"Get up there." "Grandpa, grandpa, look what I done found me." "Whoa, Nelly." "Well now, ain't that the beatenest?" "Doggone." "I'll bet that belonged to miss Belle Starr herself." "It looks just like her too." "Who's this miss Belle?" "Miss Belle was a mighty fine white lady that lived in this big house a long time ago when I was no bigger than what you is, scarcely." "Where her at now?" " She's gone." " Dead?" "That's what most folks say don't know no better." "But miss Belle, she ain't never going to die 'cause around here in old Missouri miss Belle is what the white folks call a "leggend."" "A leggend?" "What's that, grandpa?" "That's just the prettiest part of the truth, honey, the real bestest part." "Get up, Nelly." "Whoa." "What do y'all want?" "I want to see miss Belle." "She asked me to come and see her." "Tell her I said I'm here." "Miss Belle can't see nobody." "She's laying down." "Don't give me any of your black lip." "Go on, do what I said." "I ain't gonna wake up that girl for nobody." "She's all wore out as it is trying to run this whole place by herself with no menfolks to help..." "It's all right, mammy Lou." "I asked Mr. Tench to come over." "Don't pay no attention to that trash." "Just go on just like you ain't never seen him." "Here he is, miss Belle, sound as a dollar." "Bet you can't find a scratch or a pimple on him." "How much?" "Well now, I figure, seeing how scarce good horses is around here, about $500." "$500?" "For a horse that's stringhalty, got bowed tendons?" "No, ma'am." "He's sound as a dollar." "Besides, I happen to know you stole this horse." "Who, me?" "He used to belong to my brother Ed." "But we sold him to Amos Sistrom." "No, ma'am, you're thinking of the wrong animal." "Then Sistrom sold him to John Miller." "And you stole him from Miller." "I'll take my oath on a stack of bibles this high..." "But I'm not gonna turn you over to the sheriff this time because Miller's nothing but a Yankee anyhow." "Give me a hand." "Miss Belle, I never stole a horse in my life." "Honest, I ain't." "I've done a heap of things, but this ain't one of them." "I raised this horse ever since he's been a little bitty Colt." "All right." "Give him his $500, mammy Lou, in confederate money." "Confederate?" "Wait a minute, miss Belle." "I don't want no confederate money." "Miss Belle." "Wait a minute, miss Belle." "I don't want no confederate money." "I got a whole truckload of that stuff." "You know it ain't worth two cents on the dollar." "Belle!" "Belle!" "Ed!" "Belle." "Ed." "Ed, Ed." "Oh, Belle, it's so good to be with you again." "You're home at last." "Ed, you shouldn't be here like this." "Somebody might see you." "That's all right." "Let them see me." "But the country's full of Yankees." "If they catch you in this uniform..." "We don't have to worry about Yankees now." "The war's over." "Over?" " We're licked." " No." " Lee surrendered." " But he couldn't." "Joe Johnston's surrendered too, even old Bedford Forrest." "All right." "Supposing they have." "They're not the whole South." "Missouri hasn't surrendered." " Not yet, but it will." " It won't." "It'll have to, or be destroyed." "It won't, I tell you." "There are still men in this state." " Guerrillas?" " I don't care what you call them." "Didn't they hang those Yankee murderers that killed father?" "The men that killed father weren't Yankees." "They were renegades hiding behind their uniforms." "They were for the North, weren't they?" "Oh, sis," "I know what a shock it is to you." "After all you've been through staying here by yourself, keeping the place going, counting on us to win." "I feel just as badly as you do that it had to end like this on a country road." "But what can we do?" "What can any of us do?" "It hasn't ended for me." "And Missouri needs reconstruction just like any other rebel state." "And we are gonna give it to them." "We're gonna run every one of these confederate traitors clear out of this country." "And we're gonna take their lands away from them and give every one of you a nice, big farm and a mule." "And we're gonna let you walk on the sidewalk." "And on the front porch you're gonna sit." "And anyone..." "any white man says anything to you, nothing..." "Tom." "Ed Shirley." "Well, don't you shake hands with a Johnny reb?" "If you don't mind a yank's glove." "Belle, you remember that funny-looking classmate of mine who used to eat 18 of mammy Lou's hotcakes for breakfast?" " Belle." " How do you do, major?" "This is wonderful seeing you again, Belle." " It's been..." " Five years." "Yes, five years this August." "Well, it was quite a surprise when I found out you were here." "The last I heard your outfit was dodging bullets with that fellow down in Atlanta, you know, the one who stole all those spoons." "General Sherman sent me here on special duty." "Seems some of your people don't admit the war's over." "And never will." "I must warn you, Tom." "Belle is one of those southerners who's neither resigned nor repented." "Well, why should she be?" "After all, we both fought for what we thought was right." "Nothing about that to be ashamed of." "My only quarrel today is with fellows like this who are in it for only what they can get out of it." "Only last night he raided one of our supply trains, seized our horses and colors and sent me word that he intended to keep up the war until doomsday." "I'm afraid you're