Original subtitles

DRIVER: Hyah! Hyah!

JIM: John Ringgold,

alias Johnny Ringo, age 35.

Background,

two years at Harvard, studying law,

the rest of his life breaking it.

A gentlemen, a scholar,

and a killer.

How are we doing, Johnny?

Oh, excuse me.

I guess I heard the wrong kind of talk

about Johnny Ringo liking the ladies.

Oh, your information's all right.

You just misinterpreted the word.

Yeah? What word?

Ladies.

I wish they'd swarm all over me like that.

I raise you, Danch.

You know, there's a certain amount of bluff

involved in love and in cards.

Indifference can be a strong weapon.

Why don't you try?

That fancy talk of yours don't fool me, Ringo.

I lost a lot of things in my time,

women and money.

But I don't bluff easy.

Three lovely ladies.

They don't beat three kings.

They do when they got a pair of fives for company.

Cash me in.

It's early, Ringo, and you're way out in front.

I play when I want, and I quit when I want.

Cash me in.

Thank you, gentlemen.

I wish I could say the company

was as pleasant as the profit.

Night.

Don't do it, Danch.

Even with his back turned,

you're no match for Johnny Ringo.

Four of us against his one,

and he does all the pushing.

He might scare you.

He don't scare me.

You're talking pretty big, Danch.

You wouldn't care to back your play.

I might if the price was right.

We don't like Johnny Ringo any more than you do.

You put up $2,000, I'll get Ringo for you.

All right, you're on.

JIM: Wells Fargo wanted Johnny Ringo,

and they wanted him bad... $5,000 worth.

That was the reward the company had put on him,

but there weren't any takers.

Nobody wanted any part of Johnny Ringo,

not even me.

I wasn't any more anxious to be a dead hero

than anybody else.

But it's a part of my job.

My name's Jim Hardie from Wells Fargo.

Just getting ready to close.

Didn't think the Two Deuces ever closed.

What'll it be? Coffee's good enough.

Don't make no difference what you're drinking here, mister.

The price is the same, half a dollar.

Well, if it's good and strong, it's worth that.

Looks like you've been traveling some.

Getting in off the trail kind of late, ain't you?

A little bit.

I'm looking for a man.

Maybe you can help.

I never discuss another man's business.

It ain't healthy.

May not be healthy, but it can be profitable.

Take the coffee out of that and keep the rest.

You ever hear of Johnny Ringo?

Who hasn't?

Have you seen him?

Look, mister, nobody wants no part of Johnny Ringo,

least of all, me.

Neither do I.

Unfortunately, it's my job.

Yeah, I seen him.

He was in tonight.

But I got three good reasons not to talk about him,

a wife and two kids.

Do I keep the money?

Did he say where he was going?

There was a big game in here tonight,

and he was way ahead.

That's all I know.

You were willing to talk for $10.

Wells Fargo is willing to pay 5,000.

If you'd have turned him in, you could've collected it.

Yeah, I know.

But where could I spend it, mister?

Lying out there in the street with a bullet in my stomach?

I don't think you have much stomach, do you?

Not really.

All right, all right.

I ain't "deef."

I'm coming.

What do you want?

I'm Jim Hardie from Wells Fargo.

Am I glad to see you.

Come on in.

He was in here tonight.

We've been watching all up and down the line

since we got the message from Wells Fargo.

Did he send a telegram?

Nope. But he got one.

Walked in here just as bold as brass.

I got a copy right here.

Not very smart.

Spells his name different,

but not different enough to fool me.

It's his real name.

But why would he use it?

"Signed, Ruth"?

"Need to see you desperately."

That's what it says.

That's right out of the Prescott office.

Say, maybe it's in some kind of code.

Might be, but I doubt it.

He's a little chancy where women are concerned.

Thank you, old-timer.

JIM: You follow a man far enough and long enough

and his sign is easier to read

than a San Francisco newspaper.

It was long way to Prescott,

and not knowing I was on his trail,

he was bound to camp somewhere.

But he wasn't a man to come up on sudden.

Too many women in too many places, Johnny.

A man can't spread himself that thin.

Hurry up and finish that.

We got a long way to go.

Well, ashes on the wind.

I guess there's nothing permanent anyway,

except death.

You ought to know a lot about that.

You've killed enough men.

Oh, only when I had to.

And you know I remember every one of them?

