Original subtitles

FLINT: The train was halfway across

the state of Nebraska.

The rains had been heavy,

and the rivers were sometimes close to flood state,

but our luck held.

Spirits were high,

though sometimes we had to take baths

when we didn't want them.

Major Adams, the wagon master,

had a lot of faith in his people.

It went both ways, which meant everyone worked...

together.

Then came an early frost,

snow in early spring.

Even the Major couldn't have figured on that.

Then, just as suddenly, the weather cleared.

My name's Flint McCullough.

I scout for the train.

In my book, things were going well.

Too well.

So well, in fact, that we almost forgot

that trouble could be tucked behind any rock.

How is she, Mrs. Bird?

Hold up! Hold up!

Hold up!

Hey, Major!

Hold up, Major!

Hold up!

It's Mary Talbot.

Oh.

Hyah!

Stopping for this, stopping for that.

What is it now?

I suppose Mrs. Talbot's decided to have her baby.

At this rate, we'll be lucky if we get to California next year.

We'll get there, Julie.

Once we're there, you'll forget all about these delays.

Cover yourself, Julie.

Mr. McCullough. Yes, ma'am?

How long are we gonna be stuck here?

That depends on Major Adams.

I think he's depending on what Mrs. Bird says,

and she's depending on what Mrs. Talbot does.

Give this to the Talbots.

I understand people can do with an extra blanket

when they're expecting company.

Much obliged. I'll see that they get it.

Holdin' up a whole wagon train.

You'd think nobody ever had a baby before.

I wish it was you we were stopping for, Julie,

and not Mrs. Talbot.

What's wrong, Julie?

Isn't it natural for a man to want his wife

to give him children?

Every man wants to have a son.

Not that I wouldn't mind having a little girl.

Really?

Well, isn't that nice?

Listen to me, John.

There were seven of us kids.

My mother died when I was 14.

Being the oldest,

I had six to cook for, to wash,

to mend their clothes,

to sit up and worry with them all night

when they were sick.

I don't want to be caught in that trap again.

I want to live.

I want to enjoy myself while I'm still young.

While I still can.

You sure this is it, Talbot?

I think so, Major.

Well, we'd better make camp here.

Hyah!

Circle up!

Circle up! Hyah!

Make camp, boys. Make camp.

Giddyap!

MAJOR: Circle up! Make camp right here!

Come on, circle 'em up!

As soon as you're in position,

unhook the rudder!

Keep that stock movin'!

Keep in line! Set up the camp

between here and the creek!

Might not be born till tomorrow sometime.

And we'll sit here and wait.

I don't mind. I like it here.

Trees for a change, a nice, cool stream.

You're very lovely tonight, Julie.

Don't. It's too hot. Please.

I'll get you a drink.

Good evening, Mr. McCullough.

Excuse me, ma'am.

What for?

One thing about traveling like this...

Not many bathtubs.

I was gonna make it do.

Yeah, I noticed that.

You, uh...

fixin' up for something special?

Maybe.

Next time, do it before sundown.

The Major's got strict orders

about anybody wandering from the camp at night.

You'd better go back now.

Not like this.

You have to help me first.

You're a strange man, Mr. McCullough.

What did you do before you started scouting

for a wagon train?

Oh...

hunter, trapper...

most anything.

Must be a lonely sort of life.

I like it.

What were you?

Before you were Mrs. John Cameron.

You have noticed me, then.

Sure I noticed you.

You wanted me to.

That's right.

You didn't answer my question.

I was a friend of a friend

of Mr. Cameron's in Philadelphia.

Might nice livin' in Philadelphia, I hear tell.

What are you doin' out here,

washin' in muddy water?

California, a new life.

It's my husband's idea.

The kind of idea that appeals to a lot of folks.

I guess so.

Waitin' for the grass to grow

before you can start.

Waitin' for the slowest animals

and the slowest people.

Now we're waitin' for a baby.

