Meek's Cutoff Page #2

That was my mother's.

I know.

It's only weight now.

[Glass Shatters]

Jimmy!

[Wagon Approaching]

He's gone.

I'm telling you.

He's abandoned us.

He'll move faster alone.

It's what I'd do.

No, it's not

what you'd do.

He saw the writing.

How much water

you reckon?

Two days, maybe three.

Ah. He's gone by now.

He's gone by now.

There we are.

Ho!

Water!

[Solomon]

Amen.

Water ahead!

[Wagon Approaching]

It's alkaline!

It's alkaline.

Whoa. Whoa.

[Horse Blusters]

[Meek]

It's alkaline.

[Meek]

Can't water here.

Not even the animals.

Well, then?

What now?

Well,

we skirt around.

Go south

till we make it around.

[Thomas]

How far is it around?

[Meek]

Well, we'll find out.

Shouldn't be too far.

The maps I've seen

don't record much of this.

Oh.

[Solomon]

No.

We're not going

farther south.

[Meek]

Well, we can't keep west

unless you brought oars.

[Solomon]

We're heading

north.

Meet back

with the main stem

if we have to.

[Meek]

There's scarce grass

and water up north.

South is the best bet.

[Solomon Chuckling]

Well, there's nothing

where we came from either,

and there's nothing ahead,

so I'm saying north.

We'll move closer

to the Columbia.

That way

we can rejoin

the communication.

[William]

I I see your thinking.

How many days

to the Columbia

from hereabouts?

[Meek]

Well, too many.

West is the goal.

The sooner we get moving

west, the better.

The quickest way west,

by my reckoning

south.

Mr. Gately,

do you have an opinion?

[Thomas]

I think north too.

[Meek]

Well, I'm advising against that.

Now, I've been all through

this country, more or less.

By God, you contracted me

to get you to the Valley.

I will.

[Solomon]

We understand that, Mr. Meek.

We understand.

But you work for us, Mr. Meek.

You'll be paid.

Just, uh,

we're not going around.

We're going north.

[Bridle Rattling]

[Meek]

Suit yourselves.

[Meek]

We'll do what we do.

[Solomon]

Two shots if we find water.

[Men Clicking Tongues]

[Gasps]

Hyah!

[Gasping, Panting]

[Boy]

Mrs. Tetherow,

look what we found!

[Glory]

What is it,

Emily?

Jimmy.

[Groans]

[Meek]

So he wore clothes?

Yes.

Yes, some.

Paint on his face?

No.

Horse?

Uh, yes.

Was he carryin' a weapon?

A knife or a bow?

Uh... no.

No, I don't think so.

[Stammering]

I'm not sure.

I was upset.

He-He had a a scar

on his shoulder though.

Well, if he wore clothes,

he's no Digger.

They're hardly

more than animals.

We're too far south

for that anyway.

Might be Paiute.

Could be Nez Perce.

He could be Cayuse.

They're from the north.

It's far west for Blackfoot,

but that's possible.

And what does that mean?

[Meek Chuckles]

Jimmy,

go help your mother.

[Meek]

Well, frankly, I'm amazed.

Mrs. Tetherow

saw this redskin

and lived to tell the tale.

I mean, you rarely see

hide nor hair of a hostile...

till he justjumps you

and cuts your throat.

They can disappear

in their own shadow.

They can hide under a wolf skin

so quiet, you step on 'em

before you know it.

And where one redskin is,

there's a dozen more

just lurkin' nearby.

And they're all armed by now.

[Laughing]

And sometimes...

I mean, sometimes they wait

till they're fired on,

but most of ten they don't.

When they come

on a woman,

they kill her.

I mean, they'd never dream

of sparin' a woman.

So I'm guessin'

it's Cayuse.

On a horse

this far north.

I mean, they roam

all over the basin here,

all the way down to Mexico.

They pick up slaves

from the Klamaths.

They sell' em at Celilo.

We'll find out presently,

I reckon.

[Solomon]

No fires tonight.

[Meek]

And double watch.

[Thomas] Dandy.

[William]

Mercy.

[Meek]

Hell's full of Indians,

my friends.

You were lucky tonight,

ma'am.

Don't want a blanket.

Don't make it worse.

Cold is the least

of my troubles.

Hmm.

It's only a few days north

to the Columbia

by my reckoning.

I been keepin' notes.

What if we don't

find water soon?

We will.

Your optimism.

I'm sorry.

Is he ignorant,

or is he

just plain evil?

That's my quandary.

It's impossible to know.

We can't know.

That's very comforting,

Mr. Tetherow.

Well,

we made our decision.

This is all gonna be

a bad dream soon.

It's gonna be

a story to tell.

I don't blame him

for not knowing.

I blame him

for saying he did.

That fool.

[Footsteps Outside]

[William]

Solomon?

Dry breakfast?

No.

Might as well eat the dust.

Ladies.

Fine morning.

I'd like to know how.

Well, not too hot.

Plus smooth ground.

Could be a piece worse.

It's not today

that's weighing on me.

We'll follow

the land downhill.

The water's more likely

in the lower places.

[Solomon] That's fine.

[Wagon Wheels Squeaking]

[William]

Heed.

Stay with us.

Broken axle.

I'm gonna bring

this wheel off.

All right.

[Grunts, Sighs]

[Chuckles]

Are those

our mountains,

Mr. Meek?

Oh, no. No, no.

We'll know

our mountains, Jimmy.

Hell's full of mountains.

Those aren't them.

[Jimmy]

What are they?

[Meek]

Well, they...

They're nameless,

I suppose.

We'll call 'em

Jimmy's Mountains.

What do you say to that?

I suppose so.

Mm-hmm.

Jimmy's Mountains.

We get to

the Willamette Valley,

I'll tell

the cartographers.

We'll print it on the map.

Hmm?

I don't know,

Mr. Meek.

[Chuckles]

[Belches Quietly]

[Glory]

You never womaned, Mr. Meek?

Indeed I have.

Numerous times.

Squaws in these parts

start lookin' mighty white

after 20 years' time.

Oh, dear.

Sometimes I get the sense

you don't care for me much,

Mrs. Tetherow.

Oh, I have no feelings

one way or the other, Mr. Meek.

That's... [Chuckles]

That's just a kind way

of saying you don't like me.

I don't like where we are.

So, that's what you think,

that we're lost?

I'd say that seems

about the right word for it.

We're not lost.

We're not lost.

We're just finding our way.

I certainly hope so.

We gonna make all right.

Oh, you don't need to

patronize me, Mr. Meek.

[Stammering]

Well, now I think you're

flirtin' with me, ma'am.

You don't know much

about women, do you,

Stephen Meek?

Why, I-I know...

somethin' or other.

[Sarcastic Giggle]

If you say so.

Well, I know women

are different from men.

I know that much.

I'll tell you the difference,

if you care to hear it.

[Emily Chuckles]

I don't doubt you will.

Women-

Women are created

on the principle of chaos-

the chaos of creation,

disorder, bringin' new things

into the world.

Men are created

on the principle

of destruction.

It's like cleansing,

ordering destruction.

You think I'm wrong,

you can tell me.

Chaos and destruction.

Those two genders

are always at it.

Chaos and destruction.

Well, I don't know.

I have to think about it.

Mm-hmm.

[Glory]

Jimmy, I told you

not to wander.

I wasn't wandering,

Ma.

Jimmy!

- Ma, I

- You were wandering.

If you wander again,

your father will tan you.

You found this?

[Jimmy]

Just down the gully.

There's lots.

More? How much more?

Enough to fill this bucket

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