Original subtitles

Howdy, folks. I'’m the Old Ranger,

with an exciting new story

of real life in the Old West.

One of the greatest trailblazers in Western history

had a blue face and weighed 1400 pounds.

He was rancher Charley Goodnight'’s lead steer on the annual drive

from Texas up to Wyoming grazing land.

His name, like the name of my story was...

It is the year 1878, along the Goodnight cattle trail

near Fort Sumner, New Mexico.

[ cows mooing ]

[ cowbell clanging ]

CHARLEY: Well, there she is-- Chimney Rock.

Fort Sumner'’s just a spit from here.

We'’re three days ahead of time, just like I figured.

Thanks to Old Blue. That steer'’s worth four top hands on a drive.

Charley, you make it sound like my ramrodding the drive had nothing to do with it.

Oh, don'’t get your hackles up, Snell.

As trail bosses come, I don'’t know any better.

Just that Old Blue sets the pace,

and the herd follows the bell.

Well, a bit down this side the river, same as usual.

I'’ll see you in town.

I gotta collect some bets on getting here early.

Yah! [ whistles ]

[ horse neighs ]

Whoa.

Is this it, Pa?

PA: This is it.

This here is rich dirt.

Just aching to grab seed and take root.

I'’m gonna give it the chance.

You mean we'’re through being rawhiders, Pa?

That'’s right, John Wesley.

We'’re through following them trail herds,

picking up the hides of dead cows that fall by the way.

From here on,

the only wandering you can do is in books,

just like I pledged to your ma.

So prod that mule, boy.

Lead out for the Fort Sumner Schoolhouse.

And you, Bella, you curry down

and gown up like a Christmas prayer meetin'’.

Now, I want John Wesley and Arabella here at 7:00 next Monday morning.

They'’ll be here.

Might be a good idea for you to come along, too.

Well now, I might just get around to that one of these days.

Thank you kindly, ma'’am.

Come on, kids.

Oh...

Where'’re you staying?

Well, we'’re just trail camping for a while, ma'’am,

till we can find us a home to stay in.

Well, there'’s an old abandoned shack on river ground a few miles out of town.

After my husband died, I gave up the idea of ranching.

It'’s yours for the asking.

Well, I'’ll pay you something on it, ma'’am, as soon as I sell my hides in town.

No hurry. You go get settled. We'’ll worry about that later.

[ sighs ]

You know...

that chair can stand some fixing.

John Wesley, run and fetch me some wain.

Oh, you don'’t have to bother.

Oh, it ain'’t no bother, ma'’am.

Working with rawhide'’s one thing I can do.

And it'’d sure pleasure me to fix it for you.

Hold it, boy!

Well, you must be one of them sneaking rawhider'’s been trailing us

all the way up from Concho, huh?

Now, you tell your pa, nobody picks up the Goodnight outfit'’s leavings

without paying Red Snell.

Don'’t have to pay for hides off a dead cow

nobody want except coyotes and us.

Now, I'’ll thank you to give back them wains.

Pretty big for your britches, ain'’t ya?

Here!

[ groans ]

WESLEY: Don'’t try it, mister.

PA: Drop it.

You hurting to tree a rawhider,

try for a man your size.

Why should I dirty my hands?

I better not find you with any Goodnight property.

If I do, it'’ll be a bullwhip to your boy.

And a rope for you.

Keep him covered, son.

Hah!

You know, Pa?

That teacher got eyes just like mama'’s.

Blue'’s Tennessee Mountain Mist.

Whatcha thinking, Pa?

I'’m thinking you better hush up and snuggle down.

Now, get to bed with ya?

Go along.

Can I have a pet, Pa?

Any kind of pet you want, little button.

[ kisses ]

[ sighs ]

Morning, daybreak...

I'’m gonna go to town,

and I'’m gonna sell them cow skins for what I can get,

and I'’m gonna start planting for a good harvest.

I'’m gonna keep house.

I'’m gonna hunt game for us.

There'’s fresh tracks all around.

Billy-be darned

if we ain'’t gonna have us a real ranch here.

Hold it. Whoa!

What did you do with Old Blue?What?

Don'’t smart me, rawhider, where'’s our bell steer with a blue face?

I ain'’t seen no blue-faced steer.