Well, their faces anyway.

Say, how'd you get a lead on me anyway, Jim?

We had every Wells Fargo and telegraph office

in the country checking on you.

You weren't very smart, Johnny.

I thought of that.

I had to chance it anyway.

This Ruth, the one who needs you desperately,

she must mean a great deal to you, huh?

She's the only person who ever meant anything in my life.

I know what you're thinking,

and you're wrong.

No. Ruth is... She's my sister,

and she's very sick.

Oh.

Well, I'm sorry to hear that.

They sent her out here,

thinking maybe the climate would help her.

I guess it hasn't.

You think the life you've led's helped her any?

No, but I've managed to keep that from her.

She thinks I'm in the cattle business.

Yeah.

Other people's cattle.

Well, there's a tide in every man's life.

Maybe mine's running out.

What are you getting at?

Look, I'm not a humble man.

It's not easy for me to beg.

Then don't.

Whatever you've done in your life,

you've always been a man about it.

Don't start to crawl now.

I'm not crawling.

I wanna make a deal with you.

I don't make deals.

No, no.

Not the kind of deal you're thinking of.

Look, uh, Jim, my sister's dying.

Three days with her, that's all I want.

I'll never be out of your reach,

and I won't have a gun.

Then we go on to Yuma, no trouble.

What do you say?

All right.

Three days.

Thanks.

Let's go.

JIM: I knew two things about Johnny Ringo...

His speed with a gun, and the fact that he stuck

to his word once he gave it.

That was why I was willing to go along with him.

That's it, Artie. You're into me for $5.

You heard him, old man.

Money... that's all you got on your mind.

Five lousy dollars.

I could be a man of means tomorrow,

a man of real means.

Oh, sure, you could, Artie.

And me, I really don't have to tend bar.

I do it because I like people.

I know what you think, all of you.

Artie, drunk ol' Artie.

Well, I ain't as drunk as you think.

I've spilled more in my day than they can drink.

Five dollars.

I know where there's 5,000,

if I was man enough to collect it.

That drunk I'll never get.

That's a lot of money, Artie.

Just waiting for anybody with guts to call for it.

Judas money.

Like I say, you gotta have a stomach

to face Ringo.

I got a strong stomach, old man.

What about Ringo?

Ever see one of these?

"$5,000 dead or alive"?

Well, they're on every barn in the territory.

Yeah. But I know where he is.

Don't you lie to me, Artie.

Flesh and bone, I seen him.

Maybe you better go home, Artie.

He really don't know what he's saying.

I don't, eh?

Well, he's right out at the ranch,

him and another fella.

What ranch?

Artie works for a sick girl here from the East.

There's only two of 'em out there,

unless you wanna count the Indian woman.

Let the old man talk.

Go on, Artie. Tell me more.

You don't wanna a fool with Johnny Ringo.

He'll kill you, boy.

You tell him this for me.

You tell him Lou Danch is waitin'.

Don't be nobody else, just him and me.

You got that?

And me?

What's in it for me?

You do what I tell you, Artie,

I'll take care of you.

And I'll take care of Mr. Ringo.

When I think of all the money you've spent on...

On doctors and... Money's no problem.

Why, Jim and I have done very well

in the cattle business.

Haven't we, Jim?

You bet.

You bet. We sure have, ma'am.

See?

You've been real good for John, Mr. Hardie.

I can see that.

Back home he used to be a little flighty, but...

but now he's settled down.

You'll see that he stays that way, won't you?

Well, having me around him, he...

he hasn't got much alternative

to be any other way, ma'am.

I'll sure he that stays that way, all right.

I'll go out and see if Artie brought in any firewood.

I wouldn't stay too long, John.

I believe sleep will do her more good right now

than anything else.

I've been trying to figure where I seen

your friend before.

Face sure looks familiar.

It's just an ordinary face.

I wouldn't strain myself worrying about it

if I were you.

Fella in town feels different.

What fellow? And keep your voice down.

Run into him at the bar.

Said his name was Danch.

What about Danch?

He give me a message.

"Tell Ringo I'll be waitin'."

Mean-lookin' man he was.

And what'd you tell him?

Don't hold it against me.

Danch is the one spoilin' for a showdown.

All right, Artie.

You've said enough. Now get out.

ARTIE; He said one more thing.

If you won't come to him,

he'll drag you out by the heels...

Get out!

