""In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread... till thou return unto the ground, for out of it was thou taken, for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." "And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living." " Unto Adam, also and unto his wife..." " Wish we had eggs." "did the Lord God make coats of skins and clothed them." " And the Lord God said, 'Behold," " Behold, I don't remember what eggs are." "the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil, and now, lest he put forth his hand and also take, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.'" "Therefore, the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence that he was taken." "So he drove out the man and he placed him at the east of the Garden of Eden, cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."" "Step up." "William!" "William." "William." "William." "He managed to hightail it in there just as fast as he could." "Figured he'd wait out the storm." "But when he got inside, it turned out there was a big ol' grizzly bear sleeping in there!" "Joe faced himself a dilemma." "Sure death outside... and sure death inside." " Well, what did he do?" " Ol' Joe, he took the quicker route." "He pulled out his gun, he took a shot at the bear, but it just made him mad!" "She come at him, claws a-swipin' and teeth a-snappin', and somehow- somehow Joe managed to get himself... up on the back side of the bear, and he rolled around the cave like a buckin' bull!" "And she took his scalp clean off... on the roof of the cave that day." "But you know what?" "He ate her in the end." "And ever since then... he's worn his hair long." " You know why?" " No." "In deference to the squeamish." "It was quite a fight, son." "It was quite a fight." "But there's no bears here!" "Hell's full of bears, Jimmy." "But there's no bears here." "What are they talking about?" "Were you told?" "Your husband didn't say?" "Not this time." "They're talking about whether to hang Stephen Meek." "Gately argued that Meek... has taken us off track on purpose, that he was hired... to get rid of American immigrants." "So the more of us come, the more likely the territory goes American." "It has a logic." "I suppose." "A broken one." "Mr. White wasn't swayed either." "He argued for more patience." ""We're at the man's mercy now," he said." ""Meek's just made a mistake is all." "He's just in over his head."" "And then what?" "We were just getting into it again when Meek himself showed up." "He'd been hiding above us up there in the rocks the whole time." "So that's where he was." "He strutted into the circle with his gun in his hand." ""Well, you've found me," he said." ""Now go ahead with the killin'."" "Everybody got real quiet." "It shut everybody up." "Frank Gately is happy enough to hang a man so long as he's not around." "And?" "Well, Meek got to talkin'." "Of course he did." "He says that we are in Paiute country now." "He says that the Paiutes are a fearsome tribe, that they're nothing like the Flatheads on the main stem." "If we trust him to do his job, well, then he welcomed anyone to gainsay him." " Nothing about our route." " Nothing about it." ""Seen the elephant," my eye." "Two weeks, he said, and we'd be in the pass." "It's been over five and we haven't even seen a mountain yet." "What was the verdict?" "We give a few more days." "We never should have left the main stem." " Good morning, Emily." " Morning." "Workin' like niggers once again." "Maybe we're back on known ground." "Oh, he was guessing." "Everyone has some luck sometimes." "Hyah." "Come on." "Made 10 miles today." "I'd say this is the best shelter we've had since morning." "The wind's not gonna be kind tonight." "It's early yet." "We won't push too hard." "I say we keep on." "The going is easy in these parts, and we should make the most of this ground while we can." "Seems to be more shelter up ahead." "Well, I'd be careful now." "This country'll play tricks on you." "That piece you see out there might be" "A whole lot farther than you think." "Guarantee it." "How far would you say?" "I wouldn't say." "I just know it'll be farther than I think." "The thinness of the air makes everything look closer than it is." "There could be water though?" "Yeah." "Possible, I reckon." "I say we keep on." "I think I would agree." "All right." "Keep moving." "Hyah." "Hyah." "Hyah." "Come ho." "Well, we'll have to water the animals from our own supply tonight." "Can't go without after a day like this." "Should've taken on more at the river." "You need to eat." "You've been working all day." "I'm fine for now." "Please." "Evenin'." " Good evening, Mrs. Tetherow." " Mr. White." "Uh, Glory, I brought some bread to share." "That's much appreciated, Emily." "It's my pleasure." "I-I-I have stew too, if you'd like it." "I know you would." "No." "No, this is enough." "Thank you." "Jimmy." "It's like my feet have gloves, like I can" " I can handle