Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness.
And they live by what they hear.
Such people become crazy or they become legends.
Tristan Ludlow was born in the moon of the falling leaves.
It was a terrible winter.
His mother almost died bringing him into this world.
His father, the Colonel, brought him to me
and I wrapped him in a bear skin and held him all that night.
As he grew into a man, I taught him the great joy of the kill,
when the hunter cuts out its warm heart and holds it in his hands,
setting its spirit free.
Colonel Ludlow had three sons, but Tristan was his favourite.
I had had sons too.
But they were gone now, forever.
It was a very bad time.
The Colonel had tried to help the people.
But it was no use.
So he decided to go his own way.
He wanted to lose the madness over the mountains, he said,
and begin again.
"Lose the madness," he said.
And so we lived for many years, and the boys grew strong.
Alfred was the older brother, old even for his years.
Samuel was the youngest.
There was nothing these brothers would not do for him.
They watched over him like a treasure.
One year... I am an old man. I cannot remember the year,
but it was the moon of the red grass,
when Isabel Ludlow, their mother, went away for the winter.
She said the winters were too cruel for her.
She said she was afraid of the bears.
She was a strange woman, anyway.
That spring, though, she did not return.
And after that, she did not come much to see us.
Alfred wrote her many letters, but Tristan refused to speak of her.
His world was here, with me.
Every warrior hopes a good death will find him,
but Tristan couldn't wait.
He went looking for his.
Tristan! Tristan!
Here.
-Was it a bear? -Yes, sir.
-Can you breathe? -Yes.
Take your hand away. Come on, take it away.
Now, boy...
You're a stupid, half-brained jackass. Did you know that?
Yes, sir.
One Stab put you up to this?
You deserve to be dead, you know that?
God knows how you've lived so long.
It'll be all right, son.
Yeah.
I have these letters. Many letters.
Read them.
They are from all of them.
Ludlow, Isabel, Samuel.
The whole family. The whole story.
It is all written here.
April 13, 1913.
Dear Isabel, I am not fool enough to try to reorder a life already lived,
but I fear I have not done well raising our sons alone in this wild place.
What did I know of children? I was trained to lead men.
This is infinitely harder.
Dear William, you take too much responsibility on yourself as always.
Our sons are finding their own paths. They are wilful, certainly,
but then who are you and I to complain of wilfulness?
As for Samuel, I have big news.
At a Harvard tea for Amy Lowell
he met an instantly loved Miss Susannah Fincannon,
and, William, I know it will surprise you greatly,
but they are engaged.
He will bring her to Montana this summer to introduce her to his brothers and to you.
So, William, please behave yourself and be as charming as only you can be.
-Hey. -There he is.
-How the hell are you? -I'm good, and you?
-Samuel. -Father, how are you?
-Good to see you, boy. -Good to see you.
Hello.
Father, this is my fiance, Susannah.
Hello.
Miss Fincannon...
-I'm pleased to meet you. -Oh! It's an honour.
And this is Alfred.
-Hello. -How do you do?
-Here's your dog, miss. -Thank you.
It's a horse.
That's a strange-looking animal.
This is Finn. He's a champion. Aren't you, Finn?
You like exotic-looking dogs then, Miss Fincannon?
Very much, Mr Ludlow.
-Please, call me Susannah. -All right.
-And he's just plain old Alfred. -You shut up.
Where's Tristan?
He's off somewhere. You know him.
Well, he'll be here tonight to welcome his brother home,
or I'll know the reason why.
Well, Miss Fincannon, please. Did you have a good journey?
She is such a lovely creature, William,
but I fear the loss of her parents has given her a certain fragility
and at times I think she feels very alone in the world.
But she has found a new family now, hasn't she?
And the German military is ready to use chaos in Croatia
as a justification for actions that could just plunge the entire civilised world...
Samuel, the word "civilised" has no place
in any discussion of the affairs of this world.
Miss Fincannon, mother has told us of your sympathy for the social reformers.
You make it sound like a disease.
No, no, no. On the contrary. I'm in agreement.
Well, your mother has told me all about One Stab.
She says that he was a great warrior.
Oh, yes. He has a bag of scalps hidden away somewhere to prove it, too,
but don't worry, he's...
He's devoted to father now.
Or rather they're devoted to each other.
-Can he speak English? -Stab? Speak English?
He wouldn't lower himself to speak English. Would you, Stab?
