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.

Tonight, I'’m going to tell you

about a little frontier peddler named Isaacs,

and how, because of his heroism...

It is the year 1867.

Maximilian still holds Mexico in his military grip,

while President Juarez, with a price on his head,

continues his desperate fight for independence.

This the store you told me about, Sergeant Perier?

Oui, mon capitaine.

You moved it? [ bell dings ]

Good morning.

Monsieur, Madame Isaacs?

Yes. I'’m Captain Jacques Francois Molet

of Emperor Maximilian'’s Imperial Army.

How do you do?

Very interesting shop you have here, monsieur.

May I ask, monsieur, what fate made you decide to choose this location?

It wasn'’t exactly fate. It was Padre Moreno.

Oh, yes.

It was a fortunate day for us when we became acquainted with him, Captain.

It was on the mountain pass out there.

We were discouraged, in complete despair.

We were looking for a place to settle down, a place with promise of a future.

The good padre not only brought us here,

but he helped us with his very own hands

to repair this old building.

Now we have a fine business and-- Oh, excuse me.

Pardon, monsieur.

A fine business. Someday, there will be a fine town here.

Sergeant? Get these two sack of flour.

Get the flour.

The total, monsieur?

Ninety-four dollars.

Excuse me.

There you are, monsieur. A receipt for $94 for taxes paid in full.

Taxes?What taxes?

Every business must pay taxes, madame.

Without them, how could we have a government?

But your government is not my government.

This is the United States.

You'’re on the wrong side of the border.

This border, monsieur-- there is something you can see?

No. But I understand that it lies somewhere between here

and that adobe down the street.

So? And I understand, monsieur, that it lies

half a way between here and that adobe up the street.

This is nothing but robbery.

You have no authority to collect taxes on American soil.

It would seem to me, monsieur, that I have plenty of authority.

Do not argue with them.

[ speaking foreign language ]

Madame is not only beautiful, but wise.

Jose, pronto.

MAN: Coming. Coming.

You must help us, padre.

In the name of Mexico liberty, you must help us.

Please--I beg of you.

Please, calm yourself, my friend.

I cannot help if I cannot understand.

Sí, sí.I am sorry.

There'’s so little time.

I try to save it by talking fast.

In the coach, I carry much gold for our country'’s struggle for freedom.

It has much weight, and my horses are tiring.

Maximiliano'’s soldatos, they are after us.

Will you help us hide it, Padre? Please?

As a man, I would consider it an honor to serve your cause.

Gracias, gracias. I will get it.

But as a padre, I cannot jeopardize the neutrality of my church,

nor risk the safety of my congregation.

Sí.You are right, of course.

I did not realize what I was asking.

Forgive me, Padre.

One moment.

I know a man you could leave the gold with.

I know many men. But can they be trusted?

This one can. I will take you to him.

[ knocking ]

[ knocking ]

It'’s probably old Gonzalez, wanting another bottle of wine.

[ knocking ]

Yes? It is I, Father Moreno.

What'’s wrong, Padre?

Forgive me for disturbing you at this hour, Senor Isaacs.

But knowing you to be a man of honesty and compassion,

I have brought someone who needs your help

on a matter of the utmost importance to my country.

What kind of help?

Come. I will introduce you and he will explain.

People rushing in and out in the middle of the night.

What is in those sacks?

I'’m hiding something for a friend. Go back to bed.

What kind of something?

Gold.Gold?

Pardon, senora. Pardon.

Isaacs, gold is a dangerous thing to hide.

Who are these men? Smugglers?

Mr. President, may I present my wife, Ruth.

This is Benito Juarez, President of Mexico.

President of Mexico?

It is an honor, senora. A great honor to meet the wife of a good man.

Excuse me.

I do not understand.

There'’s no time to explain,

but it'’s a worthwhile deed that needs doing.

Ruth, empty the sugar barrel.

And don'’t worry.

Oh. I'’ll help you.

Those are the last ones.

Now we will show Maximiliano'’s les soldatos

that we Mexicanos can ride faster in a cabriolet

than they can on horseback.

[ chuckles ]

Senor, I owe you a debt.

