Original subtitles

♪♪ [ trumpet ]

Howdy, folks. I'’m the Old Ranger.

I have another interesting true story for you

about the Death Valley country.

And now, let'’s get on with our Death Valley Daysstory.

For our story tonight, we'’re going right down

into the heart of Death Valley

and bring to life for you one of the long-line outfits

that was once the only link between the Valley

and the outside world.

The story is called...

"The Big Team Rolls."

This is how Death Valley looked in 1885

to Dana Emerson, a wealthy young college fellow

from the East, who has come out there

to prove his worth to the girl he loves:

Melinda Blackmere, daughter of the manager

of the most remote industrial plant in America--

the Harmony Borax Works.

And a few miles below it, a solitary oasis

known as the Greenland Ranch,

where the manager and his daughter lived.

[ speaking native language ]

What'’s the big idea?

Him steal money from store.

Boss fire him.

Always say Hermie bad hombre.

Like snake.

Father will probably put you to work

at the company store here on the ranch.

Selling bandanas and canned tomatoes

to the teamsters.

And will that prove to you I have the character

you'’re looking for in a husband?

The moral fi--I told you to take off your collar and tie!

The whole thing is ridiculous.

Marooning myself here in this godforsaken spot?

You want to call it off? Go back to San Francisco.

If I had any sense, I would.

I'’m sorry, Melinda.

I didn'’t mean to sound stuffy. Of course I'’ll stick.

I'’d go through Hades itself to win you.

Whoa.

All right, George. All right, Joey.

Boss, I want to talk to you.

I got nothing more to say to you, Hermie.

You'’re fired. And that'’s that.

Keep me on, boss.

The company does not employ thieves, Hermosa.

You'’re leaving the Valley on the next train, as a passenger.

Hi, Father!Hello, honey.

How are you, Dana?A little hot.

Who is this dude?None of your business.

I know. You brought him here to take my place.

Give him my job!

By golly, that'’s exactly what I will do.

Father, you can'’t do that!You'’re hired, Emerson, as swamper on the Big Team.

You can'’t give him my job.

They'’ll take you along and dump you off at Mojave.

Now you be at the Works when they'’re ready to pull out tomorrow.

You'’ll be sorry. You'’ll pay for this!

Mr. McPherson?

My name is Dana Emerson.

Fits you to a "T", son.

I'’m your new swamper.Oh.

What have I done to deserve this?

A lily of the field.

Where are you from, son?Boston.

Well, you'’ll find that the going can be mighty rough.

Biggest wagons in the world, these.

That'’s where you sit, up there.

It'’ll be your job to handle the brakes on the downgrade.

Keep the wagons from running away and killing the whole outfit.

Oh, Dolph, bring me the castor oil.

Castor oil? Yeah, it'’s one of the requirements

of these trips-- a daily dose.

Thanks, Dolph.

All right, now, shut your eyes and hold your nose.

But I don'’t need any.You heard me!

[ laughing ]

Hey, Sandy!Huh?

That Hermie, him gone!Yeah?

Steal horse, grub from ranch last night.

High-tail it off!

Well, I wasn'’t much hankering for his company on this trip, anyhow.

So it'’s between a greenhorn and a horse thief.

I guess there isn'’t much choice.

All right, climb up in your high chair, sonny.

All right, take a good look at those men, sonny.

They'’re the last humans you'’ll lay eyes on,

excepting yours truly, until we get to Mojave.

That'’s ten days from now.

All right, let your brake off!

All right, giddup, you jughead!

Come on, you numbskull! Giddup, all right, giddup!

All right, giddup!

OLD RANGER: And so the Big Team rolled out into the burning desert,

dragging 63,000 pounds of Borax

along with 1200 gallons of precious water for man and beast.

Well, you wanted to know what stuff he was made of.

I hadn'’t counted on anything quite so rugged, though.

It'’ll make a man of him or else. Yes. Or else.

Sandy? Can you stop a minute?

Long enough for me to get a drink of water?

Wait till we make camp.

My throat'’s cracking!

Well, let it crack!

We got a schedule to keep.

We can'’t stop every time a little boy wants a drink of water.

Hyah! Hyah!

Sandy, stop! I dropped the dipper!

All right! Whoa...

Consarn it! Ain'’t you even got strength enough to hold onto a dipper?

[ mules whinny, hee-haw ]

Whoa...

SANDY: Whoa, boy. Whoa, boy! Whoa!

Ho! Whoa, boy! Ho!

Thanks, son. For what?

For dropping that dipper.

