the stairs, Tom.

Look, Shell, are you going to let me... Go downstairs!

That was good advice my brother just gave you, mister.

Manners are not... I came here to find out whether farmers are being starved out.

I'm still waiting for an answer.

I'm the why.

I was run out of Natchez, I admit it.

Like a shamed dog.

Run out by people like those farmers you've been talking to.

By people like you, but no more.

I'm going to own this land someday when I starve them out.

And every one of my men is going to get a... Fee?

Fee.

But under me.

Like a little kingdom, huh?

That's right.

Show him out.

Travis, uh, when I first got off the boat, there was a farmer.

Think you can find him for me? He's waiting for you in your cabin, Captain.

Said he had a feeling you might want to talk to him some more.

Oh?

Less than a year ago, Mr. Fowler came here, and

now everything belongs to him. By what right?

He takes it.

Why don't you get rid of him?

That is easy to say, but he has gunmen, and we have no leader.

Because of this man, this Fowler.

My daughter has no place to marry. A saloon to drink, yes.

But no church.

No church.

I have my house.

But my Sonia must have beauty.

Much beauty.

You can anchor your boat in the inlet right off of my farm. Yeah, sure, anything.

And that room you showed me.

The Grand Salon. The Grand Salon.

That is where I wish my Sonia to be married.

The Grand Salon.

Everybody I invite.

You too.

You will be my guest, huh?

Everybody!

It's a deal, Mr. Torgerson.

Thank you!

Do you, Christopher Slade,

take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife to cherish

in sickness and in health till death do you part?

I do.

Do you...

Sonia Torgan, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband,

to cherish in sickness and in health till death do you part.

I do.

Will you place the ring on her finger, please?

I now join you in God's sight as man and wife.

Congratulations.

Everybody, today we bow, we eat, we drink, and

there's a shot for everybody, and music!

You know, I got to hand it to you. We're in the Enterprise for a wedding.

I thought we were going to have to row it in New Orleans.

I swear. Well, might as well enjoy it.

Spencer, great party, but do you think our pay money's safe?

What's eating you? Well, there ain't no cargo in the hall.

There's no money coming in. Well, there's a wedding.

Well, I know, but that ain't enough for all these guys.

Some pistol shots.

And close, too.

Oh, no, Pa!

Tom?

No, Dolph, please!

Oh, shut up your howling now, Lucy.

Just hold that guy to good and still.

You're drunk, Dolph! It scares me!

Best not rile me now. You're gonna make me nervous.

Sure sounds like they're having themselves a time down at that riverboat,

don't they? They didn't invite us. Huh?

Well, I guess we can take care of that.

Real fast.

Here he comes, sir. There's a pig for my own farm. Thank you.

Now, Captain, what would you like? Some of this, or you would like a leg meat?

Please, please, please, Mr. Dorgan.

I've already eaten enough to last me for three weeks.

All right.

Some schnapps.

No, schnapps makes very good the appetite.

To you, my son, one day you come from where we do not know.

You do not say, we do not ask.

But there is something in your eyes that I cannot like.

Something that tells me that you are afraid, that you run.

Papa, Papa, please.

Darling, I say only what I have to.

And I see something else.

When there is no thing that a man loves, no

place, no woman, this is in his eyes too.

And this is what I saw, my son.

But now, there is love.

Love for my Sonia.

And she comes to you for her dreams.

You give them to her.

Score!

Music!

He looks happy, doesn't she? You must be the answer to a maiden's prayer.

How did you meet her?

I mean, I can't quite place you amongst a bunch of farmers.

The Hampton had other recommendations when I first came here. Oh?

Oh, you mean Mr. Fowler and his cronies?

I've lived all over the world, Mr. Holden, with all kinds of people. Well,

then it's not unlikely that we've met somewhere before, is it? New Orleans, perhaps?

Not just Memphis, it could be Boston or maybe New York.

I've traveled a lot.

Were you helped?

As I was saying, I've traveled a lot.

I found most places pretty much alike.

Except here.

Here I found something I didn't think existed.

At least not in my world.

That farmer found me asleep in a hayloft.

Instead of running me off at the end of a pitchfork,

he offered me food and a chance to work in his field. Come here, boy.

We offered you a lot more than that. She wasn't offered, Mr. Holden. Or taken.

We just happened to fall in love. Excuse me.

