All language subtitles for 23 - The Alexander Portlass Story

FLINT: A year ago,

this had been a bad stretch
for the wagon train.

Oh, I had managed to find
a couple of waterholes

and a few patches
of cheat grass for the cattle,

but it had been rough goin',

and that had been a wet year.

This one was a dry year.

In two days,
I hadn't seen a living thing...

not an animal or a bird,
not even a lizard.

I could have been scouting'
a country for the dead.

Ugh! Ugh! Water! Ugh!

Water! Water!

Hey.

Howdy, McCullough.

Glad to meet you, McCullough.

All right, McCullough,
start draggin' that horse.

Git!

Hey, boys, look what I got.

Now, he ain't the prettiest
desert varmint I ever seen,

but it's been a dry summer,
ain't it?

What'll we do,
skin him out for wolf bait?

Nah, better let him
keep his hide,

least until after he's
finished scoutin' for us.

I know you.
You're name is Phelan.

That's right.

I used to be with
the wagon train last year.

Till that blue-nosed Major Adams

dropped me off
in the middle of nowhere.

We didn't strand you.

We threw you out
for bein' a thief.

And you know something,
McCullough?

I still am.

Didn't I just steal me a scout?

Nice horse, huh, Bruto?

Leave him alone, you big brute.

Go get him, Bruto!

Go get him!

Don't let him do that to you!

Go ahead, crush him! Go ahead!

Bruto...

Bruto!

Bruto.

Don't hurt this man.
He means no harm.

This will not do, Mr. Phelan.

Mr. McCullough is our guest.
Help him to the wagon.

Well, well, Mr. McCullough,

I'm afraid we got off
to a very bad start.

It's entirely my fault.

I should have been here
to welcome you personally,

but you know what happened?

I fell asleep in my wagon.

You feel any better now?

Yeah, I'm fine.

What set him off?

You mean this?

You happened to touch
on his most sensitive point.

You see,
his name "Bruto" in Spanish

is the equivalent
for the Latin "Brutus,"

not "brute" like you thought.

Now, you know
that Brutus was a man

whose political conscience
got him into a violent end,

and in some respects,
Brutus' career parallels his,

not that he killed Caesar,
but he spoke out very loudly

against the foreign intruder
Emperor Maximilian.

Eventually, he became a source
of irritation in his native Mexico.

They removed the source...
His tongue.

May I suggest that, when
you address him in the future,

you're a little bit
more cautious.

What do you plan for my future?

Nothing special, except that I
hope your stay will be very long.

What do you say, gentlemen?

Yeah, it might be kinda nice
havin' a new face around here...

Even his.

You the leader of this gang?

I'm the leader
of this expedition.

You call this an expedition?

Yes, it's an expedition...
for immortality.

Immortality?

My immortality...

and I hope you'll
help me to achieve it.

And how am I supposed
to help you live forever?

Forever.

Yes, sir, forever.

Right now,
why don't you rest up.

You have nothing else to do
before supper.

Oh, Mr. Phelan...

Mr. Phelan, will you keep
our guest company until supper?

And may I assure you,
you are a most welcome guest.

I think the word
you mean is "prisoner."

That's a nasty word.

I would never use it.

Will you join us,
Mr. McCullough?

The Professor seems to have
taken quite a shine to you.

Professor?

Professor of what?

Maybe he's a professor
of kidnapping stupid scouts.

Why does he want a scout?

Look, you got
a belly full of grub.

Why don't you just lay down
there and grab yourself a snooze.

What's the matter with him?

What do you mean?

A while ago when he tried to
get up, he almost didn't make it.

He's fat. Maybe he's sick.

Look, he ain't sick enough
so he can't take care of you,

and he's well enough
to lead us to the g...

Gold?

You're wastin' your time,
Phelan.

There's no gold in this desert.

What are you talking about?!
Are you mad?! Let me loose!

I didn't take it! Let me loose!

You stole our water!

Keep quiet, both of you!

How can a man think
with that noise around here?

