"I'm ready, Da." "And where are you going, our Benjo?" "I'm going with you." "You have to stay here." "But why?" "You have your own chores," "Which I count on you to do, ja?" "Besides," "I need you here" "To protect your mother." "See you tonight." "Let's go inside, Benjo." "Benjo." "Come on." "Come on now." "Come here now." "come on." "Hey there." "Uh, good morning, Mr., uh, Yoder, is it?" "Ja." "I'm Ben Yoder." ""ja." ha ha ha ha." "That just kills me, you know?" "The way they say that." "Ja." "I'd thank you to mend that fence you've just cut" "My sheep will get out." "Well, see now, that's just what we intended." "You got no right to fence in open range." "This is not open range anymore." "It's my land - - legally homesteaded." "Mr. Hunter knows that." "We ain't fixing' no fence." "Are you all right?" "Get off my land." "My family has worked this land for three generations." "Along come you strangers with your fences" "And your sheep and a piece of paper..." "You think you own it." "Maybe when hell freezes over." "When it does, you will be there to witness." "We'll make this easy." "I'm going to buy it from you." "I won't sell." "No, I guess not." "But your widow will." "Benjo." "What is it?" "I don't know." "Our Rebecca." "You can go back to town." "We take care of our own." "Mrs. Yoder," "Take this." "She does not need your pills, Doctor." "She will pray." "Have it your way." "When will someone stop this man?" "You'll have to take that up with the sheriff." "Tell us, have you arrested Fergus Hunter" "And his hired killers?" "I've been over there and I talked to them." "whey said they caught Ben Yoder With Hunter cattle." "And I suppose Ben Yoder cut his own fence, too." "No, they cut the fence, all right." "I told them to fix it." "A man's dead..." "And they will fix the fence?" "Hunter has witness." "Nothing I can do" "So this is your justice." "Time and again," "Satan comes as a wolf among lambs," "Slaughtering the innocent." "And yet, you " "You do nothing." "It pays to stay on the winning side," "Don't it, getts?" "I don't make the rules, Doc." "Oh." "You just work for the man that does." "M-ma'am." "Benjo, ride into town and fetch Doc Henry." "Benjo, you have to" "If you can't say it to him," "Then you write it down" "Okay?" "This man is dying, Benjo." "Now go." "How much blood do you have left?" "Aah." "The bullet glanced off his rib" "And lodged right next to the liver." "Aah." "Is he going to die?" "I've seen men punctured with more holes" "Than a pie, and they still clung to life" "Well, makes you wonder why they bother." "Another one." "Do you think he's..." "A shootist?" "Yeah." "You still want to save him?" "He's god's creature." "it is god's decision." "Ha." "If god had an ounce of sense," "He'd send this one to hell before the day is out." "But you will do your best To prevent that." "Yes." "I'll try to save us The trouble of burying him" "Help me out here, will ya?" "Hmm." "Look at that." "Prison shackles, no doubt." "Yeah." "Okay." "Mm." "Somebody took a whip to him, too." "Makes you wonder what kind of marks were left on his soul" "And if he'll thank you for saving him," "In the unlikely event that he lives." "Hold him down." "Aah." "Hold him down." "Hold him." "Okay." "I almost got it." "Aah." "I'm going to leave you this carbolic acid" "To cleanse his wound." "You needn't fry his insides with any more kerosene." "But I thought you were taking him with you." "He's in no condition to travel" "Or to do you any harm." "M-ma'am, is he going to shoot us?" "We mean him no harm, Benjo," "So why would he want to hurt us, hmm?" "Besides," "He'd need these." "Noah." "There's a man in our house." "The Doctor sewed him up." "I-I got to watch." "Is that so?" "Well, our Rebecca." "Noah." "In your bed?" "What was I to do," "Dump him in the corner like a bundle of old gunnysacks?" "Would I say such a thing?" "Hmm." "Ahem." "The boy said you had the Doctor out." "He would've died otherwise." "We don't need outsiders all caught up in our lives." "We need to do kindness, our Noah." "You don't listen. you never did." "You reason things out for yourself." "God gave us minds." "He