Original subtitles

You're late.

Might be a couple of minutes, Mr. Broome.

He came up behind me.

You're kind of a special man.

Understand?

Nobody takes any chances with you.

Word I got was to meet you.

No reason what for.

You might have ensured me for something I didn't know about.

Oh, I've never sawed anybody when I need them.

Even a stickhead like you.

Prison land improves your disposition, honey.

Nope.

How's that for a start?

It's pretty good for a start.

Must be big. We gonna try it alone, just the two of us?

What, a thing like this? Are you crazy?

Follow. Wait a minute.

Who you got in mind?

I got a right to know what we're trying for and who and how many are with us.

Look, either you're in or you're out.

You follow me or you don't.

This place got anything to do with it?

It starts here.

Well, if it's big, how can we do it alone, just the two of us?

It won't be just the two of us.

What won't be?

Now, shut up. Listen. For what?

You give me $200 to come along with you, and then you don't tell me what I got

to do to earn a lot more.

Quiet, quiet.

All that being alone?

You know any of them?

All of them.

I wouldn't trust any of them.

The only one you gotta trust is me.

Well, we're out of middle labor, Mr. Brill.

I told you this would be worthwhile.

Here, pass this out.

Now what you're looking at is just the start.

The start of what, Mr. Brill?

This time we're going to steal big. We don't know what you think is big.

A train.

A whole train, Mr. Brill? No, not a whole train. Just a man on a train.

But he's worth more money than any of us ever thought about.

And I got it figured out.

Railroad time.

If any of you don't want a piece of this big fat pigeon, hand back the money and

ride off.

Are you after Ben Calhoun, the president of the railroad?

No, he's a passenger.

Let's go get him. Wait a minute.

I ain't tangling with no railroad.

I want nothing to do with it.

All right.

Now you got nothing to do with it.

Quite impressive.

You might even say, uh, gaudy.

Vulgar, you mean. You know, Ben, I paid $24 ,000 for that.

But not cash.

My husband seldom pays cash, Mr. Calhoun.

That's smart.

Rich men, they pay cash.

But the very rich, never.

See, my dear, Ben and I understand each other.

Ben, I'm gonna rub some of my riches off on you.

Yeah.

You've been very successful, Gil, but you didn't get rich by giving it away to

anybody.

Perhaps to you, Ben.

After all, you both rose happily from the gutter.

That's why I'm here, Ben, to help you.

If I may interrupt. As usual, a lawyer wants to interrupt.

It's you who need help, Mr. Connor.

I should say protection.

Protection?

From all those hostile orphans and widows that want their life savings

Men in big business.

Bitter enough to... To what?

Kill him.

Because he bested them.

That's why I insisted you take extreme safety precautions, Mr. President.

Precautions have already been taken, Mrs. Dowell.

After all, I can't let you get exterminated at this point. Oh, that'll

day. My husband's a cannibal. Didn't you know he eats his enemies alive?

You'll be here in ten minutes.

Right on schedule.

You were telling the truth, friend.

Get her ready.

Welcome, Mr. Conner.

Any moment now, a day to remember.

Yes, it is. You got your speech all prepared, Mr. Holmes?

Well, as a matter of fact, it is.

What do you think of this day?

Citizens of Scalp Lot Visitors and honored guests, we are gathered here to

welcome a man of achievement.

vision, stature, a great captain of industry.

I'm sure he'll like it. He will.

Yes, it is good, isn't it?

Actually, I know very little about this Mr.

Connor. What sort of man is he?

He's big.

Oh, Mr. Tarrant!

Oh, Mr. Tarrant, the train was due at the second checkpoint 15 minutes ago and

it hasn't shown up.

Now, isn't that ridiculous?

Absolutely ridiculous.

Ridiculous in what it's happening.

Where's the train, Ed?

Well, sir, it just isn't. I mean to tell you, it just isn't anywhere.

I rode all the way back to Briggs Junction, and they said it passed there

an hour ago.

But that's... It's... It's ridiculous.

An entire railroad train can't simply disappear.

Well, I'd agree with you, Mr. Holmes, but it seems an entire railroad train

disappeared.

Not them, not the train, not anything.

Somebody get drunk and do a little talking?

Huh? Not me.

You're lucky I haven't got time to find out.

So how long do you plan on keeping me prisoner here?

Shouldn't be too long.

Just to my men, give me the all clear.

Besides the delay, you'll scare the wits out of my wife.

Not at all. I'm rather enjoying this aspect of frontier hospitality.

Ben, you had no business doing this without my authority.

Your man Dal did everything but send up smoke signals, warning me to protect

you. So I did.

Here we are, and ain't nobody gonna find you till I'm ready for them. I brought

along my own guards.

It's real.

Anybody really wanted to get at you, they'd take an army to protect you.

