Luke - Damn you, Billy, don't lie to me.

Billy - I don't know what the hell you're talking about, Luke.

Luke - Those cattle didn't die of fever. They died of mercury poisoning from that damn mine of yours.

Billy - I don't think you're seeing the big picture here, Luke. What's twelve head of cattle?

Luke - Eighteen head, Billy!

Billy - Okay, eighteen. Whatever. Compared to twenty tons of gold ore from that mine?

Luke - I don't give a damn about the gold. And neither will Avery.

Billy - You're not going to tell Avery, Luke.

Luke - Either you clean up that mine, or I shut it down!

Avery - [enters room] Will you two be quiet? You'll wake up Jamie. What are you guys fighting about, anyway?

Billy - Nothing.

Avery - [as baby starts to cry in other room] See? What did I tell you? [calls out] Sara?

Sara - [runs to pickup carrying baby in a basket] It's going to be okay. [gets into pickup] You're my guy. You okay? It's okay, Mama's here. Nothing's going to hurt you, baby. Are you okay?

Avery - [runs out onto porch] Sara! [as Sara starts engine] Sara, come out! [Sara drives away.] Sara! Sara! [watches pickup disappear] Shit.

Charlie - Hey, MacLeod, what time is it?

DM - [frying fish over campfire] Time for breakfast, Charlie.

Charlie - [emerges from tent] Breakfast? Well, if the jeep hadn't broken down, we'd be eating at Louisa's Diner in Olympia, and I'd be smothered in hash browns and not mosquito bites. How'd you sleep?

DM - Like a baby, man.

Charlie - Yeah, well, figures.

<DM - [scoops fish from pan onto plate] Ooh. You hungry?

Charlie - Yeah, hungry? I could eat a horse. CUT

DM - Well, it's not a horse this morning, Charlie. It's trout. [hands plate to him] Oh, careful, it's hot.

Charlie - Trout... and jam, man?

DM - Yeah. What's the matter? Don't you want it?

Charlie - Well, not for breakfast. Come on! [hands plate back]

DM - Do you know the nutritional value in trout?

Charlie - [hears vehicle approaching] Oh, wait a minute, what's that?>

[They move to nearby ledge and watch Sara's pickup fish-tailing along mountain road below. ]

DM - He's not going to make it.

Charlie - No way.

[The pickup goes off the edge of the road and bounces down the rocky mountainside before finally coming to a halt.]
 

CUT

<Charlie - [approaching truck] MacLeod, it's on fire, man. [as DM reaches driver's side door] How is she?

DM - [sees that Sara is alive but unconscious] Get the door, Charlie. Come and help me.

Charlie - Got her?

DM - [holds Sara away from door, through open window] Yeah. Pull it! Pull it!

Charlie - Come on! [gets door open] There you go.

DM - Hold it. [keeps Sara from falling out of pickup until Charlie can get into position]

Charlie - All right.

DM - Got her? [runs around door to help] Okay. Let's get her out. Come on. [helps Charlie lift Sara out of pickup] You got her?

Charlie - Yeah. Okay. Get her.

DM - Put her there. Put her there.

Charlie - Get her on your back.

DM - [bends over so Charlie can drape Sara over his shoulder] Get her on my back. Let's get her out of here. This thing could blow apart, man.

Charlie - [as DM carries her away from the pickup] She's not looking too good, MacLeod.

DM - Let's put her down here, Charlie.

Charlie - [helps DM lower Sara off his back] Okay. [She starts to regain consciousness.] Hey, you all right?

DM - Are you okay?>

Sara - What happened?

DM - You had an accident.

[Jamie, still in pickup, starts crying.]

Sara - My baby! I've got a baby in there! I've got to get my baby!

Charlie - [keeps her from going back to the pickup] All right, All right.

Sara - Let go of me! Stop it!

Charlie - It'll be all right.

[DM runs back to truck and lifts baby out of basket, runs back toward them.]

Charlie - Look out! [Truck fire causes an explosion.] You all right? [to Sara] It's okay.

Sara - Give him to me! Give him to me!

Charlie - Okay. Okay. Relax.

