04x19 - The Prairie Story

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Oh, there she is, flanked.

At 800 long miles with nothing

but prairie shares in Philadelphia, P.A..

Takes your breath away

just as I remember it.

Just as it was when I was young.

Nothing ever changes out here, Grandma.

Oh, yes, Charlie.

Something changes.

People.

People trying to remember
what Washington Irving said.

And I felt as though I'd closed one.

Volume of the world and its content
and opened another.

You can't believe

nothing I've ever read even begun
to prepare me for this.

I want to go home.

Oh, I think it's good, don't you?

We started on a wonderful new adventure.

I don't like it.

You will.

You be patient. You.

Oh, Tom, How big it is.

Even a tree.

Scared, honey.

Now, with you

wagons

around, huh?

Good evening, Mr. McCullough.

Here is hot tonight, isn't it?

Yeah.

We want.

Good evening, Mr.

Miller.

Mrs. Miller.

Sally.

Oh, my.

I was a million miles away. You know.

Your name is Mrs.

Miller.

Now and has been for the last 48 hours.

Still can't believe it.

A married woman. Me

Happiness is becoming too much. My

three queen.

At the park.

That's $57,000 you owe me.

How did you get three queens, Grandma?

You down them to me?

$57,000.

And we just started across the prairie.

You're going to owe me about a quarter
of a million before we get to California.

No, I won't.

If my luck don't change,
I'll get me a mark.

d*ck.

Well, if that don't meet.

All Now, what if you got a full house?

Are you open?

No, I'm falling.

Well,

you'd better
watch out for Charlie. Grandma.

Watch out for Charlie.

He said Grandma has got me cleaned out
like an old riverboat gambler.

Oh, Hawks's looking for.

You, dear.

Why didn't we?

Are you enjoying our first night
on the prairie?

Oh, and enjoying my memories.

I was a bride
when we came through here before.

Why are you making this trip?

I just had a hankering to see it
all again.

You're getting off
to a better start than we did.

We crossed the river into the sun

and the light hit back
and blinded our stock.

We must have lost a hundred head of cattle
that day.

How are things at the line?

Quiet.

I usually don't say much the first night.

It's not out. Here.

They're getting their first
look of what's in store for them.

I wish Mrs.

Kirby would keep on playing. I like music.

We had a piano, too, but we had to
leave it in the middle of the prairie.

It sure was a blessing.

Well, we had it.

You know, Mrs.

Kirby was asked to leave
that piano behind.

She wouldn't hear a word.

Mrs. Kirby would go without her
food before she'd go without her music.

You know, this is the fourth time
I've made this trip.

But to hear the women,
I don't know a thing about it.

Mrs. Reynolds was asked to leave
three barrels of China behind.

She left about
put the piano with her flower,

and Sally Miller's carrying a mirror
that she doesn't need and must weigh £40.

What are you smuggling?

My rocking chair corncob pipe.

I'm traveling light these days.

What time we pulling out DAYBREAK.

You know,
I don't think I'll ever understand women.

Don't try. You're a man.

Women are beyond you.

Oh, you know, you're pretty sassy.

It's one of the last luxuries
I've got left.

Schubert serenade

my country

out here on the very edge of the world.

It survived

many a wagon train
and many a wilderness scout.

Shows a gentleman

setting forth across this country

with a China and a piano.

I just don't understand what they're up
against.

Now, that's where you're wrong.

Why do you suppose the women
need their sun, China and the piano?

But you know that we always lose too many.

What troubles me?

How do we lose this trip?

And how. How?

You mean you're
not even going to try to find her?

Mrs. Reynolds,
how many times do I have to tell you?

If there was anything I could do,
it would have been done.

This time yesterday

was right here with us.

She was helping me with some sewing.

And now you know.

I know how you ladies feel. And I'm sorry.

You're a mean, cruel man, Mr.

McCullough.

I'll never feel the same about you again.

What would you suggest I do?

Take a party out and hunt for her.

At a delay.

The train wreck,
the lives of everybody on.

I'm sorry.

I can't do that.

I hope you'll be able to sleep tonight.

I won't.

Are you sure there's nothing?

Yes, Mrs. Miller.

I'm sure.

I'm hoping you'll be able to understand.

I am trying to.

Rock of Ages left for me.

Let me turn myself in.

Dear.

Let's open

up the blue knob from my.

Side, which followed me.

I've seen

all your.

Three

make me do with my tears.

