Original subtitles

[ man groaning ]

[ groaning continues ]

Dolores. Sent by the Mexican Revolutionary Army to guide your wagon trains south.

I remember.

The others?

All destroyed.

Blown up during the battle-- the wagons and the men.

[ grunts ]

It'’s daylight. You'’ve driven all night.

There is yet another two days and two nights driving

before we reach the encampment of my people.

Those who attacked my wagon train, weren'’t they Mexicans?

Born here in Mexico, perhaps, but surely not Mexicans. No.

Nationality is a thing of the heart.

And outlaws like General Cortina and his followers, they have no hearts.

"General Cortina"?His men call him that.

He is no more a general than they are soldiers.

They are banditos-- thieves, murderers.

[ horse whinnies ]

He must bring the wagon through this pass, so we will wait for him there.

Perdóname, General.

We already came through the desert.

It is more than two days to the nearest water.

Then we must drink our ration-- men and horses.

But we will wait in this pass, huh?

I want that wagon.

I want the guns and ammunition.

Come on.

♪ [ trumpet ]

Howdy, folks. I'’m the Old Ranger.

Just south of the border lies this desert,

as parched and arid as our own Death Valley.

Down here, while our own Civil War was being waged through the north,

the French invaders of this country were being battled

by Mexico'’s ragamuffin army.

Men, women, and children had taken up arms,

and our government sent munitions and supplies

to aid them in their struggle.

But the wagon trains had to travel through the Confederate lines,

past the French Army,

and across wastelands frequented by bands of outlaws.

Miles Owens, a Union agent,

was prepared to give his life to protect his valuable cargo

from the fiercest of these brigands, a...

I'’m not gonna give up till I have to.

[ grunts ]

[ clicks tongue ] Yah. [ horse whinnying ]

[ whinnying continues ]

Come on, boy. We'’re just as tired as you are.

[ clicks tongue ] Hyah.[ whinnies ]

Your have horse that looks lame.

His leg is bleeding.

I suppose he too was injured in the battle,

but I could not see during the night.

He had a lot of heart to get us this far.

One horse cannot pull such a load.

That'’s right. He can't.

You know what these things mean to my people--

the guns, the ammunition, the supplies?

If there was someplace we could hide the wagon,

we could come back for it.

Sí.

There is a place, only a few hundred meters ahead.

One horse could pull a wagon that far.

Fifty men could be hiding there, and you would not see them.

[ whinnies weakly ]

[ clicks ]

[ gunshot ]

[ men murmuring ]

Where'’d it come from, General?

With the, uh, echo we have here, it'’s difficult to say.

But we know one thing: the wagon has not reached the pass.

And that'’s the only way through, huh? [ chuckles ]

Eh, General, maybe the one that got away--

he does not know this about the pass.

Uh... MAN: No.

It was Owens in that wagon. He'’ll know.

I was in the same outfit with him till, uh--

[ chuckles ] till I resigned.

Ah. Resign, huh?

There'’s no other word in your language for "deserted"?

[ man laughing ]Yeah.

[ chuckling ][ laughing ]

[ speaking Spanish ]

[ sighs ] The heat will not be so bad

when we'’ve reached the other side of the pass.

Well, we should be there before long. Sí.

We are 80 kilometers from fresh water.

About 50 of your miles, huh?

Here, only desert water is more valuable than gold.

Yeah? Not to me it isn'’t.

Now, you look, it'’s not my fault you didn't capture the other wagon.

When I get the one that got away, you will get paid for information.

May prove even more difficult than we thought to reach my detachment.

The bandits who attacked my wagon train?

General Cortina.

Any chance of getting past '’em?

One in a thousand, if you'’re strong enough

to walk a narrow ledge that runs along one side of the pass.

I don'’t have much choice, do I?

No.

[ men laughing ]

[ chattering ]

[ men chuckle ]

[ men laughing ]

[ chattering ]That'’s him, all right. That'’s Owens.

[ speaks Spanish ]

Where'’s the wagon, my friend?

Talk!

When the general talks to you, you talk!

He needs water, not talk.

A woman.

Are you with him?I said, "Water, not talk"!

[ speaks Spanish ] She'’s a lady.

She have a rifle, Indio.

Water. Sí.

[ grunts ]

[ chuckles ]

Middle of the desert,

a girl walk into my camp, and...

cause this.

You'’re a good marksman, señorita.

Are you also, uh, such a good walker

that you'’ll eat your own foot, huh?

