Original subtitles

Heeyah! Heeyah!

NARRATOR: Tales of Wells Fargo.

JIM: Wells Fargo operates stagecoach lines.

The company also hauls freight

and delivers the mail.

For a while, it was in the buffalo hide business.

That explains what I was doing just now in Kansas.

My name's Jim Hardie,

and I handle troubles for Wells Fargo.

I'd arranged a deal for an old friend of mine

named Fresno Keeley

using Wells Fargo capital to buy hides

and tote them into Buffalo Crossing.

He was doing well,

but whenever a man starts to make a little money,

there's always somebody ready to take it away from him.

Who runs this camp?

Nobody,

but the tents and the faro layout

belong to Ben over there.

Ben who?

You telling me you never heard of Ben Thompson?

Is that him?

Well, now Ben Thompson's about the roughest,

toughest man in Texas, that's all.

This is Kansas.

What's he doing up here?

Keeping an eye on his little brother.

Seems Billy Thompson

shot a man in El Paso, and...

some of the people didn't like the way he did it,

mainly the Texas Rangers,

so they come to Kansas.

MAN: Wait a minute, wait a minute.

I wanna see that dealer's box.

They build crooked boxes in Texas.

Seems like trouble likes to follow

Ben Thompson.

BEN: You suggesting this game ain't honest?

MAN: I only wanna look at the box.

You sound downright suspicious to me...

And insulting.

MAN: I got a right to look at that box.

You ain't lookin' at anything, friend.

All right, hold it!

I still run this show!

Now clear out and come back

when you can cool down...

and I get set up for business again.

Thanks, friend.

Here, have a look.

I got no interest in it.

I wasn't bucking your game.

Yeah, but if it hadn't been for you,

that fella stealin' up behind me,

they might have closed my game for good.

I figure you're entitled to a look.

Looks all right to me.

Just don't tell him about it.

I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

I didn't get your name.

The name's Jim Hardie.

I work for Wells Fargo.

You've heard about me?

I've heard a few things.

Well, likely most of what you've heard is...

Well, I never did run a crooked game.

I believe you.

But I don't believe they do.

Drink, Ben? No.

This is Henry Wilson.

He's a dealer in buffalo hides.

How are you? But not much

of a fighter, I'm afraid.

Ben, I was covering for you all the time.

Yeah, from way back

where it was safe.

You know, I don't believe I've ever seen you

around here before, have I?

His name's Hardie.

He's from Wells Fargo.

Oh, you must be looking for Fresno Keeley.

That's right.

Have you seen him around?

Well, he should be over at Buffalo Crossing unloading.

You know, that Fresno, he bought a whole load

of prime hides right from underneath my nose yesterday.

Fresno's a good trader, all right.

Oh, he beats me plenty.

Ben, I'm sorry about the fuss the boys made,

but they'll be back. Even if they don't like your game,

you're the only one that's got one in the camp.

Good luck to you, Hardie.

I wonder if he thinks he's fooling me any.

What about Fresno?

I hear he's had a lot of bad luck lately.

Somebody stealing him blind.

That's about all I know.

Why don't you take a ride over to Buffalo Crossing

and let him tell you for himself?

It's not that simple.

I just came from there.

He, nor his wagon, either one, have showed up yet.

How's the tally?

433 prime buffalo hides.

Fine load, Mr. Wilson.

Uh-hmm. Thanks, Beasley.

You see anything of Fresno?

No. Wasn't he here earlier?

No. He's mistaken if he thinks

this train's going to wait for him.

Billy.

You know, the least you could've done

was give the boys a hand.

I didn't hire out to wrassle no Buffalo hide.

I pay you enough to do anything I ask.

Now that's where you're wrong.

Nobody pays me that kind of money.

Billy, I swear, if it wasn't for your brother Ben, I'd...

You'd what? Look, I'm getting pretty sick

of folks hinting that Billy Thompson

hides behind anybody.

You got something to say, why don't you just say it?

Well, you shouldn't be so touchy.

Boys, put the wagon up.

I may wanna talk to you later, Billy.

Hey,

why don't you tell your boys take a bath,

get the stink of the buffalo hide off of 'em?

How long we got gotta put up with that punk?

As long as we need him.

What you really mean is

you're scared of his big brother.

When the time comes, I'm gonna settle with that Billy Thompson.

Now is not the time. We've got other things to worry about.

