Original subtitles

(soft classical music)

- [Michael] Is that one of those new view cameras?

- Oh it's much more than a camera, Michael.

I like to think of it as a time machine.

- A time machine, how?

- Well because when you're old and gray,

you'll look back at the mental piece

and you'll see the photograph we've taken

and it will take you whizzing right back through

time to this very day, to this very spot.

(horse neighs)

- [Michael] Come on, Josh.

- Let me help me with your cuff links.

- [Matt] I've got it.

- Dose it look alright?

- You look perfect, Danni.

- [Matt] Rob, what are you looking at?

Hurry up.

- Yeah hold your horses.

- [Danni] Here, let me fix your tie.

- [Rob] What's wrong with my tie?

- Can I have my horse riding lesson

after the photograph has been taken?

- Yup.

- Promise?

- Cross my heart.

- Mr. McGregor please.

- Josh.

Is it stripped?

- Yes.

- Danielle, next to your brother, behind your mother,

that's good.

Reverend, beside your wife.

- Of course.

- Boys, now.

- Oh here, I knew I'd have to do it.

- Thanks.

- Not one movement please.

On the count of three.

One.

(gunshots)

- Matt!

Matt!

We've had a cave in up at the mine.

Two of my men are trapped.

We're trying to dig them out

but I need some help.

- Colin, you get the horses ready.

Rob, come on.

(lighthearted classical music)

(low tense classical music)

- Now stay close.

We've got about a dozen different tunnels down there.

It's alright, follow me.

- Rob, Michael, help me with these two.

Come on, go on.

You alright?

- Yeah.

- He's in here.

(soft dramatic music)

(coughing)

- Water, water.

- Well take it slowly.

- Michael, bandages from the wagon, quickly.

Get him.

(coughing)

- Here he is.

Is there any movement?

- Larry?

Larry.

Larry.

(coughing)

- Gas.

Put the lamp out.

- What?

- Put, put.

(explosion)

(horse neighs)

(coughing)

- Colin!

- You alright?

You alright?

Where's Dad?

- The whole thing just exploded.

Caved in.

- Matt.

- I'll go.

Michael.

- It's alright.

(coughing)

- How's this?

- (mumbles).

- You alright?

- There's someone here.

(coughing)

- Where's Larry?

- Where?

(coughing)

Hello?

(coughing)

- Dad.

(coughing)

- We need some help over here.

- Here.

You alright, Michael?

Matt?

(panting)

(somber guitar music)

(coughing)

- [Rob] Help, we found dad.

- Get a stretcher, quick.

- Matt, is he alright?

(coughing)

Be careful.

Oh Matt, Matt.

Oh Matt.

Can you hear me?

(somber classical music)

- Try soaking them in this first, Emily.

You okay?

- Yeah, thanks.

- We've got to telegraph

off to Dr. Cole in Kema.

He'll be here on the morning train.

- Thanks.

- How's dad?

- No change.

(groaning)

- Matt?

- Kathleen?

- Yeah, it's alright.

It's alright, I'm here.

- Kathleen?

- It's alright, love.

It's alright.

- I can't see.

(ominous classical music)

The last thing I remember

is the flash as the gas exploded.

- There's no evidence of any internal damage at all.

What you do have is some superficial burning

around both eyes.

- And this burnings enough

to cause temporary blindness?

- The flash of the explosion, the heat.

It's possible but I can't be sure.

- Well if we don't know what caused it.

How can we treat it?

- I think the only thing we can do

is to give it time.

- Well how much time?

- I'm afraid I can't give you a categorical answer to that.

- You must have a gut instinct.

- I can only suggest that you keep

the bandages on, until the burns have healed.

If you have any vision at all at that stage,

I would think your chances

of a full recovery are greatly increased.

- And what if I don't have any vision?

- I think we should cross the bridge

when we come to it.

- So what you're saying is this blindness

could be permanent?

- There is always that possibility.

I'll leave you to bandage your husbands eyes,

Mrs. McGregor.

I should see to the others.

- There must be something you can do.

- I'm sorry.

(somber classical music)

- Colin?

