The Retrieval

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Speak up, boy, 'fore I lay into you.

There's three of 'em. Two is men.

Any inside?

Just an old white woman.

You sure, now?

But she got a shotgun.

Well,

you boys try not to piss yourselves.

Watch it! Watch it!

Okay, let's go!

Get up! Come on!

Come on.

Come on.

That's money is what that is.

That n*gger's worth $600, and you ain't.

You owe that boy an apology.

I'm sorry, Burrell, for...

Don't tell me.

I apologize.

This lost property is to be

protected until returned.

I got three rolled.

Pay me first.

Last time you ain't pay me.

Make sure your uncle shares that.

You ain't thank me.

Thank you, Marcus.

Ain't no need to be countin', boy.

Don't I provide when no one else did?

You welcome to set out on your own.

Go on now. Feed them n*ggers.

It's your turn.

Y'all thirsty?

I got something for you.

Name of the man

you're looking for is Nate.

He's diggin' graves for the Federals

near Petersburg.

About three,

four nights from here by foot.

I don't reckon I'd be welcome

anyplace near.

And this n*gger just gonna happily

walk hisself back south?

Well, they buried his brother not

two months ago down in Leesville.

News ain't made it up there.

You'll think of somethin'.

How 'bout you give me 50 for the boy?

In case I don't make it back.

Even if I do,

he'd be yours.

He can cook, tend horses.

Should keep the boy.

Might need him.

Besides, you do this right, you're gonna

need help carryin' all that gold.

There's a lot of country

between here and there.

And to the north

and south of either place.

And out west.

If a man don't want to be found,

there's many places he can go.

Where you can go.

Don't matter.

If you don't bring this n*gger back

exactly how I say,

I'll find you and put you in the ground,

along with the boy...

and everybody else you ever knew.

Wake up.

Why we goin' so far

for just one runaway?

Can leave you here if you don't like it.

Makes no difference.

- Why can't we just...

- Money's why.

And this one's worth more than

them other three put together.

I'll take that.

- Who you think used to live here?

- Now just keep quiet and listen.

When we get back with him,

we stay the last night...

When we get back with him,

we stay the last night here.

When you get up, you go get Burrell

'fore that n*gger wakes.

They not a mile that way. And I don't want

no talkin' about how you been here before

or none of that sh*t. Understand?

Good. Go on.

Get down on the ground. Lay down there.

What?

Boy, get down on the ground

like you sleepin'.

Now get up and get out that door.

So I can't hear ya.

Again.

You ain't asleep.

So you hear everything.

Goddamn it, boy.

Again.

If he's got a knife or something, we gotta

take it from him while he's sleepin'.

This ain't like sneakin' out the

other night when they was scared

and they ain't had nowhere else to go.

This one's somethin' else.

Go on, now.

Your name Nate, sir?

I'm Will from...

That's my Uncle Marcus.

From around Leesville.

We come on account

of your brother, Samuel?

He got consumption.

He ain't well.

Say he ain't gonna last long.

Can't go back down there.

Your brother said...

he wants to see you before he goes.

- He ask us to tell you that.

- How'd you find me?

Your brother heard you was here.

I don't know how.

When was this?

Three days back.

And you just took it upon yourself

to deliver the word?

His master, Pritchards, tasked us

with it, and we'll be paid.

Say he ain't got long.

He just wants to see you.

Should we tell your brother somethin'?

'Bout why you ain't come back for him?

Y'all from Leesville?

He in a bad way?

I'll see to it when I can.

We should all head back together.

Can we journey back with you?

- The two of you make it up here on your own?

- Yes, sir.

Then... I figure you can make it

back down on your own too.

Well, we won't be a bother.

Besides, we came all this way for you.

We'll leave before sunup.

And we stay off the roads.

I can't be liable for foolish children.

Now, go on.

You want my advice, we'll make it there

in three days if we head up...

Don't want your advice.

Well, you need it, ornery bastard.

You headed that way?

Yeah.

You welcome to take any path you want.

Marcus know the best way.

You ain't got nothin' to worry about.

You ever seen a cannon shoot off?

I've heard 'em lots.

Just never seen 'em.

- Why do you think...

- Didn't your mama ever teach you to shut up

and listen sometime?

I never knew my mama.

So how long has it been

since you run up north?

I ain't a runaway.

That's too much for you

to be carryin', boy.

My father gave me that.

I don't give a damn who gave it to you.

I ain't spending it till I see him next.

Yeah, keep on rubbin' that thing.

Shine it up.

You rub that thing half as good as you

was rubbin' your johnson last night,

it'll shine right up.

- Might even blind a man.

- He lyin'.

Hell, he could rub the eagle right off

the back of that coin till it's smooth.

- Least he's good at one thing.

- I was a professional at his age.

They's stuck on your back.

Why they stick like that?

Don't serve no purpose.

It's a seed.

That way they travel further

than they could on their own.

- But why do they...

- You wearin' me out, boy.

Well, I just...

Hear that?

- No. What's it sound like?

- Keep listenin'.

Very quiet.

Was that it?

Why we takin' him back to Burrell

if he ain't a runaway?

What?

He owe Burrell money. And they might

have to rough him up to get it,

so stop getting all friendly with him.

Maybe he'll just pay up

so they won't have to.

He made his choices.

And don't forget

what we stand to collect.

Tonight, you try and sneak out in

the night. See how good he sleeps.

Boy, you best get up and get some more.

We over here crackin' teeth,

and this n*gger eatin' pork?

You know, a man can share.

You're right.

What's it like diggin' for the Federals?

It don't seem no different from diggin'

for a master down south.

You seen me ask any man's

permission to leave?

You work hard, you're your own man.

I don't need no one

and don't look out for no one.

Marcus and I look out for each other...

ever since the army

burned down the master's farm.

Doin' what it takes to get by.

We's family, you know?

I knew my ma for about two hours,

and my father was a sumbitch.

Father went north two years back,

but he's comin' back for me.

Boy, that's bullshit and you know it.

Comin' back down south for you

is the last thing on the man's mind.

Keep quiet and let a n*gger sleep.

Where you goin'?

I got to piss.

Then go right there.

You ain't got to spend 10 minutes standin' up

and then walk a mile out in the woods.

Well?

Well, I can't with you watchin'.

Oh, sh*t, boy.

Hold on now.

Where you goin'?

- Just hold up now.

- You stole some of my salt pork.

- I'll make my own way from here on.

- Man, I ain't eat your food.

I knowed you was a thief.

You don't know a goddamn thing.

What, you think I stole that sh*t?

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