Original subtitles

THE OLD RANGER: And now,Death Valley Days.

♪♪ [ trumpet ]

Hyah! Yah!

Yah! Yah!

Howdy, folks. I'’m the Old Ranger,

and I have another interesting true story for you

about the historic Death Valley country.

As a boy, I used to hear this story from old-timers who had been there

in the old camp of Bodie when it happened.

They knew Charlie Bates well.

It was a tantalizing story because it had no end.

Always wound up with the same question mark.

Then, a half a century later, the truth came out.

So let'’s go back to the summer of 1880

and the day of the Miners Union Picnic,

which marked the beginning of what was to remain...

♪♪ [ band ] [ people chattering ]

[ no audible dialogue ]

♪♪ [ discordant notes ]

[ cheering, applauding ]

Lemonade?

Here.Why, sure.

Hey![ laughing ]

♪♪ [ drum ]

♪♪ [ humming ][ laughter ]

[ chattering ]

Come on! Come on! Hey. Hey, come on!

Enough! Hey!

Edith, let'’s get outta here.

I wanna talk to you, alone.

"Far from the madding crowd."

The what?A quotation out of a book.

You do a lot of reading, don'’t you, Charlie?

Got a lot of time on my hands nights as watchman at the mill.

Well, I'’m glad you put it to good use.

What I do most is think about you, Edith.

About me?

When I try to read, I--

I find your face coming between me and the page.

Maybe you need glasses.

Night after night, I find myself just sitting there

alone in my room, dreaming of you.

Well, why don'’t you get transferred to a day shift?

I'’m not complaining about my job. I like my job.

Father will be glad to hear that.

I'’m not talking about your father.

I'’m talking about you, us.

I love you, Edith. Will you marry me?

Charlie!Will you?

I can'’t give you my answer that quick, Charlie.

Why not?

Because I-- I don'’t know what to say.

Say yes.

You will in the end, anyway.

What makes you think so?

Don'’t keep me on tenterhooks, Edie, please.

♪♪ [ drum ]

We'’d better hurry back.

Why did I ever join the band?

Charlie!

Coming!

[ machinery whirring ]

"Standard Mine, four bars of gold bullion,

1,550 ounces each."

Till you come to heft '’em.

Then they weigh hundreds of pounds.

[ chuckles ]

Much obliged, Charlie. Got any letters you'’d like me to mail?

No, thanks. My girl'’s right here in Bodie.

Lucky you.

Who'’s riding shotgun this trip?

Yours truly.

You mean, you'’re going alone, with a shipment that size?

It'’s safer sometimes. Road agents see no shotgun messenger aboard

and figure there can'’t be enough gold to make it worth their while.

Well, that'’s one way of looking at it, but if I was a passenger,

I'’d at least have a guard on top.

There are no passengers this trip.

I'’m going alone. Well, so long, Charlie.

So long, Donovan.

Hyah! Giddyap!

MAN: Pull up, and make it fast!

DONOVAN: Great Scott! A bandit!

Whoa there! Whoa!

Tie up those lines!

Now, fork over.

There ain'’t nothing aboard but mailbags.

You'’re lying. Toss down the express box.

[ grunts ]

Dang fool, going for your gun.

Next time, I'’ll do more than wing ya.

Now, toss down the boxes.

Don'’t make me wait all night.

I only got one arm.

[ thud ]

There.And the other one too.

[ box thuds ]

You'’ll never get away with this.

Now, get going, and keep going.

Giddyap! Get outta here! [ hoofbeats ]

I told you, Donovan, you shouldn'’t go alone.

Donovan?

Donovan?

Well, I'’ll be darned.

[ laughter ]

[ chattering ]

Hey! The stage has been held up.What stage?

The one that left here this evening for Hawthorne.

Had a shipment of more than a hundred thousand aboard.

Where'’d it happen?Who was driving?

How'’d you find out?I dreamed it.