Besides, there's a Wells Fargo man

that's been nosing around.

You worry about Wells Fargo.

We'll all worry about it,

so you settle down.

JIM: It didn't take an awful lot of brains

to figure that if Fresno's wagon

had left the buffalo camp

but hadn't reached town,

then the place to start looking for him

would have to be somewhere in between.

I looked,

but didn't find much,

so I had to guess.

The best guess was that someone had wiped out

the wheels marks with something.

A branch of a tree, maybe.

Help!

Help!

Help!

Help!

Oh, Jim, am I glad to see you!

Get me loose, will you? Hurry up.

Three times he done it to me,

three times in a row.

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea,

my talking Wells Fargo into backing you

in this hide bind business.

Now listen, Jim Hardie,

I can hold my own with any man that fights fair,

but not the kind of shenanigans

they been pulling on me.

They don't kill me,

they don't even take my horses.

They want me to stay right in business

buying hides for them to steal.

You said they held you up three times?

That's right. And whoever they are,

they use a new play every durn time.

It's too bad you didn't get a look at one of them.

I've been trying hard

to make a living peaceable.

But this time when I get to town,

I'm breaking out a rifle

and I'm going after that no-good hypocrite

of a Henry Wilson.

Wilson?

Do you think he's in on it?

FRESNO: Well, who else? Who would it be?

I don't know. There's a lot of other shippers.

Yeah, but not another one of them is smart enough

to run a blazer on me.

Well, stop and think a minute.

Could Wilson or any of his men been hiding in your wagon?

Well, now,

come to think of it, no.

Con and Jake was both on his wagon when I left.

Wilson was bucking Ben Thompson's game.

Yeah, I seen him all.

Well then it had to be somebody else hiding in your wagon.

Well, whoever it is, I'll smoke 'em out

if it's the last thing I ever do.

By grab, I'll go after him.

And what if Ben Thompson's in on the play?

You don't think I'm afraid of Ben Thompson?

I think a lot of people are.

Let's go.

Where were you this morning, kid?

I heard about what happened, Ben. I'm sorry.

I thought I was paying you to work as lookout for me.

Hadn't been for a fellow named Hardie this morning,

I'd have a knife in my back right now.

This Hardie is from Wells Fargo.

What he's snooping around here for?

I didn't ask.

But maybe you know without asking.

Now just what do you mean by that?

Look, I run a faro game,

and I mind my own business.

But I know you're spending more money than I pay you.

I'd like to know where you're getting it.

Don't you sort of think that's my business?

Not when you get in a hole

and I've got to pull you out of it.

Look, I've got a notion what it is you're getting into

and I don't like it.

Quit worrying.

If I was you, I'd start worrying.

About what, for instance?

For instance, that Wells Fargo man.

Wells Fargo or not,

I don't show railroad records to you or anybody.

You're sure about that?

I got my orders.

You didn't get orders like that from the railroad.

You're just trying to butt into

Mr. Wilson's private affairs.

He must be a good friend of yours.

He's a good customer

of the railroad.

So is Wells Fargo.

I wanna see those records,

so maybe I'd better send a few telegrams.

Now wait.

You'd better come inside.

Billy, I got a job for you. Do it right away.

Yeah? It's something

right down your line. Now the Wells Fargo man

is in there talking to Beasley.

I thought you had that angle taken care of?

Well, I did as far as anyone else is concerned,

but this Wells Fargo man

carries enough weight to get Beasley fired.

Oh, so you sort of...

want me to bust this guy up,

that the idea?

Yeah. Yeah, that's the idea.

And then Wells Fargo sends out another man

to take his place and then another.

You figuring on taking care of all of them one by one?

Billy, you just follow orders. That's all.

Yeah. All right.

Only you owe me for this morning.

I do this job and you got to owe me still more.

Billy, you're gonna get

just what's coming to you.

That's all I wanted to hear.

Okay.

Did you check with those hide hunters?

Yeah, it's just as I figured.

They sold more to me than they ever sold to Wilson.

How many would you say he bought off of 'em offhand?

Oh, six, seven hundred.

Hmm. The records show he shipped that many thousands.

Well, blast it, them's hides I bought!

Yeah, with Wells Fargo's money.

Well, you'll get it back, Jim.

I'll pay every cent of it.

That's not what worries me, Fresno.

