01x01 - The Birth of the Blade

[bunniefuu]

[door thudding]

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

♪ He was a bold adventuring man ♪

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

♪ Battled for right with a powerful hand ♪

♪ His blade was tempered and so was he ♪

♪ Indestructible steel was he

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

♪ He was a fighter, a fearless and mighty adventuring man ♪

♪ He roamed the wilderness unafraid ♪

♪ From Natchez to Rio Grande

♪ With all the might of his gleaming blade ♪

♪ He fought for the rights of man ♪

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

♪ He was a fighter, a fearless and mighty adventuring man ♪

- [Narrator] Jim Bowie, who's name one day

was to be written into the annuls of brave men

at the Battle of the Alamo,

along with those of Davy Crockett and Colonel Travis,

is on his way home again.

Plantation owner, adventurer,

Jim Bowie is always coming home

because he's always going away.

Looking for new lands, new timber and new adventure.

But he never stayed anywhere very long.

Just until the adventure was finished

and then he'd start drifting homeward again.

That is, unless another adventure delayed him.

[horse neighs]

[bear whines]

[horse neighs]

[bear whines]

- You keep away from me now, I'm not hunting bear.

You keep away from me now,

I've got a fine, dependable weapon

which I'll have to use on you if you don't keep away.

[bear whines]

Go on, go home, scat.

Now I don't want to sh**t you Mrs. Bear,

if you don't keep away now,

I'm warning you.

[bear whines]

[g*n thudding]

[horse neighs]

[bear whines]

[horse neighs] [bear whines]

[light dramatic music]

[g*n firing]

Fine dependable weapon.

- [Narrator] After the encounter with Mrs. Bear,

he was determined to have a weapon

that would match her claws.

A weapon he could depend on.

So this is the story of how the blade that was later

to be known as the Bowie knife was born.

[knocks on door]

- Anyone here?

[knocks on door]

Mr. Black?

[knocks on window]

Mr. Black?

- Sam Black don't live here no more mister,

moved down to the country.

- Oh, hey can you tell me is there a doctor in town?

- Yep, traveling Doc over at Yancey's store,

making his regular monthly visit.

- One more day and you woulda had

a bad case of poisoning of the blood.

- Clean it up good, Doc.

- Hey, a mug of ale for my friend Jim Bowie,

and a mug for me to keep him company.

Every time the Doc comes around this

thieving bunch of riff raff moves in.

[men laughing]

Keep your eye on Gypsy Joe and Louis,

and the cashbox.

You want that blanket, it'll cost you a dollar.

Here's some ale Jim.

- Well thank you Yancey.

- Well, here's quick healing to that arm of yours.

[metal clinks]

Now what brings you to Yancey's corner?

Timber, sugarcane land?

- No as a matter of fact I'm on my way home.

Just sold some parcels of land up around Memphis,

but that isn't why I come here.

I'm looking for Sam Black the steel maker.

You see, when that bear came at me,

and my g*n misfired I made up my mind right then and there

I was gonna get myself something more reliable,

I was gonna get myself a knife.

- Skinning knife?

Ooh I've got a fine selection.

- Mm-mm.

I got a skinning knife,

what I want's a special kind of knife.

Kinda knife I want hasn't been made yet.

[cloth rips]

That's why I come to see Sam Black.

I remember my father used to say

he makes the best steel in the whole of Louisiana.

- Oh he used to but no more.

He closed up his shop a couple years back,

got himself a little farm.

- Why'd he do that?

- Nobody knows exactly, he just up and moved.

- Now I'll tell ya boy,

I'm gonna give you some ointments and fresh bandages

and I want you to use them.

You don't you're gonna have trouble.

- Oh I'll use 'em, Doc, I'll use 'em.

How much I owe ya?

- Oh it's a sad $1.

- $1?

That's a fair enough price.

Here you are.

- [Doctor] I haven't got change for $10.

- Oh, hey Yancey you pay it will ya?

Put it on my bill.

- Thanks, now keep that clean you here?

- Yes I will thank you Doc.

Where's this farm the Blacks have moved to?

- Bayou Lockternome, straight south

by the river road about six, seven miles.

- Yeah?

I think I'll go have a talk with Mr. Black,

I want him to make me a knife.

- So do a lot of people,

I can sell anything he makes.

If you can persuade him let me know.

- Well, maybe a little of this gold will persuade him.

Thanks for the ale Yancey.