But watch out, because he understands it perfectly well.
Hey, there's Tristan.
-Don't they feed you up there? -Not much.
-You smell. -Missed me, did you?
-Still hung-over? -Still drunk.
Isn't she amazing?
So this is Tristan.
And does he speak English?
Tristan, for God's sake.
Miss Fincannon, it's a pleasure to meet you.
I hope you and ugly here find every happiness together.
Don't mind my brother. Your dog has more breeding than he has.
Hey.
-It's Mother's room. -It's lovely.
-It's a pleasure to meet you, Pet. -And you, miss.
Thank you.
Argemone albiflora, Longifolia...
And Angelica arguta.
-Angelica arguta? Which one? -It's this one.
Angelica Susannah.
Hello.
You must be Isabel Two.
I've already met your mother and father.
-How old are you? -Thirteen.
Thirteen?
When I was 13, I was sent away to boarding school.
I hated it.
May I help you?
-You're going to marry Samuel. -That's right. I am.
I'm going to marry Tristan.
Then we'll be sisters.
-I see you two have met. -Isabel Two is letting me help.
Susannah, would you like to take a rest before dinner? You must be exhausted.
No, not at all. This is so refreshing.
All this grandeur, this unexpected gift from God.
It doesn't seem like much of a gift four months into a hard winter.
I can assure you.
Where's Samuel?
He's inside. I could tell that your father wanted him all to himself.
-You're very generous. -No, just happy.
Alfred!
Stop mooning over Miss Fincannon. Come in here.
Samuel wants to know about those young calves
you're bringing up from Cheyenne.
Come on. Get in here.
Please excuse my father.
It makes him feel young and powerful to treat us like we're idiot children.
For this and all his countless blessings,
may God's holy name be praised and blessed.
-Amen. -Amen.
Tell Father what you were saying about Vienna.
What's that?
Well, it's the Kaiser.
He won't lift a finger to stop them from annihilating Serbia.
Let's not talk about war at the table, please.
Well, Susannah hears that all England's mobilising.
Well...
Well, we're stuck out here in the middle of nowhere
while all this is going on.
And thank God for that.
Well, you wouldn't want us to evade a clear duty.
Wouldn't I?
Father, with respect...
Please excuse me for being late.
I packed so carefully I couldn't find anything.
Thank you.
-Would you like some... -Would you like...
Yes. Thank you.
Dear Isabel, how strange to have a cultivated woman in the house again,
and how intoxicating.
Indeed, to have all three of my sons under my roof again
fills me with such a deep, quiet satisfaction that I thank God.
Hey.
You intimidated?
Hey, Stab!
There's a friend of yours.
I got a dollar that says he brings her back.
Whoa, honey.
Hold steady.
Steady up.
Hey.
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.
Easy.
Easy, honey.
You got it.
Nice work!
You guys look like a bunch of ice-cream cones.
I know you would have.
Ready? Here we go.
Go easy on him, Susannah.
Alfred, you take over. I'm gonna go talk to Tristan.
You've disgraced the Colonel's name.
-Nice shiner. -Yeah. Well, I hit her back.
-She's got me spinning. -I bet.
She's got these ideas and theories and she's...
-She's... -What?
Nothing.
-So, how did you break the mare? -Oh, no, no. She's what?
Well, she's sort of passionate.
-Is she a virgin? -Good Lord, Tristan.
-Well, you brought it up. -Well, of course she is.
-Are you? -Well...
-Yes, I am. -Gonna wait till you get married?
See, she says...
Susannah thinks that...
No. We're not gonna wait.
And you're afraid you won't meet her expectations.
I guess I am.
Sort of. I don't know.
-Should I be? -Samuel, God bless you.
You are good at everything you try to do. I'm sure it'll be the same with fucking.
Tristan, really. We're talking about my future wife.
-Oh, you're not gonna fuck her? -No.
-No? -No! I'm planning to be with her.
I recommend fucking.
-You're impossible. -You brought it up.
That was no fair.
My point!
Morning, Colonel Ludlow.
Tristan's gone hunting, so, whatever it was, he didn't do it.
You don't have to worry about Tristan, Colonel.
No. This here is Mr John T. and James O'Banion.
They own the new mercantile store.
-Morning. -Morning James, John T., Sheriff.
-Good morning, Alfred. -Good morning, Alfred.