My canteen's gone!

The last time
I seen this little runt,

he was hangin' around my gear.

I wasn't. I wasn't near it.

You know how he's been complainin'
all along 'bout how thirsty he was.

Just figures he took it.

He's lyin'! I never did!

Now, you know how precious
water is around here.

Why don't you give him back
his canteen.

I ain't got it.

He's lyin' just so
he can get part of my ration.

So I'm a liar, am I?
You called me a liar.

Now, that ain't
very respectful, boy.

Appears I gotta learn you
a little respect.

Don't lay
your hands on me, Jupe.

I'll kill you, so help me.

You can't do it, boy.

Before you can get a second
shot out of that thumb-buster,

I'll be on you
with the meat-axe.

You know, actually, there
has been a little bad blood

between the two of them
from the very start.

I wonder if maybe
it would be better

to let them settle it
right here and now.

I can split you wide open
from your hair

right down to your wishbone,

with one good swipe.

Whoop!

What's the matter
with your trigger finger, boy?

Got buck fever?

Ooh.

Ooh!

Come with me, sir.
I'd like to talk to you.

I can't think of anything
more humiliating

than a man
being deprived of his pants.

If somebody did that to me,
I'd...

They used to do it to me
at the university.

Maybe I have no sense of humor,
but I find it unfunny.

Drafty, too.

Should we have
some privacy, sir?

Despicable people.

Despicable,
but I can't do without them.

However, I kept my promise.

Bruto did cook you
a good meal, didn't he?

Won't you be comfortable.

I don't think you're
interested in my comfort.

Phelan called you a professor.

Professor of what?

Oh, that's just a courtesy title
these imbeciles gave me.

My name is Alexander Portlass.

Well, you know what my name is,

and you know that
I've got a job to do.

Now, why are you
keeping me here?

I know, I know,

but I have
a more important job for you...

Much more important.

And just what might that be?

I'll tell you,

but won't you first
join me in a drink.

Thank you.

J...

U-P-E.

Now that might just be Jupe's,
might it?

I wonder how it got there.

I haven't got the faintest idea.

I don't believe you.

It might have cost
that kid his life, you know.

Yeah, that would
have been sad...

from one point of view.

From another point of view,

it might have been
very advantageous

'cause, you see,
since you joined the expedition,

there's one more mouth to feed,
one more thirst to quench.

Not having foreseen
that necessity,

I've only provisioned
the expedition for five.

Now I have a problem.

There's one too many.

Professor, there's an obvious
solution to your problem...

You just give me back my horse.

I told you, I have
a very important job for you.

What is it?

You mind helping me?

An Oregon boot.

One of your expedition
a convict?

All four of 'em.

Careful, careful.

You realize you are now
holding my life in your hands?

I've never seen Indian writing
like this. It's very old.

Pueblo?

No, no, no, you're very right.

It's very old, but, however,
when you say "Pueblo,"

you are about 3,000 miles off
because it's Aztec.

Aztec?

You believe in the legend
of Montezuma's treasure?

Believe it? I'm convinced of it.

And you think these figures
are gonna show you where it is?

How did you know?

That's exactly what it does.

And that's why you want me.

I'd like you to help me

to interpret some
of these obscurities.

Oh, well, sure,
and then after we find this,

we can run down to Florida

and look for
the Fountain of Youth

and then look for
the Seven Cities of Gold.

No, no, no, that's nonsense.

I grant you,
those things are fairy tales.

However, when it comes
to the treasure of Montezuma,

that's an entirely
different matter.

Listen to this carefully.

"Despair, ye Sons of Heaven,

"the dreadful prophecies
have been fulfilled.

"The hordes of the enemy
are in the East.

"Their voice
is the voice of thunder,

and they will kill
with manmade lightning."

The thunder and lightning,
of course,

refers to the cannons of Cortez.

You realize that this records

the beginning
of the Spanish Conquest.

What if it's just a history?

What makes you think
it'll take you to the treasure?

