Original subtitles

(lively orchestral music)

- Okay, yeah, up again straight.

Yeah, now twist it.

A fraction, would you?

Good, all right, hold it there.

What are you doing?

- Nothing.

- Now hold it straight.

That's it.

(distant yelling)

- Hey, did you hear that?

(man yelling)

- Yeah, let's take a look.

(hoof beats crunching)

(man yelling)

(man sobbing)

(melancholy music)

I'm Matt McGregor.

What happened?

- He shot her.

My daughter, Kelly.

He killed her.

(dramatic music)

(lively orchestral music)

- One of my station hands, Toby King.

My son, Dale, caught him stealing money from the house.

- You're Jarrod Banks.

You've taken over the Lonergan property?

- Dale and my daughter, Kelly, they chased him.

And Toby, he shot her.

(sobbing)

- I'm sorry, Mr. Banks.

- She's just 17.

Last year we lost her mother.

- This Toby King, where did he go?

- Dale, and George, my other son, are tracking him.

He's unarmed.

They'll get him.

They'll get him for what he did.

- You do what you can to help.

I'll try and find them.

- But, Dad...

(dramatic music)

(Toby panting)

- He's close.

I can feel him, he's in here somewhere.

- What are we gonna do when we find him?

We can't hunt him down in cold blood, Dale.

(horse neighing)

(carriage rumbling)

- That's the buckboard to take Kelly home.

There's no need for you to stay.

(melancholy music)

(Toby panting)

(horse whinnying)

- Whoa, whoa!

(grunting)

- You all right, boy?

- Look, there he is, get him!

Ya, ya!

(men yelling)

- [Dale] Get off him!

Go, go!

(dramatic music)

- What have you done now, you thieving murderer.

- No, he was just...

- What'll it be, Toby?

The bullet or the rope?

Tie him, George.

(hooves pounding)

- Dale, do you think it's the right thing to do?

- He murdered Kelly and now we catch him at it again.

- No!

- I think we should talk to Dad first.

- [Dale] What is there to talk about?

- Wait a minute, what are you doing?

- Stay out of it, son.

George...

- No, I don't want any part of this.

- You suit yourself.

Out of my way.

- No, don't do anything, it's not good.

- Stay out of it, lad.

- It's not good.

No, you can't do this.

No!

Just let go.

(dramatic music)

No!

Don't!

Let go!

(gunshots firing)

Please, don't do it!

(gunshots firing)

- [Dale] Who the heck are you?

- Untie him, Michael.

(grunting)

Name is Matt McGregor.

You're Jarrod Banks' boys.

- Look, he shot our sister in cold blood,

and then we caught him assaulting this boy here.

- Well the only one I saw assaulting him

was your brother there.

- I knocked him off the horse that he tried to steal,

that I saw him.

- Michael?

- That's not true.

She reared up, and I fell off, and that's all.

This man was...

- This man killed our sister!

And he deserves to hang.

- Well that's not for me or you to decide, is it?

- Yeah, come on, Dale, two wrongs don't make a right.

- Are you gonna stop me?

- Go home, Mr. Banks.

- Come on, Dale, let's go.

- Yeah, well, my father will be

hearing about this, McGregor.

You're gonna hang, boy.

(horses neighing)

(ominous music)

- Ma, this girl got shot, and I saw her.

And her father was crying and everything.

- What?

- And the man that killed her was there.

- A girl's been shot?

- Yeah, and that's him over there.

- I want you inside.

- Mom.

- Come on, I want you inside, please.

What's going on?

- [Rob] I don't know.

(sighing)

- A girl's been shot near the Lonergan place.

Apparently this fellow was involved.

- Who is he?

- His name's Toby King.

He works for the Banks family.

It was Jarrod Banks' daughter who was killed.

- Hello, Toby, I'm Kathleen McGregor.

Um, can you tell me what happened?

- [Matt] He hasn't spoken a word.

- The bullet only grazed him, and the bleeding's stopped.

But we need to clean and bandage the wound, Emily.

- I'll get some bandages.

- Now, Toby, I have to leave you in there for now.

Do you understand?

Now there are no troopers in Patterson's Ridge.

