Original subtitles

You know what I'm thinking?

Don't worry, I'll be back in time.

That's not what I'm thinking. You're thinking that if I'm not back in a week,

we'll be flat broke.

Should that happen, you can go into scalp locks. See me at the home bank.

already made arrangements. Flat broke, boss.

A week and the BPS and DCAM move an inch.

How are we supposed to lay the next 30 miles of track without a right -of -way?

I'll get the right -of -way. It won't take me no more than a hoop and a

either. Back in a week, hoop and a holler.

All right, keep it moving, boys. So long.

Don't forget, boss, a week!

We can't move without you.

Have a good time, Mr. Calhoun.

Thank you.

See you next week.

All right.

Hey,

sir.

I wonder if I could get a room.

Heard the stage.

Didn't think it had any passengers. There usually aren't any.

How long you be staying?

That depends.

Till after the wedding, certainly.

Wedding? Yeah.

Friend of mine getting married here tomorrow.

Asked me to stand up for him.

You must know him, Tony Allison. He's got a ranch out around town here

somewhere.

I'm new here. I don't know him.

Well, where can I hire a horse?

There's a stable down the street.

Thank you. And would you have somebody put these up in my room? And be very

careful of that one. I went to a lot of trouble to get it.

Yes, sir.

What can I do for you?

I'll need a horse and a saddle for a couple of days.

How will this one suit you?

Fine. How far is it out to Tony Allison's place?

Too far, mister.

Glad you come around, Calhoun.

How's the head?

I'll live.

Glad to hear it.

Feel well enough to travel?

I just got here.

There's your ride, Calhoun.

You can make the junction at Pollock Station by nightfall.

Stage comes through in the morning. It'll take you back where you came from.

Thank you, Sheriff.

But I'm not going to Pollock Station.

What choice you got, Calhoun?

Stay out of this, Lou.

Now, look, mister, I'm just trying to make things easy for you.

Why? Let's just say we ain't partial to strangers.

Yeah.

Take that ride and go back while you can.

I came for a wedding, Sheriff.

I expect to be around here for a while.

Do I walk out of here or do I manage on my own?

Let him go, Lou.

Get Charlie Farrell here right away.

Changed my mind.

Give me my key.

My key!

I'm sorry, Mr. Calhoun. I just remembered.

It's Friday.

Our rooms are booked up.

Will you get me a key?

Only one way to take care of it now, Judd.

He'll take that rider. I'll bear him.

There'll be no killing.

We'll fight it your way. And we'll keep it my way.

All right, Judd.

We'll see what Mr. Farrow says.

He's upstairs, room seven.

Get Shad.

Tell him a friend of Tony Allison's in town.

I'll tell him.

You're in the wrong room mister Take

this junk with you

And so I finally settled down.

Bought myself a small spread just outside a place called Bitter Wells.

The big news is I'm getting married.

Wonderful girl named Laura Farrell.

You like her, Ben.

If you can make it, I'd like to have you stand up for me as my best man.

I'll be waiting for you.

Just ask anybody in town how to get to my place.

Mr. Calhoun, I'm Charlie Farrell.

I hear you've been asking about Tony Allison.

It's too bad you missed him.

He left town about a week ago.

You knew him, did you?

Better than most.

He was a neighbor of mine.

I own most of the grazing land around here.

This hotel, too.

I hear from Reed that you had some trouble with Shad over your room.

Big ill -tempered fellow?

He work for you?

Most everybody around here does.

What about Tony?

Well, he bought the old Peter's place about six months ago.

Hard Scrabble land.

Not even enough grazing for goats.

Never could figure out why a fellow like Tony wanted to settle here.

But I liked him for it anyway.

Seems like you're about the only man around here who did.

Tony left a lot of bad feelings behind him when he pulled out.

Why?

I don't know. I wasn't here when it happened.

Now look, Tony's gone.

No sense in stirring up things more than you have.

You've had a long, hot ride for nothing.