[ man laughing ]

For a minute, we believed ya, Charlie.

No, it'’s true.

It happened about a quarter of an hour ago.

What did?The holdup.

Donovan got shot in the arm reaching for his gun.

[ chuckles ] Come on, Charlie.

What are you giving us? [ chuckling ]

He'’s drunk.

I haven'’t had a drop.

I'’ve been sound asleep in my room since 10:00.

Say, uh, Charlie, did, uh, you enter the pie-eating contest at the picnic?

[ chuckling ]No.

Well, something sure gave you the collywobbles,

busting in here half-dressed at this hour of the night.

Why, you know what time it is?

It'’s almost 1:30.

Charlie, the stage is already in Hawthorne,

and the gold bullion locked up in the Wells Fargo office.

It was so real!

I heard every word they said.

Heard the thud of the strongbox when it hit the ground.

I better be getting back to the mill.

Heh. Well, what do you know? [ chuckling ]

Dreamed a stagecoach holdup and really thought it happened. [ laughing ]

He'’ll have a hard time living this one down. [ laughing ]

[ no audible dialogue ]

♪ Beautiful dreamer, la da-da-da ♪ [ laughing ]

Charlie, do you sleep on your back or on your side?

[ laughter ]

EDITH: Charlie!

Edie, good morning.

You'’re not still walking in your sleep?

You heard about that.It'’s all over town.

I just hope Father doesn'’t get wind of it.

You wouldn'’t tell him?

And have you maybe lose your job? '’Course not.

Do you really think he'’d fire me?

How would you feel if you were the superintendent of a mill,

and the watchman went roaring into the saloon in his nightshirt, and--

I was not in a nightshirt.

...announcing that the company had been robbed of a big shipment of bullion?

Edie, listen.A joke is a joke, Charlie.

But this wasn'’t a joke!

I heard the whole thing as plain as if I'’d been standing there.

Then you should'’ve thrown cold water on your face.

That would'’ve waked you up.

You don'’t believe me either.

Oh, I'’ve had dreams myself that were so real I couldn'’t shake them off.

Charlie, the boss wants to see you in his office.

He'’s waiting for you there.Thanks.

Just tell him the truth, Charlie.

That'’s all Father ever asks-- the truth.

You wanted to see me, sir?

Sit down.

I just received a message over the telegraph wire

from Jack Donovan in Hawthorne.

Then he got there all right?Yes.

Here.

Read it aloud.

"Stage held up and robbed on Lucky Boy grade

around 1:00 this morning."

1:00!

That'’s just the time I dreamed it happened!

Don'’t give me that "dream" stuff, Charlie.

How'’d you know the stage was going to be held up?

Mr. Anders, I swear to you, sir, I heard it in my sleep.

That holdup took place over 30 miles from Bodie.

There'’s only one possible way you could'’ve heard about it.

You'’re in cahoots with the robber.

Mr. Anders, if I was in on the deal,

why would I run down to the saloon and report it?

You'’re not the first guy who'’s pulled a cover-up trick like that.

But I tell ya, I was asleep!

Look, somebody tipped somebody off.

Now, what gang was it, Charlie?

It was only one man. Just-- Just one voice I heard.

I know the whole thing sounds fishy, sir,

but as God is my witness--

Never mind the dramatics.

You'’re under arrest.

You'’re putting me in jail?

I'’m keeping you right here under guard

until Donovan returns and we can check his story.

Ain'’t allowed any visitors, ma'’am.

I'’m not a visitor, I'’m an angel of mercy.

If you were in trouble, wouldn'’t you want me to come and comfort you?

Well, all right. Just a few minutes, though.

Oh, thank you, Johnny.

What'’s that?A hacksaw.

[ door closes ]

Edie!Charlie!

You poor darling.

Have you heard anything? Is Donovan back yet?

No. I brought you some calf'’s-foot jelly.

What?Calf'’s-foot jelly.

What they always bring invalids and criminals.

