Original subtitles

♪ [ trumpet ]

Howdy, folks. I'’m the Old Ranger,

with an exciting new story of real life in the Old West.

The time: 1861, December.

The place: Ruby Valley, Nevada Territory.

The weather: bitter cold.

The three men hugging the stove,

in the Ruby Valley Station up at the Overland Express,

are talking about the neighboring Shoshones,

little suspecting that they are about to be involved

in the strange and terrible custom of...

[ wind howling ]

You just wait till those Shoshones start robbing you.

They have. They stole some blankets off a freight wagon

right from under his nose.

What did you do?Told '’em next time to ask.

And gave '’em back the blankets.

Billy Rogers! You'’re a double-barrel fool.

This has been a mighty tough winter, Mac.

The poor devils are cold. [ hoofbeats approaching ]

Animals can make out all right. So can them savages.

[ hoofbeats continue ]

[ horse whinnies ]

You know, if you kow-kow to '’em like that,

first thing you know, they'’ll take everything we own, including our scalps.

Ehh!They'’ll...

Who is boss here?

I'’m the station keeper.

What do you want?

We want medicine.

What kind of medicine?

Chief Shokab is very ill.

The chief? What'’s the matter with him?

He lies in his blanket, shaking like a frozen leaf.

Each breath a knife blade.

[ breathing heavily ]

Sounds pretty bad.

Might be pneumonia.You have medicine?

What'’s the matter with your own medicine man?

Can'’t he drive out the evil spirits?

He was trying. He does not know I have come here.

I told only Julia.Who'’s Julia?

Chief Shokab'’s wife. She is young.

She, too, believes that white man'’s medicine is the only cure.

Not much anyone can do for pneumonia.

But I'’ve got something that might help.

Don'’t do it, Billy.

The old boy'’ll probably croak anyway.

I'’m afraid so, if it is pneumonia.

And you know who they'’ll blame if he does--

the white man and his medicine.

They'’ll say you murdered him.

And if I refuse help, they'’ll say I let him die.

A villain if I do and a villain if I don'’t.

Give him just a little at a time, not the whole bottle.

Thank you.

[ wind howling ]

Next time, he'’ll bring company. [ hoofbeats departing ]

Wanna bet?

Stick around and find out.

No, thanks.

I'’m leaving as soon as my supplies get here. Tomorrow or the next day.

I'’m afraid he'’s right, Billy.

Mark my words. We'’re in for trouble.

♪ [ drumming ][ Indian chanting ]

[ chanting ]

♪ [ drums continue ] [ chanting continues ]

[ labored breathing ]

[ weakly ] Julia...

Do not try to speak, my husband.

Julia...

the sands are running out.

No. No, you will live to see the sun again.

Washakie has brought you white man'’s medicine.

See.

It is too late.

My time has come.

No!

Stop the drums.

For they cannot

frighten Death away.

Chief Shokab...

Summon my council.

[ labored breathing continues ]

Stop!♪ [ stops ]

He is dead?

But very close.

And you come here and break the spell?

Give the evil spirits a chance to grasp his soul?

It is Shokab'’s order.

White man'’s medicine! [ bottle shatters ]

He has called his council...

to his teepee, at once!

Before my voice

follows the sighing winds...

there are matters I will speak of.

The peace I have kept with the white man.

Let it continue.

The white man is here to stay.

You must learn to live with him.

It is our only hope.

For that reason,

I have chosen, to take my place...

one...

who has the youth

to accept the new order,

yet carries in him

the wisdom of our old ways.

Such a one...

my heart tells me...

is Washakie.

I know I give you a good leader...

and a good husband

for you, Julia.

Take her. Treat her well.

The squaw Julia goes with you, great father.

No.

It is tribal law.I say no!

Funeral sacrifice was practiced by our forefathers.

It is one of our oldest customs!

It is a custom that is finished!

The gods will be angry!

I have spoken!

[ exhales ]

Leave me now.

I kneeled close and studied him carefully.

His mind has already withered and blown away.

His words are the babblings of an infant.

The funeral sacrifice must be observed.

The gods demand it!

If we deny them this sacrifice,

their punishment will be swift and terrible!

Chief Shokab

is dead.

Chief Shokab'’s weapons must go with him!

And his horse.And his wife!

What do you want?His bow and arrows.

His spear.Why?

To place upon his funeral pyre.

He gave orders. You heard him.

Nothing is to be sacrificed.

Not his weapons, not his horse-- nothing.

[ Indian shouting in native language ] [ horse whinnying ]

[ shouting continues ]

[ gasps ]

You wait.

[ chanting ]

♪ [ drumming continues ] [ chanting continues ]

[ sighs ]

No! No!

Your hair will be cut to prepare you for your journey.

No. No.

[ crying ] No.

No!

[ chanting continues ]

[ crying ]

Be certain that she drinks it all.

Remain on guard.

[ crying continues ]

Drink this, daughter.

It will help when the time comes.[ grunts ]

He forbad them!

It'’s wrong. It'’s wicked!

I don'’t want to die. I don'’t want to die!