- You know, when they brought mom back here after the...

After the accident, she just,

she lied in this bed for three days.

There was nothing I could do for her.

Now.

This is all my fault.

If I had put the lamp when he told me to.

- You only had a split second to react.

You cannot blame yourself for this.

- I should go and check Charlie Granger and his men.

- No, no, no.

Danni's there.

- You've been up with him half the night as it is.

You know it's time you got some sleep.

(somber classical music)

(cries)

(rooster crows)

(object clatters)

Matt, what happened?

- Oh I was just trying to make myself a cup of coffee.

- Why didn't you ask me?

- Well you were asleep.

- You've fixed that now, haven't you?

- Is everything alright?

- Everything's fine, Colin.

Thank you, don't worry.

- [Kathleen] Back to bed now, hmm?

- Kathleen, I can't run a cattle station

from the bedroom.

- Why don't we get you dressed?

Could you make Matt a cup of coffee please, Colin?

- Thank you, Colin.

(soft classical music)

- Well come on, you lot.

This property won't run by itself.

Rob.

- Dad.

- [Matt] The yards in the ridge paddock need some work.

- Sure.

- The cattle will have to be taken down to...

- To the side yards Monday morning.

I know.

- Well you'll need a hand taking them down

from the mountains.

Maybe Jack Kelly or Montana can help you.

- No we won't need anyone else, Dad.

I'm planning to stay on.

- What about your commitment to the church?

- I'll be looking after that side of things

for a while, Matt.

- I can help out on weekends and after school.

- And I'm not exactly useless, Dad.

- Now all you have to worry about is getting better.

- Yes, alright.

Good.

- Well let's get to it then.

(soft upbeat classical music)

- [Danni] the swelling has gone down.

It looks like it's healing.

- Matt?

- Nothing.

(somber classical music)

- Well we just have to be a little more patient,

that's all.

- A few more days dad.

We'll put the bandages back on.

- No, I won't be getting my sight back.

I think we all know that.

- Matt, please...

- To go on pretending,

isn't going to help any of us.

(somber classical music)

(soft upbeat guitar music)

- You know I hear Keith Dutton's looking

for a couple of thoroughbreds, Rob.

- Apparently.

- Oh well, maybe you'd like

to take me up there then, Danni.

He might be interested in our palominos.

- I'm not sure.

- Dad, I can take you out there.

I've been meaning to get out to the Duttons now

for quite a while.

- Right.

Good, thanks.

- Why don't I come too?

I have to do a couple things

at the newspaper office

and you two and get the supplies.

Alright?

- Oh yeah, fine by me.

- It's alright Matt, I've got it.

- Thank you.

- Come on, Josh.

No pancakes until you finish your porridge.

- Oh yes, you've got to eat that up.

Make you big and strong.

- Why did God make you blind?

- God didn't make me blind, Josh.

Sometimes these things just happen.

- Why?

- What say we go for a walk after breakfast

and talk about it, alright?

- Alright.

- Dad wants eight pounds a head for em.

He hasn't got a hope, look at them.

- Yeah.

- I could put the sale off.

Give it a chance to pick up a bit.

- (mumbles).

- You're a load of help, Col.

- You don't need my help.

- Look, I know you've got important things

on your mind like morning tea with the Duttons

but we got a property to run.

- Ought to be talking to dad about this.

- What's the point?

How's he gonna know what condition they're in

unless he looks at them?

- He's gonna have to take your word for it.

Sooner or later, you're going to be

making decisions around here on your own.

You might as well start now.

- I just don't want to let him down.

- Rob.

You're getting what you've always wanted,

a chance to run Langara.

You saying you're not up to it?

- No, I'm up to it.

I just didn't want it like this.

I want him to hand it over when he's ready to,

not cause he has to.

- Well I don't think either of you

have much of a choice.

(cows mooing)

- [Josh] Never ever?

- [Matt] No, never.

- [Josh] But even if we prayed really hard?

- Josh, sometimes no matter how much we want something,

god wants something else.

- But why?

- Well, god does everything for a reason,

even though he mightn't tell us straight away.

(soft reflective classical music)

- Maybe he doesn't want you to teach me how to ride.

