Original subtitles

THE OLD RANGER: And now,Death Valley Days.

♪♪ [ trumpet ]

Howdy, folks.

I'’m the Old Ranger,

and I have another interesting true story for you

about the historic Death Valley country.

This is the story of one of the crack stagecoach drivers

of early California.

And if you think you'’ve heard a lot of others like it,

you'’re mistaken. There was never anybody

in the same class with this driver,

known in stagecoach circles as...

Charlie met life on its own terms at a very early age

when he climbed out of the window

of the county poorhouse in New Hampshire.

[ thunder rumbling ]

The only home he had ever known.

[ wind howling ]

[ thunder cracks ]

MAN: Now roll '’em out, move it up.

Get over there, get over!

Get over there. Back up, back up.

Now hold still. Hold still, dang it!

Excuse me, are you Mr. Balch?

Yeah, that'’s my name.

What do you want? Hold still.

Folks down the road said maybe you'’d be needing

a stable boy.

Well, you, uh, come over here and hold this horse

while I tend to his foot. Right over there.

Whoa, horse, whoa.

He'’s trying to help you. Steady, horse.

That'’s it, that's it.

A stable boy'’s work is mostly washing buggies,

cleaning out stalls.I wouldn'’t mind.

What'’s your name?Charlie.

Well, Charlie--

I'’ll give you a try.

Oh, thank you, sir!

You can, uh, sleep in the loft.

Take him to the stable.

Oh, Mr. Balch, could I learn to drive?

You want to?More than anything in the world.

[ gasps ]

What'’s the matter, boy? I'’m just looking at your wrists.

Yep. Yep, you can do it.

You just grow up to fit them clothes

and behave yourself,

and one day I'’ll have you driving a coach and four.

THE OLD RANGER: And that was the beginning

of Charlie Parkhurst'’s career,

which was to earn him a reputation

as one of the best whips in all New England.

Charlie was nearly 40 when the Gold Rush started.

Folks headed west by ships around the Horn,

by covered wagons,

by stagecoach.

And with the stagecoach came Charlie Parkhurst

to offer his services to Wells Fargo.

MAN: Well, I don'’t know.

Takes a crack driver to negotiate the roads out here.

Well, I'’ve been driving since I was 10.

Any good with a gun?

Tolerable.

There'’ll be treasure aboard, 10, 15--

$100,000 maybe.

Sure.

MAN 2: You ever met up with any road agents?

No, but, uh, I could cope, I guess.

Cope? [chuckles]

How?

[ gunshot ]

Blast you!

I'’ll buy you a new pipe.

Out of my first month'’s pay.

[ laughs ] By golly, you'’re hired.

We'’ll put you on the Santa Cruz run.

Santa Cruz. That'’s a pretty name.

But I warn you, Red Muggins and his gang will be waiting for you.

Muggins?He and his brother Nick

have a gang out here that give us no peace.

Even Oliver here, our best driver,

lost an express box to them.

You don'’t have to rub it in.

Well?

How soon do I start?

Tomorrow morning. Come in and I'’ll sign you up.

I'’ll be here.

Wells Fargo has got itself a good man.

He'’ll do.

Let'’s go, General. Come on, Mickey.

Here they come, Red.How many on top?

One.Good.

Get ready.

Take us home, Dandy.

That'’s a boy.

Now.

[ gunfire ]

Ho!

Throw down that box.

[ horse whinnying ]

Well, make it fast, we ain'’t got all day!

[ gunshot ]CHARLIE: Hyah!

Hyah! Let'’s go!

Come on, let'’s go![ gunfire ]

[ gunfire ]

Hyah, come on!

Come on, Charlie, tell us how you done it.

T'’ain't nothing to tell.

There was four to your one.

So I shot one of '’em, that'’s--

The notorious Red Muggins, that'’s all.

[ all chatter ]Why, you old man-eater, you!

To Charlie Parkhurst.

A rootin'’ tootin' son of a gun!

[ all agreeing ]Charlie, where you going?

Next round'’s on me, Charlie.

Come back, Charlie.I gotta look to my horses.

Horses, heck! This is a celebration.

Charlie, come on back.Charlie, come on!

[ men laughing ]

[ knocking ]

MAN: Hey, Charlie!

Who is it?

It'’s us, Charlie, open up.

What do you want?

We'’re celebrating the death of Mr. Muggins.

[ all laugh ]

We'’re gonna take you out and all get drunk.

Make a night of it, Charlie.