the ground that I'm walking on." "I feel the sand." "I feel the dirt." "I feel the gravel." "I never slip." "I never- I don't" " I never stumble." "I can follow a trail in the dark and never stray off the path." "I live with this world." "I'm not just in it, is what I'm sayin'." "But to answer your question, Gately, the beaver, they're played out." "That's the truth." "That market's done and gone." "There's no fortune to be had there anymore." "Your man Astor got it all." "We should have made the trip earlier." "Waited too long." "No, you know, there- there are plenty of fortunes to be had." "I mean, the beaver, that's a- that's just the first gift of this land." "You mark my words." "Will the territory go American?" "That's what I want to know." "Well, in my- in my opinion, I" "Well, you know, it depends." "It depends on the fight..." "in the Americans, and in the English, and in the Indians." "I'm led to believe there's 250 Americans in Oregon country." "There's seven more argonauts comin' in a few weeks." "Maybe that'll tip the scales." "Where would you settle?" "Willamette Valley." "That's where my brother Joe put down stakes." "Civilization is taking hold there." "They got missionaries in Champoeg." "Could have found God in Virginia." "Well, if it's riches you're after, there's riches aplenty." "The land you're headed for is a regular second Eden." "You won't want for riches someday." "You'll just plunge your hands into the ground." "Come to bed." "Soon." "That was my mother's." "I know." "It's only weight now." "Jimmy!" "He's gone." "I'm telling you." "He's abandoned us." "He'll move faster alone." "It's what I'd do." "No, it's not what you'd do." "He saw the writing." "How much water you reckon?" "Two days, maybe three." "Ah." "He's gone by now." "He's gone by now." "There we are." " Water!" " Amen." "Water ahead!" "It's alkaline!" "It's alkaline." "Whoa." "Whoa." "It's alkaline." "Can't water here." "Not even the animals." "Well, then?" "What now?" "Well, we skirt around." "Go south till we make it around." "How far is it around?" "Well, we'll find out." "Shouldn't be too far." "The maps I've seen don't record much of this." "Oh." "No." "We're not going farther south." "Well, we can't keep west unless you brought oars." "We're heading north." "Meet back with the main stem if we have to." "There's scarce grass and water up north." "South is the best bet." "Well, there's nothing where we came from either, and there's nothing ahead, so I'm saying north." "We'll move closer to the Columbia." "That way we can rejoin the communication." "I" " I see your thinking." "How many days to the Columbia from hereabouts?" "Well, too many." "West is the goal." "The sooner we get moving west, the better." "The quickest way west, by my reckoning- south." "Mr. Gately, do you have an opinion?" "I think north too." "Well, I'm advising against that." "Now, I've been all through this country, more or less." "By God, you contracted me to get you to the Valley." "I will." "We understand that, Mr. Meek." "We understand." "But you work for us, Mr. Meek." "You'll be paid." "Just, uh, we're not going around." "We're going north." "Suit yourselves." "We'll do what we do." "Two shots if we find water." "Hyah!" "Mrs. Tetherow, look what we found!" "What is it, Emily?" "Jimmy." "So he wore clothes?" "Yes." "Yes, some." "Paint on his face?" " No." " Horse?" "Uh, yes." "Was he carrying' a weapon?" "A knife or a bow?" "Uh... no." "No, I don't think so." "I'm not sure." "I was upset." "He-He had a- a scar on his shoulder though." "Well, if he wore clothes, he's no Digger." "They're hardly more than animals." " We're too far south for that anyway." " Might be Paiute." "Could be Nez Perce." "He could be Cayuse." "They're from the north." "It's far west for Blackfoot, but that's possible." "And what does that mean?" "Jimmy, go help your mother." "Well, frankly, I'm amazed." "Mrs. Tetherow saw this redskin and lived to tell the tale." "I mean, you rarely see hide nor hair of a hostile... till he just jumps you and cuts your throat." "They can disappear in their own shadow." "They can hide under a wolf skin so quiet, you step on 'em before you know it." "And where one redskin is, there's a dozen more just lurking' nearby." "And they're all armed by now." "And sometimes..." "I mean, sometimes they wait till they're fired on, but most of them they don't." "When they come on a woman, they kill her." "I mean, they'd never dream of sparing' a woman." "So I'm guessin' it's Cayuse." "On a horse this far north." "I mean, they roam all over the basin here, all the way down to Mexico." "They pick up slaves from the Klamaths." "They sell' em at Celilo." "We'll find out presently, I reckon." "No fires tonight." "And double watch." " Dandy." " Mercy." "Hell's full of Indians, my friends." "You were lucky tonight, ma'am." "Don't want a blanket." "Don't make it worse." "Cold is the least of my troubles." "Hmm." "It's only a few days