Original subtitles

INTRUDER IN THE DUST

Subtitles by Seglora

Say can I get my shoe shined?

Not today,Mr

Where is the shine boy?

Where are they all at?

Seems to me I ain't seen one darkie on the road since yesterday

Ain't you heard?

No,heard what?

One of the Gowrie boys been shot dead

Gowrie? Shoot at Gowrie?

Now who would do a fool thing like that

Shot in the back by a nigger

It's him,it's the sheriff

Bring him in

I'd never thought he'd do it

He is here,the sheriff is starting,come on

Come on

Knock it off again,sheriff

Knock his head next time

Don't bother the sheriff, the guards will do it for him

You boys get on out of here, get on back to barber shop

You got a flat tyre,sheriff, somebody tried to slow you up?

Maybe,somebody don't know me,anyhow

All right,Lucas,come on

You, young man!

Tell your uncle I want to see him

Want to see who?

Lawyer Stevens,John Stevens

He wants to see a lawyer

-Lawyer? -He ain't even needing an undertaker

I told you boys once to get on out of here,I ain't going to tell you again.

What, Chick,you are perspiring, you are wet through

Where have you been?

In the Sunday School,the pictures show doesn't start until six o'clock

Perhaps there are other attractions

Gosh,I'm hungry!

Is that a proper way to behave?

-Sir? -Coming in here,without a word of greeting

-No,Sir -This is your home

Yes,Sir

-Well? -Hello,ma

Hello,father

Hello,Uncle

Paralee

-Yes,Sir? -Bring the chicken in again

I don't know if there is any left

Apparently she's upset today

I don't see why,she is not the lady of that murderer

-Or is she? -No,neither is Chick

Now Chick suppose you explain where you've been

Nowhere in particular

Nowhere in particular is a mighty large place

I reckon you can do better than that

-May I please have the salt? -More coffee,Paralee

You waited outside the jail with the riff-raff

from the pool hall and the barber shop,didn't you?

Well,did you see what you'd expected to see?

They didn't do anything

They just stood there that's all

I want you to stay home until this thing is cleaned up

Over,finished and done with

It's happened before and it's bound to happen again

Nothing for us to get excited about

I have to run up to Memphis for a couple of days

and this is been the way it is

I don't want to have to worry about you too,you understand!

That apply to Aleck too

-Yes,Sir -I told him but he don't listen to me

He listen to Chick,I ain't no friend of his,I'm just his Ma

Everybody is going to stay right here at home

All this fuss and nonsense simply because

Your friend Lucas Beauchamp really seems to have done it this time

Yes

They're going to make a nigger out of him once in his life any way

What,Chick!

Let me talk to him

-What in heavens name -Why?He hasn't finished his dinner

It's terrifying,I know it but we got to face him

He just doesn't like his napkin up here, makes him feel not quite grown up

-But he isn't -He'd better not be

Let me go up and talk to him

Tell him I said to him to come down and finish his dinner

whether he is hungry or not

Paralee,or Craig tell Aleck to put my suitcase in the car

Tell me what happened?

Why did he have to do a thing like that?

Who knows?

We'll never really know

Your friend Lucas Beauchamp

He is not my friend!

Chick,you mustn't take this so seriously

I'm not

I can't help it

But why,tell me why

I don't know

You must tell me,Chick

I don't know if I can

Try,you're old enough to try.

And maybe I'm old enough to understand.

It was quite a while ago

Went hunting with Alexander

On the old Edmond's place?

Yes?

It was November,pretty cold.

We were hunting rabbit.

We hadn't jumped one all morning

Alexander!

My gun!

Get the pole out of his way so he can get out

That was just about the first time I saw Lucas speech

Come on to my house

Take his gun.

Then I realized we were hunting on his land

I remember you'd told me the story

His grandfather was a slave

He got this land as a gift

You told me why

Because his grandfather was the first cousin to the man that owned him

So grandfather,to father to son came to Lucas Beauchamp

It was 10 acres,all his own,smack in the middle of whole plantation

It was Lucas Beauchamp's land

And Lucas Beauchamp proved it, every step he took

His land and his house

Strip off

Strip off

There was something else, just what I'd expected

Side meat and greens

He made me the dinner that was cooked for him

What's that for?

