The Man from Snowy River Page #2

Henry Craig's boy.

You remember young Jim.

The lad doesn't know it yet,

but he inherits his father's share,

no matter what it is.

Craig! When you're finished here,

you can muck out the stables.

Yes, sir.

Here. He's a hard worker that lad.

Yeh, seems willing enough.

I can't understand why the boss took him on.

He comes from the mountains.

That was a long time ago.

Morning, Mrs Bailey.

Oh, g'day. I'm Jim Craig.

Pretty good at shoveling that, arn't yeh.

Pretty smart for a mountain fella.

Uses the flat end and everything.

Yeh

Live like bandicoots up in the hills.

You digging for grubs there bandicoot.

Have they given you the day off?

I'm studying to be supervisor.

Studying to be stupid!

You.

Morning, Miss Jessica.

Morning.

I'll get Kip out for you?

No, thank you.

Well I'll be about my duty miss.

Getting the hang of it, son?

Keep it up,

I'll be back latter to check on your work.

Kip, what have you been up to...Eh?

Eh?

Uh, can I help?

No. No, I can manage.

Show me how you did that.

Easy.

So.

In through the loops.

There's a trick to that one!

There's no trick at all.

Let me have a go.

Now...like that?

This hand up.

Aha.

Turn it in.

That's right.

Pull through?

You've got it.

This one goes through there.

The ends go through the loops.

Pull.

Pull!

Wrong.

What happened?

I don't know.

HARRISON:
Craig.

Cool off the horse and stable him.

Yes, sir.

Jessica.

It's called the `tomfools' knot'.

You're getting the hang of it.

I'll be back latter to check on your work.

Why aren't you at your lessons?

One of the brood mares is foaling,

she'll need a had.

You're not midwife

to a herd of horses.

The men can handle that.

I can do it better.

It's not an occupation for a lady.

``A lady''!

Yes, `lady'.

The word become old-fashioned?

It's become an excuse

to keep women under control!

Please spare me

your aunt's feminist rubbish.

You should be thinking

of marriage, children.

The well-known cattle breeder

has a breeding program

for his daughter as well.

You keep a civil tongue.

I don't understand

where this rudeness comes from.

Uh, which bed's mine?

Any one that doesn't buck you off, boy.

That one's empty, son.

It's yours if you want it.

You can keep your saddle

in the tack room.

Yeah, stop there yourself

if you like.

Grow up, Curly.

Drop dead, you old fart.

Watch your tongue, boy...

whlIe you've still got one.

Deal the cards, boss.

Uh, two.

They're starting the High Country

muster in a couple of days.

Gonna be an early winter,

according to Kane.

Huh?

Yep.

I thought Harrison

controlled the seasons.

I reckon the boss will hold

the muster till Clancy gets here.

Well, who's he, then? Some kind

of top rider, this Clancy bloke?

No, he's no rider. He's a horseman.

Yeh Curly, look at this.

Well, what's so special

about Clancy, then?

I told you, he's a horseman.

`Horseman'?

Clancy's not just a horseman.

Clancy's a...a magician.

He's a genius.

I've met him.

When I was young.

He and my father were mates.

Mates? Bullshit!

Mates! Mates.

Wouldn't have a bloody mate

to save his life.

Oh, sorry, Your Honour. Mates!

Sorry, beg your pardon, Your Honour.

Mates with Clancy, eh?

HARRISON:
What's going on?

Some kind of union meeting?

They've heard that Clancy's coming.

Ah, they've all come out

to gawk at him, huh?

It's not often they get a chance

to meet a legend.

Jim Craig, isn't it?

Been a long time.

Yes, sir.

I'll see to your horses?

Watch him, he's a hog for water.

Oh, Jim.

I was very sorry

to hear about your father.

He was a good mate.

Clancy.

Kane.

``Go west, young man,'' they said.

``Go west!''

So I did - 10,000 miles further

than they intended.

And I found gold.

In beef cattle.

We made more money selling meat to the miners

than they ever dug up

in their claims, didn't we, Clancy?

Well, you sold them.

I only drove them.

He was known around the diggings

as `The California Horse-Trader'.

This is the finest trifle

I've ever eaten, Mrs Hume.

It's more than a trifle, Clancy.

It's a charlotte russe.

Charlotte russe!

My dear sister-in-law occasionally

bestows on us simple bush people

the fruits of her learning.

Just as well, or Jessica would've

been brought up with the kangaroos

and we'd be dining in a bark hut.

Rosemary, you never appreciate

the sacrifices made

in buiIding a property like this.

Would you pass the decanter, please?

Mr Paterson?

I'm sorry. I didn't realise.

That women may also enjoy what

custom deems is a man's privilege?

None of your speeches.

Aunt Rosemary's quite right.

Women SHOULD have the right

to do anything they're capable of.

You hear that?

The notion's like a germ.

My own daughter

infected with your nonsense.

Your own daughter,

as you know, has a good mind,

a way with horses

and an eye for stockbreeding.

Now would you have these developed,

or would you condemn her to domestic dullness

You should be in a ladys' college,

and not in the stabbles.

Well, whatever the complexities

of the argument, Mrs Hume,

you're certainly proof

the legal profession's been denied

the services of a great advocate.

Women lawyers?

That'll be the day.

CLANC Y:
That such sweet libation

should have fathered su...

I am sorry, madam.

MOTHERED such a disputation.

Rosemary,

if you're finished with the port...

Quite.

It's a far cry from

the dark rum we drank on the track.

Ah, yes. Here's to those

long-gone days on the trail.

Well, for ME, they're not long gone.

So here's to their future.

Oh, there's no future there, Clancy.

I wouldn't swap the sunlit plains

for all the tea in China.

They are a vision splendoured.

Clancy, how romantic.

Romantic?! Your brain's gone soft!

We've got

the railways and roads now.

Mr Paterson,

we can ship refrigerated beef

to the markets of England, Europe.

THAT'S where the future lies.

You were ALWAYS a way ahead

of the old squatters.

Which is why there's few of them left.

They tore the guts out of the country.

THEY did?!

I see the day when we'll be one of

the greatest food producers of the world.

And YOU have it all under control!

Yes, except for those mountains.

With the cattle,

I'd run freighters up there...

PRAISED be the lack of capitalism!

PATERSON:
Ladies and gentIemen...

..may I propose a toast?

Er...

Yes.

To our two romantics.

To one who sees what is

and one who sees what can be.

Lord grant that the two are compatible.

Mrs Bailey said to bring

some more firewood.

Hello, Jim.

Hello, Jim.

Good evening, Jim.

Well, we all seem to be introduced.

Not all of us, Harrison.

I'm Mrs Hume.

How do you do, ma'am?

Jim, Mr Harrison was just talking

of taming the Snowy River country.

You know it better than us -

what do you think?

Well, sir...

..I think you might sooner hold back

the tide than tame the mountains.

Excuse me, then.

That boy has a quality about him.

Yeah. The mongrel quality

of the mountain people.

Does that include your brother?

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