Original subtitles

[ crickets chirping ]

♪♪ [ whistling ]

Give me a hand with the rest of these crates, will you, Ed?

I wanna finish loading the wagon tonight.

Sure.

♪♪ [ whistling ]

[ mutters ]

"226 dead men are waiting for you, Salem.

Money can'’t buy you respectability now."

What'’s that mean?

226 dead men? And Salem?

Get me a gun.

You stay here.

[ cocks gun ]

Who is it?

[ thud ]

Who is it?

[ thud ]

[ grunts ]

♪♪ [ trumpet ]

Howdy, folks. I'’m the Old Ranger.

It is several years after the Custer massacre

and a good thousand miles from the valley of the Little Bighorn,

where 226 men were killed by the Sioux

and buried where they fell.

How, then, could one of them still walk the earth,

with a story known as the...

I'’m glad you got here, sis. He'’s been cut up awful bad.

Darling, this is terrible.

I was at the church meeting when the sheriff got me.

I came as quickly as I could.

I told her what happened.I just don'’t understand it.

Will he be all right?

Yes. A stitch in time, he'’ll do.

I don'’t want any women here.

Ed, take her home.

You better get used to having me around.

When we'’re married, I'’ll be taking care of you all the time.

But, honey, I--You'’re going to our place

so you can be looked after properly.

Isn'’t that right, Allen?

Yes, Bella, that'’s right.

Why would anybody wanna do this to you?

You say you didn'’t see anybody, Grant?

Nobody, no.

How about you, Ed?

Oh, I stayed in the store

while Grant went out the back door with his gun.

But there was a note thrown through the window.

It said, "226 dead men

are waiting for you, Salem."

226 dead men?

Hm.

Number kind of rings a bell.

Two hundred--

Well, of course. That'’s--

That'’s the Battle of the Little Bighorn,

the Custer massacre.

A madman.

You know, if you didn'’t even get a glimpse of this fellow,

he must'’ve sneaked up behind you to strike.

Like an Indian.

That could be where he learned the trick.

Sure buried that knife deep.

You take that for a knife wound, Sheriff?

Well, what else?

No, that wound is not a cut, it'’s a rip.

Did you ever see, um, a slash made by a hook?

I know. A-A loading hook.

No.

Loading hook would be too long.

That would hit him in the abdomen.

This caught him in the chest, higher up.

It was a hook all right, but a small one.

A hook for a hand.

Well, Mr. Noble came out of that door, ready to shoot, and then--

What'’s in these boxes?

Oh, the usual stuff.

Farm tools, barbed wire, nails, and some shovels.

I suppose someone was getting ready to steal the stuff.

Well, why would anyone drop a note about 226 men

if he merely intended to make off with some hardware?

Well, maybe he was trying to distract Grant.

Well, then, just run off with all those heavy cases?

Pretty neat trick for a man with one hand.

That'’s only your theory, Doc.

I'’m not sure there was a man with only one hand.

Now, I don'’t mean to be unappreciative.

I left the doctoring to you. Why don'’t you leave this to me?

Well, there'’s a very good reason, Sheriff,

but, uh, I'’m afraid it'’s personal.

Personal? What'’s that supposed to mean?

Well, I guess that'’s supposed to mean Bella.

Hello, Bella.Hello, Allen.

How'’s our patient?

Very jumpy.

In fact, we had to move the bed closer to the window

so he could see more of what'’s going on around him.

He'’s so suspicious of everyone.

Well, I don'’t blame him.

Why do you say that?

Bella, there is more going on here

than meets the eye.

There is someone in this town who is--

who is out to get Grant.

Who'’d wanna harm Grant?

He'’s a good man.

Honest, hardworking--Look, I don'’t know,

but I'’m trying to find out, and you can help me.

Me? How?

Well, you'’re the person closest to him.

Get him to talk about himself.

His business problems, his past--

He won'’t talk about anything.

Bella, how much do you really know about Grant?

I'’ve promised to marry him.

Well, all right. Promise me something.

What?That you'’ll wait

till you find out who tried to kill him and why.

Might even find out if you'’re really in love with him.

Is that any of your business?

No...

except that, uh, you have always meant a lot to me, Bella.

And you still do.

I just don'’t wanna see you make a mistake.

Thank you.

Hello, Grant.

Bella tells me that you'’re acting awfully nervous.

Well, I don'’t like being fussed over by women.

Well, you need care.

I'’ve got things to do.

I'’ve got wagons to load, orders to fill.