What worries me is how I'm gonna stop 'em

from stealing any more.

Well, Wilson's in town.

Let's go get him.

Can't do that yet.

Haven't got enough proof.

I've got a hunch we're gonna have to let him trap himself.

How we gonna do that?

Could this be somebody looking for me?

Oh, that's Billy Thompson.

You stay out of this.

Are you the man from Wells Fargo?

That's right.

Do you know who I am?

Fresno tells me you're Billy Thompson.

My brother Ben tells me

you're a pretty fast man with a draw.

Faster than some, I suppose.

Not as fast as others though.

He says you like trouble.

That's where he's wrong, Billy.

I don't like trouble.

I'll go to any lengths to avoid.

Well, that's too bad, because I like trouble.

I like trouble real good.

So, maybe you just better play it safe someplace else.

You're running me out of Buffalo Crossing,

is that it? That's the idea.

Ben says you're pretty fast with a gun,

is that right?

Why don't you try me?

No.

You try me.

Go ahead and draw.

Unload it. If I haven't seen that,

I wouldn't believe it.

The next time your brother

tells you something, Billy,

you better listen to him.

BEN: Game's closed for now, boys.

Something bothering you, Ben?

You know what's bothering me, Hardie.

You must have heard about the run-in

me and Billy had.

Look, Hardie, I like you,

but don't push it too far.

What am I supposed to do,

stand there and let him shoot me down?

Oh, you don't understand.

He's my brother,

and here in Kansas, they don't like us Texans much.

So, we got to keep the upper hand whatever happens.

Even if it happens that Billy's dead wrong?

Oh, believe me, sometimes it isn't easy.

For my money, he's a showoff

and a blowhard.

All right, so maybe he's a little weak that way.

The worst part of it is you'd kill for him.

That's your weakness.

I like you, Hardie,

but that don't give you no right to say that.

You know, you're not a bad fellow, Ben.

But it's time you face the facts about your brother.

He's no good, through and through.

And I think you know it.

There ain't many fellas that'd talk to Ben Thompson

the way you're doing.

I'm sorry.

I don't wanna start a fight

or any kind of trouble,

but I can't help it if you take it the wrong way.

You challenged Billy for a showdown.

You scared to do the same to me?

I wish I was.

Care to buck my play a little?

Why not?

It'd be something to tell my grandchildren about,

that I sat across from Ben Thompson

in a faro game.

All right, Fresno,

you can put your rifle down now.

See you later, Jim.

Why, you son of a gun.

Just a little insurance.

So what if Billy couldn't handle the Wells Fargo man?

It's all right. We can still use him.

All right, but for one last time.

Now, wait a minute. You heard me.

I've taken plenty from that punk

because you said we needed him.

Then you send him against Hardie,

and he falls flat on his face.

Jake, I think you're forgetting there's still Ben.

So, I was right after all, wasn't I?

It is Ben you're scared of.

Well, I ain't. I ain't scared of them Thompsons

or Jim Hardie either.

All right. You go ahead and get yourself killed,

but don't you spoil my setup.

Had enough?

Well, I'm here to back a game.

I didn't figure to make such as dent

in your bankroll.

Now, you wanna bet, you just go ahead and bet.

No.

You can cash me in.

If you say so.

I suppose you'll be riding shotgun

for Fresno and his hides.

He's our agent.

Chances are, whoever was jumping him

won't bother him with you around.

You wanna bet on that?

Well, maybe not.

I didn't think so.

You'd have lost.

He'll strike again, all right.

And this time they'll mean business

because they know I'm on to them.

And just who are: they"?

If you don't know, your name's not Ben Thompson.

It's been nice knowing you, Hardie.

You sound like you don't ever expect

to see me again.

A man wants to go out and get himself killed,

that's his own business.

What are you trying to say, Ben?

That you're not your brother's keeper?

All right. You all know your jobs.

You're gonna have to change mine.

I'm sorry. Shooting in the back

ain't the Thompson way.

That's the only way.

Now, you all know a Wells Fargo man

has been snooping around.

He's got to be taken care of.

You saw for yourself he wasn't with the wagon.

You were supposed to take care of him in town, remember?

JAKE: It's your fault he's still in our way.

Look, Wilson, I don't mind a little stealing,

and I would welcome the chance

for a showdown with Hardie face to face.

But I draw the line at murder.

