Jeremiah Johnson

His name was Jeremiah Johnson.

They say he wanted

to be a mountain man.

The story goes that he was a man

of proper wit and adventurous spirit...

...suited to the mountains.

Nobody knows where he came from

and it don't seem to matter much.

He was a young man...

...and ghosty stories about

the tall hills didn't scare him none.

He was looking for a Hawkin gun,

He settled for a 30, but damn,

it was a genuine Hawkin.

You couldn't do no better.

Bought a horse, traps and other truck

that went with being a mountain man.

And said good-bye

to whatever life was down below.

Where is it l could find bear, beaver,

other critters worth cash skinned?

Ride due west as the sun sets.

Turn left at the Rocky Mountains.

This here's his story.

Jeremiah Johnson

Made his way into the mountains

Betting on forgetting

All the troubles that he knew

The trail was wide and narrow

The eagle or the sparrow

Showed the path he was to follow

As it flew

A mountain man's a lonely man

And he leaves a lot behind

lt ought to have been different

But you often-times will find

That the story doesn't always go

The way you had in mind

And Jeremiah's story

Was that kind

''l, Hatchet Jack...

...being of sound mind

and broken legs...

...do hereby leaveth my bear rifle...

...to whatever finds it.

Lord hope it be a white man.

lt is a good rifle...

...and killed the bear that killed me.

Anyway, l am dead.

Yours truly, Hatchet Jack.''

A 50 caliber Hawkin!

Come on, you.

That'll be far enough, pilgrim!

Where are you?

You're a fine target, pilgrim!

Empty your hand.

l ain't seen no live man in 2 months.

l am Bear Claw Chris Lapp.

Blood kin to the grizzly

that bit Jim Bridger's ass!

You are molesting my hunt!

l know who you are!

You're the same dumb pilgrim

l've been hearing for 20 days...

...and smelling for 3!

How come you ain't been scalped?

Ain't been too lucky?

This place has been

trapped out since '25.

Why are you here?

l hunt griz.

Grizzly bears, pilgrim.

l collect the claws.

l had one in that thicket back there.

Ready to shake hands

until you came along!

l'm sorry, then.

You look it!

Hungry too?

Come on.

You know how to skin griz?

l can skin most anything.

You sure are cocky

for a starving pilgrim.

There she be.

You go in, get warm,

get yourself something to eat.

l've got a chore to finish.

My boy!

Are you sure that you can skin griz?

Just as fast as you can find them.

Skin that one, pilgrim,

and l'll get you another!

Must have missed

another war down there.

Didn't miss nothing.

lf l head due west tomorrow,

will l find good places to trap?

lf you head due west or any place

tomorrow you'll be starving in a week.

You ain't likely to meet

someone of my good nature.

Mountain's got its own ways.

Use that skin pad, pilgrim,

before you lose all your fingers.

Whatever you learned down in the flat

will serve you no good up here.

You got some work to do.

Utes and Flatheads

are generally peaceful critters.

Crows, they are fearful.

Mighty warriors too.

ln my opinion the Crows

are the handsomest lndians there is.

And proud too.

There ain't a man alive

can match them on a horse.

l've seen them run

with one foot on the horse's rump...

...one wrist through a loop

in the mane...

...shooting arrows and guns

under the horse's neck!

But they are an adulterous people.

Adulterous.

Here you are, pilgrim.

Sharp enough to scale a fish with.

Ever get lonesome?

For what?

Woman?

Full-time night woman?

l never could find no tracks

in a woman's heart.

l packed a squaw

for 10 years, pilgrim.

Cheyenne, she was.

And the meanest b*tch

that ever balled for beads!

l lodgepoled her at Dead Wolf Creek

and traded her for a Hawkin gun!

Don't get me wrong,

l love the women, l surely do!

But l swear...

...a woman's breast

is the hardest rock...

...the Almighty ever made on Earth...

...and l can find no sign on it.

Now these coals here

will simmer until sunrise.

You better go do likewise.

Didn't put enough dirt down.

Saw it right off.

You track well, pilgrim.

Kind of like it, don't you?

Maybe.

Figures.

Human man...

...he likes tracking and killing.

An lnjun, he figures it's natural.

Wind's right.

But he'll just run, soon as

we step out of these trees.

Trick to it.

Walk out on this side of your horse.

What if he sees our feet?

Elk don't know

how many feet a horse has.

No, you damn fool!

Slide it up over the saddle!

You got him, pilgrim!

You nailed him clean.

We got us an elk to skin!

Can't figure people down there

eating hog when they could feed on elk.

Didn't like it down there?

-Ought to have been different.

-ls that so?

Many a child journeys

this high to be different.

To get from here what their natures

couldn't get them below.

lt comes to nothing.

Can't cheat the mountain, pilgrim.

Mountain got it....

Probably Crow. They'll steal

our horses unless we bribe them.

lt's their territory.

They figure we're trespassing.

Yep, Crow.

Fellow by the name

of Paints-His-Shirt-Red.

That's his sign.

Just stand still.

You two know each other?

l saw him once.

He says you fish poorly.

You understand their language?

Paints-His-Shirt speaks English,

he just does this to aggravate me.

Says he's got enough bear claws.

What's your name?

Johnson.

Your Christian name?

Jeremiah.

You've learned well, pilgrim.

You'll go far.

Providing you ain't burnt alive

or scalped.

l will do my best.

You can cut wood

and leave it up on the Judith.

Riverboat captains will leave you gold

if you put out a pouch.

Good thing to know...

...if times get hard.

Watch your topknot.

Watch yours.

l told you not to go play outside.

You got yourself all dirty...

...and also, young lady...

...without your shoes.

And you, Josh...

...dirty!

Look at you!

There, now!

Mary Lou, you knew better

than to go out in the sun....

Have l told you

not to go out...

...without a bonnet on your head?

You better stop there.

Woman, l am your friend.

We have graves to dig.

You were borne on the wind today.

Josh was being a bad boy.

l must tell your father.

Time to start the garden.

lf the wind would stop.

We will now sing.

Shall we gather at the river

Where bright angel feet have trod

With its crystal tide forever

Flowing by the throne of God

Yes, we'll gather at the river

The beautiful, the beautiful river

Gather with the saints at the river

That flows by the throne of God

Boy, did you see all this?

Better get one of these biscuits, boy.

l make damn good biscuits.

Here's food.

l could not find your husband

anywhere, madam.

So, maybe he will come back here.

The lndians will not bother you now,

on account of...

...you are touched.

They will be afraid.

What about the boy?

Maybe you and the boy

best come with me now.

l will take you down to the Judith.

Put you on a ferry.

Take him.

-What?

-Take him!

Madam, l wouldn't know how

to tend after....

You got a name, boy?

l will call you Caleb.

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