They'’ll keep.No, they won'’t. They'’re important.

What, nails, barbed wire, and shovels?

If I say they'’re important, they'’re important.

How did you know what was in those crates?

Ed told me.

I stopped by your store with the sheriff on the way over here.

You know, the sheriff thinks

someone was out to rob your wagons.

I don'’t think so.

Seems to me, you'’re trying to blow this thing up into something it isn'’t.

ALLEN: I don'’t know, but, uh,

you sure keep your gun handy.

Even in bed.

Nobody'’s gonna get me again.Nobody.

Not even 226 dead men?

Custer'’s men, perhaps?

I don'’t trust anybody.

Even you could'’ve done this.

Oh, sure.

I, um, always keep my hook concealed in my pocket.

Well, now, I should'’ve thought of that before.

That'’s the reason nobody has-- has seen a man

with a hooked hand in this town.

He'’s kept it in his pocket.

Uh, he'’ll be all right.

You'’re sure no one's been snooping around here?

Not a soul.

And the crates are back in the storeroom?

Yeah.

The back door is kept locked?

I lock it when I leave.

Let'’s have a look.

Did you help Grant pack these cases?

Well, no. As a matter of fact,

he did it one night after I'’d left.

He-- He often stayed late.

Let'’s have a chisel.

Well, you-- you think we ought to?

Where is he?Who?

The one who calls himself Grant Noble.

W-Well, he'’s laid up.

He met with an accident.

He got badly cut up by a--

The doc here thinks it was a--Look out!

You'’re smart, Doctor.

All right. Now, what'’s all this about 226 dead men?

They friends of yours?Yes.

Well, I'’ve seen a lot of dead men before, but--

You'’re hearing one now.

Tell Salem Putney not to deliver those cases.

Salem Put--

There ain'’t nobody here by that name.

Just what is it in these cases you don'’t want delivered?

Guns.

Repeating rifles

for Indians.

[ exhales ]

Well, you sure were right about that hook.

You know, it'’s a good thing

we didn'’t try and take him.

Crackpots like that can be dangerous.

Salem Putney.

Yeah. Dead men, guns...

Salem Putney.

Wasn'’t he the army sutler who sold...

Yeah.

Well, we better go get the sheriff--

No.

No, just bringing in the sheriff now might scare this fella off.

For a while anyway.

He'’s got too much to tell.

What else are we gonna do?

Well, you heard him say not to deliver these cases, didn'’t you?

I ain'’t going anywhere near them.

I don'’t expect you to.

Here. Lend me some of your clothes.

Huh?

I'’m going to deliver these cases.

Least I'’m gonna start them out of here.

Well, what good'’s that gonna do?

Well, it'’ll bring our friend around again,

and that just might do a lot of good.

Why, you aiming to set yourself up for a bullet or--

or a hook?Come on.

Get them up!

Whoa.

I warned you.

I warned you not to deliver the cases.

I know you did.

Now, I'’m here to back up that warning.

I thought you would be. That'’s why I undertook to deliver them.

You want your head blown off?

No.

The cases are empty.

Well,[ cocks gun ]

this gun ain'’t.

You can look for yourself.

What'’s the idea of carrying empty cases?

I wanted to talk to you.

About what?About this whole business.

How far down the road is the sheriff?

Sheriff doesn'’t even know I'’m here.

I'’m acting on my own.

You'’re nosey for a doctor, ain'’t you?

Well, there'’s a woman concerned.Who?

[ mutters ]

The woman who'’s engaged to marry Grant Noble.

There'’s no such person as Grant Noble.

He'’s Salem Putney!

Who are you?

I was...

Lieutenant H.M. Harrington,

7th Cavalry.

The 7th?Custer'’s command.

You escaped?"Escaped"?

Word about me might call it something else.

Anyway, I got away...

full of bullets.

Renegade Indian woman took care of me...

in a cave.

I was finally able to travel.

I found I was declared dead.

One of the 226.

They weren'’t easy to identify.

You never, um--

You never reported it?

A soldier rode away from battle?

Left his comrades to die?Mm.

Many of times, I wish I had died with them.

Next best thing was to find

and kill the man responsible.

Salem Putney.

Yes.

Scummy rat of an army sutler...

smuggling rifles to the Sioux.

At the same time, he was selling

their government rations to the whites.

Sioux left their reservations.

They had to, to hunt for food.

Custer knew it.

He testified in Washington.

But he had his orders to drive them back.

Now...

here he is...

doing the same thing.

Another name.

Smuggling firearms to Indians!

