Original subtitles

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Who's cooking breakfast tomorrow?

Well, I'm sorry about that, Colonel, but it's my turn.

Oh, dear.

Well, I suppose dieting wouldn't hurt me.

Are you trying to tell me something, Colonel?

You know, Tate,

your cooking's fine by me.

I like my flapjacks real thick.

He said it for me.

Blood on the range.

That must be that wolf pack drifting down from the north.

It's about that time of the year.

Yeah. I wish he'd get an answer.

Yeah, since when's two wolves better than one?

If that's who it sounds like,

he's got a bigger bounty on his head

than most of the rustlers in Wyoming.

What, a wolf?

Old Outlaw Lobo... Cattle killer, sheep killer,

man killer.

Disappeared about two years ago.

I thought maybe he died.

Guess he found a new hunting ground.

You're pulling my leg.

No, sir.

You know, the ranchers put a price on him,

and he proved his worth... $300.

Come on, what man did he kill?

Well, he ripped the throat out of a Diamond-T hand

five, six years ago.

Got a Sioux sheep herder about the same time.

Plain likes to kill.

That old wolf can think.

I don't mean instinct. I mean think.

We're not funnin' with you, Colonel.

Oh, I see you're not. Tell you what.

We'll start a new tradition here when you're on watch tonight.

Stay awake.

Your watch, Colonel.

Any problems?

Quiet as a church mouse.

Yeah?

That wolf stopped howling. I guess he must have moved on.

Good.

Sleep well, huh?

You bet.

Easy.

Come along.

Whoa, boy. Whoa, whoa.

Whoa, whoa.

Get back, get back.

Hey, there he goes!

- Colonel! - Yeah?

I saw him. He went that way.

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

Whoa! Whoa!

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Hey!

Well, there's some missing.

They're probably scattered all over.

It'll take half the morning to round them up.

Take old Killer that long to catch one,

you can bet on that.

He'll be eating real good tonight.

Got any doubt he can think now, Colonel?

Well, he certainly fooled me.

Well, the horses scent him.

I went to see what was wrong,

and he hit the cattle behind me.

Well, there's one calf that won't need branding.

I swear, it sounds like he's laughing at us.

All of us.

Well, I was on watch.

It's up to me to go after him.

Wait a minute, colonel, going after that wolf

isn't like chasing foxes in England, you know.

No, it's more like going after man-eating tigers in India,

which I have been known to do.

Oh, wait a minute, Colonel! This is nothing like...

Fellas, thank you for protecting me like a bunch of mother hens,

because I'm a poor, dumb limey.

But I wish you'd stop warning me about the dangers out here.

I've hunted practically all my life.

We believe that, Colonel, but you underrate that wolf,

he'll tear your throat out, too.

Yeah, well, it's a point well taken.

I'll be very careful.

Now, do we have any bacon in camp?

I got plenty. I'm gonna cook it up for breakfast.

Why ruin it? I'll put it to better use.

- Morning, Colonel. - Hiya, deputy. Boys.

The bank was robbed last night.

Somebody got away with around $7,000.

- Who? - Have no idea.

Cut any trail this morning? See any riders?

No, nothing.

That's funny-looking trail grub you got there, Colonel.

Couldn't the cook do any better than that for you?

Oh, well, that... bait.

Wolf hit my calves last night. I'm going out after him.

Well, you watch yourself, and good luck to you.

- Thank you. - Bye.

Good hunting to you too, huh?

Come on. Come on, you.

Fooled us again, old boy.

Whoa, baby.

Let's find some shade.

Well, you gonna shoot?

Or ain't you gonna shoot?

From the looks of you, you ain't got enough strength

to pull that trigger.

Where'd you come from?

Well, I was just about to ask you the same thing.

Would you mind pointing that thing someplace else?

I asked you where you came from.

Where's your horse?

Well, if I knowed that, I'd be on her.

You got any water in that canteen?

No.

Run out about two hours ago.

You know, you got a kind of funny way of talking.

You, uh... sound different from most folks.

I'm English.

Is that a fact?

You got a problem with that arm there.

What happened?

I was tracking a wolf, and he jumped me.

Wolf, huh? Let me see that.

