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.

I was looking at a picture in the newspaper the other day--

maybe you saw it--

of our Twenty Mule Team outfit

drawn up alongside of one of our newest jet planes.

And it struck me all over again that the Twenty Mule Team

is still mighty big in the big world of today.

Imagine then what it'’s impact must'’ve been

in the sparse desert settlement of Mojave

back in the year 1883.

That'’s the time and the place where the story opens.

A story I call...

This man is Lem Keeler,

long-line skinner,

who drives one of the big teams on the long haul

between Mojave and Death Valley.

He'’s king of the outfit,

an expert with a black snake and the jerk line.

The jerk line is this here rope that I use

to telegraph my orders to the lead mules

100 feet ahead of me and out of sight completely,

going around bends in the mountains.

It takes a lot of know-how to handle 20 animals

and the biggest wagons in the world.

But between you and me, it'’s a lot easier

than managing my 20-year-old daughter Enid, who keeps house for me.

She'’s got more suitors than she can shake a stick at.

Uh-uh. It'’s Father who shakes a big stick at '’em, believe me.

There isn'’t a one of them he thinks worthy of being a son-in-law.

Not even Brad Tyson.

I suspect that'’s why he'’s encouraged Brad

to take this new job as swamper on the big team.

He knew it would keep him away from Mojave, and me,

for three weeks at a stretch.

And only a day'’s layover when I do hit town.

What a grind. A 330-mile roundtrip,

those critters never getting out of a walk once.

Mr. Perry, the company superintendent, warned me when he hired me.

Sure, Brad'’s all right,

but he'’s a chap always looking for excitement.

I told him he'’d be disappointed.

Swamping on the big team is one of the loneliest jobs in the world.

Well, young fella, take a last good look around,

for there'’s nothing more to see between here and Death Valley.

Huh, Lem?

Once I seen a coyote chasing a jackrabbit.

It was so hot, they was both walkin'’.

[ laughter ]

Better change your mind, Brad, and stay here in Mojave.

It'’s too late. We'’re pushing off.

Good-bye, honey.

Don'’t I get a kiss?Sure.

Close your eyes.

Why, you!

[ laughter ]

Hey! Come aboard!

Coming!

Yah! Come on! [ shouting ]

[ bells jingling ]

[ shouting ]

[ shouting continues ]

Chang, what'’s holding you up?

The men are waiting to hear the dinner bell.

Oh, this is all cooked already.

Now get busy and dish it up, and I'’ll go call them in.

[ bell clanging ]

[ shouting in native language ]

Hey, Chang!

What'’s wrong with you? Chang-- Chang!

[ grunting ] Chang![ knife clatters ]

It'’s all right, Chang. Everything is all right.[ panting ]

All right, now, Chang. Okay.

What in thunder'’s...

Poor man went loco.

The desert does that to some people.

Shall I tie him up?

No. No, he'’s quiet now.

I'’ve noticed he's been acting queer lately.

Kind of morose and suspicious.

Yeah. Too much desert.

[ bells jingling ]

Whoa!

If this was Paris, France, I couldn'’t be gladder to see a place.

I'’ve never spent ten deadlier days in my life.

The trip back won'’t be no different, except for the load we haul.

Doesn'’t anything ever happen-- a mule get sick, a wagon break down?

[ knocks ]Not so far.

Don'’t see how you stand it.[ chuckles ] You will.

Hiya, Lem.

What kind of a trip did you have?Same as usual.

Good.Meet my new swamper, Brad Tyson.

Brad. Glad to know you.Pleasure.

Come on in and wash the dirt down.

I'’d like to get the poor fella outta here before he goes out of his mind again.

There'’s lots of company I'’d rather have aboard for ten days.

Oh, he won'’t cause you any trouble once he'’s headed for home.

I guess I don'’t have any choice.

Have him ready in the morning.

Thanks, Lem.

All right, Chang. Alley-oop.

I'’ll toss your bundle up to you.

Chang, you'’ll take a nice trip back to Mojave.

All right, Chang. All right. Now, you take it easy.

Get up aboard.

Uh, Perry'’ll see that he'’s taken care of, Lem.

And ask him to send us in a new cook as soon as he can, will ya?

Sure. Well, so long.

Good luck.

Did you check the kitchen knives?

Yeah, he'’s unarmed. They won'’t have any trouble with him...

I hope.

[ bells jingling ]

LEM: Whoa-oa!

Whoa-oa!

[ shouting ]

[ wailing ]

[ wailing continues ]Shut up, Chang!

Shut up, Chang! You'’re disturbing the animals.