Now, hold on!

Cloud, take a look at his wagon.

I gotta sell them hides for a grubstake.

You ain'’t gonna live that long if you skinned Old Blue.

It ain'’t here, Snell.

I told ya I ain'’t got him.

You mean, you ain'’t skinned him. Not yet.

Where you got him hid?

You speak up before I carve my brand in your lyin'’ face.

CHARLEY: Hold it, Snell!

Turn him loose.

Rawhider'’s got Old Blue.

That'’s a lie. I ain't never laid eyes on the critter.

Turn him loose.

Put that wagon back to rights.

[ mumbling ]

Don'’t get the wrong ideas.

I don'’t talk to no rawhiders or lawless trail outfits either.

If I catch you anywhere near Old Blue,

I'’m personally gonna hang ya.

Let'’s go.

[ hammering ]

You bring me some rifle powder, Pa?Yup.

And I bought a glass mirror for Bella.

Where is she?

Down by the creek, fetching greens. [ cowbell clanging ]

Oughta be back pretty s--Shh, shh.

What'’s wrong, Pa? [ cowbell continues ]

Hush!

Land o'’ Goshens!

Pa, Pa! [ cowbell clanging ]

Looky, Pa! I found me a pet!

Bet nobody has a pet like him.

Never seen such a purty blue face.

Yah! Go on, scoot! Get!

Yah! Yah! Go on!

Come on! Go on!

That'’s Charley Goodnight's lead steer.

His trail boss catches me with him,

and he'’ll hang me for a wrestler.

But we ain'’t stealin', Pa.

I found him with his leg stuck in some rocks.

And he follows me every place I go.

You just try for a chance to explain that.

John Wesley, keep an eye out for them cowboys

till I figure out how to get rid of him.

Couldn'’t we hide him somewheres, Pa,

somewheres where they wouldn'’t think of lookin'?

Like in the wagon, maybe.

[ sighs ] Riders coming over the ridge, Pa, headed this way!

They'’re comin', Pa.

Steady down, boy. Keep eatin'’ and act natural.

Well, this is a real peaceful scene, ain'’t it?

You think they never heard of a blue-faced steer, wouldn'’t ya?

Ain'’t you found him yet?

No, not yet. But something tells me, he ain'’t far away.

You boys fan out, take a look through the brush.

Course now, the three of us know

that they ain'’t gonna find nothing out in that brush, don'’t we?

Rawhiders are too smart for that.

Thank you, boy.

Now if uh--

if somebody wants to save me some time...

and just happen to know where Old Blue was,

I could sure make it worth their while.

Meanin'’?

Meaning $100 worth.

You wanna say something, boy?

I see.

Guess you both heard about that $1,000 reward

Charley Goodnight'’s offered to the man who brings him in.

Let me tell you something, rawhider,

you ain'’t gonna collect that reward because me and my boys

are gonna be guardin'’ the roads into town.

Now, does that $100 reward of mine sound a might bigger?

Not a trace of Old Blue.

There'’s one place we ain'’t looked yet.

Now, hold on.

I'’ll be watchin' the roads for you, rawhider...

with a rope.

Ha!

$100, Pa!

Enough for plow and plantin'’ seed?

You shoulda took it.

He'’d never give it, boy.

You seen what he done for nothin'’?

What do you think he'’d do for $100?

Reward'’s a thousand,

and he wants to keep it all.

Are they gone, Pa?

[ steer mooing ] [ door closes ]

They busted your mirror.

I don'’t care.

They ain'’t got Old Blue.

Seems like everything I try to do for you gets busted.

We got a home, Pa.

You ain'’t busted that.

It wont be a home very long with that steer.

Mr. Goodnight appears to be

a fair-minded man, Pa.

If we could get that steer to him and explain--

There'’s only one trail to town, boy.

Red Snell'’s a-spraddled it, waitin'’ for me

Unless-- unless he wasn'’t there when you came through.

Gonna be daylight before long.

Yeah.

What makes you so bulldog stubborn

he'’s got Old Blue?

One thing, the way his boy acted.

Another, a missin'’ steer and a rawhider

just plain go together.

[ cowbell clanging ]

Do you hear that?

[ cowbell continuing ]

Yeah!

