The Sea of Grass

TELEGRAM:

FOR MISS CAMERON.

NAT, WE'RE LATE,TERRIBLY LATE.

RIGHT.

TELEGRAM FOR ME?

NO, FOR MISS LUTIE.

I'LL TAKE IT UP TO HER.

MISS LUTIE UP IN HER ROOM?

THEY'RE ALL UP THERE.

WOULDN'T YOU THINK

THEY'D GET TIRED

OF LOOKING AT THEMSELVES?

WEDDINGS!

I'LL BE SO GLAD WHEN IT'S OVER.

HURRY UP, RACHAEL.

WHAT FOR?

IT AIN'T TILL 3 DAYS.

RACHAEL, HAVE YOU

EVER BEEN MARRIED?

YES'EM-HERE AND THERE

NOW AND THEN.

WHERE'S LUTIE?

SHE'S IN THERE.

SHE'S TRYING IT ON.

MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN YOU

CAN IMAGINE!

MAY I SEE YOU,

LUTIE?

ONE MINUTE, FATHER!

LET HIM IN, RACHAEL.

YOU LOOK FINE.

THEN SMILE!

- SMILE?

YOU HAVEN'T SMILED

ONCE SINCE I GOT ENGAGED.

WHY, LUTIE, I...

THE TWO LONGEST THINGS

IN ST. LOUIS-

YOUR FACE AND THE

MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

WELL, I ONLY WAN YOUR HAPPINESS, LUTIE.

AND I JUST KEEP THINKING

ONE THING:

JIM BREWTON IS ALL RIGHT.

HE'S GREAT IN SALT FORK

TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO

AND YOU'RE ALL RIGH IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

STOP IT, DARLING.

AND THEN I THINK OF

THE TWO OF YOU TOGETHER,

AND NEITHER PLACE-

I KNOW IT'S GOING

TO BE RIGHT.

AND, LUTIE, SUCH A

A SHORT COURTSHIP.

A COWMAN!

BUT SUCH A COWMAN.

REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAID

WHEN YOU INTRODUCED US.

THAT'S RIGHT,

I DID INTRODUCE YOU.

HERE'S A TELEGRAM

FOR YOU.

OH, THANKS.

IT'S PROBABLY FROM HIM.

HE MUST HAVE LEFT.

HE SAID HE'D WIRE

THE MINUTE HE GO ON THE TRAIN.

DELAYED. CAN'T-

GET TO ST. LOUIS FCR WEDDING.

TAKE FIRST TRAIN

BE MARRIED HERE. LOVE, JIM.

WELL!

FATHER, THIS IS NOT FUNNY.

WELL, YOU ASKED ME

TO SMILE, DIDN'T YOU?

YOU DONE IT-

TRAIN'S EARLY, 3/4 OF AN HOUR!

AND 33 SECONDS.

I GOT A STOPWATCH.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO

IF SAM DOESN'T MEET YOU?

DON'T WORRY.

YOU HEARD THE CONDUCTOR-

TRAIN'S EARLY.

YOUR MAN AIN' SHOWED UP, NEITHER.

SAMMY!

SAMMY!

- SELINA!

HELLO, SPROUT.

YOU'VE GROWED!

REGULAR BUSTER,

AIN'T SHE?

SAM, THIS IS

LUTIE CAMERON.

WE KEPT EACH OTHER COMPANY

ON THE ROAD OUT.

SHE SPELLED ME WITH MOLLY.

HAPPY TO KNOW YOU, SAM.

I'VE HEARD

A LOT ABOUT YOU.

NO MORE THAN I HEARD

OF HER MAN.

MAYBE I KNOW HIM.

HOMESTEADER?

CATTLEMAN.

- OH.

NAME OF JIM BREWTON.

COLONEL BREWTON?

- MM-HMM.

YES, I KNOW HIM.

I SURE THANK YOU FOR HELPING

THE WIFE OUT, MA'AM.

COME ON, HONEY.

ALL RIGHT, SAM.

GOODBYE, LUTIE.

GOODBYE, SELINA.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU.

WE'LL SEE EACH OTHER.

