King of Texas

Pa, you're missing the dancing.

Are you all right?

Pa?

Suzannah's late.

She'll be here. It's a long ways from Austin.

I don't care how far it is. I want all three of my daughters here.

By God, I'm old, ain't I, Claudia? As old as this land.

As old as Texas, Pa.

Come on. Everybody's waiting.

There he is. Right there.

Pa.

- Where is he? - He'll be along.

Ungrateful lout. Best not be keeping John Lear waiting.

Now, don't worry about Thomas, Pa. Let's go. Let's just go.

Play on! Play on!

Great to see you, sir.

- Happy Independence Day, sir. - Thank you, sir.

Happy Independence Day.

- I appreciate it. - Henry.

- Emmett. - Mr. Lear, sir.

- Fine-looking horse you have there. - Best I've ever bred.

Reminds me of that horse you rode at San Jacinto. I want you to have it.

- That's mighty considerate, Henry. - Mr. Lear.

Your father just gave me this horse, Thomas. It was thoughtful.

I'm regretful you weren't here to see it.

Pa doesn't show that side of himself often.

- Are you drunk, son? - Yes, sir. I've been drinking.

It's a party, ain't it? Texas Independence Day.

There wouldn't be independence if it weren't for men like your father.

By God, you won't stand before him...

...before me, with that mocking smile on your face. I will not abide it, sir.

Henry, I'm much obliged to you. This is as fine a horse as I've seen.

- Thank you, John. - Rip!

- You take good care of this horse. - Yes, sir.

- Come on, Pa. - What is wrong with you?

Does it please you to make a fool out of your father?

To hell with you, boy!

I've had enough of it, Emmett.

- I had a whole lifetime of it. - I know, I know.

You still going to San Antonio for a few days?

What do you mean?

Just now might be a good time, is all. I'll take on your chores, I don't mind.

It'll give Pa a chance to cool down and you a chance to think things over.

Hell, I might do that right now.

Thank you.

- Rebecca. - Suzannah. So glad to see you.

- How is he? - More unpredictable than ever.

- Has he done anything crazy? - No, but it's still early.

Hello, Pa.

- How are you? - I'm tolerable. You're late.

- Mr. Tumlinson. - Happy Independence Day.

Claudia!

You've been taking good care of him. He's ornery as ever.

By God, I am. Come on up to the house, I got something to tell you gals.

Come on.

Whoa, now!

Close the gate!

Lear!

John Lear!

Where are you?

- You hung two of my vaqueros! - Vaqueros?

They were cattle thieves. They butchered a cow with my brand.

They were starving. You drove them from their land.

It's my land, Menchaca, my cattle.

You hung two men for one cow! What kind of man are you?

You know what kind of man I am. Your father knowed it too.

My father would have shot you dead already, viejo!

You're welcome to try that. Why don't you try that right now?

- This is not over. - Si. Claro.

Now, get off my land before I hang you too.

Should have driven him right across the Rio Grande when we had a chance.

It's not too late for that.

President Houston asked me to deliver this.

How is Sam? He ever sober up any? Where'd I put my spectacles?

- It's a proclamation. Shall I read it? - Oh, hell, I suppose so.

"On this anniversary of the birth of our republic, we honor the man...

...without whose valiant spirit Texas would never have been won.

During the darkest days of our struggle, when the Alamo fell...

...when his own beloved son was martyred at Goliad, John Lear--"

All right, Tumlinson, I get the point of it.

Houston always was a long-winded, preachifying son of a bitch.

But I got more important matters to discuss today.

There's the Palo Blanco...

...all 200,000 acres of it.

There's the main house.

There's your place, Rebecca. Every creek in between.

Every acre paid for in blood.

Always thought I'd turn the place over to my boy...

...but he's dead and gone.

It's come to me how my life ain't been more concern...

...to this land than a blade of grass or a mesquite tree.

Just one more thing that lived on it and had its day and passed on.

But by God...

...I can still decide who owns it.

I have decided to divide up the ranch.

- What do you mean, Daddy? - As from today...

...I am giving the ranch over to you three gals.

I wanna get all this settled now so there won't be any fighting...

...amongst you after I'm gone.