We were married three weeks before we started on the train.

He's very jealous. Are you afraid of him?

Not that I noticed.

I'm a little scared of you, though.

You gotta make sure another man's interested, don't you?

Me buttoning your blouse...

That's supposed to make me interested.

I don't figure somebody like you.

I never asked him to marry me.

I got a feeling if he hadn't,

he'd still be living in Philadelphia.

He must've given up a whole lot for you.

Why don't you give up something for him, Mrs. Cameron?

What is it, Julie?

Nothing.

I want an explanation, McCullough.

Julie! Take it easy, Cameron.

They're after horses, not women.

It's a raiding party. There can't be very many of them.

He's gonna come back to find out if he did any good.

You'd better get back to camp.

What about you?

What were you back in Philadelphia?

A banker.

Banking don't help fighting Indians.

Thanks, Cameron.

You're pretty good, for a banker.

There may be more of them.

I think everybody in the train

can use a little rest.

Wagon train!

Hold it.

Hey, wagon train! Hey!

MAN: Wagon train!

Come on in!

Howdy. Howdy.

Kind of late to be traveling, ain't it?

Not if you're in a hurry.

Where you headin' for?

Nevada, just as fast as these horses will take us.

We figure to be diggin' silver

by the end of the month.

We made 50 miles today. How much did you come?

About nine miles. Lucky to get that in.

You're the third train we've passed...

All of 'em complain the same.

You're welcome to spend the night, if you're of mind.

Thank you.

We shot a buffalo along the way.

Anybody care for some fresh meat?

Sure would.

I'm Major Adams.

I'm Rich Tacker.

These here is my brothers Frankie and Paul.

Howdy.

We saw your dust a long way back.

We figured you'd be over the river by nightfall.

So had we. But we're waitin' around

for a baby to get born.

And this is the proud papa.

Where I come from, that's cause for a celebration!

MAJOR: I'd think you boys would be kind of tired

after such a hard day's ride.

RICH: Not us Tackers.

Hey, Rich... take a look.

Well...

this might be a better celebration

than I thought.

That's Mrs. Cameron. She's married.

She don't look it, Major.

Three horses, three Indians.

That takes care of that.

No use talkin' about this back at the camp.

Might spoil the party.

I wonder if Mrs. Talbot had her baby.

Bring the other pony, will you?

I'm still waiting for an explanation, McCullough.

You just saved my life, Mr. Cameron.

If there was anything to explain,

I'd explain it.

Listen, boy, you can look just as miserable

as you want to right now.

As soon as this is over,

you're gonna be the happiest man in this wagon train.

Looks like we picked up some visitors.

Yeah, some fellas from Kansas.

They're on their way to Nevada.

Kind of livened up the camp a little.

Julie, I want to talk to you.

Not now!

Julie!

It's all right, John.

We're not in Philadelphia.

RICH: Traveling light on horseback,

a man don't have to wait around for nothin'.

We'll be two, maybe three days ahead of you

by nightfall tomorrow.

You're welcome to come along with us if you like.

We got a couple of extra horses.

Thank you, Tacker. We'll travel this way.

It's getting late, Julie.

I'm sorry you're not coming with us, Mr. Cameron.

If we don't see you in the morning, good-bye.

Good night.

I still want to talk to you, Julie.

Not tonight. I'm too tired.

I'm tired, too.

Tired of watching you make a fool of yourself.

What did I do?

You know perfectly well what you did.

First McCullough, then those other men.

I'm not someone you spend an evening with, Julie.

I'm your husband.

What if I had a good time?

I forgot the heat and the dirt and the waiting.

Is that so wrong?

It is for my wife.

I didn't ask you to marry me.

I love you, Julie.

If you love me, you wouldn't be ashamed of me.

I'm not ashamed of you.

You're trying to make me over into something I'm not.

You should've married one of those...

straight-laced Philadelphia ladies...

The kind who swoon every time a man comes near her.