Easy, son. Easy. Let him.

Come on, he just wants a little bass with him. That's all right.

Where's the bride? I got to go say hello to that little girl.

Easy, boy.

Is that being very friendly? There you leave, Hare.

Oh, now, I know you don't like his fowlers very much,

but there really isn't very much you're going to do about it now, is there?

Besides...

I figure the only respectful thing to do is to kiss the bride. No!

Isn't it? Wait. No!

Get him, Tom.

We'll get him up. Get Tom up.

He isn't getting up.

Well, I'll take him back to his brother.

Back to Fowler, just the way he is.

But we'll be back.

Count on that, mister.

All of you, count on it.

Get him up. All right, give him a hand here. Get him off the boat.

You heard badly? No, it's nothing.

A little out of practice, but still pretty handy in a knife fight, aren't you?

You better come topside to my cabin, get this arm fixed up. You're gonna need it.

I think you'd better stay here while I fix it.

How did you know for sure? In the salon,

you reacted like a man who'd faced a situation before.

From both ends of the knife.

Yeah, you've changed a lot in seven years, Slade. About 30 pounds heavier,

minus a beard. All right, Captain, what are your plans for me?

Now, what do you think I'm going to do?

I can guess.

You know, there were three men,

three of you prisoners who broke off my boat that night seven years ago.

What happened to the other two?

I wouldn't know.

Somebody should have warned you, Captain.

Carrying prisoners is a little more dangerous than carrying cotton.

Especially an expert with a knife.

You are the one who knifed me, aren't you?

That's right, I'm the one. No apologies, huh?

You'll have to wait in line, Captain.

A long line.

What had you done? I mean, when they were shipping you down to prison on my boat.

Killed a man in a fight over a game of cards.

He accused me of cheating and jumping with a knife. Ordinarily,

that wouldn't have bothered me, but he was wrong.

I understand there's a fair reward offered for turning me in.

There's a reward.

I'll get it.

Just as soon as we reach New Orleans.

If I'm still with you.

Oh, you'll be with me this time.

I'll make your deal, Captain.

Don't let my wife know about any of this, and

I won't give you any trouble. Try to run away.

You've got no choice.

Where could you go?

By now, our father's waiting for you on shore.

And if you make one wrong move, I'll shoot you.

Oh, you're gonna be all right. As a matter of fact,

you could sell for New Orleans tomorrow.

If the currents were right.

You stay right here, Slade.

Don't go out on deck.

Fowler's own brother. Why?

Why did Chris have to kill him?

Mark my words, it'll be worse this time.

Fowler and these men have already killed five or six farmers for less than this.

They tore up property.

Drove the cattle off. They even tortured old Jed Williams before they shot him.

He's got nothing against us.

It wasn't our kin, Dunnett.

Yes, it was my Sonia he was protecting.

Well, he shouldn't have killed him.

Not Fowler's brother.

It was an animal.

When an animal strikes in the field, a man strikes back.

I'd give a bushel to know what Fowler will do.

Things are bad enough as it is. Worried about Fowler?

That's right, mister.

A good reason to be. Well,

you just stand around trying to decide which is the

quickest way to tuck your tail between your legs.

And if you can't, Maybe Mr. Fowler will decide it for you.

I knew there'd be trouble.

I told you.

You gotta stop him, Captain. It wasn't us who killed his brother.

You care only about you.

I just want you to know that... You don't say any more now.

I think that would be a very good idea. All right, Graham.

Gray, the app well is still banked.

I got some stokers standing by in case you give the word.

Looks like they mean business after all. I'll let you know.

Right.

That's why I'm coming aboard.

All right, let's hear it. The man who killed Mr. Fowler's brother is on your ship.

Mr. Fowler would like to speak to him.

Speak to him?

You mean Lynch him, don't you?

Describe it any way that pleases you best.

But I'd suggest you send him out.

Now.

Tell him to send him out now before... You really have no choice, Captain.

I'd advise you get the man Mr. Fowler wants.

When you just tell your Mr. Fowler, forget it, I'll tell him myself.

Fowler!

You may run Hampton, but you don't run my boat!

You've got 30 seconds.

Get him out here.

Or you and everybody out there is going to pay for it.

He means exactly what he says, Captain.

But I don't mind if you force his hand.

Why? So you can watch the show?

