Original subtitles

Sure is hot.

Charlie, half the people on this train

have said that to me 50 times in the last three days.

What do you expect in the desert,

snow in July?

I know it's hot!

I just thought I'd mention it.

Well, don't!

Think of those people we're supposed to meet.

They have to come right through the middle of it!

Hal, stop that!

Chaffee cut them off of that snake that bit our scout.

I was just trying to keep the kids quiet, Mrs. Bernard.

I meant no harm.

Is Mr. Bristol dead?

I don't know.

What's going on?

Look, Pa! Look what Chaffee gave me.

I thought I told you to look after your sister.

You did everything you could, Clayton.

But not enough.

You oughta try to get some rest, Sabrina.

How soon do you want to move on?

Soon as possible.

Should've moved on long before this.

Pete's dead, huh?

Chaffee said he'd die. Chaffee knows about snakes.

Look, son, I told you to take care...

I'll help Susan with the children.

Bad business, Clay.

Pete Bristol, old as he was,

he knew this desert.

I had a lot of faith in him.

I had a chance to go over this map with him a lot before he died.

That's good, 'cause I had a little talk with the boys,

and, well, we didn't figure on Pete dying,

but as a feller says, you gotta be ready for the worst.

Just what I've been thinking, Art.

With these three days that we've lost,

we're gonna be running pretty short

of water and supplies.

Yeah, well, I thought that out too.

Looking at Pete's map, I figure we could

make those three days up by cutting north.

North? North of where?

To Devil's Peak up there.

That'd be our landmark.

How far away would you say that peak is, Art?

Oh, about ten miles, maybe a little more.

One day's run.

Art, Devil's Peak is closer to 50 miles from here.

That's all the more reason we shouldn't take

the long way round, isn't it?

All the more reason we should!

This is no time to take chances.

What chance would we be taking?

Going north would be three days shorter.

Shorter in distance, yes, but not in time.

Why, there's stretches of lava ash

and loose sand north of that peak

that we'd be lucky to make two miles a day

with our stock in top condition,

and ours isn't even in good condition.

I don't think they're in such bad shape.

In fact, I gave them a little extra feed

and water this morning.

Art, you shouldn't have done that!

Look, Clay, you and me's been friends

for a long time, haven't we?

Well, as your friend, I don't mind telling you

that I'm getting a little tired of you

arguing with everything that comes up.

Somebody has to be in charge, Art.

Even more so now.

Oh, yeah, I'll go along with that,

but we're not in the army anymore, Captain.

I'll just see what the rest of them have to say.

Have you sighted their wagons?

Nope, not a sign of them.

It's a hard three days' ride to Devil's Peak.

More like ten days in a wagon.

I could see for more than 50 miles through the glasses.

There's not a thing moving.

Must be 130 degrees out in that salt flat.

They miss just one of those water holes, they're through.

They got old Pete Bristol with them. He's a mighty good man.

The desert's filled with the bones of mighty good men, Major.

Yeah, I know.

Well, we can't hold this train up any longer.

Get yourselves something to eat and get back out and find them.

We'll meet you at Johnson's Crossing.

We might as well face it... Something's gone wrong.

You shouldn't be doing this work, Sabrina.

I don't mind.

There's some disagreement about which way to go, isn't there?

Not as far as I'm concerned.

Well, I might as well come straight out with it.

We've decided against you.

Well, not against you, personally.

I don't mean that, but, uh...

we've all looked at the map and we've decided...

What you're trying to say is you've decided

to cut north of Devil's Peak, is that it?

I'm not trying to say it, I am saying it.

That's the way we're gonna go.

No, we're not, Art.

You don't seem to understand.

We took a vote on it, and they put me in charge.

I'll accept that, provided you listen to reason.

Well, I've always had a high respect for your ideas,

even in the army, when I had to take your orders.

We're taking the long way around south of Devil's Peak.

It won't be easy. The last three days of it are gonna be pretty rough.

But we're gonna make it that way.

We won't be going north.

Will you tell me something?

What makes you such an expert on this desert?

You haven't been through here

any more than the rest of us.

I spent three days with Pete Bristol before he died.

Sure, sure, but half the time he was out of his head.

Now, maybe he told you wrong.

I don't think he did.

I'm not gonna risk the lives of my wife and three kids

on whether you're right or not, Clayt.

What it boils down to, it's your opinion against all of us.

All of you?

Well, Clayt?

I'm going south of the peak.

I guess you'll be doing it alone.

We'll miss you.

Come on, boys, let's hitch up.