They'll have to come from Melbourne.

With any luck you'll get a fair hearing.

But you'll have to tell them what happened to Kelly Banks.

- Matt, there are three men riding in.

- Keep an eye on him, will you?

Mr. Banks. - Mr. McGregor.

- My boys and I don't want any trouble.

- I'm pleased to hear that.

- So if you'll hand Toby over, we'll be on our way.

- I'll hand him over to the troopers when they arrive.

Until then, he's safe in the lockup.

- I was hoping we could work something out.

- Why don't we just take him, Dad?

- You shut your mouth.

- I think we should talk.

I'd like to hear what happened.

We'll find a bit more privacy in here.

Now you say that you caught Toby

stealing money from the house.

- No, Kelly caught him.

George and I were working out in the yards.

- And then she chased him?

- First she told Dale, and they both chased him.

- So you and George actually weren't there at the shooting?

- What are you suggesting?

- No, I'm just trying to work out what happened.

- What happened is real simple, McGregor.

Me and Kelly went after Toby, and he shot her.

- You said he was unarmed.

- He was.

See, when I rode up to get him, he went for me.

He grabbed a rifle, aimed at me, but he hit Kelly, instead.

- If you're on a horse,

how'd he grab the rifle off you so easily?

- This is ridiculous!

My sister has been murdered

and we're standing around here talking about it!

- I am just trying to...

- Dale's right.

Read the Testament, it's an eye for an eye.

Nothing else to understand.

- Well I'm afraid there is, Mr. Banks.

A man's innocent until proven guilty.

- There's nothing to be proven.

- Do you people want the truth,

or just cold-blooded retribution?

- We know the truth.

- Well in that case,

you'll have no trouble convincing a jury.

- We don't need a jury, we're going to take him.

- Well I can't let you do that.

- Well you're just one man, McGregor.

- Two, actually.

- This isn't done yet, McGregor.

- I'd advise you to stay right out of this.

- And I advise you not to rest too easily

until that murderer's hanging from a rope where he belongs.

(dramatic music)

(footsteps receding)

- Dad, look, look.

- [Jarrod] What do they want?

- The same thing we do, only they're not gonna get it.

- Keep an eye on him, Rob.

- I better not leave Toby alone, either.

- [Kathleen] This whole thing could easily get

out of control.

- They're wrong about Toby, Matt.

- What do you mean, Michael?

- When I fell off my horse, he could have taken it.

He could have easily gotten away.

But he didn't.

He waited to see if I was all right.

- Are you sure? - Yes.

- If Toby really killed her then why didn't he ride away

when he had the chance?

- There's something not right about all this.

- They've left their horses at the livery

and gone to the hotel.

- I'll stay on in town.

It might be an idea if you ride out there.

Have a look around, see what you can find.

- Yeah, all right. - Can I go?

- [Kathleen] Certainly not.

- But Rob doesn't know where it happened.

I can show him.

- Oh, all right, just be careful.

(footsteps receding)

- [Rob] I think we should head along the North Ridge.

Come on, let's go.

(uplifting music)

- Dad? - Yeah?

- I just heard what happened.

The bloke you brought in.

What's he got to say for himself?

- Not a word.

Maybe, uh, maybe you could give it a try.

He might open up to you.

- Toby?

This is my son, Colin.

He's the local minister.

- Toby.

In my job I get to hear a lot of things.

People come to me in confidence.

And I know there are always two sides to every story.

I'd like to hear yours.

If you didn't kill that girl,

and there's something else you think we should know,

now's the time for you to speak up.

- Now you could have taken that horse and ridden off.

Why didn't you?

- Those people out there, Toby, are they friends of yours?

Family, relatives?

Do they know something that we should know?

Maybe we should go outside and have a talk to them,

see what they've got to say.

- I did it.

(ominous music)

Kelly, I killed her.

- It doesn't make sense.

I mean, if you're being chased,

why would you stop in Marlo and build a campfire?

- I don't know.

- I'd say Toby was here for at least an hour

before anyone else turned up.

- Well Dale Banks said he and Kelly were right behind him.

- Well then Dale's mistaken.

Where did you and Dad leave your horses this morning?