Oh, no.

Good, my dear.

You no longer know

these forces in God, not at home.

Now my stay.

Down low You, my I.

You said we didn't know who
the strong winds were.

I'm not sure we know yet.

We know

she's out to market tonight.

Look at them.

Look at their faces.

I can hear it in their voices.

But tomorrow
the prairies will still be there.

Yeah, you can count on that.

And tomorrow.

And tomorrow.

And tomorrow.

And already prairie madness threatens
us, Mr.

McCullough. All

What is it.

They're trying to look for?

What is it?

I got it.

It's dead. Clara. Look, Claire is dead.

All right, Claire.

All right.

It was. Right there in. My cooking.

All right?

I picked it up.

I said I've got to do that.

Where?

You know, Come
on, They're not going to come now.

One more mile. Not another mile.

We can't hold up the train.

Let the train go. Let it go.

We're going back.

Going back. Back home.

Back to a decent house
under a decent street,

Back where you can go to bed
at night and go to sleep.

Oh, God.

How long has it
been since I've slept that I

got? I've got to go back

by the front door
and the back door and get locked room

with the grass and God and sanity.

Harold, listen to me, Mr.

McCullough.

Mr. McCullough said Mr.

McCullough, let a woman be dragged off
and didn't even lift his hand to say

I'd sooner
listen to the devil than to listen to him.

He's leading us all to our death.

Oh, you're homesick, Clara.

Oh, I am.

I am.

I'm sick for this home.

Well, we're all home, but.

But we've got to get over it.

We'll be all right once we pass the past.

The prairies.

The prairies go on forever.

Look at them.

Where do they end?

Just show me.

Where do they end?

You'll soon be behind

Jack.

Jack, you take me home.

You take me home, or I'll put a b*llet
through my head right here.

Put that g*n down, Mrs. Reynolds.

Not until my husband tells me
he'll take me home.

Tell her.

Tell her

I'll take you back.

Clara.

You saw it? Yes.

Yes, I swear.

I'll go with her. Tom.

Now you listen to me.

All of you.

Here is a contagious disease,
and you beware of it.

You're going to die of it as quick as you
will on milk, sick or spotted fever.

The prairie winds blow
over the broken ribs of wagons and over

the pointed bones of men that panicked
and ran from their own shadows.

Has nothing changed in 20 years?

Has nothing been learned Here?

It is the same fear prowling, stomach

twitching, nerves, the same raw terror.

I've seen it before.

I know. And I know it leads to the grave.

In a few more days, there'll be meadows

and grass and fresh mountain streams.

Don't let yourself be defeated by insects
or barren land or relentless weather.

The Lord gave you strength.

Use it in two weeks.

You'll be out of this
country in two more weeks.

Well, I'll be dead.

It's suicide to go off on your own.

Our strength is with each other.

If we split up in small parties,

any band of renegade
braves can pick us off.

Grandma's ride. History.

All our strength
didn't keep them from attacking yesterday,

but we were able to fight them
off, weren't we?

And who's to say they won't be back?

Who's to say there isn't a big party
waiting up ahead right now?

Even Mr.

McCullough doesn't know where they are.

He admitted it.

I want to go home.

Please don't get cold. Clara.

It's too late to go back.

You've got to stay with the group.

Sally.

I'm was home.

I wish I'd never met you.

I don't

want to die out here.

I know it

will take you back with us.

Please tell.

You. Go if you want to.

Sally,

I'm going with you.

I can't leave you.

Word.

Clara, please.

Please change your mind.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

No one can force me to go on.

Give yourself time, Clara.

You're disturbed.

You don't have to decide now.

You're not thinking clearly.

I have never thought
more clearly in all my life.

I know what's behind this.

I'll take my chance on it.

I'll not go one step further into this

nightmare.

Reynolds wagon's ready to pull out.

Well, I. Drama map, I guess.

You ought to be out of town.
I don't need. You.

I'd like them to go, but
we think doesn't seem to matter to them.

I warn them. That's all I can do.

But it's not just a run off the trouble.

There seems to be a lot of people
thinking of turning back.

It's only the women.

Only the women.

The women
make up the strength of this time.

Clara.

Oh, wait a minute.

I'll miss you.

I wish you were going with us.

Look,
I want you to take this to remember me by.

I can't take your brooch, Charity.

I want you to have it.

Thank you.

I'll keep it as long as I live.

I keep you.

And you

don't forget to write.

I won't.

