Let this be a warning.
[dramatic music]
This will be a lesson you'll never forget.
[music continues]
[gunshot]
You'll remember this night for sure.
[music continues]
[galloping]
-I will help you. -Too late.
I feel it going. Too late.
There's something important...in my boot.
Boot.
[coughing]
I figured this would happen.
I tried to be ready.
It's my will.
You're my witness.
[panting]
Mark your X, right here.
[fire crackling]
Grateful.
One more favor, please.
Take it.
Give it....
[groaning]
[dramatic music]
[children laughing]
[dramatic music]
[music continues]
Well, that's Sam, alright. Who killed him?
Five men with cloth on their faces.
-You mean they wore hoods. -I found this beside the body.
Well, they had to find something.
You take him over to the coroner's office.
The sheriff's taking him on inside, Mr. Thurmond.
The sheriff's a good man, takes his job serious.
O for order, W for wisdom, and L for the law.
That's the way they fancy themselves.
The order of wisdom, law.
Nightriders. Vigilantes.
Use one excuse or another to kill farmers like Sam.
Then they take their land and use it for their own cattle.
You know who they are?
You don't have to be very smart to know that.
Why do you not stop them?
Knowing's not enough. I gotta catch them right in the act.
Now, you got business here in town?
-Yes, I am-- -Then I recommend...
...that you get it over real quick and clear out.
My friend, men of your race
you won't find it too friendly here.
[dramatic music]
Beware of judgments of others.
In this imperfect world in which we live...
...perfection is an illusion.
And so the standards by which we seek to measure it...
...are also, in themselves, illusions.
If perfection is measured by age, race...
...color of skin, color of hair...
...physical or mental prowess...
...then we are all lacking.
It is well to remember that the harshest judgments...
...are reserved for ourselves.
You're gonna make it real easy for me, Ernie.
I was figuring on taking your bishop.
I know what you were figuring...
...but you better refigure.
[wagons rattling]
Hey, guess where the Chinee is headed?
He asked the way to Ida's.
Looks like he's equally as low-minded
as a certain sodbuster I'm thinking of.
Keep an eye on him, Max. I'm going home.
[knock on door]
--and sees them both there.
Takes out his gun and puts it at his temple.
She falls out of bed laughing.
He says, "Keep laughing, you're next."
[all laughing]
It reminds me of another one.
If this one's too risqué for you ladies please stop me,
There were these two sheepherders in Wisconsin--
Well, will you look what the wind blew in.
Cinnamon?
This one's gotta be a friend of yours.
[dramatic music]
Hai...hai!
Hai!
Simple, controlled movements...
to begin a harmony of mind and body...
...a moment, surely, of grace and beauty, of serenity.
Yet strangely, some choose this moment to weep.
[dramatic music]
Hi??
I came to see Miss Ida.
[all laughing]
Ida, there's someone here to see you.
A gentleman.
[all laughing]
It's ours. What's the problem?
Him?
Whoever comes with one of our brass checks is entitled...
...to the hospitality of the house.
-Any man. -Please.
I only came...
...to bring this.
"I, Sam Wallace, being of sound mind, hereby...
...leave my land and house...
...to the following named ladies, share and share alike:
Ida Quinlan, Billie Fields, Cinnamon Sun Yeu...
...Lisa Webb...
...Faye Howard."
[all laughing]
Girls.
Does this mean that...
...Sam's gone?
-When? -Last night.
This house is in mourning for the rest of the day.
I'm afraid you gentlemen will have to come back tomorrow.
Now, you listen here, I ain't leaving yet until--
This is my house, Mr. Evans...
...and you are leaving. Now.
You ladies, please show the gentlemen out.
I wanna talk to you.
Give Mr. Evans one of our brass checks.
Well?
Come on.
Sit down.
Take your coat off.
Make...
...yourself comfortable.
Sam was a fine man.
One of the finest.
He was a friend of yours?
For a moment only.
Well, he had the misfortune of owning something
that Kyle Thurmond wanted.
Now me and the girls own it.
I mean it when I say thank you for all you've done for us...
...but I think you just handed us
a 160 acres of trouble.