However, to make Mr. Connor happy, why don't you men get back to your posts?

What good did you think they were going to do? Anybody with a train schedule and

a stopwatch could have had you for lunch.

At least you could have told me. Oh, Gil, I thought you rather liked

I wouldn't take it too personally.

After all, I've got to keep you alive until I can squeeze the loan out of you.

In a friendly way, of course.

Barnabas.

Ah, champagne.

Give the nice man his money, Gil.

And now I'd like to make a toast.

Go ahead.

To Ben Calhoun, the greatest con man I know.

Takes one to know one, Gib.

Now why don't we get down to business?

You know, Ben, when I look out there at that virgin country, I see a land that's

crying for traffic, commerce, industry, settlers, and wealth.

It's the dream of the future, Ben.

One quarter of a million dollars.

Hard cash.

For what?

51 % of the common stock.

That's it. Take it or leave it.

Leave it.

Your money means a good deal to me, Gil, but not nearly as much as my railroad.

But you'll have your railroad.

I'll have 49 % of your railroad.

Point to Mr.

Calhoun.

Oh, Ben, I should have remembered.

Charming Ben Calhoun.

But when he played poker or gambled on a deal, he always went in for the kill.

Mr. Calhoun, did you ever kill my husband?

No. No such luck.

We grazed each other a few times.

I need to drown a little blood every now and then. All in a friendly spirit,

huh?

Of course.

All right, Ben.

I have the money. You hold the cards.

Let's split the difference.

50%, even, Stephen.

What do you say?

It is a virgin country.

Needs people, commerce, industry.

Somebody can make a fortune with my railroad.

And my quarter million.

For which I'll give you 25%. I won't take that, and you know it. You just

acquired the...

Great Western Locomotive and Coach Company.

You're going to need new business.

The BPS &D can give it to you. Not at your price.

The only price you're going to get.

30%. 25%. Then you don't have a scruple in your body.

It's a deal.

Barnabas.

Got it, boss. 25 % for $250 ,000. Yes, sir.

I'll draw up the necessary legal papers.

Legal papers?

I can remember when we used to do business on a handshake, Gil.

It's a deal, partner.

All right, hold it right there. Van?

Go on in, Dave.

I'll let everything go in scalp lock.

Everything went fine in scalp lock, but at junction point, the switchboard was

beaten unconscious and the line's been blocked.

It means that whoever's after Mr. Conner is getting pretty close.

Are we still after him? No. No ordeals made.

Oh, that's great.

Uh, Gil and Mrs. Conner, this is my friend, my conscience, and the chief

construction engineer for the BPS &D, Mr. Dave Tarrant. Mr. Conner, Mrs.

Now that we're partners, please call me Elizabeth.

Instruction engineer, huh?

You must have had something to do with the abduction.

Guilty, but it was necessary.

Is there any real danger?

I think the incident at Junction Point means we have to be more careful.

Well, whoever did it must be looking for Gil.

Which is a pretty good reason for us to be getting out of here.

Is the line open in the scalpel? It will be.

All right, Barnabas, let's get her moving.

Yes, sir.

Let's get the draft.

All ready. I'm impressed.

We strive for efficiency at all times.

Thank you.

It's coming.

Good. How are we going to hit it, Mr. Bill?

Quiet.

Real quiet.

Bartimus. Yes, sir. Yes, sir, Mr. Calhoun.

Are the sandwiches ready yet?

Almost,

but not quite.

Not just immediately.

In fact... In fact what?

No, they're not ready yet.

And, Bartimus, this time we do it without the feathers, huh?

But no feathers?

No feathers in a chicken sandwich? How are they supposed to know it's chicken?

Now listen to me.

You can be the world's worst cook. And I am. And it's not going to get you up

there working on the cab any faster.

You're a bright fellow.

Yes, sir. But you are young. You know it and I know it. Only you know that,

boss. So let's just get the sandwiches ready. Mr. and Mrs. Connor have been

waiting a long time. They're hungry.

Well, they'll hate them.

But maybe they'll be so happy about the deal you made they won't even eat.

It's not a good deal.

Not a good deal for who? Him or us?

For us.

Not a good deal for us.

Why not?

Because he agreed to it too quick.

I agreed to it too quick.

What's the matter with that?

That's the matter with that.

He agreed too quick. That's the matter with that?

Oh, I get it.

That's the matter with that.

Right.

Now, let's hurry up and get the sandwiches ready.

Worse than the world, boss. They're coming right up.

Here, Barnabas.

Without a doubt, the worst sandwich I've ever eaten in my life.

Mr. Calhoun, that's what you get for leaving the cooking to a vice president.

It's deliberate.

Kidnapping followed by poison.

BPS and D offers every penny.

Are you unhappy here, Elizabeth?

Not at all.

After all, I insisted on coming with you.

Keep those brakes on!

