01x13 - Bowie and His sl*ve

[bunniefuu]

♪ 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 ♪

- Praise the Lord, Mr. Bowie.

- Jim Bowie.

- Don't move mister, or I'll split your head open

before you can c*ck that r*fle.

Cut him down.

You both heard me, cut him down.

Take that knife and cut him down.

- [Slaver] What concern of it is yours

what I do with this sl*ve?

- He's not a sl*ve, mister, he's a freed man.

I gave him his papers.

- [Slaver] You must be mistaken, monsieur.

This man is the property of the Latine Company.

He'll be sold at auction Saturday morning at 11 o'clock.

- He's the property of no company.

He was stolen from my plantation,

field hand of mine saw him dragged aboard a river boat,

and I trailed him here.

- Don't worry about me, Mr. Jim. These are bad men.

- Who's in charge around here?

Who owns the Lantine Company?

- The r*fles c*ck now, Mr. Bowie.

- Don't give 'em any reason to whip you, Joseph.

I'll be back, I'll get you out of here.

There are five welts on his back right now,

for every one over five when I return for him,

I'll cut a groove in your back with this.

[Men arguing]

- I wouldn't go around accusing people of sl*ve stealing,

Mr. Bowie, unless you have evidence.

- I can prove everything I said.

- Then do it, unless you can produce papers

the police can't do anything for you, goodnight sir.

- [Jim] There isn't time

to get the papers! - Goodnight, sir.

- Mr. Bowie, allow me to introduce myself,

I'm Jacques Toulouse of the Louisiana Creole Newspaper.

- Howdy.

- You'll pardon my eavesdropping, but when I heard

that you were, in fact, the great Jim Bowie,

I decided I must have an interview with you.

- I'm sorry, monsieur, but I'm in a hurry,

a friend of mine's in trouble.

- Yes, yes I heard.

Something about freeing a man named Joseph, a former sl*ve.

If the monsieur would permit me to buy him a glass of wine,

I may be able to help him.

This way, Monsieur Bowie.

You've stumbled into something

that even police pretend doesn't exist.

Tell me, who made your first knife, Mr. Bowie?

- Why, what're they afraid of?

- Ever hear of Jean Lafitte?

- The pirate?

- Please, Mr. Bowie, not so loud.

This pirate has become one of our most honored,

if not respected, citizens, since he helped General Jackson

drive the British from the Baratarian Islands.

It has now become the custom,

as well as a matter of discretion, so to speak,

to look the other way when Pirate Lafitte

turns his hand to sl*ve trading.

It's a large business in New Orleans, my friend.

A very large business, and the men who run it

will brook no interference.

- Not even from the law?

- Tell me, why did you sharpen both sides of the blade,

near the end?

- Where will I find Lafitte?

- He lives on Galveston Island,

but he has a business partner, a Monsieur Pierre Jouvain,

who lives here, and who's just as dangerous.

- Where will I find him?

- I'll give you his address in return

for the story of the knife.

- Agreed.

- 24 Rue se Blanc in the Vieux Carre.

- 24 Rue se Blanc, much obliged Mr. Toulouse for the wine.

- What about the story of the knife?

- Meet me later at the Twin Oaks inn.

- But, monsieur, suppose you don't come out alive.

- Well then, Mr. Toulouse,

you'll just have to write my obituary.

It'll make a much shorter story.

My name is Jim Bowie,

and I'm looking for a Mr. Pierre Jouvain.

- I am Pierre Jouvain.

Now, what brings you to my courtyard

like a man from another planet?

[laughs]

- I come to see you sir,

about a n*gro you're holding in a warehouse on Water Street,

his name's Joseph.

- Joseph, Samuel, Thomas, names mean nothing to me.

- Where'd you get him?

- Through customary channels, I suppose,

if we have him our papers should show where we got him.

- Forged papers, Mr. Jouvain.

Joseph is a freed man, I outta know,

he belonged to me, and I freed him.

- Are you prepared to prove this, monsieur?

- Yes sir, I am.

The papers are in the courthouse at Opelousas.

- Then get them, my friend,

before you break into a man's house, and make rash charges.

- There isn't time to get 'em.

Your men are auctioning him off Saturday.

You'll have to take my word for it.

- [laughs] The word of an American.

[group laughs]

- What's wrong with the word of an American?

Maybe you've all forgotten that Louisiana is America now.

- A regrettable occurrence, monsieur;

one we French choose to forget.

Jacques, show him out please.

- Is that your final answer?

- It is.

- Then this is mine.

- Thank you Jacques.

It's time someone showed this pig a few manners.

Get the swords.

- You wanna fight mister, a knife's good enough for me.

- Swords, monsieur.

- [Jacques] Monsieur Jouvain is the injured party,

he chooses the weapons and he chooses swords.

- Wait, it would be little less than m*rder

to pit this man against a swordsman like you.

- Mademoiselle Duprez flatters me,

but I've made my choice, monsieur.

- Come, come monsieur [speaking foreign language]

Allez, monsieurs.

[swords clanging]

- He's no swordsman, Jouvain is making a fool of him.

