Original subtitles

(charming music)

(hooves clomp)

- Hmm, ha, now just pop that one on top of there, Danni.

Oops, that's it.

- 19 years is a long time Mr. Gleeson.

- Ah, Elizabeth's a good friend.

I'm sure I'll recognize her.

- Yes, but will she recognize you?

- Elizabeth was never one for travel.

She once ventured as far as Portsmith,

but that was to see me off.

How brave she thought me, marching off to see the world.

19 years, I never thought it would be that long.

- It should be quite a reunion.

- Yes, quite a reunion.

- It should get to Mansfield by mid morning tomorrow.

- Mm hmm.

- Now just stick to the main trail.

- Yes, yes I will.

- And remember to ride that break all the way down

to the (mumbles) it gets really steep in places.

- Stop worrying, it's not the

first time I've been to Mansfield.

- I don't see why you have to be going.

- James needs moral support, he's very nervous.

(kisses)

I love that frown you get when you worry.

- Michael is still a bit upset.

- Will he only got the letter yesterday, you know

we haven't had much time to talk about it.

- You want me to have a word with him?

- Oh, only if he wants to.

But I've already said no, he's too young to

be traveling half way around the world to visit

someone he's never met, I'll say goodbye to him.

Bye Michael, look after yourself.

- How old do I have to be before you can trust me?

- I do trust you.

- Then why won't you let me go?

- We'll talk about it when I get back, I promise.

Alright?

(kisses)

Ready James?

- Ready, Kathleen.

- Well.

- Take care, and bring me back something.

- I will, bye, and I'll see you at the end of the week.

- Yes, slow and steady, no rush.

- Mm hmm.

(tongue clicks)

- Three days, do you think we can do it.

- Yep, plenty of time.

- Do what?

- We're re-papering the bedroom for Kathleen,

do you wanna help?

- No, I'm busy.

(calm music)

(exhales)

- I hate to see Michael so upset.

Why won't Kathleen let him go?

- Well she has her reasons.

- Are they good reasons?

- She believes they are.

- What do you think?

- Well it's not up to me.

- But if it were up to you, say it was my grandfather

I'd never seen, never knew I had.

Wouldn't you let me go and meet him?

- Well it's a long way to Ireland and, well Michael

has only just turned 15.

- But, wouldn't you let me go just the same?

- [Matt] I'd need to know more about it.

- But you would let me go?

- Perhaps, but you're older, so it's different.

- How's it different?

- Well, Michael is all Kathleen has.

- She's got you.

- And letting go of your child, is the hardest

thing for a parent to do.

- Not letting go is even worse.

- Give them time, they'll work it out.

- I don't think Michael's prepared to do that.

(charming music)

- [James] His grandfather?

- Mm, he lives in Dublin.

Michael received the letter yesterday.

- And Michael wants to go and live with him?

- Visit.

- It's a long way to Dublin and back, Kathleen.

- Six months if he were to stay.

- Michael does have a sensible head

on his shoulders you know?

- James, I'm not even contemplating sending him.

In fact, I've already told him he can't go.

- I thought he looked a bit subdued.

(laughs)

You've met him, the grandfather?

- No, I always believe he was dead.

Michael didn't even know he had a grandfather

until his father arrived.

Michael wrote to him, told him about Shamuses death.

- Must have been quite a moment, for the old man in Dublin.

To get a letter from a grandson.

- He's not going James.

(thunder booms)

But we better be.

(calm music)

(rain pours)

- I don't like this, careful.

- Get em!

- Mind the horse.

- Ugh, ah!

(horse whines)

- [James] Kathleen!

- [Kathleen] Steady girl, steady!

- [James] Ooh!

The horse!

(hooves clomp)

Kathleen, ahh!

- Ahh! - Ahh!

(cart smashes)

- Ahh!

(ominous music)

Ugh.

- Got enough food there to feed a horse.

- Well it's a fair old ride up to the pass.

Wouldn't want to get hungry.

- Do you ever think of anything other than your stomach.

(laughs)

- Better off getting to know

your horse then having to eat it I always say.

Ready?

(tongue clicks)

- Yeah.

(hooves clomp)

(rain pours)

- Ahh, oh!

Kathleen?

Ah.

(ominous music)

Kathleen?

Please, no, Kathleen.

Kathleen?

It's me, James.

- Oh.

Oh, James.

- It's alright.

It's alright, we've come off the road.

- Oh, oh yes, oh.

- You're not hurt.

- Oh, oh dear, I've hurt my leg.

Oh god, what about you?

- No, no, no, no, no, I'm alright,

just knocked off a few edges.