Pick it up!

Pick up his money

Give it to him

I was so angry.I was so awfully ashamed

He knew what I did not know

What I didn't have sense enough to understand

He knew all the time,and I didn't

That I was his guest in his home

Now go on and shoot your rabbit

And stay out of that creek

Then I could hardly wait for Christmas

I went down-town and bought Lucas Beauchamp four of their best cigars

a package of snuff for his wife,Molly

That was to pay him his seventy cent with interest

The next day he made me take it back again

That's a home-made molasses, a gift from him to me

That was worse this time,because he had a white boy bring it to me

This time it had to be finished, once and for all

Out of what you paid me I saved a quarter a week and finally there was enough

Enough so he couldn't pay me back

Enough so he wouldn't if he could

Mother helped me

We bought a dress good enough to wear on Sundays,head and set for his wife Molly

I thought that Lucas would have to come now

Take off his hat and say

Thank you,Mr Mallison

But he didn't

I saw him in the town just once after that

He didn't even see me

I wasn't there

He didn't even see I wasn't there

I thought now it's finished,it's all over

Then I heard,you see, his wife was dead

Been dead when I sent her the dress

He was grieved

I reckon you can be sad and prouder and even lonely,and sad of black skin too

I went to see him,not to his house, I wouldn't be caught that way again

I picked neutral ground this time

Fraser's store

He came by there any Saturday afternoon

They were watching him, two of the Gowrie boys

One of them was Crawford Gowrie..

The other was Vinson the younger brother

You,brummie,big headed,bare headed nigger

Get out of here, Lucas!

Get out of here, your fool!

Take it easy,Vinson

Don't be a fool

I didn't go after him,couldn't, I don't know why

Maybe because Vinson Gowrie was white, and I was white

Lucas Beauchamp was not

Right in these woods on a Saturday afternoon a few weeks later

He killed Vinson Gowrie, shot him in the back

And yet he thinks I'm his friend.

Well,come on

He wants a lawyer.

-Is that all? -He asked for you

Uncle John,can't you go right now?

What's the hurry?

Chick...

Nothing is going to happen

They never start anything in the day time

They'll be ashamed to see each other's faces

Suppose they are not?

They'll wait for the Gowries

They won't do a thing without the Gowries

and the Gowries are going to bury Vinson

before they do anything to anybody that isn't a Gowrie

Then they'll come and drag him out of jail and hang him up

No,the Gowries are not much good except the fish and fight

And rise enough corn to boil up some whiskey

But it's Sunday,even for a Gowrie

and they wait for Sunday's passed, for midnight at least

Suppose they don't

Then there is a steel door and sheriff Hampton

It's his job

Not yours and not mine

But you are going to see him,aren't you?

There isn't much I can do for him now

Uncle John

-All right,I'll go -I want to go with you

All right,after supper

-But suppose they come.. -Suppose of them?

Lucas should have thought of that before he shot a white man in the back

Come on finish your dinner

Good evening,Mr Lillie

Alone aren't you?

Those Gowrie folks got George to do before they can get into town

Maybe they'll decide to stay at home on a Sunday night

By Jove no,they are set for this Sunday

He ought to thought of that before taking to kill a white man

on Saturday afternoon

I agree

My wife is not feeling well tonight,but tell them to holler if they need any help

I expect they know they can depend on you,Mr Lillie

You see he has nothing against Lucas

He'll probably tell you like some other

don't like the white folks, and he believe it

all he requires is that Lucas acts like a negro

Which he believes what must have happened

Lucas blew his top and murdered a white man

Now the white folks are going to take him out and burn him

No hard feelings on either side

In fact Mr Lilley will be probably one of the first to contribute cash money

to Lucas's funeral and support of his widow and children if they had any

- What's that? - Someone of Mr. Lilley's friends

-Good evening.Mr Legate -Evening

Mr Stevens,you had to get mixed up in it too

Seems like you can't let life act alone

I'm his lawyer,Mr Tubbs

Will here won't even shut and lock the front door

I'm doing just what the sheriff said

He is saying me aside and it is a night to resist and is just what I going to do

Does the sheriff think that gun and funny papers are going to stop the Gowries?

