Original subtitles

Is that the boat?

Yes.

The boat stops for wood, then we move in. Have the men ready. 20 minutes.

There must be no killing.

I promise, my sister, I promise.

Take this to Monsieur Johnson's store before daybreak. Do not get caught.

Wait, there is no point to this. If they catch him, they will kill him.

Nobody will catch him.

I want the merchants to know who steals their cargo.

I want them to understand that it is Raoul Dupre who takes it,

as fair payment in the name of the Acacian people they have robbed.

Good luck.

Search him.

We're in luck.

We have one of their runners this time.

These Cajuns plan to attack a boat called the Enterprise.

And we're going to be there too, just to make sure there's a little shooting.

Give you 15 minutes to get that wood on board.

We're gonna make notches by tomorrow night. The gunway's tight.

Joshua, I don't want to be taken by surprise by

the Cajuns the way the Louisville Bell was.

I want you to post some guards in Texas and the passenger tax.

They've already been posted, Captain. I'll move on there.

Are we taking on passengers here?

No, it's just a cargo run. Chip, what are you doing down here? You get topside,

will you? There may be a little danger.

Now go on, scoot.

Yeah, Ben.

Gray, how long are we going to be here?

About 20 minutes. Why?

I was just thinking about what happened to the Louisville Bell yesterday.

The sooner we get out of here, the better I like it. Well, we got guards posted.

Everything's under control.

Come on, lads. Time's running short.

Joshua, let's get some water in these fire buckets.

What happened... Not a word, Captain, or I will kill you.

I mean it.

All of the men on the upper decks have been taken.

One signal from me and they will be shot.

Get your men on board.

Joshua!

Just a few minutes more, Captain. Get the men back on board.

Now drop the locks where you are.

All hands on board.

Take their guns.

Do as he says, Josh. No cargo worth dying for.

Well, since when do you Cajuns carry your women along with you on your raids?

Do not mistake her, Captain.

My sister can fight like a man. Oh?

We want the cargo you are carrying for Monsieur Johnson out of Baton Rouge.

Johnson?

Find it yourself.

Allez vite!

The crates!

Let them load the pirogues. You station the men and wait for my signal.

You know what I want done.

What have you done with my guards and my pilots?

They are tied up.

We are not murderers.

No? What about the Louisville Belle?

She was burned to the waterline and a dozen men were killed. Enter the boat.

Tell Monsieur Johnson that Raoul Dupre sends his greetings.

You won't forget the name?

Raoul Dupre.

And don't be so foolish as to try to follow.

Stay where you are for the next five minutes.

Don't get the guns. Let it go.

I don't know how many of them are out there in the brush.

How many down? Two. You want to move in? No.

Tonight's what you might call an investment.

He was only 18 years old on his first trip out.

Murders.

Let's track them down and root them out.

No, no, we wouldn't stand a chance against them in the bayous, not at night.

You're not going to let them go.

No, no.

They owe me something.

$3,000 worth of cargo.

And for that.

I'll go up an untied bend, you go back and help Connie in the engine room.

Only five hours back to Baton Rouge.

Be there at dawn. Yeah, I know.

When we get to Baton Rouge, I want you to spread the word.

One hundred dollars to the man who'll take me to the Dupre family.

Are you going after him?

They killed two of our men, slaughtered them in cold blood.

We're running a boat and Johnson lost his cargo.

He's not going to like that. Yeah, I know.

You leave Johnson to me.

I have a hunch he's going to want to get the Dupre family as bad as I am.

Oh, I wanted six men. If you just give me six men,

I can take them to the swamp and I can collect the things.

Ed, I say no, Captain.

Absolutely not.

I will not send a single man into the bayou country. Not one.

I've written to the governor. I've asked for the militia. That'll take six months.

No smaller force could take them. They have an island back in the Tetchy Swamp,

Captain, with only a single channel running to the Mississippi. Yeah, I know.

You know what? I don't understand it. How come they only stole your cargo?

I was carrying $5,000 with a silver plate.