- No I don't think that's it.

- But you won't be able to now, will you?

- No, no I won't.

- Hey Josh, you better get inside.

Your mommy's about ready to leave.

- Can I stay here tonight, Colin?

Michael said I might be able to stay in his room

and I won't get in the way and...

- Why don't you ask Emily about that and Kathleen?

Go on.

- Bye, Josh.

- Bye.

- Thanks for talking with him.

- I don't know if it helped that much.

Its hard to tell with children his age.

You don't know if you're making things

any clearer or just hiding more pieces of the puzzle.

- Yes.

(laughs)

- You were exactly the same when you were his age.

A head full of questions all impossible to answer.

Well impossible for me that is,

I mean, your mother always seemed to find a way.

- Better get a move on.

Want to get to the Duttons before 10.

- Yes, yes well I suppose so.

(soft guitar music)

- I don't have a lot to do with at the printery,

I should be ready to leave

when you're finished at the store.

- Yeah, fine.

Colin.

- Yes, Dad?

- You ready?

- [Colin] Ms. Kirov.

Good afternoon.

- Hello.

Matt, it is good to see you up and about again.

- Thank you.

- I'm very sorry.

It is a dreadful thing to have happened.

- Yes, well.

At least I'm alive.

I should be grateful for that.

- Yes.

- We have a few things to pick up.

- Oh, certainly.

- Thank you.

The flour, can I collect it from over there?

- Please, please.

- Uh, I don't suppose those books

I ordered have arrived yet?

- Well, yes they did, Matt.

- Good.

I appreciate the effort you've gone through

to get them for me.

- Matt, I...

I sold them.

- You sold them?

- Well I did not think that you would want them anymore

now that you are...

- Ms. Kirov.

- I mean.

- I still have my hearing.

I was going to get someone to read them to me.

- Oh I'm sorry.

- Well perhaps you could arrange to get them back then.

- Of course.

(soft somber classical music)

- It's a black day, a black day indeed.

I don't think this town will ever recover.

- He's not dead, James.

- Yeah perhaps the impact would be the same if he were.

- How could it be?

- Kathleen, he's been the figurehead

for Paterson's Ridge for so long.

Fighting its battles, making its decision.

- I see no reason why that shouldn't continue.

- But he's, well.

- Blind.

Yes, James.

We all just have to accept that fact

and get on with it.

If Matt can manage it,

then the least we can do is try.

- Yes.

We'll have great difficulty replacing him

in the parliament.

- Matt's not leaving the parliament.

Not yet, anyway.

- He couldn't possibly continue.

- I think that's entirely his decision.

- Common sense would suggest

that it's a fore gone conclusion, Kathleen.

- Matt's gonna give it three months

before he makes up his mind

and I'm sure whatever decision he makes then

will be the right one.

- Hello Montana.

- Matt, how did you know?

- Those spurs of yours need a dollop of axle grease.

- I told Jack I'd say hello for him

if I caught up with you.

He was pretty upset when he heard.

- Yes well Jack and I go back a long way.

- If there's anything I can do to help,

you know I'd be more than happy to.

- Thank you.

- If you see Rob could you tell him

I looked over Baker's Flat on the way in,

there's not much pasture there

but it should hold up for the next couple months.

- He was looking for pasture?

- Well if you're going to hold on to your surplus cattle

through winter, they're going to clean out

Langara pretty quickly.

- Rob must be confused, Montana.

We're selling the cattle in the morning.

- Well then why's he just finished

moving them back up into the high pasture?

- Quite apart from whether it was the right decision

or not, the fact is I had to find out

from Montana what's happening with my own cattle.

- I'm sorry, I should of let you know.

- No, you should of asked.

- Well I didn't think we had a choice.

- Well that's exactly right.

The cattle should have been sold

as they are every year at about this time

just before winter.

- We would of been lucky to get five pounds

a head for them.

- I saw those steers not less than three weeks ago

and they were fine.

- Well they're not fine now.

They've run themselves ragged.

- What in three weeks?

I suggest you go up there, have another look,

come back and we'll try again.