We were looking for a man we heard might be in this part of the country,
name of Tom Cullen. I have a likeness here.
-What did this fellow do? -Do you recognise him?
-Yeah, I recognise him. -We got him, James.
This fella passed by here maybe four, maybe five years ago,
did some work here.
He was on his way to San Francisco.
He said he was hoping to book a passage on a boat to Australia.
Australia?
Or was it Hong Kong? I can't remember.
-Can you remember, Alfred? -I think it was Hong Kong.
Hong Kong. Yeah.
What exactly is he wanted for, Sheriff?
-Well, he... -That would be of a private nature, sir.
Private nature?
That's a public office you hold there, Sheriff, isn't it?
Gentlemen.
"There came a low hiss, a horrid cold sound
"that made Rikki-tikki-tavi jump back two clear feet,
"and then inch by inch out of the grass rose up the head and spread hood of Nag,
"the big black cobra..."
I can always read another story, you know, Samuel.
-The Germans broke through at Amentières. -What?
The entire British Third Corps is trapped in the Belgian lowlands.
-And this paper is already a week old. -Calm down.
Father, with my fluent German, I could become an officer.
Yes. And lead other young boys
to the slaughter and be slaughtered yourself.
The men who served under you worshipped you.
Then they were damn fools! All of them. Weren't they?
This is a turning point in the history of the world.
-How can we... -How can we what?
Father, you can't expect us not to be part of this. You taught us...
I taught you to think for yourselves. That's what I taught you.
-And to defend what's ours. -Yes, what is ours! What is ours.
Well, we've already lost two of our cousins at the Marne.
Whom we've never even met.
And don't talk at me, boys, as if I've never seen a war!
Not a war like this, you haven't.
They said that about the War of Secession.
They said it about the Indian Wars.
That's what people who want to sell newspapers say about wars.
These are not the Indian Wars. We're fighting against naked aggression.
There will be no more talk of wars in this house, damn it!
I'm sorry, Susannah. Please.
I'm going to Canada to enlist.
I'm going with him.
I'm sorry, my love. I meant to speak to you about it tonight.
I know you'll understand. It's the only honourable thing to do.
-What's that? -It's a book my father wrote.
To try to convince the government to alter their policies
towards the Indians in the Dakotas.
-Samuel won't change his mind. -Change it for him.
What happened between them?
Father says she never liked it here.
I think they loved mostly the idea of each other.
Please, don't let him go.
I'll take care of him.
October 14, 1914.
My dear Isabel, today our sons are leaving home
to defend an England they have never seen
and I am unable to stop them.
Isabel, I have tried to shelter our sons from all the madness
and now they go to seek it.
Be careful.
You don't have to go.
Alfred?
Goodbye.
Don't worry, Father.
Take care, now.
Samuel?
-I'll bring you back the Kaiser's helmet. -Bring yourself back. That'll please me more.
Yes, sir.
Tristan?
-You take care of Samuel. -I will.
Colonel Ludlow told me,
"Ride with them to Calgary. Bring back the horses."
"Damn fools," he called them. "Damn fools."
The Colonel, he would not have his sons ride off to war on old nags,
damn fools or not.
Come on, let's join them.
Bring your plate.
May we join you? Sit down.
We're feeling lonely in there.
Sit here.
Pet?
-What's her name, Two? -Lady.
-Lady? -Tristan's Lady.
In the story, Tristan's lady was Isolde.
-You know who Isolde was, don't you? -No.
Decker, your daughter is in need of education.
Well, she can read and write, Colonel.
-School might be awkward for her. -No, no, no. I'll teach her myself.
May I help?
Yeah.
Literature, history, mathematics...
And with your permission, of course, Decker, and yours, Pet.
What do you think?
What will she do with all this education?
She'll live a richer, fuller life, of course.
-She's a half-breed, Colonel. -Not in this house, she's not a half-breed.
-Tristan calls me a half-breed. -Tristan calls you a half-breed?
He says I'm half gopher and half hawk.
-After her chores, then. -Yeah.
-To us all. -To you, sir and miss.
And to the boys.
And the boys.
-Tristan, get back to your unit. -Those boys are boring.
I'd rather have you watching my back.
Now, mate.
February 3, 191 5.
Dear Susannah, the horror of this place is indescribable.
Nothing is as I thought it would be.
Tonight, as I prayed for the souls of those who've died so terribly but so bravely,
I admit that I also prayed for personal glory.