No.

MAN: Look there. On that horse. She brought water.

Sí. Sí.

Two little skins of water

for a dozen people and 12 animals, huh?

You not only killed Indio,

you killed us all.

Ah. Maybe, huh?

It'’s horrible, digging a grave for a man who is not yet dead.

Ah, I treat him just as well as Indio.

I make him just as good a grave.

This is to protect him from the zopilote.

What?

Zopilote--vultures.

They swoop down very fast on the desert.

If only you would give him a little water.

Cannot waste water on a dying man.

Why don'’t we saddle up and get outta here?

Why don'’t we saddle up and get moving? Moving where?

How far you think a horse carry you without water?

Huh? Or maybe you'’d like to walk to the nearest watering spot.

Take you maybe three or four days, huh?

You think you'’ll last that long under this broiling sun?

Yeah, well, what are we supposed to do then, sit here and wait for the vultures?

Not at all. She will save us by telling us where the wagon is hid.

The wagon, the wagon! We need water, and you'’re still worrying about gunpowder.

Tell him, señorita.

Apparently he has forgot how much water

a wagon must carry in this dry country, hmm?

How much, uh, keg of water did Owens'’ wagon carry, señorita?

He did not have a wagon when I met him.

You are lying, señorita.

You think she does know where the wagon is?Of course she does.

You not see how she handle a gun?

Hmm. Do you not see these?

Yeah.

She is a [ speaks Spanish ], a fighter in the Mexican army.

Must have been sent to guide the wagon train south.

Huh? You deny this, señorita?

Do you?

Siì,it is true.

Aha. Now you know why I cannot let you kill her.

Ah, now we understand one another.

You can tell me. Where is the wagon left?

Where, señorita?I do not know.

It is foolish to lie.

I do not know.

Well, you admit you were sent to guide the wagon train.

Si,but I got there too late. You had already destroyed it.

One got away! You know that!I know it now because you say so.

But he had no wagon when I met him.

He told me one horse could not pull the load

after the other one became injured, and he was forced to--

Forced to shoot it. Sí,we hear the shot.

Which means it'’s but a few kilometers from here.

Far from the border.

You were with him. You know where the wagon is.

No, I have told...

You lie to me?

No, I swear that I was not with him!

Sí,strike me again. Waste your time on me while he dies.

You ask for the truth and you have it.

Your men are digging a grave for the only person who can save your miserable lives.

Now, wait a minute. She could be right.

I mean, we know he knows where the wagon is. We need the water--

[ shouts in Spanish ]

I will see that he lives until he tell us where the wagon is.

But if are lying to save him, you will both regret it, huh?

Now, why don'’t you tell me where is wagon, huh?

I, Señor Juan Cortina, order you to tell me!

[ grunts weakly ] General...

Ah, sí,it'’s true.

Is a rank awarded me only by my army.

Not much of an army as a mark of respect.

You'’ll respect me, too, señor, before I am through with you.

Where is the wagon?[ mutters ]

Bueno. Bueno.

You are brave man. You are not afraid to die.

But it'’s too bad to die when the price of life is so cheap.

One small piece of information. Where is the wagon?

Too bad. If you were to cooperate, you could live.

Juan Cortina say this in his soul.

He'’s a man of his word. He always pay for what he receive.

How much did you pay him

to betray his own people?

[ chuckles ] You see?

There is no laws anywhere.

So why should you give your life to keep the water from me and my men, huh?

There'’s more than water on that wagon.

Mmm. Information I already have.

And I need those guns in a gun battle.

For what?

For your army of thieves?

I did not ask you for a lecture, Señor Owens, but for information!

[ grunts ] Now, where is the wagon?

How much longer?

[ sighs ]

One hour, maybe two.

An hour or two from dying, he still don'’t talk.

Well, I don'’t understand him.

You wouldn'’t.

You know, you talk like I was your enemy,not him.

Mm. Sometimes a man is forced to, uh,

spit on his friend and admire his enemy, huh?

Yeah? Well, I don'’t admire him.

And I don'’t intend to let either of you spit on me.

I wanna know where that wagon is.

[ moans ]

Now, look, Owens, the general may have started this thing.

I'’m gonna show him how to finish it.

I ain'’t gonna die in this rotten hole.

I'’m gonna make you tell.

[ chuckling weakly ]

[ grunts ] The sun can'’t make me talk.

You think you'’re bigger than the sun?