They're wrong, Sabrina.

That isn't a shortcut, regardless of how it looks on the map.

How much longer do you think it'll take,

going the way they want to go?

Longer? It's not a matter of time.

It's a matter of making it at all.

They try cutting across them lava beds,

they just ain't gonna survive.

If you really believe you're right, Clayton...

I know I'm right.

Then it's up to you to stop them.

Clay, what are you doing?

Art! Art!

It's Clayt. He's lost his mind.

He's smashing all the rifles.

What the devil do you think you're doing?

Keeping you from making the biggest mistake of your life.

Chaffee, unlash that water barrel from Art's wagon.

You touch that water barrel, I'll kill you.

Go ahead, Chaffee.

Chaffee...

Why, you...

Put the next one right between your eyes, Art, if I have to.

Take that barrel off the wagon.

Give him a hand, the rest of you.

Go on.

Believe me, Art, I didn't want it this way,

but I'll go as far as I have to go

to get this outfit through alive.

What are you looking for, another medal, Captain Tucker?

He didn't get a medal for the 20 men he had to sacrifice, Art.

He got a medal for the 100 men he saved!

Well, I wouldn't know anything about that,

because he was the big captain

and I was only a sergeant.

You should know, Art.

Weren't you one of the 100 that was saved?

Those rifles are just extra weight.

We haven't seen any game for a week,

and we won't see any till we get out of this desert.

You sure that's the only reason you smashed those rifles?

Or was it because you were afraid

somebody'd be walking behind you with a loaded gun?

No, not afraid, Art. Just careful.

Same reason I'm heading south of Devil's Peak.

Well, what makes you think we'll go along?

'Cause your water's on my wagon,

and it's gonna stay there.

I'm not stealing it, Art.

It's still yours.

You're just going to have to come after it.

Susan, Clayton knows what he's doing.

Clayton knows, Clayton knows.

I'm sick of hearing what Clayton knows.

Can't he ever forget he was Art's commanding officer?

That has nothing to do with it.

Oh, doesn't it?

He was a big, important man during the war,

and that's the only time he ever has been.

He's jealous because Art's done so much better than he has.

That just isn't so. It is so!

And you're jealous, too, Sabrina.

You're jealous because I have children

and you never can have!

Susan, I'm your best friend.

You were my best friend.

Now stay away from me!

And stay away from my children!

I can't leave my kids without any water.

You can share with us.

I appreciate that, but that'd run you too short.

No, we'll just tag on along,

and we'll have plenty of time

to cut north once we hit Devil's Peak.

Suppose he won't let us?

Pssh.

He ain't gonna stop nobody.

He may have smashed our rifles,

but he didn't smash these.

That's enough.

Start 'em up!

Get up!

Get up!

Stop that!

That water's for drinking.

I wouldn't do that, Mr. Tucker.

He's a fine boy, Clayt,

he just finds it hard to understand.

Yeah.

Better get your water barrel on my wagon where we can keep an eye on it.

I don't know if I like that.

Don't make me take it away, Gantry.

My son's a fine boy, Clayt.

Sure he is.

Just get the barrel on my wagon.

I can't get very much milk.

Let me try.

We don't need your help, Tucker.

You bogged down three times today, Art.

You'd better lighten your load.

Everything you can spare.

I think I'll decide that.

Before you got high-minded and took over,

every man was boss of his own wagon.

Now, that was the rule.

That was yesterday, Art.

Lighten your load in the morning.

You give me that back!

There's only so much milk, Judy.

I told you to stay away from us.

The cow's going dry, Susan. Not enough feed and water.

My kitty's hungry.

So's your little sister, honey.

I thought the war was behind me.

I thought I'd forgotten how it feels

to be hated for doing what you know is right.

Someone had to make the decision.

Yeah.

But the decision itself is never the end of it.

Once you make it, you have to...

keep going forward.

There's no turning back.

And they seem to hate you more

for every one you have to make.

You'll go on making them, Clayton.

You'll make the right ones.

Some of those decisions

are gonna be ugly ones, Sabrina.

You may end up hating me yourself...

hating me like Art and Gantry are now.

Don't look back.

I told you some of the decisions would be ugly.

Giddy-up.

Haw!

Whoa.

Get up! Haw!

Get on, there!

Gantry, have your son get down here and give me a hand.

When I give the word,

get everything you can out of the team.

Well, he got you into this.

Let's see him get you out.

All right!

Haw!

Get up! Haw!

Once again!

What do you want me to throw out now, Captain?

My wife and kids?

There'll be no more riding on the wagons

except for the women and children.