making him sound like a very courageous man." "Perhaps he is, but Missouri is no place for such so-called courage today, as he will soon find out if I ever lay hands on him." "And what will you do when this great day comes?" "I'll hang him from the highest tree and his friends with him." "Wouldn't that require a great deal of rope?" "Fortunately, we have an ample supply." "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd better be on my way." "How about coming to dinner with us, Tom?" "Mammy Lou's still on hand." "I'd be delighted, Ed, anytime." " Saturday night?" " Can't think of a better time." " Good." " Well, goodbye." "It's been a great pleasure seeing you again, Belle." " Goodbye, Ed." " Goodbye, Tom." "Let's see..." "It's the next one, isn't it?" "Strange..." "I have a vague feeling we've been here before." "They were playing "good night, ladies."" "It was the last dance." "And you were leaving the next morning." "That was so long ago." "I had no idea you even remembered." "Yet nothing seems to have changed, does it?" "Nothing that really matters, I mean." "I know how you felt about the Confederacy, Belle, what the South meant to you." "They meant a lot to me too, for that very reason, even though I had on this uniform." "But look, Belle, in the moonlight it's almost Grey." "So it is." "Almost." "What's wrong, dear?" "I just remembered something else" "I can't help but associate with this tree." "Yes?" "Father." "Father was tied to it before... before... you'll have to excuse me, major." "I'm sorry." "Jake, see who it is." "I'll go, miss Belle." "Major, I believe I heard you admiring this room." "I'm in love with the whole house, colonel." "No one who hasn't actually seen some of these old places can have any idea how priceless and beautiful they really are." "That's why it seems such a pity so many of them had to be burned." "Or don't you agree with me, major?" "Why, I agree that it's a pity anything beautiful has to be destroyed." "Sometimes one has no choice." "Well, at least it's fortunate for us that you admire old houses." "In some of our states I understand it's practically impossible to find any left to admire." "I hope it will never be necessary to say the same thing about Missouri." "By the way, did I ever tell you the story about the old darky who...?" " Who is it?" " I don't know, ma'am." "It's somebody says they's got to see you." " Did you tell them we were at dinner?" " Yes, sir, but..." "It's all right." "Will you excuse me, please?" "You wish to see me?" "Well, I'll be doggone." "He wasn't lying." "You are pretty as a picture." "I beg your pardon?" "The hair, the figure, the face," "I'm very sorry, but I have guests." "Yes, I know." "I saw major Crail's orderly outside." "So if you'll kindly tell me what you want..." "I want to know why you're entertaining major Crail, a fire-eating southerner like you..." "I'm not entertaining him." "My brother asked him here." "Especially after your defense of me right to his face the other day." "I defended you?" "With considerable vehemence, I'm told." "But how could I?" "I don't even know who you are." "Well, permit me." "My name's Starr, Sam Starr." "Sam Starr?" "You'd better get out of here, white man, and quick." "Please go." "Somebody might see you." "But I've just ridden 40 miles to see you." "Surely you ain't going to send me away the moment I get here." "And besides, I wouldn't think of going without paying my respects to major Crail." "You wouldn't dare." "I hear he's very anxious to meet me." "You'd better get out of here and quit aggravating miss Belle." "But I don't understand." "Why should you do such a fool thing as this?" "I like doing fool things, don't you?" "Don't pay him no attention, miss Belle." "He's crazy as a bedbug." "Well?" "Mammy Lou, set another place for captain Starr." "Miss Belle." "Mm mm mm!" "Thank you." "I knew any woman who thought it would take a lot of rope to hang my friends wouldn't deny an old soldier a bite to eat." "I wish to present an unexpected but nonetheless welcome guest." " Mrs. Dunwoody." " Mrs. Dunwoody." " Mr. Dunwoody." " Mr. Dunwoody." " Mrs. Dubois." " Mrs. Dubois." "Mr. Dubois." " Colonel Thornton." " Colonel." "My brother captain Shirley." "Captain." "Major Crail of the United States army." "Captain Sam Starr." "Won't you sit here, captain, beside me?" "I hope I shall always be beside you, ma'am." "Why, captain, what a pretty speech." "Major, perhaps captain Starr can tell us something about those awful men you mentioned the other day... guerrillas I believe you called them." "I shall be glad to have any information that he possesses." "You were referring to..." "Certain unscrupulous men who, while pretending to keep up the war, are bringing destruction not only upon themselves but upon the whole state." "I'm afraid I don't know any such men, major." "But I'm sure that if they do exist, you'll see to it they meet the end they deserve." "I think I can promise you that." "I do hope you're hungry, captain." "No one else seems to be eating a thing." "Hungry, ma'am?" "I'm starved." "Well, as I was saying, this old darky that I was telling you about lived on a plantation." "And one morning..." "I'm sure we can persuade Mrs. Thornton to play for us." "Then we can dance." "It'll be like old times." "I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me, miss Shirley." "You don't mean you're