must have meant us to reason." "For the head of the woman is the man." "My man is dead" "You set this food that was meant for me at Ben's place." "I have to believe " "I did it without thought." "It is no disloyalty to him for you to turn to me." "I cannot think about those things yet." "Ben is gone, Rebecca." "so is my Martha." "Now, we still have lives to live -- plain lives," "With boys to raise" "And more children to bear for the glory of god" "And the church." "The Zukes' barn was burned to the ground last night." "Every week, it's something else." "You need the protection of a husband." "You will be running low on firewood soon." "I'll send my boy over in a few days with his ax." "That would be kind" "If Mose doesn't mind." "He does what I tell him." "Everything comes to be a part of the music," "Sooner or later." "And now you have, too." "I don't know where it comes from." "Music is forbidden in the plain life..." "Except for singing of the hymns." "So I've never told anyone." "Where's my gun?" "Where is it?" "It's in the cabinet." "Well, go get it." "When you let go." "Where am I?" "In a safe place." "There's no such thing." "Aah." "What did you do to scare my boy?" "Well, I might've said "bang."" "Put that thing down." "It's just me." "You don't have a hell of a lot to worry about." "Hear me well." "I'll let you die Before I let you harm my boy." "Ha ha ha ha." "Evening, Doc." "Mr. Hunter." "Sheriff." "Some sick people out at the Yoder place" "Concerned about your neighbor's welfare, are you?" "Recognize anyone?" "Well, is that him?" "Is that the man out there with the Yoder widow?" "Yeah," "I was up there looking at the hole in his side." "Probably dead by now." "I'm thinking those holy howlers have hired him." "I thought they relied on the lord" "." "To fight their battles" "Maybe they're getting sick of losing 'em." "What the hell " "Are you some kind of a nun?" "I'm a daughter of the plain people." "This is a plain house." "We trust in our god to take care of us." "Punishment for the wicked" "Punishment?" "Is that what you think I'm offering you?" "No." "No, ma'am." "You have my gratitude." "Well, it seems a bit late for a proper meeting," "Since you've already cursed me, choked me," "And bled buckets all over my best muslin sheets." "And you've stripped me buck-naked." "I'm Rebecca Yoder." "Johnny Gault." "John said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness..."" ""make straight the way of the lord."" "You know the scriptures." "I've had a few lessons." "Where's Mr. Yoder?" "Benjo: "s"..." ""c"..." ""I"..." "Concentrate." ""I"..." ""s"..." "Concentrate, Benjo." "Someone's coming." "Stay right there, Benjo." "Mose." "Get in the shed." "Afternoon, ma'am." "Water the horses if you want." "Then ride on, please." "Much obliged, ma'am." "No, that's not what I want." "Mr. Hunter, my place is not for sale." "Must be hard for you and your boy." "Out here all alone since your husband died." "Don't turn your back on me, woman." "Now, you listen, and you listen carefully." "Well, well." "Johnny Gault, isn't it?" "I believe I heard you speaking unkindly" "To this kind lady." "So?" "So please don't do it again." "Ma'am." "Be seeing you again." "I hope so." "Hyah." "Mr. Gault." "Yeah." "This is not the way to spend a life." "Ma'am." "Mr. Gault." "The fever has settled in his chest." "Whoever it was said, "only the good die young"" "Never lived in Montana." "Laudanum." "It will ease his passing." "God knows, where he's going," "There will be suffering enough." "The lord may yet see fit to save him." "He might," "Though I can't say I believe" "He'd be doing the rest of us much of a favor." "But how can we know what someone's fate will be?" "You have a care, Mrs. Yoder." "The powers of darkness sometimes do prevail." "Lead us not into temptation..." "Deliver us from evil..." "Forever and ever..." "Johnny." "It's okay." "It's okay." "Shh..." "Shh..." "Ahem." "You mustn't play music in this house." "It was wrong of us to listen." "Instruments of music are not allowed" "In the plain and narrow life." "We believe they lead us into sin." "Do you never sin, Mrs. Yoder?" "Well, I