Original subtitles

MAN: Hyah! Hyah!

ANNOUNCER: Tales of Wells Fargo.

JIM: Even after the Civil War,

fast sailing ships still plied

the seven seas.

And many of them carried express

for Wells Fargo.

Ships from New York bound for Mexico

sometimes anchored off Matamoros,

a port at the mouth

of the Rio Grande.

The Wells Fargo Company

maintained A branch office

here at Matamoros.

And back in the 1870s,

this was not always an easy office

to maintain.

Lillian,

I'll ask you just once more.

Must you? Don't you know the answer?

I was still hoping you'd change your mind.

I'll wait out here while you conduct

your other business.

I'll call you.

Morning.

Good morning.

I'm Captain John C. Plumber

from the schooner Atlantic Queen.

Well, you have a good trip?

Just dropped anchor.

The Wells Fargo Company in New York

asked me to contact

a Mr. Jim Hardie.

They said he'd have credentials.

JIM: I was the Jim Hardie he was looking for.

My credentials were good most anyplace in the world,

and they sent me to many places.

I work for Wells Fargo.

I only just got in myself

from Laredo, Captain.

Have a seat. CAPTAIN JOHN: Thanks.

There was a time or two along the Rio Grande

I didn't know whether I'd make it or not.

The revolution, is it that bad?

JIM: Raiding both sides of the border,

got the transportation all cut off.

So I've heard.

Can you make it back to Laredo?

Can I? I have to.

Would you have some Wells Fargo Express for me?

Half a million dollars.

A half a million dollars?

Don't they know all I got is a couple of pack mules

and a canoe?

How do they expect me to carry

a half a million dollars in gold coin?

It isn't gold, sir.

It's in currency.

Greenbacks.

It doesn't weigh too much.

Still money.

Still a headache.

Those bandits might cut your throat

for a gold coin, but they aren't gonna trouble you

for what's in that box.

To them, that's just so much paper.

Not since the government made it redeemable

in gold coin.

Bandits don't know that.

Don't they?

Get this in the safe.

When I hit this port six months ago,

for a greenback, you couldn't even buy

a banana.

That was six months ago.

Thank you, Captain.

On behalf of Wells Fargo, Captain,

I'd like to thank you for delivering the money.

Now it's my problem.

I'm afraid it's not your only problem.

Excuse me.

Lillian.

Lillian, this is Mr. Hardie.

This is my daughter, Mrs. Barkley.

Pleased to meet you, ma'am.

You won't be so pleased when she tells you

why she's here. LILLIAN: Mr. Hardie,

I'm en route to El Paso.

Now, I know there's a revolution down here,

so for that reason,

I'd be most grateful for your help

in getting me safely to Laredo.

Well, I'm sorry, ma'am.

That won't be possible.

Why

JIM: I can't assume that responsibility.

Isn't assuming responsibilities

one of the duties of Wells Fargo?

For express, ma'am.

But with this revolution going on,

not for tourists.

Well, I'm willing to travel at my own risk

and at my own expense.

I'm sorry, ma'am.

LILLIAN: Mr. Hardie,

you'd better read this.

It's from the New York Office

of Wells Fargo...

Your authorization to escort me to Laredo.

Ms. Barkley,

this revolution could be over in a week.

Why don't you wait here where it's safe?

My reasons are personal.

She's a bride. She wrote her husband,

she'd be with him on their first anniversary.

Would you come with me a minute?

A cannonball did this at dawn this morning.

If you look inside, Mrs. Barkley,

you can see a part of the prison.

Why did you bring me here?

To try to talk to you out of going.

When do we leave?

Mr. Hardie?

Yes, I'm Hardie.

Well, my name is Dodd, William Dodd.

I'm with the United States Department

of Engineers.

Oh, come in.

What brings you down here?

Well, I've been sent out here to survey

for a railroad,

a railroad from here to Laredo.

Well, they could certainly use one down

in this country.

And due to the local revolution going on,

Washington figured that I might have trouble

getting to Laredo.

So I brought this.

It's an order to Wells Fargo

from the United States Government,

it's your authorization to...

I know,

to see that you get to Laredo safely.

That's it exactly.

Well, aren't you going to read it?

Not tonight, I'm too busy.

We'll leave the first thing in the morning, Mr. Dodd.

Be ready.

I will.

All right.

Good luck.

JIM: For the water crossing, we were supposed to be met

by three canoes and six Mexican paddle boys.

When we got there,

we found a rowboat

and no paddle boys.

JIM: After the water crossing,

we were supposed to be met

by a Mexican guide

and several fresh mules.

But when we arrived at the weigh station,

we saw no mules

and no guide.

The place looked deserted.

You wait here.

Come in, stranger.

Have some food.

It's rotten but it's food.

No, thanks. Who are you?

My name is Garrett.

What's yours?

Hardie, Jim Hardie.

Hi. Where are you bound for?

Laredo

Oh, that's the best news

I've had in three days.

Heading there myself.

I'll tread along with you.

But first you'll have to break me

out of these.

How'd you get in them?

Well, I was alone, heading for Laredo,

had a thousand dollars in my pocket.

Good old US gold coin.

That's when Sebastian caught me,

right here in this hut.

He stole my poke

and left me in chains.

Hadn't been for her, I'd have starved to death.

Who's Sebastian?

You mean you never heard of Sebastian?

JIM: No. I'm new down here.

