THE PATRIOT

Martin, at the head of the rest of the brigade, waits next

to an increasingly frantic, Rollins.  They see Gabriel

wave, signaling all clear.

MARTIN, ROLLINS AND THE OTHER MEN RIDE to the house.

Rollins is the first to see THE BODIES.  Horrified, he

reins back and dismounts, almost falling.

His young SON, WIFE, an OLDER MAN and WOMAN, lie dead in

the dirt.  Martin's men silently watch Rollins' agony.

Weeping and confused, he moves in a mad, staccato manner,

as if he were a marionette, whose strings were being

jerked by a drunken puppeteer, repeatedly drawn back to

the body of the boy.

Martin DeLancey and Rev. Oliver dismount and move toward

him.  Rollins sees them coming.  He hardens and strides to

his horse, pulling his FLINTLOCK PISTOL from his saddle

holster.  Rev. Oliver reaches out to embrace Rollins.

                         REV. OLIVER

          It's not time for vengeance, it's

          time to mourn and...

ROLLINS PUTS THE PISTOL TO HIS HEAD AND PULLS THE TRIGGER,

BLOWING HIS BRAINS OUT.

Every man freezes in place.  For a long moment no one

moves, no one speaks.  Then Martin pulls himself together

and addresses the men:

                         MARTIN

          Five day furlough for all men.

          Occam, Dan, Reverend, spread the

          word.  Any man who doesn't come back

          won't be thought a coward or

          uncommitted to the cause.  Attend to

          your families.

The men mount up.  DeLancey stands alone as Martin,

Gabriel and the rest of the men ride off.  He sighs and

heads over to tend to the dead.

EXT.  SHANTY TOWN - NIGHT

Dark.  Shadowed.   No one visible.  Martin and Gabriel,

wary, slowly ride among the shacks.  Their HORSES HOOVES,

the only sound.

EXT.  SHACK - SHANTY TOWN - NIGHT

Gabriel waits in the shadows, covering, as Martin cocks

his musket, checks his pistols and walks slowly toward the

shack.

He warily checks every shadow.  No one anywhere.  Then a

SOUND -- A SQUEAL OF LAUGHTER, immediately followed by:

                         MARGARET (O.S.)

          It's him!  I told you it was him!

MARTIN'S CHILDREN RACE OUT OF THE SHADOWS to Martin.  He's

practically bowled over as Margaret, Nathan, Samuel and

William fling themselves into his arms.

                         NATHAN

          Father!

                         WILLIAM

          Papa...

CHARLOTTE STEPS OUT OF THE SHADOWS, watching the reunion

as Martin covers the children with kisses, trying to hug

all of them at once.  MARTIN AND CHARLOTTE LOCK EYES over

the heads of the children.

                         MARTIN

          Thank you.

Charlotte smiles.  Then Martin notices SUSAN peeking out

from behind Charlotte's patched and mended skirt.  He

kneels down and opens his arms to her but she doesn't

move.  He smiles to her and speaks softly:

                         MARTIN

          Susan...

She looks coldly at Martin, tightens her grip on

Charlotte's skirt and retreats further behind her.  Martin

looks to Charlotte who nods with guarded reassurance.

Then his attention is drawn away by the demanding embraces

of his other children.

INT.  SHANTY - NIGHT

POURING RAIN.  The ceiling drips.  Martin lies, awake,

with his children huddled against him, sleeping in one of

the few dry spots.  They're covered with tattered quilts.

On the other side of the children, Charlotte is also

awake.  She and Martin exchange a long, silent look in the

darkness, over the heads of the sleeping children.

EXT.  SHANTY TOWN - RIVERSIDE - DAY

Freedmen go about their business:  several dry fish,

others repair a repeatedly patched roof, one tends a few

scrawny cows.  Martin walks the perimeter of the shanty

town with Nathan and Samuel.  They listen carefully.

                         MARTIN

          There's a good place to post a

          watch.  Work out a schedule.  Short

          watches, especially at night.

                  (pointing)

          If you can catch some mockingbirds

          you can make cages and put them

          along there for alarms...

Martin stops, looks at the boys closely and grows unsure

as he realizes that he's with his sons, not his soldiers.

He tousles their hair but continues nonetheless...

                         MARTIN

          Let's find someplace for you to

          cache extra weapons...

The boys follow, gazing at their father, not seeing his

unsteadiness.

EXT.  SHACK - SHANTY TOWN - DAY

Dark.  Shafts of light shine in through the holes in the

roof.  Martin, standing in the shadows, senses someone

coming.  He freezes.

A figure rounds the corner.  It's... William.  MARTIN

YELLS William SQUEALS IN DELIGHT, then chases his father

around the corner, tagging him.  They laugh.  Martin

covers his eyes and William dashes off to hide.

EXT.  RIVERSIDE - SHANTY TOWN - DAY

Nathan, Samuel, Margaret and William play in the water

with the Great Danes.  Martin sits on the side of the

river with Susan who avoids looking at him.  Using the

knife we've seen him use in battle he cuts slices off an

apple and eats them.

                         MARTIN

          Good apple.

No response.

                         MARTIN

          Very good.  Sweet.

He cuts a slice and offers it to her.  She doesn't take

it.  He puts the slice between them.  After a long moment

she picks it up but as she's about to eat it, she stops,

seeing something on it.  She puts it back.

Martin looks at the apple slice and sees a dark red

splotch on it.  He looks at his knife and realizes that

it's dried blood.

Off-balance, he turns to Susan who stares straight ahead,

a thousand miles from Martin.

EXT.  SHACK - SHANTY TOWN - DAY

Mr. and Mrs. Howard help Martin, Charlotte and the

children unload food and other supplies from a wagon.