I shall try to interpret it
for you in my own words.

The Aztecs were terrified,

not only on account of
Cortez's soldiers and cannons,

but also because the coming
of the Conquistadores

seemed to be the fulfillment
of an ancient prophecy.

News of the Spaniards' approach
turned Montezuma's capital

into a city of horror.

They offered
great human sacrifice

to delay the invaders' advance,

and then when
none of that availed,

Montezuma ordered
his most trusted officer

to transport
his personal treasure

to a hiding place
in the distant north.

What if the tablet's a forgery?

No, no, there's no possibility.
It's been authenticated.

I shall tell you presently
where I got it.

Shall I continue?

I don't know that
I have any choice.

Thank you.

This is an account
of that officer's journey,

and with it, I was able
to trace his route

to this general region.

The treasure of Montezuma

is probably out there
in this desert,

probably...

probably only
a few miles from here.

What a beautiful night.

It's all right, Mr. Phelan.
You may relax your gun.

Why don't you go
and get some sleep.

You want this?

No, I think you're interested
enough not to leave us now.

Good night, Mr. Phelan.
Sleep well.

Are you good at riddles,
Mr. McCullough?

Not particularly.

'Cause, you see, up to here,

the tablet describes
the journey very well

up to the extremities
of this desert,

but then it becomes
increasingly confusing,

like this...

"Four suns have died

since we came to this place
of the Water Ghosts."

Does that mean anything to you?
Water Ghosts?

Water Ghosts? It's a mirage.

The desert's full of 'em.

Of course. Of course.

I always knew if we
pooled our force together,

we would succeed.

And this... "Last night,

we slept surrounded
by the glowing torches."

Now, I appreciate
the poetry of these words,

but their sense escapes me.

Glowing torch?

There's a spiny cactus
called an Ocotillo.

When it blooms,
the flowers are brilliant red.

You might think of that
as a glowing torch.

Yes, and where
would you find that?

All over the desert.

Well, then it wouldn't
be any clue, would it?

Well, you'd have to find
a clump of them.

The blossoms only
show themselves in the Spring.

Oh.

Well, this I don't
understand at all.

"A sandstorm
of great violence arose.

"We finally found
shelter from it

in the embrace of
the Wailing Dead Man."

Does that mean something to you?

Wailing Dead Man?

No.

Seek refuge from a sandstorm
in a canyon.

A coyote wailing to an Indian

might be thought of
as a Wailing Dead Man.

There's a canyon about
15 miles southwest of here.

The Indians
call it Coyote Canyon.

Fifteen miles from here.

Well, then our search
is drawing to an end

because within
the embrace of these hills

must be the treasure
of Montezuma,

of that I'm certain.

And after that...

After that comes
the Alexander Portlass Room

in the British Museum.

The what?

My room.

My immortality.

And in that room,
there will be Aztec treasures

such as the world
has never seen before.

What's that got to do
with the British Museum?

I used to work there
for many years.

It was the happiest time
of my life.

It was there
where I got the tablet.

Of course, I was surrounded
by disbelievers,

and then I took ill.

What kind of an illness?

Oh, just a minor ailment,

and then I found the money
to finance my own expedition...

A real treasure... a Cellini Cup.

To be frank with you,
I stole it from the museum,

and I sold it
for a great amount of money.

And that's why
you want your fortune...

To get back at the disbelievers.

Yes.

The Alexander Portlass Room.

Think of it,
that we are that close.

Kinda figured you'd
pass this way, McCullough.

All right, McCullough, mount up.

Hot, isn't it?

Do you have a nice,
cool drink of water?

You like playing tricks with
canteens, don't you, Mr. Portlass?

Oh, I have any number of tricks.

Just about
to show you another one.

Get it.

Get down and join us,
McCullough.

I said get down.

I'll take care of this.

Tighten up the boot.

I have no objection
to hurting him.

Maybe the pain
will remind him not to escape.

Mr. McCullough...