[ gun cocks ]I'’ll kill you before I let you laugh at me.

[ chuckling ]

I wanna know where the wagon is. I'’ll kill ya. I mean it!

You get outta my way!

All right. You first.

Water for Señor Owens. Full cup.

Gracias.

You are rationed to sip of water,

yet when I order a full cup for the señor,

you thank me from the bottom of your heart.

You are in love with the gringo?

We are strangers.

You, señor, for what cause do you fight?

For something you wouldn'’t understand.

Tell me. I try.

Principle.

[ chuckling ]

Oh, I see. I understand well.

It'’s a pretty word, huh?

In your language you have many pretty words. They mean nothing.

For someone

who spent his lifetime

robbing and killing,

there can be little that has any meaning.

It'’s, uh, law of nature. I look after myself.

A law for animals, not men.

Not yet.

We will-- We will place it here, [ scraping ]

where it can be given to the brave señor

when he decide to be less brave and tell us where is the wagon.

[ grunts ]

It is right here, Señor Owens,

only a few words away.

[ gasps ]

You can'’t make him talk.

When he'’s dead, we'’re all through.

What are you gonna do then, General Cortina?

Take the water, señorita.

It is from Cortina the man, not Cortina the general.

You'’re not a man, you'’re an animal.

No. No.

I'’m a soldier.

I was a soldier when you were a little girl.

I rode into Texas. I-- I took Fort Ringgold.

I took Rio Grande City. I burned Roma to the ground.

Sí.So you could rob and steal.

And not only on the Texas side of the border.

When I was a little girl, I watched Cortina the soldier

burn down my home in San Lorenzo.

You killed-- You robbed and killed like an animal.

You do not kill?

When you kill Indio was different, huh?

Sí,it was different.

I live for a reason. I kill for a reason.

I and the people I fight with kill so that Mexico may live.

What is your reason for living?

So that you may take from the dead like-- like the zopilote?

Why?

Why you do this to me, huh? You and the girl?

Why-- Why you come into my life and confuse me with thoughts

of principle, and the rest of your fancy words, huh?

Why you make me think of myself as less than you, you who is dying?

I, too, can do without water, gringo! [ grunts ]

[ huffs ]

Guilty conscience, huh?

Oh, the general was right.

We all look out after ourselves.

I gotta admit, you had me fooled for a while.

I mean, making out like you didn'’t know where the wagon was,

so he'’d be tied there in the sun instead of you.

No.Sure.

You put him there to save your own pretty neck, didn'’t you?

I was only trying to save his life. I...

[ chuckles ] Oh, don'’t worry, honey.

I'’ll keep your secret.

I got no more love for Cortina than you do.

I got no reason to see him get the wagon. I just want the water.

It'’ll be dark in an hour. I'’ll saddle up two horses.

When no one'’s looking, we can make a run for it.

That way, Cortina won'’t get the wagon.

That'’s what you want, isn'’t it, for him not to get the wagon?

Get away from me, you piece of filth.

Go sniveling to your general.

Tell him what you know. Tell him.

Let him tie me to the rock next to Owens.

You don'’t understand.

I could get the wagon to your people.

And Owens can'’t help you now. You need me!

Let me go! [ gunshot ]

Co-- Cortina...

what-- whatever you do, don'’t let 'em get me.

Zo--

Hmm. Zopilote.

[ sighs ]

!¡Zopilote!

[ grunts ]

[ shouting in Spanish ]

What are you going to do?

Perhaps you wonder my action, huh?

Well, I told you earlier that Cortina always pay his debts.

I owe you something for what you have taught me-- you and the señorita.

Sí,Cortina learn from a woman that a man must have a reason to live.

And from you, man must have a reason even to die.

A man learn things in strange ways, huh?

Even the zopilote.

They tell me where you kill your horse,

[ chuckles ] where the wagon is.

When I get it, I will be back,

and you will see that Cortina always keep his word.

[ shouts in Spanish ] Hyah! Hyah!

OLD RANGER: And that was the day when Juan Cortina

ceased to be a general without a cause.

He returned to carry Delores and Owens to safety,

and then, gathering together 1,500 followers,

he set about to repay them both.

Dolores-- by recapturing the key Mexican city of Matamoros from the French,

and Owens-- in one of the strangest acts of history.

By driving the Confederate forces out of Brownsville, Texas,

and then presenting the city to the Union Army.

Then he retired,

never again to raid on either side of the border.