DM - [hands Jamie to her] It's okay. It's okay. He's okay.

Sara - Okay. Okay.

Charlie - What the hell's wrong with you, lady? You could have gotten yourselves killed driving like that.

Sara - [to Jamie] Are you okay? Shh.

DM - [examines her hand] We should take a look at that hand.

Sara - [to Jamie] Oh, my God.

DM - Come on, come with us. Let's take her back up.

Sara - [to Jamie] Oh, my God.

DM - It's all right. Come on.

Sara - [to Jamie] I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

Sara - I've got to go.

Charlie - [tinkering under hood of jeep] Fifteen minutes, and she'll be running as good as new.

Sara - Fifteen minutes? I can't wait.

DM - [bandaging her hand] What's your hurry? It's forty-five miles to the nearest town.

Sara - They are coming to take my baby, okay?

DM - Who's going to take your baby? If you don't tell me, I can't help you.

Sara - Avery. Avery Hoskins.

DM - Why does this Avery want your baby?

Sara - He just does, okay. I was married to his son.

Charlie - Hey, is this about custody?

Sara - [as Jamie fusses] Shh. Yeah. Jamie's father died before he was born.

Charlie - Well, I'm sorry, but... look, what about this Hoskins?

Sara - He just doesn't like me.

Charlie - Why?

Sara - Because he says that I'm not white enough.

Charlie - And he doesn't want you raising his grandkid?

Sara - Look, you guys have got to help me.

DM - Okay. [starts cleaning a cut on her face] Here. Come here.

Billy - [on road above, with Luke] Looks like they got out of there okay.

Avery - [approaches smoldering truck] I want to see for myself. [looks in truck] They can't be far.

Luke? - [off screen, in the distance] Let's check this trail over here!>

DM - Charlie?

Charlie - Yeah, I heard it.

Sara - What? What is it? [follows them to ledge, looks down at road ] Oh, God, that's him. That's Hoskins and his brothers. They're going to try and take my baby.

DM - No one's going to do anything, Sara. Charlie, take her back to camp. I'll talk to them.

Sara - Don't! He lies. You don't know him.

DM - Sara, maybe we can work this out.

Sara - You've got to promise me that you're not going to give him my son.

DM - All right. Charlie, take her back. [to Sara] It's okay. [They move away from ledge.]

Avery - [to Luke] Check along the ridgeline, see if she went that way. Billy, check along the road.

Billy - Why don't you let me take care of this? You go back and check the reservation.

Avery - That's the last place she'll go.

DM - [approaches from behind them] Mr. Hoskins?

Avery - [turns, startled] Who the hell are you?

DM - Duncan MacLeod. I was wondering if we could talk.

Avery - About what?

DM - About an Indian woman and a baby.

Avery - Where are they? Damn it, if it's money she wants...

DM - She wants the baby.

Avery - [motions behind him to Billy] I'll give you to the count of three to tell me where they are. One... [Billy cocks rifle.]

DM - We can talk about this.

Avery - Two...

[Billy fires at DM, who ducks and runs into the surrounding brush.]

<Avery - CUT Come on!>

DM - [runs to jeep] Go!

Charlie - [trying engine] It won't start, man.

DM - Get the bags. Let's get out of here.

Charlie - Why? What's up?

Avery - [as Billy shoots out front window of jeep] Are you crazy? You'll hit the boy! Put that damn thing down and keep it down.

Charlie - I think we lost them.

Sara - Hoskins won't give up. They're going to track us. I know them.

DM - Charlie, take Sara downstream. Stay on the hard ground.

Charlie - All right, man. Later. [to Sara] Come on.

[DM start laying a false trail, breaking twigs along the riverbank and overturning rocks in the river. Intercuts between Hoskins and his brothers in the woods and DM continuing to lay false trail along the opposite bank. DM returns across the river and smiles to himself as he sets off to meet back up with Charlie and Sara.]

Billy - [as they reach the river] Looks like we lost them.

Avery - [finds broken twig] Like hell we have. Look here -- wet rocks. You guys head across the river. Pick up their trail. I'm going upstream.