You stay where you are, huh? You talk.

Sure are a persistent cuss.

Ain't much to talk about.

Been on the trail on over to Colorado.

Hell, last night, this...

bushwhacking sod-buster jumped me.

Took my gun, my horse, water.

All my gear.

Sod-buster?

Well, the way he was dressed, you know.

Farmer.

God, who would ever thought somebody like that

would get the jump on me?

Riding a mule, he was, till he got my horse.

Yeah, he just come onto my camp simple-like.

I mean, God, who'd have thought it?

Kind of stooped over.

A little zigzag scar on his chin, up to his lip here, and...

If I ever see him again,

it's gonna be a different story.

But he took everything I have. Didn't leave me nothing.

No water. Just buzzard bait.

Maybe it's a good thing we found each other.

Yeah. Maybe.

Here, let me take a look at that arm.

I mean, the way it looks, it's got you all fevered up.

And if you don't do something about it soon,

it's gonna give you blood poisoning.

You know...

this country you come from, England,

now, they don't know very much about this frontier out here,

but, you know, we got kind of a law.

You know, sort of a code. It's not writ down anyplace.

But, well, it says that, you know, if you ever run into a stranger

who needs help, you give it to him.

And here we are, two strangers

both needing help, and...

and all you do is you just keep sitting there all sick-like,

holding that gun on me.

And, I mean, how am I going to help you fix your arm

if you keep doing that?

Yeah.

Well, I have to admit it...

it hurt me.

It hurts me.

- Hurt me. Why you... - Hello.

All right, wolf.

It's you or me.

Shoot again!

Go on, shoot! He's getting away!

Didn't you hear what I said?

Give it to me. Give it to me.

It's my turn.

That was my last cartridge.

What?

Oh.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I want to thank you.

Oh! That was good.

Well, my ranch cook could certainly

take lessons from you.

Judge it when you're not so hungry.

I hope to.

Will, you get the cups.

Yes'm.

That ranch...

it's a long way.

Near Medicine Bow, eh?

That's right.

You come all the way into the back country

just chasing that old wolf?

It wasn't one of my better ideas.

Medicine Bow.

That's where Emmitt went.

Our plow mule died, and he said he was going in,

get himself a job,

and make enough money to buy a new one.

And maybe there are some supplies we need.

You know, seed and things.

We had corn in the field out there,

but we didn't get no rain.

And with the water pump broke...

Oh, Will about broke his back hauling water from the stream.

It wasn't near enough.

Where do you come from?

The Arkansas.

They call it the Midwest.

Oh, things was bad there, too.

Then Emmitt heard about this land around here,

the Wind Rivers.

So we come out to make a fresh start.

This about as far as we got.

We traded the frying pan for the fire.

We've had our share around here lately.

Lost half our chickens, a goat.

One night, a cougar come a-sniffin'.

Ma chased him off with two shots.

Did she now?

That left me with the one I used today.

Oh.

Emmitt, he don't come back pretty soon...

I reckon Will and me, we can't hold out much longer.

- You go to Medicine Bow much? - Yeah.

Maybe you seen him. He's almost your size.

And walks with a little hunch.

Horse kicked him one time.

He got a scar here, up to his lip.

He had a scar up to his lip?

You seen him?

No.

No, I... No, I haven't.

Oh, it's coming close.

I never midwifed a cow.

Well, I've...

I've foaled plenty of colts in my day.

What's that mean?

To foal?

To give birth.

To have a baby.

A colt.

When the calf comes,

there'll be a blood scent in the air.

The wolf will smell it.

You think he's still around?

Yeah.

Don't ask me how I know.

It's a... It's a lot to ask, but...

would you stay around

and help us?

Just till the calf's born.

We can't afford to lose that cow.

Of course I will.

- How's that? - Real good.

That rail got busted the night that cougar was here.

I've been meaning to fix it.

I sure wish that pump could get fixed.

Hauling from the stream makes my hands sore.

Well, when I finish this, I'll take a look at it.

Will you?

Ma, he's gonna fix the pump!

He said he'd have a look.

That don't mean it can be fixed.

Bring that water on in here.

Yes'm.