- I don't need to have another look,

they're not ready to sell.

- Oh yes in your opinion.

- Dad, we would of lost 600 pounds on that sale.

- You had no right to make a decision like that

without consulting me first.

- I could of consulted you till I was blue

in the face and it wouldn't of made one bit of difference.

- [Colin] Rob.

- You had to see for yourself to understand.

You had to see for yourself.

- Rob.

That's enough.

That's enough.

- You're gonna have to start trusting me, Dad.

You're gonna have to trust all of us

or this is not gonna work.

(somber classical music)

- Here, here, Matt.

- No I can find my own way, thanks.

- And the bush hath fr, fr.

- Friends.

- Friends to meet him and their kindly voices

greet him in the mu, murmur of the breeze

and the river on it's bars.

- That's very good.

- Matt, I better go.

Colin forget his lunch.

You'll be alright for a couple of hours?

- Oh yes, I'll be fine.

Mrs. Tan's already cut my lunch into manageable pieces.

Josh can, well he can make sure I don't spill

any and then wipe my face afterwards.

- Yep.

- I'll be back soon.

- Why won't you teach me how to ride?

- Oh it's not that I won't teach you, Josh,

it's because I can't.

- Because you can't see?

- Yeah, that's right.

- Well couldn't I see for you?

- How would you do that?

- I could sit in front and look

really carefully and I could tell you

to watch out for things.

- Ah no, Josh.

- Please?

We wouldn't have to go very fast or far.

- Well it's a good idea but...

- Please, I'll do what you say.

I won't muck around.

I promise.

Please.

- I brought you some lunch.

- Thank you.

I used to come up where all the time with mum.

We'd sit and talk for hours.

- You miss her very much, don't you?

Thanks.

- My life turned upside down

when she died.

Now it's all changing again

with dad, family, everything.

- Yes.

(soft reflective classical music)

But we'll survive it, Colin.

- [Josh] Can we come out here again tomorrow?

- We can come out everyday if you like.

- Thanks.

- You know, Josh.

There's a limit to what I can teach you.

You'll have to learn how to ride properly, someday.

- Well do you think Rob will be able to teach me?

- I think Colin might want to do that.

- No he wouldn't.

- Have you asked him?

- Just about everyday.

- Does he say why?

- No he just goes all quiet

and says there'll be plenty of time to learn

that when you're older.

- Well I might have a word with him,

see if I can get him to change his mind, huh?

- Thanks.

Think he's finished.

- Yeah?

Well we better head off home then.

Now you have the reins?

- Yeah.

- Good right, turn him around.

That's it.

(tense dramatic classical music)

How's it going?

- Good.

- That's the way.

Back the way we came.

That's it.

Good.

(horse neighs)

- Hey! - Whoa.

- Easy, easy, easy.

Easy.

Josh hold on.

Easy, easy, easy.

That's it fella.

Hey, Josh.

Josh, hold him, Josh.

(grunts)

- Matt!

Matt.

Stop (mumbles).

- Josh!

- Stop, stop.

- Josh?

Josh?

- You're back.

I thought you'd still be working with the cattle.

- Yeah, I came back to see dad

about moving them further down the valley.

- I'm pleased that you two are at least talking again.

- I've got to find him first.

- He's not with Josh?

- I haven't seen either of them.

Not since just after you left, Mrs. McGregor.

- Oh stop.

Stop.

Matt!

Matt!

- Josh!

Josh!

Josh!

- His horse is gone.

- He wouldn't have, surely.

- Rob, Rob!

- Josh, are you alright?

(bird crowing in distance)

(grunts)

(soft tense classical music)

(shouts)

- You sure this is the place?

- Yes.

- Well he can't have gone too far.

It's gonna start getting dark soon.

I think we should spread out.

- Danni, take Josh back to town.

Let Emily know what's happened.

- Colin, I really think I should stay here...

- Danni, it's alright.

We'll find him.

- Why don't you and Kathleen follow the creak

downstream and Michael and I will take the boundary?

If you find him, fire some shots.

(bird crowing in distance)

(tense suspenseful classical music)

- Hello!

