05x03 - The Maud Frazer Story

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Sure. Nice. Up here in the mountains.

Oh, sakes. Alive. Will it make it here?

No mountain.

Just a little more than a man who

my husband says is
what they call a wind riverine.

Ain't that so, Mrs.

Frazier? No.

This is Antelope Hills
that climbs into it.

It'll be another two or three days before
we're really in the mountains.

You mean we got to climb
to the top of that?

No, We, uh.

We go through a past south past,
and that's a name to reckon with.

Then said if he were still a young boxer,
that's as far they go.

Why's that? Gold girl.

Gold keeps the gold to strike that
rich up there.

And what's giving you
such a case of the misery?

You know.

Tryin to come on to the

market.

I feel like a stink in a rattlesnake.

Don't start that all over again.

I don't like what we're doing.

These people, trust me. They need me.

Oh, stop worrying about them.

They ain't going to be able to make it
without me.

Oh, hogwash. Ben Breen's been accosted
half a dozen times.

He can't take over.
He ain't got enough left in him.

They can't depend on him.
So they can't depend on him.

So they depend on you.

Till I ask you, who can I depend on?

Maybe we ought to take the other route.

Get him safe.
At least as far as Salt Lake.

The other route to Salt.

Well, that would take weeks
there and back.

The gold will still be.

There with somebody else's claim on it.

A few weeks won't make that much.

Then how do we get the south pair
from Salt Lake?

We've got nothing more
than when we let them go.

Well, I can work us back somehow.

Take another train
and abandon it instead of this one.

What would be the difference?

A big difference.

It's bad, rough country
and worse than any we've been through.

If you really

love me, you
wouldn't ask me to do a thing like this.

And if you really loved me,

there wouldn't be anything
you wouldn't do to make me happy.

I love you.

I want you to be.

Happy and be a man and stop wiggling
and want nothing.

I can't stand wiggling.

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean that. It.

I know you're not a weak link.

Come on with me on the trail

and credits out back.

You know we will.

And that's the way you want it.

We were getting close
to heart of Estonian.

So country
when we heard about another wagon

train near us that was heading
for what seemed like a short trouble.

Chris Sale thought I ought to go and warn.

I think

somebody is coming riding down,
but the sun.

My name's McCullough.

I ride scout for the crystal wagon train.

Howdy, Mr.

Frazier. Aren't you afraid you're turned?

You pull out of Saint
Joe a few days before we did.

That's right.

You know, I know.

I thought you know the one.

Well, I advise you to keep away
from Sweetwater the South Pass.

You'd be better off
going by Better Creek in the basin.

What's the find down there?

Well,
I wouldn't spend too much in the peace.

The Red Cloud has made you worry
about your terrain, and I'll run mine.

Morning, ma'am.

Ma'am.

Perhaps you were convinced, Mr..

Yes, I heard.

Yes, ma'am.

That's your wife, Mr.

Frazier? Yes. What about her?

It looks to me like she's got two
pretty ahead to get scalped.

But you have no

place to ride.

I go if.

You want to. Come this way.

Now, wait. Five

and I think you're going to be all right.

Answer, please.

Please say you're going to be all right.

I need you, sir.

You need me?

I wouldn't know what to do without you.

You don't need me.

You're never like weaklings.

You know that. We.

Yes, I am.

Because I could never say no to you.

Because I couldn't see that
you never really love me.

But I can see all that now.

Funny
how you can be so afraid of the truth

and you know you're going to die.

Then it's all there.

Clear as can be.

I loved you. I love you now.

Not only for what I could do for you.

I took these people to their deaths

because you wanted gold.

And for that I'll die too.

But I can't buy your love anymore.

I think

I'm sorry for what I did.

Do you have.

Sorry.

I'm sorry for you.

My heart.

Because you've got to live

thinking
about all the people that died here today.

You're not going to die either.

Please, please, I beg you.

You'll be alone with those thoughts,
won't you?

Come on

for once.

What? I can't do what you want me to.

I can't stay alive for you.

Oh, she'll want.