Gabriel and Anne talk quietly nearby.  Suddenly, Gabriel

throws back his head and LAUGHS LOUDLY.  He kisses Anne.

Then, taking her hand, the two of them walk over to Mr.

Howard.

                         ANNE

          Father, Gabriel has something he'd

          like to speak with you about.

INT.  SHANTY CHURCH - NIGHT

The church is little more than a shack, slightly larger

than the other shacks.  The pews are crates, stumps and

stools.  Abigale, Abner, Joshua and half-a-dozen of the

freedmen sit with Anne's parents.  Rev. Oliver stands at a

rough-hewn altar.  Before him and Anne and Gabriel.

Martin, the best man, stands next to Gabriel.

                         REV. OLIVER

          Dearly beloved, we are gathered here

          in the sight of God to join this man

          and this woman in holy matrimony...

MARTIN feels every word, looking straight ahead but

knowing that he's standing next to his son.

EXT.  SHANTY CHURCH - NIGHT

In front of the church, the bride and groom say goodbye to

the wedding party.  Anne talks quietly with her parents.

Martin and Gabriel talk nearby.

                         MARTIN

          You could have told me this was

          coming.

                         GABRIEL

          I would have if...

                         MARTIN

          If what?

                         GABRIEL

          If I thought you would have

          understood.

Martin looks at Gabriel, sad that Gabriel thought he

wouldn't have understood.  With effort, Martin finds a

smile and offers it to his son.  Gabriel awkwardly smiles

back.

Anne joins them.  Martin embraces her, a bit stiffly and

gives her a fatherly kiss.

                         ANNE

          I'm sorry we didn't give you more

          warning.

                         MARTIN

          I understand.

He glances at Gabriel.

                         MARTIN

          I'm very happy for you.

Martins takes the "North Star" amulet from around his

neck.

                         MARTIN

          This was Gabriel's mother's.  She

          would have wanted you to have it.

                         ANNE

          I'm honored.

Gabriel watches his father put the amulet around his

wife's neck.  He nods in silent thanks to Martin.  Abigale

steps up.

                         ABIGALE

          You come on, now.  I got a pretty

          spot picked out just down the river,

          private as can be.

They all watch as Abigale leads Gabriel and Anne off.

Martin and Charlotte stand next to each other.

                         CHARLOTTE

          It's a good measure of a woman that

          she'll have her honeymoon under the

          stars.

                         MARTIN

          For richer, for poorer, in sickness

          and in health, 'til death do they

          part.

They nod in agreement, pointedly not looking at each

other.

INT.  SHACK - SHANTY TOWN - NIGHT

Again Martin's children sleep, huddled up against him.  On

the other side of them, Charlotte lies awake.  They look

at each other.  Martin smiles.  She snaps at him, angrily

whispering:

                         CHARLOTTE

          I'm not my sister.

                         MARTIN

          What?

                         CHARLOTTE

          I said, I'm not my sister.

                         MARTIN

          I know that.

                         CHARLOTTE

          Do you?

                         MARTIN

          Of course, I do.

                         CHARLOTTE

                  (irritated)

          Very well, then.

She turns from him and stares at the ceiling.  Martin,

tries to figure out what just happened.  After a long

moment he gets it.  Stunned at first, his gears turn.

After a very thoughtful moment he turns to Charlotte and

offers a tentative smile.  She catches the smile and rolls

her eyes.  The children sleep, unaware between them.

EXT.  SHACK - SHANTY TOWN - DAY

Martin finishes tying his gear onto his horse.  Gabriel,

already saddled up, speaks quietly to Anne.  Mr. and Mrs.

Howard prepare their wagon.

Martin turns to his silent children.  One after another,

they walk to him and embrace him -- Nathan, Samuel,

Margaret, William.

Gabriel embraces Anne tightly.

                         GABRIEL

          Be careful...

                         ANNE

          I will...

                         GABRIEL

          Very careful, no one must know about

          us, no one...

She silences him with a kiss.

Martin sees Susan, standing next to Charlotte.  He motions

to her but she doesn't move.  Then he kneels down and

gently hugs her.

                         MARTIN

          Just a little goodbye?  One word?

          That's all I want to hear.

Susan remains silent, standing with her arms at her sides,

not responding to the embrace.

Finally, Martin lets go of her.  She just stares at him.

Martin stands and turns to Charlotte.

                         MARTIN

          Goodbye, Charlotte.

                         CHARLOTTE

          Goodbye.

They embrace with a hug that wavers between chastity and

something more.  Anne and Margaret notice and exchange a

surprised, knowing look.  Martin and Charlotte break

apart, self-consciously.

Martin mounts up.  Gabriel reluctantly does so as well.

They turn their horses and start to ride away.  As they're

about to round a curve and disappear, SUSAN CRIES OUT:

                         SUSAN

          Papa!

With halting steps, then faster and faster, she runs down

the path toward Martin.

                         SUSAN

          Papa, don't go, I'll say anything.

Martin stops, turning in his saddle to see Susan running

after him, her eyes filled with tears.

                         SUSAN

          Please, Papa, I'll say anything you

          want!

Martin yanks his reins, turning his horse.

                         SUSAN

          Just tell me what to say!  Tell me

          what to say!

Martin spurs his horse straight toward her, GALLOPING

toward the running, crying child.

                         SUSAN

          Please, Papa, please don't go.

MARTIN RIDES TOWARD HER...

Charlotte, Anne and Martin's children watch as:

MARTIN LEANS OVER IN THE SADDLE without slowing down...

SWOOPING HER UP...

PULLING HER INTO HIS LAP...

She sits astride the saddle, facing him, her arms wrapped

around him, pleading, the words tumbling from her, as fast

as she can get them out...