Charlie - [sees jeep's slashed tires] Aw, man! We're not going anywhere, MacLeod.

Sara - Now what do we do?

DM - We get out of here. Come on.

Sara - Let's go.

Luke - [on opposite bank with Billy] Damn!

Avery - [calls across river] What is it, Luke?

Luke - They suckered us and doubled back.

Avery - I'm going back to the car to call the ranch, get Mike and J.J. here.

Luke - Avery! It might not be a bad idea to bring the dogs.

Charlie - We can't walk, man. It's forty-five miles to anywhere.

DM - That's if we go by road. It's only half that if we go through the canyon.

Charlie - Look, maybe we should just take them on.

DM - No. We don't want anybody hurt. I just want to look after the girl.

Charlie - Twenty hard miles with a woman and a baby against guys with guns? Come on, MacLeod!

DM - Then we'd better keep moving, Charlie.

Luke - It looks this is where they really came out of the water. CUT

Billy - Looks like a bunch of rocks to me.

Luke - Yeah, well, I guess they don't teach tracking at business school.

Billy - Hey, Luke, you going to tell Avery?

Luke - Tell Avery what?

Billy - About the mine.

Luke - We'll worry about that later. After we get this son of a bitch.

Billy - Yeah, well, you're not going to get him, Luke. [cocks rifle] 'Cause you know what? He just got you. [shoots Luke]

[Luke falls backward on the riverbank. Billy turns away, ejects spent shell from rifle. ^A]
 

Charlie - All right. ¹

Billy - [as Avery kneels by Luke's body] Guy came out of nowhere, Avery. I mean, Luke never had a chance. He just blew him away. I got off one shot, but he was gone.

Avery - I can't believe Luke never saw it coming.

Billy - Maybe this MacLeod, maybe he's part Indian or something.

Avery - Did you see the baby?

Billy - No. They must have been hiding somewhere, I guess.

Avery - [stands up] Mike, take Luke's body back to the ranch. J.J., get them dogs and let's get moving. CUT

J.J. - Come on, boys, let's go get them.

Charlie - Hey, look, don't worry.> Nobody's going to take your baby. [to Jamie] Hey. Hey. ²

J.J. - They doubled back so many times, I don't know what the dogs are picking up.

Avery - I'm calling in the police.

Billy - No, no police. They killed Luke. We finish this ourselves.

J.J. - They could use the choppers, maybe spot them from the air.

Billy - The police aren't going to get here till morning. By that time, they could be over the state line. Let's go.

Avery - Jamie will be with them. Look, J.J. -- you and Mike take the dogs. Stick to the trail. Maybe they'll pick up a scent further on. Billy, you and I go through the woods. We'll go for about an hour, then we'll make camp. You hear anything, fire a shot.

[DM splits a log, feeds fire in stove.]

Charlie - [hands bottle of milk to Sara] Here you go.

Sara - Thanks. [gives bottle to Jamie] Oh, yes. ³

Charlie - [leans down] You're not the only one missing your bed tonight, are you? Huh? [goes over to DM] Sweet, huh? [DM smiles.] Well, I'm going to get some more firewood. [leaves]

Sara - [to Jamie, in Indian language] {??} Aimshen. Aimshen. Oh, yes, my guy. My guy. Such a big boy.

[later]

[A full moon rises over the treetops.]

<Charlie - [holding Jamie, leans over Sara sleeping on the bed] Who's that? Who's that. Oh, it's your mom. Let's be quiet. Shh. [goes over to DM] Who's this? Oh, my goodness, oh.

DM - [to Jamie] Hi. [to Charlie] How's he doing?> CUT

Charlie - Well, he's not the only one who's hungry.

DM - You want me to feed him?

Charlie - Hell, no. I'm a liberated man. Get me the bottle. [takes bottle from DM] Here we go. Here we go, it's dinner-- [stops as he realizes something is amiss]

DM - You have to take the cap off. There's a nipple inside the bottle.

