THE PATRIOT

Tavington walks his horse a couple of steps and shifts his

aim, pointing the pistol among Martin's children.

                         TAVINGTON

          Perhaps your children would.

The children are terrified.  Thomas is more angry than

frightened.  Martin quickly steps between the pistol and

his children and speaks quietly to Tavington.

                         MARTIN

          No lesson is necessary.

Tavington sees the terrified expressions on the faces of

Martin's children.  He smiles at the effect.  Then he

holsters his pistol.

Martin and his children watch as one of the Redcoats ties

Gabriel's hands.  Thomas is beside himself.

                         THOMAS

          Father, do something.

Thomas grows increasingly agitated.  He sees that his

father is going to do nothing.  He gauges the distance

between Gabriel and the cover of the nearby woods.

Then suddenly, Thomas SPRINGS.  He RUNS, THROWING HIMSELF,

into the two Redcoats holding Gabriel, KNOCKING THEM DOWN.

                         THOMAS

          Gabriel!  Run!

Gabriel is too shocked to take flight.  A few of the

Redcoats, including one of the ones knocked down, shake

their heads with sad laughter at Thomas' ineffectual

gesture.  One of them grabs Thomas by the scruff of the

neck and yanks him to his feet.

TAVINGTON sees the commotion.  Without pausing he DRAWS

HIS PISTOL AND FIRES, HITTING THOMAS IN THE BACK.

THOMAS is thrown to his knees by the shot.  Stunned,

confused, he looks down and sees the massive exit wound in

his chest.

MARTIN, horrified, catches Thomas as he falls, easing him

to the ground.

GABRIEL CRIES OUT.  THE OTHER CHILDREN are stunned to

silence.  Abigale SOBS.

The REDCOATS are frozen in place.  Tavington's GREEN

DRAGOONS are impassive, having seen worse.

MARTIN holds his son, looking at the huge,

incomprehensible wound.  He knows that Thomas is already

dead, though his body still moves.

MARTIN'S stunned agony turns to fury.  He rises, his eyes

trained on Tavington, then stops as...

TAVINGTON raises a second loaded pistol and a DOZEN GREEN

DRAGOONS raise pistols and carbines, aiming them at

Martin, Gabriel and the other children.

MARTIN FREEZES, torn between his fury and fear for his

children.  He locks his eyes on Tavington.

TAVINGTON calmly baths in Martin's anger.  Then, with a

hard yank of the reins, he jerks his horse's head around

and utters a sharp command to Wilkins.

                         TAVINGTON

          Major.

Tavington spurs his horse and rides off without looking

back.  His GREEN DRAGOONS THUNDER after him.

MARTIN'S CHILDREN begin to cry.  Margaret tries to revive

Thomas' lifeless body, gently caressing his cheek.

                         MARGARET

          Thomas, please, Thomas...

A sobbing Abigale tries to pull her from Thomas' body.

                         ABIGALE

          Come, child, come...

The Redcoats watch in silence.  MARTIN LOOKS TO GABRIEL

who is stunned, torn between shock and overwhelming guilt.

Martin turns to the Redcoat Lieutenant.

                         MARTIN

          Lieutenant, please...

The Lieutenant wavers, but a look after the departing

Tavington stiffens his resolve.

                         REDCOAT LIEUTENANT

          I have my orders.  Sergeant!

The Redcoat infantrymen scatter, some to get horses and

wagons from the barn, others to torch the buildings.

MARTIN stands among the children, all of whom look to

Martin with pleading eyes, waiting for him to do

something.

                         MARGARET

          Papa, look what they did to

          Thomas...

                         NATHAN

          Father, they're going to take

          Gabriel...

With stone-faced fury, Martin watches the Redcoats do

their work.

With leveled muskets, Redcoats motion Joshua, Jonah, Mica

and Abner off.  As they turn to Abigale, she rises up

protectively, putting herself in front of the family.

                         ABIGALE

          I'm not leaving these children...

          you can shoot me, you damned

          things...

One coarse-looking Redcoat raises his musket to oblige.

Martin intercedes with icy silence, motioning for Abigale

to go.  Reluctantly she moves away from the children at

gunpoint.

From the barns, they hear the sounds of MUSKETS FIRING and

the SQUEALS OF THE LIVESTOCK being killed.

Other REDCOATS TORCH THE HOUSE, BARN AND OUTBUILDINGS.

The FLAMES RISE.

The Redcoats bring out Martin's wagons and carriages and

begin loading the Redcoat wounded.

The Redcoat Lieutenant and several of his men walk among

the Patriot wounded who start to struggle to their feet,

begging for mercy.  The Redcoats quickly OPEN FIRE, as if

to get it over with.

The WOUNDED PATRIOTS CRY OUT.  More SHOTS.  Then SILENCE.

GABRIEL, his hands bound behind him, looks to his father

with a combination of resoluteness and fear.

                         NATHAN

          Father, you can't let them take

          him...

                         MARTIN

          Quiet.

Martin and the children watch as a detachment of Redcoat

infantry forms up and move out, leading Gabriel on a

tether.  Gabriel looks back but a hard jerk on the rope by

one of the Redcoats turns him around.