I don't suppose to stopping by myself, I've got you,and you got a pistol

Me? Me getting in their way for 75$ a month

Better for everybody if them folks

just took him as soon as they laid hands on him yesterday

But they didn't and I don't think they will

Don't mind me I'm on duty doing as best as I can

I've taken an oath of office too

How am I going to live with myself if I let a posse of no good Gowries

to take a prisoner away from me

And don't think nobody don't make me admit I like it

I got a wife and two children

What good in my tomb if I get myself killed for taking a hard stand

Look

Look at them,they ain't asleep not a one

And I don't blame them when a mob of white men

is going busting here with pistols and cans of gasoline

Well,it won't be the first time, and the law of black cats look alike

-Entitled to a cell? -Serious orders

I don't know what the next white man he figures

he can't risk going to kill somebody and going to think about it

I've taken the blankets off

Maybe because he won't be here long enough to have to go asleep

Well,old man you played the devil this time

Then you can take my case?

Take the case? What do you mean? Depending before the judge?

I'm going to pay you, you don't have to worry

I don't defend murderers that shoot people in the back

Let's give it a trial,we ain't come to it yet

Now I want to hire somebody, don't have to be no lawyer

To do what?

Is you or ain't' you going to take the job?

I'd already taken your case before I came in here

I am going to tell you what to do as soon as you tell me what happened

-Never mind that -Mind?

What I want is..

You tell the Gowries to never mind when they bust in here tonight

So you don't want the job?

No,but I'll do it just the same

Now tell me exactly why you killed Vinson Gowrie?

Was it to that kind of trouble at Fraser's store two months ago?

I was there Uncle John, I'll be your witness

That's Lucas's trouble now,he's got too many witnesses already

Well?

There was two white folks, partners in a sawmill

in this way they were buying lumber to the sawmill on credit

Who were they?

Vinson Gowrie was one of them

Lucas has it not occurred to you that if you just said

Mr to the white people and said it like you meant it

you might not been sitting here now

So I am to commence now?

I can start off by saying Mr to folks

that drag me out of here and builds a fire under me?

Nothing is going to happen to you

Nobody takes you if you got a good pair of hands

Sure of hands,is home in bed

It's a point of Mr Wilbur Legate to sit downstairs and throw away the shotgun

I ain't querying any Will Legate

The day you hunted? The man that can hit a running rabbit with a 30 30 rifle?

Them Gowries ain't no deer,they might be carrymouse and panthers,they ain't no deer

All right,I'll stay here with you till the morning if it makes you feel better

Now go on

Vinson Gowrie was doing a lumber deal. Who was the other man?

Vinson Gowrie was the only one what's public here

And he got public by being shot in the back in broad daylight

Well,that's one way to do it

All right,who's the other partner?

What was his name?

Some other man

He was stealing a load of my lumber every night so

How do you know?

I've seen him

All right,and then what?

Now you answer me some questions

Is you or ain't you going to take the case?

You haven't got a case,you look at the suspicious and took a pistol

and went straight in a wrong between two white men,what did you expect?

What else did you expect?

You don't want justice,you want mercy

Well?

Well,what?

The rest of it,what happened?

That's all

Then I tell you,you went to Fraser's store again and met Vinson Gowrie

You told him that someone was robbing you,he cursed you and called you a liar

Whether it was true or not,naturally, he would have to do that

Maybe he even knocked you down and walked off

And you shot him in the back

Never nobody knocked me down

So much the worse, it's not even self defence

Now you listen to me

I'm going to get you tried in another county

Persuade the District Attorney out there since they don't you

that you are an old man,never been in trouble before

You plead guilty and ask the mercy of the court

And hope they send you to a penitentiary where you will be safe from the Gowries

I'll made this offer once and I'll make it again

Do you want me to stay with you in here tonight?

I reckon not,they kept me up all last night,I'm going to try to get some sleep

If you stay here you'll talk to the morning

Right

How do expect to get me help from anybody?

I don't want help,I paid my way

You won't pay your way out of this

You broke it

You might bring me a can of tobacco

If them Dowries leave me time to smoking

Tomorrow,we don't want you to keep you awake tonight

You aren't going to help him,aren't you?

