The Searchers Page #11

ETHAN:

(slowly)

No...our turnin' back don't change

anything...not in the long run. If

she's alive, she's safe...for a

while...They'll keep her to raise

as one of their own, 'til she's of

an age to...

He turns his mount.

MARTIN:

And you think we got a chance to

find her?

ETHAN:

An Injun will chase a thing til he

thinks he's chased it enough...Then

he quits...Same when he runs...Seems

he never learns there's such a thing

as a critter that might just keep

comin' on...So we'll find them in

the end, I promise you that...We'll

find them just as sure as the turning

of the earth.

FADE OUT:

105OMITTED

FADE IN:

106EXT. THE JORGENSEN HOUSE AND APPROACH - WIDE ANGLE -

TWILIGHT:

The time is spring. It is a year and a half later.

The Jorgensen house is larger than the Edwards place --

of sod and logs, with a covered breezeway connecting

the two separate buildings of the house: one being

the keeping room, the other the sleeping quarters of

the numerous Jorgensen brood. A meadowlark breaks into

his sudden song. A dog or two come barking around the

side of the house as Ethan and Martin ride slowly

from behind CAMERA toward the house. In that instant

a lamp is lighted within the house and Lars Jorgensen

comes to the door.

107EXT. THE JORGENSEN HOUSE - FULL SHOT - NEAR DOOR -

TWILIGHT:

Jorgensen peers at the two men as they ride up - recog-

nizing them, of course, but ill-prepared for the change

in their appearance and full of unspoken questions.

Bearing a lamp, Mrs. Jorgensen hurries out to stand

beside her husband -- and her face works and tears

begin to well in her eyes. Two tow-headed boys --

13 or 14 -- come after her. Jorgensen makes a little

signal with one hand, not even looking at the boys,

and they hurry out to take the reins as Ethan and Martin

dismount.

108EXT. THE JORGENSEN HOUSE - MED. SHOT - ETHAN AND MARTIN

The passage of time has stamped Martin -- and will continue

during our story more and more to stamp him -- in the

image of Ethan. Now it may show only in the set of his

hat or trick of standing; later it will be in his walk,

in his speech (or paucity of speech). Neither man is sure

of his reception. They are thinking of Brad -- dead

because of their search; and Martin is thinking of

Laurie. And then Mrs. Jorgensen is running across to

Martin and has him in her arms as though he were her

son -- saying nothing, just holding him. He stands

frozen a moment and then he returns the embrace. Ethan

watches a moment, then crosses to Jorgensen.

ETHAN:

(to Jorgensen)

You got my letter about your son,

Brad?

JORGENSEN:

Yah...Just about this time a year

ago...

MRS. JORGENSEN

It came the day before his...

birthday.

JORGENSEN:

The Lord giveth--the Lord taketh

away...

Mrs. Jorgensen starts to lead the way inside. Martin

hangs back.

MARTIN:

I ain't fit to go indoors, miz

Jorgensen...These clothes is...

Laurie rushes past her mother.

LAURIE:

Martie!

She kisses him hard and full on the mouth -- and has

no eyes for anyone else. Mrs. Jorgensen looks on with

amusement. Martin is just bowled over.

MRS. JORGENSEN

(teasing)

And him probably forgettin' all

about you!...Probably can't even

call your name to mind.

MARTIN:

(smiling)

Laurie.

And Laurie smiles triumphantly at her mother.

MARTIN:

(continuing)

But I fairly forgot just how pretty

you was...

Laurie grabs his hand then and pulls him indoors --

and there is no further resistance from Martin.

Mrs. Jorgensen and her husband converge then on Ethan --

and her face is gravely questioning.

MRS. JORGENSEN

The little one?...Debbie?

Ethan shakes his head. She squeezes his arm reassuringly

and they start indoors.

DISSOLVE TO:

109INT. THE SPARE BEDROOM OF THE JORGENSEN'S - MED. SHOT -

MARTIN - NIGHT

This is a room off the kitchen end of the keeping room --

and described in the book as the "grandmother room":

with narrow, slit-like windows, a set of single bunk

beds, possibly a fireplace.

Martin is in a deep wooden tub, taking a hot bath,

currying his back with a long-handled brush. Beyond

him is the door. It opens and Martin turns casually --

and at once stops being casual as Laurie enters and

purposefully crosses to a stool or bench on which his

discarded clothing is scattered.

MARTIN:

Hey...What you doin'...?

She picks up the shirt, puts it over one arm; she reaches

for his long-handled and ragged underwear, runs a fist

through a hole in its seat, clucks and shreds it into

rags. During this:

MARTIN:

(a yelp)

Don't go takin' that stuff...

LAURIE:

Ain't worth the mendin'...

She turns and looks at him, matter of fact.

LAURIE:

What you gettin' red-in-the-face

for?...I have brothers, haven't I?

MARTIN:

Well I ain't one of 'em!

LAURIE:

I'm a woman, Martie...

(he tries to say

something but

she goes right on)

We wash and mend your dirty clothes

all our lives...When you're little

we even wash you....How a man can

ever make out to get bashful in

front of a woman I'll never know...

MARTIN:

You talk like a feller might just

as leave run around nekkid...

LAURIE:

Wouldn't bother me...

(she heads for

the door)

I wouldn't try it in front of pa,

though, was I you...

And she is laughing as she closes the door behind her.

110INT. THE KEEPING ROOM OF THE JORGENSEN HOUSE - FULL SHOT

It is a plastered room, everything bright and shiny;

a big wood-burning cookstove, above it a row of shiny

copper pots; the furniture handmade and probably not too

much unlike the good plain Swedish modern of today.

There should be Scandinavian accents in the decor. All

told, a cheerful, warm-smelling room.

Ethan is talking as Laurie enters the room still carrying

Martin's shirt, the rags of his underwear. She will

wait, listening for a break in what Ethan is saying,

to try to get her mother's attention. Jorgensen is

sitting in his usual chair -- with his boots off, puffing

his pipe more or less in tune with what Ethan is talking

about. Mrs. Jorgensen is in her rocker, darning or

knitting. Ethan is standing near the mantel.

ETHAN:

...an' then it snowed and we lost

the trail...No need to tell ya all

the places we went...Fort Richardson,

Fort Wingate an' Cobb...the Anadarko

Agency...Trouble is we don't even

know which band that war party belonged

to...

Mrs. Jorgensen looks up from her darning.

MRS. JORGENSEN

Well, you did all a body could,

Ethan.

ETHAN:

I got your boy killed.

MRS. JORGENSEN

(gently)

Don't go blamin' yourself...

JORGENSEN:

(angrily)

It's this country killed my boy!...

Yes, by golly!

Mrs. Jorgensen stands.

MRS. JORGENSEN

Now Lars!...It so happens we be

Texicans...We took a reachin' hold,

way far out, past where any man has

right or reason to hold on...Or if

we didn't, our folks did...So we

can't leave off without makin' them

out to be fools, wastin' their lives

'n wasted in the way they died...A

Texican's nothin' but a human man

out on a limb...This year an'

next and maybe for a hundred more.

But I don't think it'll be forever.

Someday this country will be a fine

good place to be...Maybe it needs

our bones in the ground before that

time can come...

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