Don't you

think?

Well,

here's a map.

It'll help you find your way back. Thanks.

I'm sorry things.

Worked out. This way, so I.

Good luck to you.

Thank you.

Oh. Goodbye. But

now nobody.

I want to go on.

I don't even feel like going on myself.

Where are you with Charlie?

I took him up on.

Did you ever hear of Sweet

Betsy from Pike, who crossed the wind?

Let's everybody think.

I went.

Wrong.

And now.

Come on, let's pick
them up. Let's get back to work.

Everybody, and keep singing.

I think

Angel's.

Watching. Yeah.

Oh, oh,

oh, oh, oh.

Nice numbers.

No, I'm lonely.

Oh, through them. No,

they. You

before you

more foreboding you.

Know, more

you will know

Oh oh they need you.

Oh. Who knew

you knew

you. Scurvy.

I think it's only fair for me

to tell you
how much I've been enjoying your music.

Frankly, I'm
glad that you brought that piano along.

After all.

Thank you, Mr.

McCullough.
I don't know what I'd do without it.

Maybe there's something to say
about the stubbornness of women.

Maybe

at times, their sense of values

is greater than men.

What do you think of that, Prairie?

I think about it as little as possible.

You hear from grass to dust.

I've heard many people say that

the prairie reminds them of the sea.

This dry, parched land.

Oh, no.

Oh, no.

The sea of glass just come and clean.

And every morning there's

freshly scrubbed pillowcase.

You miss it very much.

Tanya Mason.

How can I miss it?

It's been with me every step of the way.

All day.

I push the sea away from me and

put every bit of my strength.

But at night, when I close my eyes,

my dreams wash over me. And

I ride the seas of blood like my father.

And every morning

I lie on that wagon
and I keep my eyes closed,

hoping that when I open them,

it will be to her blood, to my.

But it never is.

It never is.

I guess she's homesick.

Oh, the woman I.

You know, I've never seen a woman
except this country.

You take him away from the security
that they've known

and you bring them out of here where
there's no wall or ceiling or even a fence

between them and out there.

And they close their eyes and they endure,

but they never accept.

Maybe

like last year, Women are strong.

They've been raised in season by the sea.

They may be strong,
but they're not indestructible.

Period.

Wages some kind of a w*r of nerves
against women.

You see it first in their eyes.

Then they begin to talk of home and

then they get edgy.

Then they laugh too much
and then they cried.

How much?

When you bring the women,
if that's the case.

Who am I to say what a woman can stand?

And the majority of them make it,

but never are.

How long will you be gone?

I don't know.

I've been on a Buffalo woman before.

Do you think you'll be home before dark?

And you tell Mr.

Hawkes to make sure that I am

Tom? I'm scared.

Scared of what?

I don't know.

Everything.

You've got to stop being scared,

grown woman.

Not a baby.

Why don't you start acting like one?

Why can I go with you?

For one thing,
son? We'll be several hours.

I can't take you back.
If you get hot and tired.

I won't get tired.

I ain't gonna hurt that. No, no, no.

He's too young.

Oh, wait a minute. He's ten years old.

Rawlins was gone.

And he's only nine.

His mom doesn't care what your mama does.

You don't know what could happen.
You don't know what's out there.

Maxie, please don't think.

I think I can take care of my own son.

Oh, man, I'm sorry.

Of course you. Can.

I don't want him growing up
with a woman's fears.

Of course not.

Is it all right? Mother

and father says it is.

All up there.

You want to go

there now?

Don't you worry.

There'll be a whole group of us
goin and horses coming home.

Yes, ma'am.

Right here.

My dad

tried to come back here

now, gone to court again.

Where do you think you're going?

Who, me?

Your name's Charlie, isn't it?

What I always thought.
Have you got any information?

The contrary?
I asked you where you were going.

Oh, nobody dressed like that.

You're not going anyplace.

I know I'm not going anyplace.

And everybody on the train with the hair
shot knows I'm not going to Italy.

Every man goes, Oh, no, not me.

No, no, I can't go, Charlie.

Everybody isn't going Mutola isn't going.

Anybody that has any work
to do around here isn't going.

I'm getting sick and tired
of being stuck here

with the women and children every year.

What's wrong with women and children?

I thought maybe just one lousy year
I could go out hunting with the man.

You know, you complain
more than any other man on a payroll.

I've got

more to complain about
than any other man on the payroll.

Don't go in it.