Of course I am,whether he wants me to or not

As for change of venue,pleading guilty

Then they tell you what really happened

I know what happened, he killed Vinson Gowrie

no matter what provocations and he probably had plenty

Nevertheless he's killed a man

But there was something he wanted, started to tell you

I know the answer to that too

He was going to tell me a lie

he knew I couldn't believe,and ding his lawyer,I had to defend like it

No,I know what's happened and the only cure for it,come on,let's go home

I might take him the tobacco

That can wait for morning

Chick,your father told me before he left to see you didn't go anywhere

I know

Then you get home as fast as you can

Yes,Sir

What again?

I forgot something

Let it rest till the morning

Oh,let him get it tonight

I am afraid if he leaves to the morning he might get trampled on

Let open the gate,I intend to give him through the bars

All right,what do you want me to do?

-Go out there -Go out where?

The Gowries buries into chapel

What?

That's nine miles out of the bridge

Then first right hand turn up the hills

All you got to do is going to look at him

Me? Why should I do such a thing?

Come here

Because my pistol is a 41 colt

All right,suppose it is,then what?

He wasn't shot with no 41 colt

What was he shot with?

What kind of shot was he shot with,Lucas?

I'm going to pay you,name your price and anything within reason and I'll pay you

But why me,why do you call me, what can I do about it?

Because you ain't clattered,you can listen but a man like your uncle he ain't got time

He is too full of notions

Tell me what you want me to do

They bury at the Caledonian Chapel

Up in that part of the county, up in the night?

Even the sheriff won't go up there unless he is sent for

And you want me to?

Anyway I have to be back at midnight or the Gowries

I know about the Gowries

Even midnight will be too late

I don't see how I can make it

I'll try to wait

Wait! What did he tell you?

Nothing Mr Gowrie

You have been up to see him twice

Why not? Why shouldn't I?

He killed my kid brother

And I'm here to see that nobody stick him over the county line

where we can't get at him

You tell me what you went up there for?

He asked me to bring him some tobacco

Tobacco?

We buried Vinson this morning,and do you know how he was killed?

Tell me what he told you

He said it wasn't his gun

He is a smart nigger,I'd say the same thing

So he told you it wasn't his gun

If I were Lucas or any other ignorant murderer

I'd claim the exactly the same thing myself

That's just what Crawford Gowrie said.

Where?

Outside the jail

And the Gowries are there already

And you come to me,and I say no more that what a Gowrie says

It's true,in the matters of life and death, a man's vocabulary is almighty small

-Oh Excuse me,Good Evening,Miss Habersham -Good Evening

Where as in the matter of Miss Habersham's truck

in dreadful collision to a worn out rooster

which your neighbour Mr Winston swears and contends is of high pedigree stock

Worth at least 7 $

There are all the words in the world

Why if he had to shoot a white man, did he do it up there in deep mine?

He couldn't picked the worse place for himself in this whole county

Maybe not in the whole world

But if he had to do it there why did he pick the Gowries?

And if he picked the Gowries why did he have to shoot him in the back

Maybe he didn't

Maybe we might find out if we went up where he was buried

Chick,now tell me,what did Lucas asked you to do?

Maybe the sheriff could do it

Do exactly what?

Dig him up

-What? -To get the bullet out and look at it

Why in heavens name?

To see that it comes from a 41 colt

Dig up Vinson Gowrie out of ground he's been prayed and consecrated into?

Violate a Gowrie's grave to save a black from punishment?

I'd rather tell old man Gowrie

I want to exhumes his boy's body to get his gold out of its teeth

Even if Lucas' story were true, even if every word of it were true

even then we couldn't do it,not you,not me

not sheriff Hampton,not the governor, not the President of the United States

It's Chick

I'll let you not going to do it tonight

I didn't say I was

It's Chick with Ryebow

Let him be

Go ahead,go ahead,if you want to

That Lucas being so smart,why did he has to do a thing like that

Go ahead,do you what you just want to do

I ain't going nowhere

At least not very far

Where are you going?

-Far enough -Where is that?