[ wailing continues ]

Will you cut it out?

[ crash ]

Whoa!

What are you trying to do, kill us all?

[ grunting ]Calm down, Chang.

Chang, calm down. Calm down.

Okay, Chang.Move him back in the rear wagon

with you so he can ride herd on '’em.

Come on, Chang. Come on.

Come on, Chang.[ grunting ]

There now. You feel better, don'’t ya?

[ sighs ]

[ shouting ]

It'’s too bad Chang won'’t eat anything.

Well, if he don'’t want to eat, best not try to make him.

Stow the gear.

Chang, come on! Get aboard!

Change, we'’re leaving.

I'’ll go try and coax him. I don'’t wanna get him riled.

Come on, Chang. You wanna get aboard the big wagon, ride topside?

Eh, you'’re a good fella.

Chang!

How'’d he get his hands on that?

Stow it away. And get a rope. We'’ll truss him up.

Up you come. Come on.

[ bells jingling ]

[ shouts ]

LEM: Ho!

[ shouts ]

[ shouts ]

Brad, quick!

[ mule brays ]

Having some trouble in the Piute village.

About to burn a squaw to death. His squaw.

You lead the way.

♪♪ [ drums ][ chanting ]

Stop that!

Put that fire out!Stay away, white man!

What'’s the big idea?

She witch!

Untie her. Turn her loose.

Take the straw off of her.She witch!

Now you listen to me. My company. Me.

Big boss Death Valley. Own mountains, water, sky, everything!

Drive big team. Ten, 20 mules.

You burn that squaw, we bring lightning down, strike you dead.

[ gasps ]

Every last Piute! [ whip cracks ]

Now turn her loose! Savvy?

Turn her loose!

I take my hat off to you, sir, the way you dealt with them Injuns.

Well, you did all right yourself putting out that fire.

Let'’s get rolling.

Hey, our passenger'’s gone! What?

Yep. Rope and all.

Well, he couldn'’t have got very far.

Take a look on the other side. Chang!

Hey, Chang!Chang, where are you?

Chang!

Hey, Chang!Chang?

Chang!

Confound you, Chang! Answer me!Hey, where are you?

Chang!Hey, Chang!

Whoa![ mule brays ]

Chang!

Chang!

Hey, Chang!

There'’s no sign of him.

Well, he'’s gotta be around here someplace.

Trouble is, it'’s gonna be dark before too long.

Maybe we can overtake him. Maybe he came to

and started hoofin'’ it for Mojave.

Oh, he won'’t have a chance out here in all this heat.

No food or water?

It'’s my fault, sir.

I should'’ve tied him up tighter.He was put in my charge.

I'’m the one who'll be held responsible, have to answer to Perry.

Well, tell him the truth. Tell him we went to save a squaw.

And lost a company employee?

Perry himself hired him.

He'’s gonna take a pretty dim view of the whole matter.

[ bells jingling ]

[ Lem shouting ]

[ shouting ]

Whoa!

Hello, Dad.

Did you have a nice trip?Well, we'’re here.

Never a dull moment. Wait till I see Perry.

You know the--What there is to report,

I'’ll report, and it can wait till morning.

I'’ll take care of the mules. Then I'’m going over to the Oasis

and wash some of the alkaline out of my throat.

♪♪ [ piano ][ chattering ]

Deal me in.

Maybe you'’d better drop out, Lem.

This ain'’t your night to howl.I'’m stickin'.

You ain'’t got a Chinaman'’s chance.

You make another crack like that-- Come on.

Come on. Put up or shut up.

Aw, deal '’em!

♪♪ [ continues ]

Ten dollars.

Ten dollars.

Twenty more.

[ bills rustling ]

LEM: And 15 more.

[ bills rustling ]

[ chips clack ]Fifteen.

[ bills rustling ]And 20 more.

Will you take an IOU against my next month'’s wages?

Yeah.

Got a pencil?

Waiter. Bartender.

IOU

70.

Lem.

Twenty and 50 more.

And I raise you 50.

I'’ll bet one of my mules.

[ murmuring ]

That covers a mule.

And I raise you a hundred.

One more mule, and I'’ll call ya.

[ silence ]

All right. What do you got?

Oh. I called you,

but I'’ll show 'em to you.

Four tens.

Four tens and a king.

Ace,

king, queen,

jack, ten.

Royal flush, with the joker as a ten.

[ murmuring ]

Two mules.

[ chattering ]

We'’ll build a big house in Los Angeles, maybe San Francisco.

How does that sound to you, honey?

That would be wonderful, Brad.

Hello, Dad.