It's gonna work?

We'll find out in a minute.

My pa, he ain't that handy.

Not like you.

Reckon his biggest problem is getting the get-up-to-do.

Will, that's no way to talk.

It's true, Ma.

How many times Pa just stand here looking at the pump

whilst I was carrying water from the stream?

Well, he said he was gonna fix it soon as he got back.

Uh-huh.

Well, now...

let's give it a try.

- There we go! - Look at that!

Water again, right here!

Ah, that's what a pump's for, isn't it?

I'll put it inside for later.

Right.

I'll have another look at that.

Oh, all right.

Burning this was the best thing.

Appears to be clearing up.

A wolf bite can be bad.

Yeah.

I couldn't do that. No, sir.

Stick a hot knife onto me, I'd yell something powerful.

What do you think I did?

He could have better picking on any ranch to the north.

What's he staying around for?

Same reason I am.

He's hunting me now.

Why especially you?

Well, I know friends who go half around the world

hunting a trophy tiger or buffalo.

Maybe our friend is hunting a trophy Englishman.

Be serious.

I am.

Oh, he's hunting me, all right.

I wish Pa had left his pistol.

We got bullets for that.

You've got pistol bullets?

Yeah.

Well, they won't fit the rifle.

Well, we'll make them.

Hey, have you got some wire cutters

and... and some wire?

Yeah. Got the cutters right here.

I was using 'em to fix the handle

on the water bucket this morning.

There's some wire in the barn.

Will you be a good chap and go and fetch it?

You mean get it?

Yeah, I mean get it.

Yeah.

Well, that... that shell won't fit the rifle.

Oh, yes, it will.

Will you get a couple of dishes?

There we go.

Now, I'll wrap the wire around the cartridge

and jam it in the chamber.

Now I'll cut these...

up into little pellets.

Like they used to do with the muzzle loaders.

Now, muzzle loaders,

very effective at point-blank range.

I declare.

Emmitt, he-he-he would've never thought of that.

'Course, I reckon he wasn't taught

to think of things like that.

Educated and being in the Army, he didn't have them things.

Some men have a great deal.

Here's the wire.

She's birthing. At least starting to.

She's lying down, eyes all wide!

Now?

Oh!

Yes, now.

Look, you stay here, huh? Both of you.

Did he really build a bullet, Ma?

Don't see how.

He says he can, he can.

What makes men different?

Like the colonel. He says he can.

And he can.

Pa says he can and he can't.

I don't know.

Some men, they... they come from people who always won.

They expect to, and they do.

Pa... and me too, I guess...

we expect to lose, and... we do.

Jenny! Will!

Oh, it's beautiful.

Yeah, you should thank her.

You did fine, girl.

What is it?

It's a bull.

He's a mess.

The mother'll clean him.

Really?

Getting born is sure a heap of...

of something, I reckon, ain't it?

Do you know an incredible thing?

We all do it right the first time.

Hmm?

He's here.

You stay inside of here and bar this door.

Jenny! You can come out now!

Was he here?

Yeah.

I'll be here.

Fair question, Colonel...

Are you enjoying this?

No.

But I wouldn't leave, even if I could.

You don't understand that, but... he does.

Come on.

What's that supposed to do? There's no bullet in there.

I know.

But that'll act as a primer.

Ignite the powder charge.

You watch.

Now...

there.

There we go.

Yeah. The firing pin will hit just right.

Thank you.

All guns had to be loaded like that once?

Yes.

Hardly seems worth it.

I mean, the time it takes.

If there's a bear or something.

Or like that cougar Ma shot at.

If something like that was a-comin' at you

and you shot and missed,

seems to me that'd be it.

An old bear ain't gonna wait for you to reload.

It's not too good on rapid fire.

Reckon that wolf wouldn't wait neither.

Will, don't talk like that.

Will you hand me that bowl?

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

There we are.

Thank you.

- You think it'll work? - It might.

Might not. Might blow up.

But one way or another,

it'll make one heck of a loud noise.

Will, get on to bed now.

Aw, can't I stay up?

Hey. You need your sleep.

And I need you to help me tomorrow.

Yeah, that's right.

Night, Mom.