Where I don't have to see or hear anything that have happened tonight

I am going after more feed if you go that far

Chick

What did Lucas tell you?

He said it was not his pistol

I know and then what?

He wants me to pick up the body

Well?

I can't even if I could you know what Uncle John would say

I got a flash,I got my car

Can you get some tools,a pick and shovel?

Going to no good, he will be burned just the same

just exactly the same for you could not doing anything about it

How far is it?

Caledonian Chapel is on the hill beyond the bridge

Then we do need a horse

We? Do you expect to come,Miss Habersham?

We'll park at the bottom of the hill, then we use the horse,he'll make less noise

Can you drive?

I am not supposed to go

I know,neither is Mr Stevens

neither is the sheriff,or the governor, or the President of the United States

For that matter neither am I, but somebody got to do it

Come on

Don't go across the bridge it will make noise

Go and cross the creek

What's the matter?

He smells quicksand

A mule coming down the hill.

Who's that on the mule?

-I couldn't even see it was a mule -I couldn't see anything

Suppose he saw us,suppose he knows he can catch us

Maybe he had carrying things

Here it is

There is no need for any pick

So much the better

Got to excavate,I'll help

All right,Aleck,give me a hand

We need a crowbar

And rope.We forgot the rope

It's empty

Well,you would not have come here at four o'clock in the morning

with a tale like that if it wasn't so

Looks like he might be innocent

He could have killed Vinson Gowrie but he never dug him up

Because Vinson wasn't buried until Sunday afternoon.

By that time Lucas had been locked up in that cell for almost six hours

-Sheriff if we don't.. -Vinson isn't in that grave

But officially he is

By the county records he is

So you want me to dig him up again officially

Gowrie grave,Gowrie ground

Who is going to get old Hubb's permission?

Aren't you the sheriff?

But you're the lawyer

You're the talker

And tell him what?

That we are trying to save the black skin of a man

who was found with a fired pistol in his pocket?

Standing over a dead Gowrie?

It will take more than a lawyer to do that

If we are going up to that graveyard without permission

We'll wait till it's broad daylight

We didn't and what is going to happen to Lucas Beauchamp in the mean time

That's an iron door,Miss Eunice

There is a key to it

Meaning Mr Tubbs is only a man

Will Legate had 12 gates and a shotgun inside,Mam

If enough Gowries are that keen, enough work and they are keen

You mean if they are enough to get together

they make up a collected minds

they'll pass even Will Legate and his 12 gates and the shotgun

We will back before then

And if you are not?

He is doing the best his judgement tells him to,Miss Eunice

You can't ask more than that

If you mean these two children and me we are not asking anything

It's Lucas you got to trap for or cow to

No,Miss Eunice,it's none of us up to do anything before we had some breakfast

Drink your coffee,that's a full swelling of Mr Hampton's style

What I like to know how the same Lucas Beauchamp

could convince me he was guilty and convince you he was innocent

And you too

What I would like to know what Chick and his buddy

would have done if there had been a body in that coffin

I don't know,I hadn't thought about it

I did

Put some sugar in it child

You? You were out there too helping digging up a white man's grave.Why?

Was it because Miss Habersham made you?

Never made me,I didn't even know that I was going,to tell you suddenly,there I was

Why didn't I believe Lucas?

Why didn't he trust me a loyal to the truth

You are a white man,worse than that, you are a grown white man

Yes,I've heard that before too

I heard Aleck's grandfather tell Chick and Aleck that once

Do you want to get anything done, don't bother the men folks with it

They are too clattered up with facts

Get the women and children to working on it

Is that what you meant?

Why don't you drink your coffee yourself so we can get started

It's more than that

there is a wall going up between us. Lucas can't see through it and I won't

Maybe that's wrong

We're the ones who can't see through it because we are the ones who are blind

Will Legate!What are you doing here ?

Morning,Miss Habersham

It is broad daylight,I got 2 miles to walk before I can feed them

-You see? -Who is on guard?

I'll wake Tubbs and give him a shot gun

Oh,it is all quiet over there, I wouldn't left if it hadn't been

Are you too sure..

