Original subtitles

MAN: Hyah, hyah.

HARDIE: A friendly game of cards helped to pass the time on a long trip.

But the trouble is the friendly games, don't always remain friendly.

But handling troubles is part of my job.

My name's Hardie. Jim Hardie. Special agent for Wells Fargo.

I'm on my way to a boom-town in Colorado.

Set up a new Wells Fargo office there.

Your bet.

I'll bet a dollar.

Well, I'll keep you honest.

Three little ladies.

It's none of business, but, which hand were you calling?

The one on the table or the one up his sleeve?

Why you little... I'll make you eat those cards!

You call me a thief!

CONDUCTOR: Hold on! What's the trouble here?

Just a little personal disagreement.

Just a little misunderstanding.

He figured that the hand up his sleeve

was as good as the one on the table.

That's a lie! Is this yours?

Man's got a right to defend himself, hasn't he?

You carrying a gun too?

No, I'm not wearing a gun.

But, it's personal disagreement, like I said.

Sorry if we disturbed anyone else.

Well, I don't want any fighting on this train you understand?

You can have this back when you leave the train.

Just for the record...

There are no cards up my sleeve.

Well, it certainly looked like it to me

the way you was fussing around with them cards.

I'm sorry.

You should be.

Pretty reckless charge you just made.

You were just as reckless when you drew a gun.

I was just trying to help.

I hope this brawl didn't upset you, Miss.

As a matter of fact, it did.

I suppose, it's my turn to apologize, Miss...

Potter. Lucy Potter.

And what did you say you're name was?

Jim Hardie.

You oughta hear 'bout her, Jim.

You don't mind my calling you Jim?

The darnedest thing I ever heard.

You never heard anything like it in all your life.

She owns a town. A whole town!

Her Pa willed it to her, the whole shebang.

Lock, stock and barrel.

Wolf Creek?

COOKE: You mean you know about it?

I have heard.

I'm sorry about your father, Miss Potter.

Oh, that's all right. I scarcely knew him.

He left me with an aunt in Denver,

when I was just a baby.

I, uh, haven't seen or heard from him since.

She's going out to look it over and maybe sell it.

Well, how you going about selling a whole town?

I don't know. I've never owned one before.

You know Wolf Creek is, uh, quite a fair size place.

Ever been there?

Just on my way there now.

Order whatever you have to.

Well? She's here.

What's she like?

I didn't even get near her.

Why not?

Some old geezer took her under his wing

the minute we left Denver.

An old geezer?

Name's Cooke.

Jim Cooke?

He latched onto her? That's right.

Why that sanctimonious old hypocrite.

I made a mistake.

I should have gone to Denver, to talk to her.

I think the offer I've made you is a fair one.

Oh, it sounds like a lot of money but...

I dunno, I just got here. I'd like to look around a bit

Before I make up my mind.

Well, there aren't many people in a position

to buy an entire town.

Frankly, it's a big gamble.

If the mines pewter out,

this place will roll over and die

like it did before. You know that, don't you?

I'm afraid I don't know anything more about this town

than I do about my father.

Well, I never saw your father not when he was alive but...

Hello, Lucy. Hello, Mr. Hardie.

Do you know Mr. Fallon?

HARDIE: Yes.

Yes, I know him well enough to tell you

not to have any business dealings with him.

I wouldn't go any further, Hardie.

That will be up to you, sir.

What did he...

Could I ask what he wanted from you, Lucy?

He wanted to buy the town.

He offered me a lot of money for it.

Yeah, Clem Fallon ever offers anyone two cents for anything,

you can bet he is out to swindle 'em.

As a matter of fact, that's what I came to Wolf Creek for.

To swindle me? No.

No, to see about buying a little part of your town.

Wells Fargo would like to put an office in here

and we need about three acres.

Oh, three acres doesn't sound like very much.

It isn't.

Well, will it keep me from selling the town site?

No.

No, not unless...

You sold to Clem Fallon.

Then I'd rather doubt that he would want

a Wells Fargo office here,

for fear it might interfere with whatever plans he's got.

I think, I should have stayed in Denver

This is all too much for me.

If you will excuse me,

I was just gonna go visit my father's grave.

Would you mind if I went along?

No, not at all.

LUCY: John Potter.

1826 - 1878

His name, the year he was born

and the year he died.

It isn't very much, is it?

Well, he left you his property.

Making up for all the years he didn't come to visit,

all the years he didn't write.

Johnny Potter. You know, ma'am,

I have a feeling I met your pa sometime.

Real handsome man, as I recall.

I wouldn't know.

Had a way with people. Made friends kinda easy.

With everybody except his family.

He couldn't be bothered with us.

Well, maybe he had a reason not to come home.

Maybe he was ashamed.

Maybe, he um...

I say something wrong?

I don't think you said anything right.

Well, I was just trying to make her feel good about her father.