don't go out of my way To do it." "I do..." "Far, far out of my way." "Good girl." "Come on." "Shoo, shoo." "Where's my shirt?" "It was " "Let me get one for you." "If you don't mind dressing partly plain." "Looks good on you." "In my line of work." "You have to learn how to read eyes," "Or you don't live long." "I don't want to know anything about that." "I will not have violence around my son." "Give me your word." "You will not harm my boy." "My word." "What if I was a shootist of some repute..." "A gambler," "And a liar?" "I think that you've been all those things," "But..." "If you give me your word..." "I'll believe you." "Then you have it." "Benjo, you eat those pickled beets first," "And use your napkin." "Yessum." "M-Mr." "Gault?" "Do you kill people?" "Benjo Yoder, what a terrible thing to say." "Now you apologize." "There's no need, ma'am." "Oh." "Excuse me." "Rebecca: shoo." "Off the porch." "Shoo." "I-is that what they locked you up in prison for?" "Prison?" "I was never in " "Oh, yeah, prison." "No." "That was because I didn't eat all my pickled beets." "Rebecca: come on." "Come on." "Whoo." "That's it." "Come on." "That's it." "Come on, come on." "That's it." "Whoo." "Ay." "Come on." "Ay." "Ay." "Ay, ay." "Come back here." "Come on now." "That's it." "It appears to me" "Them sheep got you running every which way over there" "Sometimes I think it would be easier" "To move the farm to them." "Could you help me out with something?" "All our married men have beards," "But my husband once had a wound" "That required him to be clean-shaven," "And I undertook to help him." "I sure hope you're not riled at me, Mrs. Yoder." "Perhaps you should say your prayers, Mr. Gault." "I hope this isn't your people's version." "Of the blindfold before the execution." "No, this is my version of paying you back" "For some of the anxious moments you've caused me." "Why do you wear this?" "A woman's hair should be kept covered," "Except from her husband." "Seems like you people got a rule for just about everything." "Why would god or any man breathing" "Want to cover something so pretty?" "How do I look?" "What, am I bleeding?" "No." "But your nose looks crooked." "Ha ha ha." "Now look close" "I know I got to be bleeding somewhere" "You are not." "Noah, how nice of you to come calling." "I broke a wagon wheel back on the road." "Oh." "Mr. Gault, This is my good neighbor" "And my particular friend Noah weaver." "How do you do, Mr. Weaver?" "How do you do?" "I came to ask Rebecca if your ewes will be dropping soon," "Will you need my help?" "Oh, thank you.." "not just yet, I should think" "And if they come while Mr. Gault is still here," "We'll see if we can't make a lamb licker out of him." "I sure hope that ain't what it sounds like." "Have no fear, Mr. Gault." "You appear to be fit enough to be moving on soon." "Oh, he's hardly ready to ride a horse." "I have a spare wheel in the barn," "If you like." "You want some help?" "No thank you." "Look at that bird." "Benjo." "Come on." "Man: baah." "Baah." "Ha ha ha." "Ha ha ha ha." "Ha ha ha ha." "Truly the light is sweet," "And a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun" "Ecclesiastes." "What made you folks settle way out here?" "Back in Ohio, life was hard." "Someone always trying to push us out." "My Da saw this very valley in a dream." "He led us here." "We thought it would be our promised land." "Sometimes, the will of the lord is hard to understand." "Yeah, there's always trouble" "When sheep come to cattle country." "Mr. Hunter kills our animals and poisons our watering holes." "And he had his men murder my Ben." "They hung him for a cattle thief" "Is what they did." "I'll kill 'em for you if you want me to." "What?" "Hunter and those men that hung your husband" "No." "It's just an offer" "Figure I owe you" "Benjo: ma'am." "Benjo." "Benjo, what is it?" "They were going to hang me." "What, who?" "What are you talking about?" "Those men." "Let's shoot 'em." "C-can't we shoot 'em?" "Benjo Yoder, what a terrible thing to say." "Don't you say such a thing." "What would become of our souls, Mr. Gault?" "It's not your souls I'm worried