If you can stay alive for him,

you must

first.

He's dead.

What are we going to do?

What are we going to do?

We're all alone.

We'd be better still, right?

You know, nobody is better off dead.

We'll be dead. We'll all die.

Die and rot.

Oh, I don't want to die.

No whining and crying.

They'll do us no good.

What are we going to do with all the men
dead and gone?

The difference is it make.

What have we got to live for now, anyway?

You've got no right to say
even that you all your life is over.

My right to how I feel Die.

Then lie down and die.

But the rest of us don't want to die.

I'm afraid. I'm terribly afraid.

If it's God's will for us to live,
we'll make out some way.

Oh, how could we make up?

I heard tell you, Bill across before Mr.

Frazier. It was a long time ago.

None of the rest of us
has ever been across.

If you've been over it,
you're bound to know the way

trials change.

I don't know.

Somebody's got to lead us. It's up to you.

It's your responsibility.

I guess the first thing that'll do
is that's Kelly's answer.

She said to travel

and we'll take stock and see

what we've got left to travel with.

After that will bury our dead.

And then they're still in there.

We've got to dig it out with my hands.

Not steady enough.

I don't know.

I've never done anything like that before.

Please. Mr.

Fraser couldn't hurt
any worse than it already does.

And I was

right.

I don't know what it is.

I mean, I don't even know how

it is.

The way it sounds to me.

And I'm praying for the dead
and praying for themselves.

They may all be doing a heap of praying
before we get back to civilization

and why are you stopping?

They may be waiting up there again.

Miss Fraser,
We don't want to ride into another ambush.

What are you afraid of?

Come on, start the wagons.

Get moving now.

The sun's almost setting.

I know it'll be dark before we know it.

How long she figuring on? Keep moving.
Keep again.

She's right. We're walking.

She's always riding
and we're always laughing.

I can't go on much further.

We Mavis this.

We ought to just tell her we got to stop.

You tell her I ain't going to.

Last time I suggested something,
she'd like to bite my head off.

Somebody said to tell us more.
Talk it out.

I'll tell her.

I know it's other

who's going with me.

I'll go with you.

Maggie Finger.

What is it like? We'd be stopping to.

No, not so. We're fearful. Tired.

I can't help it.

We've been walking an awful long time.

We can't stop here.

We have to go on to where there's grief.

A few miles ahead. We've got water.

Another one night. Let me make a dry camp.

If we stop here,
what are the horses going to eat?

Everybody's inside as I am.

I'm not worried about you.

I'm worried about the horses.

Now we're going
until we get to that green screen there.

And grazing land.

Mrs. Frazer, it's almost dark.

They ain't going to graze in the dark.

We're not. Stop
until we get to that green.

If it takes half the
night. Now, get back in line

every day.

Possum and doom and more.

They're getting awfully. Smart.

Again, Mark.
Like that in a diet, of course.

Biscuits and belly.

What they need is fresh meat
and then we'll get the meat.

I don't think any. Of us can.

sh**t good enough.

Oh, fiddlesticks. Some trouble with that.

We've been going along feeling helpless
just because we're women.

Woman can do dog on there.

Anything a man can do.

And we watch them
put out lines for fishing.

Why can't we do it?

You know, when I was a kid,
we were poor to eat.

We had to find gain.

I've watched my brother
take a piece of flannel and wrap it around

a sapling stuck in the ground,
and we'd hide in the bush before long.

Do would come along
and see the rags waving

and kind of curious,
like come up to see what it was all about.

Bang,

we all had venison we ever needed.

And you know something, Bessie?

Tomorrow morning early, I'm going hunting.

For a million children.

Oh, we're going to eat girls away
from all that we're doing,

isn't.

That the

next time you hang around?

You have been told everything you need.

Farming in their place

so hard that I didn't realize it.

So how did you get out?

Why? I'm on the.

River, making out pretty
well so far better all the time.

There's hardly a thing
our men did for us that we can't do.

Just as well.
I think you'll all agree to that.

Well, that doesn't mean we don't miss Mrs.