[dramatic music]
Alright, bring him in.
I don't believe I know the man, Mr. Frazier.
I don't reckon you'd want to.
Caught him coming out of Ida's place in a big lather.
I only stopped in for some whiskey.
Tell Mr. Thurmond what you heard.
Someone, name of Wallace,
left everything he had to Ida and the girls...
...share and share alike.
You know that for a fact?
She was reading right out of the man's will.
She got the will from the Chinee.
Where are you from, mister?
Denver.
I'm a salesman. Just passing through.
And do you have a wife up there in Denver?
-Yes, sir. -And a couple of little ones?
Three. Like I said, I just stopped in for whiskey.
Well, next time, stop in at the saloon.
The whiskey's better.
It's clean.
Show him out, Mr. Greene.
I say Sam Wallace willed himself right into damnation...
...leaving his land to a bunch of soiled doves.
Why, that's piling evil on top of evil.
Life gone out of him, and he's still womanizing.
And his land is womanizing with the river.
Look at that.
The only place of easy access.
A plain, simple little parcel...
...until the old girl had to bend herself
out of shape and embrace it.
Now it hugs her hip closer than a corset.
What would those women want with that piece of property?
They may sell it real cheap.
You don't make deals with the devil.
You need that water, Mr. Thurmond.
The cattle need it. My beeves as much as anyone's.
If that parcel belonged to me...
...I would share that water with every member
of this association.
Maybe the court will declare that will invalid...
...them women being what they are.
If they were half coyote, they'd still have a legal claim...
...as long as they have that piece of paper.
That's an interesting thought, Mr. Thurmond.
Well, it could be something that you and Mr. Frazier
might like to look into.
A city, that's where I'm heading.
Maybe San Francisco, maybe somewhere else.
I don't care, as long as it's exciting...
...and doesn't have any cows, cowhands, dust, wind or weeds.
You gonna drink that?
Yes.
I'll buy me some fancy clothes, lots of fancy clothes.
And there'll be real gentlemen to squire me around...
...and treat me like a lady.
Oh, yeah, And after the squiring's done
then how are they gonna treat you?
I guess if the squiring's good enough, I won't complain.
I would.
You can have all the gay life you want.
I'm looking to catch me a man and settle down. A good man.
A good man? Baby, where are you gonna find one of them?
Same place she finds her stockings, in the catalog.
You wait.
With my share of the money, I'm gonna be a respectable woman...
...and then the man will find me.
Cinnamon, what are you gonna do?
What my father and mother did.
I'm gonna stay on that land and farm it.
Oh, I didn't know there was a market for rice.
-I'll grow all sorts of things. -By yourself?
I like being by myself.
Easy, honey, I wasn't asking to join you.
That's because you don't know what it is...
...to feel your hands in the earth
to see things grow.
Yeah, I'd rather see things sell. Like hats, for instance.
Maybe that's what I'll do. Open up a store and sell hats.
Hats? What do you know about hats?
Well, I could learn.
Yeah, well, maybe I won't open up a store.
Maybe I'll just keep on going.
Meeting new people, seeing new places--
You're gonna get tired of that pretty quick.
I'd sooner be tired than bored, honey.
I must leave now.
-Thank you. -Well, Caine...
...what would you do if you came into some property?
I would seek, as I always have, to find myself.
I never knew that was something you had to look for.
There is nothing else.
Let me see your arms.
Why?
Shaolin.
I knew it.
-How? -The way you talk.
The things you say.
Is it important to you?
No, priest.
A Shaolin is only important to himself.
What do you want of me?
Nothing.
-You get away from my desk. -Where's that will?
She's got a gun. Look out!
-Give me that will! -I'll use this gun!
Let go!
-Oh, my foot! -Let go!
-My foot.
[groaning]
[glass shatterring]
-What happened? -Are you all right?
Now, do I look all right?
Thurmond! Kyle Thurmond!
If you're gonna send more owls, better teach them how to fly!
Thurmond, what's going on here?
Anybody hurt?
No, I don't think so.
I wouldn't be concerned if I were you.
If you do, you might find yourself outvoted.