They didn't even touch it.

Are you implying chicanery on my part, Captain?

It's being done every day, Johnson.

A merchant steals his own cargo and then collects the insurance.

Oh, no.

You're not getting off that easy.

You owe me $3,000.

Do you have it?

No.

Not all of it, but I will have it when I get to Natchez. That's what I thought.

I will give you three days to pay what you owe me.

Three days?

If I don't get it, I'll slap a court order on you and attach your boat.

And don't try to steam out of Baton Rouge, Captain. My men will be watching you.

Good day, sir.

Remember, Three days.

There you are, Captain. I've been looking for you all over town.

I found a man who can take you to Dupre Island.

Where is he? Oh, you know, the Green and Black Tavern

down the street. Yeah? Yeah, well, that's the place.

He says come after midnight.

He'll contact you.

All right. Tell you what you do. You go on back to the boat,

and you tell Ben to stay put until I get in touch with him, all right? Thanks.

Friendly clientele you have around here.

Good evening, Captain Holden.

You're a hard man to find.

Oh, my name's Garnett. May I sit down?

Well, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm expecting

somebody else. I'll only be a minute.

I hear you're looking for the Dupre Island.

How does that interest you?

I've been victimized, Captain, but I'm not like the other merchants.

I intend to do something about it.

I have a small force of men, and I know the way to the island.

I intend to get there.

The only way to attack the island is down the main channel.

In a riverboat, that would be possible.

Oh, and by a riverboat, you mean the Enterprise, huh? Yes.

No deal. I want Dupre, but not at the risk of my boat. Now,

if you're interested in taking a small group of men

in through the swamps, why, I might be interested.

That's impossible, Captain.

The only way to take the island is by using something as a floating fortress.

My boat's not for hire to run men into those swamps. It's too dangerous.

If you're afraid, you're afraid. Just don't cover it

up for my benefit. Oh, listen. Oh, that's very good.

You know, that's very smart. I've had that trick used on me before,

but it won't work. I'm not going to give you

my boat just to prove that I'm not afraid.

I was told you'd be difficult.

No hard feelings?

None whatsoever. Just stay away from my boat.

That could be taken as an insult.

Take it any way you want.

Good night, Captain.

Yeah.

It is true you pay a hundred dollars to see Raoul's Island. Yeah?

I am Pierre. I know the way.

All right, you tell me about it. If I think you're on the level,

I'll go get my men. Oh, no.

We go alone and now.

Oh, you forget all about it.

Now?

How do I know that you'll take me to Rowell's Island?

How do I know your money is not counterfeit?

We both take a gamble, no?

But you wish no harm to come to Rowell?

No.

Why do you want to find out where he hides his stolen goods? That's all.

I'll take it from there. Good.

We go.

Oh, no.

I'm waiting for the money, monsieur. Money?

No money, no trip to the Bayers.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, the money.

He didn't want my money. You had no intention of bringing me to the island.

I spit on your money, Captain.

You wish to make trouble for us, no?

Now you have trouble.

This is the island, and you are a prisoner.

The women, they grow tall in Baton Rouge The women,

they grow tall in Baton Rouge But without no cash at all,

then a man is mighty small Oh,

there ain't no joy at all in Baton Rouge

I want to speak to your pilot.

Oh, yes, sir. I think he's on board.

Mr. Fraser!

Man down here wants to see you!

What can I do for you?

I'm Mr. Garnett. I have a message for you from Captain Holden. Gray, where is he?

He went into the swamp last night.

He's going to scout the Dupre Island and wants us

to meet him in the main channel this afternoon.

What do you mean, us?

I have half a dozen men. Putting them with your crew,

the captain figures we'll have enough to take the pirates.

They won't resist us. No fight in them.

You mean Gray wants me to take the boat into the swamp?

How do I know he sent you?

He said you'd be bullheaded.

A lot of people know that.

He said to remind you of the two men you lost to the Cajuns upriver.

A lot of people know that, too, Garnett. This is a matter of great urgency.