- Are you feeling all right? - I'm feeling fine, Claudia.

I'm even gonna lead the roundup this year, like always.

But I won't be here forever, and I wanna get this settled.

And who gets which part of the land?

Well, Suzannah, I suppose that depends.

On what?

On who loves their father the most.

Go ahead, you're the eldest, Suzannah. Speak up.

There's no man in this country who can stand next to my father.

No man who ever could.

You came to Texas with nothing...

...and you made an empire.

Maybe you were hard, but that's because you had to be.

If you hadn't been, we would've been carried away by Comanches years ago.

So I love you for your strength.

And I love you for the strength you gave me.

I'll give you all the land east of Las Animas Creek.

There's good range there, all the way up to the headwaters.

- But your house is on that side. - I know that, Suzannah.

I'll move downstairs. You and your husband can move in up here.

I'll spend half the year with you and half at Rebecca's.

That appeal to you, Mr. Tumlinson?

Oh, yes. Yes, indeed. It's very generous.

Now, Rebecca.

- Daddy, I don't know what to say. - You don't?

If I had Suzannah's way with words, I could tell you how much I love you.

Hush, Claudia. You'll get your turn.

It's not a speaking thing. It's a feeling thing.

It's the same feeling when I ride across the prairie before dawn...

...and the sun comes up and warms my face...

...and all the wildflower blossoms start to open.

That's how much I love you, Daddy.

Like I love the sun.

I'll give you all the land west of the creek--

Sir.

The soil in there gets very salty. It's not good for grazing.

I know that. You hold your horses, Highsmith.

All land west of the creek...

...and south of the ruins of that old Spanish fort.

- You like that any better? - Yes, sir. I do.

Now, Claudia, I'll listen to you. There's some prime land left.

I have nothing to say.

What did she say?

She said she had nothing to say.

- Nothing? - Nothing!

Nothing can come of nothing. You best think again.

I won't. This is false. I want nothing to do with it.

False? What do you mean, false?

Heed your words, unless you wanna throw away your fortune.

A child either loves her father or she doesn't.

- Yes! - Well, say it.

- Why won't you say it? - Because you should see it, Pa.

Don't I prove my love to you every day, living here, taking care of you?

Suzannah and Rebecca took husbands.

She's just proud. She's her father's daughter.

You keep out of this, Tumlinson.

Say it, Claudia.

Love isn't something you can command. It's either there or it's not.

Say it.

- No. - Say it!

John, I think if you consider--

What kind of child is this?

Is this a child I sheltered in my house?

A child I gave my heart to?

She's got no more feeling than a low-down rattlesnake!

It's because I have too much feeling--

All these years, pretending to love your father...

...when all you had inside you was hateful poison!

By God, I won't keep no rattler in this house!

- You have no portion! - That's enough!

Who the hell are you, telling John Lear how much he can speak?!

- Pa. - Too late, Claudia! I won't listen!

I won't look into your face ever again! You have no home! No father!

Go! Get!

- You can't send her away like this-- - Keep your silence in my presence.

Or, by God, I will strike you down! You understand me, sir?

Why are you still here? Get out of my house.

I will divide the ranch equally between you two gals and your husbands.

- Daddy! - Don't say nothing to me, Rebecca.

I don't care to hear it.

I bid you all good day.

It'll be all right. He'll come to his senses.

No, he won't. He won't ever let me come back.

Suzannah and I will be living here. We'll talk to him.

Come on.

The division north to south along the creek is fair.

- Does it suit you, Mr. Highsmith? - I'll tell you what will suit me.

That's Menchaca's land.

Menchaca says it is. It's disputed land. Everybody knows it.

- A man could run a lot of cattle there. - And start another war.

We never finished the last one.

- My husband wouldn't allow it. - Of course not.

Your husband's a good man. Member of the Texas government.

But isn't he going back to Austin soon to meet with the legislature?

- I don't know-- - Hush. I'm talking to your sister.

Now, you and I...

...we know a fight with Menchaca is inevitable.

We've got to get the first lick in if we're to have any hope of victory.

Claudia?

Miss Claudia! Miss Claudia, where are you going?

What has happened, Claudia?