Miss Eunice let's finish breakfast and get started

Mr Hampton is right,Miss Eunice, and so are you

They'll pass even Will Legate sooner or later when there was enough of them

But there is one thing that would stop them

Long enough,anyhow

And that is somebody without a gun

A lady

A white lady

All right but I am not going to sit there all the morning doing nothing

so the gaoler's wife will think she has to talk to me

I'll go home and get some mending to do and feed the chickens

Maybe Aleck will drive me

I don't know Mum want me..

You gone this far you can go a little further,you and me,both

I reckon so

Yes and..

Who can eat more than two eggs?

Well,we won't have the county the sense to stay home anyway

They'd rather have

We are too late,they are going to get him

No,not these people, I haven't seen any of the Gowrie,not yet anywhere

-Suppose .. -I reckon that

They are just going to town

to see something happening and wait for the Gowries,just to wait,that's all

But suppose

Suppose we'd stop supposing and denying either

to get out there and do what we have to do

All right,boys,jump to it,let's get to work done and get out of here

What is going round here,sheriff?

I am going to open this grave,Mr Gowrie

No sheriff,not that grave

Yes,Mr Gowrie I am going to open it

Get back to the car boys

Never mind boys

I ain't going to hurt you,I'm talking to the sheriff here

The boy ain't in that grave

Don't tell me the name of the fellow that proved my boy ain't there,sheriff

It's empty

I saw it last night

Grab those shovels,sons, they belong to the county

If we bust one,it's nobody's business except the grand jury

What have they done with my boy

Mr Gowrie I think you knew last night that something was wrong

You knew that Lucas would be dead some time after midnight

or as soon as you could have got into town

But you stayed home,why?

Why,Mr Gowrie?

Uncle Charles I found some tracks come on

Here,I found them again

Here,here was the animal was hiding

And there was it stopped

Alec said it was a mule

Aleck whom? Oh

Sure,the other detectives

Yes,but did he say who it was

Somebody who couldn't or wouldn't let Vinson rest

Had to take him out and hide him somewhere

Anywhere so we couldn't look at the bullet and name a gun

Somebody who knew that Vinson was never shot with Lucas Beauchamp 41 colt

It is Vinson's partner in the lumber deal whoever that is

Because Lucas won't tell at least not to his lawyer

You think his partner

Who is Vinson's partner?

We ain't found Vinson yet

Set your dogs to find him

Never mind the dogs

they'll trail and they'll catch anything that ever run or walked either

But my boy never walked away from here and never left no trail

Hush now,Mr Gowrie the man that carried him walked all by himself from here on

And in dreadful terrifying hurry before two boys and an old woman

who came down that hill and discovered him at work,so he had to do it

Hide what he had to carry and do it fast,sure and quiet

There will be no more trace not for long time

A well or a river

-Or sand -Yeah,what sand!

Right over the bridge,the horse wouldn't cross last night

Quicksand

No,lawyer,put a man in quicksand,my boy in quicksand

A man who would do a thing like that would..

Gowrie give me a hand

Get the rope up the hound dogs

You cut a branch,any branch, anything get him out of there

Watch it boys

Come on boys

Hurry with that branch,come on let's go

Three or four down here

Give me your hand now

Here,I found him,I've started on him

Hang up

Here,bring it on,give me the pole

Pull,pull

Easy boys

Pull

Easy boy

That's it

That's it boys

My boy,get my boy out of there

All right,boys,pull,pull now

Easy boy

Right over here boy

Here we are

Put him right here

There we are

That's Vinson all right

John,let's get him away from the road

At least get him back in the wood so they won't see him

Steady,they all passed by now anyway

They are all in town by now

Well they had to do it too hard, just a three and a five

Well,Mr. Gowrie,when you reckon you don't get somebody?

He's got to wait on his brothers certainly

Where is your act Robert, planting corn this morning?

Don't say that they are waiting to be called up for jury duty

Get out of your way,Miss Habersham

I'm very comfortable the way I am

There is one way take and move her and chair out in the yard

Or else I could do this

Please bring your step out of my light so I can straight my needle

Miss Hamersham,I'm not touching you,you are an old lady,but you are in the wrong

You are fighting the whole county

But you are getting tired,and when you do get tired,we are going in

I'm going for the 80 and I'm not tired yet

Go home.