<Charlie - Yeah, right. I knew that, man. [unscrews lid] Yeah, I did. CUT

DM - Here. [takes cap as Charlie turns the nipple around]

Charlie - Thank you, Uncle Duncan. And then we take this nipple, and we put it--

DM - Uncle Duncan?

Charlie - Uncle Duncan. [screws nipple on] Oh, here we come. Oh, it's eats time. It's a big eats. [tries to get Jamie to take the bottle] Oh, can Uncle Charlie have some? Hey? Hey, what do you think? Oh, can ⁴ Uncle MacLeod have some? Oh, yes.

DM - Charlie, I think you're looking at the wrong end.>

Charlie - What do you mean?

DM - His diapers need changing.

Charlie - Right. Well, I vote that we wake up Sara--

DM - No, no, no, no, no. Let her sleep.

Charlie - Hey, I don't do diapers, man.

DM - Says the liberated male. All right. <Get me some diapers and some wipes. [to Jamie] We're going to change you here, huh? Here we go. [sets him down] Whoa, there you go. CUT

Charlie - [returns with diaper] Oh, man.

DM - Whup! Get this thing off you.

Charlie - Okay, there's the wipes... diaper...

DM - Babies, I love babies.

Charlie - Hey, you're a real pro at this.> You sure you haven't got a couple of kids you haven't told me about, stashed away somewhere, man?

DM - Yeah, I'm sure.

Charlie - You're a natural. You want to have one of your own someday?

DM - Yeah, I've thought about it. It's not for me.

Charlie - Hey, don't say that. A man like you, I mean, you've got to have a kid of your own, man. Someone to share things with, you know? To love, to teach all the stuff you know. I mean, who are you going to pass that on to? CUT

<DM - Come on, big fella, let's get you up here. Oh, here we go. Oh, oh, oh, oh. You're getting heavy. Hi there. Hello. That's better, isn't it? Hm? [in a duck-like voice] Hello. Hello. Oh, boy.>

Nora - [stops dancing as song ends] Oh, wasn't I wonderful?

DM - Absolutely spiffy.

Margaret - Duncan, don't you think some things are best done in moderation?

DM - Moderation, Margaret, is for monks.

Nora - Oh, well said. Say, can I use that for my next novel?

DM - Absolutely. So long as you give me credit.

Nora - Impossible. Besides, everybody knows that a man's place is in the kitchen. Or is it in the bedroom? Margaret, how old were you when you lost your virginity?

Margaret - There are limits, Nora.

Nora - Only for the limited.

Margaret - Excuse me, I have to go powder my nose. [leaves]

DM - Say, weren't you a little hard on her?

Nora - She's beautiful, she's rich, and she's the biggest snob on the eastern seaboard. Lord knows somebody has to be.

DM - [to bartender] Say, two more champagnes, please.

Nora - And don't think I haven't noticed the way she looks at you.

DM - Are you jealous?

Nora - Insanely.

DM - No reason to be. [as policemen bust in the door in a raid] Come on, this way.

Nora - But the party's just started.

DM - [drags her away] Come on.

[Nora grabs a bottle of champagne as he pulls her through a door. She hums to herself and dances around.]

DM - Come on. [He pulls her into a janitor's closet and closes the door, bracing it from the inside with a chair against the doorknob.]

Nora - [takes off her high-heel shoes] Isn't this wonderful?

<DM - Will you be quiet?

Nora - [waves her shoes at the door] Shoo. Shoo. [holds the shoes up] Shoe? [finds this hilarious] CUT

DM - Are you wanting to get us pinched? Be quiet. [Nora continues to laugh.] Will you be-- [kisses her to shut her up]

[out in main room]

Policemen - [to partiers] All right, all right, come on, party's over now. Come over here. Everyone, come on.

[One of the policemen opens the door to the back room.]

Policeman - Hey, {Donnegan}!

[The policeman closes the door and returns to the crowd.]

[meanwhile]

Nora - [as DM stops kissing her] They're gone. Let's have a drink. Here.

DM - What about--? [Nora hands him a shoe. He laughs and pours champagne into the heel.]

Nora - Oh, have a seat. [They sit.] Duncan, will you marry me?>

DM - What?