We just want Mr. Conner, but we don't want him warned. So stop this steam

easy.

Scalp lock already?

Shouldn't be.

Check.

Artemis, take down and go to the kitchen. Stay there. Yeah.

Take that and get over to the window.

You're a lucky kid. I need you.

For what?

That's good.

Vincent!

Stop your guns! Don't turn around.

Came up from behind, boss. Shut up.

All right, we'll take the little one.

And that one.

And I'll take care of this.

Now, wait a minute.

Get him mounted and tie him up.

Just a minute.

Hey!

Get out of here.

Next time, run your trains on time.

Mr. Calhoun.

Mr. Calhoun.

All right, let's get out of here.

Ben.

Are you all right?

Yeah.

Quick, get help. They've taken my husband. There must have been a dozen of

Do you know who they were?

No. The leader of that bunch was named Brill.

His picture's on every poster from here to Kansas City.

You boys go out there and see if you can round us up some horses.

You ride?

Yes.

Don't worry about Gil.

They want him alive.

Remember that.

Get dressed. We'll wait outside for you.

Good. Part of it.

Take Mrs. Conner on into Scalpel House.

As soon as the posse's formed, send them back here. Dave and I will leave a

trail they can follow. Yes, sir.

Just a minute, gentlemen.

I'm coming with you.

Afraid not, ma 'am.

Brill is a killer.

He'd kill you just as quickly as he would Dave or I.

Mr. Calhoun, they've taken my husband.

That involves me whether I like it or not.

All right, Barnabas, move out.

Hello.

What are we stopping for?

We're going to untie this one now.

What are we doing with this one?

Kill him.

What for the lawyer?

There's the sheriff.

Hey, hey, wake up. Where's the sheriff?

Oh, oh, he's out with the Parsi.

Looking for the train. He says he won't be back until they find it.

Philanthropist, where have you been?

Out at, uh... Are you aware that the entire train has been stolen?

Yes, Mr. Holmes.

Except, no, not exactly. Not the train.

Just Mr.

Connor and his lawyer.

Who stole them?

Brogang. You don't say.

You don't say.

Yes, he does say. Where?

Uh, ten miles past Junction Point.

They're headed almost due north towards the High Sierra.

I'll get some men together. Some men. Uh, you, you stay here. We'll need a

guide. You, get on the wire. Alert the army at Briggs Junction. Yes, sir.

In Prescott, the governor invited Mr. Connor to a ball. In Goldfield, they

elected him honorary mayor.

And in Goutlock, his kidnap.

Come on, soldier boy, come on. Come on, wake up.

You better get Mr. Connor back quick.

Ever since that train disappeared, these telegrams have been coming in asking

what happened to him.

He's almost as important a man as Mr. Calhoun.

Is he close to Gil?

He was Gil's best friend.

You can take a rest here.

Ben, I think we're going to have to track you on foot from now on anyway.

Why don't I go up ahead?

Fine.

What are you going to do, Ben?

Move the body over in the shade and cover him up.

Why don't you wait here? It's not a pretty sight.

I've seen a corpse before.

none of those stories are true he doesn't look peaceful at all

I think perhaps you care a good deal more about Gil than you've shown so far.

Quite a man.

You're thinking I'm not the kind of woman to love a man like that.

Or to care what happens to him.

I suppose if I were to be honest, the thought had crossed my mind.

To be brutally honest, I'm not devoted to Gil Connors.

But I am devoted to the idea of being a wife.

Enough to sacrifice your life?

Who are you?

Nobody. I live around here. I was doing some hunting.

My name's Dave Tarrant, the chief construction engineer for the BPS &D.

And if you're here, Ben Calhoun can't be far.

You're a gambler, Ben.

So am I. I have to be.

You understand that.

Well, I pride myself on never welshing on a bet. What bet?

That I could marry Gil Connor for his money and still make him a good wife.

I can't give him love.

But I can be loyal.

You don't believe me?

I don't.

It seems to me that a loyal wife might have gone back to Scalplock.

Tried to raise the ransom in case that's what they're after.

Well, there's another reason.

A more recent one.

I said I was loyal.

There have been men that have made advances to me and flattered my ego.

I always prided myself that their advances presented no temptation.

I played the part of Gil Connor's wife for six years.

And in reality, I was just one of his possessions.

And now, for the first time,

I've met someone who has made me feel a woman.

Better try to find Gil.

Dave should be on his way back by now.

You know, you've got a reputation as an honest man, Terrence.

I'll tell you this.

You are a bad liar.

You know that Calhoun wouldn't let you come tracking us alone.

Where is he?

Stubborn, Anthony.

That's good enough. Shows he's got something to be stubborn about.

Calhoun's around here somewhere.

Go get the man.

Why don't you just sit there?

All right, don't move a muscle.

