Lone Justice II, is the
continuing saga of Ned Blesssing's life as told by himself
from a jail cell, before his hanging. In this chapter he is
returning to Plum Creek to see his father after six long years
of separation. Upon arriving he finds that the town has
changed drastically. His father, who had left some four years
earlier to search for him, was hoping to bring Ned back to
help save the town from the Borger family and bring law and
order to their lives once again.
Ned comes across a
black couple, Effie and Sealy, and a white man, Sticks,
plowing a field as he rides his horse towards Plum Creek. He
mistakenly believes that Sticks is using slave labor. Ned
becomes angry and gallops across the field towards the farm.
He jumps the fence, coming to a screeching halt, as Effie
pulls a gun on him, demanding to know what he wants. After
explaining what he thought was going on, Ned and Effie finally
come to an understanding. Ned asks why they were plowing their
field without a mule, only to hear that someone from town shot
the mule the day before and it is unable to work.
He brings his
friend, Crecencio, a healer of sorts, to help tend to the mule
as he rides off to town in search of another mule for the
couple. Crecencio successfully removes the bullet so now all
they can do is wait to see if the animal gets better.
Upon arriving in
town Ned goes to the local saloon where he encounters Verlon
Borger and his sons. After a few choice words, a brawl starts
between the five of them. He out smarts the Borgers, ties them
up on their horses, and takes them to Effie's farm to make
them plow the field. Everyone in town comes out to watch. This
enrages Verlon and he threatens everyone there.
Verlon has been
humiliated by Ned so he devises a plan of getting rid of Ned
and the blacks. He tells his boys, Liola, and Rowby, to go to
town and kidnap Ren, the town whore, and bring her out to
their cabin. When word gets to Ned, he immediately rides off
with Sticks to rescue her, leaving behind, Crencencio, to stay
with the sick mule and the couple.
When he gets to
Verlon's cabin he is ambushed and taken prisoner along with
Sticks and Ren. Verlon ties them up and then leaves with his
sons to finish off Sealey and Effie at the farm. However,
before leaving Rowby, the youngest son, loosens Sticks ropes
so he can get free to help the others. Stick takes Ren and
rides back to town as Ned rides on to the farm in an attempt
to stop Verlon.
It seems that both of Verlon's boys are starting to question
his methods. Verlon tells them to go down to the farm and tell
Effie that if they leave now he won't kill them. Liola and
Rowby ride off toward the farm thinking Verlon means what he
said, however, he is already on his way to ambush everyone
including his sons.
Verlon shoots his
son, Liola, from the side of the barn as he is talking to
Crecencio and the black couple. Crecencio and the rest run
inside the barn as they carry the bleeding Liola with them.
Verlon decides to burn them alive and while he is lighting the
debris around the outside of the barn Ned comes riding down
the hillside. Ned, unaware that Verlon is at the back of the
barn, hears the screams from inside but he can't get to them
because Verlon appears between him and the barn. Ned hears a
shot from behind, and as he turns he sees Ren across the field
holding a rifle. She covers Ned as he runs to the barn,
opening the door as everyone comes running out of the flames.
Verlon comes around the side of the barn with a gun pointed at
Ned. Stick saves the day as he sneaks up behind Verlon, gun in
hand, and takes his weapon. Verlon, who is not one to go in
willingly, runs through the barn screaming as timbers start to
fall. He is never to be seen again.
The towns people ask
Ned to stay and become their sheriff since Verlon killed the
previous one. Ned decides to take them up on their offer while
he waits for his father to return. Thus, begins this part of
his life as the Sheriff of Plum Creek.
Animal Action:
When Verlon leaves
Ned, Sticks and Ren tied up, he also leaves behind a snake.
The snake crawls up Ned's body as he lies on the floor. Stick
frees himself, but is afraid to grab the snake so Ned tells
him to sing to it. This allows Ned to free himself and grab
the snake, by the back of its head. The scene was filmed in
cuts. The camera shows the snake crawling up the lower body of
Ned, then cuts to the actor's face as he watches the snake.
When Ned grabs the snake's head from behind, you see the
snake. Then it cuts away to the actor and back again to the
snake as Ned has his head in his hand.
When Crecensio takes
the bullet out of the mule, it is lying on the barn floor with
his feet tied. The mule was cued by his trainer to do a lay
down. The loosely fitting rope was used to insure the safety
of both the mule and the actor.
The American Humane
Association was represented on set by the Humane Society of
Austin and Travis County, Texas.