- Over there, where ours are at now.

- So there were no other horses down here?

- No.

- Well look at those hoof prints.

Notice anything?

- He's missing a shoe?

- Yeah, Dale's horse.

I checked it at the livery stable.

Which means he rode in from this direction.

Alone.

- Dale said he and Kelly rode in together.

- So what, they rode in, confronted Toby,

Toby's tried to take Dale's rifle off him,

tried to shoot Dale,

he's accidentally shot Kelly by mistake?

- Do you really think that's what happened?

- No.

Someone's lying.

We've probably seen all there is to see.

We should make a move before it starts to get dark.

(mysterious music)

(dog barking)

(uplifting music)

(crowd talking)

(mysterious music)

(door closing)

- I thought I'd be closer to her in here.

I thought I could feel her spirit.

And all I feel is emptiness.

- I'll pray for you, Mr. Banks.

- It's him you should be praying for.

- Justice is one thing, but revenge?

No, no, that's something else entirely.

- No, sir.

Revenge is sweet, revenge is natural.

You look at your aboriginal friends

and their pay it back killings.

Sometimes revenge is all there is left.

- But we've chosen a system where a man is innocent

until it's shown beyond reasonable doubt.

- Beyond reasonable doubt?

Is there any doubt that my only daughter lies dead?

Shot down in cold blood by him?

- That's for the jury to decide.

- The jury wasn't there.

- Well, with respect, Mr. Banks, neither were you.

- Yeah, well, I was there.

What are you saying, that I'm a liar?

That my sister, what, she shot herself?

- That's enough, Dale.

It's got nothing to do with him.

- He's a McGregor, isn't he?

They're all family, they're all the same.

They've all got their minds made up.

- And so have we.

- Well then what are we doing standing here?

- I'm the head of this family, not you.

And this is not the place for raised voices.

(dramatic music)

You answer me this, McGregor,

has Toby denied that he killed my daughter?

(dramatic music)

- Hi, good evening.

Who's the head man here?

Hello, my name's Matt McGregor.

You're friends with Toby King, are ya?

- Friends and family.

- Would you like to see him?

- When he's ready.

- Well I just wanted you to know

that I'm as concerned as you are that he's treated fairly.

And I'm sure we both agree

that no one wants any trouble here,

so maybe it might be better if you and your friends

camped down by the creek.

- It's against the law being here?

- No, no, it's just that uh, well,

it could provoke a situation

that I'm sure we'd both like to avoid.

- I understand.

But we happy camping here.

- Dad?

Everything quiet down here?

- Yeah, so far.

- I've just had a talk with Jarrod Banks.

- Oh, yeah?

- Well he seems a reasonable man,

considering what's happened.

But that young son of his...

- Dale? - Yeah.

- You know, they're not just gonna go home

and forget about this.

- Neither are they.

Well, the trooper should be here tomorrow.

- What until then?

- Got any suggestions?

(carriage rumbling)

Good morning. - Good morning.

- Rob's gone to the store to get you some breakfast.

- Oh, good.

(horse neighing)

Take Michael inside, keep him in there.

- Come on, Michael, inside.

- [Michael] Mom, why do I...

- Just come inside, please.

- Mr. McGregor?

- Mr. Banks?

- You know what we're here for.

- And you know that I can't let you take him.

- You don't have any choice, Mister.

- It'd be in no one's interest to engage in a shootout

here on the street.

Innocent people could be hurt.

And all for the sake of a murderer

who will be hanged in Melbourne, anyway.

(shotgun cocking)

- Don't make me do it.

- Bring him out.

(ominous music)

- He's not here, he's gone.

(dramatic music)

- No more games, McGregor.

Now where is he?

- He's somewhere safe.

And that's where he'll stay

until he's handed over to the troopers.

In accordance with the law.

- What's wrong with you people?

Are we going to let this man give comfort to a murderer?

(crowd murmuring)

So help me, McGregor, we'll scour the countryside

until we find him.

And this time it'll be a quick bullet to the head,

no mercy given.

- If you take advice, you and your boys will go home.

Leave this for the troopers to sort out.

(dramatic music)

- Clem.

- I wish you'd told me.