north to the Columbia by my reckoning." "I been keepin' notes." " What if we don't find water soon?" " We will." "Your optimism." "I'm sorry." "Is he ignorant, or is he just plain evil?" "That's my quandary." "It's impossible to know." "We can't know." "That's very comforting, Mr. Tetherow." "Well, we made our decision." "This is all gonna be a bad dream soon." "It's gonna be a story to tell." "I don't blame him for not knowing." "I blame him for saying he did." "That fool." "Solomon?" " Dry breakfast?" " No." "Might as well eat the dust." "Ladies." "Fine morning." "I'd like to know how." "Well, not too hot." "Plus smooth ground." "Could be a piece worse." "It's not today that's weighing on me." "We'll follow the land downhill." " The water's more likely in the lower places." " That's fine." "Heed." "Stay with us." "Broken axle." " I'm gonna bring this wheel off." " All right." "Are those our mountains, Mr. Meek?" "Oh, no." "No, no." "We'll know our mountains, Jimmy." "Hell's full of mountains." "Those aren't them." "What are they?" "Well, they..." "They're nameless, I suppose." "We'll call 'em Jimmy's Mountains." "What do you say to that?" " I suppose so." " Mm-hmm." "Jimmy's Mountains." "We get to the Willamette Valley," "I'll tell the cartographers." "We'll print it on the map." "Hmm?" "I don't know, Mr. Meek." "You never womaned, Mr. Meek?" "Indeed I have." "Numerous times." "Squaws in these parts start lookin' mighty white after 20 years' time." "Oh, dear." "Sometimes I get the sense you don't care for me much, Mrs. Tetherow." "Oh, I have no feelings one way or the other, Mr. Meek." "That's..." "That's just a kind way of saying you don't like me." "I don't like where we are." "So, that's what you think, that we're lost?" " I'd say that seems about the right word for it." " We're not lost." "We're not lost." "We're just finding our way." "I certainly hope so." "We gonna make all right." "Oh, you don't need to patronize me, Mr. Meek." "Well, now I think you're flirting' with me, ma'am." "You don't know much about women, do you, Stephen Meek?" "Why, I-I know... somethin' or other." "If you say so." "Well, I know women are different from men." "I know that much." "I'll tell you the difference, if you care to hear it." "I don't doubt you will." "Women" "Women are created on the principle of chaos- the chaos of creation, disorder, bringin' new things into the world." "Men are created on the principle of destruction." "It's like cleansing, ordering destruction." "You think I'm wrong, you can tell me." "Chaos and destruction." "Those two genders are always at it." "Chaos and destruction." "Well, I don't know." "I have to think about it." "Mm-hmm." "Jimmy, I told you not to wander." " I wasn't wandering, Ma." " Jimmy!" " Ma, I" " You were wandering." "If you wander again, your father will tan you." "You found this?" "Just down the gully." "There's lots." "More?" "How much more?" "Enough to fill this bucket more times than I can count." "Jimmy, you know about exaggerating." "It's the neighbor to a lie." "Look." "Hmm." "Here." "It's real, all right." "Válgame Dios." "The Lord has his plan, I'd say." "Brought us here by dark design." "Mm-hmm." "Well, let's get this done." "You can't drink gold." "Some timing." "Am I right in understanding'... that you and Mrs. Tetherow was recently hitched?" "That's right." "Took you a while to get settled down, I'd say." "Must have grown accustomed to your freedom." "I was settled before." "She passed away." "I'm sorry to hear that." "You're a lucky man though." "Found yourself a nice, young woman" "Jimmy, where are you?" " Jimmy!" "Where are you?" " Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." " I saw him!" "I saw the Indian!" " Jimmy." " The one with the scar!" " Where?" "Which way, exactly?" " That-a-way, Mr. Meek." " How far gone?" "Not a quarter-mile." " And he saw you?" " Oh, yes." "Good boy." "Jimmy!" "Come here!" "You mustn't wander off." "Keep on this path north." "I'll be back when I got him." "Wait." "Solomon!" " I'll be back." " Please!" "I'll be back!" "Well, you heard them." "We'll keep moving." "They haven't been long." "It's not been long, Henley." "What's wrong, Sylvie?" "Come here." ""Behold, him that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." "The Lord is thy keeper." "The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand." "The sun shall not smite thee." ""The Lord is thy keeper." "The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand." "The sun shall not smite thee."" "He's a quick one." "Might have gotten away if it hadn't been for Meek's eye." "Horse got away though." "Now, I know my word isn't worth much in these parts, but in this case I'm just as sure as sundown we kill him now." "What do you think, Solomon?" "You brought him for a reason." "He's from these parts." "He's healthy." "He knows where the water is." "That's my reasoning." "He's barely clothed." "He'd just as soon die with us." "They