Original subtitles

I still remember the love I lost so long ago Left the girl, left the valley,

Now what's this here now, flowered cravats?

A clean shirt?

Striped trousers?

Chip, you wouldn't have a pretty little thing up in Green City now, would you?

Well, now that you mention it, Captain, maybe I have.

Her name's Geraldine.

I plan to bring her back downriver with me.

You've what?

Green City ahead.

I met her when we were up here before. She's real cute. Wait till you meet her.

Yeah, yeah, but Chip, Chip.

Come on, you old dog, you.

And him only 10 years old.

The men are all looking forward to a howling night in Green City. Yeah, well,

I'll be ready to howl with you as soon as I unload my cargo.

I've got to find my bars and get the feel of money in my jeans again.

Geraldine.

Him only 10 years old. Sure, Chip felt that Andy Jackson needed company.

Carol needs a dog. A dog?

For a new town, it looks pretty dead to me.

I don't see any people.

Well, you're big of it, Captain.

Maybe they're on a holiday. Uh-uh.

You stay on board here, Chip.

Well, suppose you get in a fight. You might need help.

Well, then I'll send for you.

Hello!

Hello!

How do you like that? Here I am, all togged up,

and there's not a pretty girl in sight.

Have a look in there.

Have a look over there.

Anybody home?

A whole poker game.

Pie unplayed for, chip stacked meat, whiskey half full,

or did they disappear to a skipper?

People just don't disappear like this. But they did. Yeah, they did.

What did you find?

Not very much.

When we were here before, it looked like a town that was going places. No,

it's just open doors and empty chairs in front of filled plates of food.

Fresh food, too. Two, three days. People and horses run away as fast as they can.

And I vote we go just as fast.

Now, what do you plan to do? I'm stuck.

That load of grain and seed was bought on order for this town.

I paid for it out of my own pocket.

I think the men had just preferred to leave.

Yeah, I know, I know.

But we can't.

Mr. Carney, there's a town a few miles east of here called Exeter.

You and I are going to walk over there and see

if we can't get rid of this cargo. Walk?

On the way to Exeter? There's no way to get there. Josh,

are we going to charge the crew till we get back? Come on, Carney.

You know, long walks were never intended for river men.

You know, me feet feel like the skin on a scalded dog.

Well, we're almost there. It's just over the next hill.

Well, there should be some people there, all right.

You know, it's a town older than sin. I've been there,

and they've got real southern hospitality.

Real Southern hospitality, you said, huh?

Hold up down there!

I got about four shells left. How many you got?

About ten.

Take care of him. Name's Tom Bison.

Captain Holden of the Enterprise. Well, a seafaring man like myself.

At least like I used to be.

Your mate hurt bad?

Bad enough. I'm sorry about that.

You winged one of mine. Two of them.

Then I'll go over here.

Take care of him.

What do you mean, your man? Well, it's a figure of speech.

I ordered him to stop shooting as soon as I rode up.

Township of Exeter always welcome its visitors like this.

Only those from Green City. Seems they got a sickness over there. Yeah?

What are you talking about?

Well, it's an unknown disease, Captain.

I understand when it struck that the town folk left in a hurry.

Nobody's been over there to find out. Where'd they all go?

Well, anywhere they could find a haven, I suppose.

But not in Exeter, huh?

Well, Exeter's made up of cautious people, Captain.

Maybe those Green City folk carried the disease with them.

Maybe they didn't. We figured it best not to find out.

Well, we'll only be in Exeter long enough to take care

of my mate's wounds here and sell him a cargo. Well, you can't do that.

The folks in Exeter will shoot you on sight.

You the sheriff of Exeter?

I sell land there. Been there a year.

Since there's no real law, I help try to enforce what the people want to do.

Seeing as you're a boatman like myself, I'd like

to help you. Here, you can take my horse.

What's this for?

Well, there's a doctor up the road. Still this side of Exeter.

With a horse, you can get your mate there in no time.

All right, Carney. Come on, boy.

I'll get you to a doctor.

I guess I got to thank you this much anyway. Can you make it? Well,

it's my pleasure. Just leave the horse at the doctor's office.

Thanks. See you in town.

Well, with the disease and all...

I don't think that'd be such a smart idea. Well, a man has to do what he has to do,

that's all. I gotta sell my cargo.

Well, town can't pay much money with no people. Well,

I guess we'll just have to wait till the people come back. Come on, boy.

All right, now, Connie. Come on, boy, come on.

You all right? I'm all right. Will you stop your worrying?

You're tough in an old boot.

I'm not worried about you.

Come on, Carney. Come on, boy.