- Oh.

(thunder booms)

We haven't seen the last of this storm.

Oh.

- Eh, there's a story for Elizabeth.

The real thing.

- What are you talking about?

- Hmm, nothing.

- It's gonna be a cold night.

- Well what's that mean?

- Uh, it means it's gonna be a cold night.

- Cold night?

Big fire.

- Yeah I guess.

What is it with you today?

- I'm fine, you're the one who seems a little nervous

about all this.

- No I'm not.

- Alright then, neither am I.

(birds chirp)

(bugs chirp)

(things ruffle)

- I hope you're only putting a log on the fire.

- Uh, that's just what I was doing.

(ominous music)

- [Matt] Ah, morning Michael.

- Morning, I'm heading into town soon,

if you wanna come with me?

- No, I'm alright.

- If you're not going into town, I could really

use a hand with the papering.

It's your mom's favorite wall paper,

she showed me once in one of Miss Kirov's catalogs.

Dad ordered it secretly weeks ago.

She's really gonna be surprised.

It will make her really happy Michael.

- Yeah, I guess.

- I wonder if Mr. Gleeson's friend recognized him.

- Oh, they're probably sitting down to a big breakfast

right now catching up on all those years.

(ominous music)

- Ugh, ah.

Ah.

(breathes heavy)

- James?

- My journal.

I'd be lost without it, lost with it.

- We need to find better shelter, try and get ourselves dry,

I'm freezing.

- What about the horse?

- Probably in Mansfield by now.

Oh.

Ugh.

Think you can make it up to the track?

- It's too muddy.

But perhaps over there?

- Well let's collect what we can carry, food,

anything that's half dry.

If we make it up to the track, we can build a camp.

Wait for someone to come along.

- Elizabeth will be worried.

- Mm, I expect she is.

- Mr. Gleeson's friend came all the way from England.

I think he's a bit nervous about seeing her though.

Hold this.

Suppose after 19 years he's

worried they may have grown apart.

Thanks.

(things ruffle)

Well what do you think?

- At least he gets to see her,

I've never met my grandfather.

Now I never will.

- Well, maybe he will come out here?

- He's too old, he said so in his letter.

His name is Michael O'Neill, same as me.

He said I'm the only family he's got,

he said he'd like to see my before he dies.

- You're going to go aren't you?

- I've got some money, enough to get me to Sydney.

There's ships leaving to England all the time from there.

I can get some work on one of them,

there's always looking for deck hands.

- I think you should talk to Kathleen again.

- What's the point?

She's already made up her mind.

- Well you can't just go.

- I just wanna see him, look I'm gonna go, Danni.

Whether Mom likes it or not.

(ominous music)

- James?

Come here.

Ugh, ah.

- Oh, ah!

- Oh, James!

James are you alright?

- Yes, I'm alright.

I'm alright, whoo!

I suppose sit here for a minute.

- Yeah, let's sit.

- Everything is so wet.

- Perhaps this was a bad idea, maybe we should go back.

- No, no what we need, is a fire.

A great, big, hearty fire,

I think I've got some matches somewhere.

- We just need to find some place dry.

- I never thought that fate had such a sense of irony.

(laughs)

Yes, that's what it is, irony.

- What are you talking about?

- Here.

- Oh, no I couldn't.

- No, no, no, no, you're all wet, you put this on.

Now about that fire.

- Ugh, I don't see anything ironic in this, James.

- But I do.

Elizabeth always worried about me Kathleen,

she never thought me suited to the rigors of travel.

And so, to ease her concern I'd write to her,

about my exploits.

- What exploits?

- Hmm, this and that.

- It's just that, now Elizabeth thinks me quite the bushman.

- Oh, I see.

Well in our present circumstances, most ironic, James.

(laughs)

- I'm such an old fool.

Kathleen?

- Can you hear that?

(things ruffle)

It's a wagon, quick!

Help!

- We're down here!

- Help!

- Wait!

- Wait! - Stop!

I said stop!

Ah!

- James! James!

James?

- Oh, why didn't they stop?

Ah, ugh.

- You're hurt.

(laughs)

- It'll take more than a tumble down a hill

to hurt a tough, old mountain man like me.

(laughs)

Yes.

(ominous music)

(charming music)

(mumbles)

- Julian?

- Oy, g'day mate.

Telegram arrived for you, didn't know

you were coming into town.

- From Mr. Gleeson's friend, wants to

know what day they're arriving.

- I thought Gleeson would have cabled her.

- He did, day before yesterday.

- [Man] Mustn't have got the message.

- Should be there by now.