don't think of life the way we do." "That's documented fact." "I think we need him." "I don't like it, but I see your logic." "Oh, my, don't this beat all." "You know what I've seen his heathen's brothers do?" "Strip the flesh clean off a man while he's still breathin'." "I've seen 'em cut a man's eyelids off... and bury him in the sand... and leave him just starin' at the sun." "You can feed 'em." "You can treat 'em to the best fixings in your lodge." "They'll turn around" " Boom!" "Steal your horses." "We've come to a terrible place." "What do you think?" "We need water." "That much I know." "Yeah." "I don't see any other way." "Can't say I do either." "Well, let's take a vote." "Who says we keep him?" " Aye." " Aye." "Got some pumpkins." "What are they saying?" " How do we get our meaning across?" " Hell if I know." "Water." "Where's water?" "Do you know water?" "He doesn't know the word "water."" "Where's water?" "Here." "Drink." "Drink." "Water?" "He doesn't understand." "You know the word "water," you dumb son of a bitch!" "That's right, you mongrel." " Mr. Meek!" " Get away." "You have no idea what you're dealing with." "It ain't Main Street." "It ain't the village green." "Please." "Here." "Yours." "One now, for you." "One later." "Water." "Us?" "Blanket." "You." "Understand?" "That there is the law of the land, Mr. Meek." "Barter." " Evening." " Evening." "I'll take first watch." "That's fine." "Dandy." "Excuse me." "Blue Mountains out that way, eventually." "His country." "About what you'd expect." "He's a killer, ma'am." "Don't get too close." "What?" "Well, everything the steers have is one less thing for us." "Mr. Tetherow?" "Yes, ma'am." "How much further by your calculation?" "Well, it's hard to say, you know." "It's doubtful it's more than a day's journey from here." "The Indian, he wasn't carrying anything, so he can't have come far." "So we'll find water today." "It would be a day alone." "For us, it could be today." "It could be tomorrow." "What are you doing, Emily?" "I'm going to fix his boot." "You shouldn't." "Well, I don't like it any more than you do." "But I want him to owe me something." "It's a pin." "For sewing." "That's nothing." "You can't even imagine what we've done." "The cities we've built." "Oh, God, the stench." "Hold on." "Let me finish." "There." "How far do we have to go?" "How far do we have to go?" "How long?" "A man-child." "How's your friend?" "Wha" "About the same as the rest of us, I'd say." "Thirsty, hungry." "I was just onto telling Mr. Gately here about the time..." "I surprised a band of Blackfeet... down by the headwaters of the Missouri." "It was quite a day." "See, our group was armed, and theirs wasn't." "We pulled up, and they all just dove into the water." "We lay there on the bank... and shot 'em when they come up for air." "Passed the whole afternoon that way." "Just ducking and diving and shooting." "It was a good ol' time." " Is this meant to bring me over to something?" " No, ma'am." "And I don't excuse what we did there that day." "You know, playing games with those men's lives." "I don't paint myself as anything but a sinner." "But your friend there" "He's worse than a sinner 'cause he don't even know he's sinning." "It's the Cayuse we're talking about- "The People of the Stones."" "Even Indians despise these Indians." "They're slave traders." "They're weichers." "It's even worse." "Well, you could go your own way anytime, Mr. Meek." "Stephen Meek does not shirk a fight." "If there's blood to be shed, I'll be there." " I'll put in my share." " Vanity." "That's all I see." "Nearer to Thee" "Even though it be a cross" "That raiseth me" "Still, all my song shall be" "Nearer, my God, to Thee" "Nearer to Thee" "Though like the wanderer" "Millie, stay back." "Mr. Gately." "Mr. Gately, what is it?" "William- Mr. White, give me a hand." "Here." "Here." "Oh, my God, I knew it." "Okay." "Oh." "Look at this." "Here." "This is what Millie saw him leaving behind earlier." "She saw this tonight and she came out." "What is it?" "We caught him signaling to someone, leaving word behind." "I caught him myself." "Look at this." "Look at this." "It means something." "He's been making them every step of the way." " What does it mean?" " Hell if I know." "But it means something to somebody." "It's a message." "Just look at it." "This is nothing." "This is religion." " It's how they pray to their gods." " No, it's a signal." "They're out there looking for him, his kin, and he's leading them right along." "Open your eyes, Solomon." "God knows where he's taking us." "He's been walking up the ridges as if he's looking for someone." " Finally, they're coming around." " After all we've done?" "God knows what mischief he's made already." "Millie, quiet down." "Let's hang him from the wagon tongues tonight." "It's better late than never." " That's a message." " No." "This is nothing." "There's no one out there." "They'd have made themselves known by