Well, I'm not like that, and I never will be.

I can't live in a cage.

Why did you marry me?

Don't you know?

Of course... it's dark.

Why must it always be dark when you kiss me?

It's late. We'd better get some sleep.

Julie?

Where are you off to?

She's gone.

Are you sure?

Those Jayhawkers have taken her.

Easy, Cameron!

What's goin' on here?

Cameron thinks the Jayhawkers made off with his wife.

Well, if they did, she must've went with 'em,

'cause she didn't make no fuss.

I was awake when they left.

Cameron!

Don't go off half-cocked, Cameron.

I'm going after them, McCullough.

Listen to me. You don't know the...

Let go of that bridle!

Ain't no use, Flint.

That kind of thing a man's gotta find out for hisself,

and you might just as well let him.

Look at them two bulls, head-and-headin'.

Yeah.

You got him, Flint!

You sure did, Mr. McCullough!

I seen the dust bounce off his hide when you hit him.

Let's go after him!

Mr. McCullough, I said let's go after him.

We'll let Wooster get him.

He's not gonna run very far.

You'd better head back to camp, Talbot.

That baby of yours could come any minute.

You wouldn't want to miss that.

No, sir.

Whoa, boy.

What are you gonna be doin', Flint?

Oh, I got some things I gotta see.

Julie...

Found your horse grazing over the hill.

Who scraped you with a bullet?

One of the must've been waiting for me.

I guess they saw me from a long way out.

Huh. It's a good place for an ambush.

How bad is my leg?

Bad enough.

I cleaned it best I could, but...

well, I'm no doctor.

Do you think you can stand the ride back to the train?

I'm not going back.

You haven't learned yet, have you?

I'm going after them, McCullough.

How far do you think you'll get

in the shape you're in?

She's my wife.

All right, Cameron. If that's the way you feel...

we'll ride together.

Whoa! Whoa!

Whoever used this camp used it last night.

We're catching up.

We don't know it was their camp.

Yes, we do.

Didn't know anyone lived out here.

Neither did I.

Howdy, boys.

Howdy. We'd like to water the horses.

Sure, you're welcome.

Where you boys from?

FLINT: Wagon train, other side of Saweesh.

We're looking for a party that might've passed this way.

Which way are they ridin'?

Westward. Four people. You seen 'em?

No. No, not me.

But my squaw here... she was huckleberrying yesterday.

She saw some folks on horseback

cuttin' leather due west.

Was there a woman with them?

Oh, she don't speak nothin',

except a little talk we worked up together.

Was there?

Says yes. Let's go.

I got a pair of fresh horses.

Might make you a deal.

Sounds good.

I'm gettin' up supper now.

How about some vittles?

Slam jams and coffee.

And a pickle for the scurvy.

We're not hungry, thank you.

I am.

You got a salt lick?

You. You got one?

Go right on in.

Hey, you got yourself all shot up, eh?

Take care of them horses.

He ain't fit to do no trailin' tonight.

Fever's gettin' worse.

I'll be all right.

Get away Mary. Go on back where you belong.

Wait a minute.

What you got in here?

Oh, it makes no difference what ails you.

She always comes up with that grouch bag.

Tastes bad enough to cure most anything.

Give it a try, Cameron.

You'd better chew it good, though,

before you swallow it. It might strangle you.

What is it? I don't know.

But Indians can come up with some pretty good medicine.

Saved my life one time.

No, thanks.

Suit yourself.

I'll get them horses.

All right.

Tell me about Philadelphia, Cameron.

What do you want to know?

Big place, huh?

Horse trains, whistles, bells...

people walkin' all over you.

Can you raise that?

I like the noise, the people.

We lived in a big house on the Schuylkill River.

Stately.

That's the way a banker's house should be.

Inside it was warm and friendly.

You'd have liked it, McCullough.

You'd have liked my family.

Must have been quite a wrench,

pullin' out all your roots.

I got no regrets.

