Original subtitles

How does he look, lucas boy?

Not too good.

What do you suppose it is?

Same as the pair last week, only this one's worse.

Hey, you're punishin' that horse, son.

Well, he's out to run today, pa, can't hold him in.

Gosh, isn't it fine outdoors? What's wrong with the steer?

Well, he's not feelin' too good, son.

Oh, maybe if I ran 'im a little bit.

You know, you're too full of mustard.

I tell you what, you take the afternoon,

I'll mind your chores.

Gosh, pa, thanks!

Today I feel like the west wind a-blowin'!

Wahoo!

¶ tell me the tales that to me ¶

¶ were so dear long long ago ¶

¶ long long ago ¶

¶ sing me the songs ¶

¶ I delighted to hear long long ago ¶

¶ long ago ¶

Partial to the banjo's singin', laddie buck.

The way you do it, gosh.

You just wasn't expectin' music out here,

Well, stop off an' visit? Name's lafayette bly.

Well, howdy, mr. Bly.

My name is mark mccain.

Well, mostly, my friends call me faye.

Help yourself to coffee.

I- I guess once wouldn't hurt. Smells so good.

When coffee tastes like it smell, then it's good coffee.

Hmm, sugar? In the upward box.

If you'll set things back exactly like as is.

You sure picked a nice spot.

Always listen for runnin' water,

Stop when you feel the coolness of shade trees

An' then... An' then if you hear runnin' water

¶ 'tis springtime 'tis springtime ¶

¶ cold winter is past warm breezes are blowin' ¶

¶ an' may's here at last the birds are returnin' ¶

¶ their songs fill the air ¶

¶ an' meadows are smilin' with blossoms so fair ¶

What's that?

If I said rubber ball, develop your hands,

Bound to be stronger all over, all human physics connected up?

Bet you really got a grip.

I had to swear off shakin' hands.

Oh, I- I'll get it.

Stop, quiet, don't move!

Sorry, marko, just had to listen where the ball rolled.

You're blind.

I'm- I'm terrible sorry I mentioned about it, mr. Bly.

Thought I told you my friends call me faye, well, come now.

Faye.

That's better.

Now, marko I- I ain't exactly partial to being sightless

But I ain't bashful to have it spoke of.

A man's bashful over a nose pimple or a missin' tooth, hmm.

But sightless is bigger... You go your ways in darkness.

Isn't there anythin' that can be done about your eyes?

No. No, marko, ah... But it ain't all that bad,

Why... I can tune up on any street in this here nation

And it ain't a minute 'til some kindly hand is guidin' me

Into the swing doors.

An' then I hear the voices callin' for a...

For a song or story before I've even had my fill o' beer

Or free lunch.

Wh... What kind of stories do you tell?

Lies, mostly about myself.

But more truth than lies, my 21st birthday,

I'd been 3 years on a whalin' ship,

I've known warfare an' I've known love.

But of the two, love is the most painful.

Where'd you fight at?

I was just a farrier's myth, but at channel church,

I fought in the last scratch reserve an' lived a boast of it.

Right in front of vicksburg, we bring the forges clear up

To the siege lines, to mend our smashed guns.

An' right under the eyes of grant an' sherman,

A splinter of ground shot came boundin' up

An' glanced off my head.

Well, when uncle billy sherman sees I'm only knocked senseless,

He says to grant, "general," he says,

"now we know for sure which is harder, the enemy cannon balls

"or the skulls of our fearless troops. How can we lose?"

"oh, let them come." say sherman.

He bent over laughin' like-

Like he took a mini ball through his sword.

Somebody just shot somethin'.

I know how you feel lucas, but you couldn't let 'im suffer.

Like shootin' down a $10 bill that I sweated for.

What do you suppose makes 'im so sick?

The rain and the bible,

I midwifed this one into the world, now I gotta bury him.

Can't leave 'im for the coyotes.

See you at the ranch later, micah?

No, I've got a meetin' at the hotel, but... Thanks anyway.

Relax your wrist, boy.

Aside from the saddletramps, you get many strangers in town?

Some.

How come it never sounds the same as when you do it?

