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.

In the autumn of 1818,

the peaceful coast of California

was suddenly thrown into a state of terror.

Hippolyte Bouchard, the dreaded French pirate,

sailed into the harbor of Monterey,

looted and burned the town

and then proceeded south along the coast

for his next attack.

The great Rancho el Refugio,

a short distance above Santa Barbara,

home of the wealthy and aristocratic Ortegas.

Sentinels have already sighted a black frigate

approaching the shore

as we start our story of...

The Ortegas are preparing to flee the ranch

and take sanctuary at the Mission Santa Inés

farther inland.

Hurry with those things.

Hurry, quickly.

Here.

On the carriage, quickly.

Be careful now. Set that down in the center.

Hurry!

MAN: Señor! Señor!

Señor, they have dropped anchor.

We must leave now. Leave everything else.

Where'’s Guadalupe?She'’s coming.

Lupe!

Lupe! Hurry!

The pirates have landed. Do you want to be murdered?Well, what about the cattle?

ORTEGA: There'’s no time to round them up now.Poor creatures.

At least Bouchard won'’t find any horses here to give us chase.

Get in the carriage.Come on, Lupe.

Follow the Camino Real through the pass

and then onto the mission.

Go!

[ chattering ]

Sacré bleu.

Are you sure there is no treasure?

No money? The man have all but torn the house apart.

That Ortega.

He must have carted it off or buried it.

[ men laughing ]

[ laughing continues ]

You field rats! What you think this is, fiesta?

Get that stuff! Do it! Get it aboard ship!

Look alive, before I string the lot of you up by your tongues!

Come on, look alive!

We'’ll drive those pirates right back into the sea.

Have no fear.

Well, it'’s wonderful of you, Don Antonio, to come to our aid.

Are we not neighbors?

Your father would do the same for me were I attacked.

Go with God, José.I will be back soon.

Are you ready?Wait for me!

You'’re going too, Father?

It is my business to fight the devil,

and this Bouchard is indeed one.

The house is empty?

All but the furnishings.

Those we will burn.

Here.

Me?Now!

[ laughing ]

[ horse whinnies ]

They'’ve set fire to the house!

Spaniards.

BOUCHARD: Get to the ship!

[ gunfire ]

[ gunfire continues]

[ horse whinnying ]

There'’s one of them!

[ grunts ] [ horse whinnies ]

We have one of them here.

We have another one.Where'’s the third one?

He got away to the boat with the rest of his men.

The pirates have been driven off.Thank the saints.

Two of them we made prisoners before they could reach the boats.

Then it'’s safe to go home?Yes, it'’s quite safe.

However, I must prepare you.

They did great damage. I escort you there.

The vandals!

Oh, José, it'’s horrible.

Don'’t worry, my dear. That black-bearded devil

didn'’t get a hold of our money.

They house can be restored and refurnished.

What about the cattle?

They killed some, but the vineyards and the orchards were spared.

Thanks to you, Don Antonio.

I no more than anyone else.

But it was you who gathered the other ranchers to come to our aid.

The Ortega family is very close to my heart.

Every member of it.

[ gasps ]

[ chuckles ] Do not be frightened. He'’s tied.

Is that one of the pirates you captured?

Yes, señorita.

Where'’s the other one?There.

What are you going to do with him?Oh, this one is a good haul.

Yes, we could put him to work.

Spare his life?

Dead, he'’s of no use to us. Alive, he can do the work of five Indians,

hauling new timbers for the house.

What about the other one?

Send him to the governor at Monterey to be publically executed

as a warning for other pirates.

Good. He deserves it. Come, Lupe.

Pablo.Yes, señor?

Get two men for an escort

and take that man to the governor.

To the governor, señor? Sí.

Excuse me, señor.

Taking him to Monterey is a lot of trouble,

and shooting is too good for him.

You caught the man, didn'’t you? Sí, señor.

All right, then, you tell me.

What do you want to do with him?

Tie him to a horse and drag him to his death.

That is always a good sport. And he deserves it!

Bueno.Go ahead. Vamos.

Not a word out of him. Not even a whimper.

You do not think he could be Bouchard himself?

Bouchard is black-bearded.

I suspect this fellow is an Americano.

I want to make sure you finish the race.

[ laughing ]

[ laughing continues ]

Are you ready, pirate?

Go on, get it over with.

Sí, señor. LUPE: Stop it!

Stop it!Lupe!

Leave them alone. LUPE: It'’s too awful!

He'’s a pirate--But he'’s a human being!

If we had fallen into his hands--Father, you have to stop it!