- I was just about to.

- So where is he?

- Where's Michael?

- Where is he? - Where's who?

- Now look, you know who I'm talking about,

and you know where he is.

Where were you going?

Up the hill, the church?

He's in the church, let's get him.

- Michael! - Get Matt, hurry!

(racing music)

- Matt, Matt!

(racing music)

- Colin! - Michael, inside.

- [Jarrod] Hand him over.

- Who do you think you're talking to?

- Well come on, Dad, he's in there.

Let's get him.

- I can't let you do that.

- Look, we can go around you, or we can go through you.

- Stand aside, Reverend.

- And watch you violate the sanctity of the church?

- Sanctity?

The man's a criminal.

- So, according to some, was Jesus.

- You're giving sanctuary to a murderer.

- Are you a God-fearing man, Mr. Banks?

- He killed my daughter!

- Then he will answer to God, not you.

- [Matt] Colin, you okay?

- Yes, I think we all understand the situation.

- I hold you personally responsible for this, McGregor.

- I was the one that offered Toby sanctuary here, Mr. Banks.

- I won't touch him while he's in the church,

but I'll be here to see him handed over to the troopers.

- Yeah, well, that's all I ask.

I'm glad we have agreement about that.

- And I'll be in Melbourne to see him hang.

(dramatic music)

- What happened to the money, Dale?

- What money?

- The money you said Toby was caught stealing

from the house.

He wasn't carrying any when I put him in the lockup.

- That's 'cause Kelly and me caught him

before he could steal it.

- Ah, I see.

- What are you looking at?

It's the truth.

- He's lying. - Yeah, I know.

- I think it's time I had a talk to someone else.

(door opening and closing)

- Off you go, Michael.

- That confession that Toby gave us,

I think I know why he did it.

- Yeah? Go on.

- Only two people know what happened.

No matter how you look at it,

it's Toby's word against Dale's.

And if Toby feels that he was gonna be blamed anyway...

- He admits to Dale's version.

That doesn't make sense.

I mean, I've heard of a man lying to escape the gallows,

but never the other way around.

- Isn't it better for him to plead guilty,

and satisfy the community's need for revenge?

- Why would he do that?

- To protect his family.

- From? - Reprisals.

- In his culture, the family is more important

than the individual.

- And in our culture,

a man's still innocent until proven guilty.

Let's face it, Dale's version isn't exactly proof.

- It's enough to make him hang.

- The law is designed to protect the innocent.

- The law is designed by people, and people make mistakes.

They have prejudices and misconceptions.

- It's the only law we have.

- Is it?

- [Matt] Toby has to be handed over

to those troopers when they arrive.

- No, the church has a duty to offer sanctuary

to anyone in any situation,

and no one, whether it be the Banks family,

the troopers, or you, Dad, can make Toby leave this building

if he doesn't want to.

- Are you saying you're going to stop me handing him over?

- I have given him my word.

- And I've given Jarrod Banks my word

that I'll uphold the law.

- Toby King is innocent.

- He's confessed.

- But he's still innocent.

And you know that.

(sighing)

We'll be sending an innocent man to be executed.

- I must be mad, letting you talk me into these things.

(door opening and closing)

(pounding)

- Our boy thrown a shoe, has he?

- It's Dale's horse, just helping out.

- Yeah, it's good when brothers can rely

on each other, isn't it?

Actually, George, you might be able

to help me with something.

I just wanted to clarify something that happened

down at the bush.

- Dad said I shouldn't talk about it.

- Yeah, well, it's only a question of geography.

- Geography?

- Well, geographically speaking, how far away were you

when your sister was shot?

I mean, were you close enough to hear the gunshot?

- Yeah, yeah, I heard it.

- So there was only one shot?

You sure about that?

- I heard the shot myself, and I reloaded the rifle myself.

It happened just like Dale said, all right?

- That's very interesting.

- What's very interesting?

- Oh, we were just passing the time, you know?

- I told you not to speak to anyone.

What have you told him?

- Nothing.

- We were just talking horses.

I'm glad to see you're replacing that shoe.

A horse with a missing shoe can cause all sorts of problems.