Doctor!

Doctor!

You in there! Now listen to me. I got a man out here who's bleeding to death.

I'm coming in. The only way you're gonna stop us is by killing us both.

Well, lady, what's it going to be? You're the one packing the authority.

Tell the doctor we need him bad.

My father's dead. I'm the doctor here.

You're the doctor? A woman?

That's right. I could tell you the story of my

life if you want your friend to bleed to death. Put him on the couch.

You think you can stand the sight of blood?

Me, lady? Yeah, I can try.

You're mad.

You can't stand a little pain.

That bullet was embedded in a muscle. He was more scared than hurt.

Mr. Carney doesn't scare easily. Is he gonna be all right?

A few hours. A splinter could have been dangerous.

Let's, uh, let's fucking rest.

You know, I didn't know they were turning out

women doctors in this part of the country.

They're not.

Europe isn't either.

But they let me study in Vienna. I only got back a few days ago.

I see.

My name's Captain Holden Gray Holden. I'd like to thank you, Doctor.

My name's Nora James. Let's, uh...

It's like it's sentimental over one human life.

Well, that's a strange attitude for a doctor to have.

It's a strange profession.

It's dedicated to save lives.

For the most part, they're not worth saving.

You spent a lot of time learning how to save people.

I came back to work with my father.

I found him dead and buried.

They say he fell off his horse. I find that a little hard to believe.

Now they won't let me do my work.

Who won't?

People of Exeter.

I'm through with medicine.

I'm getting as far away from those people as I can.

Yeah, well, that's your privilege, I suppose.

You know what happened over in Green City?

They say it's a plague. I wasn't here.

Well, why don't you come back with us and find out?

I don't want a woman.

They say a woman can't be a doctor.

What do you care what they say?

When you came here, I was going to shoot you. I thought you were from Exeter.

Why do you want to shoot anybody?

This doesn't concern you.

It's not your fight.

This time I'm not mistaken.

What are you doing with that gun?

Captain, Dr. James.

None of them obliged that it's you holding that rifle instead of the doc here.

She hasn't taken very kindly to us since she came back.

How am I supposed to feel when I'm not even allowed to go into town?

Doctor, you went to Green City to find out about your father.

We take no risks in Exeter.

Here's your mate's coat.

Pull through.

Yeah, he's all right, thanks to Dr. James.

Pity we have to lose her.

What do you mean by that?

Oh, I came out to tell you. The town held a meeting. They made a law.

It would be within their rights to shoot down

anybody who's contaminated with the disease.

That's no law. It's the closest thing to the law I've got around here.

Oh, now about that load of grain and seed that you brought up.

We can use it. What's it worth?

The original agreed price is $5,000. Well, I don't have that kind of money.

But just so the trip won't be a total loss to you, I'll give you what I can.

I'll wait for the original buyers.

Well, I wouldn't think that you'll live that long.

None of you.

You see, as far as we're concerned, you're carriers of the disease.

You stay around here and you'll all be shot.

Nice fellow.

Yeah.

Bryson has caused nothing but trouble since he came here. Everybody's afraid of him.

And yet you were... You were willing to stand up to him.

I think I'll come with you to Green City.

Well, you certainly are a woman, all right. A little while ago,

you were talking about leaving here.

Well, I was alone.

Digging up the dead ain't right.

What kind of a woman would ask us to do such a thing?

I told all you men that Nora James is a doctor.

She wanted one of the men who were buried in here.

To make an examination of them to find out just what

it was that scared the people out of this town.

And suppose she does find out. How's that going to get us money on that cargo?

In the first place, that's none of your business.

In the second place, if it wasn't so bad,

then maybe we can send our word and get the people to come back.

Well, that's one chance I ain't taking for any amount of money.

Let's get the ship and get out of here.

Unless both leaves, I'll give the order.

Then you'd better say now, because I ain't standing fighting a disease I can't see.

Or take a chance on getting killed by that mob from Exeter.

Mr. Stone, you're talking mutiny. If you want the boat, Stoney,

you'll have to take me first.

Any way you want it, Captain.

All right, now, nobody from the Enterprise runs

unless they know what they're running from. Now, is that clear?

All right, Joshua, lock him up.

Pick him up, lads.

Captain, the lady would like to see you now.

Hey, you look like you could use one.

I remember what this stuff did to my father.

I swore I'd never touch it.

What did you find out?

Well, I found out the death was recent, and the symptoms are typical.

Typical of what?

Bubonic fever, I think.

He studied the disease and the people who had it.

It was his feeling that one person never gave the sickness to another.

And how does it spread so fast?