Sometimes I just hate even being me.

Mr. McCullough.

Later. McCullough.

Sally Miller's wagon.

The ritual of death is filled with pain.

I Farewells are said with respect
and love and anguish.

And we head on again
into the open prairie.

These are the hunting grounds
of the Osage, the creek, the Delaware,

the Pawnee, the Comanche, all nomads.

This time of year here
and there, along our route, Indians

suddenly appear and stare silently.

And so I tell the travelers
that this is only curiosity.

I still feel uneasiness.

Bring up the entire length of the train.

I'll never forget the w*r Party,

but they'll do their best to pretend
that all is well.

And those of us who have traveled
and traveled before

will do our best to keep everyone occupied
as little as possible.

Robin Hood had an enemy

the mean, villainous,
dastardly sheriff of Nottingham.

The sheriff said, I'll capture Robin Hood

hanging by his heels
from the London Bridge.

No good swine.

You know what the plan was?

No. Well,
the plan was to steal maid Marian.

Why don't he pick on somebody his own sex?

So one day,
when made Marian was all alone,

the sheriff of Nottingham,
two men surrounded her palace.

There were 47 men.

And Marian was all alone.

Charlie, Flint wants you and.

Robin Hood are. Awake.

Charlie, Flint wants you right now.

Bill, There are 47 wicked deputies,
and Robin Hood is in another county.

If you don't get a move

on, you're going to have to look for
another county yourself.

I want to know what happens to Maid
Marian.

She lives
happily ever after with the sheriff.

And I don't know.
Grandma can tell you about that.

What is meant once it's so important.

I can't wait a few more minutes.
He wants his dinner.

That's what dinner
that night. Why didn't somebody tell me?

Don't get so close.

Patience with me, too.

Room to breathe, Brandon.

Three. Well, of course it does.

However, do you think it goes?

It doesn't go well. I'd just like to know.

Whoever told you that? Poppa told me.

Oh, well, your pop is a man men
don't know about bread.

They eat it well,
they don't know what they're eating.

Bread is a woman business.

Ooh, We take your clothes.

Bread must be clean.

Can I have them? Grandma, be patient.

You have your own head.

Oh, she wants some to play with now.

I can't afford to waste the flour.

No way of knowing how long we going
to have to go on what we have.

There's something reassuring about. Good.

Do wonder Woman's hands

don't touch that.

Your hands are not clean.

It isn't ready to eat yet.

It'll give you worms.

She means no harm.

It's just a friendly social business.

I don't care. Much.

No, no, no. You must know. You mustn't.

She means no harm.

Worry, my bro.

I won't.

Be mistaken.

They are now.

They're their toilet.

It can't be helped. It can't be changed.

It just must be born.

Can be important.

Grandma, open all that comes.

God gives us life
And with it comes trial and sorrow.

And it must be born.

Oh, you.

Oh, oh.

What a.

Charity. It's all right. All right, honey.

Oh. I've got here a messenger.

Yeah. We better get a shovel.

Charles. Yeah.

All right.

It's all over,

right?

That's

my. Dear.

Good.

Oh, you can be.

It was all right when I put her to bed.

I'll call Grandma.

Now. You give her her medicine again
in about an hour.

What's wrong with you, Grandma,
or a fever?

It comes out here sometime.

I've seen it before.

Is it cholera?

Oh, no.

Now, don't you worry.

I've seen many babies pulled through
just fine on the medicine.

She's on.

Matt, can I see you?

What can I do for you?

Look at that sky.
Really? In for something.

Give me a hand on it. Mentally. Yeah.

Today for you.

Bet your life we're in for something.

That you like.

It better when the wind broadside

for that wagon,

both on the canvas of the wind, you know,

and see.

How is she, Momma?

I mean, we must pray.

Patience.

She cried.

You stood guard, cried.

I cried.

But she didn't.

I don't know why anyone is still alive
after that. You

so slow?

Yes, darling.

Number one, the strongest come at night.

So who are you stirring?

He used to care

the first evening

from the gowns
of all the women who drowned it.

Three only yellow

with tears, brown with memory.

There's a ball tonight

on this blue shadowed floor of the ocean.

All of the best people will be there

dancing a minuet fathoms below

sea to die from fly out

to see

he cannot die on land.

Told you that you

I don't know.

Someone lost

the sea child died on land.

Did you give her the medicine?

But I won't do anything good.

She's much cooler.

Now. We've got to go back.