All right, Billy, if that's the way you feel about it.

Jake, you're going to have to stand watch on Hardie.

Now, you get down to the road

and get ready to stop that wagon.

Fresno won't suspect you, so you'll be able

to get in close to him without shooting.

And when you get the drop up him,

give us a signal. Now, get going,

Fresno will be here any minute.

Fair enough.

Well, what do you say now?

What use is he to us if he won't follow orders?

Look, Jake, I'm not arguing with you.

I know you've been itching to get at Billy for some time.

So as far as I'm concerned, he's all yours.

Not now, later.

We got a Wells Fargo man to take care of first

and a wagon load of hides. Hides?

That's all that counts with you, ain't it?

All I want is to get Billy Thompson

in these sights for about a second, that's all.

When I give the order.

Come on, Con.

JIM: Why don't you shoot a man who can see?

Howdy, Fresno! Looks like you got

a few buffalo hides there.

Yeah, a few.

Worth some money to me

if I could just get them to the railroad.

Yeah, that's been a problem for you, hasn't it?

Hey, well, maybe I can take them off your hands...

All of them, that is.

So, you come out in the open.

I should have known you was in this.

Well, I guess I don't have to wonder anymore

who it was rode with me that last trip

and darn near bashed in my skull.

All right, you get the picture.

Now put your hands up.

I expected better than this

from the brother of Ben Thompson.

Just put your hands up.

Hey, Wilson!

Let's go.

Yeah,

that's a nice haul you got for us, Fresno.

Maybe you thought we were scared

and gonna leave you alone just because the Wells Fargo man

has been snooping around, huh?

You ain't gonna get away with this.

Ooh, you think not?

Don't go looking around for Hardie.

We got a gun posted up there.

It's all ready to take care of him in case he shows up.

Kind of outsmarted yourself, didn't you?

JIM: Hold it.

That rifle's still up there,

only Jake won't be using it.

Throw down your guns.

Hey, how about throwing down yours?

Sure you got us, but we got your friend.

That's right. You use your guns

on one of us and we'll kill him for sure.

And now what are you going to do about that, Hardie?

Looks a little like a stand-off, doesn't it?

It's all right, Jim.

We done the best we could.

Nothing to be ashamed of.

They can have the hides.

What about your own hide, Fresno?

You think they're gonna let you live

to testify against them?

Come on, Hardie, drop your gun or shoot.

We ain't got all day.

You're living on borrowed time anyway, Billy.

And just what do you mean by that?

If you'd been up there and heard these three talk,

you'd know what I mean.

Jake was all for killing you right then.

But Wilson says, no, you're gonna have to wait.

You're talking through your hat, Hardie.

Might be, but it sounds interesting. Go on.

That's all there was to it.

Except as soon as everyone left,

Jake threw down on you with his rifle.

He was drawing a pretty fine bead.

And you stopped him?

I don't believe it. Jake wouldn't do that.

Billy, he's lying, he's trying to split us up,

turn you against me if he can.

You're getting out of hand, Billy.

You drink too much and you talk too much.

You're a poor risk as far as Wilson's concerned.

What he says makes sense, Wilson.

HENRY: It's lies. It's all lies.

Easy, Fresno.

Wilson! Con!

Put down your guns.

Now, all you chickens hold tight.

All right, Billy, off the horse.

Throw down your guns.

Cover 'em, Fresno.

So you had to go prove my brother was a thief.

You had your suspicions, too.

And also you had to save his life.

I saw what happened up there,

his life and mine.

You sure go out of your way, Hardie.

You're calling the play, Ben.

What do you want to do about it?

I'm gonna take him in to stand trial.

You got any other ideas?

No, go ahead.

That might do him some good,

teach him some of the things that I couldn't.

Put him in the wagon.

He's real fond of my buffalo hides.

Yeah, Billy, take your medicine like a man.

The jail ain't made that can hold a Thompson for long.

I'll be out quick enough.

When I am, I figure it's time

you and I went back to Texas, Ben.

That's the smartest thing you ever said, Billy.

And Ben... Yeah?

I'm glad you realized a man's got to be

his brother's keeper.

JIM: Ben Thompson went back to Texas, all right.

He became a law officer in Austin.

And Billy,

history doesn't tell us what happened to him.

But I've always wondered

if he ever learned anything,

any of the lessons his brother Ben

didn't know how to teach him.