Frazier.
Of course we do. And that's my point.

We're going to miss them even more
when we get to California.

Did you ever stop and think
what we're going to do when we get there,

how we're going to keep body
and soul together,

what kind of work
a bunch of women can guess now?

Things are a lot different
now than when we left Saint Joe.

Most of us
only came along in the first place

because our men wanted to go west
for one reason or another.

Well, there

they're dead and gone
now, but it's still a

man's world and we're left alone in it
to make out as best we can.

What you say is more than likely trauma.

But what can we do about it?

We can't turn back.
We just can't stay here.

We can do just what your Ben said.

He always wanted to do it.

My Isaac would have done if he hadn't
had the responsibility of this train.

You're not talking about self, Pat.

That's just what I am talking about.

South Pass and gold for this.

There's no reason why we can dig
would pick and shovel.

Same as we've been doing a lot of
other work that isn't exactly womanly.

And just think just think of landing
in San Francisco with enough money

to left us for the rest of our lives.

But we've already gone by so fast
several days ago.

So in the same amount of days
we can be back there.

What's the difference? We'll be traveling
anyhow. Isn't it?

Better be going someplace with a purpose.

That's why the Indians attacked us.

I don't ever want to go
near that place again.

Oh, the Indians won't be there any more.

And they sure wouldn't expect us
to be doubling back

as a lot more dangerous places
between here and San Francisco.

Just the thought of it scares me.

Well, you know what scares me?

The thought of living in poverty
in San Francisco.

I don't aim to be a scrub woman
for the rest of my life.

Not when there's gold within that region.

Just for the taken. Now,
you think about it.

All of you just think whether you want to
live in poverty or in luxury.

And in
the morning, I think you'll all agree

it's best we turn back to South Path.

I'll stand the first white

ground

that far enough, mister.

The r*fle on your back.

So I'd turn around real easy if I was you.

Aren't you, Mrs.

Frazier? Yes.

And I remember you, Mr.

McCullough.

Where The rest of your wagon.

We lost them.

What your manager may got.

But we were hit by Indians.

I'm so. I'm very tired.

But maybe you'd come to gloat.

Why should I gloat?

Seems to me you've paid a big enough price
as it is Lucky I saw you smoke.

How does that make you lucky?

Not me, lady. You.

Well, now I'm having trouble
figuring out how that makes me lucky.

It makes you lucky because now I can lead
you and your people to join my train.

Thank you, Mr.

McCullough.

But we don't care to join anybody
else's train.

You don't really mean.

We're doing all right.
We don't need any help.

Yeah, but you women aren't very safe
out here alone.

Oh, we've been doing it for some time now.

Making out better every day.

You got a long way to go.

We'll make it our own way.

I don't think
you quite know what you're up against.

The rivers are running unusually high
this year.

You've got some tough crossings ahead
with only three wagons.

You're a sitting duck for any
hunting party that might stumble upon you.

And I should think your provisions
would be getting pretty low.

Through this beach.

Yeah,

I ordinarily don't make them.

Then I'll thank you.

To ride back to wherever you came from.

You're sure you speak for everybody
in your party?

I do. Now, ride.

You say
she actually booted you out of camp?

Yeah, She told me to ride and I rode.

But the more I think about it,

the more convinced Diane
that we can't leave her alone.

No matter what she wants.

We can't leave them ship to themselves.

I had to think.

What is she,
some kind of a sour old misfit?

No, I wouldn't say that, but she's as good
to look at as any woman I've seen.

Judging from that sickening, lovelorn

look you're wearing,
you might like to be treated rough.

Now, Charlie, you know my rules.

I make it a point
never to get too involved with anything.

When something or somebody

looks better to a man and anything
he's ever seen, he's already about now.

But I am concerned. I'm worried about.

You're worried about her?

Well, I'm worried about you.

Well, maybe you just approached her wrong.

There's no doubt about that. Duke.

As far as he was concerned,
it was headed for a safe.

I'll tell you one thing.

Better ride out there in the morning
and have a talk.

Try to reason with Chris.

You can't reason with women.