Practice, you'll be a good player.

With this one chord?

When you've mastered it, try the next 'un...

By some information I got,

There's a stranger who'll be passin' through here this week.

You see anyone, will you let me know?

Sure, besides I'll be comin' by for my banjo lessons.

And ah... Promise not to mention to anyone about me campin' here.

But why? You're not doin' anythin'.

Got my reasons, boy.

Big reasons.

Blind man's reasons.

Gosh, I'll be late for supper, I better get going.

Mark! I loved a girl back there in my seein' days.

Oh my! She was like the outtest-of-reach red apple

At the top of the tree, 'til he come by lookin' up at her.

Agh-

Know what he done? I'll tell you what he done, he blind me.

Makin' out to be my friend with all of them eye medicines.

Oh, let me go, you're hurtin' me.

In just under six years, my pretty sweetheart was dead

In a grave from his mistreatments.

My wrist.

Now a smart boy like you should know him easy.

Six-foot-five with a lanky leg way o' walkin'

An' pale colored eyes o'er his cheek bones.

Now, I don't know what name he goes under,

All I ever knowed 'im by was mack.

What's the matter? What's all this, boy?

Well, but... Boy, heart's bangin' like a drop forge.

Oh, shame on me for crunchin' your poor, skinny wrist.

Well, no bones broke.

I'll tell you what, marko, we'll forget about all that promisin'.

From here on I- I'm trusting your loyalty

To this fine friendship we struck up.

Pa, shouldn't we take the buckboard

For bringin' the hide back?

Just the shovel. I've got no heart for skinnin' 'im.

Pa?

Hmm?

Did you ever injure anyone real severely?

Say maybe blind him?

What?

For instance, on account of ma?

You've been readin' too many of those books.

You mean ivanhoe?

No, I don't mean ivanhoe.

Sounds like the varmints got the steer ahead of us.

Do a better job than we would.

Mark, you've been lookin' at me all evenin'

Like you never saw me before, somethin' troublin' you, son?

Nothin' special, pa.

That's the 4th steer in a week, pa.

How much longer is this gonna last?

I don't know, son, I just don't know.

Good day, gentlemen?

Howdy.

You um... Care for a cup o' coffee?

Just some water.

I'll get it, pa.

Thanks, mccain.

Oh, you know my name?

I know a lot of names. You see I- sir?

Hey. Well? Ah.

About as tall as I am.

Son, lay this shovel handle across here.

Well, all right.

Just a hair's difference.

That don't happen too frequent.

No, it doesn't.

Mack's the name, m.A.C.K. J.J. Mack.

What can I do for you, mr. Mack?

Well, eh... You mind if I take a look at your bunch?

Bunch? It's not a bunch, it's a herd. Help yourself.

Mccain, I've been lookin' at herds

Up to 3500 head all summer.

To me this is just a bunch.

Well, that's all I've got, mister. Now, what do you want?

Well, I asked your permission only out of civility.

Actually, I have a warrant.

Well, now that the civility is over,

Maybe you better show that warrant.

All right.

The territorial governor authorizes me as veterinarian

Pharmacist to inspect all livestock

For epizotic hoof and mouth disease.

It's just a letter, mister.

Not worth the paper it's written on.

I can have this enforced, mccain.

Well, do it!

In the meantime, get off my land.

You're makin' a big mistake.

What's his name again?

Mack, mack.

What would you do to 'im?

I don't know.

Why ain't he here yet? North fork's on his 'tinerary.

Could he have been and went? Could he?

No, I- I'd have heard.

Faye, wh- what would you really do to him?

Just let me get my hands on 'im for...

Oh, about two minutes, 'til I teach 'im his lesson.

All without end everlasting.

Sorry to inform you, four o' your steers are drooling.

That's a contagious stage, they have to be destroyed.

Hear 'im?

He wants to condemn four head of prime beef, almost $50.

I'm afraid I'm not makin' myself very clear.

Your entire herd now classifies as being infected.

Under the law, they have to be buried no less than five feet

Deep with no parts removed or missing.

The government says that?

It's to your benefit in the long run as a cattleman.