The captain is in great danger, and he wants you with him,

like the time you fought those gunrunners.

Pickle on.

Go into town, round up the men, bring them back here on the double.

We'll see you in an hour, Garnet. Thank you.

Thank you for your boat.

What is he doing here?

He paid $100 to be brought to the island.

You fool. But I thought you could use the money.

We do not want him. Then I'll kill him.

No. Put him in the shack and tie him down. You.

Why do you spy on us? Spy?

I'm not spying. I want my cargo back.

It is gone. It is food for our people.

Then I want the price of it.

You're being silly.

We have no money.

I shall be delighted to kill him.

What else can you do with him? We're not killers. Put him in the shack. Close.

Only...

You're not condemned, Monsieur.

You're only detained for a while. We do not take life.

You killed my men.

No.

We only wish the cargo of Monsieur Johnson.

We made threats, yes, but only because they were necessary.

But we would not have killed for that cargo.

Why don't you take Johnson's cargo?

It's a long story.

I'm not going anywhere.

All right, I'll tell you.

You know all the Caucasian people?

Yeah, vaguely. You're immigrants here, aren't you?

Yes.

We come from Nova Scotia, 50 years ago, in a country nobody else wanted.

We did very well with it.

All of this is not wilderness. We have farms.

We do not buy from the merchants of Baton Rouge.

We ship our supplies in from New Orleans.

Yeah, that's a stealing, huh?

No.

Two years ago, there was a flood and fever.

Many of us starved.

We had no money to buy supplies.

Some died.

So we went to the merchants of Baton Rouge and we said, please help us.

They would help us, yes.

They made us sign papers on the farm, you know.

Mortgages?

The papers were made out in English, but my people read only French.

They told us we would have five years to pay back, but the papers say six months.

Well, if what you say is true, then your men could go through the courts.

Courts cost money, and trials take years.

Yeah, that's true.

But your men couldn't take a chance, could they?

I mean, the men who'd killed the crew of the Louisville Belle

could hardly be seen in court now, could they?

We had nothing to do with the Louisville Belle.

For a moment I thought you were convinced of our innocence.

Does it make any difference to you whether I was or not?

Yes.

Why?

Perhaps because I wish you to understand us and not condemn us.

If you want some water, call the guards.

He will bring it to you.

Back along to make a fresh coffee. Yeah. What's the matter with you?

You sound like the saddest man on earth.

Josh.

What?

You ever wanted to leave the river?

Sometimes.

Well, suppose I... Suppose a man had responsibilities.

A family who needed him.

Yeah, I see.

Suppose his father just died not too long ago.

And his ma was all alone.

She had to have someone. All right.

Go on, let... Well, it's not what he wants to do, it's what he has to do.

Have you told the captain?

I didn't even intend to tell you.

Make your own decisions, lad.

He'll understand.

I know he will.

Have you located all the weapons on the boat?

They only have a few rifles and pistols, nothing more.

The Cajuns took the rest. Well, make sure their guns are taken ashore.

Tell our men to hold back.

Let the boat crew go onto the island first.

If we're lucky, the Cajuns and the crew will kill each other off.

Understand? I understand.

The water's getting shallow, but you can make it.

Connie, cut your engine. We hit a mud bank.

I feel it. The engine has stopped.

Well, this is where we stop, Mr. Garnett.

The channel must have changed since the last time you were up here.

The island's not far. Maybe it's better if we take off on foot.

Jump the lookouts before they can warn the main camp.

All right.

Joshua!

Bring everybody out on the cargo deck and pass out the rifles. All right, sir.

All right, everybody out on deck.

All right, all right, calm down.

Let me make one thing clear.

You men were hired as a boat crew, not gunmen.

Anybody who wants to stay on board, they can.

Good over you, Mr. Fraser.

All right, then. Garnett, you lead the way.

We don't want any killing. They won't fight.

Let's go. Let's go.

There may be more of them.

This is the north end of the island.

I'll take my men and flank them.

Where are the rest of the men?