Lupe, you get back into the house.

Lupe, come! You call yourself civilized?

You'’re no more civilized than he is.

Brutes and barbarians!

The man deserves to be punished.

Then stand him up against a wall

and shoot him like a man.

But not this. This is savage.

It revolts my soul!

Don Antonio, please!

Well, she'’s right, amigo.

It does us no credit.

Give the man to me. I'’ll take him to my ranch

and put him in hard labor.

The man is dangerous.

Oh, if he causes trouble, there is always a firing squad.

Very well. Untie him.

I should bow, but I'’m in kind of an awkward position.

You speak our language?

Enough to swear and to make love.

You'’re very beautiful, señorita.

And you are very impudent for a man

who, a moment ago, was so close to death.

What made you want to save me?

I'’d have done the same thing for a dog.

Take him, Don Antonio.

Take him and work him. Hard.

[ knocking on door ]

Come in.

What is it, Joe?The gristmill'’s finished, señor.

Would you like to come and have a look?Finished?

I have never known anyone to accomplish so much so fast.

I think you'’ll be pleased with the mill.

I know I will. I'’ve been pleased

with every job you'’ve done this past month.

The ranch has benefitted by your presence.

Thank you.You know,

it is a marvel to me that any one man

combines so many skills.

Jack-of-all-trades, we call it.

"Jack-of-all-trades," huh?

Here.

Take it.

Sit down and have wine with me.

It is lonely drinking by oneself.

Wait till my good neighbor, Don Ortega,

will see what you have accomplished.

He'’s coming here?

They all are coming here.

On the 14th of this month, when the moon is full, I hold a fiesta.

♪♪ [ Spanish dance music ]

Dance, señora?

Oh, what a heavenly night.

Wine, señora?

DON ANTONIO: Wine, Lupe?

Yes, thank you.

The pirate. You'’ve made a house servant out of him.

Do you think that'’s safe, Don Antonio, with so many valuables?

[ chuckles ] The most valuable thing I own is Joe himself.

"Joe"?There is nothing that man cannot do and do well.

Building, blacksmithing.

Right now, he'’s laying out a new vineyard for me.

Likes his wines, I'’m sure.

He'’s the best deal I ever got in my life.

And all thanks to you, my dear.

You call him Joe. What'’s the rest of his name?

I do not know, and good friends as we are, I have not asked.

Friends? You'’re friends with a slave?

Bondservant, Mama.

It'’s the same thing.

There is something very likeable

about this, uh, Yankee.

"Yankee"? Oh, I'’ve heard of them.

They come from a part in the United States.

That'’s why his hair is so blond and his eyes so blue.

With your permission, señora y señor.

May I have the honor, señorita?

She grows more beautiful every day.

It is high time she took a husband.

You will miss her when she marries.

Unless it is a neighbor and, uh, she settles nearby.

LUPE: No, please.

You know, señorita, you'’ve been dying to be kissed.

LUPE: No, I'’ll scream.

You won'’t have breath.

[ grunts ]

You swine!

No. I will not soil my hands

fighting a servant.

He didn'’t hurt you, did he? No.

It was none of my business, interfering.

Then why did you, Joe?

I'’d do the same for a dog.

Señor Ortega, I bring a letter to you from my master.

Thank you.

Well!What is it, José?

This concerns you, Lupe.

Don Antonio is asking for your hand.

In marriage?

How else?

What an honor.

I had no idea.Nor I.

It comes as a complete surprise to me.

A very happy one.Mama--

His family is almost as distinguished as the Ortegas.

His acres adjoin ours.But, Papa--

It would cement our friendship forever.

You are a very lucky girl, Guadalupe.

You talk as though it were already settled.

There can be only one answer.

To be quite vulgar, dear,

Don Antonio Lugo is the biggest catch in California.

Well, I'’m willing that he pay his respects.

MRS. ORTEGA: Willing? Ha! Listen to her.

That doesn'’t mean I'’ll accept him.

There is no need to be coy, Lupe.

On the other hand, an Ortega does not

throw herself at a suitor.

I will write a reply,

tell him he has our permission to court our daughter.

You may wait outside.

Here'’s your reply.Thank you.

May I say, Señor Lugo is a very fine gentleman.

Any woman should be proud to be his wife.

Why do you do another man'’s courting?

Why don'’t you do your own?

You forget, I'’m not free.

Her parents say yes!They were pleased.

And she? What did she say?

She was, uh, surprised, and flattered, of course.

Yes, but what did she say?

They didn'’t give her much, uh, chance.