You have to appeal to their emotions.

You're both wrong.
Women are just like mules.

You've got to be more stubborn
than they are.

I will admit strong hand with them
doesn't hurt from time.

Well, I'll take it to a crisp, but
when we get there, you use your methods.

Because, believe me, mine didn't work.

What did you do?

Go home and get your father. Do it.

I mean, this is prejudice of Mr.

Hale. He's a wagon master.

I suppose you're within your rights, Mr.

Hale, peddling passage.

But we're not interested in any tickets.

Where we wouldn't expect any money. Man.

We're only here to invite you
to join your wagons up with ours.

Declined.

We think you must have good reason.

I may have,
but I don't feel obliged to voice them.

You have big responsibilities, Mrs.
Frazier.

Seems to me you do anything you could
to protect your people.

Well, I've been doing just that.

I believe to everybody. Satisfaction.

All that may be.

But surely you realize
you'd be safer with us.

Safer because you're a man?

Well, I don't know.

I've been around men.

It hasn't always
necessarily made me feel safer.

Well, and I don't like men, ma'am, we've
got a lot of women on our train, too.

Why don't you leave the
decision up to your people?

You've all had
time to think over what I said last night.

Well, going with them won't make it
any different when we get to San Francisco

than if we had just kept going alone.

Leave us be, Mr.

Hale. I have work to do
to get this train moving.

I haven't any more time for chatter.

While I am getting more time for chatter
either, Mrs.

Frazer, but I happen to be a wagon
master by profession that gives me certain

and definite responsibilities
toward the people I meet on the trail

when, in my judgment, they are in danger.

I take steps to help them.

I thought you said
you'd leave it up to my people.

I did.

But I've been watching them.

You got them all buffaloed.

They don't dare think for themselves.

I don't know about that.

And I don't know about the risks.

But I know about me.

And I'm going with the men.

Me too.

I stand
here when there are men to protect me.

I'm going.

It'll be better this way, mind.

You'll see. Thanks for your support.

And thank you, Mr. McCullough.

Thanks for the help.

I didn't ask for.

Are we doing this operation?

Fancy? What are you doing here?

I figured you might like

somebody to talk to,
so I decided to stay right along with you.

All right.

I guess I can't stay mad at you forever.

You really did have your heart set
on going back to south passengers.

Nothing's happened since last night
to change my mind about what I said then.

Haven't got anything to do with why

your husband
let us through South in the first place.

What makes you ask that?

I think there must be good reasons.

Mr. Hale train to the different way. And.

And we didn't.

Well, we talked about it, Isaac and I.

But he never would have abandoned
the train for any reason.

You know that.

I suppose you're right.

But it's different now with him gone.

I have to think of myself.

And I haven't got one problem
that gold wouldn't solve.

But you haven't got a man to dig it up.

So I guess you can say all you want to
about getting along with old men.

Maybe we did for a while,
but has unlimited aid.

Naturally.

And what one of us
wants to go it alone forever.

Keeping body and soul together
in the force too is one thing.

But digging for gold is man's work.

Any way you look at.

And maybe I'll just have to get me
another man.

Bring

you. Right?

We are. No, thank you, Mr. McCullough.

You saved our lives.

Well,
I never thought I'd see the Independent.

Mrs. Fraser.
Say thank you to me for anything.

Well, I guess I've been wrong
about a lot of things.

Apology accepted.

Everything I do with food.

Your husband's the horses.

Oh. Oh,
it was a bee of a beast on one of them.

Yeah.

That's strange.

I don't believe I've seen to be out here
all day.

Oh, with a bee.

All right.

I thought one thing about a bear.

Yes, I believe it
was. A dove as part of a horse.

His height is his rump.

No. Be in his right mind.

At risk is thing of their relative.

It wasn't a bee.

I don't know what it was.

I do. Mr.

Frazier, the whip.

Are you trying to say that?
I say in line with you.

I've got enough problems
that it quite naturally

without somebody
trying to think them up for me.

One word
out of you and I'll make you walk.

Back.

It anyway.

