The Abandons

Thank you, Mother.

Willem, watch the horses.

Tessa is feeling a little skittish today.

You know, I am capable of tending to more important things…

than a horse.

Come on now, Will.

You know Mother only trusts her baby to your care.

Your brother's right.

And you…

no rash adventures.

Mrs. Van Ness.

Some service I can provide?

Mr. Mayor, our West Hill and Summit mines are down 27%.

And my primary associate, the esteemed Mr. Vanderbilt…

Well, if Cornelius sees that one of his investments is

losing steam,

well, his concern becomes contagious.

That vein of silver running through Jasper Hollow is our most timely solution.

Well, generous offers have been made to all four families in the Hollow.

No doubt common sense will settle in.

We cannot rely on the arbitrary sense of the common, Victor.

We all know that without the expansion of Van Ness Mines, Angel's Ridge will

slide back into the mud.

We do not want that.

No, we do not.

And so our pursuit of the Hollow will continue.

- Get! - Move, move, move!

Elias! Get up!

- We've got rustlers! - Where?

Lower pasture.

Dahly! Little Bull!

Think we didn't hear the fucking shotgun?

Come on, Albert.

- Move! Move! Fucking move! - Good to go.

Let's go.

- Come on! Pull! - Come on, now!

I see 'em!

Come on!

Over there! Over there!

- They're here! - Go, move it.

There they are!

Elias, Albert, find the king.

Settle him. It will calm the rest.

King is in the middle.

Lilla, to the wall. Dahlia, with me.

Yah. Yah!

You got it! You got it!

Elias. Careful.

You got it!

Easy, easy!

Whoa, whoa!

We should be going, Mother.

Goddamn Van Ness.

This slaughter…

under our fucking noses.

For over a year now,

the curses and torments.

Then we pray for greater guidance.

This was Van Ness. Her tyranny's getting worse.

You don't know that for certain.

As certain as Quentin losing that Appaloosa.

Or your grain fields going brown from arsenic.

You think those are all random acts of misfortune?

Whatever's happening here shows no signs of stopping.

If all four families work together,

we might have a better chance to protect what's ours.

Protection?

That's a matter for the law.

It was the middle of the fucking night.

I understand.

Write down all they took.

It was a threat, not a theft.

Our cattle were not stolen, Sheriff. They were slaughtered.

The Cayuse been all stirred up.

It wasn't the Cayuse.

It wasn't the Redmasks.

You know who it was.

Stop leering.

You have a sweet spot for the orphan girl.

Go talk to her.

You are drunk on sugar.

Well, if you are too timid to make a friendly gesture…

Trisha Marie!

Trisha Marie! What you going--

For God's sake.

Trisha…

Dahlia Teller?

- There's someone who'd like-- - Trisha!

Hey, Issac, I believe my mama's horse should be getting your full attention.

Palomino's getting a proper tending.

He's a bit skittish. He had a harrowing night.

Right.

Heard you had a…

rustler problem down at the ranch.

Maybe it was a rustler problem sheared the palomino's hoof.

You making some affront against my family?

Issac didn't mean anything by it.

Right. Just a mindless mutter.

Let's go.

Yeah, well, it best not happen again.

'Cause I do not take kindly to disparaging accusations.

Especially from some dirty little Jew.

Well, we all know you had nothing to do with that horror last night.

The attack required a fair amount of brains.

All right.

- Did something happen with Willem? - Not sure.

He suddenly was all tied up in knots.

Let him be.

If his nerves need settling, rather it be drink than some whore.

Afternoon, Walter.

Mr. Paxton.

Figured you could carve him up, give your hogs some solid feed.

In the barn.

This was Constance.

Her crew ran a dozen more through the wall.

Into the gulch.

Huh.

Mr. Paxton,

we think we can make a stand.

Stop this threat, but only if all our families work together.

You see a family around here, son?

No, sir, I-- I…

I didn't mean your…

Come here! What?

What? You think I got time for playing?

My tongue…

just prone to spit fuckery.

I do not need your minding, Jack.

Moran, Mr. Van Ness is done here.

Understood.

You're high-headed plenty. Don't want you getting yourself lost.

Jack, my good, great friend.

This…

is how I find myself.

I will finish presently.

Then head home to my…

dear…

doting mother.

We set up nightly patrols.

Cover the Hollow.

From the foothills to the south bend.

Two from our families, two outsiders.

And folks who'll tell the truth.

Whatever happens.

With no bias.

Cayuse settlement.

Two hours north.

I grew up with many of them.

More Cayuse does not serve the need for folks believing us.

Why? Only whites tell the truth?

And Mexicans, are we not to be trusted?

I did not ask for help.

A shared boundary does not align us.

We met here, at a river that feeds all our land,

because we are aligned.

We need each other.

Survival…

kin or not, seems a damn potent glue.

Come to get my due apology.

Your, uh, mocking…

made the fool of me today.

I'll show some contrition,

as soon as you restore the cattle took flight off our fucking cliff.

Think you are so righteous.

I think you are so drunk.

The orphan harlot judging me?

Ah, you should be thanking that Irish god of yours.

That a man like me…

might even consider showing you interest.

I will add that to my evening devotions.

The present…

seems right for devotion.

No, please!

Please! No! No! No, stop! Stop!

Willem, please! Please, stop!

- You don't have to do this! - Hush!

This could have been lovely, Dahly.

- Stop, stop, stop! - Dahly!

Please, stop! Willem!

Step back.

Stop, stop, stop!

Get off her!

Fucking monster.

So what now, boy?

Gonna shoot me?

I'll let the law deal with your ungodly actions.

The law?

You think Hayworth is gonna lock up a Van Ness?

My visit here?

Only to collect what's owed--

Dahly!

Sis.

God help us.

Shh, shh, shh. Shh.

We're here. We're all here, child.

Has no one gone to fetch the doctor?

Finding Mam was a faster remedy.

There's nothing more Doc Wells could do with these wounds.

Nearest surgeon's Oregon City, that's half a day's ride.

Let's get home, girl. It's not our concern.