I'’m gonna turn in, I got an early run tomorrow.

No excuses!

We'’ll put you on your stage in the morning.

Come on out, Charlie!

Come on out.

Charlie, get out here!Yeah!

[ pounding ] MAN: Charlie, come on out.

I said no! Now stop hammering on that door

or I'’ll give you what Red Muggins got.

Now vamoose!

Well, if that'’s the way you want it.

Say, maybe he'’s got company in there.

[ all laughing ]

Pardon the intrusion. MAN: Yeah!

Sounds like a very capable man.

That he is.

You, uh, wanted to see me, Mr. Carter?

Oh, hello, Charlie.

This is Mr. Wells.

How do you do?

This is Charlie Parkhurst, the driver I was telling you about.

Mr. Wells is here from the East on business.

I just told him about your encounter with the Muggins gang.

Wells Fargo should give you a medal.

What would I do with a medal?

Oh, show it to your friends or send it home to your folks.

I don'’t want no medal.

You sound like a New Englander.

I was born in Vermont myself.

You got some orders for me?

Oh, yes.

Commission.

On your return trip.

Benny Russell.

The young son of Hiram Russell.

You know, the big merchant here.

No.

He'’s only one of the richest men in California.

The boy'’ll be put on the stage in Santa Cruz,

in your care, and you'’re to deliver him here.

I'’ll deliver him.

Surly fella.

Yeah. As prickly as a chestnut burr.

The only thing in the world that man is crazy about

is horses, and can he drive '’em.

That'’s all that matters.

[ both chuckle ]

Expect you'’ll be glad to get home, Benny.

Not very.What?

School starts on Monday.

Oh. But at least you'’ll be glad to see your folks.

And my pony.You got a pony?

My father gave him to me on my birthday.

Stage'’ll be here around 4:00.

You sure the kid'’s aboard?

Seen him with my own eyes climb up with the driver.

The same driver that killed poor Red.

I swore I'’d settle that score,

and this'’ll do it.

How much ransom do you think Old Man Russell will pay?

Enough to put us on Easy Street for the rest of our lives.

How old are you? Eight.

When I'’m nine, I'’m gonna get a boat,

and when I'’m 10, maybe I'’ll get a gun.

You'’re a lucky boy, Benny.

What did you get when you were 10?

Me? I got a job working as a stable boy.

Was it fun?

It was better than the poorhouse.

I never had no home, you see.

No ma and no pa.

Never?Nope.

But you must'’ve or you couldn'’t have been born.

I was born, all right. I got a certificate to prove it,

with a name and a date.

[ horses whinnying ]

CHARLIE: Whoa!

[ horses whinnying ]

What'’s the matter?

Don'’t be afraid, Benny, just sit tight.

Put '’em up.

You, sonny. Get down.

Stay where you are, Benny.

I said, get down!

Stay here, Benny.

You want the express box, you can have it.

One more word out of you and you'’ll get a bullet

right where my brother Red got his.

Now get down!All those horses still up there.

[ cracking ]

Hyah!

[ cracking ]

Hyah! Hyah!

[ gunfire ]Get under the seat, Benny!

CHARLIE: Come on, Dandy!

Hyah!

Hyah!

[ gunfire ]

Hyah!

[ gunfire ]

[ whip cracks ]Hyah!

Whoa, boy, whoa!

[ stagecoach stops ]

[ horses whinny ]

Come on out, Benny. We lost '’em.

Looks like our near leader'’s lost a shoe too.

Now we can'’t stop now, Dandy.

We have to wait'’ll we get to the next stage depot.

Come on, boy. Come on.

You know what? When my father hears what happened,

he'’ll give you a reward.I don'’t want no reward.

Why don'’t you?

Hold that lantern closer, Benny.

[ horse whinnying loudly ]

Charlie!

[ groans ]

Charlie.

I'’m all right.

[ exhaling heavily ]

Just kind of took me by surprise, is all.

You sure?I'’m sure.

[ pants ]

Better hurry before your folks start worrying.

Four shipping boxes.

Well, Charlie.

Here'’s the boy.

What happened to you?

We got held up!

Nick Muggins tried to kidnap him.

Muggins?

We beat him off and got away. Didn'’t we, Charlie?

That we did, Benny.They winged you, huh?

No, no, it was just a stupid accident.

Horse kicked him.

I'’ll have a look at it.

It'’s all right.Now let me see it, Charlie.

It'’s all right, I tell ya'’!

