Original subtitles

I was on my way to the Arizona Territory

to find a man named Zach Bradley,

who'd held up a Wells Fargo stage coach and killed Sam Bell, the driver.

Bradley was an old timer at his trade.

He knew all of the tricks and all of the hideouts.

He gave me quite a chase of it.

Four long weeks, right through the heart of the Apache country.

I finally ran him down and thought the hard work was over.

All I had to do was deliver him to the marshal at Tucson, where he'd stand trial.

And I'd head back to the home office for my next assignment.

It didn't work out quite that way.

It sure didn't.

And it was all because of a woman. Lola Montez.

The Countess of Landsfield and once almost the queen of Bavaria.

Now she was singing and dancing at gold-camps and cow-towns.

Or wherever else there was a dollar to be made

or a love-starved man to flatter her vanity.

Two more days, I'll be in Tucson.

Yeah, if you get jailed, you won't last more than five years.

Work at that prison is backbreaking and the heat is murder.

Hi, Jim Larson.

Folks, you just got time for a cup of coffee.

Jim...

You're the jasper that killed Sam Bell, ain't ya?

Take it easy, Pete.

Go on in and get your coffee.

You can go in too, boy.

Well, I don't know. I'm... I'm supposed to stay here I think.

All right. You're new here, aren't you?

Yes, sir. I'm Milt Backis. This is my first run.

Pleased to meet you, Milt. My name's Jim Hardie.

Well, I'm might proud to make your acquaintance, sir.

I... I've heard a lot about you.

All right, you can go in. I'll watch it for ya. Yes, sir.

Jim, I'm always glad when you catch one of these jaspers.

My wife rests easier.

And when I climb up on my seat, behind them horses,

I could feel at least I got half a chance for driving through.

Lola, you didn't even finish your coffee.

Is that so important when I could stretch my legs?

Yes, but before we pulled up you said that you were...

Oh, stop always remembering what I have always said, huh?

You are joining the stage, senors?

Yes, I am, Miss Montez.

Well, you know my name.

I had the pleasure of seeing you once,

at The Bella Union in San Francisco.

Enjoyed it very much.

My name's Jim Hardie. Oh, my pleasure.

Is that the fellow who was playing the piano for ya?

Senor, I could not have filled your eyes if you remember my piano player.

But San Francisco was a triumph.

Not even in Constantinople was I so received.

But now I go to play in Tucson.

I will find it attractive?

Depends a good deal on what you're looking for.

PETE: Climb in, folks.

They bounce you around like a rubber ball

and don't even give you time to eat.

He going along with us? Yes, he is.

Well, I didn't pay good money to ride with a murderer.

There'll be another stage by here in a couple of days.

You can wait for that one if you like.

PETE: Gotta get rolling.

Jim. Come here, take a look.

What do you make of it?

I don't know.

Things been pretty quiet around here,

and then I heard a white man killed an Apache squaw.

It's the first Indian sign I've seen in a week.

Shake it up, Jim!

Let's go.

See ya, Larson.

PETE: Hiya! Hiya!

I can tell you, I wasn't happy.

If the Apaches jumped us, we had a killer along who'd make a break for it.

Then a hot eyed singer, I figured would come apart at the seems.

We had a piano player who didn't care whether he lived or died,

for he was half dead, anyhow.

There was a fat-faced merchant who'd probably never handled a gun in his life.

And a new guard who might get rattled.

Water, Miss Montez?

No, thank you.

I'll have water.

There are other people here, Mr. Collins. You, sir?

Thanks.

Zach? Sure.

You're gonna waste water on him?

Why not?

He's gonna hang. What difference does it make?

Well, I imagine it's gonna make a good deal of difference to him.

Senor, you are a pig.

Eh, it's all right for you to talk, lady.

There'll always be lots of water for you.

Always I have everything...

but what I want.

Hey, Hardie, gimme a break

and take these things off, will ya?

They're hurting my wrists.

Sorry. Come on.

Spent four weeks running you down, Zach.

I don't intend to do it again.

Hardie, I give you my word of honor.

Your word. Your word's not worth a quarter.

I'll look out for ya and take care of you the best I can

till I get you to Tucson. Outside of that, there's nothing I can do.

Now that you understand the way I feel, sit back there and relax.

A thing like that you could do for him, Senor.