The remaining Redcoats, cavalry, finish firing the

buildings, mount up and head off, upriver, with the

freedmen in the wagons.

THE INSTANT THE REDCOATS ARE OUT OF SIGHT, MARTIN speaks

firmly to his weeping children.

                         MARTIN

          Don't move.

MARTIN STRIDES to his front door and ENTERS THE BURNING

HOUSE.

INSIDE, FIRE EVERYWHERE.  Picking a route between the

flames, Martin walks to his bedroom gun cabinet.  He opens

it and pulls out weapons -- a Pennsylvania rifle, two

muskets, two pistols, a long-bladed knife.

Then he ducks into the closet, opens the trunk and takes

out the TOMAHAWK...

Martin carries it, the guns, powder horns and ammunition

pouches back toward the door.

Martin walks OUT OF THE BURNING HOUSE.  Without breaking

stride, he throws muskets to:

                         MARTIN

          Nathan, Samuel...

They catch the weapons.

                         MARTIN

          Margaret, take William and Susan to

          the river shed.  Hide there.  If

          we're not back by dawn, go upriver

          to the Richardson's house.  They'll

          take you to your Aunt Charlotte's.

          Nathan, Samuel, and I are going to

          get Gabriel.

                         MARGARET

          But what about Thomas?

                         MARTIN

          Leave him.  Take care of William and

          Susan.

Martin runs off toward the woods, Nathan and Samuel

follow.  Margaret hesitates, then herds William and Susan

toward the river.  The house is enveloped in flames.

EXT.  WOODED PATH - AFTERNOON

Martin runs, breathing hard, keeping a punishing, steady

pace.  Nathan and Samuel run behind, less winded than

their father.  Martin makes up with cold fury what he

lacks in youth.

EXT.  WOODED HILLSIDE - AFTERNOON

Martin runs up to the crest of a wooded hill.  Slows.

Crawls the last few feet.  Nathan and Samuel just behind

him.  Looks over the hillside.

A path runs through a glen, about fifty feet below.

Martin's eyes dart, absorbing the terrain, looking for

advantage.  He points.

                         MARTIN

          Nathan, there.  Samuel, there.

The boys go where they're told.

                         MARTIN

          I'll fire first.  Then, Nathan, kill

          whoever is standing closest to

          Gabriel.  Samuel, kill the last man

          in the line.

They stagger under the weight of the orders.  Martin

notices but continues.

                         MARTIN

          After that, Samuel, load for Nathan.

          If something happens to me, put down

          your weapons and run as fast as you

          can, that way, downhill.  Hide in

          the brush by the river, then make

          your way home, get the others and go

          to Aunt Charlotte's.

The boys hesitate.  Martin looks at them firmly.

                         MARTIN

          Boys... steady.

                         NATHAN & SAMUEL

          Yes, father.

Martin disappears into the underbrush.

DOWN THE PATH

The dozen Redcoats approach.  Leading Gabriel on the rope.

AHEAD OF THEM

Martin waits in the thick undergrowth.

On the hillside, Nathan and Samuel grip their muskets and

exchange a frightened, troubled look.

The REDCOATS enter the glen.

MARTIN waits and waits.  Then, picking his moment, he

FIRES, killing the Redcoat Lieutenant with a shot to the

chest.

NATHAN AND SAMUEL INSTANTLY FIRE, dropping the last

Redcoat in the line and the one holding Gabriel's rope.

THE REDCOATS STOP in confusion...

GABRIEL kneels, out of the line of fire.

The REDCOAT SERGEANT takes command...

                         REDCOAT SERGEANT

          FORM BY TWOS!  BACK-TO-BACK LINES...

MARTIN KILLS the Sergeant with a shot to the throat...

Samuel finishes reloading, swaps muskets with Nathan who

FIRES, DROPPING ANOTHER REDCOAT.

                         REDCOAT CORPORAL

          READY...

Martin FIRES, killing the Corporal, the last man of

rank...

Martin ducks to the side as a VOLLEY OF REDCOAT MUSKET

FIRE tears into the spot marked by Martin's rifle smoke...

FROM THIS MOMENT ON, MARTIN NEVER STOPS MOVING.  He

strides rather than runs, staying just inside the brush,

offering only glimpses of himself.  He changes his pace

and direction repeatedly, ducking and weaving, firing and

loading while moving.  He never gives the Redcoats a

stationary target, especially one marked by billowing

smoke from his flintlock.  It's an Indian tactic and it

works.

The Redcoats TRACK HIM WITH THEIR BARRELS, about to

fire... Martin suddenly STOPS DEAD, REVERSES DIRECTION,

several REDCOATS FIRE AND MISS.

Six Redcoats left.  Some primed, some reloading.  A

REDCOAT draws a bead on Martin who drops to the ground and

FIRES, killing him.

Another REDCOAT aims at Martin.  GABRIEL BULLS INTO HIM,

causing his shot to go awry...

As the Redcoat turns on Gabriel, Martin kills him with

another shot...

Samuel, WEEPING as he loads, hands a primed musket to

Nathan who FIRES...

