News of the World

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

Good evening.

It's good to be back with you all here in Wichita Falls.

My name is Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd,

and I'm here tonight to bring y'all the news

from across this great world of ours.

Now...

Pleasure.

Now, I know how life is in these parts,

working a trade sunup to sundown.

No time for reading newspapers. Am I correct?

Let me do that work for you.

And maybe, just for tonight,

we can escape our troubles

and hear of the great changes that are happening out there.

Starting local, then.

Our own Houston Telegraph

from the first of February, this news:

"The meningitis epidemic

"continues to spread without prejudice

"across the Panhandle and North Texas region.

"So far, it has claimed

"97 souls...

...in just a two-month period."

In federal news, our ownDallas Herald reports

of our delegation of the state of Texas

up there in the capital of Washington commencing...

-Here. -Much obliged.

Hey.

Hey!

Hey!

Stop!

I'm not gonna hurt you.

Come here.

Aah! Don't bite!

Who are you?

Do you have a name?

I don't understand.

I...

I don't speak Kiowa.

Come.

Come on.

It's all right. It's all right.

Come on.

You can't stay out here. You...

Give me your hand.

Mm. These are Indian agency papers.

"Johanna Leonberger."

Is that your name?

Johanna?

Whoa. Whoa, whoa.

Let's see what we got here.

Gonna check it on that side.

Got your loyalty oath?

No, nothing.

Where'd you serve, Captain?

Third Texas Infantry.

Surrendered Galveston 26 May, 1865.

Any sidearms?

No, sir.

Just bird shot.

Says here you're from San Antonio.

What's your business up here?

I read the news from town to town.

I was headed down to the Red River,

and-and I seen him.

I think he was transporting this little girl here

for the federal authorities.

Looks like the Indians had her.

Here's her agency papers.

Just found them.

Let's saddle up.

You're good.

What the hell do I do with this child?

Fetch her to Red River. Command post will know.

Hyah! -Hyah.

Hyah!

So, the army found you three weeks ago

when they cleared the Kiowa out of Montague County.

You've been living with them since they kidnapped you

when they attacked your family in Hill Country

six years prior.

Dear Heaven.

"Her mother, father and sister were..."

Well, they passed.

But you have an aunt and an uncle...

...still living down there.

Near Castroville.

So, that's where you were being taken.

I know Castroville.

I used to live near there before the war.

Lot of German folk down there.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Uh, remember your German family?

Uh...

All right.

Come tomorrow, we'll find somebody who can take you home.

All right, me, too.

Come on. Ah, ah.

Come on. Come on.

Pardon me.

Lost child here.

Got a child issue here.

Much obliged. Bless you, sir.

-I got a lost... lost child. -I can't use this.

That's all I can do for now.

Thank you.

What's your business?

Here to see your Indian agent.

He's up north of the Red,

on the reservation.

Well, I found this child, see,

and the lieutenant who was patrolling the road

told me to bring her to see you.

Well, what do you expect me to do?

She needs taken home.

The agent won't be back

for another three months.

Strays are his responsibility.

Looks like you'll need to take her.

I-I can't take her, sir.

I work and travel from town to town.

I can't take her.

Listen, friend.

Wait for the agent or take her yourself.

It's up to you.

If you will, please.

Next.

Good to lay eyes on you, Captain.

Hello, son.

Wonder if I could have a word with you

and Mrs. Boudlin.

Well, of course, sir.

So, three months, huh?

What are you going to do with her?

Wait for the agent, it appears.

Got kind of a wild look about her, doesn't she?

No, she's scared.

Hmm.

Be careful, honey.

Don't get too close.

All right, now, see here, child. I have to work.

You're gonna stay here with these kind folks.

Friends. Friends.

You got that, child?

Well, shoot, Kidd.

She don't understand a damn thing, does she?

Thank you kindly.

All right, let's start

with the local news fromThe Carthage Banner.

"The Red River Ferry is sunk

"near Cross Timbers.

"Waters are still too high to cross,

and parts down to Elm Creek are completely washed out."

Yanks sending soldiers too blue to muddy their boots.

That's why.

That's right!

Well, now, The Clifton Record

is reporting big changes that are coming to these parts

that'll have a bearing on all of these travel issues.

On page one:

"The Pacific Railroad Committee voted today

"the Missouri, Fort Scott and Gulf lines

"are to be consolidated into a new line

"that will run from the Kansas border

all the way to Galveston, Texas."

"This will be the first railroad

to cross the Indian reservation."

Now, for some federal news.

"President Ulysses S. Grant..."

Oh, to hell with Grant!

Grant's a butcher!

"...has ordered..."

"...has ordered the Texas legislature

"to accept Amendments 13, 14 and 15

"of the United States Constitution

"before any return to the Union can be considered.

Those Amendments include the abolition of slavery..."

Say no to abolition. Never!

"...affording to the former slaves

the right to vote, and the repayment of our war debts."

I'm saying no.

I say Texas first and damn them amendments.

I ain't digging no Texas soil,

sweating and bleeding for some rich Yankee type.

I suggest y'all watch yourself.

Suggest y'all the same!

What are y'all even doing here, huh?

You ain't dealing with the Injuns,

fixing our roads, minding our river crossings.

All they're doing is beating up on Southern folk!

You know, all right. I hear you. I hear you.

Go back home where you belong.

I hear you.

Northern blues are not helping us a lot,

and they're asking for a great deal in return.

We're all hurting.

All of us.

But I'm thinking we got a part to play in all of this as well.