going to have to leave so early?" "Unfortunately I must." "My hat, please, and also captain Starr's hat." "Captain Starr's going with me." "But I wouldn't think of letting you both go." "Besides, captain Starr's promised to tell us about the battle of Jonestown." "Haven't you, captain?" "I should like to very much, ma'am, but it appears I have no choice in the matter." "You don't mean you're really going with him?" "What else can I do?" "So that's why you came here in the first place... to give yourself up." "Well, that's fine." "I'm delighted." "Good night, Tom." "I'm so glad we could be of service to you." "And I hope you'll come again soon." "Captain Shirley, colonel, ladies." "Major." "After you, captain." "Good night." "Your gun, please, captain." "Oh, of course." "Do you have a horse?" "Your orderly was kind enough to take care of him." "Orderly, the horses." "I thought you told me that uniform would fit you to a "t"." "Well, them Yankees are fatter underneath than they look." "See that major Crail is comfortable till I get back." "Major, what might your religion be?" "Methodist." "A northern Methodist or a Southern?" " Northern." " I was afraid of that." "I'm a "sons and daughters of the heavenly hope" myself." "Just keep your eyes to the front, brother." "I would like for you to come to one of our meetings sometime." "We got a preacher can sure make you smell brimstone." "Captain Starr." "Major Crail sends his compliments, ma'am, and says he's sorry he can't rejoin us." "What happened?" "Where is he?" "He had to attend to some urgent business, I believe." "Am I forgiven?" "By the sound of that music doesn't look like Sam is gonna be too much in a hurry to come back." "Chaw?" "No, thanks." "Shh." "By gum, look yonder." "They got that Yankee major as sure as you're shooting." "Son, you stay here." "Don't let them out of your sight till I get back." "What about our horse you was fixing on stealing back, pa?" "Never mind about that." "Do as I tell you." "Besides, ain't I told you stealing what's yours ain't stealing?" "Shh." "Good night, captain Starr." "It's been a wonderful evening." "I don't know why it ever had to end." "I hate to go, ma'am, but in my business, the morning air sometimes is not very healthy." "You mean you're afraid Tom Crail might come back again." "You never can tell after the way he looked at you all through supper." "I didn't notice anyone looking at me one way or another." "I was looking at you." "So was your brother." "In fact, quite a few people were looking at you one way or another." "40 miles is an awful long ride, captain." "And I wouldn't want you to be out in the morning air on my account." "So good night." "Good night." "Was it worth a 40-mile ride?" "It was worth a 400-mile ride." "Will you come again?" "If you think I'll be welcome." "There's always a place at our table for one more." "Thank you, miss Shirley, and good night." "Good night, captain." "If you should happen to run into major Crail, tell him I think he's awful mean running away like that on business." "Well, major, the way Sam's laughing, looks like some of your folks are going to get raided" "Before breakfast." "Sorry to have kept you waiting, major." "A nice-looking horse you got here, major." "Look out, Sam." "Here they come." "Ain't no sense in you wearing yourself into a frazzle, miss Belle." "You know them Yankees ain't caught captain Starr." "But surely Ed's heard something by now." "He's been gone at least two hours." "Come here." "Come and sit on mammy's lap like you used to." "Oh, my baby." "Mammy Lou, why do things like this always happen to me?" "'Cause you're so full of the devil, miss Belle, that's why." "You down there, what do you mean chunking rocks at a lady's window when they's asleep?" "Well, I'm one of captain Starr's men." "He's been shot." "Shot?" "Where is he?" "You'd better stay out of here, baby." "I'll do whatever's got to be done." "Oh, fiddlesticks." "I know he's got hips." "You ain't supposed to." "Give me that water." "I won't." "It's every woman's duty to take care of the wounded." "Duty ain't got nothing to do with it when folks are shot where captain Starr is." "Oh." "There." "What the devil do you think you're going to do?" "See how badly you're hurt." "Let me out of here." "There's nothing wrong." "But you can't go around bleeding to death." "Then get Blue Duck a wad of cotton and let us alone." "Grab his hands." "You knew better than bringing me here, you fool." "Don't pay attention to him." "Mammy, you hold his leg." "Get away from me." "Ain't no use, ma'am." "He's plumb set against it." "Acts just like a preacher we had one time." "He got filled full of buckshot the same way." "Took four of us deacons to hold him." "He come out of it all right, next Sunday preached us one of the finest sermons you'd ever want to listen to... on the end of man." "Belle." "Come in." "Captain Starr's been shot." "And he won't let us do a thing for him." "But, Belle, he can't stay here in your room." "That's what I've been trying to tell her." "But he's hurt." "And they'd never even think of looking for him here." "Get that Ethiopian elephant off me." "Let me up." "Everybody be quiet." "I'll see if I can get rid of them." "Tom, what are these men doing here?" "Mammy Lou, have you been killing chickens today?" "No, sir, I ain't killed no chickens in about two months now." "No pigs?" "Nothing?" "November