Holding something from me, Joe.

Come on, out with it.

As I took my leave,

she asked me why I did another man'’s courting, not my own.

No. Por Dios.

She never said that. You lie. You'’re lying!

No, she was just taunting you.

Oh, yes, that'’s it. She was taunting you.

She'’s quite mischievous, that Guadalupe, huh?

That probably was it.

You swear you never gave her cause

or approach her in any way?

Never.

I apologize for losing my temper.

My heart is so set on marrying her.

She'’ll say yes. I'’m sure.

This house needs a woman, children.

I'’m not used to working where there are women.

I'’ll still give the orders.

Well, things are bound to be different when she comes here.

I'’ve served you all these months, señor.

Are you asking me to let you go?

Padres at the Mission San Gabriel in Los Angeles want a gristmill,

like the one I built for you.

Those fathers know a good thing when they see it.

I'’d like to go down there.

You would still not be free.

The governor, at any minute, could order your arrest.

You'’re a foreigner.

And worse-- one who entered California as a pirate.

In time, maybe I could live it down.

A mission is the safest thing.

Well, go.

Thank you, sir.

Hello, Father.Hello, Joseph.

Really exquisite, my son.

You do beautiful work, my son.

You know what my next project'’s going to be?

I'’m going to build a boat. A boat?

That you good fathers can use in hunting sea otter.

The pelts are valuable.

For you, my son, nothing is impossible, is it?

Some things. The best things in life.

If you'’re thinking of the Church,

you have only to say the word.

We have grown to love you and admire you.

It would make us very happy

to baptize you in the Catholic faith.

You know something? Would make me happy, too.

I'’ve tried to be patient, Lupe.

Not to press you for an answer.

But time is slipping by and, well,

I'’m growing no younger.

You'’ve been kindness itself, Don Antonio.

Must you always use the title?

I'’m sorry.

I'’m sorry about everything.

Lupe.

I appreciate the honor you'’ve shown me.

And, believe me, I hold only the highest regard for you.

But...

I just cannot find it within my heart to marry you.

You love someone else?

I shall never marry.

Do not say that.

It'’s the way that I feel.

Well, I hope, for some other man'’s sake,

you will change your mind.

You are a true caballero, Antonio.

Read it, my son.

"Decreto de amnistía."

What does it mean, Father?

You have been pardoned, my son.

Pardoned?

Pardoned by "Pablo Vincente de Solá,

governor of California, by grace of His Majesty, Ferdinand VII of Spain."

Out of a clear blue sky, Father, I'’ve been pardoned.

Pardoned for all your past offenses.

I'’m free.

Free to become a citizen.

Free to ask a woman to marry me.

You know, I'’ll never forget that day.

I was lying right there, waiting to meet the angels,

and I looked up and saw you.

I think it was that moment that I fell in love with you.

I know it was that moment for me.

It made me angry to think that I could have my heart beat faster for a--

A pirate.

How do you think your parents will take it?

Let'’s go in and tell them.

I shall them that I'’m in love with you, Joe...

What is your last name?

Chapman.Joe Chapman.

I shall have a few things to tell them, too.

[ chattering ]

Friends,

you have been invited here to celebrate the betrothal

of our daughter, Guadalupe,

to the youngAmericano, Joseph Chapman.

Señor Chapman is from Boston in Massachusetts.

A very cultured city.

Where he formerly engaged in shipbuilding.

One day on the waterfront, he was, um--

What was that word?Shanghaied.

Ah. Seized and carried out to sea against his will.

And when he reached the Sandwich Islands in the Pacific, he, um--

Jumped ship. [ chuckles ] These Yankee terms.

Please, from here on, you tell them.

I was desperate to get back home,

escape from the islands before they caught me again.

So I grabbed the first chance that came along.

Hippolyte Bouchard was in Honolulu

preparing to sail against the coast of California.

Why, I don'’t know. So I joined his crew.

And you know the rest.

So you see? He wasn'’t a pirate after all.

[ chuckling ]Not by choice, anyway.

The governor has granted him amnesty.

And he'’s been baptized José Antonio Chapman.

Guadalupe and he will be married in the Mission at Santa Inés.

Shall we drink to them?

Please.

I would like to drink first to the man who'’s responsible

for the governor setting me free.

To the greatest gentleman I know,

my good friend, Don Antonio Lugo.

And so, in November of 1822,

they were married in the Mission of Santa Inés.

Guadalupe de Ortega and Joseph Chapman, the Yankee pirate,

who became one of California'’s most useful and beloved citizens.

♪♪ [ trumpet ]