Trying to say something nice about him.

In fact, I was stretching the truth a might.

Johnny Potter was a real rip snorter.

You mean you really knew him?

'Course I knew him.

As well as I wanted to know him.

Why, he'd steal the gold fillings outta your teeth.

In fact, he won Wolf Creek in a poker game

with a deck that had five aces in it.

'Course it wasn't worth nothing that he won it.

That's the way he was.

He'd cheat himself if he couldn't find anybody else to rook.

In fact, you could say that Johnny Potter was a...

An all around no-gooder.

And that's giving him the best of it.

How much do I owe you? One dollar.

A dollar?

A good deal of money for one piece of

tough beefsteak, isn't it?

You don't like our prices, you can eat someplace else.

Only you'd probably own the someplace else, too.

I don't own anything. I rent that's all.

You mean, until you can buy the town.

I am a business man. The town's for sale.

Is that right?

I do recall hearing Miss Potter saying it was for sale.

Everything's got a price.

I take it that Mr. Fallon didn't like me very much?

Well, he has had his own way around here for a long time.

There isn't even any marshal in this town.

I was wondering, did you ever know

the late owner of this town.

Mr. John Potter?

Not that I know of.

As far as I know, nobody has ever seen him.

That's a bit strange.

He is buried here.

He arrived in town a month ago.

He was killed the very evening he got here.

When I said that nobody had ever seen him I should have said,

nobody has ever seen him alive.

Except one man. And he killed him.

Uh-huh.

And just one more thing.

The gold strike hit here about a year ago.

If John Potter's been gone all of this time,

who leased all of these building for him?

His agent, Clem Fallon.

It sure makes nice for Mr. Fallon, doesn't it?

Doesn't it.

Thank you. Have a good night.

Miss Potter!

Did you see who shot at you?

No.

He just called to me and then he fired.

What did he say? Just, "Miss Potter."

It couldn't be a mistake then.

You mean he...

He was trying to kill me?

That's the way it looks.

I've been waiting all day for you to show up.

Excuse me. I said I've been waiting all day.

You never learn, do you?

Get out of here, Hardie.

Where were you 10 minutes ago?

Nobody's comin' in here, shooting up my employees.

I said get out. In my own good time, I will.

But if I were you, I wouldn't start anything I couldn't handle.

I can handle you, Hardie.

You can, huh?

Where were you 10 minutes ago?

It's none of your business.

Well, I just made it my business.

Somebody took a shot at Miss Potter.

You suspect me of that?

COOKE: Somebody tried to kill Miss Lucy?

That's right.

Say, this is getting to be a sweet little town.

Just like the old days, when the railroaders were buildin',

and they shot a man, every hour on the hour,

and buried them on the half hour.

You haven't answered my question.

I'm not going to.

I can answer that.

Fallon was in his office 10 minutes ago,

and I was with him.

I don't think much of your friends. COOKE: Friends?

Fallon and me ain't friends.

He runs the town.

You want to rent a house or a store...

You got to do business with him.

But that don't keep ya from thinkin' he's a skunk.

If I hadn't been with him...

I'd say he was the one that took a shot at that little girl.

Sometimes you almost make sense.

Wake up!

All right, all right, keep your shirt on.

I'm comin'.

The eastbound comes through here at 5:10 in the morning.

I'm trying to get some sleep.

Sorry to wake you up but I gotta send a telegram.

Can't it wait till mornin'?

No, it's urgent. It's company business.

All right.

Write it out.

Good morning, Miss Lucy.

Morning.

You look prettier than a bowl full of strawberries

with whipped cream.

I don't feel like it.

Well, a girl like you ain't used to these western towns.

I'm not used to being shot at.

Well, a person can get used to anything.

Except being shot at and hit.

Nobody can get used to that.

That's what I'm afraid of.

This was slipped under my door last night.

"Next time I won't miss."

COOKE: Morning, Jim.

Morning.

This was slipped under her door.

Last night.

So, that's what I heard.

Why should anybody wanna kill me?

Maybe because you own Wolf Creek, ma'am.

Well, I'm not gonna own it for long.

I've made up my mind. I'm gonna sell.

To Clem Fallon?

Yes, he's made me an offer.

Clem Fallon's a crook.

If he's made an offer, it isn't half enough.

Well, it's more money than I ever dreamed of having.

And I'm not gonna spend another night in this town.

Did you ever stop and think, ma'am, that...

maybe someone's trying to scare you into selling?

Hey, he's got something there.

And I'll bet that someone is Clem Fallon.

It could be.

I don't believe I'd be in a hurry to sell, ma'am.

Got an errand to run. Excuse me.

Better listen to him, Miss Lucy.

That boy makes sense.

Howdy, Mr. Hardie.

They answer my telegram, yet?

No, not yet.

This might be it now.

It's for you.

That's a mighty interesting message.

