Showdown on the Brazos

Ishmael!

Honey, would you get the girls to clean up?

Almost got supper ready.

There's riders coming in.

Girls, girls, come here!

Get in the house, quick, come on!

No!

Hey, Captain, are you alive?

Captain!

Hey.

Hey.

I'm sorry, Ishmael, I didn't get here.

I'm sorry.

Oh, God.

Oh, God.

Hey, come on, get you a snort of that now.

You gotta drink all of this, you're gonna need it.

Lead by example.

Ish.

Yeah.

I wish I could say it's gonna hurt me more than you,

but it won't.

Do what you gotta do.

Citizens of Brazos!

My name is Nate Jones

and I now own this town.

Yeah!

I am the law,

judge and jury.

Yeah!

We take what we want.

We drink what we want.

Yeah!

Well, boys, we have arrived.

Now let's enjoy ourselves.

"The Honorable John Ireland,

Governor of the great state of Texas.

Dear sir,

just as Colonel William Travis and his volunteers

were besieged by an overwhelming enemy,

so has our beloved town of Brazos.

A band of ruffians calling themselves the Nate Jones Gang

has infringed upon our township

and overtaken our fine community.

Like the moguls of old,

they have pillaged and plundered our town,

taking anything they desire

and killing anyone who opposes them.

The beloved and honest people of Brazos

are afraid for their lives every moment of the day

as these outlaws lurk on every corner of the town

like vultures watching us in our every move.

As I pen this letter,

I pray that it will not fall into their hands

prior to reaching you.

Otherwise, I will surely be dead before the sun rises.

Sir, I beseech you to send help fast.

Sincerely, Reverend Silas A. Parker,

"September of the year of our Lord, 1887."

Governor, thank you.

Senator Gregg,

Can you believe that President Cleveland

signed into effect the Dawes Act?

Governor, I see it as typical Washington bureaucrats.

They're going to try and tell the states

what to do with the Indian lands,

whereas, we already know

what to do with the Indians and their lands.

And under those lands,

there's a fortune in black gold.

Even though he's a Democrat,

I sometimes wonder about what is he thinking?

Governor Ireland.

Sen-Senator Gregg.

Excuse me for just barging in here like this,

but I received a message

that I felt was urgent for you to see.

What is it?

Well, it came from a transient looking fellow.

He said he had snuck it in here all the way,

all the way here in his canteen.

Son, this better be worth my time.

Well, he said it was about Nate Jones,

so I figured you'd like to see it.

Senator, I sent two Pinkerton men down to Brazos already

to arrest Nate Jones.

We never heard back.

I suppose they were killed.

Sir.

Why don't we quickly and unceremoniously send in the Calvary

and wipe out the entire gang?

What?

And we're starting a war where civilians might possibly die?

Can you imagine the political fallout?

You know I'm a United States Senate.

Now, we cannot afford to have a slaughter on our records.

But sir, we can't just let it continue.

He believes he's above the law

and there's already reports

that he thinks he's the Governor of Texas.

Rangers, Rangers, by God!

I need the very best Rangers we have.

Well,

there's Blackman

and there's Graham.

Oh, and you know Bill Pollack would just love

to take on Nate, he's a bloodthirsty SOB.

No, I need better.

I need the very best.

I know exactly who I need.

I'd hold it right there, if I was you.

Hell Captain, you ain't gonna kill me.

What brings you out to these parts?

Looking for you.

Got a commission for you.

Look, there's a little town outside River Brazos

south of here.

It's been overrun by outlaws, hoodlums.

The Governor sent me to find you.

Wants us to go clean it up.

You found me.

Samuel.

My Ranger days are over.

Well, you sure as hell ain't making no money on cattle.

Price has dropped to nothing.

Hell, I bought a steak for two bits last night.

They don't shoot back, they get in too much trouble,

shoot them and eat them.

Look, you need to read this.

Look, that comes from the Governor himself.

All right? And I ain't even told you the worst part.

I sure hoped that Nate Jones and his gang

had been hung by now.

Me too.

The Governor signed it himself?

You might wanna hide that somewhere

to save your hide one day.

All right then, when are we leaving?

I told you, I ain't a Ranger.

I don't care if the Governor, President,

or the Queen of England herself signed that letter,

I'm not gonna put that badge back on.

Ishmael Ryan, you of all people.

Once you seen who we're going after.

Well, I'll give you credit for that.

How are you turning down this commission?

My Rangering days are over.

It was good seeing you again.

You can take that letter back to the Governor.

To think that I'd see the day,

that Captain Ryan turned yellow.

Sniffle it.

Tell you what, I don't know how much more outlaws

this town can handle now.

Quit talking like that. Now get in here.

- Girl. - Hi.

Get in that store, I don't wanna see you

looking at or going near those outlaws.

Hey, can you give me a hand there?

Yeah.

Hey, preacher man.

Yes, my lost brother.

May I help you?

What?

I ain't your brother and I ain't lost.

Where's your horse at?

Psalm 27,

"Some men trust in chariots, some in horses,

but we must all trust in the name of the Lord our God."

I didn't ask you for no preaching.

I asked you where's your horse at?

Why are you so worried about my horse?

Did you want to steal it?

But you are mad because maybe somebody got there before you?

You better not have let someone take that horse.

You surely would not shoot a man of the cloth?

The cloth? Them's just clothes you're wearing.

I ain't never paid attention to what a man was wearing

before I shot him down, if he needed killing.

You ain't even wearing a gun.

Nor shall I raise one against my fellow brother.

Proverbs 21:31.

"The horse shall be made ready for battle,

but victory belongs to the Lord and the Lord shall win."

Oh, hell.

Ishmael!

Honey, would you get the girls to clean up?

Girls, girls, come here!

Get in the house, quick, come on!

Abigail.

My precious Abigail.

We always loved this little grove of trees here.

Little did I know I was gonna have to

turn this little piece of property

into a cemetery for you and my babies.

But I brought you some wildflowers.

Y'all always did love wildflowers.

Darling, the bluebonnets were thicker this year

than I believe I've ever seen.

What I wouldn't give to have you and the girls back