Look, what makes you so sure that Grant Noble is Salem Putney?

I knew Putney on the Sioux reservation.

You emptied those cases. You saw the guns.

You believe me!

Yes. Yes, I believe you and so will the sheriff,

but that doesn'’t give you any right to kill a man.

He deserves worse than death.

All right. You know what that would be for him?

The-- The one thing that would destroy him completely?

For the woman he is engaged to marry--

His one chance at respectability.

For her to find out the truth about him.

He'’d be getting off easy.

[ chuckles ]

He'’d rather die anytime.

So, we tell her.

No, he tells her.

It must come from him.

Where is he?

I'’ll take you to him. On one condition.

No violence.

He did a man like I do him.

You had your chance.Look, if you kill him,

you'’ll be hanged for murder.

I'’m already dead.

You won'’t tell me where he is, I'’ll find out

from that dumb clerk of his.

Ed.

He'’ll talk.

Yeah, he may have talked already.

Come on. We haven'’t any time to lose.

Come on!

Uh, why, he even talked like he came back from the dead.

[ slowly ] "Tell Salem Putney," he said.Salem Putney?

Why, you know who he was.

No.

Sure, you do.

It was in all the papers a few years ago.

Big scandal, a Washington investigation.

The army sutler who sold rifles to the Sioux.

Oh, yes. I'’d forgotten his name.

Well, he died soon after.

Well, our one-armed friend seems to think he'’s still alive

and still selling rifles to the Indians

out of your store.

I told you he was a crackpot.

Grant,

what is in those cases?

You know as well as I do.

Well, I didn'’t help you pack them.

It'’s hardware.

Now, what are you going to do?

I'’m going over to the store.

Now, Grant, you can'’t. You ain'’t strong enough.

There are some things I'’ve got to check.

Now, where are my shoes?

Bella said you was to stay put here until the doc--

Bella is out.

She comes back, you tell her I'’ve been asleep.

Oh, but, Grant, I can'’t--Please

get my shoes.

[ knocking at door ]

BELLA: Grant?

BELLA: Grant!

I know you'’re in there. Open the door.

What'’s the idea of leaving a sickbed to come over here?

You want to have a relapse?

There are things I'’ve got to attend to, Bella.

At this time of night?Yes.

There'’s inventory. There are backorders to fill.

Now, please, you go on home like a good girl.

I'’m not budging without you.

It might be an hour, maybe two.

I'’ll wait.

All right.

You stay here with her.

And I don'’t need any help.

HARRINGTON: Where you going, Salem?Who is it?

Put that gun down.

What are you after, breaking into my store?

I could put the law on you.

What is this?

Grant, who'’s here?

Allen! Grant?

His name'’s not Grant, ma'am.

That'’s the one he hides under.

Tell her who you really are.

He'’s out of his mind.

You won'’t tell her.

Those 226 dead men could.

Salem Putney!

[ screams ]

You shot an unarmed man!

He was armed. That hook.

ALLEN: Ed, give me a hand.

Grant...

He was gonna kill me. He tried it once. You know that.

Hold his head up.

Doc?

It'’s bad.

Keep me alive long enough.

Bella, this is no place for you.

Take your sister home, Ed.I'’ve got to know.

Later.

Are you Salem Putney?

Bella, he wants to talk to you.

Don'’t go near him.

I... knew... him.

That'’s a lie. I've never seen him before in my life.

White Rock.

Montana.

Sioux reserve.

I'’ve never been there.

Well, uh, what about the picture?

Picture?Of you and your wife.

The Sioux squaw you married.

We were never married! W--

Grant!

Don'’t be foolish.

Move.

Yes...

I'’m Salem Putney...

but you'’ll never...

[ knife blow lands ][ gasps ]

[ body thuds ]

You still haven'’t told me how you happened to be there.

Well, I just figured that would be the first place he'’d head

and hide the evidence,

and luck was with me.

They'’re both better off.

Yeah, much better.

Where'’s the picture?Picture?

Oh. You know, there wasn'’t any picture.

That was just a shot in the dark, but it worked.

I'’m very grateful, Allen.

Wish there was some way I could show it.

Well, there is,

and someday I'’ll, uh, tell you about it.

And so, in one man'’s tortured mind at least,

the deaths of Custer and his men were avenged.

They sleep today where they made their last stand--

on a high ridge above the Little Bighorn.

Here is a picture of the battlefield cemetery

with its white markers, under the big sky of Montana.

Many of you have probably visited it,

for today, it is one of our national monuments.