Mr. Thurmond why don't we go in there and get him.
We will, just as soon as it's dark.
Put out a call for a full assembly.
Alright.
He was trying to get my derringer...
...and it went off and shot me in the foot.
Easy now, there, Faye.
-Here goes the bad part. -Alright.
-Oh, I'm gonna get a doctor. -I don't need no doctor.
Lisa! Lisa, do you hear me?
Could I have some water, please?
Yeah.
[dramatic music]
It's nothing.
-I don't see the bullet. -It lodged in the shoe.
Give me that.
Blast, I just bought those shoes!
That's more than a scratch, Ida. It looks a bit nasty.
That's a well-turned ankle, young lady. Don't insult it.
-Did they get the will? -Not on your life...
...and they're never gonna get it, either.
Don't bother to come up, doc, I'm already taken care of.
[footsteps]
Lisa?
Is that you?
Ida. Ida, look what they did to me.
Oh, baby. Baby, come on.
Come on over to Ida. Come on, baby. Oh, baby.
Now, no, wait a minute. Let me look at you.
Now, what else did they do?
-Did they hurt you? -No.
-It's all over my hair. -Don't you worry about that.
That'll wash right out.
There's just nothing soap, water and vinegar won't wash out.
Girls, will you stop standing around? Go clean her up.
You'll be beautiful again in no time.
Ida, they told me to tell you something.
They want the will before midnight.
And if we don't give it to them?
They're gonna burn the house down with us in it.
[dramatic music]
Now you will give them what they want?
Never.
You will risk your life
and the lives of those girls for a piece of land?
They don't have any life, not the way things are.
It's the first time they've ever had a chance.
That's more than a piece of land, Caine.
That's a whole future.
But if the sun rises, will there not be another day?
[dramatic music]
She is better now.
There is pain, but she can walk.
I can do no more.
Don't go. Please don't go, not now.
I am sorry.
What do you expect him to do, Faye, take on that whole mob?
It's our decision. We take the risks.
Ida will get us out of this.
Is it not foolish to risk your lives?
I was told a Shaolin didn't know fear.
I was also told he couldn't be overcome, not by any force.
The buffalo's horns find no place to tear...
...the soldier's weapons no place to strike.
Aren't those the words?
The greatest soldier wins without a battle.
I should have known.
It's not the first time my life's been cast aside
in the name of your sacred temple.
Go ahead, seek your destiny, noble priest.
Don't bother yourself with lowly women.
You have known other Shaolin priests?
One.
Kim Lan, my cousin.
Did you know him?
No. There are many who come to learn.
I was sold
to pay for his journey to your Shaolin paradise.
My masters did not know this. I am sure they did not.
You don't think it would have mattered to them, do you?
Perhaps not.
And what do you feel?
[dramatic music]
Tears.
Master, it is all too beautiful.
I weep at my good fortune.
Tell me why.
I stood outside these gates once...
...with many other boys...
...hoping to enter this place of peace.
Only I was chosen.
What if it had not been so?
-But it was. -Yes.
But it might not have been.
-Where would I have been then? -Who can say?
And what of the others?
Where are they now?
That, too, is unknowable for us.
And what of those who may never come here...
...who will never know this peace?
-Do you pity them? -Oh, yes.
Please...
...come with me.
[dramatic music]
[music continues]
[barking]
I have nothing of value.
It ain't in here, Chad.
Let him go.
[dramatic music]
[knock on door
Wait a minute. Hold it.
Who are you, son?
I am Caine.
And what's your business here?
I am looking for a man named Dukes.
-Duke? -That's the old prospector.
Oh, yeah.
Well, what do you want with him?
I am told he has news of my half-brother.
-You won't find him here. -Won't find the sheriff, either.
Likely, he's up in the hills with old Dukes.
That's out towards Talmadge. That way.
You'll let him walk out of here after what he done?
Well, look, he's not done anything wrong.
He was just protecting a woman.
But I suggest you start now, son.
These gentlemen seem to feel...
...they have something to settle with you.
If you met up with them again, I might not be around.
-Ida. -Go get the shovel, Cinnamon.
Faye.