Exactly.

What kind of a slimy toad are you?

Thirty seconds, Captain.

Charles, those people heard it in the main salon. Keep an eye on them out. Yes,

sir. Peterson, you soak up the boilers.

Don't spare the wood. Yes, sir.

All right, I want everybody into the main saloon. Let

the women get through first. Step along. Step along.

You'd be better off downstairs with your father.

It'd be a lot simpler for you just to turn me over to Fowler.

Well, but then again, there's that reward money. Don't tempt me, Slade.

The money may not be that important. Now get in that cabin.

How's the pressure? It's coming up too slow, Gray.

Peterson, get that steam up!

Your time's up, Holden.

Now, Ben, give it all you got.

You hear me, Holden?

Funny they stopped firing.

Yeah, but until we get around this next bend, we're still sitting ducks, Gray.

He's got us bottled up.

We can't get through to the river. Pretty sight, eh, Holden?

Well, now, maybe you'll listen to me and listen good.

You send that man down to me, or I'll burn out every blade of grass that happens.

Not much time, Holden.

You're trapped and you know it.

So why rile me?

You people, send down Chris Slade,

or we'll start burning out your houses and your farms.

And your boat, Holden.

Holden.

Keep that rope ready.

This is a hanging party.

If we had a ram... Yeah, but we don't.

A work party could get rid of most of that stuff.

Oh, no, Ben, no.

I couldn't send the boys out there.

Fowler's men would pick them off like ticks on a hot griddle.

After what you told me about Slade, are you sure he's worth fighting for?

Whatever Slade's done, the law will take care of that.

The law, not Fowler.

I'm not gonna give him up then.

All right, Gray.

Just as long as you're sure.

Sure. Come on now, boy, you can speak plainer than that.

Do you really think that I'd risk the lives of all these people down here? Yours,

mine, and my boat, just to collect that reward?

Not just the reward, Gray.

Slade got away from you once.

Are you sure you're not saving him for the law just to make it up to yourself?

Oh, boy.

Oh, Ben. I don't think I haven't wrestled with that problem.

Be easy, Ben, so easy. His turn's slayed over and sailing right out of here.

Leave it all to Fowler and his lynched justice. Leave it all to him.

Be so easy.

I just can't do it, Ben.

What about the Enterprise?

Not even if it burns to the waterline.

All right, then that's that.

You think you can count on these farmers to stand up to Fowler?

I don't know, Ben.

I just don't know.

All Fowler wants is Chris Slade. You'd give him up?

I'd do more.

I'd give him up without any argument among us.

That just makes for bad blood among friends.

What's more, I'd do it right now.

All right, let's go find him.

I heard what you say.

This is madness.

If we give in to Fowler now, we are lost, all of us.

I've got to think about my land and my family. No, no,

please don't do this awful thing. Please.

Excuse me. Sonia.

Excuse me.

Please, let us pass. Where are you headed for, mister?

We want to talk to Chris Slade.

Can't be done. Captain's orders.

We've got to get away.

No.

But darling, we can make it. The water isn't deep.

And when we get to the other shore... I'm not running away, Sonia.

But Chris, you don't know these people.

I've watched them turn to dust and to foul as heel.

And now they want to turn you over to them.

All they care about are themselves and their own families.

And all I care about is you.

And I care about you, too.

But it won't work for us. It just won't work.

Because of Fowler.

You didn't kill him. He attacked you.

It isn't that. It's...

I want to be with you more than anything else in the world.

How can I believe that?

Believe me.

How can I believe you when all I've ever wanted more than

anything else in the world is a man who would love me?

And who would let me love him the way you did?

Please, please.

It's our only chance. It's my only chance.

But you don't understand. We can't be together. Oh, I see.

No, you don't.

It isn't because I don't love you. I do.

But I'm tired of running, Sonia.

When your father took me in, I was running, frightened of every sound and shadow.

Then I met you, and there was beauty and love, and suddenly there was hope.

But not now.

I can't take you away from your home, your family.

I don't care about them anymore.

All that matters is that we be together.

Chris, Bruno, whatever it is.

Whatever it is that you're afraid of, what happens to you happens to me, too.

What do you figure they're doing?

Probably talking over their situation. Good. The

more they talk, the more they scare.

I don't see them sending them out, though.

They will. I'm gonna make sure.