It'’s comin' from over there.

Mount up!

[ clanging ]

[ clanging ]

MAN: Don'’t move.

Gimme that, bell!

Hey, Snell!

Well.

Where'’s Old Blue?

Might as well speak up, son.

This bell'’s enough to hang your thievin'’ pa anyway.

He ain'’t a thief!

Where is Old Blue?

Pa'’s takin' him over to Mr. Goodnight.

Tricked us, huh,

so he could sneak for town?

It'’ll be light soon. We can catch him.

Let'’s go.

Ha!

Hyah!

Pa, riders comin'’!

Well, come on then.

RED SNELL: Hold on!

I caught you red-handed, huh?

Just like I said.

I wanna talk to Mr. Goodnight.

You ain'’t gonna talk to nobody.

Tie his hands.

You leave him be!

Go on, girl.

Where'’s my boy?

Mister, you better stop worrying about your boy

and start praying about yourself.

You can'’t hang me!

Can'’t we?

You stick around and find out.

Cloud, bring your horse.

Yeah.

[ exhales ] That oughta do it.

Let'’s get him on the horse.

You'’re hangin' an innocent man.

Innocent? You look real innocent

movin'’ down the road with Old Blue.

[ horse approaching ] [ screaming ]

No way is he a thief!

[ grunts ]

Let'’s get him on the horse!

[ grunting ]

I never stole that steer.

You let me talk to Mr. Goodnight.

I can explain everything.

[ muttering ]

I want the pleasure of swattin'’ the horse

out from under this cow-thief myself.

I think this has gone far enough!

Drop your guns!

Now, ma'’am--

Drop your guns.

Ma'’am, this rawhider deserves hanging.

Maybe, but it wont be on your orders.

Now, take that rope off his neck.

Do what she says.

Help him down.

All right, now, let'’s take that steer

and all of us go to the hotel

and see Mr. Goodnight.

Come on!

Hurry up.

Go on, all of you.

Go on.

Charley.

Kinda jumpin'’ the gun, ain'’t ya, Snell?

We caught him with Old Blue.

Red Snell: Ain'’t wrestlin' still a hangin'’ offense?

The little girl says she found the steer

with his leg caught, and he followed her home.

Charley, you know rawhiders better than that.

First thing they teach their kids is how to lie.

I ain'’t lyin'!

That'’s a true fact, Mr. Goodnight.

That critter follows her around like a hound dog.

Old Blue'’s a leader. He never followed nothin'’,

least of all, a rawhide tadpole.

RED SNELL: Charley, we'’re wastin' time.

Better to waste time now

than wish we had wasted it later on.

Your little girl tellin'’ the truth?

I'’ll stake my life on it.

You'’re gonna do just that.

Youngster?

Run over there, at the stage depot.

Do like the man says, button.

If Old Blue goes after her,

you go free.

Turn the steer loose.

Come on, Old Blue!

Old Blue, you hear me?

Please come, Old Blue!

Please come!

[ weeping ]

Well, he sure does follow her, don'’t he?

[ sniffles ]

Sorry, mister.

Take him down, turn him over to the sheriff.

Now, hold on, Charley. Aren'’t we gonna hang him?

If he deserves hangin'’, the law'’ll take care of it.

I'’ll be close by, Pa.

That'’ll be comfort to me, boy.

[ sniffling ] No, Pa, no,

they can'’t take you. They can'’t!

Now, now, little buttons, none of that.

You stand up real proud.

[ sniffling ]

That'’s better.

I'’ll look after them, Mr. Wilkes.

Take the steer back to the herd and get ready to hit the trail.

Come along, honey.

[ sniffles ] No, no! Pa, Pa!

Arabella!

[ cowbell ]

[ exclaims ]Ah!

You see? He does follow me.

He sure does, honey.

Untie him.

There'’s $1,000 reward.

I hope it'’ll make up for the trouble you'’ve been through.

$1,000.

I--I'’m gonna ask you to mind it for us, ma'’am

Till we learn to count that high.

[ chuckles ]

It wasn'’t long before Jethro did learn to count,

but Helen continued to take care of his money,

as Mrs. Wilkes.

Old Blue?

He went back to leading trail herds

until finally retired on Charley Goodnight'’s ranch.