Night, colonel.

Good night.

You sure have a way with you.

You're quite a man.

Well, I'll keep watch.

Oh, I'll leave the rifle for you.

You can use it. I've seen you.

Colonel MacKenzie.

Yeah?

I...

I feel I should say something.

Do something.

I just happened by.

It was lucky for both of us.

Where you come from, that ranch, Shiloh?

Medicine Bow...

you, um...

you have a woman there?

No.

It's funny how...

how girls can like a weak streak in a boy, and...

wives learn to hate it in a husband.

It's nice to be looked after.

I'm sorry.

Good night, Jenny.

Good night.

- Hmm? - Oh.

Morning, Colonel. You sleep well?

Good morning. Well, no, not exactly.

Oh, I had a nightmare.

That wolf chased me all night.

Do you know, it's an amazing thing, nightmares. They're...

They're so real. They're so vivid.

Even when I woke up, I could have sworn

that wolf was at the window looking in at me.

Ridiculous.

Boy, you sure didn't waste no time a-learnin', did you?

Oh, he doesn't have to learn. He's hungry.

So am I.

Ma's fixing hominy and eggs for breakfast.

Hey, how did you guess that I wanted

hominy and eggs for breakfast?

Huh?

- More? - More!

Good heavens.

No, three helpings is enough.

Me too. I'm stuffed.

Wow.

I bet that old wolf out there

has got himself a hunger this morning.

Yeah, I bet he has.

Think he's still around?

Yeah. I think he is.

You shoot and miss, what then?

Then he'll eat me up.

But the gun might not work,

or blow up like you said it might.

Or it might not.

But if the gun does work,

and I can get the wolf close enough...

How you gonna get him close enough?

Hey, we've got a hammer and wire here.

And I've seen some boards and nails

and old twine in the barn.

We could build ourselves a trap.

A trap? You mean catch him?

Well, why in the world would you want to do that?

Well, I wouldn't know. No, I don't mean catch him.

I mean...

Look, you go down to the barn and collect the board and the twine

and the nails and I'll show you.

Yes, sir.

You just keep coming up with ideas, don't you?

Emmitt, he's not much for ideas.

Things don't work out, he just lets 'em be most times.

I've been wondering if this country isn't just...

Just too rough for him.

You talk as if you don't expect him to come back.

Colonel, come on! See what else you need!

All right, I'm coming.

We won't be long.

All right, raise it higher.

Go on, up. That's right.

Now, I'll pass it 'round this tree stump,

and tie it off here.

How come you hang it so high?

Well, he's not stupid.

You make it too easy, he'll get suspicious.

Now, pull it.

Go on, pull it and watch here.

It works!

It'll blow that old wolf clean sky-high.

You move away, or it'll blow you clean sky-high.

I don't think I'd like that.

Well... there.

Do you know who that man is?

It's him. It's him!

It's my pa!

Well, then you better go and tell your mother.

Go and meet him.

I want to thank you for all you done for Jenny here.

And the boy.

He even fixed the pump, Pa. Works just fine.

Well, ain't that something.

I didn't do any more for them than they did for me.

Oh, don't listen to him, Emmitt.

He's being about as modest as he can be.

I just don't know what we would've done

if he hadn't come along.

Will, put them animals in the barn.

Leave the horse be.

I'll be out to unsaddle him later.

Yes, sir.

It sure is a fine horse, Emmitt. And the mule, too.

What'd you do, strike a gold mine?

Well, I might as well have.

Say, that jug of apple jack,

is it still where I left it?

Oh, must be. I plum forgot about it.

Well, come on inside. We have some.

I'll tell you everything that happened, if you can believe it.

Colonel, come in and have a drink with us.

This is a special occasion.

Come, mule. Come on.

Yeah, that's it.

Oh, let me.

This here job I had over in Medicine Bow...

it paid a fair wage, you know what I mean?

Working for the livery man.

Hauling the hay, feeding the horses.

Uh...

that's where I bought the mule.

I saved my money and he gave me a good deal, see?

And the horse?

Well, we're getting to that.

Here's to luck.

Seems that that little old lady smiled on us.

Oh!

Oh, I never did like the taste.