You're a noisy tracker, friend.

That's enough.

You got such a jimson.

Right this way, Calhoun. Straight ahead and keep walking. You too, ma 'am.

Nice of you to drop in.

Where's my husband?

What have you done with my husband?

You shouldn't have followed us.

They're murderers, Dad.

They killed my husband.

I wouldn't worry too much about him if I were you.

He's always been able to take care of himself.

Especially when he's got the things that he likes most.

Good whiskey.

Hard game.

Most of all, Wall Street Financial.

Ben Calhoun and my devoted wife.

Well, Ben, I'm in the investment business, but right now I wouldn't

cents in your life.

Congratulations.

The performance was magnificent.

It had to be to take your win.

No, not necessarily.

It's not hard for a friend to take me in.

Well, I put on my last show. You might say I'm headed for retirement.

Shame.

It's always a shame when a great performer retires.

No regrets, Ben.

Why, Gil?

Why all of this? It's a simple matter of dollars and cents.

Your empire should have produced enough revenue.

It's a paper empire, Ben.

Paper and spits.

Companies built on enthusiasm and water without foundations.

They were built so big and high that they dazzled even the smartest of men.

That's the whole story, Ben.

I guess by now my board of directors knows everything.

It had happened sooner or later. I just made it happen a little sooner by

skimming something off the top for myself.

But now I'm in the clear.

Aren't you forgetting something?

My wife?

I'm touched by your devotion, my dear.

I'm touched that you're touched. You didn't really think I'd take you with

Or was it a surprise?

Nothing you could do would surprise me.

I watched you rob and cheat your way up the ladder.

Oh, it's taken me a long time to realize the truth.

But now I despise you. Everything about you.

Except my money.

That's as filthy as you are.

You could always wash your hands after you spend it.

It's a pity you had to show up, Elizabeth.

I was going to leave you this diamond ring as a going -away present.

But I can't very well leave you behind to tell everything you know, now can I?

We'll make a mistake if you kill all of us. This whole scheme might blow up in

your face.

You're forgetting about Dallow. You hang just as long for one murder as you do

for four.

Go ahead, Brill, you know what to do. Just a minute.

Goodbye, Ben.

You think it's time you told these boys?

Tell them what?

About the money that they'll never see.

What's he talking about, Connor?

Oh, come on. A man in his position doesn't talk. He bluffs.

Is he bluffing, Gil?

Or are you setting up another little scheme?

I probably told you it was in the little black bag.

Yeah, they showed it to us on the trail.

If I ever get your dad, it's not in there now.

Don't listen to him. He's stalling for time.

Go ahead. Open it.

Connie, you filthy swine!

You need looking after, Mr. President.

Much obliged.

Keep the pen down.

Pretty good with a gun, that engineer.

Yeah, but he's got it right... He's got it right by ammunition.

Yeah.

He's not out yet.

Stubborn.

We'll bust out, move fast, and spread.

Right.

There are girls out there.

Top.

Your gun's empty, Ben.

Would you want to bet your life on it?

Well, it makes the bet interesting, the size of the stake.

It's not much of a gamble, Ben. I know your gun's empty or you would have shot

me. Or you're being sentimental.

Drop your gun, Gil.

I won't be sentimental, Gil.

How'd you learn about that satchel, Ben?

I didn't. It was stolen.

If I'd have had to bet, I would have bet that it was empty.

Why? Something you told me a long time ago.

The con man always has to keep his money on him. In case he'd have to leave in a

hurry.

That's lovely stuff, isn't it, Ben?

Glad you didn't get me to sign those papers, Ben.

Might have taken them to a bank and got yourself a loan.

As it is, they're worthless.

I don't know.

Your company's pretty grateful for the money we did get back for them.

Can't ever tell. They might make me chairman of the board.

I figure his companies are shakier than our railroad.

Oh, I don't know.

You might get lucky.

You've always had your share of luck, Ben.

Can't argue with that.

Luck's been a great partner. It's a shame things turned out the way they

We would have been a great team, you and I.

Where will you go now, Elizabeth?

Back home, till things get settled.

Then I hope to get away. Away from everything that I've been associated

the last few years.

Hardly seems necessary to say it.

You'll be traveling as our guest on the BBSM.

Thank you, Ben.

You've been very kind to me.

I hope that one day when you finish building your railroad, you may find

come and see me.

Thank you. I will.

You'll be all right in the meantime?

I think so.

I'm tough.

Quite a celebrity here in Skelplot.

They're my kind of people. Born investors.

I was hoping you'd like them. They'll be on your jury.

Citizens of Skelplot, visitors and our guests, we are gathered here

to welcome a man of...

Taking my praises, friend. I'll need all that character reference.

Seems like such a waste with a mind like his.

I wouldn't worry about it if I were you.

I bet he'll skin out of it.