Wagon breaks down, we'll have to leave it behind.

Next water ration will be at 6:00 tonight.

Come on.

I hate you!

I thought you were gonna do the driving.

The team will drive itself.

I'd just as soon walk.

Look, honey...

It's more important to save the team.

We ever get to Sacramento,

I'm gonna buy you the moon.

We'll get there,

and I'll hold you to that promise.

Doesn't seem any closer than it did three days ago.

It's closer.

Yeah.

You're right, it is, Sabrina.

But I wanted to hear you say it.

All right, everybody. On your feet.

Let's go!

Can't do everything, Sabrina.

How do you figure it?

Gantry's son, young, strong as an ox,

giving out inch by inch,

and Chaffee...

I didn't think he'd stand up

under walking for a day.

How's Susan holding out?

She won't even speak to me.

She seems to think the whole thing's my fault.

I know.

And the kids?

They're still getting a little milk

from the cow for the baby.

Judy and Hal seem all right.

I don't know how much longer they'll be able to ride.

I hate to think of telling Art that.

Clayton, you can't expect the children to walk.

When horses give out, what choice will I have?

He done the right thing, Mr. Gantry.

That horse couldn't have gone another step.

Well, you finally got your own way,

didn't you, Captain Clayton Tucker,

coming the long way round.

That's the most foolish thing I ever heard... Art.

There's just no sense of us wasting

what strength we've got yelling at each other.

But you wouldn't listen to me!

If you'd have come my way,

we'd have caught Adam's train by now.

We'd have been dead, Art.

Would that have been any worse?

You answer that, Art.

If we could just stay here for a while,

if my boy could get some rest.

We're moving on, Mr. Gantry,

soon as we get things reorganized.

Reorganized?

That's a good army word, isn't it, Captain Tucker?

What are we gonna do, pull these wagons out by hand?

If we have to.

Until then, we've still got four good horses to pull them.

We'll build ourselves a couple of two-wheeled carts.

Out of what?

Out of yours and my wagons.

We got tools and still got strength enough to use them.

When can I wear it, Mommy, when?

When we get to Sacramento.

They're fine new outfits for both you children,

and a beautiful dress for me.

Oh, your grandmother's gonna be so proud of you

when she sees you.

Susan...

Mommy, I'm thirsty.

Tell her.

She's got the water on her wagon.

You don't hear her saying she's thirsty.

Ask her!

Sabrina, can I have a drink of water?

Well, if my son could ride the cart

for just a little ways...

No.

I need a good man to lead the cow.

I'll do it, Mr. Tucker.

We're ready, Susan.

I won't leave it.

I won't have my children looking like beggars.

Now, Art decided what things of yours were to go, Susan.

I won't leave it!

You're jealous.

You're jealous of my children.

You just don't want them to look nice.

Put the trunk on our cart, Clayton.

There's no room, Sabrina.

There's room.

Let him have the trunk, Susan.

You won't have to leave it, I promise you.

Your best china.

The trunk is more important right now, Clayton.

Believe me.

On your feet, everybody.

We're pulling out.

Not on your life, Tucker.

We've been building those carts all night.

I'm not leaving till my family gets some rest.

Water's on that wagon. If you want it, come after it.

Giddy-up!

Help! Help me!

Get those carts moving!

No!

Get up.

I'll take Chaffee's back to him.

He can come for his own like everybody else.

But he fell behind.

But you wouldn't care about that, would you?

You wouldn't care about anybody.

That was my son's portion!

Now give me mine.

That was your portion, Gantry.

What you do with it is your own business.

Everybody on their feet.

Let's get moving.

Everybody up.

Get up! Get up!

Clayt, I gotta talk to you, if you don't mind.

Anytime, Art. You know that.

I just want to tell you that I was wrong.

You came the right way. I know that now.

I'd rather hear you say that, Art, than any other man in this outfit.

Well, I said a lot of things I didn't mean.

I guess you think that I forgot that we were friends.

Guess you think I forgot that you saved my life in the army.

You were the best captain a man ever had.

You were hard, Clayt, but you were the best.

What do you want to tell me, Art?

Just that you're doing the right thing,

like keeping this water barrel up in front of us.

You know as long as it's there us men's gonna follow it.

Old Chaffee, now, he came on in, didn't he?

He just kept thinking about this water barrel

and he came right on in.

And this trunk with Susan and our kids' clothes in it.

That's just like a water barrel to her.

She just keeps following this trunk.

You can thank Sabrina for that.

