Original subtitles

Your bet.

We'’re at 50?

I'’ll call that 50.

And I'’ll raise you 50.

I'’ll see you.

What do you got?

Three aces and a pair of tens.

I'’m sorry, Luke. Four eights.

[ chuckles ]

Tough luck, partner.

I told you to keep away from me, jinx!

[ laughter ]

♪♪ [ trumpet ]

Howdy, folks. I'’m the Old Ranger.

When a man gets a reputation for bringing bad luck,

it'’s hard to live it down.

Especially among miners.

They'’re a superstitious lot.

Time was when Dave Eldridge could pick up a grubstake

as easy as the next prospector.

That was back in the days of Austin and Eureka.

Since then, he'’s been grubstaked over the whole state of Nevada,

and never had so much as a smell of pay dirt.

It got so no one at Goldfield

would even let Dave stand behind them in a game.

That is, no one but one gambler,

who found himself in a...

[ roulette ball clacking ]

Seventeen, black.That'’s me again.

[ chattering ]

I think I'’ll double my number

and double my bet.

Wow.[ chattering ]

DEALER: Place your bets.

All right. Place your bets. Here we go again.

Good luck, son.

[ ball clacks ]34, red.

Hey, this is my lucky day.[ chattering ]

I-- I hope-- hope you don'’t mind me standing here.

Why?Well, most folks around here think I'’m a jinx.

Jinx? This is the first luck I'’ve had since I hit this town.

All right. Place your bets. Here we go. Cash me in.

I'’ll be at the bar.

Can I buy you a drink?

Say, that might be just the thing to wash down a free lunch.

[ chuckles ]

It'’s a fact. You broke my losing streak.

Say, will you-- will you say that a little louder so everyone can hear?

Okay. You broke my los--

Oh, no. No, they--[ chuckling ]

They wouldn'’t believe it anyway.

No. All they believe are samples of ore.

A strike.

You'’d like to show 'em, wouldn'’t you?

Just once before I die.

Oh, sure, I'’m an odd old freak now,

but, say, don'’t you ever get the idea the spirit'’s gone.

I'’m all set to shoulder a pickax and shovel

anytime anyone'’s willing to put up expenses.

Rather go by myself. Going alone'’s the best way.

But you gotta have a stomach for loneliness.

Some men go nutty with it.

Ah, but that-- that'’s gold.

That'’s what it does to us.

We'’ll do it."We'll"?

Why, I came out here to do a little prospecting.

Now that I'’m here, I realize I, uh, kind of need a partner.

Real strikes are few and far between.

Take a lot of finding. You know the desert?

Only from the seat of a stagecoach.

Ah. Greenhorn, huh?With a grubstake.

The desert'’s hard. It can get a man.

I'’m young. I can take it.

For 30, 60 days?Ninety. Whatever you say.

Wh-- Why are you doing this?

I'’m a gambler. You brought me luck once.

I have a hunch you'’ll do it again.

I'’m gonna play that hunch.

I got the same hunch, mister. What'’s your name?

Cliff Streeter.

Mine'’s Dave. Dave Eldridge.

And this time, I'’m gonna strike it rich.

Uh! We'’re gonna strike it rich. Yeah. Yeah.

I'’m gonna rustle me a-- or us an outfit.

I'’ll show the town of Goldfield,

the whole state of Nevada

I'’m no jinx.

[ chuckles ]

How about we find a little shade and rest?

Eh, that'’s a good idea.

There just ain'’t no shade.

But don'’t you worry none.

We'’ll get plenty of rest... come night.

Just what is it you write in there?

A record of the day'’s doings.

"Doings"?

We'’ve done nothing for three weeks but walk,

pick at worthless rock, and sweat.

You record the temperature?

That goes without saying. It'’s mighty hot.

Or where we are?

Where are we anyway?

I told you. We'’re heading for gold.

You don'’t know where we are.

If I was to give you a map and ask you to show me--

Well, sir, I'’d say that we was right here.

Oh, for the love of...

We'’re lost.

Getting your dander up'’s only gonna make you hotter, Cliff.

I kind of warned you.Sure you warned me.

But I thought we'’d have found a trace of gold by this time.

When we find it, it'’ll be more than a trace.

It'’ll be a whole ledge. A mine!

We hope.

[ sighs ]

The entry for today:

walked five miles, made dry camp.

Heard a whip-poor-will.

You put down things like that?

You'’d be surprised the things I put down.

Such as what?

Such as what?

[ sighs ]

Sorry. I-- I didn'’t mean to scare you. I was just checking my gun.

Why?

Well, make sure it was okay.

What for?

Dave, are you keeping something from me?