I'm gonna ask you to keep it to yourself for a little while.

Nobody never found out nothing

they wasn't supposed to know from me.

Playing a waiting game is all right in some cases.

But once in a while it takes too long.

You've got to make things happen.

And I'll put the money out at 6% interest,

and you'll have yourself a tidy income.

Steady, regular, nothing to worry about.

You know, it's a nice feeling to have, Miss Lucy.

Heavens, Lucy. It's all right.

It's all right. You're all right.

He missed you by about three feet. What happened?

Someone took a shot at her again.

See who it was? No.

Better get you over to the hotel.

You do that.

I better see a certain man.

That two-legged skunk!

What are you doing in here?

Fallon, it's time you and me had a talk.

What about?

The girl.

Now I told you right from the start

that I didn't want no harm to come to her.

Nobody's hurt her.

What's the matter with you?

Look, that bullet didn't miss her

by more than six inches.

Now you're not that good with a gun

that you can come as close as that.

Why, you bumbling old fool!

Are you losing your memory?

You're the one who did the shooting.

Last night, but-but not just now.

Now? Five minutes ago,

I was walking down the street with her, and just like last night,

someone took a shot at her, and that somebody...

You think it was me, huh?

You're outta your mind.

Are you trying to say it wasn't you?

You can take my word for it.

Well, if it wasn't you, and it wasn't me, who was it?

I don't know.

But I'm through with our fooling around.

We're gonna settle this right now.

Berkett,

come on in here.

What are you gonna do?

Tell Mr. Fallon, I don't want to see him now or any other time.

All right, all right.

I'm only an errand boy.

But he also told me to tell you that your father's here.

My father?

That's what I said, your father.

Come in.

Come in, Miss Lucy.

Come in.

The man said

my father was here.

That's right.

You're my father?

Yes.

But the grave I visited today?

Some drifter who happened to walk into a bullet.

Why was he buried with your name?

Well, that's not important now.

Unless your father wants to go into it.

No!

Disappointed, huh?

I admit I'm

not the answer to a daughter's dream, am I?

I didn't say that I was disappointed.

It's just so strange.

Why, father?

Why all these years?

Why didn't you write at least?

It's not that I didn't want to.

That I didn't think about you all the time, you and your ma.

I guess your ma told you that I wasn't much good.

She never said anything against you.

She always said you'd come home someday.

That was decent of her,

the way I treated her.

Man makes a fool of himself.

He just doesn't know

what's-what's right for him.

Suppose we save the family reunion for later.

I want to get our business settled, Miss Lucy.

Well, I can't see that we have any business to discuss.

I'm certainly not going to sell the town, especially not now.

Well, guess again.

Tell her.

Tell me what?

Well, go on, tell her.

Guess, I'll have to.

Well, you see,

I made a deal with Fallon.

I said I'd

try to persuade you to sell Wolf Creek to him.

And if you can't persuade me?

FALLON: Well, he'd better.

Well,

it seems to me

a complete town like Wolf Creek

would be worth a whole lot more than...

It's not a question of what it's worth, Miss Potter.

Your father and I made a deal.

And I have neither the time nor the patience

for all this pussyfooting around.

Now sign it, and let's get it over with.

Tell her to sign, Johnny.

Hold on, Clem.

Can't we talk this thing over first?

I'm through talking.

It's about time you learned the facts of life.

POTTER: Now, wait a minute.

This fine father of yours!

Why do you suppose we arranged to have him

die so conveniently with a fake grave and all?

To fool the authorities!

Your father's an escaped convict.

A lifer, to give it to you without any fancy trimmings.

I went to a lot of trouble

to break him outta prison. It cost me a lot of money.

Now sign this, or he is going back for the rest of his life.

Is that true, father?

Yes.

It's true.

It's up to you, Lucy.

Sign it, if you want to.

No. Don't sign.

I'll take what's coming to me.

FALLON: Sit down and sign it. Oh!

I said, sign it!

Lucy.

Yes, father.

Fallon made me do it.

Came to the prison,

said he'd get me out if I gave him Wolf Creek.

I told him I gave the deed to my daughter.

We made a deal,

agreed to bring you her,

try to persuade you

to sell to Fallon for

one tenth the value of Wolf Creek.

Should have stayed in prison,

best place for me.

Never was any good.

Lucy,

maybe you should read this telegram.

Everything's just like he told me.

Yes.

But I wouldn't overlook the fact that your

father might have brought you to this town

for no other reason than to get acquainted with his daughter.

There is that chance, isn't there?

I think so.

A very good chance.

HARDIE: The memory Lucy Potter has

of her father was little to nothing.

She wanted to believe something good about him,

that's why she stayed in Wolf Creek.

She's going to try to run the town, make something out of it.

And so is Wells Fargo, who would put a depot

on the land we bought from Lucy Potter.

It'll be interesting to watch how things turn out.