is hog-killing time, not may." "Then how do you account for these blood stains on your lawn?" " Blood stains?" " On our lawn?" "Are you hiding someone in this house?" "Of course not." "Well, in that case, there can be no objection if we see for ourselves." "Sergeant, search the house." "Now wait a minute, Tom." "There's no necessity for that." "We've already told you there was no one here." "I hope for everybody's sake you're right, Ed." "Get out of this house, all of you!" "Belle!" "Don't think that I can't use this, or that I won't." "It's all right, Belle." "Let him look." "Better put up that gun, Belle." "You're only getting yourself into deeper trouble." "Miss Belle, baby..." "I warn you not to come another step." "You don't know this girl, major." "She really meant it when she said she'd shoot." "It was awfully foolish of you to go to all this trouble." "And major Crail might think you had something to do with my being here." "You fool, do you want to be hanged?" "Well, a lot of folks think I was born to be." "Major, this is getting to be quite a habit." "Take him out." "I hope he's got an extra saddle blanket, sergeant." "You yanks don't care where you shoot a man." "I'm sorry, Ed, but I'll have to place you under arrest too." "No, wait a minute." "Ed didn't have anything to do with this." "It's all right, Belle." "He wasn't even here when captain Starr came back." "He didn't want to let him stay." "I made him." "Sorry, Belle, I have no choice." "Ed is the head of this household and he's responsible for what goes on in it." "But captain Starr was wounded." "You wouldn't refuse to help even a dog under those circumstances." "Dressing a wound and hiding a fugitive are two different things." "As a soldier, Ed knew that." "That's right, honey." "Take him out." "You, his friend, pretending to be so glad to see us again." "I knew it was a lie." "I knew we should never have let you set foot in here." "My personal feelings have nothing to do with this, Belle." "I have orders from the war department to arrest every person giving aid to... then why don't you arrest me?" "And to burn every house in which he's known to have been hiding." "Tom, you don't mean that." "My men will help you remove anything you wish to save, Belle." "I'd give anything in the world to be out of this, but it's my job." "If I don't do it, somebody else will." "I'll give you all the time you want." "All right." "Go ahead." "Burn it!" "Burn everything in it." "But you'll burn me with it!" "You have your orders." "Miss Belle, miss Belle, baby." "Oh, miss Belle, come on, you've got to get out." "No." "No." "Stop it." "Stop it." "Belle, Belle, please go out of the house." " Belle baby." " Let me go." "I'd rather burn, burn!" "I won't." "I won't." "Honey, honey, won't you do it for mammy Lou?" "I don't care!" "Please, darling." "I want to burn!" "Let me go!" "I want to burn!" "Where are captain Starr's men?" "Up in the hills." "Do you know how to get in touch with them?" "Yes'm, I reckon so." " Let's go." " Miss Belle." "You and Jake go over to colonel Thornton's." "Tell him I said you were to stay there until you hear from me." "Who was that?" "You don't have to worry, ma'am." "That's just one of the boys' way of saying howdy." "You sure they'll recognize you in that uniform?" "Great garden in the sunrise..." "I clean forgot." "If that's you, Blue Duck, show yourself." "If it ain't, start a-running." "That's my wife, a great woman." "It's me, Sarah." "It's Blue Duck." "Come on, young'un." "It's me, Sarah." "They got Sam." " Shot him?" " Somewhat." "They arrested him and my brother too." "They oughtn't to have done that." "Folks just naturally ain't going to like it." "When can you get the men together?" "I've got to talk to them." "Who is she?" "A friend of Sam's and mine." "Name's Belle Shirley." "Well, ma'am, I reckon if I was to light that brush pile there on the hill and keep it burning, they might be here no later than 7:00." "Well, then light it." "Please." "You'd better get that suit off, pa." "Somebody might mistake you for a skunk." "♪ bringing in the sheaves ♪" "♪ bringing in the sheaves" "♪ we shall come rejoicing ♪" "♪ bringing in the sheaves ♪" "♪ sowing in the morning" "♪ sowing seeds of kindness ♪" "♪ sowing in the noontide" "♪ and the dewy Eve." "Miss Belle Shirley to see you, sir." "Belle Shirley?" "Show her in." "I came here to see my brother." "I was told I'd have to have your permission." " Is that true?" " Belle, I... well, may I see my brother or not?" "I'll be glad to take you to him." "I want you to know that I'm doing everything I can to clear your brother of the charges against him, Belle." "And captain Starr?" "There's nothing anyone can do for captain Starr." "You should know that as well as I do, Belle." " Belle." " Ed." "Unlock the door." "How are you, captain?" "Just fine and dandy, miss Belle." "The government can't seem to do enough for us." "Just look at this supper." "I bet general Grant never ate better than that." "Can we be by ourselves for a few minutes, or is that against orders too?" "It's all right, Belle." "You can sit right here." "It's mighty nice of you, major." "Sending your band over to cheer me up in my last moments, so to speak." "A fellow can't help appreciating a thing like that, especially when he's about to come to the end of his rope." "♪ in the sheaves" "♪ bringing in the sheaves" "♪ bringing in the sheaves... ♪ lock it." "Come and get your supper, captain." "It's getting cold." " What are you...?" " Shh." " Start reaching." " I'm reaching." " Blue Duck, hurry up." " What are you up to now?" "You didn't think I was gonna sit by and let them get away with it, did you?" " Hurry up." "Hurry up." " Belle, you can't do this." "It's insane." "You watch me." "Hurry up." "Stop it." "Stop it." "What are you trying to do?" "We aim to say a few words to the lord for Sam Starr, brother, before you hang him." "Get that thing out of my ear." "You can't go in there now." "He's busy." "Not too busy to repent, brother." "We always hold all-night meetings before a hanging, brother, just in case the lamb wants to return to the fold." "Get up." "Get up." "Get going, Blue Duck." "Come on, get up." "Come on." "Come on." "♪ bringing in the sheaves" "♪ bringing in the sheaves" "♪ we shall come rejoicing ♪" "♪ bringing in" "♪ the sheaves." "♪ bringing in the sheaves... ♪" "Well, when am I to be sworn in?" " Into what?" " Your army." "Sorry, I haven't a petticoat brigade." "Well, then form one." "Haven't I enough troubles?" "But surely you owe me that much after I saved your life." "What could you do?" "You've probably never fired a shot in your life." "You could teach me." "Come here, closer." "So that you can put your arms around me?" "Well, if you want to learn, the first thing you gotta know is how to make a smooth, quick draw." "In this neck of the woods a man's age is measured by the number of split seconds he can take off his draw like this." "See how I filed off that front sight?" "That's so it won't catch in my holster." "And don't stop to aim." "You haven't time for that." "Shoot by sense of direction." "Think you can remember that much?" "I'll try." "See those leaves over there?" "Let's see how close you can come to one of them." "You mean, you want me to try and put a hole through it?" "Like this?" "Or shall I just cut it off like this?" "Well, I guess you'll catch on." "Shall I raise my right hand and kneel?" "Now wait a minute, Sam Starr." "There's nothing in the regulations about this." "I mean it, Belle." "I've meant it from the first minute I saw you." "I bet you told that to every girl between here and St. Louis." "Saying it and meaning it are two different things." "When I want to be kissed, I'll let you know." "In the meantime, keep your filthy hands off me." "Hello." "Where are you off to?" " Home." " Home?" "Where else should we be going?" "But, Ed, we can't go down there now." "They'll only throw you back in jail again, and me too." "That's no worse than hiding out here in the hills like gophers." "But we don't have to hide out." "We can work with captain Starr, go where he goes." "Is this your idea?" "I haven't opened my mouth." "Do you realize you're suggesting that you become a common bandit?" "Captain Starr is not a bandit." "He's a soldier." "No matter what you say or what he says, he's an outlaw with a price on his head." "I've thought this all out." "It's no use trying to excuse him or to excuse ourselves." "We've acted like idiots." "Now all we can do is to go back and take our medicine." "That's not true." "Sam's fighting for the South and everything it stands for." "Aren't you?" "Of course." "You see?" "Haven't you caused enough trouble already?" "Why don't you tell her the truth... that you love this sort of thing, that fighting's in your blood, it's what you live for." "If it wasn't for the South, it would be for something else, anything else." "Don't you really mean that I'm not the kind of man you want your sister to have anything to do with, that I'm not a gentleman, like major Crail, for instance?" "You can correct me if I'm wrong, captain." "Or say that he's everything that you believe him to be... you've still got to remember that you're a woman, Belle." "You're my sister." "There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you except stand by and see you throw your life away." "Now please come home with me before it's too late." "I can't, Ed." "I'll never go back, not as long as there's a Yankee in this state." "It's not just 'cause they killed father, burned our home, threw you in jail." "It's bigger than that." "It's what they're doing to people like us all over the South, what they'll do to Missouri too if we don't stop them." "You won't stop them this way." "You'll only make things worse." "Would you rather crawl to them?" "If necessary, yes." "You're my brother, Ed." "I love you." "I love you more than anything." "But if you ever do," "I hope I never see you again." "Now go on, go on home." "And when you see Tom Crail, you can tell him there's one Shirley that isn't afraid of him or the whole North." "It looks as if you've got me in your army, captain, whether you want me or not." "What kind of a man do you think I am?" "What do you mean?" "How long do you think I can keep my mind on what I'm doing?" "I still don't know what you're talking about." "You told me when you wanted me to kiss you you'd tell me so." "Well, I'll tell you when I'm ready." "All right, but I can't go on sitting around doing nothing, just waiting forever." "Well, they lit out, took to the brush as sure as gospel." "I reckon that'll teach them blue bellies to keep out of these here hills on weekdays and Sundays." "Come on, let's get out of here." "I reckon I'm ready now, captain." "I therefore