There comes a time when a man's gotta build a new house.

MAN: Come on inside!

Looks like we got company.

You're gettin' older and skinnier...

and you talk more every time I see you.

This here's Charlie Otis.

He shoots buffalo and guzzles wildcat juice.

Ha ha! Both equal good.

Howdy. Howdy.

Charlie's seen your party.

You talked with 'em, didn't you?

That's right. Three men and a female on horseback.

Said they was from, uh, Kansas.

When? Where?

I run across them on the trail this morning

just as they was breakin' camp.

FLINT: About how far from here?

Oh, about 30 miles.

And a pretty female, too.

Did you talk to her?

Passed the time of day, just like you and me is talkin' now.

Did you get a chance to talk to her alone?

No. Why?

Didn't she ask for help?

Mister, she didn't need no help,

leastwise from me.

Them three young bucks with her...

Them's the ones that needed the help!

What do you mean by that?

I mean they was havin' themselves a time,

and you should've seen her. Whew!

Once, when I was younger,

I rode all the from Jim Bridger's post

clean to Cherry Creek,

just ridin' and whoop-de-doin'!

And I wished I'd have had a woman like that with men then.

You're lying!

I'm a lot of things, mister,

but a liar I ain't.

Now, a woman's a woman, and a man's a man.

She was with them three 'cause she wanted to be with them.

I ain't never met the female yet

that wouldn't get all perked up

about havin' three young galoots like that

trailin' with her, squabblin' over her, eh?

Shut your filthy mouth!

Lies! It's all lies!

Charlie! Charlie!

Cool down, Cameron.

What reason has he got to lie?

Get away.

Look out. Charlie!

Nobody does that to Charlie Otis.

He's sick, Charlie, real sick with a fever.

He didn't mean nothin'.

Called me a liar.

So I fight.

Sorry about your friend.

Nah, it's all right.

Charlie gets a little rambunctious once in a while.

Where can I put him?

We can lock him up in the smoke room

till he comes to.

With the fresh horses,

we still might get you back to camp and save your leg.

It's turning black.

I'm going after 'em, McCullough.

You still think Otis was lying?

I don't care.

She's my wife. I want her back.

You don't give up easy.

Don't think I don't know what she's like, McCullough.

I knew when I asked her to marry me. My family knew.

Everybody told me, but it didn't make any difference.

Julie was what I needed.

She's still what I need.

It's like a sickness.

It's been that way ever since the first time I saw her.

And I can't help it, McCullough...

any more than you can help standing there,

wondering what kind of an impossible fool I am.

I reckon I don't look at a woman

the same way you do, Cameron.

Or maybe a lot of things.

But I'll ride with you.

That's the one they called Paul.

Guess they started killin' each other.

What do you make of it?

I don't know.

Get down.

Had enough, Frankie?!

It came from over there, behind the rock.

Where's Julie?

Never mind. She's around.

Otherwise, they wouldn't be gunnin' for each other.

Hey, Rich!

Listen to me!

I got a proposition!

Are you listening?!

I'm listenin', Frankie boy!

FRANKIE: I can keep this up longer than you can!

I got a lot more ammunition left!

Throw down your rifle and show yourself!

I'll let you ride out!

You give me the girl!

Take it easy, Cameron. You're out of range.

Let Rich save you the trouble.

Rich! You hear me?!

I hear you.

How's this for an answer, little brother?

Where are you going?

To take a look.

Oh!

Whoa, you stay right where you are!

If you're gonna have men fightin' over you,

you'd better stay by one of 'em.

You know that, don't you?

Yeah, you know that much.

What's the matter, honey? Scared?

Didn't that fancy husband of yours

ever fight nobody for you?

Where'd that come from?

Right here, you scum!

John!

Well, if it ain't old Cameron hisself,

come to join the party.

Come back here, you! John!

Johnny?

How is he?

He's bad.

The fever's really got a hold on him.