about." "Benjo." "Benjo." "Benjo." "Come out, Benjo." "Teach me." "Do it for real." "Don't know if my arm can take" "The kick of a gun yet." "But what if they come?" "Practice." "It's time to get sleep in your own bed again." "I can move on." "I'll bunk in that wagon out There in the yard." "That way, if any trouble comes.." "Whosoever shall smite thee On thy right cheek," "Turn to him the other also." "God will protect us" "Without the help Of your guns." "Rebecca:" "Mr. Gault, I need your help." "What are you intending to do with those guns, Mr. Gault," "Aim them at some poor ewe's head" "And demand that she push harder?" "No, I was fixing To point them at you" "The first time you told me to go lick something." "Just start by separating out some of the ones" "Who look like they're going to drop." "All right." "Yep." "All right..." "Who wants to go first?" "There's a baby one here, but I think it's dead." "Try to get her breathing." "What?" "Grab her by the hind legs and swing it around." "Swing it around." "Go on." "get her breathing." "Come on, girl." "I've been thinking, Mr. Gault." "If you'd like to stay on through summer," "I could pay you a dollar a day" "I'm thinking, Mrs. Yoder, That, uh," "I'd be bound to accept such an offer." "Why do I get the feeling I should've held out" "For $2 a day?" "Your gun." "Girl: hello, Benjo." "Levi." "This is my little brother, Mr. Gault." "You're apt to catch yourself a fly." "Good to meet you" "My older brothers and my father " "Brace yourself." "What are you thinking, Rebecca," "Bringing him here?" "He's here to witness the preaching." "And you just now sounded like a sick hog, our Samuel." "He's an outsider." "He does not belong here." "It's not a forbidden thing," "And I've hired him to work my farm for summer." "Father." "Well, I must go." "We women sit separate from the men." "When a man say, "I love god,"" "And he hateth his brother," "Then he is a liar." "For this commandment hath he given us," "That he who loveth god" "Love his brother also." "Here you are, my Ben." "Something just for pretty." "That's what you used to say to me" "When you'd bring me flowers." "We had us a nice crop of fat lambs," "And the bone pile's been small." "You would've been so proud of Benjo." "It's hard sometimes." "Benjo." "Benjo." "Move, Benjo." "Look out." "Everyone, quickly." "Into the barn." "No." "Hurry now." "Hurry." "He's all right." "Take your boy." "Go on back to the barn." "Look." "Stay inside." "You know I like the sound of it." "Woodrow Wharton " "The man who shot Johnny Gault." "More like..." "Woodrow Wharton " "The coward who shot an unarmed man." "That ain't the way I'll tell it." "No." "A coward and a liar." "You know, you're beginning to rile me, boy." "In spite of what you people have done," "I figure it would pain These kind folk" "To see me blow your sorry head off." "On the other hand..." "It wouldn't bother me one bit." "Enjoy your walk, Woodrow." "Benjo:" "Johnny." "You're a good man." "Outsiders sought to take my grandson from me." "You, an outsider, gave him back." "This time," "But it ain't over." "Seems to me you should sell out and move on." "They that trust in the lord shall be as Mount Zion" "Which cannot be removed." "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion" "And to them that are secure in the mountain." "If you can't be removed One way," "Like as not, You'll be removed another." "God's will be done." "Rebecca, Abraham.." "Levi, Samuel." "You make jokes and deny the power of god," "But you would be dead." "if the horse had not spooked" "That was god's doing." "Well, sure enough." "It must've been a miracle." "Come inside, everyone." "Boy," "You're going to get me in trouble." "What happened back there.." "With your father?" "I promised that, come shearing season," "I would marry, and you would be gone." "After I'm done with the Doc, I'm going to go find a horse." "Want to help me pick one out?" "A horse?" "You're the one that promised I was going to be gone." "I ain't walking." "How about if I buy us horse traders a couple sarsaparillas?" "Yeah." "You better wait out here," "Or your ma will have both our