- Must have been delayed, something wrong with the wagon?

- Yeah maybe.

- [Man] How long were they planning to spend in Mansfield?

- Just a couple of hours, then picking her up

and bring her back here tomorrow.

- Bet they're uh, bet they're rolling

in there just as we speak.

- Hopefully, Julian.

- I was looking forward to this.

- So was I.

- You and me out riding in the high country, camping out.

I thought it might be something special.

- Listen Montana, I'm not really good as rushing into

those kinds of things, well I have a lot of respect for ya

so I don't want ya to judge me because I'm slow

at this kind of thing.

- Well folks warned me you high country men

were kind of backward in coming forward.

- And what's wrong with that?

- Nothing, I was just fooling.

Look, I feel the same way, and I think it's kinda sweet

to find a man who's in no hurry to, well,

you know what I mean.

- Yeah, course I know what you mean.

- This mountain pass of yours, I don't think it exists,

how much further?

- Well not far, the weather doesn't look too good.

- Oh, it doesn't look so bad.

- I don't know, I think we should try and out ride it.

Maybe we should find one of those kettle huts.

C'mon, let's go.

(tongue clicks)

(charming music)

(fire burns)

(laughs)

- [Kathleen] A regular bushman, James.

(laughs)

- Do you think Elizabeth would be impressed?

- Oh I'm sure she would.

- Eh, perhaps, the problem is, Elizabeth

is already impressed by much grander exploits

and daring feats, I mean, using every last match

to light one miserable fire is not going to rank

highly amongst them.

- What have you actually told her, James?

- You really wouldn't want to know Kathleen.

- Oh, come on, yes I would, cheer me up, James.

If it worked for Elizabeth, it might work for me.

- Well, you'd be aware of the famous ride,

immortalized by the esteemed poet, Mr. Banjo Paterson.

- Hm?

You told her you were one of the horsemen?

- No.

(laughs)

Not simply one of the horsemen.

The horsemen.

- You told her you were the man from snowy river?

- Well, it just seemed to come out so naturally.

- So, she thinks you're Matt?

- You won't tell him will you?

- Oh, James, James.

(laughs)

(hooves clomp)

- Where's Michael?

- Inside.

- You clean up there and get him to help

you bring the horses in, there's a storm lining up.

(things ruffle)

(hooves clomp)

(charming music)

(wind blows)

(things ruffle)

- It's getting pretty wild out there.

- Everything secured?

- I think so.

What do you think to happened to Rob and Montana?

- Well the weather is coming in from the West,

so it would have cut them off.

They must have camped out overnight.

- Wait until that gets around town.

Montana and Rob out in the wilderness, all alone, all night.

- Danni.

- Well you know how people talk.

(laughs)

I can't wait to tease Rob.

- I'm sure there's nothing to tease him about.

- That won't stop her.

(hooves clomp)

(animal calls)

- This one is called Shanahan's.

There's huts like this all over the high country.

For people like us on days like this.

(door squeaks)

- Sure beats sleeping under a tree.

- Do you want to unsaddle the horses and I'll light a fire?

- Sure, here we are, spending another night alone together.

If we had any sort of reputation before,

it's sure gonna take a battering now.

- Does that worry you?

- Not me, let them talk.

- Good.

- Tell me another one, James.

- So many stories, a letter every month for 19 years.

- That is a lot of tall stories, James.

- Well some of them were true.

Some of them I merely fabricated.

You know, in a peculiar way, a man in the stories took

on a life of his own.

I didn't mean to harm anyone.

- Oh, I'm sure no one is being harmed, James.

- Except Elizabeth.

And myself.

- Surely you must've risked making a mistake that

would find you out?

(laughs)

- I kept a journal.

Now, I must tell Elizabeth the truth.

I'll um, I'll keep the first fire watch

if want to get some sleep.

- Wake me if you get tired, alright.

I expect they'll be out looking for us by now.

- I expect they will.

(ominous music)

(charming music)

- Montana?

You asleep?

- I was.

- Can I ask you a question.

- Mm hmm.

- What is it that you want?

Well with you and me I mean.

- I want us to be honest with each other.

- Do you remember when we were down at the river,

and we kissed.

- Yeah.

- Well I sort of thought that after that,

things might have been different between us.

- Why do you think I went all the way to Melbourne

to buy a dress?

- You bought that because of me?

- Well I sure didn't buy it to impress my horse.

(laughs)

Everyone from Danni to Custer at the livery stable

seems to think we're courting.

Do you think we're courting?

- Well we could be.

- Rob, I like you, and I figured you like me, too.