Go on, Emmitt, go on.

Well...

this one night after work...

my, it had been a hot day.

So, I went in the saloon to get a cold glass of beer,

and there was a poker game going on.

So I decided to sit in for a few hands.

And doggone if I didn't win.

Emmitt, I didn't know you played at gambling games.

Well, a man has to have some secrets from his wife, don't he?

Just seemed as if I couldn't lose.

Some people do hit lucky streaks like that.

They sure do, colonel.

Before I knowed it,

I'd won more money than I ever seen in my life.

And I decided I better quits while I'm still ahead.

And that's when I bought the saddle horse,

and I came on home.

But what are we gonna do with a saddle horse?

We need seed and new plow and things.

That's what you said you was gonna get.

Well, uh...

that's was if we was gonna stay here.

Stay here?

Honey, out in them saddlebags

is enough money for us to move on someplace decent.

Like a city like Denver.

Or maybe, if you had a mind to, we could go on to "California."

Glory be.

But what about here? Everything we worked for?

Well, we get something better,

so you won't have to work so hard all the time.

Like I said, live like decent folks.

You'd like that, wouldn't you?

Wouldn't you?

Well, I... I reckon...

Will, would you like to move on and...

maybe California?

Get a better place, like your pa says?

I suppose it'd be all right,

as long as the water pump don't bust down.

Maybe we could get a place with a pump right inside.

That'd sure be something!

Well, then it's decided?

Here's to luck again, Colonel.

We sure had our share.

Will, bring that water on in here,

then go tell the menfolks we're about ready to eat.

Yes'm.

This here's about the finest animal I ever owned.

Though I'd had 'em before,

you should have seen his face when I beat him out.

Royal flush, I had.

Thought you said you purchased the animal?

Well, that was for... For Jenny's benefit.

I didn't want her to think that...

You know, I had a fine animal once...

till I was bushwhacked by a man.

Crept up on me.

Well, I can't really blame him,

'cause he said he'd been jumped himself.

By a farmer.

A man with a zigzag scar up to his lip.

What did... what... What did I do wrong?

You tell me.

I took money from a thief.

Mom!

It's the boy. He heard.

Said he robbed a man!

Oh, Will, I don't understand.

What's he saying?

Don't listen to what he's saying.

He don't know what he's talking about.

You lied to me. To all of us.

- You lied! - Hush up!

Look, the boy heard.

Tell her.

Tell her the truth.

Or do you want me to tell her?

Emmitt, what is it?

You remember when we got married up...

all the things I promised to do for you?

T-t... to get for you?

I tried for a while.

Even coming here, I tried.

But it seemed as if I was never making it.

Even the boy there. Will.

He could see the kind of man I was.

The kind of man I am.

Emmitt, don't talk like that.

- Let me finish. - Don't say things like that.

Let me finish.

Early one morning...

the bank at Medicine Bow got robbed.

I seen the fella what done it.

I was the only one who seen him.

I followed him.

That money out there.

I...

that's the money I took.

Near $7,000.

Enough to set a man up for life.

We could do a lot with that.

For you and for the boy.

A lot.

An awful lot.

It wasn't right.

It just wasn't right.

You got to take that money back.

Why?!

I didn't rob the bank!

The other fella robbed the bank!

You gotta figure on that.

The thing I don't understand...

all things considered,

it took me two days to get to this farm.

It took you four.

What took you so long?

Maybe...

maybe I got lost.

You say you've been farming here for almost a year

and you got lost?

I told you...

I wasn't making it.

I was always failing, no matter what.

I figured a man alone with all that money,

I could...

I had to go back.

I had to.

If'n I didn't...

I could never live with myself.

Ever.

I'd just be completing the job of being a failure all my life.

Well, them sure was pretty words.

Sure was.

Don't.

I didn't think you'd make it.

Like me.

For a while there, I didn't think

I was gonna make it myself.

Now, you wouldn't want me to kill you

after all we've been through, would you?

'Cause of that sod-buster sitting there,

crying like a little baby?

Oh, you gonna cry, sod-buster.

You gonna cry for water.

And food.

And gonna cry for somebody to come along and kill you,

to take you out of your misery.