You never can tell with--

This is serious. We better get a doctor.

I don'’t want a doctor. I can take care of it.

An eye is nothing to be trifled with.

Come on, Charlie, you better come with me.

I'’m going home.All right, all right, go home.

But get in your bed and I'’ll fix the doctor to you.

You could come to our house. We got lots of spare rooms.

Leave me be, all of you.

Won'’t have no doctor fussing over me.

You want to lose your eye?

It'’s my eye, ain't it?

I'’ll treat it the way I choose.

So long, Benny.

What are you gonna do with a man like that?

Just leave him alone.

[ groans ]

Oh, my Lord.

[ piano music playing ]

Tough luck, Charlie.

I can still drive.

Sure, you can, Charlie.

What'’s an eye, more or less?

Or nothing, Charlie. Nothing.

I'’ll show you, I'’ll show Wells Fargo,

I'’ll show the whole cockeyed world.

Cockeyed. That'’s him.

To Cockeyed Charlie Parkhurst.

[ thunder cracks ]

Come on, Dandy, pull!

CHARLIE: Pull, Dandy, pull!

Miracle if we don'’t get stuck.

I never saw so much mud.

We never should have taken the stage.

We should have taken the boat to Santa Cruz.

Well, it'’s about the same thing,

amount of water we'’ve been through.

CHARLIE: Come on, pull!

Come on, Dandy! [ shouting to horse ]

Come on, my beauties.

[ thunder ]

Come on, pull!

Come on, my beauties, pull!

That'’s it, Dandy. Mickey, General.

[ thunder ]

Pull, General.

Dang you, pull!

Hyah, let'’s go![ whip cracking ]

Pull! Pull!

Hyah!

[ thunder ]

Ho!

Ho!You can'’t go on.

The river'’s busted its banks.

The bridge washed away?

No, but it'’s likely to go any minute.

Then I ain'’t got no time to lose.

It'’s suicide, Charlie.Oh, no, you don'’t!

Yah! Hyah!

Stop this coach!

Come on, Dandy! Hyah!

Faster!Come on and stop this!

Shut up and keep your seat, you darn city slicker!

[ Charlie shouting to horses ]

[ thunder ]

CHARLIE: Hyah, hyah!

Come on, Dandy![ whip cracks ]

[ all chattering ]

Hyah! Let'’s go!

[ passengers shouting ]

Hyah!

I'’ll sue him!

Hyah! Hyah!

Why, you madman, you nearly killed us!

What are you yelling about, we made it, didn'’t we?

THE OLD RANGER: Cockeyed Charlie

hung up a unique record

those years he drove the Santa Cruz run.

Never an accident, never a lost shipment,

and never late.

But there finally came the day

when Charlie climbed stiffly down for the last time

and retired from driving.

And then another day right after Christmas in '’79.

I just came by Charlie'’s cabin.

I noticed there wasn'’t any smoke coming out of the chimney,

so I stopped and knocked at the door.

He might have gone somewhere.

No, he was there.

I'’m surprised that he answered.

He didn'’t.

I could see him through the window resting in a chair.

Well, I'’ll get Doc

and we'’ll go over there and check.

Charlie won'’t like it.

Come on, let'’s all go over there. We can wait outside.

Remember the time we all come here,

tried to get him to go out on the town with us?

Years ago, that was.

He ain'’t changed none.

He'’d kick the doc out right now if he was conscious.

Most solitary critter I ever knowed.

I'’ve never seen anybody like Charlie Parkhurst.

Well, it'’s all over.

Best man Wells Fargo ever had.

I-- I found this inside of his shirt.

I thought you might like to read it, Mr. Carter.

The handwriting is kind of faded.

Birth certificate.

Charlotte Parkhurst, New Hampshire.

1812. Charlotte Parkhurst?

Charlie have a wife?

MAN: His sister, more than likely.

No.

It wasn'’t either one.

It was Charlie himself.

Doc, what are you saying?I don'’t understand.

Charlie was born Charlotte Parkhurst.

The squarest, toughest, fightingest crack driver

that ever held reins.

Cockeyed Charlie Parkhurst was...

a woman.

THE OLD RANGER: In the Pioneer Cemetery

at Watsonville, California,

not far from the old stage route,

you'’ll find the last resting place of Charlie Parkhurst,

who I'’m sure would be happy that the name

on the plaque presented by the Historical Association

of Pajaro Valley is the name he went under through life.

♪♪ [ trumpet ]