Is that wrong? To want to distinguish myself gloriously in combat
as my father did?
Though Tristan and Alfred watch over me so carefully
that I may never get the opportunity.
Alfred! Hang on!
Samuel!
Goddamn it!
-Are you hit? -It's just a scratch.
Susannah, I see now not that my father was right,
but that I was naive.
-Let me up, damn it! -Stay down!
Let me up!
Fall back!
Still, we place our bodies in God's keeping. We go into battle honourably,
full of confidence, with his name on our lips.
-We're pinned here. -We'll wait.
Stretcher-bearer!
-Colonel, help him down. -Get my hand.
Goddamn.
You all right, little boy?
Susannah, I try to guard against despair,
but there are moments when it seems that all human decency has broken down.
Alfred will recover from his wounds,
but he and Tristan seem to have drifted apart, or worse,
and I cannot understand it.
I miss you more than you can imagine.
You are all that is clean and cool and pure.
I close my eyes and fix my thoughts on you.
I now regret that we listened to everyone and agreed to wait to marry.
Even more, I regret that I left before we could be together
as we planned to be together, my beloved.
Please stay on at the ranch and wait for me.
Don't let Father worry.
I know that God's mercy will protect me, aided considerably by Tristan,
who seems to have come to France
less to fight the Germans than to act as a nursemaid to me.
Be well, my love.
Your own, Samuel.
The Captain needs me to translate this before tonight's reconnaissance.
Alfred is gonna wanna see you.
-I'll be there. -Yeah?
Go on and go.
Left, right, left!
Left! Left! Left, right...
-Alfred... -Where's Samuel?
He's translating. He'll be here. Oh, boy, that's a good one.
-Vino? -Put that away.
Tristan.
-They said you'll be getting a medal. -Yes, they're sending me home.
And I'm glad for you.
I'm an officer. I belong with my men.
-Horseshit! -Or what's left of them.
Tristan, MacKenzie was just brought in.
His leg's turned bad. He said...
-What? -He said what? Go on, man. What is it?
He said your brother, he volunteered to take his place
and go over on the reconnaissance with the Captain.
Goddamn it! I told you to stay with him!
Samuel!
Samuel! Samuel!
Samuel!
Samuel?
Samuel! Samuel!
Tristan!
-Tristan! -Samuel!
Tristan!
-Samuel! -Tristan!
Samuel!
-Tristan! Tristan! -I'm here!
-I can't see! -Samuel!
Tristan! I can't move!
-Samuel! -Tristan!
-Samuel, I'm coming! -Tristan?
Tristan!
No!
-Samuel! -Tristan!
I got you now.
I've got you. You're doing good. You're doing good.
We're going home.
Samuel?
Samuel.
Samuel!
No!
Oh, no!
I got you.
Goddamn you, God!
Oh, Goddamn, God!
Tristan?
Tristan!
Tristan, it's me.
March 20, 191 5.
Dear Father and Susannah,
I am being discharged from the army but I cannot come home yet.
I will write to Grandfather Ludlow in Cornwall
and ask him to let me join him and go to sea.
As for our beloved Samuel, all I can send home is his heart.
Alfred will bring it back.
You know the place he should be buried.
Up in the box canyon where he use to draw the birds.
Your son, Tristan.
Well...
He certainly was the best of all of us, wasn't he?
-Goodnight. Goodnight. -Goodnight.
Goodnight, Father.
Alfred?
What you saw that night before Samuel left...
-Please, don't... -No, I want to.
It is Samuel I loved.
All right.
Tristan will be back someday.
Your father will be pleased.
Susannah was to return to Boston on the morning train
but a norther blew for three days and drifted over the tracks
and the Colonel insisted she stay on until spring.
The house was too empty, he said.
This was still her home, he told her.
He should have let her go.
But how could he have known what would happen?
She was not to blame.
She was like the water that freezes in the rock and splits it apart.
It was no more her fault than it is the fault of the water
when the rock shatters.
Susannah?
You know how much...
You know how much I loved Samuel.
And I think you know...
Out of respect for him, I wanted to say it in this place
I think you know that...
I'm in love with you.
From the first moment I saw you. Like in a novel.
That's my mother's overblown romantic imagination coming out in me, I suppose.
You're not making this very easy for me, Susannah.
Sorry.
Is there any hope that you could learn to love me?
No, no, no. Not the way you loved Samuel, of course,
but enough to...