Nora - I love you, and I think we should get married.

DM - Nora, I--

Nora - No, forget marriage. Marriage is a convention. It's an economic agreement that makes women nothing but chattel. Cheers.

DM - Cheers. [They 'clink' shoes and drink.]

Nora - What I -- What I really mean is, um... I want to have your baby. [They laugh.]

DM - Perhaps we should have a cigarette first.

Nora - I'm serious. I'm serious.

DM - Say, you are, aren't you?

Nora - You're the only person I'd ever tell this to, and if you tell anyone, I promise I will -- I will kill myself and I will haunt you for the rest of your life. I've always -- ever since I was a little girl, I've always wanted to have children. I've always wanted to hear someone call me 'mother', to know what it's like to love unconditionally. You're not answering me.

DM - I can't.

Nora - Won't, you mean.

DM - Nora, there are things you just don't know about me.

Nora - Oh, spare me the "I was wounded in the war" routine, because I know that's not true. Oh, you'll probably have a great laugh with your friends over this one.

DM - Nora, I'm not laughing.

Nora - Then tell me why.

DM - It's a long story.

Nora - It doesn't have to happen today. I understand if you want to be courted.

DM - It won't happen.

Nora - Why?

DM - Because I can never have children.

Nora - But there must be something we can do. Oh, I know about this doctor in Chicago--

DM - Nora--

Nora - They said the same thing about my cousin Joan's husband, and they have twins. You should see them, Duncan, they're the most beautiful children.

DM - Nora, no doctors. And no twins. And if you stay with me, you will never have children. It will never happen, no matter how much I want it to.

Nora - Never?

DM - Never.

Nora - But I love you, Duncan.

Charlie - [enters cabin hurriedly] MacLeod. Wake up, MacLeod.

DM - [asleep on floor at foot of bed, holding Jamie] No, Charlie, it's your turn to change the diapers.

Charlie - MacLeod, wake up. We've got company.

DM - [looks up as door to cabin is pushed open and a bear ambles in] Grizzly.

Charlie - Yeah, and I think he's pissed.

DM - He probably doesn't like guests.

Charlie - You think he pays rent on this place, man?

DM - Either that or he's one of the three bears, looking for breakfast.

Charlie - Tell me he doesn't eat people, MacLeod.

DM - I could, but I might be lying. [as Sara wakes up and sees the bear] It's all right, Sara. Stay calm.

Charlie - We're calm, MacLeod. What's next?

DM - [hands Jamie to Sara] Pass me the bag -- the one by your foot. CUT [digs around in backpack, pulls out jar] Ah, this is what I'm looking for.

Charlie - Strawberry jam, MacLeod?

DM - Yep. [unscrews lid, hands it to Charlie] Here. [smears jam around lip of jar] Come on, big boy. [rolls jar toward bear] Let's get out of here before he wants seconds. Slowly. [They all inch past the bear and out the door.] Tastes good, huh? It's good with trout, too. [closes door on his way out]

Charlie - How'd you know he'd go for the jam, man?

DM - I didn't.

Charlie - Oh, well, that's a real confidence builder. Which way now, MacLeod?

DM - Well--

[Dogs barking in distance.]

Sara - It's Hoskins.

Charlie - Damn!

DM - We're going to have to slow them down, Charlie.

Charlie - All right.

DM - Do you have an extra piece of clothing?

Sara - Um, in my backpack.

DM - Great.

Sara - What are you going to do?

DM - You stay here. We'll be back in five minutes. [tosses clothing to Charlie] Grab that. [to Jamie] Look after your mum for me. Come on, Charlie. [They head out.]

Sara - [to Jamie] Okay. Okay? Yeah.

J.J. - [to barking dogs] Take it easy boys. [to Mike] Get ready. They must be close. Tie those dogs up. [sees scarf on limb] They put a scarf up there to throw us off the trail. I've got to get it down or those dogs are gonna go crazy. [He begins to climb. Charlie sneaks up behind Mike, grabs him and drags him offscreen. DM picks up J.J.'s rifle and cocks it.]

DM - Thanks for tying the dogs up.