Now we are going
to Coyote Canyon,

which you were kind enough
to point out for me last night,

and if we don't find
what I am looking for,

you have my solemn pledge

that I am going
to kill you myself.

Whoa.

How much further, sir?

If you look hard,
you can see the buttes.

Seem very near.

Would you mind very much
driving for me, Mr. McCullough?

Are you askin' me?

He's tellin' you.

Go on, get down.

If you don't rest these horses,
they're never gonna make it.

We should be pressing on,

but I suppose everybody
wants to get fed.

Let's make a stop, gentlemen.

Let go!

The men are thirsty.

How much water shall I give 'em?

Are we low?

Over half a barrel,

but I don't know how long
it'll have to last.

What's your advice?

If it was up to me, I'd say
let 'em all die of thirst.

But a half a cup ought to
keep them goin' to sundown.

All right.

Where'd you pick up
these buzzards?

I think by that comparison,

you do a great injustice
to the buzzards.

After all,
the birds clear up carrion,

my associates create it.

Where did I pick them up?

Well, Latigo, he was
a candidate for a hanging.

So I misdirected the posse.

I see.

You're not only a thief,
but you aid and abet fugitives.

I needed him, that's all.

Now, Phelan and Jupe,

they set upon me one night
in El Paso.

They beat me up and robbed me.

They were apprehended.

Then the next morning,
I put up the bail,

and that's how I
persuaded them to join me.

What about
your tongueless friend?

Oh, he came with the horses.

The man who sold me the horses
threw him in for an extra $20.

He's very much
like a horse himself.

He's strong and dumb

and willing to labor
at anything...

with occasional fits of temper,
as you had occasion to notice.

I really like Bruto.

I hope at the end,
he'll go fast without suffering.

What about the others?

You don't really care
how they go, do you?

Just as long as they go.

They're dregs.
You said it yourself.

They're human beings.

Of no consequence.

There are four of them.

How do you plan
to knock 'em off?

Who said anything
about knocking them off?

It figures.

If you want the whole treasure
for the Alexander Portlass Room,

there's gonna be
nothing left for them.

And what about me?

Do you plan to get rid of me
personally the way you threatened?

No, you're intelligent,
and you're useful.

I wouldn't know how to get out
of this wilderness by myself.

Do you realize, sir,
that I'm in your hands?

Maybe more than you know.

Suppose I tell them
that you're dying?

We're all dying... all of us.

Every day,
the calendar is our executioner.

That's very philosophical.
That's not what I mean.

Suppose I tell them that
you've got creeping paralysis?

What do you mean?

I mean, we had a man
on the wagon train

who lost the use of his arms
and his legs the same way you are.

By the time
we got to Sacramento,

the only thing he could move
were his eyes.

I'm not on the edge
of paralysis.

You fall down, you can't get up.

You can't even
hold on to the reins.

I'm just more clumsy
than others, that's all.

Why did you lose your job
at the museum, Mr. Portlass?

Wasn't it because you were
dropping too many valuable things?

We have rested long enough.
Let's be off, gentlemen.

Will you help me, please?

You were right.
There's almost no time left.

There's time to get
to the wagon train.

If you look for a doctor,
you might have a chance.

No, that's nonsense.

It's only my dream
that keeps me alive.

I won't help you with that.

You won't? Phelan!

Phelan, put him on a horse
and watch him!

If he tries to escape you,
shoot him!

Latigo, you drive the wagon.

The dead man
wails against the moon.

Gentlemen,
we'll camp here for tonight.

Latigo, go get some wood.
We'll need a great fire.

You hear the coyotes?

They're greeting our coming.

That's a good omen.

The Indians believe they howl
because somebody's gonna die.

Tomorrow will be
my day of triumph.

It's a pretty big canyon.

How you gonna
know where to look?

"The heart of the dead man."

I'm quoting from the tablet.

Now, where would you look
for the heart of the canyon?

Well, you ought to be able to
figure that out for yourself.

I would use force
only with great reluctance.

I'd much rather be peaceful.