Ida.
Those men out there, they're spoiling.
There's no telling what they're gonna do.
Faye's right.
Some of us might get killed before this night is through.
And I know how I feel. I'm not letting go of what's mine.
But I can't speak for all of you.
Each one of you has gotta make her own decision...
...knowing what the consequences might be if they catch us.
Anyone who wants to stay behind can.
Chances are they won't hurt you too bad.
It's the will they want.
For once in my life, I'm doing something for me.
I'm going.
Well, I ain't gonna stay here.
You know I told y'all how old I was? I told you a lie.
I'm really six years older.
If I don't go now, I'll never get another chance.
Well, I'll tell you the truth...
...I'm scared of what they're gonna do if they catch us...
...but I'm scareder still to stay.
I'm going with you.
That settles it.
Faye, light one of those lights up there.
We can use that shovel now.
Hey, we're almost out.
Okay, bring the lamp.
[screaming]
-Let's cover the hole! Come on! -Good idea.
-Okay. Pull, Cinnamon. -Oh, God.
[glass shattering]
Ida Quinlan.
We want that paper, woman.
You hand it over, and we'll go easy with you.
That land is ours by law and by right, and we're keeping it!
We'll give you 10 more minutes to change your mind...
...then we're coming in.
Come on.
[dramatic music]
They're there too. We'll never get past them.
-Five minutes. -Five minutes, you hear that?
Ida, they have us.
[groaning]
Give them the will. Please.
-I guess there's no way. -There is.
[dramatic music]
Consider a field of lilies in seed.
The wind which carries a seed plays no favorites.
The seeds fall where they will
according to the fortunes of wind and weather.
Those that fall in fertile soil may be tended and cared for...
...grow strong and bloom.
Those that fall in barren soil will die.
Yet some will cling to life in arid places...
...on hillsides, in deep clefts.
And so the traveler, unsuspecting...
...comes upon a sight of beauty.
A single lily growing amid the rocks.
The thoughtful traveler will water this lily in passing...
...grateful for its strength,
its beauty, its tenacity to life.
And growing in the rocks as it is...
...is it not, in its essence, still a lily?
And every bit as beautiful as these?
[dramatic music]
It will take courage and silence.
And you must conquer your fear.
But if you are willing to try, I will help.
Two minutes.
Alright, here we go.
[dramatic music]
Search the house.
[music continues]
They didn't come through next door.
-Can't find them. They're gone.
Well, search the town for them. They've gotta be somewhere.
[music continues]
Timmy, Jim, come here.
You two search out Broad Street.
[insects chirping]
[music continues]
Nobody here. Search the other end of town.
-Where did you get this? -It was already here.
Can anyone drive?
You bet I can. Come on, let's go.
[music continues]
[neighin]
Did you hear that? It came from inside the stable.
They're going off in the buggy.
They're getting away. Quick, warn the others.
Mr. Thurmond, they're getting away.
They're heading for the swamp.
We're stuck.
[insects chirping]
[neighing]
[groaning]
Wait.
[neighing]
Get after him.
Get over there.
I want that will.
I don't have it.
Alright, who does have it?
-I gave it to Caine. -I don't believe it.
You.
Now, I want that will, and I want it now.
[insects chirping]
Ida? Ida!
-It's Sheriff Bryce. -Over here, sheriff.
Over here, sheriff.
Alright, Thurmond, get up! Get up.
-Ida, you all right? -Just fine.
Thurmond, these men with me are U.S. marshals.
And you and your whole outfit are under arrest.
[dramatic music]
Thanks for everything, Caine.
Thanks again.
Will you really work the land, all of you?
Well, we're sure gonna try.
Cinnamon knows how, so that's a good start.
If you ever get a notion to rest your bones, come see us.
You know you'll always be welcome.
We're an odd lot for farmers.
Do you think we'll make it?
Yes.
You will bring beauty to the land.
You will grow strong and bloom.
Thanks, priest.
[bell gonging]
[dramatic music]
Here we go.
Set?
Bye, Caine. ??
Bye, Caine.
-Bye. -Hey, you come see us.
[music continues]
[theme music]