Original subtitles

Hello, lucas.

Jake!

Jake, how long has it been?

Well, 15 years, I guess.

War has been over a long time.

Sure has, and it's good to see you.

You too, luke.

Say, this here ain't your boy?

That's mark, all right. Son, this is mr. Striker.

Hello, mark.

How do you do?

He's a fine-looking lad, lucas.

Emmy, she, uh, she always wanted a boy.

I was sorry to hear about your wife, jake.

Well, she went peaceable.

Well, I'm glad you came out here.

You know, being a farmer is a lonely job.

It's nice to have friends.

Well, I'm not exactly alone, luke.

I, uh, want you to meet abbey. She's my daughter.

You-you never told me you had a daughter.

All the time we were soldiering together-

Well, she was just a little tyke then, luke.

Well, abbey, I'm pleased to know you.

You know, this old codger of a father o' yours,

He's full of surprises. I remember when-

Luke, uh- she, uh, she can't hear an'... She can't talk.

Brice? Brice hornsby, come here a minute, will you?

I'd like you to meet mr. Striker,

The gentleman who bought your farm, and his daughter, abbey.

Pleased to meet you, hornsby.

He didn't buy my farm, he stole it.

I ain't sure if I understand what you mean.

You had no call to say that, you got your price.

Yeah, I guess so.

I thought you said he was moving in by himself.

Maybe I shoulda stayed on out there, after all.

Imagine... A woman that can't talk back at you.

What's that supposed to mean?

Why, I was over by the hotel when the stage came in.

That girl can't hear a thing and can't say nothin'.

Are you kidding?

Next time you see her, say somethin' to her,

See how far you get.

I'll be doggone.

Meetin' that, uh, hornsby boy this afternoon,

It's been on my mind.

Sorry it turned out that way, jake.

What does hornsby mean, he might have stayed on?

Oh, the marshal an' I thought it would be a good idea,

If you needed help.

See, the boy's been hangin' around the saloon

Ever since he moved out.

I hear he's lost half his money already over the poker table.

Sorry to hear that.

A boat, you know.

Pictures she knows, what she sees with her eyes.

If I could only learn her to read,

It'd be such a pleasure for her.

But a... Man like me, I... Never learned much reading myself,

Writing, either, for that matter.

Why didn't you tell me, jake?

Oh, I figured you'd find out soon enough.

You're not ashamed of her?

That's a-a horse. You know...Whoa!

Why should I be ashamed?

She was given beauty and good health.

Ain't her fault just because somethin' got left out.

Then why do you act like-

Lucas, it's people... They just don't understand.

An' you thought I wouldn't?

I hoped you would.

It's been 15 years.

I didn't know, you could have changed. But I do now.

Trees, big trees, like in the forest.

Reading. It'd make such a difference.

Let's go outside an' get some air, jake.

Abbey, uh, this is buffalo. Buffalo.

Here is the word down here. Buffalo.

This word is that animal. Here, I've got an idea.

I'm gonna write your name.

Abbey.

A-b-b-y.

Abbey, that's you.

This is you.

That's right, this is you!

Here, now- now you try it.

Put it in your hand, hold it tight.

Now- now, first you're gonna write an...An "a".

Done like that.

That's it, that's an "a".

A- a "b".

Now, here you- you write the next letter.

It's another "b", just like this. "b".

Good!

Hornsby.

Hello.

Ah, mr. Striker? How're things going out there?

All right, we're... Getting things in shape.

You know the sluice gate, down in the bottom land?

Yeah.

I made that.

You did a good job.

You know, all it needs is a turn screw.

I didn't have any money, so I-

I'm picking up a turn screw today.

Oh, if, uh, if you're ever out that way, you're-

You're welcome to stop by.

Uh, thank you. If I ever get the time.

Hello.

It- it's all right. I just wanted to-to say hello.

I-I ain't gonna bite ya.

That's better.

This- this is somethin'.

Hornsby!

What are you doing?

I-I was just tryin' to say to- hello to her, that's all.

That's all?

Yeah, I was just t-tryin' to be friendly.

I wanted to-to explain to her about the other day,

You know, the way I acted.

And, well, it, oh, uh, well, what's the use?

Brice, I'm, uh, sorry. I- I didn't mean to jump on you.

It's-it's just that, well, some folks they-

They get the wrong idea about abbey.

They don't understand, do you know what I mean?

Maybe it's you that don't understand.

Well, that does it, lucas.

I'm beholden to you.

Oh, forget it, jake.

Say when do you figure to start your planting?

Next week, if I can find a hand to do the heavy work

Around here.

You know, lucas, I ran into that hornsby boy yesterday.

He was, uh, kind of curious

As to how I was gettin' along out here.

If I thought he'd tend to business-

You thinkin' of offerin' him a job, jake?

I, uh, I gave it some thought.

Well, don't, he had his chance.

If he needs a job, let him ask for it like any other man.

Yeah, I see what you mean.

An' jake, uh, anybody you hire, meet 'em halfway.

What do you mean?

Abbey, she's a grown woman.

You can't protect her forever,

Be suspicious of every man who comes around.

You gotta let her find out for herself.

You don't, jake, you'll be denyin' her her rights

An' feelings as a woman.

You know, luke, a farmer, he plants a seed,

He's gotta know how to care for it, help it grow.

I guess being a father ain't much different.

You're right, jake. Come on, mark and I have gotta go.

Abbey, look, now you write it just the way I showed you.

"papa".

"papa". Tha-that's the first time you-

Come on, son, we better go.

Mark, I, uh, I can't tell you what this means to me with...

What you're doing for abbey.

Oh, we haven't done much,

But at least she can write her name an' things like this.