BE A GOOD GIRL,

BUTTON-NOSE.

THERE'S A-A HOTEL?

SURE. EXCHANGE HOUSE

OVER THERE.

THANK YOU.

COLONE BREWTON WILL

CALL FOR THIS LUGGAGE.

YES, MA'AM.

I'M SORRY

TO DISTURB YOU:

BUT WILL YOU:

HELP ME, PLEASE?

OH, THANK YOU

VERY MUCH.

I'LL BE A SON OF A GUN.

I BEG YOUR PARDON?

I SAID,

I'M A SON OF A GUN.

IT ISN'T POSSIBLE. OF COURSE NOW,

IS IT? - WHAT?

THAT YOU ARE MISS LUTIE CAMERON

OF ST. LOUIS AND POINTS EAST.

SHE ARRIVES ON THE 3:00.

THEY'RE SENDING UP

ROCKETS THEN.

THE TRAIN WAS EARLY.

TRUST JIM BREWTON

TO PICK A WOMAN:

WITH HAIR THE COLOR

OF CHILI PEPPER.

WELL, DON'T WORRY,

I LIKE IT.

WELL, IF YOU KNOW COLONEL

BREWTON, YOU CAN HELP ME.

EVERYBODY KNOWS JIM BREWTON,

SOME TO THEIR SORROW.

YOUR IMPENDING ARRIVAL

HAS CREATED QUITE A STIR

IN SALT FORK,

MISS CAMERON.

BREATHS HAVE BEEN

WELL-BATED.

I SHALL NOW BATE MINE AGAIN.

YOU'RE MAKING THE MISTAKE

OF YOUR LIFE, YOU KNOW.

THERE'S A TRAIN OU OF HERE TOMORROW.

IF I WERE YOU,

I'D BE ON IT.

WHO ARE YOU, ANYWAY?

THE NAME'S BRICE CHAMBERLAIN.

HOWEVER, "WHAT," NOT "WHO,"

IS THE IMPORTANT THING.

I, MISS CAMERON,

AM AN IDEALIST-

A PRACTICING IDEALIST.

LOOK AROUND YOU,

MISS CAMERON.

YOU'RE OUT OF PLACE.

THE WINE OF THE COW COUNTRY

IS REDEYE, NOT CHAMPAGNE.

REDEYE...

- REDEYE.

A VERY INFERIOR:

BRAND OF WHISKEY.

NEVER TOUCH:

THE STUFF MYSELF.

UNDERSTAND BREWTON

DOES, THOUGH.

I SHOULD BE VERY ANGRY.

I GUESS I AM.

ON THE OTHER HAND, MAYBE I'M NOT.

I DON'T KNOW.

THIS IS SUCH:

A PLACE.

COME ON, MR. CHAMBERLAIN,

JURY'S COMING IN.

WE BETTER GET OVER THERE.

BREWTON AIN'T SHOWED UP YET.

SURE, ANDY. MEET YOU

AT THE COURTHOUSE.

IS THAT WHERE COLONEL BREWTON IS,

AT THE COURTHOUSE?

THAT'S WHERE I LEFT HIM.

WHY, YOU'RE HIS ENEMY,

AREN'T YOU?

HIS NATURAL ENEMY.

WE'RE MAKING HISTORY IN SALT FORK

TODAY, MISS CAMERON.

I HOPE IT WILL BE

THE RIGHT KIND.

IF BREWTON HAS HIS WAY

IT WON'T BE.

QUIET DOWN, FOLKS,

QUIET DOWN!

QUIET IN THE COURTHOUSE, BOYS.

THE COURT'S IN SESSION NOW.

GENTLEMEN OF THE JURY

HAV E YOU REACHED A DECISION?

YES, SIR, WE HAVE-

UNANIMOUS.

HOW FIND YOU?

ARE THE DEFENDANTS GUILTY

OR NOT GUILTY?

WE FIND THA ANDY BOGGS HERE

WAS SHOT AND RUN OFF

THE LAND HE FILED ON

BY PARTIES UNKNOWN.

WELL, THAT VERDIC DON'T SETTLE ANYTHING.