The stage doesn't pass back through town for a week.

Tell you what, why don't you stop in for a couple of drinks at Madge's bar?

Charge into me.

Then take that ride the sheriff offered you.

What about the wedding?

What wedding?

Tony wrote to me a week or so ago.

Told me he was getting married.

A girl by the name of Laura Farrow.

Your daughter and Mr. Farrow?

My daughter didn't know, Tony.

Mind if I ask her that?

Well, Mr. Calhoun, you can take my word for it.

My daughter never knew Tony Allison.

Why don't you forget the whole thing?

Why don't you forget Tony Allison?

Tell Chad to get the other one.

Bring me some cigars and fine lube. Tell him I want to talk to him.

You won't find a horse in town, Calhoun.

You won't get one that way either.

Well, I could still get you that sorrow.

And the escort that goes with it.

And the escort.

Wait.

I could run you in and throw the key away. Now, don't push me, Calhoun. Then

me have the horse. All I want to do is see Tony Allison's place.

Wouldn't do you any good.

There's nothing out there.

I understand how you might feel about Tony, but he was an outsider here.

No one else really cares what happened to him.

Someone else should have cared, Sheriff.

Laura Farrell.

I believe they were going to be married.

What time is it?

315.

He's a stubborn man.

They can't keep him boxed up in town. Sooner or later, he's going to find

somebody... Nobody in this town will turn a hand to help him.

You know that.

Maybe not.

Why not let him ride out to Tony's place?

What for?

You won't find Tony out there.

What are you going to do?

Run him out of town.

He can always ride back.

Then I'll let Lou handle it.

We've been friends for a long time, Charlie.

But if it weren't for Laura, I wouldn't go through with it.

Can I have a beer, please, sir?

You own this place?

Yeah.

I've been expecting you, Calhoun.

Why?

You've been every place else.

Then you no doubt know why I'm here.

Mm -hmm.

Come on, sit down.

My name's Madge.

You look all in.

It's been a long, hard day.

Pretty good at cards. Oh.

Between them and the bar, I make a living.

I'll tell you what I'll do.

I'll cut you one time.

High card.

A hundred dollars against a horse.

I don't own a horse.

Wouldn't do you any good anyway.

Never get out of town with it.

You too, Will.

I'm sorry I bothered you. Oh, come on, sit down.

It's too hot outside.

Anyway, I like your company.

Thank you.

I like Tony, too.

Maybe I was the only person in town who did.

He used to come in here most every night, deal a few hands with me.

Oh, that is, until he got interested in the Farrow girl.

You knew Tony well?

Very well.

the 9th Virginia Cavalry together.

He was just a kid then.

So was I, as a matter of fact.

After the war was over, he didn't want to go back to Virginia.

His family had a farm there.

Said he wanted to travel around.

See the world, so to speak.

We did that all right.

We went everywhere.

Did everything.

Never had any money. Always broke.

It didn't seem important at the time, however.

Didn't seem important to him here either.

I once asked Tony, I said, how come you settled in Bitter Wells?

He shrugged it off.

Said it was as good a place as any.

What happened to him?

Maybe he left.

You don't believe that.

In this town, you believe what Charlie Farrow says.

One way or another, a lot of people around here depend on Charlie Farrell.

So why should they care what happens to a newcomer like Tony?

Or Ben Calhoun?

And what about you?

Do you believe what Charlie Farrell says?

I've been too many places.

There's nowhere else to go.

How far is it out to Tony's place?

You aiming to walk?

Might have to.

Well, you'll never make it.

Don't bet on that.

Mr. Calhoun.

You come around tonight to the back door.

I'll have a horse waiting for you.

And you don't have to cut high card for it.

What are you doing in town?

Something wrong?

Get inside.

Miss Farrell?

Laura Farrell?

I'm Ben Calhoun.

Get inside, Laura.

Tony must have told you about me.

I was to be his best man.

Sit down, Farrell.

you want.

Hey, tell me Tony left town.

Did you see him before he left?