They say the same thing
about a rattlesnake.

That's a good simile.

You should keep it in mind.

Now tell me you ain't stealin'
water, you thievin' little runt!

I caught him stealin' water.

I told you he's the one
that stole my canteen.

I should have killed him then.

Well, this time I ain't foolin'.

Latigo!

Where did you get that axe?

Jupe! Jupe, stop that!

A war axe.

This is an ancient war axe.

It's Aztec.

Where did you find it, Latigo?

Around the bend a little ways.

Get a torch. Quick.

Latigo, show me the way.

See? We must be close here.

Thank you, Latigo.

Phelan, give me that torch.

That's more gold
than I dreamed existed.

Yes, it was ordained.

I shall have my room.

Get the tools, gentlemen.

It'll be safer
to wait until daylight.

Sandstone's pretty tricky.

I have no time, Mr. McCullough.

Bring the tools.

I can't believe
that it's this easy.

Huh?

I can't believe that they
drag a treasure 3,000 miles

and then just throw
a little dirt over it.

And these carvings, it
tells you right where to look.

Oh, undoubtedly, he will demand
a human sacrifice.

Who?

The War God of the Aztecs.

Before he extended his favors,

he always demanded
a human sacrifice,

and always
he makes his own choice.

I'm going through, Phelan.

Get out of the way, Latigo!
Get out of the way!

Aah!

There's your sacrifice.

Yes, he was elected.

Gentlemen,
it's safe to continue now.

No further demands
will be made of us.

Look, this is the legendary
throne of Montezuma!

Off these gold plates
he used to dine and feast!

And this is the famous
sun calendar of the Aztecs!

Careful, Bruto.

We all better be careful.
This is sandstone.

You never know what
might bring it down on us.

Look.

This is beyond
all my expectations.

I told you.

It's the greatest find
the world has ever known!

Hey, Bruto!

Come on out here!
Come on out here!

He wants to kill us
like he did Jupe and Latigo!

He wants to keep
all that stuff for himself!

You don't have
to worry about that, Bruto.

Hey, Bruto, didn't you hear
McCullough talkin' to him about that?

I didn't fry in the desert so we
could give that stuff to a museum!

Come on out, Bruto!

Phelan!

Phelan, you don't have
to be afraid of that.

'Cause he's dyin'?
I heard that, too.

But so will you, McCullough.

Maybe he'll have
two more seconds.

All right, McCullough,
stay in there if you want to.

We'll be out here...
where the water is.

You got any more slugs for this?

Have you got
any more slugs for this?

There's a whole box
in the wagon.

I suppose the key to this thing
in the wagon, too?

The key. Here.

Here's your key.

Agua.

Thanks, Bruto.

Ahh.

Hey, McCullough...

Hey, little fat man...

How'd you like a long,
refreshing drink?

We got almost half a barrel.
You can have all you want.

I'd give all the gold in
this room for a loaded rifle.

What...

Isn't that beautiful work?

The blade is made of flint.

Think of that civilization
when they had no iron and steel.

And that bow...
Isn't it beautiful?

And I found the golden arrow

that must have belonged
to Montezuma himself.

It bears the royal seal.

One arrow,
a bow without a string...

That's not a very good chance.

I can't get close enough
to take a shot.

I'm goin' out, Professor.

It's not much of a chance,

but it's the only one we've got.

I welcome you, sir.

You're the first visitor
to the Alexander Portlass Room

at the British Museum.

May I point out to you
that you are now looking at

the finest single collection
of pre-Columbian art

in the whole world.

I'll quote you
from Montezuma's tablet.

"If any of
the moon-skinned gods of light

"should happen upon this room,

it shall be his forevermore."

You hear the prophecy?

Forevermore.

Bruto, stop waterin' the horses.

That stupid... Bruto,
don't water all the horses!

We only need two.

Put it down! Put it down!

You stupid brute!

Ugh.

It's all yours now...

just as you wanted it...

The Alexander Portlass Room.

It's all yours.