Once she knows the alphabet, well, she'll learn.

We'll be seeing you, jake.

Lucas.

Somethin' wrong?

Nothing's wrong, son.

Everything is right.

I take it somebody ruffled your feathers in there.

It was just luck. It was just plain luck.

I had kings an' tens an' martin comes up with four deuces.

You know, if I didn't know better, I'd-

It's all the same. He's always egging me on.

All the time pretending to be my friend.

No friends in a poker game, you oughta know that.

Why don't you quit before he cleans you?

Or is it too late for that?

He called me farmer boy, an' he laughed right in my face,

Told me to go back and dig in the dirt.

An' all that time he just had his palm out there

With that money, loanin' it to me.

How much do you owe him?

$100.

Yeah, well he did you a favor.

Bud martin was weaned on a poker table.

You'd never get even, because he wouldn't let you.

If you had any sense, you'd realize that.

Brice, there's nothin' wrong with diggin' in the dirt,

Bein' a farmer, you know that.

Trouble with you is you never learned how

An' you're just too stubborn to ask for help.

Well, who'd wanna help me now?

Nobody in there, that's for sure.

Hey, I wanna show you somethin', come here.

That sign's been up a couple of days.

Think it over, before somebody beats you to it.

Man works for me, young fellow like you,

I gotta have his trust, you understand what I mean?

Yes, sir, I do.

Now, there's three of us here.

I expect everyone to get along.

No reason for one to be worrying about the other.

Farming's work. I guess you know that.

Makin' a farm pay an' prosper, that's even harder work.

Yes, sir, I reckon it is, and that's what I wanna see.

I wanna see somethin' made of this place

And I wanna see how it's done.

You keep that in mind, we'll get along.

Now, get your things an' put 'em in the room back of the barn.

Supper's in a half-hour.

Mr. Striker, thank you, sir.

All right, brice.

Come on, abbey.

Come on, half them shirts is mine.

Way I've been dirtyin' 'em up,

An' all and you doing the washin',

Least I can do is carry 'em for you.

Excuse me, sir.

Where have been, son? School was out an hour ago.

I stopped by mr. Striker's.

Abbey wanted to borrow my speller.

Oh, you didn't have to do that.

We are goin' over there for supper tonight.

Well, it was on the way.

Son, will you, uh, put your things away

An' help me clean up that brush?

Sure, pa. Say, brice hornsby is workin' out real good

For mr. Striker.

Mmm, so I've heard.

I reckon he found out that poker playing is only for suckers.

Well, if it ain't the lil' ol' farm boy.

Hold on there, boy.

I ain't seen you a long time now.

How do you like it out there at old striker's?

I reckon you like it a lot. Yes, sir, I reckon you like it a lot.

Go on about your business.

I'm your business... $100 worth.

Of course, now you ain't gonna earn that kind o' money

Pushin' a plough, but maybe you don't care

Cuz you got somethin' else... That makes it worthwhile.

Come on, honey, I'll help you get in the wagon.

Take your hands off her.

Get out of my way, boy.

All right, hold it, hold it.

Hear now. Any more of this, an' you'll both go to jail.

He hit me, he did.

I know what he did. Get that girl outta here.

You gonna let him go?

What that's for, huh? Wh- for that?

Oh, that- that doesn't even hurt.

Well... Ah-

Uh... Bet ya-

Bet ya martin's jaw hurts worse, huh?

You know, I know why your pa'd be worried about you.

But, uh-

He doesn't have to worry anymore, because I'm around.

Hmm?

Oh, that was, uh, that was bud martin.

Bud.

Bud.

That's right! That's right!

Bud.

Boy, that mccain kid's- he's sure teachin' you good.

You-you better go back in an',

Uh, cook that chicken. Uh-

Yeah... Yeah.

You-

You're a little wildcat.

why, you-

Now- now, take it easy, honey.

Now, take it easy, honey.

Hi, mark... Lucas.

Well, I'm- I'm glad you got here early.

Well, there's a reason, jake.

You'd better have a of plenty of fried chicken.

Mark's been starvin' himself all day.

I know a young boy's craving for fried chicken.

We got more than he can eat.

Pa, look!

Brice, what happened? Where's abbey?

I don't know.

Abbey? Abbey?

Abbey, child?

Abbey!

I'll kill him, so help me, I'll kill him!

What happened? I trusted you. What did you do to her?

I don't know, I didn't do anything, mr. Striker.

I left her with you, what did you do to her?!

Jake!

Let me alone, I'll kill him.

Jake, take care of abbey.

Jake.

Mark, there's a wash stand outside,

Get a towel an' some water.

Jake.

Sit down, brice.

Abbey? Abbey, honey...

It's me, your pa.

Abbey?

Abbey?

She's coming around.

She's opening her eyes.

Abbey, who did this? Is it him? Did he do it?

Who? Who hurt you? Brice?

No, no.

She's pointing at you.

No, she's not. She can't be. I-I-

Th- that was what she was-

All right, bud, come on down.

All right!

You wouldn't shoot an unarmed man, would you?

Brice, I, uh, I just don't know what to say.

It's all right, mr. Striker.

That about does it, mr. Striker.

All right. We'll see you in six weeks.

Luke, uh, you look in on him, will ya?

Make sure he don't loaf.

I don't think he'll do that.

You think you can handle the place

While abbey and me are away at that school?

Yes, sir, I think I can.

Imagine going all the way to denver

Just to learn how to talk with your fingers.

Well, from what I hear,

It's easier than learnin' how to read and write.

Yeah, mark, at my age, it better be.

Come on, abbey.

Abbey?

You really have taken to, uh... Farmin', haven't you?

Yeah, I sure have.