Don'’t say that, Edie. I'’m not guilty of anything.

I had no more to do with that holdup than your father did.

Only he didn'’t dream about it,

and then run a mile to town to tell everybody.

I was a fool to run off half-cocked that way, but--

but it was so real.

Like I was standing right there on the ground.

Do you always have such vivid dreams, Charlie?

None that ever landed me in trouble before.

I am in trouble now, Edie.

Even if they can'’t prove anything against me,

my reputation will suffer,

I may lose my job,

and, oh, darling, I-- I won'’t have a chance with you.

I can promise you one thing, Charlie:

Father'’s a square shooter.

He'’ll give you a fair trial.

Oh, come in, Charlie. You needn'’t stay, Deputy.

Hi, Donovan.Hello, Charlie.

How'’s the arm?Coming along.

I purposely waited till you were both together, Charlie,

before asking Donovan any questions about the other night,

or telling him anything about your part in it.

His part?It'’s not what you think, Donovan, I swear.

Please, fellas.

I'’m holding this investigation.Sorry, sir.

Did anybody besides yourself, Donovan,

know that you were taking a shipment of bullion to Hawthorne?

No, sir. Except Charlie.

He helped me load it.That'’s part of my job.

There was nobody hanging around at the time watching?

Nobody aboard the stage?

I didn'’t carry any passengers that trip.

In fact...Yes?

I mentioned it to Charlie as I was leaving, remember?

He asked me who was riding shotgun, and I told him nobody.

I was going alone.I see.

This was a regular run?

Sure.

I picked up the mailbags and started down the canyon

just as it was getting dark.

Everything went according to schedule

until I reached the Lucky Boy grade, around 1:00 in the morning.

That'’s exactly the time I had my dream.

You go on from here, Charlie.

Somebody ordered you to pull up, and you did.

Sure. He had me covered.

He told you to drop the lines. Then he said, "Fork over."

You said, "There'’s nothing aboard but mailbags."

That'’s right. I hoped I could bluff him.

Then he said, "You'’re lying. Throw down the express boxes."

By gosh! You must'’ve been hiding behind the rocks.

I was right here in Bodie, asleep in my bed.

Go on, Charlie.

The next thing, there was a shot.

You gave a grunt of pain.

He said you were a dang fool to think you could beat him to the draw.

How in blazes do you know all this if you wasn'’t there?

I heard it in my dream.

Thirty-five miles away?

As plain as if it was right in my room.

And a few minutes later,

he was in the Temple saloon telling what happened.

Word for word. I don'’t understand it.

Neither do I. It'’s a mystery to me.

Just a dream that came true.

Call it second sight.

Call it anything you please.

I'’m convinced now, Charlie, that you'’re telling the truth,

and I offer my apologies for having doubted you.

Thank you, sir.

Goldarnedest thing I ever heard of.

He'’s what you call clairvoyant.

He can, uh, see what ain'’t there and watch where he ain'’t.

You mean that while he'’s on duty at the-- at the mill,

that he can tell what'’s going on down here?

Oh, heck. He can tell what'’s happening the other side of the world

if he puts his mind to it.

Mm! Gives me the willies.

I always knew there was something out of the ordinary about you, Charlie,

but I never dreamed you had second sight.

I never suspected it myself until--

well, until I met you.

Really?

Do you remember the day at the picnic when I proposed to you?

I told you to say yes, because you would in the end.

Yes-- I mean, I remember.

I wasn'’t just talking. I knew.

I can look into the future now, Edie,

and see exactly what'’s going to happen.

Don'’t tell me if it's bad.

I see you as a bride

in a white dress and veil,

standing beside me.

I see our home.

A small house at first, but a big one later,

filled with children.

How many?

A number. Boys and girls.

Wonderful kids.

Your husband is no longer a watchman.

He'’s moved on up to become superintendant.

Father'’s job?

Well, it--

it could be another company.