Well, I'm gonna do that,

because Susan's wrong about Sabrina.

I'm gonna have a little talk with her about that.

What do you want, Art?

Clayt.

That Gantry kid, now, he's dead.

He don't need that water.

Clayt, it ain't for me. It's for my kids.

All I've got to give them is a handful of meal.

They can't get it down without water.

That Gantry kid, he just don't need that water.

My kids, they do.

Clayt, for the love of God.

No, Art.

You heard?

So that's why he wanted to take the trunk with the clothes.

Clayt, he was asking for water for the baby.

It's not an unreasonable request.

We have one less now. Why can't you let him have it?

'Cause there isn't any water.

What are you gonna do?

Just keep moving.

Whoa!

Ah, minute rest.

Art's horses. Not much longer.

Baby can't walk.

Tucker, we demand water.

I told you before,

sundown tonight.

We can't go any further!

Sundown tonight!

Not before.

All right.

All here. Let's move out.

Get up.

They're still following.

Isn't there any way to make it easier on them?

Our only chance now is to get them

hating me so much that they'll be determined

to live long enough to kill me.

Get up!

Want me to lead her, son?

No. She knows me best.

Why don't you use a whip?

Once again.

If we can just keep going till dark, honey.

They've gotta rest.

They'll expect water.

Chance it.

They've got to rest.

No!

Hal.

Hal, listen.

That cow hasn't given milk for two days.

Fresh meat might mean saving everybody's life.

Two sisters, your father and mother.

I had to do it, boy.

I raised her from a calf.

She was my pet.

Meat did them a lot of good.

Want to try to pull this cart further?

We have to.

If we don't, it'd be admitting

that there was no water in that barrel.

But we've gotta leave Susan's trunk.

No.

It's just dead weight.

Susan's hope for the future.

A woman needs something of her own to cling to.

But you've given up everything.

Not everything, Clayton.

ART: We demand water.

You gonna try and stop us?

It's empty!

Has been for two days, Art.

You tricked us.

We've been following an empty barrel for two days!

You're two days closer

to the Adams wagon train, aren't you?

We gotta go on.

If even one man of us gets through,

he can bring help for the others.

Where are you going, Art?

I'm going to the lake, get some water.

My kids are thirsty.

Chasing that mirage out there.

Ought to stop him.

No, he's heading in the right direction.

We're bound to catch up with him.

May... may I have my trunk, please?

Susan. Susan, try to understand.

We must move on.

Oh, I understand.

Arthur's gone after water.

He'll be back soon.

The children and I will stay here.

If you go first, I think she'll follow you.

And if she doesn't?

Then she'll have to do like Chaffee does...

just try and catch up with us.

Sabrina.

Sabrina.

Where's my wife?

It's different now, isn't it?

Ain't my son this time,

it's your wife, and it's different.

No... it's not different.

Somebody's still got to get through.

And the prince and the princess

rode off on the prince's beautiful white horse

and they lived happily ever after.

I like that story, Mommy.

Mama, look!

Sabrina, something's wrong with Mama.

Hello, Sabrina!

How nice to see you.

I thought maybe we'd walk on a ways

while it's cool.

Oh, didn't I tell you?

There's a big lake out there.

Arthur went after water.

He'll be back soon.

That's wonderful, Susan.

Why don't we just walk out and meet him?

No, I-I think we'll wait here.

Children.

Children, we're gonna have a dress-up party.

Your mother's gonna show me your new clothes.

Susan, I'm so anxious to see them.

Can we really wear them, Mommy?

Hal. Hal, get me a couple sticks.

Anything. Everything's gonna be all right.

Susan.

Susan?

Susan, keep going.

I'm trying.

Look.

Oh, Art! Art!

Susan.

Captain Tucker, he... He found me.

He went on.

He put that signal up.

He said you'd catch up.

Now, how'd he know you'd catch up?

Same reason I... I know he'll bring us help.

What do you figure, Flint?

Well, I'm satisfied they didn't try to cut north of Devil's Peak.

Thank heaven for that.

Take a look. On the right.

It looks like.

Give me the canteen, Bill.

That's it.

Back there. The others.

We'll take care of them.

I'll show you the way.

You just stay put. We'll take care of them.

They're my people. I'll show you the way.

Bill, you'd better come back with a wagon.

All right.

Sabrina.

All present and accounted for, Captain.

Charlie, you finally found somebody that likes

your cooking after all.

You know, Bill,

sometimes running a wagon train seems worthwhile after all.

You see people like that

heading out into the new country,

how can you help but have faith

in the future of that new country, huh?