- Do you see what they're trying to do, Dad?

Working on George, here, trying to shift the blame.

- We were just talking geography.

- Just shut up, George.

It's gonna be the same thing

when they take Toby into the city.

Them fancy lawyers are gonna try and make them think

that he didn't do what I'd seen him do with me own eyes!

- Yeah, well, Toby's still a long way from Melbourne.

- Exactly what I think.

And eventually he's gotta step out of that church.

And when he does, he's a dead man.

Just like our sister, Kelly's, dead.

Right, Dad?

(crowd murmuring)

(door opening and closing)

- Hey, Michael.

He's in here.

- I brought you some food.

Emily only had bread and salt pork left.

I'll get you something different tomorrow.

Don't you want it?

You must be awfully hungry.

I only have to miss morning tea and I'm starving.

- [Toby] Thank you.

- What is it, Toby?

(crying)

This?

It's Kelly's hair ribbon.

(crying)

(melancholy music)

- Where did you get that?

- I found it on the ground.

- [Colin] Where are the Banks family now?

- At the livery stable.

- Could you stay here, look after Toby?

- But Colin, what am I sup...

- No, just stay here for me.

(crying)

(ominous music)

- [Dale] Dad, Toby's alone at the church with the kid.

Now's the time to get him.

- No, I won't break God's law by violating the church.

I gave my word.

- Yeah, well, I didn't.

- Don't you defy me!

Dale!

- Are you sure?

- [Colin] As sure as I can be without asking.

- Well, it would certainly explain a few things.

- It fits with the evidence.

And with what I said about the single shot.

- Dale, you come back here, son!

(ominous music)

- [Matt] What's he doing, Mr. Banks?

- [Jarrod] He wouldn't listen to me, I couldn't stop him.

- Couldn't, or wouldn't?

Listen, Dale says that Toby grabbed his rifle

and shot Kelly.

- That's the way it was.

- But only one shot was fired.

- The shot that killed my daughter.

- But Toby was wounded,

so how he could he possibly shoot Kelly,

and himself, with just one shot?

There's no way he fired that rifle, Mr. Banks.

- [Jarrod] Dale, come back here, son!

- If it wasn't for you, Kelly would still be alive!

You're in for it, Toby!

You hear me? - No!

- You can't take him.

- You gonna stop me, kid? - No!

(grunting)

(dramatic music)

- [Colin] Don't make it any worse!

- Dale, get off, get off him.

Dale, leave him alone!

- [Dale] But he killed her!

- Dale, I think you'd better listen to what he has to say.

Toby.

- I never stole that money!

- You liar!

- Kelly and me, we...

We used to meet.

- Go on.

- Dale followed her.

And he saw us.

- Don't you listen to him, Dad, he's lying.

- Kelly was shot by mistake, but Toby didn't do it.

Did he, Dale?

- Why would Kelly meet you?

- Because she loved me, Mr. Banks.

And I loved her.

- That's impossible.

The truth, Dale?

Is that the truth?

- Well I found them together!

(melancholy music)

I knew what you'd say, so I told her to get home.

She wouldn't leave him.

And I had the rifle in my hands.

I just, I got real angry with him, you know?

I just wanted to wound him.

I just wanted to scare him off.

And when I fired the gun,

she stepped in front of him.

(sobbing)

Dad.

(sobbing)

- I owe you an apology.

(sobbing)

(melancholy music)

(train whistle blowing)

(door closing)

(train chugging)

- I'm sure the courts will be lenient with him, Mr. Banks.

- It's a higher authority he'll have to answer to.

We owe you and your family a great debt.

- No.

- It could have ended worse, much worse.

- Well if there's ever anything I can do for you.

- Thank you.

(train whistle blowing)

(horse neighing)

- Toby?

I just came to say goodbye.

- Bye, Michael, and thank you.

(clucking)

- Michael?

- He didn't do anything.

Why should he be the one that has to leave?

It's because he and Kelly were sweethearts, isn't it?

- Yeah, in a way.

- And because he's black.

- It's a complicated story, Michael,

and it's not a very pretty one.

But you're old enough to know, so I'll try and explain it.

(sweeping music)

(uplifting music)