But who would want to blow up the wagons, or us?

I'’m not sure, but I'’ve got my suspicion.

You mean a--

[ hoofbeats ]

Me hear explosion!

You should have heard it from where we was.

I bet him Hermie Hermosa.Well, I sure wouldn'’t bet against you.

OLD RANGER: Once again, the Big Team rolled on its way to Mojave.

With Sandy keeping a sharp eye on the road ahead

for any other surprises Hermie might have planned.

But for the next two days, everything rode smoothly.

A wet camp tonight. Lone Willow Hotel.

A home away from home, and rooms with running water.

Running water? Yeah.

Company laid a pipeline, and brung water down a couple of miles

from the spring up there in the mountain.

Now this is where we fill up for our next dry spell.

After four days of dishing it out by the bucket,

it'’ll be a treat-- let me at it!

Save some for the other jackasses!

Hey! The tank'’s empty!

Oh, maybe it sprung a leak somewhere in the pipeline.

Let'’s have a look!

Uh-oh, look.Somebody'’s knocked a hole in it.

Yeah! And he must have dynamited the spring, too!

Who? Oh, that sidewinder by the name of Hermosa.

What do we do now?

Well, ain'’t anything we can do but report the damage

when we get back to Death Valley.

We ain'’t got the wherewithal to repair it.

But our water wagon'’s empty!

Well, we'’ll just have to get along the best way we can,

until we reach the next water hole.

Seem to be jinxed this trip.

Must be a Jonah aboard.

Me trail him through the canyon.

Over the hill!

Pretty soon I hear big explosion.

Make big hole in the ground.

Almost kill all team! Yes!

You sure him Hermie? Who else?

Him only one have grudge for Big Team.

But me get him, you see.

What are you two talking about?

George!

Is something wrong, Susie?

He said something about the Big Team.

Tell me! George go hunting.

For what? Maybe deer, maybe mountain sheep.

Maybe man.

Father, I still think Susie'’s keeping something from us.

The Big Team is in some kind of danger.

The Big Team'’s in danger every trip it makes, my dear.

Danger of sandstorms, or cloudbursts,

danger of a mule falling sick or a wagon breaking down--

Whatever it is, I trust Sandy.

He'’s the best teamster on the desert.

Oh, Sandy can take care of himself.

You'’re really in love with that young swamper.

If anything ever happened to him, I'’d never forgive myself.

Well, don'’t worry, dear.

By now, according to schedule, they'’re in Mojave.

SANDY: Whoa! Ho!

Hi, fellas! Hi, Sandy!

Hi, Tom!

Well, here we are. The end of the line.

Longest 165 miles I ever traveled.

Well, the return trip will be easier.

With a light load.When do you leave?

Tomorrow morning, at sunup. Tomorrow?

Hey, look. Mojave ain'’t no resort, you know.

It'’s just a railroad siding.

Of course. I just sort of expected it to be a longer layover here.

I'’m-- Yeah, well, there will be, for you.

You see, I ain'’t taking you back to the Valley, sonny.

You'’re in no shape!Why, I'’m all right.

Ah, look. You get over to the paymaster and get your pay.

You got 25 dollars coming. Now use it toward a ticket home.

You mean I'’m fired, is that right?

This ain'’t no job for a tenderfoot.

Now, wait a minute.Look, I can get myself a real swamper

here in Mojave, easy.

You'’ve got a swamper already.

See ya at sunup.

Oh, I'’m sorry about the sunburn.

OLD RANGER: The next morning, the Harmony paymaster gave Sandy

something else to worry about.

Ready to pull out, Sandy?Right now.

Here'’s ballast for ya.

Payroll for the Harmony Works.

Put this up on the seat by the side of you, Dan.

And don'’t let it out of your sight for a second. Savvy?

Right.And wrap this around you.

Well, see you next trip!

You will if you don'’t eat yourself to death in the meantime.

[ laughing ]

Get up, you numbskulls! Hey!

OLD RANGER: Loaded with supplies for the ranch,

together with hay and grain,

which would be dropped off at the different campsites

to feed the mules on the next trip with Borax,

the Big Team headed back for Death Valley.

Once again, it was long days of blistering sun

and burning sand, while Hermie followed cautiously.

But the hunter was also the hunted,

for faithful Panamint George had taken up Hermie'’s trail.

[ rifle fires ][ horse whinnies ]

[ thudding ]

One of the lead mules cast a shoe.

I'’m going up to fix it.

Now look, we'’re only three days away from the ranch.