now." "Go back to bed." "This will all look different in the light of day." "It's on your head, Solomon." "That's fine." "Give it another day." "Well, we'll get that blanket of yours back one way or another, my friend." "Come ha." "Come ha." "Come ha." "Come ha." "Come ha." "It's a sign!" "A sign!" "A sign!" "Calm down, Millie." "They made it." " They're giving him orders!" " It's nothing." " You'll see." " Step up." " We'll all see." " Come on." "Calm down." "Step up!" " Please, Thomas." " Step up." " Please, I wanna go home." " Step up." " I wanna go home." " Step up." "Whoa!" "Whoa!" " What's he saying?" " Well, who knows?" "He's saying we're close." "He's saying" "He's saying, "Just over the hill." "Just over there."" "It's a steep grade." "Can the wagons make it?" "I don't see much choice." "Well, someone could go on ahead." "It can't be far now." "They could come back and let us know what's ahead." "No." "We're together." "We're" " We're all in this the same." "Yeah, up to our necks." "We can make it all right." "Just go one wagon at a time." "Tighten up." "Don't put yourself out, boy." "Go find some shade." "We'll come find you when we're done." "All right." "Get back up." "Ma, make some room in the wagon." " We'll be needing to take on some weight." " We'll make room too." " That's mighty white of you." " This was his plan all along." " It's just what he wanted." " Millie, calm down, please." "They're coming." " They're almost here!" " Millie, calm down." "We'll make the crossing, and on the other side, we'll start fresh." "All you need is your" "All you need is your strong back." "What's in this?" "Yeah, we use that." "Hey!" "Hey!" "Put that down!" "That don't belong to you!" "Have some respect!" "Hey!" "I said put that down, heathen!" "I'm warning you." "If you don't put that down right now, you're gonna be mighty sorry." "What does it matter?" "Just let him be." "Well, it's the principle of the matter." "All right, that's it." "That's it." "You've taken us just about as far as you need to go." "End this game right now." "Put it away, Meek." "There's no need." "Oh, I see a need." "Well, you- so you got some feeling in you after all." "I'd be wary." "You people got no idea what you're dealing with here." "Well, neither do you, Mr. Meek." "You've proved that amply by now." "It seems like your woman got some Indian blood in her, Mr. Tetherow." "She's got something, all right." "Yeah, you think this heathen's as good as his word." "You got no idea what he's fixing to do." "It could be" "Who knows what's over that hill?" "Could be water." "Could be an army of heathens." "Could be." "Well, maybe you'd like to wager." "Water or blood." "I'll leave the wagering to men like you." "Don't think you ain't wagering." "And you don't even know what cards you got." "That's some pumpkins." "You a lucky savage, boy." "You got a guardian angel here." "All in good time." "All in good time the cards are gonna fall." "They're gonna fall real soon." "Thank you." "Heavenly Father, we thank you for this food... and for the many mercies you have blessed us with." "We ask that you continue to protect us on our journey... and guide us as it is thy will." "In Christ's name." "Amen." " Amen." " Amen." "I'm just thinking of my father's pigs back home." "All safe and warm in their pens." "Emily." "Oh, William, thank you." "What do you see out there?" "Hard to say." "No, there's no saying, is there?" "Do you think he's trustworthy?" "The Indian?" "I can't... say as I do." "I trust you is all." "But you're putting your trust in him." "You're doubtful." "I have my doubts." "What are you thinking, Solomon?" "I" "I just hope Meek hasn't twisted you up, is all." "Whoa!" "Whoa!" " Whoa, whoa!" " Whoa!" "He won't drink." "I've tried every day, but he refuses." "Emily, I don't know what to do." "Please." "Please." "My darling, I know." "I know." "I know, I know, I know." "I know." "We're close, friend." "Stay with us." "You stay with us." "Please, please drink, my darling." "Please." "Please, William." " Drink some more." " Please, William." "Mrs. White, we're gonna have to make some more room in the wagon." "Of course." "Jimmy, stay with your father." "Oh, William." "Drink." "There you go." "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" "Whoa!" "Whoa!" "Mama, a tree can't live without water." "Can it?" "Thomas, we can still go back." "We can try for the Columbia." "Millie, we're close." "That's just it." "We're close, but we don't know what to." "We've been through this." "We don't know, either way." "Thomas, please." "We still have a choice." "What about you, Mrs. White?" "Which way does your family prefer?" "We stay the course." "We don't have a choice, not that I see." "Meek?" "I'm taking my orders from you now, Mr. Tetherow," "Mrs. Tetherow." "And we're all taking our orders from him, I'd say." "We're all just playing our parts now." "This was written long before we got here." "I'm at your command."