They took the baroques to distribute the food a half hour ago. What has happened?

The steamboat crew, they attacked the island.

Take your places.

Hold them off a little, then run to your boats. We must hold our boats.

Now listen to me, little sister. I want you to go to the boats at once.

No, I am staying.

The Enterprise, they attack us.

Hey, somebody, anybody!

Hey, get me out of here! This is your doing. Your men attack us.

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

You're worse than Monsieur Garnet.

Garnet?

What's he got to do with this?

He's been robbing riverboats for a long time. He wants this island.

Lots of his men will die in lots of hours.

And he'll have the river for himself.

Not supposed to be the first one to die, huh?

No.

I do not want you to die.

Well, then cut me free.

No.

Please.

Please, let me loose.

All right.

No, he will help us. Can we trust him?

Oh, it does not matter. There are too many of them out there anyway.

It is only a matter of time.

I haven't seen him since we left the boat. Well, we can't worry about that now.

We've got to make our move before nightfall. They'll sneak out and cut our throats.

Why don't we rush them? There can't be too many of them behind that tree.

All right, pass the word. The longer we wait, the more men we're going to lose.

Wait, stop firing!

Wait, those are my crew out there! Don't fire!

Ben, it's Captain Holden! It's Captain Holden! Hold your fire. Ben!

Joshua!

Put that gun down.

Caroline.

He's with Garnet. I'll kill him.

Look, those men out there are part of my crew. I don't know how they got here.

You lie. Your boat brought them. All of them.

Ben! Carney! Joshua!

What are you doing here? I told you to stay on the boat back in Baton Rouge.

Where is the boat? Stuck in the mud in the channel. Here? Here.

Well, who puts you up to a fool trick like that? You did. I did?

Is this some sort of a trick, Captain?

Well, if it is, I'm the victim. All right, let's start from the beginning.

Right from the beginning. You sent word for me to come here through Garnet.

Garnet! No, I didn't.

Yes, you did.

Drop your guns, everybody. Be quick.

I said drop your guns.

This is all pretense.

I don't know anything about it.

I'm a lucky man.

Today I want a boat and an island to work with.

Captain, Raul and the girl, I'll see you in the hut.

Put the rest of the crew in that one. Kill the first man who gives you any trouble.

Take the Cajuns to the other end of the island.

Now move!

Primitive, but comfortable.

Captain, I'm sorry to have tricked your pilot, but that's how I get things done.

I didn't have enough men to take the island otherwise.

You're wasting your time, Garnett.

The Johnson cargo has already been distributed.

I don't want your cargoes, Mr. Dupre. I want your island.

The island? Why?

Because it's the perfect place to bring goods that I can't market at the moment.

You thank the Louisville Belle.

And the Cajuns took the blame, and will continue to. Why'd you kill my men?

I needed a riverboat.

I thought you'd be angry enough to pursue the robbers into the bayous.

Captain, will you join forces with me? Don't be ridiculous.

The Cajuns are not cutthroats.

We have taken only from those who have robbed.

There's only things our people can use.

Don't you raise your voice to me, Mr. Dufresne.

There is not one Cajun in Louisiana who would work for a piglet.

I can help you die a hero's death if that's what you want, Captain.

Murderer!

Butcher!

I'll kill you first chance I get, Cardan.

But you'll never have that chance. I'll see to that.

No deal? No deal.

Too bad. Put him in with the other prisoners.

The woman can stay here.

Grand Robin Hood sometimes ends up this way, I'm sorry.

We've been here all day and no one comes near us.

You're not going to let us off this island.

He can't afford to. He'll feed us the alligators. He'll probably try.

And then with our boat, he'll raid the river.

Town's another boat.

Oh, he hasn't done it yet.

Gray, come here a minute.

This is our only chance, right here.

But Garnett has all the guns.

We just give it a good shove. We gotta give it a try. All right, go ahead.

Connie, come in. Give a little beat, huh? Yes, sir. Josh, pick along.

You go to the door, keep your eye peeled. If you hear anything, sing out. Yeah.