J.J. - Are you gonna kill me?

DM - Are you gonna kill us?

J.J. - Come on, man. I just work here. [DM turns away and tosses aside rifle. J.J. jumps at him. DM is expecting it and fights back, knocking him out.]

DM - Take a vacation.

DM - Where is she?

Charlie - You think they got her?

DM - [looks around] No signs of a struggle. No other footprints.

Charlie - Hey, then why'd she go, man?

DM - Come on. [starts following Sara's trail]

[Charlie picks up backpack, follows DM.] ^B
 

[J.J. and Mike are tied by their wrists to a stumpy limb.]

Billy - [sarcastically, untying the ropes] Nice work, guys. Have a nice night? Huh?

Avery - It's done. Put the dogs back on the trail. My guess is they're heading for the bridge.

Billy - [to J.J.] The next time you see them, don't give them a second chance, all right?

J.J. - What about the baby?

Billy - Let me worry about the baby.

[Hoskins men continue patrolling the bridge as DM & Charlie sneak away.] ⁵

[short time later]

[As DM & Charlie run through the woods...]

Avery - They're heading for the bridge all right.

Billy - So where are they?

Avery - They sure as hell ain't here.

Billy - Oh, yeah, the great tracker loses his way, huh? [to barking dog] Shut up.

Avery - That doesn't mean they never were. J.J., you and Mike take those dogs and go back up along the trail. Billy, let's keep moving toward the hills.

Billy - [looks down, sees yellow pacifier on the ground] No, I'm, uh, I'm going to check up here, all right?

Avery - You can't read a sign worth a damn.

Billy - Yeah, well, I'm going to check up here.

Avery - Suit yourself. [leaves]

Charlie - What've you got?

DM - She stopped here.

Charlie - How can you tell, man? There's no sign.

DM - These are wild berries. They've just been picked. She can't be far. CUT

<Charlie - Huh. [starts to eat a berry]

DM - No, don't! They're poisonous. [eats some himself] Just kidding.

Charlie - Very funny, MacLeod.>

Billy - [comes up behind her, rifle aimed] Hey. Where's the baby, Sara?

Sara - Those two guys. They took him.

Billy - No. I don't believe that for a minute. Oh, well. [cocks rifle] Bye-bye.

Sara - Wait! I'll -- I'll help you, okay? I'll take you to him.

Billy - I don't care.

[DM grabs gun and knocks Billy out. CUT <Sara runs to pick up Jamie from beside a nearby tree.]

DM - Is he all right? Why'd you run, Sara? Why didn't you wait?

Charlie - Come on, MacLeod. We've got no time. Let's go. Come on!>

DM - [under his breath] Oh, dear.

Sara - Well, what do we do now?

DM - We go up.

Charlie - Oh, that's a hell of an up, MacLeod. CUT

<DM - I know. We're going to have to transfer the things out of my backpack and put the baby on my shoulders. Give me the canteen, Sara.

Sara - [taking things out of his backpack] Okay. [hands canteen to him]>

Billy - [as Avery arrives with J.J., Mike, and the dogs] <Damn it, I had her!

J.J. - Oh, sure you had her. CUT

Billy - Hey, where the hell were you guys, huh?> Remember, I'm not the expert tracker here, Avery.

Avery - We'll get 'em. There's only one place for them to go, and that's over that ridge. Go get the jeep and bring up some ropes and harnesses. Go up top. Take Mike with you.

Billy - Let's go. [leaves with Mike and the dogs]

Avery - We got 'em from both ends now.

<Sara - [to Charlie, as they climb] You okay?

Charlie - Yeah.

DM - Didn't you say you didn't like heights, Charlie? Don't look down.

Charlie - Thanks for reminding me, MacLeod.

DM - [scuffs loose place with his foot] Watch this here.

Charlie - [as DM steps across] All right.

[They continue to climb. It is treacherous going.> CUT Finally DM reaches a ledge where he can sit down and help the others.]

DM - Okay, Sara. Give me your hand. Come on.

Sara - I can't reach, MacLeod.

DM - Yes, you can.