Well, it was his feeling, and some doctors feel,

that it's carried by fleas from infected rats.

But there's no proof.

Well, there's no proof to keep the people from Exeter from shooting us.

No.

Yeah.

What do you think? Did your father discover anything new?

Well, no proof, no accusations.

Come on, I'll take you back to the boat. You can get a little rest.

Terry.

Yes, sir. Take Dr. James back to the boat, see if she gets a good cat.

Men are getting pretty anxious, Captain.

Should come to any decision?

Tell them that we're going to pull out of here as soon as we can.

I was patrolling the street like you said when I seen

this fella come out of the land commissioner's office.

I told him to come on out, come out of shooting.

It hurts real bad.

So I want to get it off my conscience.

I didn't want to kill him.

I followed him from the print shop.

Kill who? Who are you talking about?

The doctor, he wouldn't go away, so I had to do it. They said he had the plague.

Doctor? What doctor?

You mean Miss James' father?

Made it look like he fell off his horse.

I'm not a killing man.

Honest, I... What were you doing in the government?

One of Tom Bison's men. Carney and I ran into him this morning.

What was he stealing in there?

It's some sort of a government decree.

It says here that this town is on federal land,

and it will revert to the government unless certain improvements

are made by the homesteaders within the next six months.

What would someone want to shoot it out for stealing of a thing like that?

Are you still up, Jim?

Yes, sir.

Well, have you listened to what was going on down in the cargo deck?

Yes, sir.

Is Mr. Carney going to be all right?

Oh, sure, of course, of course he is.

He's not gonna die?

No, no, it'd take more than that to kill that old leatherhead.

You're not just saying that, are you?

Of course not, Chip, of course not.

Does he mean that much to you?

All you do.

You're the only family I've got.

You're the only boy that we got.

All right, now you go in and I'll go to bed.

Why don't you get out there while I come in, huh? I'll talk to you a little later.

Go on. Yeah, what is it?

Yes, sir.

I heard about the man who was killed.

What was he doing in town?

Sit down, Marcia.

You never did tell me how your father was killed.

Well, he was on his way from Green City to Exeter.

His horse threw him, and they said that the fall broke his neck.

Were there any records, any papers,

cases that he'd been working on with him when he died?

There was nothing when they found him.

Not even his bag.

What about his office? Any notes there?

It had been searched.

Why are you so curious about his notes?

Well, I thought he might have stumbled on something about the plague.

Something like you found out.

I have no way of knowing.

Tell me, do you believe the story that they told you about your father's death?

No, I don't.

I think that my father was murdered.

Well, you're right.

Was it Tom Pison's man?

Mm-hmm.

Where you going?

I'm going to find Tom Bison, and I'm going to kill him.

Wait just a minute. I'm not going to kill anybody.

No, wait a minute. You're a doctor.

Try to remember that.

So was my father. He might have been a drunkard, but he was a whale of a doctor.

He found out something. He could have prevented those people from running away.

And now he's dead, and Tom Bison is responsible.

Wait just a minute. Now, wait a minute. What

do I got to do with you? Get back in there.

Go. Will you cool off?

Captain? I'm going to snore.

Captain said he was gonna tuck me in.

I'll tuck you in, Shep.

Joshua, now don't go in there. Why not?

She's in there and she's looking for fleas.

Joshua, I'm warning you, don't go.

You'll be sorry.

How did it go, lad? The most brazen hussy I ever saw in my life.

Not a female bone in her body.

Take off your shirt, he says.

Imagine a woman ordering a man onto his undershirt.

Imagine a woman that's strong enough to make you do it. I wouldn't have done it,

sir, if you hadn't ordered me first.

Besides, you're next.

You're next, Joshua.

Oh, well, I just came by to see if the men had reported this order.

They've all reported, and I thank you very much, and you are next.

Oh, you examined me this morning.

Joshua, I remember exactly who I examined. Now, come on, get in there.

Oh, Lus, there's nothing wrong with me.

Come on, let's go.

Look, look.

Oh, the cotton wants to see you right away. He's down the street.

He's the first person to left.

I'd like to apologize for the things I said last night.

Oh, forget about that.

Did you examine the crew?

Oh.

All but Joshua.

But I can assure you there's no bubonic fever on your boat.

Good.

Well, in that case, then I'd say that you and your father were right when

you said that the disease wasn't passed from one human being to another.

How do you figure that?

Well, didn't you say that the disease is passed

by the bite of a flea from an infected rat?

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Well, when the panic struck,

this family was about to sit down to what looks like a mighty handsome meal.

Now then, if there had been rats about, they would have eaten this food.

