Forsaken

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1

Your mother is dead.

I did not know that she had passed.

How could you?

If I had known that she

had been sick, I'd...

You would've done what?

You would've come home

if you knew she was dying?

But you couldn't come home when she

was living, when she was full of hope?

How did she pass?

In my arms,

lying beside me in bed.

Weeping.

Calling out your name.

Is it your plan to stay a while?

Not sure yet.

You don't wear guns.

I put them away. I'm done with that.

What is that supposed to mean?

It means I don't know if a man

can get away from who he is.

And you think you know who I am?

I thought I did.

I'll be back. I have to go into town.

I'll go with ya.

Morning, Reverend.

And I'll be right with you, sir,

just as soon as I...

- Lord sakes! John Henry, is that you?

- Hello, Mr. Parsons.

Lord almighty, John Henry. I ain't

seen you since you went off to war.

I asked the saloon to order some

sipping cider from Cheyenne for me.

Would you see if it's arrived please?

Mr. Parsons.

Must do your heart good

to see the boy again.

I have a list.

Reverend Clayton sent me

to pick up his cider.

- And who are you?

- His son, John Henry.

Well, well, well.

If it ain't John Henry Clayton.

I heard a lot about you.

Name's Frank Tillman.

Maybe you heard of me?

Can't say as I have.

Well, I killed four men.

Still don't ring a bell.

How come you ain't wearing a gun?

You go and...

get religion or something?

Git!

Stop pestering our guests.

Git.

My name is Dave Turner.

Some call me Gentleman Dave.

Yeah... I heard of you.

You're gonna have to forgive

my compatriots.

Boredom often gets the best of 'em.

I had the good fortune

of watching you rid this world

of Big Jim Westfield

down in Coldwell County a few years back.

Most impressive.

May I ask what brings you to Fowler?

I'm only trying to ascertain

the nature of our relationship.

I'm hoping there won't be any trouble.

Not from me.

I don't recall things being so prosperous.

Prosperous to some. Railroad's coming.

Buggy's not gonna load itself.

Take these.

Take this. Don't you spend it all at once.

Mr. McCurdy,

guess who was just in here

not five minutes ago?

John Henry Clayton.

- Is he gonna be a problem?

- He didn't look too tough to me.

I'm not asking you.

Is he gonna be a problem?

He was not wearing a sidearm.

That doesn't mean he can't put one on.

If he takes his pa's side in this...

it could be a problem.

Well...

why don't you just leave all that to me?

What are they doing here?

You don't know?

How would I?

I thought maybe your coming here

might have something to do with them.

Well, it don't.

They work for McCurdy.

He got his mind set on

buying every farm around here.

Folks who don't wanna sell...

they got some persuading

from those fellas over there.

If you don't know 'em,

you better stay away from them.

Those are damned men.

Those are godless men.

Is it your plan to come

to church tomorrow?

Is that an invitation, Pa?

Come back here!

What is the reason you came home?

I didn't know I had to have a reason, Pa.

- If you want me to go, I'll go.

- I'm a forthright man.

You're an embarrassment to me.

Today in there, all I felt was shame.

But if you come back committed to God

to truly change your ways...

then it's God's edict

that I forgive you and I do.

But in your mother's name

I cannot forget the past 10 years.

I cannot.

I know.

What in the world are you doing?

Ma always wanted us

to clear this field together.

You and me? No, she didn't.

As far as I can recall it's the only

thing she ever asked of us.

Not me.

Fine. I'll do it alone.

All right.

I would have lost heart...

if I had not believed that I would see...

the goodness of the Lord's light.

Be of good courage

and he shall give you strength.

Excuse me.

Gentleman.

We think we should bring in

our own hired guns.

Hired gun. To do what?

Start a war? Kill everyone?

Guns are not the answer.

Eversince Sheriff Hutton

ran off in the middle of night,

McCurdy and his boys been getting bolder.

Forced Tim Fuller off his land last week.

Now they're threatening Peterson.

They come on my land, they'll be looking

to the wrong end of my 10 gauge.

Wait, Daniel. Wait.

I've wired the U.S. Marshall.

We will have the law on our side.

We're poor. When has the law

ever cared about folks like us?

No one's comin'.

Reverend.

Mary Alice.

Heard people say in church

you were back. Didn't believe it.

Needed to come out and see for myself.

I've been back a few days or so.

A few days and you haven't

come and seen me?

I planned on it, I just...

You always were a terrible liar.

I waited for this day.

Thought about it.

Planned what I might say.

Now I don't know what to say.

You clearing all this by yourself?

Yes, ma'am.

Lot of work for one man.

Shovel right over there

if you care to help.

You look well.

So do you.

I swear you look the same

as the day I left.

Now there you go lying again.

I don't recall you being

so distrustful of folks, Mary Alice.

I'd never lie to you.

Well, I seem to...

recall you saying something about

coming back after the war.

Well, I better let you

get back to your work.

Maybe after I get settled we could

ride out to the bluffs like we used to.

That wouldn't be right.

- I'm married.

- Married?

Going on eight years now.

I have a little boy, Charlie.

I thought you knew.

No.

No, I did not know that.

I waited for you.

But when the years passed

and there was no word...

Mary Alice, you do not

owe me an explanation.

Who did you marry?

Tom Watson.

Tom's a good man.

Yes, he is.

Welcome home, John Henry.

Sh*t!

All right. Bring 'em in, come on.

What the... Dan!

We was just coming to pay you a visit.

Appreciate you saving us a ride.

I've got nothing to say to you.

Well...

I got something to say to you.

That's enough.

You don't wanna kill him now, do ya?

Well, maybe I do. I...

I hadn't decided yet.

I'm taking him home.

Hold on there now.

It ain't you who's doing the deciding.

May I take him home?

And what if I say no?

What you gonna do about it?

- Nothing.

- I'm sorry. I didn't quite hear that.

Nothing.

All right, John Henry.

You have my permission to take him home.

Something's troubling you?

Your mother and I kept asking ourselves...

asking God...

what we done wrong in your upbringing?

What did we do that filled you

with so much hate?

It weren't you.

John 8:
32, remember?

The truth will set you free.

God knows the truth.

All through the war I kept

asking myself, where was God?

Where was he at Shiloh and Seven Pines

when men lay dead and dying?

All good men, God-fearing men.

They just lay there, begging for some

small act of mercy on His behalf.

And then it finally dawned on me:

There ain't no God.

- There is no God?

- All I'm saying...

is that if there was ever a time

that man needed God

it was then and trust me, he wasn't there.

If you're expecting God

to save you, he ain't gonna.

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