Back?

We'll be across the prairies
in another week.

Oh, Mother, we've

got to go back. Matt.

We can't live in this impossible dream.

This is just land like any other land.

Land like any other land grabs.

It grows high on a man's head.

Animals as big as houses.

He got dirt

in them. The devils do.

Charity.

You want to go back to Boston?

I've got to take my children back

home.

If I would there this minute,

I could feel the sea crying about me.

Don't for one moment.

Look ahead, Charity.

Don't think of the past.

I think of the future.

With the weary and let land

permanently land.

It's gone and crushed.

It'll soon be over.

Peace was made such a short while ago.

Peace and continued

my faith in the Lord.

I'm lost.

Oh, Matt, where's my harbor?

How many dogs must die?

Be born to die again? No.

We can't.

Go back.

We must go on

Temptation.

Where are we going?

Every patient that

come on.

Every

hole, baby, we.

What are you doing?

We're going back to Boston.

I'm going to make
your father take us back.

To get the shovel going.

Go very,

very patient.

But you're afraid of

carrying

rocks.

You take the rest of the wagons, make sure
we don't make trouble with Barker

Road.

Looks like the piano's our right friend.

My wife and children. They're not in camp.
Have you looked?

Course I have. Well, let's look again.

Man. Give us a hand. We're

too. You owe.

I'd like to.

Put on my blanket.

Grandma

doesn't seem to be hurt, but I can't.

Bring her to her.

It's an illness.

Of the spirit as well as the flesh.

It comes when a human endurance
has reached a breaking point.

Don't you understand?

The overwhelming emptiness,
the overpowering loneliness?

No matter?

Well, you.

No matter how many are beside you,

there's no one ever there.

Will give you a hand

repairing it
the first thing in the morning.

Where are you going?

To get the canvas.

Oh, we'll have enough.

I think you're prepared for everything.

I should try to be.

Even due to a wife
running down her own wagon.

Yeah,

dear.

If you ever see a woman
to a full thing like this.

One, I saw a

good, God fearing woman
k*ll her own child.

Oh, she didn't know what she was doing.

It all got to be too much.

Too much grass,
too much sand, too much sky dust

bugs the Indians too many miles,

too many fears.

Who were you trying to say?

That my wife is insane.

Oh, no, indeed.

Well, maybe she did
lose her reason for a moment.

Or two there when she couldn't
get you to agree to turn back.

But he's the same as anyone on this train.

It would be madness to turn back now.

I have lived a long time.

Everything I see I've seen before.

If your wife means anything to you,
you get that wagon in shape

to travel again and you tell her that
you do whatever she wants.

You let her decide whether you go on
or whether you go back.

She'll say, Go back.

You've lived by the sea.

You've seen birds with broken wings.

They go out alone on the rocks to die.

When you break the human spirit,
that's pretty much the same thing.



Is going on worth destroying her?

If it comes to that?

It seems to have come to that.

Doubting,

doubting.

I'll take you back to Gloucester

if that's what you want.

I'll do whatever you say.

It's up to you.

Daddy,

please look at me.

Please

answer me.

This is Kirby.

Your husbands are packed
and ready to move.

He's ready to take you back to Gloucester,

if that's what you really want.

Now you listen to me, girl.

You got to get a grip on yourself.

Don't flounder and sink out here.

You've got better stuff in here than that.

You've met change and challenge before.

Why do you think this is

called a sea of grass?

Because it's just as violent
and ill tempered as the ocean.

Some people glory in it like they do
in the sea, and other people hate it.

Like they hate every wave.

The brakes on the rocks at Gloucester

Summer ground

because they've lost their bearings.

Now you've got to set your course
for either

Gloucester or San Francisco,
whichever you of mind do.

But you said it.

You've got to get back on course.

This is a time of trial,

but as the Bible says,
this too shall pass.

Don't think that you're alone in this.

Every woman that rides these miles
for the first time has to go through it.

I through it myself.

And here I am to prove that I made it one.

And by golly, I'm going to make it again.

Now, that's better.

That's more like it.

You get up and show this blasted,

confounded, ornery stretch of land
what a Gloucester woman is made of.

If I were you, I'd set myself
for San Francisco.

It is the sweetest harbor
any woman could ask for.

My baby.

She's all right.

Thank God.

You go and see for yourself.

You ride.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth.

For the first heaven
and the first earth were passed away.

And there was no more sea

for you.

Right?

Was the

road.