(charming music)

Plain old yes or no will do.

- Well, yes, I do.

- Fine then, it's settled, now if you feel like kissing me,

then you just go right ahead, I'll still let you know

if I feel like kissing you back.

Well?

Goodnight then.

- Goodnight.

(air blows)

- Hm?

(shivers)

Huh?

Ah, ugh, ugh, oh.

- Oh no, oh Kathleen.

I'm sorry.

- It's alright, James.

- We can start it again.

- No it's cold, it's been out for hours.

- I'm sorry.

- If we huddle together, we'll stay warm.

- Kathleen.

- We have to, James.

(calm music)

Oh?

James?

James wake up, wake up, it's morning.

We have to get moving.

- Why?

- It's freezing here, it's freezing.

We have to keep moving to stay warm.

- I don't think I can Kathleen.

- You must James, you must.

- Ugh.

Ah.

What?

Which way?

- Oh, it's freezing outside.

Oh, that mountain pass of yours, I'll take your word

for it that it does actually exist.

What are you looking at?

- You.

- You know, you never did tell me

what you thought of that dress I bought in Melbourne.

- No, I don't suppose I did, did I?

- Well did you like it or not?

- Well, it sort of made you look a little, um?

- What?

Tell me.

- Beautiful.

What's wrong?

- I took it back.

(laughs)

(leaves ruffle)

- Hiya.

Telegraph from Mansfield.

No word.

- I knew something was wrong.

Danni, get Mrs. Tan to make us up some food please.

- I'm coming.

- Me too.

- You two are staying here, it's a hard ride.

- Dad.

- No arguments, Danni.

- I'm going Matt, if you won't take me,

then I'll ride alone, but I'm going.

- Danni, food for three, saddle up.

Go pick yourself a fresh horse, where's Rob?

- He's up with Montana showing her the pass through

the high plains.

- They were out there alone last night?

Together?

- Don't you start.

- The storm was pretty wide spread.

Hope they're alright.

- Yeah, if they got any sense they'll

be holed up in Kenwood's hut.

- It's not them I'm worried about.

(ominous music)

Thanks Danni, you look after the place,

hopefully we won't be long.

- Okay.

(hooves clomp)

We're a good half day's ride from town.

- Hard ride, too.

Would've taken Kathleen a couple more hours

to get this far by wagon.

- Matt, it's getting colder.

- From here on in we climb Michael,

it's gonna get a whole lot colder.

Let's go.

(hooves clomp)

(calm music)

- We're lost.

- No we're not lost James.

- We'll never find the track.

- Well the track, the track's that way.

- No, the track's this way.

- We've just come from that way, James.

- Huh, the great bushman, lost, ugh, oh,

how will I ever explain this to Elizabeth.

- We can't stop, James, come on.

- I can't go on Kathleen, I need to rest.

- No, no, we can't stop, James, come on,

come on you can do it, we can't stop, come on.

Um.

We'll rest for a minute alright?

(hooves clomp)

- What now?

Mansfield's that way.

- What if they took a wrong turn?

Maybe that's why they haven't arrived?

- No, she knows the way.

- What if she forgot?

- She wouldn't forget, not your mother, that way.

(hooves clomp)

- Pity to come this far and not go up to the pass.

The weather is unpredictable this time of year,

I think we're better off waiting til spring.

- Well if you ask me, it's a pity to leave this

warm, cozy cabin.

- Well, I can only be strong for so long.

- Well we wouldn't want to give the town something

to be shocked about, now would we?

- Oh, what the town doesn't know won't hurt it.

(charming music)

(kisses)

- Well that was easy.

- Hm?

That was rather easy wasn't it?

- Do you always kiss with your eyes closed?

- Don't you?

- Well sometimes, then other times I just open

mine up and enjoy the view.

Depends on who's doing the kissing.

- Is this kind of an American thing?

- Wide-eyed kissing is big in Colorado.

And to think of it, everything is big in Colorado.

- Well maybe I should give it a try sometime.

- Maybe you should, Rob, maybe you should.

(tongue clicks)

- Couple more hours, we'll be in Mansfield.

They wouldn't have come this far and turned back Dad,

they must have pushed on.

- Well that storm had come through here first,

maybe they took some shelter and, well,

they could have got themselves lost.

- We haven't seen any tracks off the road,

then we go on, all the way to Mansfield if we have to.

If they're not there, we work our way back.

(ominous music)

(ominous music)

- Matt, over there.

(hooves clomp)

Could they have gone over the edge?

- Well let's hope not Michael.

- Colin, you go on into town, I'll back track.