Listen, if we get out of here,

you take the rest of the crew back to the boat so you can pull her off the mine.

Right. I'll see if I can get the girl out. You can't take that chance.

One alarm and we're all dead. Count her out until we're free.

Well, maybe you're right.

Even I can get through there.

Pick up two other men and set up a camp near the boat.

You'll be relieved in the morning.

I think they settle down for the night. But

there's still a guard around there, Simmers.

We have to risk it, Gray.

How close is the boat to shore?

They jump aboard in the bank.

The hearers are going to start shooting.

Connie.

Come on, boys, come in here.

All right, now we'll try it.

We'll try for the boat.

If we can get aboard quietly enough,

we'll use poles and we'll try to get it off the mud bank. But be quiet,

don't make a sound. Remember, they can get aboard too.

Shooters like sitting ducks. Yeah, now, Connie, Connie,

you're trying to get up a good head of steam, right?

We can't move those paddle wheels fast enough unless we get up a good head of steam.

You love steam, quiet steam.

The heroes are going to...

All right, boys, let's go. Joshua, bring up the rear guard.

Let's take him.

No, not a chance.

We can't afford a fight.

One gunshot and Garnett's men will be all over us.

Let's go.

Come on, boys.

How badly are we grounded? Should be just nosed in. I brought her in slow.

I didn't see how to budge. I could have helped her, but you won't. Come on.

I think she moved.

I got my steam going. Give me a few more minutes, will you?

She's moving, Captain.

Vance, tell Connie to hit the engines.

Start your engines, Mr. Carney.

Come on, it's all over. Go on back to your stations.

We're leaving them behind.

All right boys, secure those four lines, hand on tight,

get those half lines secure, jump to it boy, run!

Captain, I think you've made a big mistake coming back to Baton Rouge.

Well, we can't go back to the island without guns and wood.

Well, if you go back at all,

You just leave Mr. Johnson to me. You take care of the gun.

Well, Mr. Johnson!

This is a court order, Captain. I'm attaching you a boat for non-payment of debt.

I warned you. I told you not to try. No, no, just a minute now, Mr. Johnson.

Don't give me... I'm here, aren't I?

I came back, didn't I?

Now, look.

There's a way to solve this problem if you'll just listen to me. Now,

you want something, and I want something. Now,

we can both get what we want if you'll just listen to me.

Huh?

I'll listen, Captain.

But no tricks. No, no, no tricks. You just come up to my cabin,

and we'll have a nice little talk.

That's right. Garnet is the man that you're looking for.

He's the one who's responsible for all the murders and the

plundering that the Cajun people have been blamed for. Garnet. Garnet.

Well, interesting as that may be, Captain,

that still doesn't solve the problem of my $3,000. Oh, yeah, yeah, that's right.

I do owe you $3,000, don't I? I'll tell you what I'll do.

I'll make a deal with you.

I'll get back your cargo from the Louisville Belfoyer in return for which

you'll cancel out my debt and all the debts of the Cajun people.

Oh, now, wait a minute. Don't hedge with me now, Johnson.

But I'm not sure you deserve anything at all.

There are laws against usury and fraud, you know.

All my dealings with the Cajuns were perfectly legal.

And this is perfectly legal, too.

The cargo of the Louisville Belle in return for a clean slate. Now, what do you say?

All right.

It's a deal. Good.

Yeah, you're lucky the Cajun people didn't burn your store and

string you up to the nearest lamppost for what you did to them.

But all that's going to change, because if it doesn't,

they're just liable to chase you right out of the state of Louisiana.

And you never know, I may help them.

It's far enough, Dan. I don't want Garnett to hear the boy.

I don't want to take him by surprise. Right.

Half speed, Kearney.

Stand by for a landing, Josh. All right, sir.

Did you hear that?

Yeah, I heard it all right.

Yeah, but Chip took his dog ashore with him.

Are you mad, Captain?

Yeah, I'm mad.

You gonna put me in irons?

I wouldn't be on the irons board.