A debt that I hope someday to be able to repay.

Good night.Good night.

Senora. Padre.

Yah! Yah!

Isaacs, is it right we should be mixing in other people'’s business?

Fighting tyranny is everybody'’s business, senora.

The Mexicans, they are like we were in the old country-- oppressed.

Would they not be better off without-- without Cossacks

like that captain who collected illegal taxes?

[ hoofbeats ]

I am afraid of that Captain Molet.

Don'’t worry, Ruth.

Tyrants come and tyrants go.

Amen.

Fan out and charge!

The front axle is broken, sir.

They have taken the gold with them.

These tracks are fresh, Capitaine.

Bon.

We will never catch up with them, mon capitaine.

They ride like the wind.

No. They ride like men who are not loaded down with heavy gold.

But if the gold is not in the wagon back there,

and not with them, then--

[ chuckles ]

You think slow, Sergeant, but correctly.

Have our men search this terrain.

Question everyone. Torture, kill, burn.

Until we find out where the gold is.

Oui, mon capitaine.

[ speaking foreign language ]

Favor.

I remember.

Let me down. I remember.

Yes?

The cabriolet. I saw it.

Where?

In front of the store.

Izuka'’s-- Izuka's store.

[ groans ]

Sergeant?

The store is closed.

[ speaking foreign language ]

No buying today.

I'’m trying to be your friend, Monsieur Isaacs.

By remaining silent, you force me to become your enemy.

For two hours, you keep asking us the same questions.

Over and over again.

Because he knows the answer.

He doesn'’t know. I don'’t know. Nothing.

We bother nobody. Inside'’s the store.

Outside'’s the road. Who knows who passes?

You take your soldiers and get out of here![ speaking foreign language ]

Control yourself. [ speaking foreign language ]

A black cabriolet stopped in front of this store last night.

How should we know who was in a cabriolet that was not there?

[ chuckles ]

Very funny.

Juarez! Benito Juarez!

H-Here?

Yes. And you helped him hide the gold.

Where did you help Juarez bury that gold?

In a cave? Under a tree? Where?

We didn'’t bury anything in a cave or under a tree.

I am sorry, Captain. I can'’t help you.

Francisco Gonzalez saw the cabriolet in front of the store.

Gonzalez? He lies all the time.

A man doesn'’t tell lies when he'’s been tortured.

But he'’s always drunk.

A woman as delicate and lovely as you, madame,

should not witness things that are unpleasant.

Such as Sergeant Perier refreshing your husband'’s memory.

What are you going to do?

[ speaking foreign language ]

Tie him to the post.

Sergeant Perier!

Oui, mon capitaine.

Proceed.

Isaacs.

[ whip cracks ]

[ Isaacs crying out ]

[ whipping continues ] [ crying out continues ]

Padre! Padre!

What is it, my child?Captain Molet.

He'’s torturing my husband.But how did he find out?

Gonzalez. He must have seen the cabriolet.

Oh, Father, they'’re beating him. I heard him cry out.

You'’ve got to stop them. I can'’t let him suffer.

I'’ll tell where the gold is.No, no. You mustn'’t.

I will do what I can.

ISAACS: Aah!

Mon capitaine. Eh, bien?

He'’s fainted again.

Bring him to.

But if I continue, he may die.

And then we will never find out where the gold is.

In the name of humanity, Captain, I beg you

to stop torturing this man.

Gladly, Padre. As soon as Monsieur Isaacs tells me where the gold is.

[ whispers ] I didn'’t.

What did he say?

Bring him some water.

I'’ll get it.

Sergeant. Oui, mon capitaine.

Your knife.

He can stay or go as he pleases.

He is free.

Mon capitaine, I do not understand.

One moment I torture him, and the next moment,

you set him free.

I decided to change my strategy, Sergeant.

But, sir, if I were in command, I would search this store.

[ chuckles ] Of course.

That'’s the way a sergeant'’s brain works.

This Isaacs is a smart man.

That gold is in a clever place.

But, Capitaine,I do not see how setting him free will find it for us.

That'’s where my strategy comes in.

I told him he was free to stay or leave.