I'’m afraid. I'’m afraid.

I'’m afraid.

This will dull the pain.

How will I be dressed?

As you are now.

I have a tunic

and leggings of white doeskin.

Bring them to me.There'’s little time.

Then hurry!

I cannot find them.

Doesn'’t matter.

Nothing matters now.

I told you it would help.

♪ [ drumming continues ] [ chanting continues ]

Already she'’s drowsy.

[ Indian shouting ]

[ Indian #2 shouting ]

O great Shokab,

your spirit waits impatiently to set forth upon its journey

to join your forefathers in the spirit world.

All is in readiness.

It remains now to set the torch

that will loose your body that holds your spirit to this earth.

As a great Shoshone chief,

you will travel with high honor

on your horse,

carrying your weapon,

and your wife by your side.

Bring forth the wife of Shokab!

[ yelling ]

INDIAN: Stop her! Stop her!

[ Indians shouting ]

[ shouting continues, faint ]

[ whoops ]

[ chattering ]

You know where she is hiding?

Did you see her go?

She cannot escape.

There is no place for her to go.

We will wait until the light of morning.

[ grunting ]

[ cries ]

Hey, there'’s something sneaking up on us out there.

It'’s crawling on all fours. Looks like an Indian.

Indians?

There. You see?

[ mutters ]Oh, no. It stopped.

It'’s human, all right.

You'’re not going out?

Whoever it is, he'’s in trouble.

Look, Billy, this might be a trick.

Some kind of a decoy.

You two wait here.

Take a gun.

It'’s a squaw.

Zed, get some water. Right.

She'’s more dead than alive.

Don'’t be frightened. Just lie back.

That-a-girl.

Who are you?Julia.

Chief Shokab'’s wife.

Widow of Shokab.

So he did die.

What'’d I tell you?

I knew you'’d get us into trouble.

If they find me, they will kill me!

For what, coming to warn us?

When a chief dies, they burn his body, and his wife with him.

And his horse. [ door opens ]

Here'’s the water.

Here. Drink this.

And then you can tell us.

Now, you just rest a bit.

You won'’t let them take me back?

Oh, maybe the won'’t even come here.

I know Pimu, the medicine man...

Now, you just let us do the worrying, huh?

A fine kettle of fish this is.

Zed, keep a lookout.Yeah.

You know blame well they'’ll come.

She most likely left a trail a child could follow.

Here they come. Over the rise.

[ horse whinnying ]

I'’ll handle it.

No help from either of you, unless I call for it.

Let Julie Shokab return to her people.

She does not wish to return to her people.

It is Shoshone law.

Shoshone law! To kill an innocent woman?

This is not the white man'’s affair.

She came to us, asked for our help.

Give her back.

Chief Shokab forbad her to be sacrificed. We know that.

The gods demand it!

Give her back. You refuse,

the station will be burned, and all within it killed.

Every white man in Ruby Valley will be wiped out!

Wait.

I need more time... to think.

Give me a little time.

When that rock is out of the shadow.

We'’ve got less than an hour.

Three of us... to hold off that whole band.

We'’ve plenty of ammunition.

A lot of good that'’ll do us once they set fire to this station!

Keep your voice down.

We'’re about to be massacred, and the cause of it all'’s asleep!

Their medicine man is right.

This is none of our business.

We can'’t send an innocent girl to her death!

It'’s horrible, sure, but it'’s their custom. Why should we interfere?

She had no right coming here, putting us in this spot.

She was seeking sanctuary.

Sanctuary, my foot. An animal hunting a hole!

Well, she'’s here now, and that'’s all there is to it.

Look, give her up,

and they'’ll go away, leave us in peace.

Is one squaw'’s life worth more than ours?

Is she worth more than all the white folk in Ruby Valley and beyond?

You touch this off, and you started a full-scale war.

That'’s all the Injuns need at a time like this.

You said yourself just yesterday, they'’re half-starved and frozen.

I'’m not turning her over.

If you'’re not, I am.

You'’ll have to get her by me.

There'’s two of us.

I can count, McCallum.

[ Indians whooping ]

[ gunfire ]

[ whooping continues ] [ gunfire continues ]

Got a fire!

No! Stop! I give myself up!

Get back in there! Come back here! Julia, stop!

[ whooping continues ] [ gunfire continues ]

[ rifle fires ]

He told you the gods demanded a human life in sacrifice.

They now have a life.

The gods are appeased.

Leave in peace.

It is I, Washakie, your chief, who order you.

Whatever possessed you to run out and make a target of yourself?

I was afraid she'’d be killed.

Well, you know what I mean.

Sure.Sure.

I will not forget what you have done for us.

The peace that Shokab made with the white man

will continue as long as I am chief.

Maybe by that time, we'’ll all be used to being friends.

I hope.

That was the beginning of the end

of the ancient Shoshone custom of human sacrifice.

The young Shoshones in Ruby Valley today

are hardly aware that it ever existed,

though many of them are direct descendants of the squaw named Julia,

who was saved from this fate

by the white men of the Overland Station.