But I'’m making good money.

We own mining shares

and take trips when we want to.

You have a fur coat.

No, two of them.

Oh, Charlie!

Sounds like a dream.

My dreams come true, you know.

Will you marry me, Edith?

With a future like that, how can I say no?

My darling.

♪♪ [ wedding march ]

You'’re the most beautiful creature in the world.

I hope you'’ll always think so, Charlie.

Want me to prophesy?

You'’ll be just as lovely on our golden wedding day.

Mr. Bates, would you like to tell our radio listeners

your recipe for a happy marriage?

Just pick out the right girl and stick with her.

[ chuckles ] What do you say, Mrs. Bates?

Well, everything turned out

exactly the way Charlie said it would.

Even to her being prettier than ever on our golden anniversary.

[ chuckles ]

A man doesn'’t have to have second sight to see that.

But what about this reputation you have, sir, for divining things?

Oh, that, uh-- that--

that goes way back to our days in Bodie.

Don'’t ask me to explain.

It'’s one of those stories

that'’s been put down in our family as an unsolved mystery.

Well, it'’s certainly no mystery

that you are a mighty happy couple.

And I'’m sure our friends in the radio audience join me

in wishing you many more years together.

Thank you.Thanks.

Ladies and gentlemen,

this concludes our special broadcast

from the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bates

on the occasion of their golden wedding anniversary.

We return you now to our main studios.

[ button clicks ]

You'’ve aroused my curiosity, Mrs. Bates.

What was this mystery?

It was a stagecoach holdup I heard from 35 mile away.

Well, if you'’re going to launch on that story,

I'’m going out to the kitchen and get these gentlemen some wedding cake and coffee.

Thank you, ma'’am.

When I woke up, I could hear their voices,

like they was still talking, right in my ear.

Mr. Bates, this mill where you slept, did it have electric power?

No. Machinery was all run by steam.

There was some electrical apparatus in the assay office, though.

Ah. Tell me more about the building.

What are you driving at, Ed?

Oh, it had big smokestacks.

And I mean big.

Fifty, sixty foot high.

Brick?

Brick with metal tubing.Yeah?

They were held in place by guy-wires.

Good stout ones.

Bodie'’s 8,000 foot up on a mountain, you know.

The winds that hit it were something fierce.

Where were the guy-wires anchored? You remember?

I remember where one of '’em was.

I fell over it more than once.

It was anchored to a post sunk in the ground,

the corner of the assay office.

Perfect!

I'’m beginning to catch on.

When you, uh, got ready for bed that night, what did you do?

Wound my watch, blew out the light--

No. Before that.

You said you hung your tuba on the bedpost.

Oh, that. Yes.

It was an iron bed set?Sure.

Mr. Bates, you didn'’t dream you heard that holdup.

You did hear it, by radio.

What?

By radio? Yes.

You picked up those sound waves from 35 miles away.

How could he, without a set?

He had all the equipment needed for radio reception.

The tall smokestacks with their metal tubing.

On top of a mountain.The guy-wires running to the ground.

And other wires, for all we know.

Electrical equipment in the assay office right next to your room.

And last but not least, the tuba.

The tuba?

There was your loudspeaker.

Well, I'’ll be darned.

Radio way back in 1880!

It'’s the only practical explanation.

Then the whole mystery of 50 years ago

has been solved after all.

And you didn'’t have second sight at all, Charlie.

Oh, I guess I didn'’t, Mother.

But I was the first person, I'’ll betcha,

ever to pick up a broadcast of a news event over the air.

Well, that doggone tuba!

Give her here.

See if I-- if I still got my wind

after 50 years.

♪♪ [ discordant notes ]

THE OLD RANGER: The story you'’ve just heard

is one of Bodie'’s famous stories.

Bodie was a fabulous gold camp and is now a ghost town.

It has recently become part of the California State Park system,

and is well worth a visit

for those who love our true Death Valley Days stories.