Susannah, we could make a life together.
A happy life.
I don't think so, Alfred.
It sounds like you're not sure, though. Maybe there's a chance.
What?
I think I can only cause you pain, Alfred.
Well, why don't you let me be the judge of that? All right?
Yeah, well I didn't break it, but I can fix it.
I can put the damn wheel back on here. I can take it off of here myself,
so go take a nap.
Colonel!
Huh?
Look!
Susannah, I'm going into town, if...
Welcome home, son.
Tristan, you're back in one piece. Hey!
Oh, God.
I couldn't save him.
Of course you couldn't.
I couldn't save him.
It's all right.
Did you have a nice ride today?
Excuse me, Father.
Tristan.
Tristan, please.
When are you planning to be married?
Morning.
Damn you, Tristan. You will marry her.
-Make an honest woman of her? -Yes!
Goddamn you to hell.
-Yes I will marry her, if she'll have me. -If she'll have you?
Do you love her?
Or did you seduce her just to spite me?
That's not what I did.
-And what about Samuel? -What about Samuel?
-You tell me about Samuel. -We all loved Samuel. Samuel is dead.
-What? -How convenient that is for you.
Because you love her, I will forgive you for that. Once!
You say that again and we're not brothers.
Once!
Tristan, you know you can't make her happy.
I'm gonna try.
You will fail.
I'm gonna be leaving today.
Alfred?
I do wish you both all the best.
-Goodbye, son. -All right. Wish me luck.
Good luck.
September 7, 191 5.
Dearest Mother, I think I may have found my place in this world.
Helena is a city turned modern overnight,
bursting with all the energy and vitality of our times.
I feel alive here.
There is much opportunity for anyone willing
to dedicate himself to his labours.
Already I seem to have acquired a reputation for honesty and fair dealing.
And I am pleased to call some of Helena's most influential citizens my friends.
They are determined to see this city grow, as am I.
We're proud of you.
Mother, thank you for your kind letter. You knew my hopes.
That you understand my disappointment is a great comfort to me.
Every night I pray for the grace to forgive Tristan.
I know you understand. Your loving son, Alfred.
Quit it! Quit it!
Goddamn it!
Tristan?
If we have a boy, I'd like to call him Samuel.
And if it's a girl, Isabel.
And I still love you.
And you'll tolerate me because of how much I love you.
Tristan?
Nothing.
I heard from your mother.
She says Alfred has got himself hooked up with those
damn O'Banion brothers.
She says he's doing well.
-Alfred's gonna do well wherever he is. -Except here, with us.
-That's my fault. -I didn't say that.
I couldn't bring Samuel back home alive, either, could I?
Don't you dare say that, boy. That was in God's hands.
Was it?
Colonel, lost a couple calves up near Caveman's Canyon.
lt might be a grizzly.
My grizzly?
-You take him, Tristan. -You're damn right I will.
I don't know why Tristan did not kill that damn old bear.
The old ones say
when a man and an animal have spilled each other's blood,
they become one.
-I said four beers, Mr Sachtleben. -And I said no Indians.
Well, he's quite civilised, I assure you.
-Yeah? -Yeah.
-Just give him a beer. -Stay out of it, boy.
-My father said four, didn't he? -He heard me.
Mr Sachtleben and I are about to reach an understanding.
-Just give him a goddamn beer! -Tristan, stay out of it!
I said stay out of it. Damn you.
You're a damn fool.
You're just spoiling for a fight with a man
who outweighs you by 20 pounds,
who is now, as we speak, searching under the bar for a some kind of a weapon.
Isn't that right, Mr Sachtleben?
To split your stupid skull and kill you stone dead and good riddance, too.
Now leave it.
Yes.
I want four beers. Now!
Well, now, the owner, he said he doesn't want to serve any Indians.
Get back!
Now, you see this man? Do you?
His name is One Stab.
He's a venerated elder of the Cree nation
and has counted coup on hundreds of his enemies.
He's our friend, he's thirsty.
I think it was the bear's voice he heard deep inside him,
growling low of dark, secret places.
Were you going to say goodbye?
Tristan?
How long will you be gone?
Not long. A few months.
I can make it better for you.
No.
If we'd had a child...
Or if I were pregnant, would you still be going?
Yes.
Just give me a chance.
Don't do that.
Look at me.
Please, look at me.
I'll wait for you.