I'll see you on my way back. - Bye.

[light dramatic music]

- Who is it, Anne?

- I don't know.

- Oh you remember me, Mrs. Black, don't you?

I'm Jim Bowie from Opelousas, don't you remember me?

- Of course, Mr. Black it's Mrs. Bowie's boy Jim.

- Welcome Jim, welcome.

- Hello Mr. Black.

- Have you ridden far?

- From Yancey's corner.

- Then you must be tired.

I'll get you a glass of Mr. Black's elderberry wine.

- Well thank you, ma'am.

- Now you sit right down here with Mr. Black

and I won't be but a minute.

How is your mother?

- Well she's fine ma'am, spankin' fine.

- And your brother Rezin?

- He's fine too.

- Mrs. Black, Jim's thirsty.

- Oh I'm going, Mr. Black.

- I want you to make me a knife.

- A knife?

- Next time I have an argument

with a lady I'd like to win it.

- Well, but Mr. Yancey has a real good assortment of knives.

- Oh no Mr. Black, those kinda knives too short

to get through the fat of a bear.

And they're too brittle when they hit bone.

Kinda knife I have in mind is a,

well it's a special kinda knife.

Knife I have in mind would have a blade

about this long, would be twice maybe three times

as thick as an ordinary knife.

And be curved toward the tip.

And double edged, sorta cut two ways.

And it would be balanced for throwin',

so it would have to be made of the very finest steel,

so the tip wouldn't break off when it hit something solid.

I don't know, maybe I'm asking the impossible.

But I do know this, Mr. Black,

if anyone can make me this knife it's you.

- But Jim, that's not just a knife, that's a weapon.

- That's right Mr. Black, a knife doesn't misfire,

and it's always loaded.

- Yes, be an awful lot of work.

- I'll supply the muscle and the sweat,

all you'd have to do is supply the knowledge.

- That knife does fire my imagination,

kinda like a challenge.

Two years ago I would've accepted it

but now I can't even see my wife's face

across the supper table,

I'm just gropin' around in a world of shadows

and it's gettin' worse.

It's why I closed up my shop.

- [Mrs. Black] Things will be different tomorrow.

We're going in to see Doctor Hogue at the Corners.

He wrote that he has some fine new spectacles

with imported German lenses.

We've been saving our money for it.

Oh I almost forgot, here's another dollar.

Mr. Clearey paid his milk bill.

- Mr. Black, if the doctor can help you,

I mean if the lenses do make you see again,

will you make me the knife?

- Well, Jim, I'd be happy to.

- Now that that's settled,

you'll be staying for supper James?

- It'll be a pleasure ma'am.

[light dramatic music]

- There, that aught to hold you until you get home.

- Thank you ma'am.

- Now if you have time I can fix your jacket for you.

- No I think I aught to be going now.

- I'll get your horse.

- No, no I'll get it. - Keep your seat.

- Finish your coffee, Mr. Black can get you horse.

[light dramatic music]

I encourage him to do all he can,

it gives him confidence.

- You're not only a good cook,

you're a wise woman Mrs. Black.

[loudly thudding]

- [Burglar] This isn't Bowie.

- [Burglar] Who cares, his money's just as good.

- [Mr. Black] Help, Jim!

Help, Jim!

Jim, help!

Help!

Jim!

- Mr. Black, what happened?

Are you alright? - Are you alright?

- Somebody hit me on the head and took all my money.

- Who was it, did you see him?

- No, I didn't see him.

- Did they say anything?

- Yes, one of 'em said this ain't Bowie.

- Then they were after me!

- All that money gone, now we can't get your spectacles.

- Don't worry, Mrs. Black,

your husband will get his spectacles.

Just have him at Yancey's store first thing in the morning.

[light dramatic music]

- Seen Mr. Black?

- Yeah I saw him, I saw him.

He was beat up and robbed.

He couldn't do any work so I come back here.

Gimme a room for the night will you, Yancey?

- Sure, just sign the book an give me a dollar.

Oh better make it $2,

I paid the Doc for you remember?

- Alright, take care of my horse will ya?

- 50 cents more.

- There you are, that suit you?

- Well don't get mad about it, everybody has to sign.

- You look like you can't read.

- I can read alright, don't worry.

- I want you to put the rest of this gold

in the safe for me.

- [Yancey] I aint got a safe, it was stolen.

- Oh well, give me a room

with a good, strong lock on the door.