Keep your eye on that bag, whatever you do.

Sure. Beans'’ll be ready when you are.

All right.

Hey! Dan!

Shoot him, Dan!

Think I hit him in the leg.

Sandy! Uh, he winged me.

Go ahead and say it, I deserve it.

Falling asleep at the switch. You ought to use that bullwhip on me.

Oh, quit your bellyachin'’, will ya, and give me a hand.

I'’m bleeding like a stuck pig.

You know, I-- I think that bullet'’s still in there.

We'’re gonna have to leave it until we get back to the ranch.

We'’re going on?Sure.

We can'’t turn back now, we'’re--

We'’re past the halfway mark.

But you can'’t drive.

No, it'’s... all up to you now, son.

You'’re gonna have to take the Big Team in.

All by yourself.

All right, grab your jerkline. And don'’t turn loose of it.

That'’s your telegraph system.

That'’s the only way you can get orders to those lead mules.

A steady pull when you want to turn to the left.

And two short, sharp jerks

for a right turn.

All right? Now let off your brakes.

All right, now let '’er go, Gallagher.

Giddyup, you sons o'’ guns! Giddyup!

SANDY: Well, we'’re rollin', by gum!

DANA:Giddyup, boys!Come on!

Then I pick up saddle and come back.

So Hermie'’s still at large?Yes, miss.

Well, at least Sandy knows what he'’s up against.

They haven'’t a chance against that blackguard.

Why, he could pick them off like birds on a fence.

By now they should be across the mountains and on their way up the Valley.

By now, they should be here. They'’re way overdue.

Me dream last night.

Me see vulture flyin'’ low...

Oh, stop it, Susie. The Big Team'’s been late before.

Excuse me, boss.What is it, Fred?

The men down at the plant are wondering when they'’re gonna get their pay.

Well, they'’ll get it.When?

When the Big Team gets here.The payroll'’s on the Big Team?

Yes. Now I know something'’s happened.

Me see blood on moon.

Will you shut up, Susie?

Pull yourself together, dear.

This isn'’t like my daughter.

Because I am your daughter.

Because I wanted the man I marry to measure up to you,

but I was wrong.

It wasn'’t fair to put him to a test like this.

It wasn'’t fair!He'’ll come through all right.

Sandy'’ll look out for him.Oh, stop talking as if he was a child.

But you said yourself--I don'’t know what I said!

I only know that I love him.

I can'’t stand it, waiting around here, doing nothing.

George, hitch up the buckboard.

We'’ll go out and have a look.

I'’m going too!No, you stay here

I'’m going!Nobody going.

Here come Big Team.

I told you Sandy'’d make it!

He'’s the best doggone teamster--

That'’s not Sandy on the wheeler!

Ho! It'’s Dana!

Whoa! Whoa, boy!

What happened?Are you all right?

Where'’s Sandy?In there.

- Dead? - Heck, no!

Almost, though. He took a bullet in the shoulder.

Help him down, boys. Take him inside.

Who did it? Hermie?Yeah.

Robbed us of the payroll. It was my fault, I fell asleep.

When did it happen?Three days out.

I'’ll be unhitching, Sandy.

All right, Danny.

You'’ve done enough, Dana.

We could have lost the payroll,

Sandy'’s life, perhaps, and...

Well, the least I can do is find Hermie and get that payroll back.

You'’ll never find him.Panamint George has offered to go along.

He'’s got a score to settle too.

We'’ll form a posse.Dana, please.

For my sake.

OLD RANGER: Delirious from Dana'’s bullet in his leg,

and the torturing heat,

Hermie'’s burning thirst had led him to

the very water tank he had destroyed.

Water!

Water!

[ softly ] Water.

[ groaning ] Water...

Don'’t give him water.He'’s dying.

Let him die like he wanted us to die.

Yeah, it'’d serve him right.

I can'’t do that.Water...

Hey, John! Melinda! They'’re coming back!

Here'’s your payroll.Good.

Is he dead or alive?

DANA: Alive.

If we'’d had our way, he wouldn'’t be.

We say "let him die."

I didn'’t have the heart. I guess I'’m still just a tenderfoot.

Tenderfoot? [ laughs ]

Tenderfoot.

Tenderfoot, my eye!

Oh, darling...

What a man!

OLD RANGER: You'’ve seen here a living demonstration

of one of the most spectacular methods of transportation

ever devised by the fertile mind of Man.

"The Big Team Rolls" was photographed in Death Valley,

using the original Borax wagon.

♪♪ [ trumpet ]