No. I came a long way to see you, Miss Farrow.

I'm sorry.

You were going to marry him?

Calhoun, I told you.

Yes. Yes, I was going to marry Tony.

Now, let me alone.

Just a moment.

Hey, Bob, I knew Laura.

No, Lou.

Tell him.

Get into the store.

as your father says, Laura.

I told you about wearing that band.

Let him alone, Judd.

Charlie, I said no killing.

Lou!

Crawl back in your hole, Judd.

Calhoun.

Now.

It

didn't

have to happen.

You could have stopped him.

Calhoun, it's just started.

Can't you understand what you're doing?

All I want to do is help. Help?

You're just making it worse.

You're acting as if it were your fault.

I'm the one to blame.

It's my fault.

Nobody but me.

He was cheap.

He was dirt.

But I don't blame him for what he was. I just blame myself for not seeing it.

You've got to stop that kind of thinking.

You've got to put it behind you.

That's what I mean by going away.

You're so, so... So what?

So old -fashioned.

You think by sending me away I'm going to forget the mistake I made, falling in

love with a thing that you couldn't even hire as a ditch rider?

Please don't blame yourself, honey.

You know, your mother couldn't even stand the sight of me at first.

Come in.

Alright, Jules.

Wait till you see something to shoot at.

That's enough.

Call your men off.

You got two minutes, Calhoun.

Charlie, it's murder.

It's pretty handy with that pistol, Chad.

Let me talk to Calhoun. Maybe I can... You got a chance.

You can't do it, Charlie.

This isn't 30 years ago.

You gonna stop me, Judd?

I didn't think you could.

Your troubles are soft.

That's why Ann married me instead of you.

Didn't think I knew about that picture you keep in the desk.

Picture of my wife, Judd.

That's it.

Calhoun! Your time's up!

Get that car out!

Get the nuggets!

Come to that hole.

How do I find Tony?

Well, it's north, about five miles, straight out of town.

Thank you.

Are you going to be all right?

Sure.

Don't you worry about me.

Calhoun got away.

First to town, he can't get far.

Calhoun, he rode out and back to Madden.

Chad, I want him.

Go on home, Pop.

I'll clean up.

Hello, Charlie.

How's this closing up?

It's a bit early, isn't it?

Oh, not much doing?

I wouldn't go just now, Madge.

I'm kind of tired.

It's a nice little place you have here.

Fancy clothes.

Jewelry.

A nice, warm place to sleep.

Remember when you came to town the first time four or five years ago?

Kind of like a whipped dog.

Looking for a place to hide.

Remember saying to Judd,

Now there's a woman that's been around.

Knows how to keep her mouth shut.

Johnny!

Take your cards and a bottle.

That's all you had.

But you got along.

Oh, the women didn't like you much.

I made my peace with him. I made your peace match.

You've gone a long way in five years.

Yes, sir. A long way.

Oh, no, Charlie.

No, no, no, please. You know I haven't touched a drop. You've got cause to

celebrate tonight.

He only wanted to take a look at Tony's place.

You got him a horse.

I promise you, Charlie.

I'll never cross you again. I promise.

You don't have to promise.

Bottle.

A deck of cards.

That's what you came with.

That's what you'll leave with.

Drink up, Madge.

Drink. There's lots more. A whole bottle full.

Now who?

Satisfied?

Yeah, this was Tony's place.

You can see he's gone.

Who burned it?

Well, maybe he did.

Before he left.

Wasn't worth nothing.

I never thought much of him myself.

Out here all alone.

Always had a chip on his shoulder.

I asked him once.

What he's gonna raise out here?

You know what he told me.

Sheep.

That's what he said.

Sheep.

What did he raise?

Well, nothing much I could see.

You ready to come along now?

I suppose so.

No reason to stay around here.

Glad to hear you say that, Calhoun.

I mean...

We're not gunfighters.

Mr. Farrow did say to bring you back.

Put down your gun!

Hurry up!