And you think that those men were infected when they came to Green City?

Well, there's no other answer.

You would have made a good doctor, Captain.

Well, right now it's tough enough to be in a good riverboat, Captain.

Well, shall we go?

I can't help thinking about this family. A little

house, clothes in the closet, food on the table.

All the hopes and dreams that they must have had.

They were pretty good dreams.

I thought so once.

I even dreamed of having them myself someday.

You grow up in one frontier town after another,

fighting off the pawing animals that call themselves men,

continually pulling the one person who means something to you out of a bottle.

It's the difference.

I gave up that dream a long time ago.

Doctor.

Doctor, you're a liar.

Am I?

You know, I used to do a lot of reading.

I guess that's something a riverboat captain doesn't get a chance to do.

And I remember something that Keith said,

that love is a hut with water and a crust, so is love only cinders, ashes, and dust.

Well, I like what Longfellow said a little better.

He said, as unto the bow the cord is, so unto man is woman,

useless each without the other.

Well, I've often found that And I've found a certain amount

of security by separating people from my emotions.

Right now, I'm sorry I read Keats instead of Longfellow.

Oh, there you are!

What are you doing here? Well, I'm feeling fit,

and I thought I'd get out and stretch my muscles a little. Well,

let's see if you can stretch the muscles of your head a little, will you? Sit down.

How's your memory?

I found this in that little printing shop.

That was where Doc James was just before he was killed.

That's what Bison's man said.

Apparently, they were printing a one-page newspaper in this town.

Listen, here's an article dated ten days ago.

It announces the arrival of three sailors.

It says they're going to throw away their oars and try to stake on dry land.

Well, I don't get the connection.

What's the names of those three grave markers up there on the street?

Oh, uh, Raines, Larson, and, uh, Crane. Crane. Yeah, well, Raines, Larson,

and Crane are the names of the three sailors the paper mentions here.

It says they were heading for Exeter.

Boy, and Bison was a sailor, too.

Yeah, one of his men was found in the land commissioner's office.

I think that he might have something to do with all this plague scare.

Well, let's go see him.

No, no. No, I go alone. You see, one burglar works better than three.

If I'm not back by tomorrow, you come after me.

Evening.

Evening to you, sir.

I'm looking for Tom Bison. He's been in here tonight.

Well, if he's not here now, he'll be turning up.

You a friend of his?

Oh, yes, I know Tom. I've known him ever since he first came to Exeter.

Oh, well, really, I'm not looking for Tom.

I'm looking for a couple of friends of his, men named Larson and Raines.

Oh, yes, but there were three of them.

They stayed a couple of nights with Tom, but they went back downriver.

Tom drove him over to Green City. That was before the plague hit there.

I see.

Thanks. Can I buy you a drink? Oh, no. No, thanks.

This is my night for gambling.

I need a drink.

I've just been in your room.

So? I saw some papers in your desk.

Papers that you filed giving you secondary rights

to the homesteader's land in case they defaulted.

It's all good and legal. If those homesteaders

don't come back in two days, it belongs to me.

Land and houses. You knew that your three pals had the plague, didn't you?

You took them over to Green City and dumped them.

So now I don't have to work the land. I'll own it. I'm

taking you to the sheriff. He won't believe you.

He will when he sees the papers I found. You won't live long enough to show him.

I want you people to listen to me.

There's a man that's come from Green City. Come on back, you men!

Kill him!

All right, now just one minute.

Just one minute!

You want to kill me, you go on ahead.

The plague's supposed to be carried in the blood.

You shoot me, you'll get my blood all over this room.

You'll have a plague all around you in the air.

You'll be breathing it. Is that what you want?

You go on ahead and shoot me. He's bluffing, Tom!

All right, when you come to your senses, you send somebody over to Green City.

I just learned something out of interest to all of you.

Don't let him get out of here! Kill him!

That bison is a fiend.

Yeah, no, that can't be him. A lot of those people are going to get killed.

Yeah, because they're so full of fear.

Exeter lived with the plague for as long as the three men were in that town. Now,

isn't there some way to fight the fiend?

It comes, it kills, it dies out.

There may be a way someday, but we don't know of it now.

Somehow I've got to get to somebody in that town and talk sense to them.

You men don't want advice.

Where are you going with that?

There isn't a jury in the world that would convict me for what I'm going to do.

Killing Bison because he killed your father is no answer to the problem.

You're supposed to be a doctor, remember it.

They're here, the gang from Exeter. There must be 30 of them.

Break out the firearms.

Here's the key to the office. Hold your deck hands up on the passenger deck!