It is, huh?

Does the government know those cows are my cash income

For the whole year?

I've got land payments, mister,

If they're not met I can be sold at public auction.

Look, ah... Mccain, why don't you go on back to the ranch?

The marshal an' I can handle this thing for you.

Get 'im off my land, micah! I still slaughter my own cattle.

Now, lucas, be reasonable.

Let me have today! Tomorrow, I'll be reasonable.

Pa, it's- it's just about like shootin' your feet

Out from underneath you.

This year we're gonna have to break 20 acres of new land,

To come out even.

Faye, faye, the man-

The man you're lookin' for, mr. Mack, he's in town.

I seen him, faye.

This is your last chance, he's leavin' tomorrow.

Are you sure now?

That's what he told me.

Howdy.

You seen my boy around?

As I rode out this mornin'.

Matter of fact he... Asked me when I'd be leaving permanently.

Much obliged.

Oh, mccain.

How is the boy doin' with the ranch work while you're plowing?

Ranch work? There's no cattle.

I don't make many friends in my job.

I owe you an apology, sir.

Run along, laddie buck, no call for you mixin' in this.

How're you gonna know it's him?

A lady, around 40, tired an' plenty bothered.

That's mrs. Ransom, a whiskey husband and 11 kids.

A young galoot, ain't got nothin' on his mind

But girls an' ructions.

Well, this one's quite somebody.

Man about 55, quiet, but he got authority.

well, you sure called him. Micah's our town marshal.

Hear? Hear it? It's him.

Six-foot-five, 190 pounds,

Walk like a hind end of an arkansas mule.

Give him somethin' to remember you by, faye.

Faye, that's not him.

Faye, let go! Let him go!

Listen to me! It's not him, it's my pa!

Faye, listen to me! It's not him, it's my pa!

You gotta believe me, it's my pa!

Let him go, let him go!

Let him go!

Come on. Cough, lucas, cough.

I'm awfully sorry, pa.

I- I just wanted to get even with that vet.

It was him, not you, please forgive me.

Get even with the vet?

I'm sorry, pa, I'm sorry.

"vengeance is mine," sayeth the lord.

If you don't prefer charges, lucas,

I can only hold 'im on disorderly conduct.

No charges, micah.

Well, he should be taught a lesson.

He's not a criminal.

He's learned somethin' already an' I think mark has, too.

Do you plan to hold him, marshal?

No, I guess not.

Do you mind if I saw 'im before you released 'im?

No, go right ahead.

Thanks.

This time it's really you.

How could I have been mistook?

Buck fever.

Why did you want to kill me, faye?

Why did you wanna blind me, john?

Blind you?

The bark solution.

Faye, I'm a pharmacist,

I could tell you were losin' your eyesight,

The eye drops were just to sooth you.

Eh, sooth me?

While you got round my sweet woman.

Would you have married her, blind?

She'd been willing.

Yes, if she had known in time.

But faye, I don't... Think you could have done that to her.

Dog!

You liar, I heared of you an' your cruelties.

I never touched her or spoke to her,

Even looked at her except in lovin' kindness, I swear that.

She died in childbirth.

At least, you're spared the blame of that.

You still don't believe me?

What can a man believe behind bars?

It's open, faye.

Careful, faye, step down.

Well, here we are.

John? Just one thing.

Why is it you never marked her restin' place?

I hoped that... You might help with the inscription.

I guess there ain't but one good enough for her.

I am the rose of sharon an' the lily of the valleys.

Are you there, folks? Could you lend me a minute?

I got a little song for you tonight.

Now, hear the blind man,

I say to my kind, old friend,

That his heart was a black gila monster.

But that monster was in my own darkness.

¶ mine eyes have seen the glory of the comin' of the lord ¶

¶ he's tramplin' out the vintage ¶

¶ where the grapes of wrath are stored ¶

¶ he hath loosed the faithful lightnin' ¶

¶ of his terrible swift sword ¶

¶ his truth is marchin' on ¶

¶ glory glory hallelujah ¶

¶ glory glory hallelujah ¶

¶ his truth is marching on ¶