Smith!

1

[I Bobby Russell: The Ballad

of Smith and Gabriel Jimmyboy]

[horse whinnying]

[boy] Come on, Tasha.

Come on! That's the idea.

Come on! Come on! Come on, Tasha.

Come on back. Come get the apple.

Come on, boy. Come on.

Come on. Keep on comin'.

Come on. That's a good boy.

Come on. Come on. Keep on comin'.

That's the idea.

Come on. Come and get it.

That's a good boy...

Stay. That's a'way, Tasha.

That's a good boy, Tasha.

That's a'way.

[horse whinnies]

- [grunting]

[dog barking]

- [whistling]

- [cows mooing]

[whistling]

Smith!

[dog barking]

[cows mooing]

- [boy] Smith! Smith!

- [dog barking]

Where ya been for three days, Smith?

Ma's fit to be tied.

I've been up in the higher range

tracking down this scrawny beef.

- Ma been inquirin' about me?

- Inquiring?

She says when she

gets her hands on you...

She's been inquirin'...

"Three days he's gone," she says.

And the two of us here all alone.

What's for supper?

"We could be murdered in our beds

for all your father cares," she said.

Chicken stew for supper.

What's this about who

being murdered in who's bed?

I dunno. But she's been walking

around the house with your shotgun

like there's gonna be a massacre.

Well, sometimes your ma gets

carried away by the pioneer spirit.

Huh.

- [Smith whistling]

- [cows mooing]

Smith, remember

what we were talkin' about?

Three days ago before you took off?

Hope it isn't rooster stew for supper

considering the caliber of our chickens.

We were talking about Tashie.

And you said the day after Christmas

that you'd break 'em for me

so I could ride him.

Well, you got my solemn word, son.

- You didn't in January and February...

- And March and April and May...

Lemme tell you somethin', there's

only one way to break an Appaloosa.

That's the good old-fashioned

Indian talk way.

Eh, now I made a deal with OI' Antoine,

in fact it was the day after Christmas.

I'm sure he'll get

around to it sometime.

- Pretty soon now, huh?

- OK, Smith.

- Just thought I'd mention it.

- Well, I'm glad you did, son.

- I'll speak to Antoine. All right?

- All right. OK.

All right, Charlie.

Get 'em in the pen there, boy.

Come on, boy. Let's go.

[dog barking]

- [cows mooing]

[door opening]

"All right. Where you been and how come

you run off without telling me?"

Miss me? Hmm?

Oh, cut it out, will ya, Smith?

There's something going on in that old

shack on the other side of the meadow.

- Oh, really?

- Antoine's over there.

Oh, that's good. He's finally come

to break the Appaloosa for Albie.

There's someone in there with him!

Oh, now, Norah...

OI' Antoine must be

at least 97 years old.

- Smith, stop it!

- Wait a minute!

- That's the end of romance...

- Oh, stop it!

- All right, so who's with OI' Antoine?

- I think it's Gabriel Jimmyboy.

Smith, you've gotta

get him out of there.

- Norah...

- He's wanted for murder.

Please get him off our land.

I've been scared witless every night.

I don't know this Jimmyboy very well,

- but if he's a friend of Antoine...

- The police are after him!

Smith, he's got a gun!

How do you know he's got a gun?

I saw him. He and Antoine

went through the meadow

- heading for our old shack.

- [Albie] Smith!

- [footsteps pounding]

- [door opening]

OI' Antoine's here! He wants

some kerosene for his lamp.

Can we make him stay for dinner, Ma?

Chicken stew's his favorite.

Can he, Ma? Make him stay.

Hello, this place!

Hello, Antoine.

- Conesta.

- Conesta.

Well, look who dropped by

to borrow a little kerosene.

Uh, Norah, maybe we could

talk him into staying for supper?

- Hello. Good evening.

- Hello. Good evening, OI' Antoine.

- Smith...

- Shh... Now listen.

He's only gonna

stay a little while.

Eat, OI' Antoine.

Here. Hmm?

- [whispering] Oh, yeah. Go ahead.

- Antoine?

Smith says you're gonna

break my Appaloosa.

Could you do it

pretty soon, Antoine?

[speaking in Native American dialect]

[Albie] Will he do it, Smith?

I don't think he's talkin'

about your Appaloosa, Albie. He's...

He's comparing this stew

to the great famine of '78.

[clearing throat] Yeah.

Antoine...

Who is in that old shack with you

on the other side of the hay meadow?

- Cut it out, will ya, Norah?

- We have a right to know.

How can we sleep

with a murderer on the loose?

[Smith] Norah!

Antoine, listen to me.

- Who...

- [indistinct thumping outside]

- Hello, this place!

- [Albie] It's Peterpaul!

Can I go out and play till it gets dark?

I'll stay close to the house.

- Norah...

- Antoine...

I'm gonna ask you once more.

Now see what you've done?

Antoine, I tell you what.

Come by for breakfast and then you and

I'll go hunting in the hills, all right?

Might be that chicken.

No she chicken.

Might be he chicken, I think.

[sighing]

Indian very funny.

Oh, he didn't mean anything

disrespectful, Norah. He...

- You know OI' Antoine...

- Sure I know.

Blood brother.

Taught you everything you know...

As a matter of fact, he did.

Ever since I could climb on

a horse and throw a rope.

All right, all right.

We buy OI' Antoine,

but what about the rest of them? They

sleep on our land. They eat our food.

They get into trouble

and you bail them out of jail.

And you give them our hay when we don't

even have enough for our own stock.

And...

I'm so fed up with Indians.

Norah, now you listen to me.

Somebody has to take care of them

or else they get pushed around.

But why does it

always have to be you?

Why do they always come here

when their sky falls down?

Where else would they go?

All right, I'll go up to the cabin

and I'll get rid of Gabriel Jimmyboy.

You just keep my coffee hot.

All right?

- Oh, Smith?

- Yeah?

- Here.

- What's that for?

- But he's a murderer.

- Well, I'm not.

- Tots alla.

- Tots alla, yourself.

- Oh, hi, Smith.

- Hi, Vince.

Smith, have you seen an Indian named,

uh, Gabriel Jimmyboy on your place?

- Jimmy who?

- Boy. Jimmyboy.

No. What's he look like?

Looks like a blasted Indian. What else?

What's the matter with those dogs?

Can't they track Indians?

Eh... they've been trackin' all day.

They went and lost the trail

down there by Bear Creek.

Well, why don't you all go one back

to jail and kinda sleep it off, huh?

Look, Smith, somebody told the sheriff

they seen an Indian on your place.

I'm gonna ask you official: Have you

seen an Indian named Gabriel Jimmyboy?

[Smith] No... No.

Well, I think I'll just get down to

the old shack of yours and look myself.

[Smith] Hey, Vince. You got a warrant?

- This Indian murdered a man.

- Are you sure?

Well, now what do you want,

a personal affidavit?

He's an Indian, ain't he?

And he was drunk, wasn't he?

Money's gone and Sam Hardy's dead.

What else do you need?

I don't think the sheriff would

want you poking around that shack

without a search warrant.

- I don't need no warrant for no Indian!

- But you need your job.

Now don't do anything bull-headed.

You might lose it.

Hello, this place. It's me, Smith.

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