However long it takes.
I'll wait for you forever.
-Will he come back? -I don't know.
I don't know.
Stab says yes.
April 20, 191 8. Dear Tristan,
it has been months now and still no word.
The only sign we have that you are alive
is a tattered parcel that arrived today from New Guinea, it seems,
covered with strange writing
and containing what appears to be a native bracelet.
Three. Three. No!
Meant for me, I presume, but perhaps not.
Do you still care to know what is happening here?
Cattle prices continue to fall
and winter seems never-ending.
Why don't you write?
Are you never coming back and afraid to tell me?
Alfred continues to do well.
Alfred.
His business has expanded to include financial concerns
in Chicago and Washington but I don't pretend to understand.
He wants us to send Isabel Two to boarding school in Chicago,
but she adamantly refuses to leave the ranch.
I think she, too, is waiting for you.
Tristan, I have nowhere to send this letter
and no reason to believe you wish to receive it.
I write it only for myself.
And so I will hide it away along with
all the things left unsaid and undone between us.
December 12, 1919.
Dear Susannah,
I have become a hunter.
Tell Stab there are creatures here that cannot even be found in books.
And I have killed them all.
Susannah, all we had is dead,
as I am dead.
Marry another.
Colonel, it looks like we got company.
Father, I have come to ask for your blessing.
My blessing?
-You see, these gentlemen... -And a great many others, I might add.
...are urging me to run for office.
Office? What sort of office?
The United States Congress.
That's how highly we think of your son in this county, Colonel.
Well, Alfred.
And what do you gentlemen hope to get out of this?
I beg your pardon, Colonel?
I have spoken plain English, sir.
What do you want for yourselves, should my son be elected?
Father, I really don't think that these gentlemen...
Didn't you ask that question yourself, Alfred? Or do you honestly believe
these good gentlemen back you simply out of a sense of patriotic duty
and your own inestimable worth?
You forget yourself, Father. I am no longer a child.
Colonel, the Congress...
Congress is government, sir. And I worked for the government once.
-Father, the issues that we... -Indians!
Indians were the issue in those days.
I can assure you gentlemen, there is nothing quite so grotesque
as the meeting of a child with a bullet
or an entire village slaughtered while sleeping.
That was the government's resolution of that particular issue
and I've seen nothing in its behaviour since then
that would that would persuade me it has gained either in wisdom,
common sense or humanity.
Well, gentlemen,
my father, for whom I have the deepest respect,
says that the government has neither wisdom nor humanity.
I will then consider it my absolute duty, as my father's son,
to bring both wisdom and humanity to the United States Congress.
I thank you for your blessing, Father.
Gentlemen.
Gentlemen, would you mind waiting for me in the cars?
Yes, certainly.
Susannah?
Are you all right? What's wrong?
I don't know what to say.
Tristan's always been wild.
-You love him for that. -Do I?
Yeah, I suppose I do.
Susannah.
He does love you.
Alfred! She's to be your brother's wife.
Yes.
Though you might better remind him of that fact.
He's not here to defend himself.
No, he's not, but I see you are here to defend him and what is his.
Even though he's abandoned her!
-Alfred. -And you!
And I won't even speak of who else he abandoned.
Damn you, boy.
Don't you blame my son for Samuel's death!
Samuel chose to be a soldier and soldiers die.
Sent to their slaughter by men in government.
Parasites like you! Damn and blast you!
Damn you and damn you, too!
You shut your mouth. You leave her out of this!
You get out of my house and get off my land.
Why? Because I want to serve my country as you did?
Or is it because, like you, I love a woman who doesn't love me?
He used her and he deserted her. Your darling Tristan.
-Alfred, don't. Please. -I loved her.
I love her still.
And he stole her from me. Hell, if you wanna know the truth of it
he stole her from Samuel before the war!
God help me, I'll kill you.
Here, read your darling Tristan's letter.
Susannah,
you deserve to be happy.
Late that night we found the Colonel on the floor beside the cold fire.
He could not move.
His hair turned white overnight and he became an old man.
And after that, Tristan sent no more letters.
And as the years passed by,
we would hear that someone had seen him on a ship,
going up some river no white man had gone up before.
Stories came to us, strange stories.
And then for years there was nothing.
He was lost to us. That was all we knew.
But every year in the moon of the falling leaves
I would dream that the bear's voice inside him had grown silent
and that Tristan might again come to live in the world.