(tense suspenseful classical music)

- Dad!

- Dad!

- Matt!

Matt!

(shouts)

Matt!

(grunts)

(tense dramatic music)

- He wouldn't have gone any further than this.

We should head back along the creek.

- Matt!

- Kathleen!

Hello!

- Dad!

- Over here!

(gunshots)

(tense uplifting classical music)

- Kathleen?

- Don't move.

- You alright?

- Yes, I'm okay.

Josh is still out there somewhere.

- No he's back at Langara.

- When are you going to realize

you just can't do this anymore?

- Yes, I know.

- I mean you could of killed Josh or yourself.

- Well I made a mistake and I'm sorry.

But the boy has to learn how to ride.

- Well he's too young.

- Well you were his age when you started.

- He's not ready yet.

- Well he's not ready or you're not.

(tense piano music)

Colin?

Colin?

- I've never seen him like this.

He's been a completely different person

since the accident.

- [Rob] You found him?

- Well maybe it's something else.

- Come on.

Step.

Just a minute.

- Take me as far as the front door.

- He's at the front.

- Thanks.

Colin.

Colin.

- Yes?

- One of the things that I've always

been proud of is the fact that you and I

could always talk honestly and openly with each other.

It's helped us survive the worst of times

and it's helped us celebrate the good.

Now, whatever it is that's eating away at ya,

you've got to talk to me about it.

- I don't think I can talk about this.

- Oh yes you can, son.

Now talk to me, Colin.

Please.

- [Colin] I miss her.

- Who do you miss?

- Mum.

(crying)

For years, after she died,

I used to kneel by my bed

and pray to god for her to come back

just long enough for me to tell her that I loved her

one last time

and to tell her that I was sorry.

- Sorry about what?

(somber classical music)

Colin?

- When mum came off the horse,

she wasn't trying to stop the cattle

from stampeding, she was trying to get me out of the way.

- What are you, you were there?

- She'd taken me to the camp

and told me to wait.

She rode back to help you turn the herd around.

As soon as she left, I followed her.

There was cattle everywhere, the dust and the noise.

It was like the end of the world to me.

I panicked.

I just didn't know how I was going to get out of there

and mum, mum could see it.

So she turned back for me.

- Straight in front of the oncoming herd.

I never understood why.

- She told me to wait and I didn't.

- Oh Colin.

You were only a boy.

We've never talked about this.

All these years.

You've been trying to deal with it yourself

and I never saw it.

- I was hiding it from you.

You never meant to know this.

- Well I should of known.

I should of seen it.

Oh I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

- You sure it's okay?

- It's perfect, Danni.

- It looks like it's straggling at the back.

- Oh Danni.

- Oh cuff links.

- Kathleen.

(laughs)

- Now on the count of three.

One, two,

(sparks burst)

(cheering)

- [Rob] Now what's for lunch?

- Come on, Josh.

- What is it, Matt?

- You better get Dr. Cole back here.

- Why what's the matter?

- I think I saw the flash.

(soft uplifting classical music)

- Hmm.

- Well?

- I expected I gave the Spaniard leave to go over them.

- Dad?

- My eyesight's coming back

and I'm gonna be alright.

(laughs)

- Oh that's wonderful, Matt.

- [Rob] That's great Dad, that's great.

- Oh Michael, throw us that lead, will you?

Alright, you ready?

- Yeah.

- Here we go then.

Up we go.

Well, you better get on with her then.

- Alright, Josh.

Feet in the stirrups.

- Yeah.

- Take up the reins.

Not too tight.

You all set?

- Yeah.

- Let's go.

Come on now.

Now hold tight.

- Yay, Josh.

- [Colin] Hold tight, that's it.

- Got him, Josh. - Get those feet

in the stirrups. - Ride em, cowboy.

(cheers)

You ride better than I do.

- [Colin] Now a bit faster.

- You know I thought we might

go for a ride ourselves up to the bluff.

- No, I don't think so.

- But the sunset will be spectacular.

- The view is just fine from here.

(cheering)

- [Rob] Ride em, cowboy.

- Good boy. - That's it.

(soft country instrumental music)