- Apologize, monsieur, quickly.

- As far as I'm concerned, you're still a sl*ve thief.

Alright, Jouvain, you won this fight fair and square,

but don't press your luck.

- Careful monsieur,

this American has a reputation with a knife.

- Get out.

- This way, monsieur.

- Through the back door,

and don't scuff your feet on the floors.

- [Jacques] This way, monsieur.

- Monsieur Bowie,

you forgot these.

- Yeah, thank you.

- I am Madeline Duprez.

You are a courageous man, Monsieur Bowie,

but you made one mistake tonight,

you insulted Pierre Jouvain,

and gave him the choice of weapons.

Next time, I suggest that

you let Monsieur Jouvain insult you.

He will be at the Club Des Exilés tomorrow night,

perhaps if you disguised yourself as a gentlemen,

they might let you in.

- Give me a bottle of ale, Peg.

- [Toulouse] Allow me to drink to

your continued good health, Mr. Bowie.

- Hello.

- [Toulouse] I'm glad I didn't have to write your obituary.

You met Jouvain.

Jouvain's adversaries

don't usually walk away. - Raise you twenty.

- I raise you twenty.

- [Drunk Card Player] I call.

- Peg, is this man staying here?

- Yes, sir.

- I got you beat, mister.

- Just a minute, give him back his money.

- Who says so?

- I said, give him back his money.

Look you know the man's too drunk to know what he's doing.

C'mon you've played enough tonight, mister.

- Do you need any help, Mr. Bowie?

- We're going up to bed.

- Jim Bowie?

- C'mon, up you get.

[man groans]

- Well, I don't want it.

- Well you've got to have it for tonight, mister, c'mon.

[men arguing drowns out dialogue]

- I'm going to take you to your room.

- I don't wanna go to--

[grunting in protest]

- [Jacques] Here we are.

- Oh.

Thank you.

- Friend of yours?

- Him?

I never saw him before.

- You mean you pulled him out of the card game

for no reason at all?

- Man was drunk, he was being fleeced.

- As it happens the man was Sam Houston.

Drunk or sober he's quite capable of taking care of himself.

- Sam Houston?

- That's right.

Now for the story you promised about the famous Bowie knife.

[Jim laughs]

What is it?

- I didn't think that

I'd ever put Governor Sam Houston to bed.

[men laugh]

Evenin' Peg.

- Your carriage is waitin' for you, Mr. Bowie.

- Thanks.

- Bowie? Did I hear somebody say Bowie?

So you're Jim Bowie.

What right you got pulling me out of a card game

when I'm holding a club flush?

- You were holding a whiskey flush, sir;

and you were being cheated.

[Houston laughs]

- You're right, friend, you're right;

and Sam Houston thanks you.

- Glad to be of service, Governor.

- Oh no, no, no, not governor, just Sam Houston;

businessman, trader, adventurer like yourself.

Peg, Peg, a bottle of Monongahela.

So you're Jim Bowie,

come on sit down.

You know, you've made quite a reputation for yourself.

I've been wantin' to catch up with you for a long time.

Sam Houston'd like to know more about you.

You, you ever here of a place called Texas?

- Of course, my brother Rezin and I

have been thinking of going out there,

and buying up some land.

- Well, here's to Texas.

You outta see it, friend.

Why it's virgin soil lies untouched by the plow;

and its vast prairies teem with buffalo.

Riches,

riches beyond a man's wildest dreams.

When can you leave, Bowie?

- Whoa, not so fast, Mr. Houston.

I was just thinkin' of going there,

I'm not leaving right now.

- Why not?

- I have my plantation in Opelousas to look after, and I--

- Why in Texas, you'll have so much land,

it'll make that plantation of yours look like a,

like a sharecropper's half-acre.

Now enough of this talk, when can you leave?

- I'm sorry, Mr. Houston,

I can't even talk about it right now.

Friend of mine's in trouble.

- Trouble?

- A n*gro named Joseph.

He was picked up by Lafitte's sl*ve stealers;

and he'll be sold at auction

unless I can free him in time.

- Ah, bother with this fellow,

you and me still got a lot of talking and drinking to do.

- You'll have to excuse me, sir.

I gave this man his freedom, he saved my life once.

I can't turn my back on him now.

- You know something, Bowie?

The more you talk the more Sam Houston

wants you to go to Texas with him.

Now, then you got any plan of action

to free this friend of yours, Joseph?

- I've located the man who holds him,

it may take a little persuading.

- Well my knife hand might not be as skilled as yours,

but it's yours for what it's worth.

- Let's go, Mr. Houston.

[ball clinking in roulette wheel]

[dealer speaking in foreign language]

- [Houston] Houston's the name;

Sam Houston of Tennessee, Texas, and the Cherokee Nation.

This is my friend here, Jim Bowie.

[speaking in foreign language]

[chattering]

- I'm Henri, the manager,

permit me to welcome you to the Club Des Exilés,

you honor us with your presence gentlemen.

Make yourselves at home.

- [Houston] Hear what they called us?

