The Big Country Page #6

Oh, Julie, he's not the man I remembered.

Well, he couldn't very well

bring his ship with him.

What's going on here, Pat?

What's happened between you and Jim?

Ramn said he went into town.

Yes. I sent him away.

For heaven's sakes, why, Pat?

Well, because. He backed down

from Steve in front of everybody.

Steve called him a liar right to his face

and he just stood there and took it.

Why did he call him a liar?

Jim said...

What difference does it make?

The important thing is that Steve

said it and Jim refused to fight.

It's just sort of the last straw.

It's been one thing right after another.

Buck Hannassey beats him up on the road

and he refuses to do anything about it.

Oh, well!

But he wouldn't even get on Old Thunder

when the boys saddled him up for a lark.

Then just to stand there when Steve

called him a liar and not do anything...

You say Jim wouldn't ride Old Thunder?

That's funny. He mentioned

about having trouble with a horse...

Wait a minute, I'll be right back.

- Where are you going?

- To ask Ramn something.

I know that he didn't ride him.

Everybody here knows it.

The major was standing right there.

You always think you know everything,

Julie, but this time you're wrong.

Come on. Let's go find Ramn.

Ramn.

Yes?

Did Mr. McKay ride Old Thunder?

No. I don't think so.

Ramn, why did Mr. McKay

ask you not to tell anybody?

I don't know. Maybe because he...

That is no fair.

I'm sorry, Ramn, but we had to know.

So he did ride him?

Oh, yes. He ride him himself.

Old Thunder threw him down five,

ten times. I don't know how many.

And he don't give up.

But Old Thunder give up,

and then he was walking like this,

like an old burro, you know.

A man like him is very rare.

Thank you, Ramn.

You're welcome, seorita.

If he was gonna ride the brute,

why didn't he do it

when it meant something?

Well, he did ride it when

it meant something to him.

Obviously Mr. McKay

is afraid of only one thing:

that people may suspect him

of showing off.

But if he loved me, why would he

let me think he's a coward?

If you love him,

why would you think it?

How many times does

a man have to win you?

Well, I think it's a downright deceitful

way of acting. I'm glad he's gone.

And you can go too if all you can

think to do is criticise me.

The way you're sticking up for him,

a person might think you were

in love with him yourself.

If you feel that way about him, why don't

you go after him? I'm sure I don't care.

You fool!

The man loves you!

While you were blaming him,

do you know what he was doing?

Buying Big Muddy for you

as a wedding present!

Hello, Jim.

I've been looking for you.

I wanted to talk to you

about the Big Muddy.

Oh.

I hoped I was free of

that problem for good.

I bought it on the understanding that

it would be a wedding present for Pat.

I don't want to keep it

under false pretences.

Jim, you're making a mistake

you're gonna regret.

I know Pat. She's generous, sensitive...

a little high-strung, maybe.

Once you get her... get her away

from her father's influence,

she's got the makings

of a wonderful wife.

Well, it seems to me that when a man

uproots his life and travels 2,000 miles,

he must be very much in love.

How can you change your mind

after one silly misunderstanding?

It goes much deeper than that.

It's finished.

I'm sorry.

I guess I've been conducting a class on

something I don't know very much about.

Pat's very lucky to have you

for a friend.

Now...

- What about the Big Muddy?

- Do you want me to take it back?

No, I want to keep it.

Work it. Build it up.

I'd like to go ahead and

have the deed recorded.

All right.

Thanks, Julie.

Come in.

Pat.

Come in.

Won't you sit down?

I think this is the safest chair.

Thanks, but I can't stay.

I just came to return these pistols.

The major felt that you

should have 'em back.

They were a gift.

I want him to have them.

Jim, I... I can't pretend to be

proud and polite any longer.

They're not why I came.

I didn't even think of 'em

till I had my hat on.

You said that you wanted

to think things over.

Have you?

Yes.

I don't think it'll work out

between us, Pat.

Oh, Jim, you can't mean that.

I know I've been wrong.

I've been silly and stupid and...

But can't you see?

Those two dreadful days and nights

of worrying about you.

I couldn't think. I was out of my mind.

If only you'd remembered

how much you mean to me.

If only you'd told me,

explained to me...

You didn't give me

much of a chance, Pat.

You were all so determined

to see me fight.

But it would have meant so much,

if I'd only known.

I don't mean to reproach you.

That's the last thing I wanna do. But...

Even when you rode Old Thunder,

everybody knew it.

Ramn knew it, Julie knew it.

But me, not a word. Why?

You knew how much it meant to me,

with everybody laughing at me.

And don't tell me they weren't.

But you wouldn't do it for me.

Why not? Why not for me?

There are some things a man has to prove

to himself alone, not to anyone else.

Not even to the woman he loves?

Least of all to her, if she loves him.

- Do you understand that, Pat?

- No.

No, I'll never understand that,

so don't try to explain it to me.

And then you say it won't work,

just like that.

No, Pat.

Not just like that.

Jim, I love you.

You know I love you.

It'll never happen again.

I promise.

Oh, I need you!

I need you so terribly!

Oh, darling...

Oh, I promise... I promise.

Oh, darling.

It's all been such a misunderstanding.

It'll never happen again.

I mustn't think mixed-up things any more.

Oh, there's so much to do. I haven't

even told the major the good news.

Wait till he hears about my wedding

present. He'll be so proud of you.

He has such plans for the Big Muddy.

The major thinks on a grand scale,

I can promise you that.

He even wants to put in new corrals...

Pat...

I didn't buy the Big Muddy

to make the major proud of me.

I had plans of my own.

And I promised Julie that the neighbours

could have all the water they need.

What do you mean by that?

I'm not going to go on living

in the middle of a civil war.

Do I understand you to mean

all the neighbours?

That's right.

That includes the Hannasseys.

The Hannasseys?

You can stand there and say that to me?

You heard that filthy man

insult my father with his lies.

They were all lies!

You know they were lies!

Oh, you're just like all the rest

of them. You hate the major.

I don't know why I came here!

I don't have to crawl to you or any man!

You'll never see the day when you're half

the man that Henry Terrill is! Never!

Let's go, teacher.

What do you want, Mr. Hannassey?

I've wanted a lot of things in my life,

most of which I never got.

Sit down.

Mandy! Bring the lady some supper.

- Me too, Pa.

- You do your own yellin', boy.

People will be coming after me.

I hope they bring a rope.

They'll be comin' after you,

all right. I've seen to that.

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