You can swim the river and get to the other side and make a break for it.

You were signed on board to help run a riverboat, not to fight a war,

so I'm not going to hold it against you if you decide to go. What do you say?

All right, now you know your position.

Hold it as long as you can. They may try to burn us out.

You got them, Bob? Here you go.

Stoney, who turned you loose? I did, Captain.

I spooked because I ain't fighting nothing I can't see. Them out there, I can see.

All right.

Hold your position.

They're waiting to pick along. We haven't got ammunition for that thing.

Plenty of it, Captain. Right here.

I try to keep her in her cabin, Captain. I try hard.

There's a fight. I'm going to turn this room into a hospital.

Oh, no.

I'm one of the Corona fight, too.

Yeah, I know you are, Chip. That's why I want you to stay here with Dr. James.

Hey, Freddo.

Captain Holden?

What do you want, Bison? I want to read you a legal document.

Let it be known that this group of men is no lynch mob,

but a committee legally appointed by the town of Exeter.

A legal vote was taken.

And it was determined that those in Green City were

affecting the health and well-being of the majority.

Let it be known that this act of contamination

was of a willful nature by the accused.

And they, the accused, have been found to be felons and will be executed the same.

Signed, the People's Court of the Town of Exeter.

That's no legal document.

Even a felon has a chance to state his own case.

Give us a chance to state ours.

Bison, I don't approve of these tactics.

Those men should be given every chance to surrender.

The committee said they'd go my way. You shouted down all opposition.

You can't murder those men. If I just kill Holden, the rest of them will leave.

This is a flag of truce.

Captain Holden, I call on you to surrender.

You've broken our law.

And if disease comes to us, you deserve to be punished.

The fever's already been among you. And I didn't bring it.

Come aboard and we'll talk it over. Don't listen

to him. He'll lie and lie. He's got the plague.

I'll give you 15 minutes to come ashore and surrender.

You got a long wait. Then we'll come and get you.

Spread out.

The amount of men they got. If they charge, they can take us. You know,

Bison spent the last two, three days with those sailors just before they died.

Last night I noticed something. Look at it.

Watch.

You got him?

Uh-huh.

What do you think?

Well, it's a little hard to tell from this distance, but from his history,

his contacts, now his appearance.

He's got the fever.

I'd say it's likely.

How long do you give him?

Well, it looks to me like he's on the verge of collapse.

With any excitement, it could happen any minute.

Can't take that chance. They may attack at any minute.

Carney, come here.

I'd better get off the boat without being seen.

Can you give me a blast of steam off the starboard port? Yes, sir.

Mr. Bison?

Mr. Bison?

This is Fred Ferber.

I'm scared, and I'm going home.

Wait a minute, Fred.

I'm going home.

Why, that fool.

We're out in the open. We're safe.

I heard Fred Farber, and I'm with him. This plague town isn't for me.

Who's that?

Wait a minute, men. This is no time to panic. We're about ready to attack the boat.

Will! Harry! Don't leave now!

What's the matter with you?

If we don't attack now, we'll lose the rest of them.

I don't think their hearts are in it.

We'll lose the rest of them, I tell you.

All right, men, get ready. When I give the word, we'll charge down the street.

We'll get Captain Holden first.

All right, come on now!

Let's wait past the 15 minutes we allowed, and we'll attack now!

Wait!

Wait!

Don't shoot! That isn't necessary.

Help me, doctor.

Oh.

Not even a doctor can help him now.

The plague.

That's right.

And this is the end of it.

And as a doctor, I can promise you that.

That's what old Dr. James was trying to tell you the day that he was killed.

This man was trying to steal this town. Lock, stock, and barrel. Here.

Here's your proof.

Better send out riders. Tell the folks they can come home now.

It's safe.

You heard him.

Spread the news and get our folks back home.

I heard you sold your cargo and were leaving. I came to say goodbye.

You sure you want to stay here?

Well, the town needs a doctor.

I thought you'd say that. Go and buy your present.

Well, that's beautiful. Yeah, in a minute.

That passage from Longfellow, what was that again?

As unto the bow the cord is, so unto man is one.

I won't forget that.

Well, I intend to make sure you remember it.

I'll drop by here every once in a while.

Yeah, fair to cast off, Joshua.

Fair to cast off, four lions.

Oh, that's Geraldine, Captain. Oh, that's Geraldine.

Well, she's very pretty.

Why didn't you bring her aboard? You said you were taking her down river.

Well, I asked Andy, and he said he didn't want to take her with him.

No, why not?

Well, he said he was an old river dog like you, Captain.

An old river dog?

I wonder where he ever got that idea.