Sara - No, I can't.

<DM - Give me your hand. Come on. Trust me. Come on. Come on. [Sara strains to reach high enough.] Come on. [She finally succeeds.] Come on, grip with the other one. CUT

Sara - I'm trying. [She loses her grip. DM lunges and grabs her hand again.]

DM - Come on. Pull up my arm. Pull up my arm. Come on. Push here. Come on. All right. [helps her onto ledge] All right? Go on. Go on. I'll get Charlie. That's it, man. Give me your hand. Wait, wait, wait, Charlie. Wait. Wait. [to Sara] Take the baby from me.

Sara - All right, I've got him. I've got him.

DM - Easy. Take him, Sara.

Sara - Shh. Got him.

Charlie - Come on, MacLeod.

DM - Okay. Okay, Charlie. [pulls Charlie onto ledge] Up you get. Good.

Sara - Okay, come on. [helps Charlie past DM]

DM - [catching his breath] We should rest here a while.

Charlie - Are you sure we shouldn't have taken the road? I don't want to be stuck here tonight.

DM - It's a little late now, isn't it?

Charlie - [as Sara stands up] You all right?

Sara - Yeah, I'm okay.

Charlie - Okay, good.

Sara - Yeah. We're almost there.

DM - How's he doing?

Sara - He's okay.

[Billy, at top of ridge, knocks some dirt loose. DM looks up, sees him, and pulls Charlie and Sara back against the cliff face.]

Sara - What? What's happening?

DM - I guess we're not going any further. Hoskins has a welcoming committee up there for us, Charlie.>

Charlie - Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place.

[DM glances up at top of ridge, then down toward the ground below. ^C]
 

[Billy peers down from top of ridge in the dark.] ^D

Avery - [below with J.J., calls up to ledge] MacLeod!

DM - What?

Avery - Come on out! I promise nobody will shoot. [yells up to top of ridge] Billy! Don't shoot!

DM - What do you want?

Avery - I've got a man on top with harnesses and ropes. Let him have the baby.

DM - What about Sara?

Sara - MacLeod, what are you doing?

DM - Trying to get both of you out of here alive.

Sara - He can't have my baby.

DM - Let's get him safe, and then we'll deal with it.

Sara - No!

Avery - MacLeod!

Sara - [moves away from cliff face toward edge] Stay away!

[Billy shoots at edge of ledge as DM pulls Sara back.]

Avery - Billy, what the hell are you doing up there? [Billy shrugs.]

[later]

Charlie - [holding Jamie] Hey, big guy, how're you doing? You okay? It will be all right, you know? You're going to be just-- Hey, look, what's this around his mouth?

DM - Looks like some kind of allergic reaction.

Sara - He doesn't have any allergies.

DM - What about to berries? When's Jamie's birthday?

Sara - It's May 10th. Why, do you think we're going to be around for it?

DM - What color are his eyes?

Sara - What is this, some kind of a game? They're brown. [pauses] Wait, they're blue.

Charlie - You were right the first time.

DM - Whose baby is this?

Sara - [takes Jamie from Charlie] This is my baby.

Charlie - Hey, hey, easy.

Sara - [as Jamie fusses] Shh.

DM - [says something in Indian] {??} Aimshen?

Sara - [jerks her head around in surprise, replies in same language] {??}

DM - [says something else in Indian] {??}

Charlie - Hey, hey, come on. Speak English, guys.

DM - A mother would know the color of her son's eyes. She'd know whether he was allergic to berries, and she wouldn't call him "my baby daughter" in her native tongue.

Sara - Look, he's MY baby and you can't have him.

DM - Then who is Aimshen?

Sara - I don't know.

DM - Who is she?

Sara - She was my baby girl.

DM - This isn't your baby, is it? What happened to your baby, Sara?

Sara - They killed her.

DM - Who killed her?

Sara - Hoskins killed her. The doctor says that it was... it was mercury poisoning. It was from Hoskins' mine. I told Billy about it, and he offered me money for my daughter's life. I took that ten thousand and I burnt it on her grave, okay?

DM - So you took Hoskins' son to pay for your daughter's life.

