THE PATRIOT

IN THE RANKS

With every other pair of eyes directed toward the

ceremony, Martin quietly and unnoticed, slips out the back

of the formation and walks away.

EXT.  YORKTOWN - DAY

The surrender ceremony continues.  Martin, on the fringe

of the field, finishes saddling his horse and prepares to

leave.  Lee and DeLancey walk out of the crowd and join

him.

Martin and DeLancey lock eyes for a moment.  Martin offers

his hand and says, quietly, with a slight, ironic smile...

                         MARTIN

          Vive la France.

DeLancey smiles.  They shake hands.

                         DELANCEY

          Vive la liberte.

Martin mounts up.

                         LEE

          Goodbye, Benjamin.

                         MARTIN

          Goodbye, Harry.

Martin reaches down.  They shake hands.

                         MARTIN

          And congratulations on the birth of

          your son.

                         LEE

          Thank you.  Maybe all of this will

          buy him some peace.

                         MARTIN

          I hope so.

As Martin starts to ride off, he reins back and stops,

speaking back to Lee over his shoulder.

                         MARTIN

          Your son, what did you name him?

                         LEE

          Robert.  Robert E. Lee.

Martin smiles.

                         MARTIN

          A good name for a farmer.

Lee nods.  Martin rides off.  Lee and DeLancey watch him

go.

EXT.  SHANTY TOWN - DAY

Martin's children and Charlotte sit by the river.  Samuel

sitting on the lookout with his musket, suddenly stands,

seeing something.

Charlotte and the others notice.  They're worried.  Then

they see Samuel throw down his musket and tear down the

path, running as fast as he can, tumbling, then regaining

his feet...

Charlotte and the others know who's coming...

The children take off running after Samuel...

Racing toward the road...

Charlotte hurries after them...

AND THEN THEY SEE HIM... MARTIN, riding at a full

gallop...

The children cry out with tears of joy...

MARTIN see Susan... he gallops toward her...

LEANS OVER... without slowing, he SWOOPS HER UP into the

saddle... she wraps herself around him...

He reins back, stops and dismounts, just as the other

children reach him...

They throw themselves into his arms... embracing him...

Charlotte hurries up behind them... she and Martin lock

eyes and he is enveloped by the hugs of his children.

EXT.  FRESH WATER PLANTATION - EVENING

Summer.  The oak tree is covered with leaves.  Martin's

house is partially rebuilt and habitable.  The workshop

is already completed.

MARTIN'S CHILDREN, Nathan, Samuel, Margaret and William,

play in the tall grass in front of the house with the two

GREAT DANES.

CHARLOTTE sits on the front porch, NURSING AN INFANT.

MARTIN walks out of his workshop, trailed by Susan.  He

carries a just-completed rocking chair.

The chair is a work of art, thin and light, a spider-web

of perfectly turned wood, no nails, no glue.

He steps onto the porch next to Charlotte and places the

rocking chair next to her.

                         MARTIN

          Two pounds, fourteen ounces.

                         CHARLOTTE

          Lovely.

He smiles and makes a minute adjustment in the chair's

position.  Then he sits down, settles back and begins

rocking.  Not a creak.

Martin and Charlotte watch Susan run out of the yard,

calling as she joins the other children.

                         SUSAN

          Wait for me...

As the CAMERA CRANES UP, Martin and Charlotte disappear

beneath the overhang of the porch roof.  Suddenly, the

SOUND OF A CRASH.

                         MARTIN (O.S.)

          Damnation!

The CAMERA CONTINUES TO CRANE UP as Martin walks off the

porch, crosses the yard and enters his workshop.  A moment

later, the SOUND OF MARTIN'S LATHE RISES.

                                            FADE OUT.

                         THE END