What do you mean?

Found anything you haven'’t told me about?

You mean gold? [ chuckles ]

Say, when I find gold, I'’ll raise such a whoop and holler,

they'’ll hear me clear back to Goldfield.

I just wondered.

Hey. We got company.

Why, that'’s, uh-- That'’s Joe Darius.

Joe, you old buzzard!

Jinx! Jinx Eldridge!

You heading in or out?

Back to Goldfield.

Did you have any luck?

Oh, I located a couple years ago. Just doing assessment work now.

Eh, not much fun in that.

How would you know?

This, uh-- This is my partner Cliff Streeter.

You wanna know what kind of luck we'’re having?

None.

Unless Dave'’s holding out on me.

Friendly cuss.

Aw, he'’s in bad shape, Joe.

Sooner he gets back to town, the better.

For both of us.

How long you been out?

Five weeks.

I shouldn'’t have brought him in the first place,

but it'’s the only condition he'’d put up the money.

And, you know, it ain'’t easy for me to get a grubstake.

I know.

Oh, he'’s getting worse every day.

Jumpy, suspicious...

Desert can do that to a man.

Especially a rawhide.

Say, Joe, maybe he'’ll go back to Goldfield with you.

See if you can persuade him, huh?

I'’ll try.

Go back with you?

Be glad of company.

What about Dave?I'’ll keep on.

Alone?

Oh, I-- I'’m used to it.

That case, I'’ll keep on too.

Look, fella, you'’ve had your fill of prospecting for a while.

Who said so? Did you tell him that?

Nah. Nah, he-- he can see for himself.

Oh, no, no. It was your idea.

You wanna get rid of me.

You did find something.

No. No, Cliff, I swear. I just--

Then you wanna make a strike alone, keep it all for yourself!

That ain'’t true.It'’s my money, don't forget.

We'’re gambling together.Yeah, I know that, Cliff.I know.

And I'’m sticking right with you till the last chips are down!

The last chips, you hear?

Okay, boy.

Okay.

[ wind whooshing ]

Hang on to the mules,

and we'’ll get them to the rocks till it blows over!

[ coughing ]

[ coughing continues ]

Hey, Cliff, want a drink?

Gold.

[ grunts ] The storm over?

We'’ve struck it, Cliff.

[ grunts ]

What?

Gold.

Gold?

Where'’d you find it?

Right here, where I was sitting.

I had nothing to do, and I start tapping with my pick, and--

You know, force of habit. And there it was.

You'’re-- You'’re sitting on it too.

You'’re standing on it too.

Uh, a whole ledge.

Oh, we struck it rich!Yeah.

I don'’t know how rich until we get an assay.

But it looks like picture rock, all right.

Oh, and you never said a word. Didn'’t even wake me up.

Where'’s your excitement? Why don'’t you whoop and holler?

I'’m trying to get used to the idea.

I found gold.

I really done it.

I ain'’t no jinx.

Oh, you bet you'’re not.

Didn'’t I tell you I had a hunch?

I gambled on the right man, all right.

Won'’t the folks of Goldfield be surprised? Oh-ho-ho!

What you gonna do with all your money, Dave?

Money? Oh, I don'’t know.

Well, I mean, go to Europe? Build a house with gold doorknobs? What?

I never really gave it much thought.

Don'’t really much care.Don'’t care?

Finding it'’s what'’s important.

The satisfaction of finding it.

Oh, not for me, it ain'’t.

You ain'’t a prospector, Cliff.

You'’re right. I'’m a mine owner.

This is ours. Ours!

Come on! Let'’s stake!Yeah.

I'’ll get a location plank. They'’re in a small pack up here.

Homer?

Ajax?

Where are those dad-blasted mules?

They gone? Yeah. They got everything we own on '’em.

Hm. Not everything. Not our gold.

They got our water, supplies.

With this storm, there won'’t be a chance in the world to follow their tracks.

I-- I guess they'’ll come back. Come mealtime.

Yeah? You ever see a mule with a brain?

Take a look around that hill, will you?

I'’ll go down this way. Homer!

Ajax! Homer!

Now what are we gonna do?

Well, we-- we got a canteen half full

that I took off from back at our claim.

A lot of good our claim'’s gonna do us now.

We find gold and never even live to tell about it.

You are a jinx. They were right. A ji--

Shut up.

And save your breath. You'’re gonna need it.

Come on now. We'’ll go back and file a notice on our ground,

and we'’ll get started with tools.

I'’ll carry it.

No water till nightfall.

No, Cliff.

Jinx! You filthy old jinx, with the smell of death all over you!

[ gunshot ]

Dave?

