How the West Was Won Page #3

Come on, come on.

We got more fish to fry.

Down to the island.

Tell Pa them settlers, rafts are coming.

Can't I have this toilet water, Pa?

- Genuine Parisian accent, it says.

- How much is it?

It's only 15 cents.

Fifteen cents? Put it back.

You're right, sir. Absolutely right.

You save the pennies and dollars will grow.

Likely you've growed many a dollar.

Mr. Bedloe, all my life I've been striving

to avoid becoming a millionaire.

I think I've succeeded right well.

I've got a little put away in the sock.

It'll stay there.

Well, now, them's my sentiments exactly.

Now, you, sir.

You look like a man of property.

Now, if I was to bet, I'd say

you was worth, say, a thousand dollars.

- Pretty close to the mark?

- Well, close, maybe.

Colin, how much powder we got left?

- Don't be afraid, now, don't be afraid.

Now, there's women and children here.

You gents wouldn't want us to have

to start shooting, now, would you?

Be of good cheer, folks.

It's in our noble tradition

that we conquer the wilderness...

...with nothing but our bare hands

and stout hearts.

You can build new rafts and sally forth

in the spirit of your forefathers.

Why, you pious old scoundrel.

I'll see you burn.

Americans can't be whipped.

It's him.

I knew he'd come back. It's him.

Now let us pray.

O Lord...

...we thank thee for our salvation.

We commit the souls of our dead

to thy gentle keeping.

We pray for a speedy recovery

of our wounded.

And now another matter.

O Lord...

...without consulting with thee...

...we have sent thy way some souls

whose evil ways passeth all understanding.

We ask thee humbly to receive them.

Whether you want them or not.

Amen.

Now, it'll be a job...

...but I guess I can patch her up

good enough to get to Pittsburgh.

- Linus.

- Now, Eve...

...let's just not talk any more about it.

Linus, I'm telling you,

you don't know your own mind.

Well, maybe so, maybe not.

You know, I ain't saying

that you haven't been on my mind some.

I ain't saying that.

But I still went to see the varmint

with that pirate girl.

I'll always be

going to see the varmint, Eve.

I just ain't cut out

to be a farmer or a husband.

Linus, I ain't never bringing up

the subject again...

...whether ever I see you or not.

No, it's for the best.

I wish you Godspeed, Eve.

And I ain't said that to anybody

for a long time.

I can see rapids ahead, Pa. White water.

Look. Look.

Oh, we must've taken the wrong fork.

Let's beach her on this side.

Harvey!

Rapids!

Rapids ahead! Beach her!

Beach her!

Hold her steady.

Rein!

Pa, we're in the current!

Get inside, Zeke.

No, I don't wanna.

Straighten her, Pa.

Lilith!

Hold it steady!

I can't!

Go on. Go on to help Pa.

I'll get it.

Lilith! Lilith!

Lie down!

Lie down!

What happened?

They took the wrong fork of the river

and they went over the falls.

Did you happen to hear

the name of the family?

Uh... Prescott, I think.

Something like that.

As soon as they're buried decent...

...I'm heading back East

on the first boat that comes along.

And if you were in your right mind,

you would too.

Oh, Linus.

Would you walk with me a piece, Eve?

Eve, I...

Eve, all the time I was paddling down here

I was thinking...

...if I found you alive, I'd...

Would you come

to Pittsburgh with me, Eve?

Oh, Linus.

I'm staying right here.

I ain't moving a foot

one way or the other.

Now, would you explain that a little?

Ma and Pa,

they wanted a farm in the West...

...and this is as far as they got.

Seems to me this is where the Lord

wanted the farm to be.

But your brother, Sam, he's bad hurt,

and winter's coming...

There's no sense talking about it.

I'm gonna do it.

Eve, you just ain't making much sense.

Well, half the people that come West

don't make much sense, I reckon.

All right.

All right.

By golly, you're a strong-minded woman.

I reckon I seen that varmint

for the last time.

The westward course was no smoother

than that of true love.

Not only the hard hand of nature

was against it, but the impediment of war.

Trouble over land

smoldered along the Mexican border.

Not all Americans were for war, including

Congressman Abe Lincoln of Illinois.

But a war did break out,

and in the end...

... vast new territories came into the Union

along with their rich Spanish names:

Rio Grande, Santa Fe,

Albuquerque, El Paso.

And most glittering of all, California...

... named after a mythical island

of pearls and gold in a 15th-century novel.

Here, in 1848...

... at Sutter's Mill, a man found something

he wasn't even looking for...

... at the bottom of a ditch.

And the cry of his discovery was heard

clear across the continent...

... in Boston, New York, Savannah...

... and across the oceans

in London, Paris, Berlin.

But nowhere was the clamor of gold

heard more eagerly than in St. Louis...

... the busiest fur-trading center

in the world...

... and the noisiest, bawdiest,

most uppity town west of New York.

I say there's no more than three.

- Six.

- Six?

It's that lace that fooled you. I say three.

Watch him. I hear Cleve's an expert on

petticoats. Anyway, you can never prove it.

We're going to be late

for that poker game.

Look, I've just stuck you

for the most expensive dinner in St. Louis.

I don't mind sticking you a bit deeper.

I'll lay you a hundred it's no less than six.

- How will you prove it?

- Go backstage and find out.

- If I go back and check with you.

- Fair enough.

Second girl.

- Miss Prescott? Miss Prescott?

- Later.

It's rather important.

It's always important.

The older they are,

the more important it gets.

Miss Prescott, please.

I am Hylan Seabury...

...attorney in the matter

of Jonathan Brooks.

He means nothing to you?

That old goat?

Well, you must've meant

something to him, Miss Prescott.

- Why?

- You're included in his will.

Of course, you have to make the trip

to California to claim the bequest.

Well, now, I wouldn't go to California...

...if John Jacob Astor left me

San Francisco.

I don't think Mr. Astor

had holdings there, no.

However, the yield from

Mr. Brooks, property is not to be scorned.

- Yield of what?

- Gold, Miss Prescott. Gold.

- Gold?

- Precisely.

You own a gold mine, Miss Prescott.

It yielded $3500 the very first week.

Gold mine?

Well. Well, I...

That sweet old goat.

For heavens...

Well.

This is an unexpected pleasure.

- Where's the money?

- Money?

Money?

Oh, yes. You're referring, of course,

to our little agreement.

One hundred to start you off...

...and my share of the winnings.

Well, I'm somewhat embarrassed to report

that the hundred no longer exists.

That $100, I assure you...

...will turn out to be the best investment

you have ever made.

I have plans, gentlemen...

...beyond your wildest dreams.

I'm gonna earn you

a piece of a gold mine.

Gold mine.

You ain't gonna earn nothing.

You ain't gonna be nothing,

you ain't gonna do nothing...

...unless we get that 100 back

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