The Redcoats turn their attention to THE SPOT MARKED BY

NATHAN'S SMOKE...

Martin SEES THE REDCOATS AIMING TOWARD THE BOYS.  He

instantly STRIDES OUT INTO THE OPEN, drawing the Redcoats'

attention from his sons...

Martin FIRES BOTH HIS PISTOLS, killing two Redcoats...

One Redcoat finishes reloading... Martin rushes him,

shoves aside the barrel and SLAMS him in the face with the

butt of the musket...

This is a VICIOUS, SAVAGE MARTIN, killing with the same

stunning brutality seen in the opening sequence...

Martin drops his own expended rifle and CATCHES THE

REDCOAT'S LOADED MUSKET before it hits the ground shoves

that musket into another Redcoat's belly and FIRES...

Two Redcoats left, neither finished loading...

MARTIN CHARGES, drawing his TOMAHAWK, ignores a GLANCING

BAYONET WOUND to the neck, HACKS a Redcoat open...

Splattering himself with BLOOD...

The final Redcoat, an athletic but cherubic-face young

man, tries to duck into the woods but Martin leaps in

front of him, blocking his path.

Martin's sons, all with spent weapons, watch as the

Redcoat grabs a dropped SWORD and squares off with Martin

who is armed only with the TOMAHAWK.

The Redcoat SLASHES... Martin dodges the blow, ducks under

another SLASH and in an unusual but practiced motion,

STRIKES UPWARD WITH THE TOMAHAWK, nearly severing the

Redcoat's arm...

Then, without pausing to offer quarter, Martin raises the

tomahawk and butchers the Redcoat with a quick series of

hacking blows...

Martin's sons are stunned at their father's savagery...

Samuel weeps.  Martin, battle-focused, checks the Redcoats

bodies, unaware of his sons' eyes on him.

EXT.  FRESH WATER PLANTATION - DAY

CAMERA TRACKS past the smoldering remains of Martin's

house to a CLOSE SHOT of several of THOMAS' LEAD SOLDIERS

lying in the dirt.  Martin's hand reaches INTO FRAME and

picks up the soldiers.  WIDEN TO REVEAL Martin, picking up

Thomas' body.  Martin's children watch as he carries

Thomas off.

EXT.  HILLTOP - FRESH WATER PLANTATION - DAY

Martin puts the last shovelfuls of dirt on Thomas' grave.

Near tears and unsure of what to do next, he turns to

Elizabeth's gravestone.  The soft wind blows.

He turns and sees his children looking up at him.  With an

extreme effort of will, he holds in his own tears, gathers

the children around him, allowing them to cry.

EXT.  BENNINGTON OVERLOOK - DAY

Martin and his children, walking from their home, stop at

the overlook, seeing the Santee River valley spread out

before them.  The SMOKE from two dozen farms rises.

                         GABRIEL

          The Morgans, the Halseys, Williams,

          Stantons...

The smoke from the separate fires joins together high in

the sky, forming what looks like stormclouds.  They walk

on.

EXT.  CHARLOTTE'S FARM - NIGHT

Martin and his children wait in the cover of the woods.

They see a pair of shadowed figures coming toward them

from the house, Gabriel and Charlotte.

                         GABRIEL

          Father, it's safe.

Martin hustles the children out of the woods.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

Charlotte sits, holding a sleeping Susan.  The other

children lie awake on pallets.  Martin, still streaked

with dried blood and sweat, tucks William and Margaret

into bed.

                         MARTIN

          Sleep, now.

Martin moves on to Nathan.

                         NATHAN

          Father... I killed those men...

                         MARTIN

          You did what I told you to do.  Do

          not blame yourself.

                         NATHAN

          I'm glad I killed them... I'm

          glad...

Martin isn't.  He turns to Samuel who's cried-out.  Martin

reaches out to touch him but Samuel recoils from Martin's

blood-streaked hand.  Martin sighs and tucks him in.

INT.  CHARLOTTE'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

CLOSE SHOT:  A drink is poured.  PULL BACK to reveal

Martin downing the drink, pouring and drinking another.

Behind him, Charlotte prepares water and bandages at a

washbasin.

THE SOUND OF HORSEMEN.  Gabriel walks in, tired.  He

fights tears.

                         GABRIEL

          I never should have come.  It's why

          he's dead... it's my fault...

Gabriel turns to Martin, as if waiting for reassurance.

Martin, lost in his own grief and guilt, says nothing.

They stand in silence for a long moment, then Gabriel

speaks softly.

                         GABRIEL

          Gates is at Hillsboro with the

          Continental Army.  I'll leave in the

          morning to join him.

Martin nods.  Gabriel leaves Martin alone with Charlotte.

She pours water into the washbowl and motions for Martin

to sit.  She begins cleaning away the blood and tending

his wounds.  She looks after Gabriel.

                         CHARLOTTE

          That poor boy...

                         MARTIN

          How did I let this happen?

                         CHARLOTTE

          Neither you, nor Gabriel could have

          known.

                         MARTIN

          I should have known... once I would

          have... I used to be wary... and

          today I watched my son killed before

          my eyes... your sister civilized me

          and I damn myself for having let

          her...