Everyone of you

Go on home

You're ought to be ashamed

I've never seen no man shoot Vinson Gowrie

But you must know who shot him

Don't you realize you'd never be safe

Not until we know who is, not until we find him

Not until we put him right here in your place,on this bunk,in this cell

You are a lawyer,you know the law

Can you put a man in jail if you never seen him fire no shot?

Your case is slightly different

Can they take him out of jail and maybe burn him

if there are only suspicions and maybe..

Listen,you were standing over a dead man

you had a recently fired pistol in your pocket

Do you call that just suspicion?

-It was Saturday -I know that

Why did you carry a pistol?

-Mr Carruthers -Give it to you?

Sold it to me

-All right -He always carry it on Saturdays

But he was a white man

So that's why,I see

When you dressed up on Saturday

you wear the pistol exactly like old Carruthers did,just as simple as that

Downstairs in the office they got my pistol

And my hat and the toothpicks, do I get them now or..

Lucas,last night I was wrong,you were right and Chick was right,and I was wrong

Today I'm trying to save your life

not for your own safe since you've been throwing it away but for my own safe

So I won't carry it on my conscious

All right

-What would you be satisfied with? -The truth,nothing more

There were two white folks partners in the saw mill

And one was Vinson Gowrie, yes,and the other?

I do not sleep much nights. So I taking to walking

Not because you suspected anything of course

I've taken to walking and in the dark I come near the saw mill

And then I see the light coming straight at me

Just like I told you that there were two folks partners in the saw mill

And one of them was dealing with lumber every night maybe or every night he could

And he's seen me

So I know that was the end of it

Then I hear the mule

This your lumber?

Who drove that truck?

You see who drove that truck

I knew that was not him neither

Next Saturday afternoon I am on my way over to Fraser's store

I see my Saturday supper

But I missed him

Two miles later when I come in sight of Fraser's store there was Vinson Gowrie

He wanted to know before he beat me just who's been stealing the lumber

Then I told him I ain't decided yet

He told me,he reckon he has to beat it out of me then

He never did

I don't know if it was a rifle

It could have been a rifle

But I've never seen who fired it

He could have picked me out and shut me up but he picked Vinson

Do you know why?

Because the murderer watched you every step of the way

He saw you fire the rabbit and missed,it was his chance

He murdered the man from whom he stole the money

to see you lynched for that very same murder

So he would be safe and you and Vinson would be dead

The scheme should have worked

by every reason of geography and psychology

and the past 200 years of this county system

In fact it did work

Except once long time ago and partly by chance

a white boy fell into the creek on your property

Hello,sheriff

I don't know what you have done with Lucas

but we got something out of Vinson Gowrie

Lies just right back at his breastbone

Fired by some kind of rifle

Who fired that rifle?

You forget I've not seen no rifle

But certainly you must know or suspect or even guess

Not personally I do not want to send any man to jail I ain't seen personally

Lucas,why don't you trust me

There is no need to

Listen to me,it wasn't your pistol,true

you did not move the body down to the creek,true

But you try to explain the truth to a mob

who has been waiting down there all night for something to kill

Don't you see you are not going to be safe until we catch the murderer

All right I'll show you how to catch them

Put your right fake in the right trap

How do you propose to do that?

Give me my hat and let me go home

Can't do that

Sure we can on the strength of this you are a free man now

But you walk out this jail and you won't be alive 10 minutes

And you would be lucky for less

Shall I ask the sheriff to get your hat?

And the pistol and my toothpick

No,come on

I think I got to be be hiding in there

You won't have to stay here much longer

we are going to get this whole thing settled before dark

All right I don't mind I've had lots of company

So I see

Lawyer

Lawyer

Lawyer

That the second time you've been up seeing him

Yes

What can you actually do for him lawyer?