Glean, get some pitch sticks going.

And take a couple of men and start burning out

the first barn on the other side of that hill.

I'll show them I meant what I said.

Okay, man, you heard him. Let's get going.

You ever seen a slaughter pen?

The fence is no thicker than a man's hand.

The cattle could tear it apart, but they don't.

They follow the Judas bull, one by one, to the slaughter.

One of them will crack, then the others will follow.

All we have to do is to wait for our Judas fool.

Fowler, he just sent a couple of men riding over the hill.

Which direction? Towards your farm.

My farm.

I put a lot of work on that land.

I don't want it burned now.

Holden can't stop us if we put it to a vote.

A vote for what? Give Chris to Fowler.

Just a minute.

I said hold it! There'll be no vote. You've got no right to step into this.

Well, I'm doing it.

This is no court.

You've got no authority to try and end.

What else can we do?

Fight back. Stand together against father. Are you out of your mind?

Don't you forget, it ain't just our farms at stake, it's your boat too.

Are you willing to lose it? For a man you know even less than we do?

How do you know he's worth that kind of sacrifice?

Please!

Please listen to me! Please! Listen!

Meetin's no place for a woman to talk. Let her talk.

You want her to have a trial? Let's hear from everybody concerned.

She's got more to lose than any of you.

What's he done to you?

He fought back against Fowler instead of being scared like the rest of you!

Maybe that's why you hate him enough to turn him over to follow.

We understand how you feel, Sonia. You were married today.

I love my husband.

Maybe that's a crime, too.

Like standing up to follow.

You got a right to speak up for yourself.

To plead.

No, thanks.

But you're fools.

The land is yours, not his.

You've got your families around you.

You can fight Fowler or anyone else like him that tries to take it away from you.

If I could have what you have.

Children who could grow up without fear on land that was theirs.

I'd dig my hands into the earth till they bled.

And if I were burned out, I'd build back.

He's dead right, and you know it.

It ain't as if we had anything against him personal.

You were the law here before Fowler came. Drive him out! No!

He's a killer. And what do you do with a killer? The captain is right.

Together we can beat Fowler. This is your chance.

All we've got is our hands. He's got guns.

I got a few guns. You can use them if you got the stomach

to fight for that land that you keep talking about.

Are you willing to risk your boat for Chris? This boat is my farm.

It means every bit as much to me as your land means to you.

But if I have to keep it at the expense of bowing

down to Fowler... What else can we do?

I'd rather burn it to the waterline! He's got us trapped like animals.

The captain gives us guns.

Let's take the chance.

Yes, let's go.

We should have followed Carousel before we got to shore.

Not if we get to the town dock down river.

Ben.

Ben.

That small keg of priming powder, bring it up.

For the dam?

It won't work, Ray.

Bring it up, Ben. You haven't got a chance, Gray. Anybody gets near that keg,

a putter's going to get blown to bits.

Bring it up.

All right. You're the captain.

You can't fight a man like Fowler. Now we can get him.

Whoa!

They're burning your farm.

Why did he have to start with mine?

Is it so wise to fight? Do you want to back out now?

Power hates you all.

You've got an excuse to strike back.

Do you want to back out?

You want to back out?

Do you?

We fight.

Well, you better mean it.

Because I'm leading with my neck.

Gray, even if you blow that dam, they're not going to make a fight of it.

Right now, all I'm doing is getting my boat out of here.

All right, get him.

That's over your spoon! Get out of here! It's my party now.

Hurry!

You all right?

Yes, my son has good chance.

That won't be necessary.

He'll make a good farmer.

I'm afraid not.

I know you men really don't want to fight.

We're out in open water now.

I can put you a show where Fowler can't reach you.

Or we can put in at Hampton Dock.

You know as well as I do that Chris Slade is not

the last man that Fowler's going to try to kill.

You can either stop Fowler now, or go on taking it.

We've talked it over, Captain, and we're agreed.

We'll go to Hampton Dock and get Fowler.

Put it at Hampton Dock. Right.

And so the farmers were united at last.

They marched off the boat and into Fowler's district.

They were bringing the law and order back to their town.

Fowler put up a hard fight.

Oh yes, he and his men had a fair trial.

But before the farmers marched out again,

a part of Hampton that was Fowler's monument

to greed and rottenness lay a burning rubble.