Original subtitles

Stagedriver: Whoa!

Hello, mr. Loomis, what's wrong?

Well, that axle pretty near busted in half. Where's your pa?

In the barn.

How much longer are we gonna continue this lopsided limpin'?

It ain't gonna limp no more, mr. Clemens.

We're lucky to get here.

Where are we?

Luke mccain's place.

I'm gonna need help with this wheel

If we expect to make north fork.

I bought a ticket for santa fe.

I'll get you there just as soon as possible, mr. Clemens.

But we have to lay over in north fork, for repairs.

Lay over?

Hmm.

How long?

Oh, a day, maybe two.

Well, what are you waitin' for, boy? Go get your daddy

Before we're too old to continue the journey at all.

Yes, sir, I...I mean, pa will be right...Right here.

He'll be right here, mr. Twain.

Don't... Don't worry, he... He'll sure help you.

Well, I'll be a coyote's uncle! Mark twain.

Argh!

Well, let's see what we can do.

That wheel doesn't seem too badly damaged.

Can't you complete the repairs?

Not so it will hold all the way to santa fe,

I don't have the proper tools.

But don't worry, mr. Twain,

You won't miss that lecture engagement,

North fork's got the best blacksmith in these parts.

Some of his machinery came through from chicago.

What? Oh! Oh, of course, of course.

I...I always hoped that I'd meet you, mr. Twain.

Pa an' me, we...We've read all your books.

My...My name's mark too.

Of course I know that mark twain's not your real name,

It's a... A...A nom de plume. Someday, when I'm a writer,

I'm gonna think one up too.

Pa says it takes hard work to get to be a writer,

Lots of studyin', too.

That's the only part I don't quite like.

we... We play the history post game at school.

That's the game that...That you thought up to...

To help your children learn important dates.

You play that here?

Yup, it...It's swell fun.

There's only one...One part we don't quite understand.

What's that?

Well, suppose you get tagged before you pass

The columbus post, well, do- do you have to go all the way

Back when it gets to be your own turn?

Well, that depends. It depends on your runnin' speed.

11 posts and when...When you...When you... I haven't time

For all these questions, boy, puzzle it out for yourself!

I didn't mean anythin', why... Why did he get so riled up?

Mr. Twain's had a long trip, son, he's probably tired...

An' a little edgy.

Yeah! Yeah, that's what it is he...

He's tired he... He's plum tuckered out.

The blacksmith will start workin' on that wheel,

Just as quick as I get her unloaded.

Very well.

The hotel has feather mattresses, billiard tables,

The best accommodation west of denver.

My dear sir, I hope that I will not be marooned here

Long enough to make comparisons.

Finish the game.

I'll be right back.

Yeah, sorry...Sorry to keep you waitin', I...I was just-

Ah, if you sign...Sign right here, please?

Hey, eddy, come back an' finish the game.

Yeah, not right now, I'm busy.

Now, just a-

You gonna play, or ain't you?

Give me a room where I won't be disturbed.

Yes, sir, I think I've got

Just the thing for you, mr... Eh, "s. Clemens"!

Wait, you're... You're mark twain!

That book writer?

What's the room number?

Eh...24, an' this is a pleasure, a real pleasure.

So you're the fellow that wrote about travelin'

On the overland stage?

You know, I've always had a hankerin' to meet up with you.

What was it you called that book?

The book is called, roughing it,

A title that should come easily to you.

Yeah, well I was one of 'em station people you described.

Right this way, mr. Twain.

"filthy half-savages", that's what you called us, said we fed

The travelers water with dish rag an' sand to flavor it.

Now, you get out of the way, russell.

Your book caused such a stir,

The company sent men out to check the outlyin' stations.

Your lies cost me a job.

The power of the pen is mightier than the sword.

How fortunate for travelers that you are no longer

An employee of the overland company.

Fortunate?

Fortunate!

Now, mark, you better keep your mind on your supper.

Oh, I'm sorry, pa.

Pa, if mr. Twain does come down before we leave, can I ask him

To go fishin' in the mornin'?

He...He loves to go fishin'.

Now, mark, ah...When you're as famous as he is,

I imagine people swarm around wherever you go.

I guess they do.

Doesn't give you much of a chance for...

Well, just thinkin'.

You... You mean I... I...

I shouldn't even talk to mr. Twain?

Wait until he talks to you.

Give him some, uh, thinkin' room.

All right.

there he is, pa.

That's mark twain!

Mark, sit down. Remember, uh, thinkin' room?

Good evenin', mr. Twain?

Good evenin'.

We have some delicious roast beef,

An' apple pie that will melt in your mouth.

Just bring me a bowl of soup.

It doesn't matter what kind.

Yes, sir.

Hey, mccain, how about a little game?

No, thanks.

I'll spot you 10 points out of 20,

Play you for a quarter a point.

Now, you can't hardly afford to turn that down.

I never play for money, mr. Russell.

Trouble with folks around here, always scared to lose.

Not scared, just smart.

You finish up, son, we've gotta be gettin' home.

$50 says ain't nobody in town who can beat me?

I know someone who can. Mr. Twain.

Playin' billiards is his hobby.

Why, you know he's beaten most everybody in the east?

Kid here know what he's talkin' about?

Anythin' about mark twain, mark mccain knows.

Yeah? Hmm.

Hey, uh...I hear you're quite a billiards player.

$50 says you can't beat me, think you can?

I don't think of you at all, sir.

Well, here's $70.

My whole roll says you play billiards

Like you write, rotten.

I won't play with you, mr. Russell,

But you may set up the balls as difficult a three- cushion shot

As you choose, winner take all.

You mean you're gonna make any three cushion shot I set up?

Exactly.

Come along, mr. Writer man.