Oh.

Disobeying orders is serious business. Nothing to be taken lightly.

Yes, sir, I know that.

Me and Andy Jackson, well, we belong here.

Yeah, I suppose you do with that. All right, I'll tell you what you do.

You go to my cabin, you lock the door, and you stay there now.

We just can't hide, Captain.

Well, you won't be hiding. You'll be guarding my safe.

No, no, I got a lot of very important manifest papers in there.

Honest? Honest.

You think you can handle that job?

Yes, sir, I think I can. All right, then.

You're up to it now, boy.

Yes, sir, Captain.

All right, boys.

Take it easy. Keep quiet and stay low. Come on. All right, Billy, let's go.

You're deaf all of a sudden?

Blind? To let them break out is bad enough.

But to let them take the riverboat right under the noses of your guards,

they should have taken you too. So they're gone.

We'll find another riverboat. You tell your piggots to keep their eyes open.

Another mistake and I'll have them shot.

They won't make any more mistakes. Well, get the men started in the woods.

The sooner we get the stockade built, the sooner we take over the river.

Report back to me by noon.

Well, what are you waiting for? Get moving.

I don't know.

Wilson!

Wilson!

Jones, you go and find Wilson. He knows better than try to lay down on the job.

All right, now I want the cargo in the Louisville Bell,

and I want all the other cargoes that Garnett stole. Now, where are they?

I don't know. In a warehouse. Where? In Baton Rouge.

Where? On River Street.

Josh, did you get the south end of the island? Nice and comfortable. All right,

we'll take all these boys back to Baton Rouge for trial. Watch this one.

He's mean. Yes, sir. Keep moving.

You go release the Cajuns. Right. I'll find Garnett.

Where's Gordon? He's supposed to report back to me at noon.

He will kill you. He hates you. All your men do.

No one plots against me.

It always happens with men like you.

You kill each other to be boss.

Oh, I will kill you for my brother's death.

Maybe I've been too easy on you. Let's get some things clear right now.

Your temper amuses me, but nobody threatens me. Nobody.

Captain, you've made two mistakes.

You shouldn't have come back and you shouldn't have fired that pistol.

My men are all around this camp.

You men have all been taken. I don't believe it.

See for yourself.

Gordon, Jones, Wilson.

Gordon, come here, I want you. Do you hear me?

Gordon!

Oh, you'll see him again.

On the gallows. You know, they hang men for murder here in Louisiana.

I won't be convicted.

Not on your word and that of a Cajun thief.

We'll hold your trial right here and now. Ben!

Give me a knife or I'll kill you, I'll kill you.

You may have your chance later. You can't do that. All right,

let's hear from the sister of the man you murdered.

One word from you and I'll turn him over to Pierre.

You can't murder me.

Does he live or die?

There has been enough killing.

Of course you can't kill me.

That's one of the rules of civilized society, isn't it?

You can't kill an unarmed man.

I'm not afraid to stand trial. I won't be convicted.

Shall we go, Captain? You know, you're right. You probably won't be convicted.

Something just occurred to me.

Something that I think is pretty fair all the way around.

Everyone concerned.

You wanted this island badly enough to kill for, didn't you?

Well, we're going to give it to you every inch of it.

What do you mean? I mean just that. You got the island. It's all yours.

You mean you're letting me go free? That's right. I'm letting you go free.

Now, you're pretty good at controlling things, Garnet.

Let's see how well you can outwit the swamp.

It's only about 35 miles walking distance from here to the river.

But you won't know where to put your feet because of quicksand, poison grass.

And you can't take to the water because of water moccasins and alligators.

No, no, you won't have time to build a boat because there are other Cajuns

around here who won't be as merciful with you as Carolyn Dupre was.

What happens if you make it?

Well, let's say you make it out the outside.

The law will be waiting for you there.

Yeah, I think that's going to work pretty well.

So it's yours, the whole island, every inch of it.

Let's go.

I'll pay you, Captain.

Captain, maybe a price. Maybe a price!