Dave, I'’m-- I'’m sorry. Uh...

I must'’ve been out of my mind.

Oh, I'’m-- I'm all right.

You just winged me.

You couldn'’t hit the side of a barn door.

Well? How'’s it holding out?

Half full, nearly. Go ahead.

[ hollow clanging ]

Ah, no. Cliff, it'’s no use.

Let'’s face it. We both can'’t make it back to Goldfield.

There'’s hardly enough water here for one of us.

We may find water.Nah.

Nah. I know this desert like the back of my hand.

The only chance is for you to take this and get ya help.

Me?

You'’re in better shape than I am.

Well, if you think I'’m gonna leave you here alone--

I tell you, Cliff, we both can'’t make it. One of us might, maybe.

We'’re sticking together. We'’re partners, remember?

You'’re wasting valuable time.

Then you take the water, Dave. You know the way.

Nah.It'’s your strike, Dave.

I'’d never have found it.

I'’ve been nothing but a drag on you.

I'’ll tell you what we'll do.

Let'’s flip for it. Heads or tails?

I won'’t do it.You always said you were a gambler.

Come on. What is it, heads or tails?

No.

Call it, Cliff.

Or you'’re gonna have to shoot me in the other shoulder.

Tails.

Tails. You win. Get going.

Dave...

Here.

It'’s all yours.

On my way back to town,

I found him just this side of Chloride Flat.

Brung him in.

[ groans ] We lost our burros,

our whole outfit.

Only had enough water for one.

So you took it and left old Dave.

No. We flipped a coin to see who'’d go for help.

I won.

I know for a fact there was bad blood between '’em.

Flipping a coin. Hah!

We found this on you. You made a strike, didn'’t you?

Yes. Just before we lost our burros.

Two hit gold, one come back.

Why, I was going to record it in both our names.

I didn'’t have a chan-- [ coughing ]

Well, the first thing is to find Dave.

Can you take us to him?

I'’m pretty sure.

Doc?

Is he strong enough to ride now?

Under the circumstances, yes.

I think it'’s straight ahead from here.

What do you think Dave'’s chances are, Doc?

Well, it depends on the shape he was in when Streeter here left him.

Well, uh, h-he did have an accident.

Accident? What kind of accident?

He'’s-- He's winged in the shoulder.

How?

Well, it was his own gun.

We got in a hassle over the canteen.

I must'’ve gone out of my head for a minute.

With the heat and everything.

You shot Dave?

I-It was just a shoulder wound.

He said himself it was nothing.

He walked for miles afterwards.

Dave Eldridge better be alive, Streeter.

Hyah!

Should be just below this rise.

There it is, by that needle rock.Come on.

You sure this is the place?

Positive. I left him sitting right there by that rock.

You'’re lying. No.

You killed him and buried him.

No. I swear to you.

Well, here'’s some tracks.

One man.

He started crawling here.

Over there!

CLIFF: Dave? Dave!

Hold him.Here.

Here.[ grunts ]

[ grunting ][ moans ]

Dave...

Dave? Dave, it'’s Cliff.[ grunts ]

We'’re here.

I-I came back as fast as I could make it.

You know that, Dave, don'’t you?

Leave him be.

It was a gamble. Tell '’em, Dave.

They won'’t believe me.

We tossed to see who would go.

I didn'’t desert you. Tell '’em, Dave.

[ mutters ]

What? What, Dave?

Stop it. Let him die in peace.

No. He-- He'’s trying to say something.

It sounds like "pocket."

What is it, Dave?

[ exhales ]

Dave?

He'’s gone.

Do we take him back with us or bury him here?

Doc?

There is something in his pocket.

The strike he had waited for all his life

and didn'’t live to record.

Poor fella. A jinx to the end.

What'’s that?

He, uh-- He kept notes.

He wrote down things like, "Heard a whip-poor-will."

"June 7.

"Cliff and me flipped four bits to see who'’d go for help.

Cliff called tails. It came up tails."

It'’s his handwriting, all right.

Neat as a bookkeeper'’s.

Thank you, Dave.

So it-- it was like you said.

For you, Cliff.

"Dear Cliff,

"if you make it back, you'’re proof I ain't a jinx.

"The gold don'’t matter.

"All I wanted was to find it.

Dave."

More than half a century has passed since then.

There'’s not much left of Goldfield today.

A handful of folks living there.

A few buildings that have withstood the ravages of fire and flood.

But now and then, in a museum,

you'’ll find a relic of the early days,

like this old chuck-a-luck game.

Which, for all we know, came from the very saloon

where Dave Eldridge and Cliff Streeter first met

and formed the partnership that ended

in a gamble with death.