Gentlemen; disguise is perfect.

- There's my man, the roulette table.

- I'll sit here, chair's always a handy weapon.

- Gimme some blues, please.

- Henri.

Henri.

[speaking in foreign language]

Wait.

- Monsieur Jouvain called?

- Yes, I called Henri,

I was under the impression this was a gentleman's club.

- Oh I am lost Monsieur Jouvain.

- He means me, Henri. Mr. Jouvain doesn't think

that I belong here; in plain words,

Mr. Jouvain doesn't think that I'm a gentleman.

Isn't that right, sir?

- Is there any doubt about it, monsieur?

- I couldn't say, Mr Jouvain,

I don't rightly know what it takes to be a gentleman

in these parts.

- Monsieur Bowie, it would be best, perhaps, if you left.

- Henri, first you welcome me here,

and then you ask me to leave.

You seem to be having a little trouble

riding the mule at both ends.

- Don't ask him to leave, Henri.

Throw him out.

- I wouldn't do that if I were you, Henri.

Let me say what I came here to say,

then I'll leave on my own accord.

I would just like to point out

to all you distinguished gentlemen,

that you can't tell a man by the cut of his coat.

Take Mr. Jouvain here, for example;

he has the fine clothes, the fine speech,

the fine manners of a gentleman,

but that's where it ends, because Mr. Jouvain,

your distinguished fellow club member,

is a dirty, sl*ve stealing thief.

He's a hireling of the Pirate Lafitte.

- Please, gentlemen, please,

remember where you are, remember what you are;

Adler start the game going,

gentlemen please place your bets.

- Now one minute, according to your Code of the Duello,

as I was struck, I'm entitled to choice of weapon.

- [Jacques] That's correct, sir, and I claim the honor

of being the second to Monsieur Jouvain.

- Allow me the honor to introduce my second,

Mr. Sam Houston of Tennessee and Texas.

- [Jouvain] We are indeed honored, sir.

- [Jacques] Weapons, time, and place, monsieur?

- Bowie knife, here and now.

It's your choice, monsieur.

Alright gentlemen, step back and give 'em fightin' room.

- [Henri] Oh please, not in here, sir.

Oh no, no, no; the equipment.

Please, out here; here, here, it's a wonderful lounge.

Very nice indeed; come up here, sir.

Look, it's a special room.

- It looks alright,

the only condition I'd like to make is that

Mr. Jouvain and I are locked in that room alone.

- [Jouvain] Barbaric.

- Oh come, monsieur, must we quibble over the way

my friend chooses to die?

Now let's get on with it.

- Of course, sir, if you'd care to admit

that you're a thief and return Joseph to me,

I'd be very happy to call off the duel.

- [Jouvain] Come monsieur, let's get this over with at once.

- You gentlemen came here to gamble,

anybody like to make a little bet?

- Five hundred dollars on Jouvain.

- The gentleman has a bet.

- Tables and chairs, shouldn't they be removed?

- No, a few hazards'll make the fight more exciting.

Particularly when the room is dark.

- Dark?

- That's right, Jouvain,

you taught me a few tricks with the rapier,

maybe I can teach you a few tricks with a knife.

[scuffling]

That's something for me to remember, Jouvain;

never turn my back on you.

No, no, don't hold a knife like that, hold it like this.

That's right.

That's good, Jouvain.

That's right, try again, come on.

[scuffling]

- I might be willing to lay a few odds;

say five to three?

Any takers?

[grunting with exertion]

The odds are getting shorter, gentlemen.

[clanging and banging]

- There's something wrong in there, maybe they're both dead.

- In that case, naturally, all bets are off.

[knocking]

- [Jacques] It's Pierre, he's won.

[men chattering excitedly]

- Tell 'em Jouvain.

Go on, tell 'em.

- Everything he said is true.

- Louder.

- I deal in stolen sl*ves.

- Sit down over there, go on, move.

- Henri notify the police.

- Oui, monsieur.

- Sit down, Jouvain.

Write an order for Joseph's release.

- 500 dollars from the gentleman.

- And while you're about it,

write a release for every stolen sl*ve in the barracoon.

Let me look at your back.

Five.

Lucky for you there aren't any more.

How about the rest of these men?

What's gonna happen to them?

- They will be returned to their rightful owners.

Goodnight gentlemen. [speaking in foreign language]

- This will make a better story

than the one about your famous knife, Mr. Bowie.

- [Madeline] Monsieur Bowie!

- Hello.

- Hello.

I see you took my advice.

- Yes, and it worked very well, thank you.

- Thank you, you did us both a very great service.

- That is right, my dear, Jouvain was becoming difficult.

And now as for you,

I will give you just 24 hours to join me,

or get out of New Orleans.

- And who are you, sir, to give me such an order?

- Lafitte is my name.

Jean Lafitte.

[cane knocking]

- Well my friend, he didn't give you much choice, did he?

Either you come to Texas with me,

or you stay here and join him.

- Well that might not be such a bad idea.

- I think maybe you better come to Texas.

You'll be safer with me, much safer.

[men laugh]

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

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