Now start walking.

You better go back to the ranch and get the half -breed. He can track anything.

You keep looking.

I'll let Mr. Farrow know.

Up to the house.

Yes, Jules, what is it? It's very lame.

Get over there.

There's half a dozen men in the bunkhouse. I could call them. Then call

What are you after?

You and Tony were supposed to be married.

I want to know what happened.

Get out of here.

What are you afraid of?

Tony Allison was worthless.

He ran out on me for $10 ,000, and that's all there is to it, Mr. Calhoun.

Money.

Is that what your father told you?

I was in love with Tony.

You don't know what that meant to me.

You can't know.

The first time I saw Tony, my father told me to stay away.

He was different.

Not shy like most of the men I knew.

It was the only time I ever wanted something my father was against.

And your father didn't like Tony?

No.

We quarreled.

He said Tony would run out on me.

I didn't believe him.

My father said he would prove it.

It was just a matter of price.

Ten thousand dollars.

My father went to see him with the money.

Tony took it.

I never even heard from him.

Someone burned his place down.

You know who it was.

My father did it.

After Tony left.

I don't believe he did leave.

I think he's buried out there.

I don't believe that.

Take a look at it.

It's yours.

I found it out of Tony's place.

Hardly seems logical he would throw it away if he were leaving, does he?

My father told me Tony took the money and left.

He wouldn't lie to me.

Why don't we ask him?

What's this for?

I saw Madge.

Oh, now that's it.

A woman, Charlie.

And I saw what was done to her.

She got that horse for Calhoun.

She knew what to expect.

No one ever crosses you, do they, Charlie?

Not more than once, Judd.

But you never learn.

We came into this country together 30 years ago.

We didn't have a dime between us.

I wound up owning most of the county. You working for me for 60 a month.

Here, put it back on.

What the devil's the matter with you, Judd?

We've been through things like this before. I haven't changed.

No.

You haven't, Charlie.

I hope Calhoun got away.

For your sake, Charlie, I hope he did.

Goodbye, Judd.

I sent Jules back to the ranch to get

the half -breed.

We ought to pick up Calvin's trail sometime this morning. He could be 20

away by now. The boys were out looking all night. No sign of him.

Well, they've been out looking all day, too. Get ready to ride out.

Looks like we won't have to ride, Mr. Farrell.

No! I asked him to come here with me.

Stay out of this, Laura.

No. I told him you'd tell me the truth. I said you wouldn't lie to me. What are

you talking about?

Tony.

He thinks you killed him.

I told you what happened, Laura.

Tony took the money and left.

Who are you going to believe?

I'm not sure now.

Then you wouldn't object to our going out there and looking around the place a

little more thoroughly.

You burned Tony's place down. Why?

I told you why, Laura.

I didn't want a reminder of the man who ran out on you.

Or the man you killed.

All right, gentlemen.

Hold it, Charlie.

I want to know, too.

Put that rifle down.

Let's all ride out to Tony's place.

Show me I'm wrong, Charlie.

That's all I want. Show me I'm wrong.

All right, Calhoun.

But when we're finished, I'm going to kill you.

Where are you going to start, Calhoun?

Why not right there?

Or do you intend to dig up the whole place?

Just one spot.

A coyote marked it for me.

We've wasted enough time.

Joel, Chad.

Let him dig, Charlie.

All right, Calhoun. He's in there. Where he belongs.

I offered him the money, sir.

He threw it in my face and laughed at me.

Nobody laughs at me, sir.

Nobody...

I saw you right up. Boy, you got here just in time.

What's been happening?

We lost a load of rails down Member Canyon.

Number two trestle needs propping up.

Hey, did you have a good time at the wedding?

We'll talk about it later.

Barnabas! Yes, sir?

Would you go over and meet the stage?

Get my suitcase off of it.

Also, there'll be a lady on there named Madge.

Take her over to Mrs.

Simmons at the general store.

She's going to be working there from now on.

Right.

But you and I go see that trestle.