Was waiting for Mr. McCullough.

Yeah, that's what it's. Meant to be.

Do for a minute.

What is it you don't like about me?

I didn't say I didn't like you.

Oh, you don't have to say it.

I will say one thing.

I'm puzzled.

At first you were so dead
set against joining this wagon train,

and now suddenly you can attract enough
attention.

Did it ever occur to you that I might be
sorry for the way I treated you and I?

I just wanted a chance to apologize.

No, frankly, it didn't.

Do you want me to crawl, Mr. McCullough?

No, Mrs. Frazier.
I just want to know what you're up to.

What I'm asking.

You're obviously a strong willed,
independent woman.

And you back that up with beauty.

Now, it occurs to me

that you never do anything
unless it gets you something you want.

And you think I want something from here.

And that's the way I would add up.

You may be right, Mr.

McCullough.

Anything else.

Puzzling you?

You're not mourning for your husband.

Very well.

I never loved him.

He was a weekly.

I don't like weekly,

Maude.

I was worried about you.

It didn't take this
long to get a little bit of one.

Now, I was with Flint.

Mr. McCullough.

You're Johnson

after that little runaway, I didn't think
he'd ever talk to you again.

Oh, he did more than talk. He kissed me.

He did? For real.

I told you he'd forgive me.

Did he say
he'd take you back after the gold?

No, not yet.

That may take a little time,
but time is something

you don't have.

Yes, I know.

I've been thinking about that

boy. Hello.

Hello. You might as well on that team.

We won't be traveling today.

Oh, and some of the horses would turn off
during the night,

and I'll probably take it months today
to round them up.

Did you say turn loose, Miss McCullough?

That's right, Mrs. Brane.
The picket lines still there.

So the horses must have been
untied separately.

Why would anybody want to do a thing
like that?

We haven't figured that out yet.

Would you be back before dark?

Yeah, probably.

Maybe you'd like to have supper with me.

I'd be delighted.

I got to have a diamond.

It looks like it won't be long before it's
even out of your head.

And it has more time too.

So somebody turned the horses loose
and we won't be traveling.

Any brother from south past today. You

mad phrase that you didn't

didn't want to see.

You turn the horses loose
so you can have more time.

I be careful of accusing
somebody of a thing like that, Bessie,

unless you had proof.

Well, after dinner like that,
the least I can do is help you do

the dishes.

You'll do nothing of the kind
that women's work.

I'll do them later.

Right now, we're going for a walk.

All right.

Besides, the lady always looks her best

in the moonlight.

Oh, yeah.

I'm just a dry 30.

And then.

Do you think.

This could be a girl?

I don't. Know.

I'm more than willing to find out.

The nuns look for.

For tonight.

It's hard to believe
what took place in a few short days ago.

Yeah, The

faces of the country can change
pretty quick.

Too bad your husband didn't
listen to the warning about Red Cloud.

I don't understand this gold

and stuff that.

You've heard about.

Everybody has their two.

Sons, right?

You haven't thought of starving
to get your share?

Oh, I thought about it here.

But every time I come
this way, I'm tied down.

Just never seem to find the time.

Isaac was going to take the time

we were going to stay so fast.

You mean
he was going to abandon the train?

Oh, he would have to hand it over
to a competent man.

The passengers know that.

Not exactly, But

some of them would have stayed with us,
most of them proud of it.

You don't have to.

You know,

I don't think I know of a responsibility
that's more serious than Ram

running a wagon train for a man to quit in
the middle of the trip just for his own.

Great.

I think that's. Well,
I think that's wrong.

Is it wrong to want the decent
kind of life gold can give you?

That depends,

Clint.

There are other men on the team
who could go.

You wouldn't be abandoning anybody.

Not you're suggesting something.

It wouldn't take us long to get back to.

South has a few days at the most.
You and me.

But there's this offer.

And just think so.

In a month or two,
we'd have enough gold to last forever.

And you wouldn't have to waste your life
as an Indian scout.

What if I told you
I wasn't interested in gold?

Oh, Flint, don't. Joe, I'm not joking.