hides." "Two sarsaparillas." "Enjoy your walk, Woodrow?" "Aah." "Mister, you are looking to get dead." "Next time, I will accommodate you." "Looks like I'll need another." "Ma'am " "Benjo, I told you, I don't want to hear it." "But, ma'am " "It wasn't Johnny's fault." "He just went in to get us a couple of sarsaparillas." "And then those men came in " "The ones who killed Doc." "Johnny." "Johnny?" "It's a beautiful morning." "The sky is so big." "I should be moving on." "You promised to stay through summer." "Do you hear that, Johnny?" "The music the earth makes." "Do you hear that?" "I hear all the sounds in my head," "And it comes together..." "Into music." "And I know it's wicked, but " "You can never be wicked." "What do you want, Rebecca?" "You ask too much" "Johnny?" "Johnny?" "Johnny?" "Where is he?" "Johnny?" "Johnny." "Johnny: you kick me again" "And I will leave you here to die, I swear." "Hell of a " "Lascivious..." "Daughter of a mischievous bitch." "You deserve to drown." "You gonna come down and wallow in the mud" "With the rest of us sinners" "Or cling to your high ground?" "I believe I'll cling." "Grab the other side there and help me, Benjo." "That was such fun." "You got me all wet" "Benjo:" "I did not." "Now you're all wet." "But you're not.." "Yet." "Ha ha." "Johnny..." "When I was about Benjo's age," "I lived in an orphanage near Fort McKavett" "Down in Texas." "Every year, come spring," " They'd get us all spruced up " "A bath, clean clothes, a real haircut " "Take us down to the church" "We all thought it was so somebody could adopt us" "So we're all thinking, "pick me, pick me, pick me."" "Of course," "What those kind folks were really doing" "Was just renting us out as cheap labor." "Then one year, a hog farmer named Cowper" "Did pick me," "And he put me right to work." "If I did the smallest thing wrong" "He beat the living hell out of me." "So the first chance I got, I ran away." "But he got the dogs after me," "And he dragged me back" "He chained me up to a post in the barn" "Next to the scalding box" "Right underneath the big carcass hook" "And then he hauled up a live hog" "Right there over my head," "And he took out his curved skinning knife" "And he stuck that hog" "And he left it there, squealing and bleeding" "While he read to me from the scriptures." "And it took that hog" "A considerable time to die." "Well, then old Cowper, he gutted it," "Told me he'd do the same thing to me" "If I ever ran away again" "After that, when I wasn't working" "He kept me shackled." "Took me..." "Two years to weaken a link in that chain." "But one night, I finally got loose," "And I snuck into his house" "And I stood over him in his bed," "And I said to him, nice as could be," ""Pardon me, Mr. Cowper,"" "And when he opened his eyes " "No." "You let me finish" "Let me finish." "When he opened his eyes," "I ran a pitchfork right through his neck" "And I've been running and killing ever since" "And I am good at it." "I got eyes in the back of my head" "I don't trust nobody." "I don't belong anywhere." "I don't deserve god's forgiveness." "And, uh..." "No." "I don't deserve you." "Just let me go, Rebecca." "Just let me leave." "Johnny." "Mose and Benjo, they came up to take the herd early." "I know." "I asked them to." "Why'd you do that?" "Rebecca." "Samuel," "He has already brought your sister down to his level." "Do you want to sink that low?" "Rebecca?" "I cannot give up my family and my god." "It's too much to ask." "What'll they do to you?" "They'll make me go on my knees" "Before the church and confess my sins." "I will beg to be absolved" "And I will vow never to sin in that way again," "And it will nevermore be spoken of by any of us..." "And you will leave here, never to return." "Well, that's what they want." "What do you want?" "It doesn't matter what I want." "Yes, it does, Rebecca." "That's all that matters." "That's not true." "Marry me." "A plain woman must marry plain." "Why?" "Why can't you do what you want?" "I can't." "I had another brother, Johnny," "And he had strayed from the plain way" "He was placed under the ban." "He was shunned" "I couldn't speak to