There's a fella looking for a fight,

so long as it doesn't come near him.

Who's Danch?

One of that parade of faces

I was telling you about...

Long on guts, short on reputation.

JIM: Can't make much of a reputation out here.

He's gonna have to get you into town

where there's a crowd

so he'll have an audience.

I don't know.

All of a sudden, I'm... I'm tired, Jim.

I'm tired of people and their dog-eat-dog morals.

I'm tired of myself maybe.

All I want though is for Ruth to be left out of this.

And whatever that Danch is after,

it's not gonna come at her expense.

JIM: For two days, I watched Ringo

wheedle food into that girl.

It was a losing battle all the way

and a heartsick thing to see.

There was a strong bond between these two,

and Ringo was pulling hard trying to keep Ruth alive.

Ringo!

I come like I said I would!

Stay where you are, Johnny.

Ringo can't see you right now.

He's busy.

Well, I wanna see him.

Come here.

LOU: I got no quarrel with you.

It's Ringo I'm after. You keep out of this.

Come on out, Ringo!

Hold it.

He hasn't even got a gun, but I have.

You make one false move,

and there'll be a part of it right in your belly.

I don't want him without a gun.

You never needed nobody to do you gunnin' before, Ringo.

Now Artie tells me you don't make a move

without this fella.

Artie talks too much.

Yeah, he does talk some at that.

Matter of fact, he's in town telling everybody

what a show Ringo and me is gonna put on tonight.

There's not gonna be show tonight or any other night.

You wouldn't wanna disappoint them, would you, Ringo?

Not for the world, Danch,

but I've got pressing business here.

Now be a good lad...

and crawl back under your rock.

I heard about that sister of yours.

It give me an idea.

You don't show up tonight, I'm coming back out here.

And if I have to do that,

I'll be talking loud and clear.

And I got a feeling you wouldn't want her

to hear what I can tell her.

He means it, Jim.

He'll be back tomorrow.

It doesn't make any difference whether he is or isn't.

We won't be here.

You asked for three days, and you got 'em.

We're leaving in the morning.

I've already told Ruth we've got business in Yuma.

RUTH: John?

John?

I was afraid you'd left me.

I'm right here.

Everything's gonna be all right.

No, everything isn't going to be all right, John.

There's no need pretending.

I've known all along.

The only thing that mattered was...

was seeing you for the last time.

Stay with me for a little while,

won't you, John?

I'll be right here.

I'm not gonna go anywhere.

Danch.

Here he comes, but he ain't got no gun.

You aren't wearing your gun, Ringo.

You figurin' on talking your way out of this?

This the great Johnny Ringo,

man who made Doc Holliday back down.

But Johnny's gettin' old.

Or is it scared?

Now, I'm gonna give you a chance.

You get on your horse and leave.

Well, now you talk like a man that's willing

to show his hand.

I told you before, I don't bluff easy.

I'm not bluffing.

I've killed better men than you'll ever be.

Now all I want...

is to be left alone.

Talks pretty good, don't he?

But talk ain't enough, Ringo.

All right.

Then if somebody will oblige me with a gun,

I'll try to make this just as brief as possible.

You ain't never gonna see nothing like this again.

Go on, give him your gun.

Give him your gun, boy.

You know, a very smart man once wrote,

"Conscience doth make cowards of us all."

And mine was beginning to bother me.

But in your case, I'm gonna make an exception.

Killing you is gonna be a public service.

I thought I'd find you here.

Stay out of this, Jim.

LOU: Still got your friend with you, huh, Ringo?

I'll be glad to oblige you, mister,

but, for now, you just get out of the way.

This man belongs to Wells Fargo.

I'm taking him back as a prisoner.

Before you try him,

you're gonna have to try me first.

And you wanted to mix with Johnny Ringo.

You get yourself patched up, boy.

Go on back home, wherever that is,

stay there.

Come on in, boys! The drinks are on me!

Free drinks! Come on, let's go!

Come on!

And you go home, too, Artie,

and don't come back!

Well?

JIM: All that Johnny Ringo wanted was for Ruth to go,

never knowing what he was.

He had to pay for his past, and he knew it.

The years in Yuma prison would be a long time,

but Ruth was free,

and that's all that mattered to him.

Proves something else to me.

In Johnny Ringo, I found once again

that in the best of us, there's a little bad,

and in the worst of us, there's a little good.