In about a mile or so, you'll hit the end of the ridge,

from there on, it's a downhill ride into town.

You get a search party together,

if I find anything, I'll leave a sign on the road.

- Right.

- Michael, who you going with?

- I'll stay with you.

(hooves clomp)

(shivers)

- Kathleen?

Kathleen?

- Hm?

I'm here, James, I'm here.

- Kathleen, have, have I been a fool all my life?

- Oh no, James, not that I'm aware.

- Then, why is it that I never

told Elizabeth that I loved her?

- Oh but you did James, with every letter you sent her.

- But they were just stories.

- Her stories, no one else's.

And with each month, another letter,

something to make her laugh or cry, something

to give her strength or hope and with each letter

an act of faith that next month there'd be another one.

And each month, there was.

Oh don't you doubt it for a minute James,

she knew you loved her.

- And I love her still.

(hooves clomp)

- What's that?

There's something down there.

You wait here with the horses.

- But Matt.

- Kathleen, Kathleen!

Kathleen!

(things ruffle)

Kathleen!

James!

- Anything?

- Nothing.

Well Michael, which way.

- That way.

- Yeah, I think you're right, let's go.

- We have to keep moving, okay, to stay warm.

- Oh, ah.

- What is it?

- Oh, ah it's alright, it doesn't hurt.

I expect it's the cold.

- Oh James, you should have told me.

I could have done something

- There's no need, there's no need

for you to stay, Kathleen.

I'll be fine, you, you can send someone back for me.

- James, when we go, we go together.

- Oh, I'm so tired Kathleen.

Oh I'm so tired.

- James, you mustn't sleep, you mustn't sleep,

just talk to me.

- About what?

- Anything.

Anything, James.

- Michael, he has a right to see his grandfather, Kathleen.

And you have no right to stop him.

How's that for starters?

(calm music)

- Matt!

(birds chirp)

- Kathleen!

Kathleen!

Come on.

(ominous music)

- Kathleen?

- Yes James.

- Do you hear something?

- No, no, no, sit back and try and keep warm.

- Ah.

The Sun.

It's so bright.

I can feel it's warm.

Feel it Kathleen.

- Yes I can feel it James.

- Hello?

- Kathleen?

- I'm here James, I'm here.

- Kathleen.

Tell her, tell her the truth about me.

Tell her, I loved her.

- James?

(sniffles)

James?

(whimpers)

No!

No!

No!

- Kathleen?

- [Kathleen] No!

- Kathleen!

(cries)

Kathleen!

- Mom?

- Oh no.

- Ugh.

(cries)

(calm music)

- James?

Huh?

(things ruffle)

- Morning, Mom.

- Ah, good morning, Michael.

(kisses)

- Are you feeling better?

- I feel fine, thanks.

Someone has been busy while I was away.

- It was Danni, Matt and I helped.

- Well it's beautiful, now as I recall

we have things to talk about.

- If it's about going to Ireland.

- No I think you should hear what I have to say first.

Hmm?

James, Mr. Gleeson reminded me that when it comes

to the people we love and to our families,

we all have certain responsibilities, and I can't

deny your grandfather his right to meet you.

- Are you saying I can go?

- Yes, for a visit, a month or two perhaps.

Time for you to get to know him, time for him

to get to know what a fine, fine grandson he has.

- But if I go, will you be alright?

- Yes I'll be fine Michael, I'll be just fine.

(bell rings)

(calm music)

- Life goes on.

Might as well give them something to talk about huh?

- Is she here yet?

- She arrived this morning, Emily is with her.

- I'd like a word alone with her, before the service starts.

- Of course.

(hooves clomp)

- Hello, I'm Kathleen McGregor,

James told me so much about you.

- He spoke of you so often in his letters.

He told me so much about this town and these people,

I feel I know them all.

- He wanted to me tell you how much he loved you,

but I think you already know that.

This was his journal, I thought you might

like to have it, he was writing a letter to you,

when, I don't think he finished it.

- Thank you.

- James wanted me to tell you the truth.

- I knew the truth Kathleen.

All his adventures, I don't love him

any the less for knowing.

- We should go in.

James Gleeson was buried today, although he never

considered himself a hero, he died heroically.

He was a friend to all who knew him, a kind man

who touched us all in many ways.

Not just in the pages of the newspaper,

but in the everyday life of this town.

In life, he taught us much about who we are

and how we should live, he showed us that integrity

and honesty are the cornerstones of our community.

And that the truth and the freedom to speak it

are to be valued above all else, and it is for this

that he should be remembered.

(calm music)

Goodnight, James.

(chipper western music)