Mr. Roughin' it's gonna give me a present.

Come on.

All right, it's all yours, mr. Roughin' it.

Willikers!

Braggin' an' brayin' is the same thing, mr. Russell,

The only difference is the later normally...

Comes from the throat of an animal with much longer ears.

Good evening, sir.

Say, he called me a mule.

Mark.

Oh... Excuse me.

Now, where did you say that fishin' hole was?

Over there behind those trees.

Well, you go ahead an' bait up for both of us,

I'll tether the horses so they can graze.

All right.

Good mornin'.

Good mornin', mr. Twain.

You got a bite, mr. Twain! Hurry b-before it gets away!

Land 'im, boy, you land 'im.

Sure, thanks.

He sure is a beauty! Want me to clean 'im for ya?

No, no, thank you, boy. You keep 'im.

Oh, thanks.

Say, mr. Twain, some of us kids have been savin' money

From our chores an'...An' we sent for a subscription

To that magazine that's been printin' chapters

From your new book.

Huckleberry finn?

Uh-huh, it sure is excitin'. They...

They print a chapter each month, only thing is it-

It takes an awful long time for mail to get here from boston.

It does.

Yup an'...An' so seein' as you're here, so-

Some of the kids were wonderin' if maybe you could tell us

What's gonna happen in the next chapter so we won't-

Won't have to wait so long to find out.

Will you, mr. Twain?

What's the matter with you, boy?

Why do you keep botherin' me? Huckleberry finn is dead.

He's dead! I tell you, he's dead!

Wait, wait, boy.

Mr. Twain, you shouldn't have talked to the boy that way.

You're his idol. A boy's idol shatters easily.

You oughta know that, you've got a son.

I found your tom sawyer book in the waste bucket.

I don't want it any more!

Maybe you'll change your mind, son, when you read this.

Mr. Twain left it at the stream.

It's from his wife, it explains a lot of things.

I don't care about anythin' that has to do with him.

Well, read it. He has a deep sorrow, mark.

Well, just cuz he's sad doesn't-

Doesn't mean he has to treat everyone else like dirt.

Once you said you wanted to be like mark twain,

You're actin' exactly like 'im now.

How do you mean?

Shuttin' folks out because you've been hurt.

The letter says his...Son langdon died a few months ago.

Died!

Um-hm. Newspapers tried to spare the family,

That's why we didn't hear about it out here.

Mr. Twain blames himself for the boy's death.

But why?

Well, he took 'im ridin' in

An open carriage on a very cold day, the blanket slipped off.

Mr. Twain didn't notice because he was...Thinkin' about a story

He was writin'.

That night... Langdon came down with diphtheria.

Mr. Twain never forgave himself, he's been runnin' ever since.

So that's why he...He said that huckleberry finn was dead.

That's the story he was thinkin' about in the carriage.

He hasn't written a word since.

I'm gonna return this to mr. Twain, mark.

Pa? Can I go with you?

Sure, come on.

Hello, eddy.

Oh, hello, lucas.

Mr. Twain in his room?

No.

He's been standin' there lookin' out of that window

For about 15 minutes.

Son, I wanna talk to 'im alone, you stay here.

Mr. Twain? You eh...Dropped this by the stream.

Thank you for returnin' it.

Losin' a son is a...It's hard, mr. Twain.

I...Know how I'd feel if I lost-

How could you know? How could you possibly know?

You still got two daughters, an' a wife who wants you-

How could you possibly understand what it feels like

To... Kill your own son?

You didn't kill your son-

That's what I did, mr. Mccain, I murdered langdon.

Murdered him, for a barefoot urchin, huckleberry finn.

Hey I've been lookin' for you mr. Roughing it,

You've gotta give me a chance to win back what I lost.

Get out of here, russell.

Well, I got the same losers' rights as anybody else.

Mr. Twain and I are talkin', leave us alone.

Just a minute, nothin' you will say can possibly help,

The past is unchangeable. Name your stakes, mr. Russell.

I'll play you 5 points for anythin' you want.

Twain: $100?

All right.

Twain: I'll break.

All right, your shot. That's 3 for me.

Nervous, huh? The cue's a little heavier than a pen, ain't it?

Um-hm.

Well, that makes us about even, mr. Roughin' it.

Mr. Twain's got losers' rights, too.

All right, kid, I'll give 'im a chance to get even.

This here is, uh, solid gold, isn't it?

It ought to be worth more than $100.

Tell you what? I'll play you for it.

Oh, no, I can't wager it.

Oh, you know you can't beat me, huh?

I can't wager the fob, it has a sentimental value.

It was a gift to me to celebrate the birth of my son.

Sentimental value, you're afraid of losin' it.

I am not afraid, sir, I am not afraid.

Oh, he's right, mr. Twain, you're afraid.

Well, the past took somethin' you loved an' now you refuse

To go on livin'.

You can't do that, mr. Twain, you haven't the right,

Your future belongs to the world.

Twain: Agh!

Well, if you are not afraid, mr. Twain, why don't you, uh,

Wager your past against your future.

Just how much was your son worth to you?

5 points, my break.

Gee willikers, mr. Twain! That was wonderful.

Now, uh, you an' your friends don't understand this history

Post game. That's very easy once it's explained,

You start with the earliest date, that's your first post.

You run as fast as you can...

An' I'll finish the story, huck finn, as fast as I can.

I'm glad, sir, cause all the kids sure wanna know

What's gonna happen to 'im.

Ah, so do I. Goodbye, mark, thank you, lucas.

Goodbye, mr. Twain.

Stagedriver: Hiya! Ha!

Pa?

Hmm?

When I grow up, I'm gonna be a writer, just like mr. Twain.

Well, now that's quite an ambition, son.

Yes, sir.