So was I until he stole my poke.

Left me like this.

I'll see if I can break you out of those chains.

Then I think you'd maybe better take my boat,

go on back to Matamoros.

Go back? What for?

Come on, we'll get at those chains.

Get the sledgehammer.

Sit down.

She's been pounding on these chains

for the last three days now,

but she didn't have the strength.

Who is she? GARRETT: She used to be

Sebastian's housekeeper.

She ran away from the day

he put me in these irons.

She's been feeding me ever since.

What happens if Sebastian

catches up to her again?

Plenty, that's why she wants to go

to Laredo, too.

I don't know whether we have enough food or not.

You don't have enough supplies, leave her here.

What she to me is just another Indian,

let's forget her.

Folks, this is Juanita.

She's going to Laredo with us.

Yeah, you too.

This is Mr. Garrett.

All right.

More?

Thank you, Juanita.

Sebastian.

Pedro.

You think I don't find you, eh, Juanita?

The key, Senora?

Your jewels, Senora.

American postcards.

Juanita,

Juanita!

Wait.

They're gone.

Dodd, load that rifle.

Garrett, get the pistol.

There's no sign of that boat.

We've still got a long way to go.

You think you can manage your survey

equipment all right?

Well, I'd rather have a mule, but I'll try.

Garrett here can help you.

And carry the camp equipment.

You'll have to carry four canteens of water.

And that hat box,

if you still want your hat.

What will you do?

I'll have my hands full.

Got a lot of money there.

Mind if I ask how much?

I never counted it.

If it was mine,

I'd count it.

If it was mine, I'd count it too.

Whose money is it?

Belongs to a long white-bearded uncle

of mine.

Uncle Sam?

You guessed it.

You'd better get some sleep.

We're gonna have to get started early

in the morning.

That goes for you too.

JIM: And those days on the trail,

they weren't days.

They seemed more like weeks.

We never marched through the noonday sun.

We rested at the side of the trail.

These chains.

I know they hurt but we can't get them off

until we get a file. Maybe I don't want them off.

Maybe I like them.

I may meet up with Sebastian again.

And when I do.

You'd better save your strength.

We got a long way to go.

JIM: We'd seen no more bandits

since we left the river.

No sign of the revolution since Matamoras,

but bandits and revolution

were somewhere around us.

And we still had at least

20 miles ahead of us.

Dodd, where's Garrett?

I don't know.

I guess I dozed off.

Mr. Hardie.

LILLIAN: Mr. Hardie.

Listen. Mr. Hardie.

Listen.

Mr. Hardie.

What do you think you're doing?

I woke up, he was kneeling here.

You must've had a bad dream, lady.

I came on to find out what was the matter.

I heard her kind of call out in her sleep,

I guess.

Funny I didn't hear it.

Well, me, I'm a light sleeper.

The docs call it insomnia.

I always have trouble trying to sleep.

Get on back where you belong.

Sure, sure.

I'm sorry, Ms. Barkley.

You can go back to sleep now,

he won't bother you anymore.

Thank you.

Maybe I did call out. I don't know.

When I woke up and he was kneeling here,

it startled me.

I thought I told you not to open this trunk.

Well, I didn't. Really, I didn't.

From now on, I'll use this as a pillow.

Good night, Mrs. Barkley.

Good night.

Thank you.

Hey!

Hey, what's that for?

Where's the rest of it?

Or do I have to take you apart?

No, no, no.

It's a little hard for a man to get any sleep

around here.

You think I can trust you not to doze off again?

Yeah.

And I'm sorry.

You got a rifle.

You shoot anything that moves.

Get behind those rocks.

It's that Indian, Juanita.

Two horses,

they are all I could steal.

Sebastian is coming.

JIM: Did Sebastian do this?

Please, Senor, let us hurry.

Sebastian found out what you carry in that box.

We meet a rebel from Matamoras.

Sebastian tell him about your postcards.

Now, he is angry because he was stupid.

He wants that money.

How many has he got with him?

Pedro and two others.

Dodd,

you got two horses and two women.

Hurry up and get out of here.

Never mind that.

What about you? I could hold off an army

from here and Sebastian is no army.

What do I do? Walk? You're gonna stay with me.

Hurry up, Dodd. I still don't like the idea

leaving you here.

Hyah! Hyah!

Now, you wanted to fight Sebastian.

Now, this is your chance.

Keep that rifle aimed the right way

because I'll be right behind you with this.

Hurry up, move!

What's the matter? Gun empty, Mr. Hardie?

Yeah.

I wouldn't try reloading that, Mr. Hardie.

I wouldn't worry about this box,

Mr. Hardie.

I'll see that it gets to Laredo.

There won't be any money in it though.

Banditos will have it.

Same banditos

that killed you.

Now, you wanted to go to Laredo.

Well, you're going.

Get up.

JIM: Coming along that last stretch

of trail into Laredo,

it was like sighting a harbor

after you'd been at sea too long.

The money was locked up in the company safe.

Garret, he was locked up

in the Laredo jail.

And Mrs. Lillian Barkley was already on her way

to keep her date with her husband.

Me,

well, I had a date with Mr. Dodd

and a young lady.

Well, Mr. Hardie, I don't know how

I can ever repay you.

Well, you can start by building that railroad

you talked about.

This country could sure use it.

But right now, you can buy me

and Juanita some dinner.

It's a deal.