pronounce you husband and wife." "Friends." "Friends, we've had a heap of fun together, but that's nothing to what it's gonna be like from now on." "We've got Crail and his blue bellies on the run and I mean to keep them that way." "That's a-saying it, Sam!" "Every day we're getting stronger, folks coming in from all over." "They know me and they know I mean business." "Three months ago they figured all they had to do was stick up a sign warning folks not to have anything to do with me, and I was licked." "Look at them today, willing to pay $10,000 to get their hands on me." "And that's just the beginning." "Before I'm through, I'm gonna run things in this state." "You're doing it, Sam!" "And here's the one you can thank for it." "If it hadn't been for her, wouldn't any of us be here." "But the thing is, we are here." "And all I got to say is I sure am glad I ain't a Yankee." "♪ look away, look away" "♪ look away, Dixie Land..." "♪ look away, look away" "♪ look away, Dixie Land" "♪ I wish I was in Dixie, hooray hooray... ♪" "did anyone tell you you're the best-dressed woman here?" "And why shouldn't I be, as the wife of the biggest spender in all Missouri?" "Well, with uncle Sam such a liberal backer..." "Sam." "Yes?" "When you were talking, you sounded different." "How?" "I don't know." "You still feel the same as I do about what we're doing, don't you?" "I feel as you do about everything." "I always will." "Oh, Sam," "I do love you." "♪ We shall come rejoicing" "♪ bringing in the sheaves" "♪ sowing seeds of kindness... ♪" "♪ we shall come rejoicing" "♪ bringing in the sheaves." "You ride right on up there to the sergeant, boys." "Take them things off your eyes now." " Howdy, Blue Duck." " Howdy, Sarah." " What you got there?" " A couple fellows want to see Sam." "Did you teach them how to pray yet?" "No, but I've got them edging that way." "Get down now." "Here's captain Sam Starr." "What's your names?" "Cole." "I'm John." "That's my brother Jim." "Cole?" "You the Cole brothers from Texas?" "You know, I'm running things here." "That's why we come." "Folks have been talking about you all over." "What are they saying?" "They say that you got the state of Missouri right where you want it." "What do you think of that, Belle?" "Were you ever in the confederate army?" " Yes, ma'am." " For four years." "We was with Quantrill for a spell, till they got him." "They ain't no command that we've ever been with that done surrendered yet." "You hungry?" "We could do with a mite." "Just a little sidemeat or something." "See that these boys get fed and bring them back." "I want to talk to them." "A mighty nice layout you got here, captain." "It's improving." "Belle, what's wrong?" "Cole brothers..." "I can't say as I like their looks." "An army doesn't fight on its looks." "You sound as if you'd heard of them before." "Where?" "Oh, roundabout." "They got quite a name." "For what?" "Fighting." "I don't know, but they don't look like the kind of people who give a hoot about the South and what we're fighting for." "You don't think I'd let them come in if I wasn't sure?" "No, but... remember, you can't always tell a patriot by the kind of clothes he wears." "Look at you." "Stop at the next bend." "Sam." "Sam." "Sam." "He ain't here, ma'am." "Where did he go?" "He said he had some business to finish down the road a spell." "Said if you woke up to tell you not to worry." "Business?" "What sort of business?" "I don't know." "Who did he go with?" "Them Cole brothers and some more of the boys." "Oh." "Pshaw, you don't have to worry, miss Belle." "He'll be back." "Belle." "Ed." " Are you alone?" " Yes." "I want to talk to you." "How did you know where to find me?" " Blue Duck told me." " But nobody's supposed..." "You needn't be afraid." "You're still my sister." "What is it you want?" "Belle, do you know what's happening, what your men are doing?" "Exactly what I told you we'd do, show them Missouri's one place..." "I mean the men who've come in here to join you, the scum of this country." "What do you know about the men who've come in here?" "I know they're the most notorious gang of cutthroats in the South, men who've never even heard of the Confederacy, who only want to grab what they can for themselves and use you and Sam as a shield." "Did your friend Tom Crail send you up here to say that?" "Nobody sent me." "I came because I know you better than you know yourself." "I know you wouldn't knowingly stand for the things that the Cole brothers and men like them are persuading Sam to do." "John and Jim Cole came here to fight with us." "They do exactly what we tell them to do and nothing more." "There isn't any crime you can mention they haven't committed." "And just being with you hasn't changed them." "They're no good." "Well, we're not running a Sunday school." "As long as they obey orders." "Has Sam ordered them to rob our own people?" "Of course not." "You know as well as I do we've never even touched a cent that didn't belong to the government." "Has he ordered them to beat and shoot innocent citizens who get in their way?" "No, but your friend Tom Crail has when he started taking people's guns away from them so they couldn't protect themselves; throwing them in jail, trying to make them betray us." "Wait, Belle." "I've got to make you wake up to what you and Sam are doing to this state, troops everywhere, radicals in