If I took those handcuffs off and he tried to escape I'd have to shoot him.

You wanna watch that?

PETE: Whoa, I say. Whoa there!

It's Indians.

You people sit here and relax.

Mr. Harley, hold that gun on him.

He makes one move, shoot him.

I'll talk to them, Pete.

They wanted Zach Bradley.

Said he'd killed his squaw and her young son, while making his getaway.

He needed a horse. And they had one.

I explained that I was taking Zach to Tucson.

That he'd be tried and punished.

But the Apache's wanted none of that.

Zach had invaded the reservation

and spilled Indian blood.

Nothing would satisfy them but Indian justice.

They said we'd never make Tucson alive if I didn't hand Zach over to them.

Indian justice meant Indian revenge.

And Indian revenge meant torture.

That's their way and you can't change it.

Zach Bradley wasn't worth a finger of that young brave.

But if you give an inch to an Apache he gets ideas.

I had to stand my ground.

I knew we hadn't seen the last of them.

Bad news, Jim?

Bad enough. Now, you give them the heads.

We're going to make a run for it. And Milt?

Don't you do any shooting until I tell you to. Yes, sir.

Whoa. Hiya!

PETE: Hiya! Hiya!

Bet you never figured that maybe you'd loose your hair

when you signed on for this job.

Hiya!

Mr. Hardie knows what he's doing.

You never said a truer word.

The only trouble is them there Indians don't know it.

Hiya! Giddiup!

Hand him over.

You want the rest of us to be killed for the likes of him?

Give me a gun and turn me loose. I'll take my chances.

You're going to Tucson.

Oh, what difference does it make who kills him if he's gonna die in the end?

You want me, him and the lady here

to die just on account of your pigheadedness?

He's going to be tried by a jury.

Jury turns him loose, then he's gonna have to answer to the Indian commissioner.

He is a man, senor. Give him a gun to fight for his life.

Keep out of this, Lola.

What? Mr. Hardie knows what he's doing.

Ha! Listen to the mouse with a lions courage.

That piano player talks really big, doesn't he, Lola?

MILT: Jim! Look!

First there were only two.

And now...

The whole Apache nation will be after us.

Hardie, listen to me.

There's another relay station two miles down the road.

We're gonna hole up there for a while.

Let them have him, I tell you!

Chris...

It's all right, Milt. Get back up on your perch.

Thanks.

Keep it. You may need it.

Pete!

Picking up traffic, huh?

What's gonna happen now, Pete?

You better start praying nothing happens until we get to that station.

If you don't, you may never pray again.

Hiya! Giddiup!

Soon as we get through them gates,

you hop down, put that bar in place.

Old Pops don't know what's going on.

MILT: Injuns, Pop!

All right. Get inside.

Say, what's going on, Sonny?

Jim Hardie's got a prisoner.

The Apache's want him. Oh, yeah?

Well, if they want him bad enough, they'll sure get him.

Yeah. They want him, all right.

Riding down from the hills. About a dozen of them.

We ain't never had no trouble with them Indians,

ever since we put them on reservation about three years ago.

Well, I guess if they're...

spoiling for a fight, we can sure oblige them, huh?

I've lived long enough, I guess, son, huh?

Yeah. Looks like we're in for it, don't it son?

Ever mix with, uh... these fellows before?

No sir. No...

I figured that you was a greener.

Well, you'll have something to tell your kids.

That is, if you live long enough to have kids.

Hello, Pop.

My gosh! Jim Hardie. By Golly.

It's good to see you, son. Good to see you, too.

Sorry it had to be under these circumstances.

Think they'll attack tonight?

If they feel like it.

It's all hogwash to say they won't fight at night.

They get mad enough, they don't give a darn what time it is.

White Rag.

They wanna talk.

You cover me, Pop. Yeah.

JIM: What he had to say was right to the point.

If we didn't hand Zach over

when the moon was straight in the sky

they were coming in to get him.

Well? No sign of 'em yet.

How much time is there?

I don't know. Maybe five-ten minutes?

Look Hardie, I have got $5,000 It's yours if you just turn him loose.

Is that right?

I can get five more when we get to Tucson. That's $10,000.

You never had that much money in your whole life.

Use your head Hardie.

If them Indians are out to take me, they're gonna.

Now let me go and you'll all be safe.