Now, if he stays, we know the gold is hidden someplace here.

Aha. And if he chooses to go?

Then we know the gold is not here.

We will watch Monsieur Isaacs,

never let him out of our sight,

and he will eventually lead us to where the gold is hidden.

[ gunshot ]

With a rifle like this, mi presidente,

our soldiers will be able to shoot fast and straight.

The rest of these are like this?

Absolutely, Mr. Juarez.

I'’m ready to sign the contract.

These rifles have been very hard to get, sir.

I'’ll have to ask for payment on delivery.

I am prepared for that.

Jose, take the men and get the gold from Senor Izuks.

Si, mi presidente.

We can take these? Go ahead.

[ speaking foreign language ]

You ready to leave, monsieur?

We are ready to leave.

There is nothing more you wish to take with you?

Nothing.

[ speaking foreign language ]

What are you doing?

Looking for gold, madame.

Surely you have not forgotten so soon.

Someday, Captain, I will--

Nothing, mon capitaine.

You may go, monsieur, madame,

in the empty wagon.

Whoa, whoa.

It'’s a broken axle.

Now I understand why Captain Molet was so sure

I knew about the gold.

Isaacs, I have been worried about the gold.

With no one in the store, I hope Padre Moreno

will not leave it in that sugar barrel too long.

It'’s not in the barrel. [ speaking foreign language ]

You moved it? Where to?

I put it in the same place we hid our valuables when we came west.

Why did you not tell me this before?

For the same reason I did not tell the padre.

I thought it would be better if neither of you carried around the burden of such a secret.

Where are we taking it?

To Juarez, if I can find him.

You do not know where he is?

No.

Are we just going to go riding around, looking for him?

I would rather ride around looking for him

than sit at the store waiting for him.

Giddyap.

I see nothing but wagon tracks,Capitaine.

Do they not mean anything to you, Sergeant?

Well, they mean, uh,

a wagon has gone by.

Sergeant, an empty wagon does not sink so deep in the mud.

But the wagon is empty, Capitaine,we saw.

We did not see enough.

After.

Giddyap! Come on! Come on! Giddyap!

Giddyap!

Soldatos.Maximiliano.

[ speaking foreign language ]

[ speaking foreign language ]

Chargez!

[ gunshots ]

[ gunshots continue ]

[ horse neighs ]

[ speaking foreign language ]

Don'’t wait for me. Go after the gold.

We'’ll be back soon, Pablo.

Hyah!

Senor! Senor Isaacs!

Senor!

Senor. Senor Isaacs.

He is gone, and the gold with him.

No. Senor Isaacs is an honest man.

He would not steal the gold. Come, I show you where we hid it.

Right here, at the bottom of this barrel.

It'’s not there.

So, the senor would not steal, eh?

I cannot understand.

They tortured him until he almost died, and he would not tell.

He would not tell because he wanted it for himself.

And now we lose the chance to win back our country.

I swear to you, I will catch this thief, and when I do--

[ hoofbeats approaching ] Whoa!

The gold, senor. Where is the gold?

Right here, my friend.

Ay, madre mia.

I owe you a thousand pardons, senor.

I never thought I'’d see the gold again.

And I never want to see it again.

[ sighs ]

[ knocking ]

No. Do not go.

It can be nothing but trouble.

If it is trouble, it will come whether I answer the door or not.

[ knocking ]

Yes?

Mr. Juarez!

Senor, senora.

As usual, I travel in a hurry.

But I could not pass through without stopping to thank you personally

for what you have done in the fight for freedom in my country.

Thank you, Senor I-- Izuks.

I'’m sorry. I have trouble saying your name properly.

Everyone around here has trouble saying it, Mr. Juarez.

I guess I will have to change it.

If you will do that, senor,

it will still be another service for which we would be grateful.

Vaya con dios.

Good-bye.

Good luck.

And for the benefit of his customers,

Isaacs did change his name, to Walnut.

Or, in Spanish, to nogal.

And today, the memory of this heroic peddler

is kept alive on both sides of the border

by the towns of Nogales, Arizona,

and Nogales, Mexico.