congress howling their heads off for reconstruction, murders, robberies, bitterness, neighbor against neighbor." "Isn't that all the more reason we should stay here and fight?" "Try to remember when we were children, Belle, the love we had for each other." "You think I'd lie to you now or do anything to hurt you?" "I used to worry about us as individuals." "I don't anymore." "The Shirleys have petered out." "We don't matter." "We are finished." "But Missouri matters." "Come home with me now." "Let me take you to Tom Crail." "Give yourself up." "Take your punishment." "Or go away." "Go to Texas." "Go anywhere." "Only let the world know that you won't stand for a lot of outlaws coming in here ruining everything we've loved." "Now you listen to me, Ed." "I'm Sam Starr's wife." "I love him and he loves me." "I know he wouldn't... he couldn't do the things you say he did." "So please go before he comes back and makes you." "All right, maybe Sam doesn't know." "Only promise me one thing, that you'll ask him." "And try to believe this, no matter what's happened, you'll always be the same sister I used to know and love." "Nothing can ever change that." "Who is that?" "I don't know." "Kind of looks like a stranger to me." "Mighty fine-looking clothes to be wearing up here." "Ed!" "Oh, Ed, Ed." "Something's burning me." "I hurt so." "Yes." "Yes, darling, I know, I know." "You called me "darling."" "You and I we're just like we used to be." "Aren't we?" "Then it's all right." "I don't mind." "Pro... promise me you'll tell Sam what I said." "Tell him I said that I know you love Missouri, that you wouldn't do anything..." "I can't die till you promise." "Promise." "Yes." "I promise." "Reminds me of a story I used to know about an old darky..." "Oh, Ed." "Ed." "Belle, what is it?" "What's happened?" "Oh, Sam, Sam." "Belle darling, what's the matter?" "Ed's dead." "Dead?" "They... somebody shot him." "Who did it?" "What does it matter who did it?" "He's dead." "He came up here to tell me that..." "Sam, these men, the Coles, some of the others, they're not doing what Ed said, are they?" "They're not thieves and robbers, are they?" "This is war, Belle." "In a war a lot of things happen that we don't like, but that's what war is." "You didn't answer me." "Sam." "Listen, Belle, we've got 250 men with us and more coming in all the time." "Those men have to be fed, clothed and paid." "You can't expect an army to fight and not get something out of it." "And the only way we can get it is, well, off the land." "But that's stealing." "If they felt about the South the way we do, why, they wouldn't do that." "They..." "Sam, we've got to quit now, this very minute." "We've got to go back, give ourselves up." "No matter what happens, we've got to show them that..." "Sam." "It's too late." "No, it isn't." "Ed said maybe we could go to Texas." "There are a lot of southerners out there like us." "Oh, Sam, that's what we'll do." "We'll go to Texas." "Sam, you will go, won't you?" "You've got to." "Oh, Sam." "As soon as I finish one more job." "What job?" "Look at this." "There's one of these sticking on every fence post and hickory tree between here and St. Louis." "Yes, I know, but you wouldn't want the governor to think I'm not red-blooded, would you?" "But Sam, you..." "Listen, Belle, I know this Johnson." "I know all about him." "I know that if we ever had him for 10 minutes, we could dictate our own terms." "We could run every Yankee clear out of the state, drive out every..." "But, Sam, that's kidnapping." "In the army we call that "taking prisoners."" "You'd be insane to go down there now." "Why, there'll be troops everywhere." "They'd wipe you out." "Not the way we got it planned." "Sam, you know I want to fight as much as you do." "I always have." "And I always said if I died, all right, I'd die, but not this way." "Whose idea was this?" "Well, the Cole brothers and the rest of..." "I knew it." "It's not freedom they want, it's ransom." "Sam, this is our last chance." "Does this mean more to you than I do?" "What do you mean by that?" "I told you I was quitting." "Stop talking crazy." "You're my wife." "You're going to stay right here." "You're not going anywhere." "I couldn't wear this." "Not as long as I knew we didn't think and feel alike." "Belle." "My baby." "Baby, my baby." "Ed's dead." "Oh." "Oh, miss Belle, you'd better come inside and lay down." "Somebody might see you out here." "No no, I'm gonna give myself up." "Miss Belle." "Captain Starr's gonna do something awful." "I've got to tell them." "It's the only way I know how to help him." "But you can't give yourself up." "No telling what they might do to you." "I don't care." "Get the buggy." "Go into town see major Crail." "Tell him I'll be waiting for him here." "Oh, I can't do it." "Don't ask me to do it, miss Belle." "I just can't do it." "But you've got to." "There isn't a moment to lose." "Yes'm, I'll hurry." "Giddyup." "Giddyup." " Son, son." " Yes, pa?" "Run right over to the courthouse." "Tell that Yankee major Crail I got to see him right away." "Tell him I said it's mighty important." "But, pa, I thought they told us to stay off the street." "Go on, do as I said." "Hurry." "Whoa." "Miss Belle!" "Miss Belle, they're fixing to get you and captain Sam." "It's a trap." "The whole town is full of soldiers with guns, every window, door, ready to shoot the minute you and