- Ain't got no keys, one by one they just come up missin'.

- This is a fine hotel,

you make it easy for thieves, don't you?

- Well if you're so scared of getting robbed

just shove your bed against the door.

- Oh that's not good enough.

Gimme a hammer and some nails, I'll nail the door up.

- You shouldn't carry so much money anyways.

- [Jim] I have to till I get to the bank in Opelousas.

- [Yancey] Here, nail yourself in number six down the hall.

- Number six got a window?

- One of my best rooms, plenty of fresh air.

- Good, fresh air's one thing I like.

Good night.

- Good night.

Beats me, traipsing around the country,

carrying a fortune on him,

just looking for trouble.

Gimme a nightcap Pete, make it a double.

[light dramatic music]

[man yelps]

[fists thudding]

- [Yancey] Open the door boys.

Open up.

Open this door, boys.

Open up.

[fists thudding]

[light dramatic music]

- [Yancey] You alright Jim?

- Yeah I'm fine, just been entertaining

a couple of visitors.

You know these two?

- [Yancey] Yeah, it's Gypsy Joe and Louis.

- These are the two that robbed Mr. Black alright,

this is his money pouch.

- Well I've been watching these filthy scum

for a long time.

- You got any place we can lock 'em up

while we send for the sheriff?

- Yeah I've got a hog sty out the back,

it's full of fertilizer though.

- Just the place, you grab the other one.

- Right.

- Now tell me when the small letters are clear.

- Yes, now they are.

I, O, E, T, C, E!

[both laughing]

- Didn't I tell you, Sam?

- I don't blame you for grinnin' Jim,

looks like you're gonna get your knife.

- Oh I wasn't grinnin' at that.

- You know, you need two pairs Mr. Black.

- Oh?

- Yeah, one for close work, the ones you had on,

and another pair for distance.

Mr. Black, can you identify these two gentlemen

here at the counter.

- Of course I can, that's my old friend Yancey,

and Jim Bowie.

Thanks for giving me my eyes back.

- Sam, I didn't.

- Oh wait a minute, you're all blurred.

My close glasses, if you please Mrs. Black.

Yeah.

Oh thanks again Jim. [all chuckling]

Nice to see you Yancey.

How about this?

[light dramatic music]

- The balance should be about there for throwing.

Say, one complete turn in 30 feet.

- Light the forge, Jim.

- Yes, sir!

[metal clangs]

[metal grates]

It's fine Mr. Black.

It's perfectly fine.

Why, I've never seen a piece of steel

as fine as this in my whole life.

- There's a lot of gratitude in that blade, Jim.

Come on outside, I want you to throw it.

Now come here Jim, that tree right,

oh-oh, Mrs. Black please, thank you.

Yeah, that tree right there's about 30 feet,

go ahead and throw it.

- It's such a beautiful thing I'd hate to risk it.

- Oh it won't break.

- You sure?

- I'm sure, go ahead.

- Alright.

[knife thudding]

[group chuckling]

- Both our knives are in the tree, mister.

Now we're even.

- It's Gypsy Joe and Louis, they broke out.

Joe, your quarrel's with the Sheriff.

- My quarrel's with him Yancey.

I got a welt in the back of my head to prove it.

[Jim groaning] [fists thudding]

- Well now.

[men grunting]

- Come here you, come on.

- Yeah I'll take that Yancey.

- Come on you two back to the hog sty.

- And Yancey will you keep 'em there

till the Sheriff gets here?

Oh it worked fine, Black, just fine.

- Yeah, there's just one defect.

- Hm?

- Which I'll remedy right away.

[light dramatic music]

Here you are Jim.

- Hey, you put a strip of brass along the back?

- Yes, the brass is softer than steel.

Catch your opponent's knife

and his blade won't slip off so easily.

- My opponents?

Mr. Black I didn't want this knife for fighting men.

- Jim, there are men in this world

who are more savage than beasts.

Use this wisely and may it always protect you.

- Thank you.

- I made this for it, James.

- Well thank you, Mrs. Black.

Thank you both very much.

- Take care of yourself, Jim.

- I will.

- Goodbye.

Give my regards to your mother.

[light dramatic music]

- Alright here we go.

- [Narrator] This is the true story

of how the knife was born.

The knife that was to grow in legendary feats

until it was known the world over

by the name of its inventor, the Bowie knife.

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

♪ He was a fighter, a fearless and mighty adventuring man ♪