Don't we treat you better

Save his life

You ain't been paid enough money to be able to do that,lawyer

I've been paid nothing,there are some things you don't do for money

I'm going up to my office and phone the District Attorney

to get him to release this man,today so he can go home and finish his planting

Wait

So you are taking the case that is going to defend him hope to get him out

-Yes -And you call yourself white folk

-Mr Gowrie -And my brother was killed by that nigger

-Lucas Beauchamp is innocent -Not in this court

I've seen a piece of evidence that I know would even convince you

They don't believe you

One of them does,the question is which one

-But he will be cleared out of the county -He might

But there is one thing he is bound to do first

He was frightened last night when he had to dig out of his grave

the body of the man he shot, carrying downhill to find a place to bury him again

All by himself furiously in the dark

One man against the whole weight of the earth

What a hard that must have been

And now today every hour that has happened since Saturday noon

must be gone together in his brain

They don't know it out there,but he does

He is lost,he is finished

He is running through his last few pennies of freedom

And I reckon he is going to spend the only way he knows

On revenge

You don't carry a 33 rifle do you,Mr Gowrie?

No

Do you know anybody that does?

Yes

Sit down Mr Gowrie

Don't sit down if you don't care to but at least get away from that window

You sent for me

You phoned me set up a warrant see who killed my boy

He'll be here

Sooner or later before the day is over he will come to kill Lucas Beauchamp

I don't see Lucas Beauchamp neither

Now you do

-Is that his wife? -That his wife,she is dead

Two years now

Maybe three

Mine been gone twenty five years

The day the twins was borne

Raising all them boys by yourself is hard

Five boys

That wasn't shot with no 41 colt

Come on out here you black nigger

Wait a minute

Get out of the way

You need help

I don't want no help

I'll do it myself

Pa,you ain't got no business here

Pa,get out of the way

Put down that gun

Is this the gun that killed your brother Vinson?

Is he the one,sheriff?

That's right,he is the one

The man who killed his brother

Ask him

Is that right,Nub!

That's right,he killed him

They are running away

There is more than that

No,that's all,there is nothing left to do than to admit that they are wrong

So they are riding away

It's worse than that

Then they are running from Lucas Beauchamp

-No -Yes

They won't even wait to buy him a can of tobacco

to show him getting for all the trouble he cost

Then what's the hurry? They know they got the rest of their lives to do that

From coffins,so they wont have to bury him, they are running away from coffins

Not from Lucas and not from coffins

Well,they are running,you can't change that

No,I can't change that

They are running away from themselves

Hi,Miss Eunice what's the hurry?

I got to get home to my chickens but if you ever get trouble again let me know

You see,we were in trouble, not Lucas Beauchamp

It's all right,Chick

-Is it? -It will be all right

So long some of us,you,Miss Habersham, and Aleck and maybe me

or even so long one of us, someone of us doesn't run away

-Uncle John -Chick

It's a fine Saturday afternoon why don't you go to the ball games

Lucas is coming here

Well,he is a gentleman,he won't tell me in the face I was wrong

Come in Lucas

Young man you seldom go fishing lately

I'm waiting for you getting nice new ...

You are welcome whether it is frozen or not

Have a seat Lucas

I believe you got a little bill against me

Not me I didn't do anything

That boy there is the reason you are walking around today

All right,I'll pay him

You can't,he'll be practising law without a licence

I'll pay your expenses then

The only expense I had was having this fixed

-How much? -2 $

2 $

That don't seem that much to me

First I'm a farming man use a law man

I don't reckon it is my business to try to learn yours

-That is one dollar in four bits -Never mind that

That makes it out four bits in pennies

I was aiming to take them to the bank but you could save me the trouble

-You want to count them? -Yes,but you are paying,you count them

There is 50 of them

This is business

As long as you are paying your debts ,go and see Miss Habersham

15,20 I ain't much of a visiting man

You could bring her some flowers

I've had no flowers to speak of since Molly died

Chick's mother will fetch some of your garden

You owe her that much,Lucas

She is the only lady anywhere that ever held a jail full of threats

All right,anything more to satisfy you

Just one thing more

Why didn't you tell me the truth?

That night in the jail

Would you have believed me?

No,what what are you waiting for now?

My receipt

They don't see him as though it never happened

They see him

No,they don't know that he is even there

But they do same as I do,they always will as long as he lives

Proud,stubborn,insufferable but there he goes keep on my conscience

Our conscience,Uncle John