Friendly Persuasion Page #6

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But you see, sir,

a runaway slave like me...

...I wouldn't stand a chance

with those men.

So if they're going to catch me...

...l'm going down fighting.

Thee's free.

Free to choose.

So am I.

Thee can saddle up Tommy.

Thank you.

I'll go with thee.

Without asking us, son?

There's no need to go now.

Morning's soon enough.

I'll be in Vernon.

I'll meet thee there.

Better talk it over with your folks.

Tell Mattie goodbye.

Tell her when I get back, I hope to say

better what I was trying to tell her.

God bless thee.

It's true.

It's true.

Everything thee heard is true!

Thy walk does pleasure me.

Thy eyes are like summer.

Thee does have a proud, learned face.

My sweet.

My dear, sweet, precious girl.

I love you.

I love thee. I do love thee!

Martha True Birdwell...

...when I come back...

...will you marry me?

Will you be my wedded wife

forever and ever?

Gardiner Jordan...

...I will be thy wedded wife

forever and ever.

Sit down.

Thee'll feel better after thee eats.

I'm not hungry.

Might make thee a little calmer.

And a little more courteous

to thy mother.

Calm?

Thee asks me to be calm when the whole

of Vernon's getting ready to fight.

And Morgan's men may

break in here at any minute.

Father, thee knows we must fight.

If thee has a sword

in thy heart, son...

...thee must pull it out and use it.

But there's no sword in my heart.

No man is my enemy.

Any man who kills innocent people

is my enemy.

My mortal enemy.

Thee's seen bad things today.

Thee's upset.

We've got more than we need here.

It's high time we shared it.

If thee gives all thee's got to

the enemy, thy friends will go hungry.

What's good about that?

Thee wants to go out and fight,

give thy life for what thee believes.

Any of us here I'm sure

is ready to do that.

But that's not what

thee'll be asked to do.

What thee'll be asked to do now...

...is to kill.

I know that.

I'll kill if I have to.

Thou shalt not kill.

Mother, I hate fighting.

I don't want to die.

I don't know if I could

kill anyone if I tried.

But I have to try

so long as other people have to.

No, Eliza.

Don't let him go.

Don't thee care

about his living or dying?

I'm just his father...

...not his conscience.

A man's life ain't worth beans except

he lives up to his own conscience.

I've got to give Josh that chance.

Forever...

...and forever...

...and forever.

Tucking thee in again. How many times

does thee think I've done that?

I don't know.

I understand thy being carried away.

But our ways are ways of peace.

And thee loves peaceful ways.

I do.

If thee turns thy back on everything

I've taught thee and prayed for...

...thee turns thy back on me.

No, Mother, not on thee.

Yes, son.

On me.

But I have to do what's right.

Thee will, son.

God will give thee the strength.

Dear God in heaven,

watch over Joshua.

Make him a witness

for the peace on earth...

...for which Thy Son died.

In His name do I ask it.

Amen.

Before thee sleeps,

promise me thee'll pray.

I promise.

Good night, son.

I have faith in thee.

Thee promised...

...to pray.

I prayed.

Goodbye, Father.

Goodbye, son.

God bless thee.

My boy!

God keep thee.

Company, halt!

This is the only shallow spot.

They have to cross here.

All right, men. Dismount!

Come on, then. Hurry!

Spread out!

Find cover!

Get those horses out of sight! Fast!

Jam a log between those trees!

Get something solid in front of you.

That won't stop a bullet.

You hold your gun that tight,

by the time the rebs get here...

...your trigger finger will be numb.

Who gave that rebel yell?

I did, sir.

Do it again and I'll shoot you!

And the same goes for

any other man here!

Chopping wood?

We burn wood every winter, Purdy.

Pretty soon thee'll have no house

to burn wood in.

Some of Morgan's thieving men

burnt my barn...

...stole my horses

and cleaned out my smokehouse.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Thee is welcome to anything I've got.

No, thanks. If thee wants to help...

...pick up a gun and fight...

...the same as I'm doing.

I'm not ready to do that.

What does thee aim to do?

Sit here and turn the other cheek?

That's what I aim to do...

...if I can.

Thee's got to face the fact that wartime

calls for another kind of thinking.

Your thinking may have changed,

but you haven't.

Last week, you told my son

he'd go to hell for fighting.

This week you tell Jess to fight.

Whatever's right for Purdy's got

to be right for everybody else?

If you're so hell-bent to fight,

get going!

If it's peace thee wants, Jess Birdwell,

thee won't get it chopping wood.

Did they hurt thy place?

No, Jess.

Just thought I'd ride toward the river,

see how the boys are getting on.

One more man at the fort

won't make a hoot of difference.

If there's any fighting to be done,

I'll do it for both of us.

I'd like to see someone hold out

for a better way of settling things.

They're coming!

What was that all about?

Get down.

You'll find out sooner than you think.

Fire!

It's Lady!

Look, Papa!

Is Josh hurt?

Bring Lady to the house.

Jess, no!

Little Jess, thee's the man

on the place now.

Kill a Johnny Reb for me.

Never talk that way

about a man's life.

Mama, look!

They're rebs, they're rebs!

Gentlemen!

Gentlemen!

Would thee like some food?

There's meat in the

smokehouse by the barn.

Right. Stevens, get those chickens!

I'll get all them chickens.

Fresh vegetables and fruit and more meat

are in the spring house there.

Buster, Clem, go get it.

You bet, boss.

Cooked food's in the kitchen. If thee

and thy men will please follow me.

Yes, ma'am!

Take these horses!

Boys, give me a hand.

Roast goose tonight.

Go get him, Buster.

Peach pie!

It's rattlesnake pie.

Best rattlesnake pie I ever tasted.

Stop it! Let her go!

Let her go!

Stop it! Let her go!

Let her go! Stop!

Samantha's a pet!

She's a pure pet!

I wish I'd knowed that sooner.

Much obliged, ma'am.

Thank you very kindly, lady.

Feel much better.

Mount up!

Boys, there's enough food here

to feed us for a whole week!

Thanks for the chickens!

I raised my hand in anger.

I struck.

What a whacking!

If thy father ever knew...

Thee must never tell him.

Never!

Whoa, Black Prince.

Sam, what happ...?

Reb Bushwhacker.

He took...

...Black Prince.

I found him.

Head for war...

...and get mixed up with horse thieves.

I was training Black Prince...

...to beat you.

Thee can beat me, Sam.

Thee can beat me any day in the week.

You finally admit it.

Tell him when you see him.

I'll tell him.

I'll tell him.

Now, go on.

Go on, git!

I'll not harm thee.

Thank God I found thee.

He's not very old.

I killed him.

Thee did what thee had to do.

I must get thee home.

I heard thee playing on the Lord's Day...

Let me look at thee.

Stand still.

Let me see if thee

is in order for Meeting.

Stay on the porch and keep clean!

I don't need any help, thank thee.

But it pleasures me to help thee, son.

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