captain Sam show up." "Where are you going?" "I can't let him be killed like this, without even a chance." "I've got to let him know." "No no, miss Belle, it's too late." "They'll get you too." "But he's my husband." "No matter what he's done, he's my husband and I love him." "I know." "I knowed that the very minute you laid eyes on him." "Which way did they go?" "They're circling around so as to come in on the other side of town." "Is Blue Duck with them?" "He's gone on ahead." "Seems he's to shoot off his gun for a signal if everything ain't all right." "Thanks, Sarah." "Oh, you can't go into town at a time like this." "It doesn't matter." "I was gonna give myself up anyhow." "Give up?" "It's what Ed really wanted me to do." "Besides, maybe then Sam will quit too." "Tell him... tell him he's got to." "Why, they might hang you." "Ain't no man ever lived worth risking your neck for." " Any sign of them?" " No, sir." "I went as far as the edge of the river and didn't see a thing." "Very well." "Go back to your post and keep your men under cover" " until further orders." " Yes, sir." "Might be a wild goose chase, colonel." "Might be." "We put those posters where they couldn't help seeing them." "And if I know Sam Starr, he won't pass up an opportunity to raise a rumpus of some sort, shoot up the town or..." "oh, I know he'll show up." "Well, even if he doesn't, the governor won't complain." "He'll still make his speech." "♪ last night she died" "♪ toll the bell for lovely Nell ♪" "♪ my sweet..." "Halt." "Where do you think you're going?" "Me?" "I ain't going nowheres." "What are you doing with that gun?" "I was just fixing to go possum hunting." "Oh, let the old fool go." "All right, but keep off the roads." "Huh." "♪ Nellie was a lady..." "That's Blue Duck." "Something's wrong." "Let's get out of here, captain." "Yes, sir, it's the low-downest thing I ever heard of." "Makes me plumb sick to my stomach." "Give me another whisky." "Join me for a drink, friend?" "Any of you gentlemen want a drink?" "Give me a bit of that rye." "I'm all out of rye." "Huh." "Huh." "Huh." "Tell major Crail captain Starr presents his compliments and would like to speak with him." "You can go in now, sir." "I understand you have a woman here who is said to be Belle Starr." "Said to be?" "You've seen this woman yourself?" "Yes." "But you haven't paid the reward money." "No." "Then I shouldn't advise you to do so until after the identification is complete." "I'm sorry, captain." "As much as I wanted to get Belle," "I never meant it to be like this." "My wife's mammy's outside." "She'll tell you whether this is Belle Starr or not." "May we see her?" "Send Jasper Tench into the back room." "This man has shot the wrong woman, major." " This is not my wife." " Huh!" "That's a lie." "You're just saying that so as I won't get the reward." "Ask her." "She'll tell you." "No, sir." "I ain't seen this lady in my whole life before." "She's lying too." "They made it up." "They hate me." "You always hated me too, just like all them Shirleys." "But you ain't gonna get away with it." "I'll go to court." "I'll prove it's her." "I reckon I ought to know." "I shot her." "You know it's her." "I see'd you with her." "I know why you're doing this." "You was in love with her yourself, just like everybody said." "That's why you ain't caught her before." "You was in love with her." "That don't give you no right to cheat me after all I've done for you." "Get out." "Get out of here." "I won't." "I want my money." "I'm glad I shot her." "I'm glad." "No one'll ever get the best of me." "You take your hands off." "You take your hands off me." " I'll walk myself." " Take your..." "Major, if you don't mind," "I'd like to have just one more look to make sure." "I understand." "I'll be in my office." "It was all my fault." "If she'd started out differently, with the right kind of man..." "No, sir." "No, sir, Mr. Sam." "You oughtn't to say a thing like that." "Miss Belle wouldn't have been happy with nobody else excepting you." "I-I knowed her ever since she was born." "I-I've hold her in my arms." "I knowed her inside out." "Why... why, you's the only man that could have made her happy." "Why, the very last thing she ever said to me was..." ""I love him." "I don't care what he'd done." "I loves him."" "So... so, Mr. Sam, you oughtn't to say a thing like that." "You're still positive that woman is not Belle Starr?" "I'm positive." "I knowed all the time that miss Belle Starr weren't in yonder." "Me too." "In the first place, captain Starr ain't gonna let nobody shoot miss Belle." "And in the second place, it ain't like she's no plain, ordinary human woman like everybody else." " In the first place..." " She ain't?" "Can an ordinary woman change herself into a red fox whenever she wants to?" "Can she?" "Miss Belle do that?" "Sure she do it." "Ain't more than a half hour ago she come lickety-splitting down the road." "And when she seen me, she turned herself right in front of my eyes and ran off laughing fit to kill." "Excepting it ain't no fox's laugh,.." "It was miss Belle's." "Well, doggone." "She's what the white folks call a legend." "A legend?" "What is a legend?" "A legend is something that can change itself over into a red fox when it wants to." "Well, brother, let me tell you one thing, do ever I meet one of them red foxes," "I'm sure gonna take my hat off in a hurry."