HOW ABOU THE DEFENDANTS HERE-

IKE RANDALL:

AND BILL ROACH?

YOU MEAN, THE BOYS

WHAT DONE THE SHOOTIN'?

THEY AIN'T GUILTY.

DEFENDANTS RELEASED.

COURT'S ADJOURNED!

JUST ONE MOMENT,

GENTLEMEN!

THIS TRIAL'S OVER, BUT AS

ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFFS,

THERE ARE STILL A FEW

THINGS STICKING IN MY CRAW.

SWALLOW QUICK,

AND MAYBE THEY'LL GO AWAY.

COLONEL BREWTON, I WONDER,

NOW THAT WE'VE LOS IF YOU'D OBLIGE ME

BY ANSWERING A FEW QUESTIONS.

LET'S SAY, AS A SPORTING

PROPOSITION.

TROUBLE WITH YOU IS,

YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU'RE LICKED.

NO, HE DOESN'T, MAC.

WE'LL HAVE TO GIVE HIM THAT.

ALL RIGHT, SIR

GO AHEAD.

JUST REMEMBER, I'VE GOT A

3 O'CLOCK TRAIN TO MEET.

THANK YOU,

I'LL BE BRIEF.

COLONEL BREWTON,

HOW MUCH CATTLE RANGE DO YOU CONTROL?

I'VE HEARD IT RUNS

INTO A MILLION OR MORE ACRES.

I'VE NEVER COUNTED THEM.

THEN AGAIN, I'VE HEARD

THAT IT'S 100 SQUARE MILES.

IN ANY CASE YOU WILL ADMI THAT'S A LOT OF LAND FOR ONE MAN.

WELL, I RUN A LOT OF COWS.

IS IT TRUE THAT OF THIS

VAST AMOUNT OF PROPERTY

YOU ACTUALLY OWN ONLY

A FEW SCATTERED WATER HOLES

THAT ARE FILED ON

EITHER IN YOUR NAME

OR THOSE OF YOUR MEN?

AND THAT BY FAR:

THE GREATER PART OF I STILL BELONGS

TO THE GOVERNMENT.

LEGALLY, YES.

IS IT TRUE, THEN THA MILLION OR MORE ACRES

STILL BELONGING:

TO THE GOVERNMENT,

IS THE SAME LAND FROM

WHICH ANDREW BOGGS

WHO MERELY WANTED 160 ACRES

FOR A HOMESTEAD.

WAS RUN OFF AND:

SEVERELY WOUNDED

BY PARTIES UNKNOWN.

BOGGS WAS NO RUN OFF BECAUSE

HE WANTED TO SETTLE

THE 160 ACRES

BUT BECAUSE OF WHA HE WANTED TO DO WITH THE LAND.

LET'S FORGE ABOUT THIS CASE.

ANDREW BOGGS IS ONLY

A SINGLE MAN,

AND THE COURT HAS

ALREADY DISPOSED OF HIM.

BUT WAITING A THE EDGE OF SALT FORK

TO HEAR THE OUTCOME OF THIS TRIAL

ARE OTHER SETTLERS.

MEN WITH FAMILIES,

WHO'VE DRIVEN THEIR WAGONS

MORE THAN 1,000 MILES

ACROSS THE PLAINS

AND LEFT THEIR DEAD

FROM THE MISSISSIPPI

TO THE RIO GRANDE

ALL WITH ONE PURPOSE-

TO FIND HOMES:

FOR THEMSELVES IN THIS GREAT TERRITORY.

I WANT TO ASK IN THE NAMES

OF THESE FAMILIES

IF YOU WON'T LET THEM SETTLE

UNDISTURBED ON A FEW ACRES

OUT OF THE MILLIONS OR MORE

OF GOVERNMENT LAND ON YOUR RANGE.

CHAMBERLAIN, I HAVE SYMPATHY

FOR THE EARLY PIONEER

WHO CAME OUT HERE

AND RISKED HIS LIFE

AND HIS FAMILY'S

AMONG THE INDIANS,

AND I HOPE I HAVE A LITTLE CHARITY

FOR THE NESTOR:

Rate this script:2.0 / 1 vote