Charlie - Now what?

Sara - [as Jamie cries] Shh, shh.

DM - I'm going to have to talk to Hoskins.

Sara - MacLeod? [grabs his arm] MacLeod.

DM - Let go, Sara.

[Avery and J.J. are sleeping by their campfire. DM sneaks up and takes their rifles.]

DM - [as Avery and J.J. startle awake] Easy does it, and no one gets hurt. You want to see your son?

Avery - What do you want?

DM - All I want is for all of us to get out of here alive.

Avery - It's too late. Billy saw you kill my brother Luke.

DM - What? If someone died, I didn't kill him.

Avery - I saw the body. CUT

DM - [tosses rifle to Avery] I have no reason to lie.

Sara - [waiting with Charlie for DM to return, rocking Jamie] Okay. It's okay.

Avery - So this is all about the mines and money?

DM - For Billy, maybe. But for Sara, it's about her baby.

Avery - She had no right to take my son.

DM - Try and understand how she feels.

Avery - How about how I feel? A man's wife dies giving birth, and then someone comes along and takes away the only reason he has left to go on living.

DM - Grief can make a man go crazy, can't it?

Avery - You said it, boy.

DM - It can do the same thing for a woman.

[Billy rappels down ridge to ledge where Charlie and Sara are asleep. Meanwhile, DM is climbing back up to the ledge from below.]

Billy - [as Charlie wakes up, hits him with butt of rifle, knocking him out] Give me the baby, Sara!

Sara - [screams] Stay away from me!

Avery - [calling up to ledge from below] Billy, get away from the girl! Put down that rifle!

Billy - Who'd you tell about the creek, Sara? Huh? Did you tell these friends of yours, huh?

Sara - No, I didn't!

Billy - Huh? How am I supposed to trust you? You lied about the money. You took the money.

Sara - No!

Billy - We had a deal, Sara.

Sara - Please, Billy, no. Billy, no!

[As Billy comes into view from below, Avery shoots him and he falls from the ledge.]

DM - [calls down to Avery] I'll get your son. [reaches ledge as Charlie regains consciousness] How're you doing, Charlie?

Charlie - [dazed] I'm okay, man. Okay.

DM - It's over, Sara. Give me Jamie. [Sara hugs Jamie tighter, humming brokenly.] Sara, give me Jamie.

Sara - No. He's mine.

DM - That's not what you told me.

Sara - Hoskins killed my baby.

DM - No, Billy killed your baby. Hoskins knew nothing of it.

Sara - No. No, you're lying. [stands up] I'd rather we both die first before I give him up.

DM - What about Aimshen?

Sara - Aimshen. [to Jamie] Hey. [He fusses.] I know.

DM - Who will remember her if you go? Who will sing her song? Was she like you, Sara? Was she beautiful?

Sara - Yeah. She was.

DM - All babies are. They give us hope, Sara. They give us a promise of better things to come. Don't do this to Jamie. It's not his fault. He's innocent.

Sara - Yeah.

DM - Just like Aimshen. It's all right. It's okay. [takes Jamie from her]

Sara - [crying] No.

DM - It's all right. It's going to be okay.

Sara - Oh, no.
 

Avery - Thought you ought to know we'll be closing down the mines.

DM - That's good.

Avery - Yeah.

DM - I'm sorry about your brothers, Avery.

Avery - Well, it's not your fault. It's the way it is. A year ago, I had... a wife, two brothers. I been running it all through my mind. It just don't figure, none of it.

DM - You still have Jamie.

Avery - Because of you. CUT <I won't be... pressing any charges against Sara. There's been enough grief around here already.

DM - I'll tell her that. [They shake hands.] Take care, Avery.

Avery - Good luck. [walks back toward house]

Charlie - [as DM gets into jeep with him] Baby going to be all right?

DM - Yeah, the baby's going to be just fine.

Charlie - Good. Well, about time we should be riding off into the night, huh? [tries to start jeep -- engine won't start]

DM - Maybe next time we should try using a horse?

Charlie - Yes, MacLeod. [tries again] Come on.>