If gold was the hands of a man
who stepped in South as long ago.

Doesn't it matter what I wore?

I'm afraid
that's the only thing that matters to you.

You'll know

I love you, Clint.

You know that.
I could make myself think so.

But I know better.

What you think.

I'm saying.

I know why your husband wouldn't

listen to the warning about Red Cloud,
why he was willing to abandon his train.

It wasn't for gold. Mine was for you.

It was for you.

It wasn't.

And now we know what you want
from made up.

You're no more of a man than he was.

Why can't you see what you want
for the taking?

Why can't you be men enough to take it?
You're talking about gold.

A lot more trouble as you place

too much importance on one
and not enough on the other.

And the sad thing is,
you don't even know which one you need.

Linda.

I'm going to South path
with or without you,

Maude.

Maude, what you're doing is just plain
and try to stop me, Bessie.

And don't go raising a ruckus, hoping
somebody else will.

It was bad enough you're planning
to go back there with a man. But.

But alone.

Why did you wedding tomorrow morning?

Maybe I'll think better of it.
Well, maybe Mr.

McCulloch change his mind to go with you.

I don't want him, and I don't need him.

Bessie.

When Isaac died, I just didn't
see how I could go on a little.

And I thought I'd always relied on him.
But I was wrong.

I found out the only strength
he had was me.

And as far as I'm concerned,
that goes for any man.

I don't need them
and I don't want them now or ever.

You're welcome to come along with me.

Jessye Norman.

Ralph,

God be with you.

My Treasure.

By Bessie.

Go ahead and make all the noise you want.

You can't scare me out

with this.

Where are you going.

To put in the back?

Well, maybe I can get it out for you.

I've had some experience. Too late
for that.

Just properly up so I can talk both

and put your fire out.

They might see it too.

Indians.

Red Cloud. Red Cloud.

Quick, put your fire out.

Yes. He'll be safe now.

As your husband.

I don't have any. I'm alone.

Are you sure?

Red Cloud is out of one.

He came down.

He's on the warpath.

Wiped out my whole company.

But I got away to.

To warn of a wagon train.

It should be in this area somewhere.

Red Cloud

Indians caught me, but they shot me.

Yes, I heard them g*ns.

You're. I can't help you. It's

too late to just listen.

I don't have much time.

Do you?

Do you think you could find that wagon
train?

Christopher Hill Street?

I know where it is.
I just came from there.

Then get back there tonight. You can.

Warn them.

They'll be out of Red Cross territory
by noon tomorrow.

It's too late
and they've got to pull stakes.

Harold.

Tonight, Red Cloud will attack.

They're still there in the morning.

What are you doing?

Well, I wasn't exactly headed that way.

You got the good man.

All them.

You sure?
Red Cloud is out of the mountains.

He still isn't hanging around so fast.

I told you. I'm sure.

Oh, what's their.

A new man.

What do you got against those folks
on the train that you don't own?

Well,
I didn't say I wouldn't want, am I? For.

Why didn't you tell me that before?

He made me promise not to.

But I got to think of
what could happen to me now.

Duke, you better come with me.

I will if you let me watch the fun
when you find it Fun?

Sure.

I haven't seen a good lover's quarrel
since the time

you had the ruckus
with a girl in Red River. Never mind.

Get the horses.

Hurry,

girl.

Mud. How?

Turned out

Hounds Wagon train.

You must warn the red car is on the road

is going to attack in the morning.

How do you know? I saw it was

riding to warn you.

He hit me before he died

yelling.

Sorry, you're throughout too nice.

You hear that?

I sure did.

And on your way.

I'll catch up with you later.

Right.

Oh, you must go to now.

Going. I'm getting ready first.

I'm going to take care of a you.

It was a real runaway.

Terribly

terrible.

Everything is real now. I.

I found her.

What I need.

Try not to. Talk.

I want you to know it.

It isn't Go.

Oh, I.

Why did it take me so long to

high school?

Long before could care what happened.

The important thing is you did learn.

I could

think of me

the minute.

And so what?