him" "Or acknowledge him." "It was supposed to make him turn back to us" "Because no one can live without family." "But he held out," "And so did we," "Until one night he came into my father's barn" "And he threw a rope over a rafter..." "It killed him." "It killed him." "Stay with me, Johnny." "Stay with me until tey do what they will do." "Rebecca Yoder," "If you can face Almighty god" "With a penitent heart" "And confess to your sins now," "Then ye shall be forgiven of them." "I confess that I failed to keep myself separate," "That I took the outsider Johnny Gault" "Into my house," "Allowing myself and my son" "To be touched by his worldly ways" "And corrupting influences." "I confess to having fallen into the sin of fornication" "With the outsider Johnny Gault." "I confess to having fallen in love" "With the outsider Johnny Gault." "The love I have for him" "That comes over me" "And over me" "Is like the music," "Only it doesn't stop." "It just goes on and on." "And I think to myself..." "If god loves all his creatures, even the unbelievers..." "Would he demand" "That I deny the love I bear for this one man?" "Rebecca." "I looked into my heart" "For the shame I must feel for what I've done," "But it isn't there." "I cannot lie to you" "Or to god" "Or to myself." "I cannot pretend to believe what I do not," "And I do not believe that my love for Johnny" "Is wrong." "I am so sorry..." "My brothers and my sisters" "I am so sorry." "Johnny." "Rebecca Yoder..." "Rebecca Gault," "You have been placed under the ban" "By all members of the church." "We will not share a table with you" "Or have discourse of any kind with you." "Never will we speak your name." "From this day forth, until such time as you repent," "To us you are dead." "I don't know why you've done this " "To seduce a plain woman from her family and her church." "Why have you chosen to become her damnation?" "Noah..." "You know this woman." "She isn't damned" "What?" "What is it?" "Tell me." "My music." "Yeah?" "It's gone." "It'll come back." "Don't worry." "It was the voice of God." "It won't come back" "You two be careful up there." "Boys." "Got your sling, little David?" "How -- how come you can t-talk to me" "But not her?" "You're not being shunned." "I'm not even supposed to talk about her." "I'm sorry, Benjo." "There was a bear up here two nights ago " "A nice big one." "killed a couple of sheep." "I figure it'll be back." "Bears like their meat kind of spoiled." "I'll be ready." "Mose: hey." "Stop." "Aah." "Mose." "Mose." "Man: goddamn sheep." "Fergus: put it down." "You tell Mr. Gault what happened here" "And who did it." "You tell him if he doesn't like it," "He knows Where to find me." "Uh, I " "I'll take that to mean that you'll do as I say." "Yaah." "Yaah." "I had to take the Weaver boy's arm off" "I've come for my boy." "He shouldn't be moved." "He's lost a lot of blood." "Oh, god." "Johnny." "What are you going to do?" "I'll tell you what I will not do" "I will not turn the other cheek again" "And watch one of my family get killed." "Johnny: is this the only one who'd stand up with you?" "Ray wanted to have a shot at you..." "But that brat gave him a headache." "Get down." "Stay right there" "Mr. Gault," "What you don't seem to understand" "Is that I always win." "Look out." "Hear guns " "I hear guns." "No." "Ma'am." "Why aren't you doing anything?" "Because she has a .44 caliber bullet" "Lodged next to her pulmonary artery." "You get that bullet out." "Boy, either way, she's going to die" "You save her, Goddamn it." "Wh-- wh" "Don't go." "Take me." "Please let me die for her." "Let me die for her." "Let me die for her" "Please." "Let me die for her" "God, let me die for her, please." "God." "I can hear it..." "The music." "I can hear it." "Tell me, Rebecca." "Tell me about the music." "I can hear the stream..." "And the wind.." "And the birds..." "And..." "I can hear the rain." "On our roof." "I love you, Rebecca." "Oh, Johnny." "My Johnny." "Benjo: ma'am?" "Ma'am." "Thanks, Doc..." "For everything" "You mind those ruts, now." "Don't you worry." "I'll take it nice and slow" "Let's go home." "{{{ the end }}}"