Why did you have to drag him out here?

It was his idea, not mine.

You think I'd chase after you?

He took off by himself.

I found him yesterday after your friends got through with him.

JULIE: I didn't know.

They said they were off hunting.

You don't believe me, do you?

I tried to talk him into going back,

but there was no reasoning with him.

He'd have crawled to get to you.

I should've slugged him and taken him back.

I wish you had.

I never wanted him.

"Julie, marry me." "Julie, love me.

"Julie, I need you."

It's been like that ever since I've known him.

I wish I'd never met him!

Don't look at me like that.

I never loved him, never.

I never had to.

He's a fool! He's always been a fool!

Maybe he is.

But a man's gotta believe in something.

Or somebody.

He picked you.

And he might die for you, Mrs. Cameron,

tonight.

Not many women have a man like that.

What are you going to do?

With gangrene, there's only one thing you can do.

I'm no surgeon, but...

I got the knife.

You'll kill him!

What's that to you?

I'm his wife.

Then why don't you try and act like one?

Give me a hand here and hold his leg.

I said, hold his leg.

Cameron?

I gotta cut out the gangrene,

or you're gonna lose your leg.

Yell if you feel like it, Cameron.

That's better.

He's sleeping.

You'd better get some sleep yourself.

I can help him now more than you can.

More than anyone.

I said I didn't figure somebody like you.

I still don't.

You never will.

He needs me.

That's enough for now.

I'm gonna go take a look at the horses.

Julie...

It's all right, darling.

I'm right here.

Don't try to talk. We'll talk later.

Later. Later, darling.

A drink, Julie.

Are you all right?

They were beasts. It was horrible.

Poor Julie.

I was going to lie to you,

tell you that they made me go with them.

Oh, Julie.

Poor Julie.

Always wanting something that isn't there.

Always needing something,

somebody else.

It's you I need. I know that now.

Don't.

You don't have to pretend to me.

You're free, Julie. The cage is open.

What are you saying?

It took me a long time to get it through my head.

Too long, perhaps.

I had no right to marry you.

I wasn't the kind of man you could ever learn to love.

Oh, but I did. I did learn.

All I ever wanted was to be a woman for you.

And I will from now on, I promise.

That new life in California...

We'll have it... together.

I love you.

You know, I'd have given everything I had in the world

to hear you say that once and mean it...

the way I think you mean it now.

How could I show you?

There's no need to.

It's too late, Julie.

It's not too late. You're going to be all right.

It's strange how a man can be sick,

out of his mind with fever,

and suddenly wake and the fever's gone...

and see, think, understand.

It isn't only my leg, Julie.

It's everything.

You, me.

We're both free.

But I mean it.

I do love you. Don't send me away.

It's too late to cry, Julie.

It's too late.

RICH: Cozy. Real cozy.

Didn't you think I'd be back?

What do you want?

Heh.

Once I take something, it's mine.

Over there, Julie, move.

Come on. Grub, blankets... get 'em!

Get out of here!

That's my girl.

Where do you want these?

Pick a couple of good horses.

Turn the rest of 'em loose.

Come on, move!

I'm not going with you.

What do you mean, you're not goin'?

What you think I come back for?

Go on, get the horses!

I'm staying with him as long as he'll have me.

You had your answer.

RICH: Shut up!

I got two brothers dead on account of you.

You don't think I'm leavin' here without you, do you?

Do you?! I'm staying.

RICH: Get over here!

Not there!

John!

She got the bullet that was meant for me.

You see, Mr. McCullough?

I did give up something for him.

Poor Julie.

She couldn't help being the one she was

any more than I could help loving her.

Whoa!

Howdy, Major.

Welcome back, Mr. Cameron.

Thank you, Major.

Hey! Mr. McCullough!

A son! I got a baby boy!

It's a boy!

Wagons... ho!

Now maybe you can tell me

just what the devil you've been doin'

for the last four or five days.

Ha ha!