But then the winter would come and then another spring.
And still he stayed away.
What the hell is he doing now?
Tristan!
She's a mean old bitch, but she's yours.
Welcome home.
Hey, old man! Where's Father?
Stab?
He had a stroke some years ago. He can't talk now.
Oh, Father.
He wants to celebrate.
I'm happy, too.
Father, this is for you.
"Colonel William Ludlow, from his son Tristan."
I didn't know.
Stab, these are boar's tusks, made by a Javanese warrior.
He, too, was a great man.
Decker.
Pet.
Oh, dear me. Look at that.
I have other things, too, for Mother and little Izzy and Susannah.
What is it?
Tell him.
Alfred and Miss Susannah were married several years ago.
Your brother's a congressman now.
They have a big new place over in Helena.
That's as it should be.
Cattle prices dropped out the bottom after the war ended.
Colonel ain't seem to care much.
He lost just about everything he had.
We'll make it back on horses, or something else if we have to.
We'll make it back.
He's saying that your brother voted for the Volstead Act.
Oh, did he?
You're suggesting I become a bootlegger?
Good money in bootlegging if you know what you're doing.
Screw the government! Screw the government!
-Screw them. -Screw them! Screw the government!
Screw them!
Forever turned out to be too long, Tristan.
I know.
Here. I don't want it.
They told me that this was magic.
That whoever wore it would be protected.
Keep it.
Tristan?
Don't you want to see Alfred?
It's probably better that I don't.
Tell him hello and congratulations.
He likes you.
Welcome home.
Isabel?
I want you to have him.
I have something for you, too, I brought back.
-It's from Lerapetra. That's in... -Crete.
-Crete. Yeah. -I know where it is.
Your father taught me European history.
A little girl. That's me, right?
Thank you, Tristan.
Okay, we'll see you in two days.
Don't wait on me, Stab. I'll be fine.
lt was then that Tristan came into the quiet heart of his life.
The bear inside him was sleeping.
lt is hard to tell of happiness.
Time goes by and we feel safe too soon.
I heard the oddest news.
-Yes? -Yes.
Tristan is back.
Yes, I know.
You know?
How do you know?
I saw him.
You mean to tell me that he had the audacity to come here just to see you?
No. He wanted to see you, but he thought you'd get upset.
I think he might be right.
Oh.
Well what did he...
What did he say?
He said to say hello and congratulations.
Silly me.
He told you the news, did he?
Well, what do you think?
Come on, it's perfectly absurd.
Marrying Isabel Two.
God.
She's practically our sister.
She can't be more than what? Nineteen.
Twenty.
You know what? I can't imagine what the hell is Decker
thinking of to allow this.
Well, perhaps he's thinking of his daughter's happiness.
Happiness?
With Tristan?
I think you of all people should know how impossible that prospect is.
Well, I'm not Isabel Two.
June 2, 1921 .
Dear Tristan,
I was so pleased to hear of your coming marriage.
Your father must be very happy. Isabel Two is like a daughter to him.
As she was named after your own mother,
it seems as though it was always meant to be.
Doesn't it?
Damnation!
Oh, yes.
Come on, now.
Samuel Decker Ludlow.
Dearest Tristan,
Alfred and I were delighted to hear of your son's birth.
We had hoped for a child of our own, but of that I despair.
I know Alfred thinks of you often
and I look forward to the day when we all might see one another again.
Your son bears a proud and noble name. I know he will live up to it.
Please give my love to Isabel Two and to your father and everyone else.
Yours always, Susannah.
-Evening, gentlemen. -Tristan.
Been meaning to talk to you about one or two things.
By all means.
As you know perfectly well, we handle the liquor around here.
Now, you've been what we'd call a small-time operator.
An amateur, frankly.
But lately, your shipments have been getting a little fat.
And my patience has been getting a little thin.
So the next time you get in our way
will be the last time.
Excuse me. I appreciate it.
Tristan, perhaps you're wondering why you're not dead already.
Because your brother is Congressman Ludlow, and that's it.
And that's all.
Kenneth, Thomas...
-Hey, how you doing? -Good to see you, sir.
Hey! How are you?
Good luck, sir.
Can't you just say "Hello"?
Hello, Alfred.
Hello, Tristan.
-And who's this young man? -This is Samuel.
Hello, Samuel.
She's beautiful.
Hello, Izzy. Let me see.