Makes sense, doesn't it?

Probably sounds like a good idea to you two.

Because you never thought about anyone but yourselves.

Well, it's my job to think about other people,

protect them if I can.

The man was a murderer, cold-blooded killer when I brought him in.

I turn him loose, he'll go right back to it,

pick up his trail where he left off.

A lot of people would die as a result of that.

Well, if this is how it was meant for me to end, so be it.

But who would have thought that, I, once nearly a queen,

would die in this godforsaken place?

Maybe that's to even things up.

Oh, speak English Lola. We've no need to pretend anymore.

She's no more Spanish than you are. She was born in Limerick.

And she's ruined every man she ever knew.

I was someone once.

Concerts in Philadelphia at the academy.

A year of study in Paris.

And then I fell in love with this fraud.

CHRIS: And ended up a lackey, licking her fingers whenever she snapped them.

Watching her with a hundred men at a hundred camps.

Who needs him? He's frightened and weak, like a woman.

Maybe you never gave him a chance to be a man.

All I have to do is snap my finger and he'll come running.

I wouldn't try that just now.

I think if you want him from here on out it's gonna be on his terms.

It might not make any difference.

I believe you'll be a little safer if you go inside now.

I should have met a man like you years ago.

I think you did. You just haven't realized it yet.

How you doin' boy?

I'm scared stiff.

It's so quite.

Here they come.

All I want's a gun...

Another gun out there'd help.

How long are you gonna take this?

The old man's dead.

And we'll all die if we leave this up to Hardie.

Well, you Chris, what good are you in here?

A man would be outside with the others.

That's right.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I always hurt you. I always take my anger out on you.

Please Chris, say you'll forgive me.

Say you are not angry with Lola. Hmm?

Don't move, either of you and get back there.

They beat the back and Hardie is coming.

Well, he's got the keys to the handcuffs.

You open your mouth, piano player and I swear I'll kill you.

LOLA: Don't move Mr. Hardie.

Drop your gun.

The keys, let's have 'em.

Do I have to shoot you to get them?

All right, don't get any wild ideas, Lola.

I'll back-shoot this sow belly!

Throw that gun down over there.

Now move over there. You too Hardie.

All right, Collins, you've got $5,000 in your pocket and I'm gonna need it.

You got what you wanted, Collins, your big fat life.

Didn't take him long to hit the hold-up trail again, did it Mr. Collins.

And you, Miss Montez, you feelin' safer now?

Did you want us to stand around and do nothing?

Seems to me we were doing a good deal.

Pop Shannon, just gave his life for your safety.

As well as his own.

Mr. Hurley, there is no longer any need for you to stay inside.

We could use you out on the wall.

You don't seem very disturbed, Mr. Hardie.

I don't think there's any need to be.

He won't get far. The Indians will see to that.

We haven't seen the last of 'em yet.

When that moon goes under that cloud you better look out.

Don't shoot, Hardie. Throw down your gun.

I couldn't get through. I thought I would be better off in here.

That'll hold them for a while.

What's next Mr. Hardie?

I don't know. Too soon to tell.

What're you gonna do about my money, Hardie?

I ain't gonna do anything about it Mr. Collins.

It's your money. If you want it, get it. I won't interfere.

Pete, you and Milt go inside and get some supper.

When you finish, rest of us will go in.

I'd cook it myself, if I were you fellas.

Lola isn't much good in the kitchen.

It's been more than an hour.

What do you think?

I think they've either pulled out and gone after reinforcements

or they pulled out for good, I don't know.

But if they're gonna attack by dawn, then I'm all for hitching out of here.

Hold it Hardie.

I'm pulling out of here before you get any more smart ideas.

Stay wherever you are.

Chris darling!

Don't shoot.

We can leave anytime we want to.

Will you be in Tucson for long, Mr. Hardie?

It depends on what you got in mind.

Well, Chris and I-

What she is trying to say is we're going to be married,

and we'd like you to be there.

Well, I wouldn't think about being anywhere else.

Congratulations to both of you.

Good.

JIM: Well, it was quite a wedding all right.

After that they dropped out of sight.

Some years later though, I heard that Chris had died

and that Lola was in New York, where she made a new career for herself...

perhaps the strangest of all of her many careers.

Lola Montez established a home for underprivileged girls

and lived there until the end came one gray April night.