What's he talking about? Who is he?

The man I took the money from.

That's who I am, ma'am.

And I come to get my money back.

Is that more of this unwritten code you told me about?

I just want my money back.

Now, where is it?

If they give it to you,

you leave with no harm to them?

Well, now I'll think on it.

For about one minute.

And then somebody gets shot.

The boy, most probably.

And then I'd think on it for one more minute.

And if I don't have my money,

somebody else gets shot.

Now...

I'm thinking.

I'm still thinking.

Emmitt, please tell him!

You said the saddlebags!

I only did it for you.

For us.

Tell him! Give it back to him!

It's in the barn!

All right, let's go.

Anybody try anything,

somebody's liable to get shot.

Now, let's go. Move.

All right, hold up.

You stand right there with the kid.

You beside 'em.

Now, you get that mule out here.

Now look, mister.

I've had this man's gun for two days now,

and I ain't had a chance to use it.

And I'm just itching to see how it works.

All right, let him go. Hyah!

All right, now.

And get that other horse out here.

Get him out here!

Hurry up!

Bring him here.

Well, now you've got what you came for.

Get out of here!

Not yet.

Get that other horse over here.

- What for? - Just get him!

All right, now get this other horse over there and get on him.

Mount up.

- Mount up, or he's a dead man. - Where you taking him?

I'll take him out where he left me.

I'm gonna leave him with no gun, no water,

no horse, just buzzard bait.

No. You can't! He's my husband!

He's this boy's father!

Please!

Jenny, get hold of yourself.

I can't blame him.

I reckon I got it coming.

No! Emmitt!

Emmitt!

See to them.

Lead out.

Can't you do nothing?

Maybe I can get the gun from the trap, huh?

You stay here.

Something happened out there. I don't know what.

Where's the man?

Horse threw him, then took off.

I hightailed here.

You go back and look after them, right?

Well, I don't know.

Sheriff, do you know of any law

covering a man who robs a thief of stolen money,

so long as that man returns the money?

Can't say I do.

What do you say, Tate?

Well, I'm no judge.

Seems to me he ought to be getting some kind of a reward.

Well, considering what the colonel told me,

I think that'd be pushing things just a little bit too far.

I'll get this back to the bank.

You two go on home.

And you stay out of trouble.

See you around, Colonel.

All right.

That mean we don't get to go to "Californi?"

Oh, we're gonna stay here, Will, such as it is.

And somehow...

we'll make out all right.

I'm sure we will.

We ain't got any more now than we had before, you know.

Hey, that reminds me.

Tate, you remember that bounty on the wolf?

- How much was it? - $300.

Yeah.

You know, the way I see it,

that wolf could very well still be alive

if Will here hadn't found me the other day.

- Don't you agree? - Oh, yes, Colonel.

Probably still be alive.

Will, I believe this belongs to you.

What am I gonna do with all this money?

Well, perhaps you'd like to buy your father

that plow he needed.

And seed, things like that.

Is that what you'd do with it, Pa?

Yes, son.

That's what I'd do with it.

Then here.

Thank you, Colonel.

Thank you for everything you've done.

Remember, you got friends here now.

When you come to town,

you drop by and see us, huh?

We will. We sure will.

When you get out our way, you come by and see us, too.

All right, Colonel?

It's a deal.

Well, we got to go, Colonel.

All right.

Bye-bye. Bye-bye.

Emmitt: Thank you, Colonel. Thank you, Captain.

All's well that ends well.

He was pretty lucky, wasn't he?

You bet. Say, the sheriff forgot to take the skin.

I better take it to him next trip into town, huh?

There is no skin.

I buried it.

Well, then you're out $300.

The cattlemen won't pay the bounty without proof.

Too bad.

Well, they were kind of figuring on mounting him.

I don't want his skin on any wall.

He gave you a rough time, huh?

Ooh.

But nothing to a man that's hunted tigers in India.

You know,

there was one point I forgot about India.

I was a few years younger then.

Yeah, but still, a wolf doesn't compare to the tiger.

Or did it?

You want the truth?

I don't want that wolf's hide on any wall

because he came too close to having my hide on one.

Let's drink to him.

♪