I kept some supper hot for you.I'’m not hungry.

We'’ve got something to tell you, sir.

I'’ve had all the bad news I can take.

Oh, but this is good news, Dad.

Ye who bets what isn'’t his'n

has to pay the price or go to prison.

Let me make you some good, strong coffee, Dad.

First I lose Chang the cook,

then I lose the mules.

Next I'’ll lose my job.

The only thing I ain'’t lost is you, daughter.

I'’m going to bed.

Where'’d you lose any mules?

The Oasis, in a poker game.

The other fella held a royal flush.

What is it you wanted to tell me?

Not tonight. Some other time.

Dad'’s really got himself in trouble, Brad.

The old fool.You'’ve no right to call him names like that.

And who'’s got a better? I'’m marrying his daughter.

I don'’t know if you are!Oh, Enid.

Oh, I'’m so upset I don'’t know anything.

You know I love you.

I'’ll think of some way to get him out of this scrape.

These are none of your run-of-the-mine mules.

They'’re hand-picked, hand-trained.

The best doggone cared-for mules west of Missouri.

Say, are these the mules you won from Lem Keeler?That'’s right.

If you'’d like some expert advice about picking your two, I swamp on the big team.

Hey, I might just take that offer.

Well, good. Meet me at the corral at sunup,

and I'’ll help you pick the two best animals in the outfit.

Bartender, give this gentleman a drink. Make it a double.

Well, thank you.Come on.

[ knocking on door ]

Come in.

Good morning, Lem.

Uh, I'’m tendering in my resignation.

You what?

Well, you can'’t quit at a moment'’s notice, Lem.

I'’m sorry, sir.Why, the big team leaves at noon today for the Valley.

The team ain'’t so big anymore.

There'’s only 18 mules now.

What are you talking about?

Well, I lost two mules last night in a poker game.

You bet two of our mules?

Yes, sir.Company property?

Well, I held four tens and a king.

Yes, sir.

I'’ll have to attach your pay.

I lost that too.

Whatever got into you, Lem?

Well, I started to drown my sorrows.

What sorrows?

On the way in, I lost a passenger.

Chang, the cook out at the Works--

he went off his head, and they were sending him back here on the wagon.

You lost him?Well, he got loose

while Brad and I was rescuing a Piute squaw from being burned at the stake.

Are you still drunk?

Oh, I felt awful about it. I couldn'’t sleep nights afterwards,

thinking about those vultures picking on poor Chang'’s bones.

Chang!

[ yelling ]

Sufferin'’ snakebites! Where did he come from? How'’d he get here?

He got here in my buckboard.

While you were away, I had to make a quick trip out to the Amargosa plant.

Took a shortcut. Found Chang

wandering in the desert, dazed, incoherent.

Picked him up and brought him back. Simple as that.

Well, everything is all right after all.

Except for two mules still to be accounted for.

Oh, yeah. I forgot about that.

Who'’d you lose them to?Harvey Pierce.

Oh, the meanest man in Mojave.

Did he collect?

He said he was gonna pick '’em up in the corral this morning.

Now, this one here is the leader.

They'’re picked for their intelligence.

Bettina, what'’s the matter with you?

She don'’t like me. I don'’t like her.

Well, let'’s look at some others.

This here one'’s a pointer.

Look at that neck and that chest.

[ grunts ]

[ snorts ]

Hey!All right!

Gosh, he'’s really vicious.

Well, let'’s look at another one.

Now, here'’s a fine animal.

Won'’t find anything better.

I might as well be honest with you.

These mules resent all strangers.

Lem'’s the only one that can handle them.

They'’re his babies.

He didn'’t mention that.

As a matter of fact, they'’ll only work

when they'’re part and parcel of the big team.

And I'’ve been gypped.

Would you settle the debt for cash?

I got a month'’s pay right here.

[ bills rustling ]

Taken.

A dime left.

Hey! [ laughing ]

You earned it, Cap.

Morning, sir.Morning.

[ bells jingling ]

Two, four, six, eight,

ten, 12, 14, 16,

18, 20!

Twenty?

Well, young fella.Yes, sir.

Just taking a last good look.

How will I ever bear it not seeing you for three whole weeks?

This may be my last trip.

Hey, now, you'’re not gonna resign?

I was thinking of it, sir.

This is no job for a married man-- swamping on the big team.

And besides, I don'’t know if I can stand the monotony.

[ chuckles ]

Good-bye, honey.

And that'’s the story of a long-line skinner and his swamper.

And if any of you folks know the origin of that word "swamper,"

I wish you'’d let me know.