-Samuel? -Hello. Who is this lady?
I'm your Aunt Susannah.
I used to know your Uncle Samuel, who died in the war.
-I think you look like him. -That's what Grandpa says.
-He was very brave and very good. -Grandpa says that, too.
Grandpa says I can have Uncle Samuel's gun when I'm bigger.
Will you can come and see it?
I'd love to.
Sometime.
-He's a fine boy, Tristan. -He is.
How's Father? ls he well?
As well as can be expected.
I...
I wish...
Pardon the intrusion.
Excuse me, Alfred. I think we're ready for your speech now.
-All right, I'll be there in a minute. -Thank you.
-We'll meet again soon. -I'd like that.
Kenneth.
Watch this.
Go on. Go and get Tynert.
I think you missed a bump, Stab.
...drive, anyway?
Jesus!
Sir, we have information that you're transporting goods
in violation of the Volstead Act.
Well, if you mean a case of Irish whiskey for my father, I am.
I'd like to ask you to give it up.
He'll be a bit disappointed.
-No! -Jesus.
No!
Put it down!
Hold him down.
-Let's get out of here, John T. -Maybe we'll open his pocket.
Now, John T.
My brother told you to stay out of our way.
Pick him up and put him in the car.
-I don't want to see him. -Father.
I don't want to see him.
Tristan, I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry.
Father won't see me, even now?
He blames the government for Isabel's...
Tristan, there's something we have to talk about.
The officer you beat, he almost died.
Now, everyone understands,
but they say that you're gonna have to plead guilty, serve 30 days.
And the one who shot off his gun?
He was...
Reprimanded.
-The O'Banions? -Nothing.
You have to let it go, Tristan. lt was a terrible, tragic accident.
Tristan, listen to me. You let this go now.
You got in over your head.
I'll need a minute.
Susannah?
I'm so sorry.
We all loved her.
How are you?
Fine.
I never get to see you.
I gave a speech the other day.
-Oh, did you? -Yes.
My first public engagement.
lt was...
lt was on...
lt was on the responsibilities of women in...
It's good to see you.
I'm sorry.
I still sometimes dream that I'm the mother of your children.
I wanted her to die.
And maybe I even wanted Samuel to die.
You had nothing to do with Samuel's death.
And you had nothing to do with Isabel's death.
Didn't I?
Go home.
Go home to Alfred.
Mrs Ludlow...
Where were you?
Well, I just went out for a walk. I needed a walk.
What are you doing home?
Your doctor rang. He said you missed your appointment.
I called home. You weren't here. I...
I feel very tired.
I'm going to go to bed.
You have won her. I am bringing her home. Alfred.
I followed all the rules.
Man's and God's.
And you...
You followed none of them.
And they all loved you more.
Samuel, Father...
And my...
Even my own wife.
I'd like a moment alone with her, Tristan.
You know, when Samuel died...
When Samuel died, I cursed God.
Did I damn everybody around me, as well as myself?
No.
You are not damned, Tristan.
I won't allow that.
You're not damned!
Well...
Now, Samuel, this is a gentleman's gun. It's a lot smaller, but it's just as powerful.
That's what you want when you grow up, isn't it? A gun.
Samuel! Samuel, come here!
Run along now. Go with Pet.
Get them in the house.
He's a fine boy.
You know we're not here to arrest you.
You take me to the woods. I don't want my boy to see.
Let's get on with it.
Hey!
-Father. -Colonel Ludlow, sir.
What's going on here?
-What's going on here? -Yeah.
No!
Hey!
You don't have to be a genius to figure out they're gonna come after you for this.
Yeah.
Alfred?
Yeah?
I wanna ask you to watch over my children.
Watch over Samuel.
Brother, it would be an honour.
How much I wanted to take scalps, but it was not my kill.
That night we buried the bodies
and dumped the car in a deep pool in the upper Missouri.
I remember when he was a boy,
I thought Tristan would never live to be an old man.
I was wrong about that. I was wrong about many things.
lt was those who loved him most who died young.
He was a rock they broke themselves against,
however much he tried to protect them.
But he had his honour and a long life,
and he saw his children grow and raise their own families.
Tristan died in 1963 in the moon of the popping trees.
He was last seen up in the north country,
where the hunting was still good.
His grave is unmarked, but it does not matter.
He had always lived in the borderland, anyway,
somewhere between this world and the other.
lt was a good death.