Original subtitles

[ horse whinnying ]

[ gunshots ]

[ dog yelping ]

[ dog whimpering ]

Get out of here, mutt.

Get out of here.

Get out of here![ dog whimpering ]

I'’d not have done that, Otto.

Dogs have long memories.

♪♪ [ trumpet ]

Howdy, folks. I'’m the Old Ranger.

Jarbidge, Nevada, a gold town located

in the bottom of a mountain canyon.

To get to it you have to drive down a grade

that drops 2,000 feet and five miles of narrow hairpin turn.

You'’ve just met the town'’s newest citizen,

a tramp dog who turned up from nowhere

but who they about until Jarbidge became a ghost town, as...

♪♪ [ saloon piano ]Well,

look who'’s here, as usual,

Old Bindlestiff.

[ dog whimpering ]Ya hungry, boy?

Hungry?

Now, I can'’t take you in there.

You know that, fella. They threw you out yesterday.

Well, they don'’t allow dogs.

All right. All right, you stay right here

and I'’ll bring somethin'’ out to you.

Now, stay there.[ barks softly ]

You stay there. I'’ll bring something out to ya.

♪♪ [ continues ][ people chattering ]

[ whimpering ]

All right, boy.

here you are.

Slow.

Bill.Hey, Susan.

Meet my pal, Bindy, short for Bindlestiff.

Where did you pick him up?He picked me up.

Adopted me. Waits here for me every day

I can'’t imagine why.

My natural charm.

You know, I'’m very attractiveto dogs.

[ chuckles ]

Come on, I'’ll walk you home.

[ sighs ] Father wouldn'’t like it.

Bindy will chaperone us. Come on, Bindy.

He'’s due back anytime now.

There'’s something I wanna tell you.

I have to stop at the store.

What is it? Is it about us?

There'’s an opening with a mining syndicate

in Coeur d'’Alene.

Sellin'’ stock, but it sounds like

it might be right up my alley.

Oh, Bill.

I'’m leavin' tomorrow on the noon stage

to go talk to '’em.

Now, I'’ll show that father of yours

I can make a livin'’ other ways than gamblin'’.

You can'’t blame Pa for feelin'’ the way he does,

after what happened.

The trouble with him is he'’s got too much time to think.

Ridin'’ back and forth in that buckboard, all alone with the mail.

How long will you be gone?

[ whimpering ]A week, maybe.

A week?Sorry, fella,

I won'’t be able to take you with me.

[ whimpers ]

Don'’t worry, Bindy.

I'’ll look after you while he'’s away.

Love me, love my dog.

Hey, you hear that, Bindy?

Hey, she loves us both.[ chuckles ]

[ shouts ]

[ horses blowing ]

There you are.Thanks, Lew.

How was the weather?

It was weather.

Hah!

I don'’t wonder his wife run out on him,

sour as he is.

It'’s what made him sour.

[ grunts ]

Better check that old horse'’s knees.

Stumbled bad, comin'’ down the grade.

Okay.

Hey,

need a passenger your next trip?

There'’s a young filly over in Rochester I'’m interested in.

Ahh, sparkin'’, huh?

This is a horse.

Oh, I thought maybe you got yourself a girl.

One who'’d have me, you mean.

One who don'’t turn up her nose at a man who smells of a stable, eh?

If you'’re referring to my daughter, Otto.

Nah, I don'’t blame her none,

preferring Mr. Gentry.

He smells sweeter, dresses fancier.

Susan ain'’t marryin' Bill Gentry either,

now or ever.

I can call in a ride with ya, tomorrow?

Yeah. Yeah, I guess so.

LEW: Susan!

Pa, you'’re back.

Look, Gentry,

I want you to quit pesterin'’ my daughter.

Oh, Pa, he'’s just carrying my packages.

And I told you,

I don'’t want you to have nothing to do with this tinhorn.

Now hold on, Mr. Sayres.

That'’s what you are, a tinhorn gambler.

Oh, no, Pa. Not anymore.

I promised Susan I'’d quit, and I have.

[ scoffs ]

He'’s getting a job

up at Coeur d'’Alene, maybe.

And then we'’re gettin' married.

I'’ll see you dead first.

Please, Pa. There'’s no need making a scene in public.

Come along then.

If you know what'’s good for you, you'’ll stay away.

Come on, Bindy.

Go along, Bindy. Go with '’em.

[ whimpers ]

I said go!

Don'’t be mean to him, Pa,

just because he'’s Bill's dog.

I got nothin'’ against Bill Gentry,

'’cept as a son-in-law.

I ain'’t gonna see my daughter's life ruined like her Ma'’s was,

by a no-count gambler.

I keep telling you, Pa,

Bill sworn off gambling.

Once a gambler, always a gambler.

It'’s in his blood!

Everything in life'’s a gamble

when you come right down to it.No, it ain'’t.

Take me and my job.

Every time you drive up and down Jarbidge grade

you'’re taking a risk.

Bah, nonsense.It'’s a lonely, dangerous road.

Anything could happen to you.

Nothing'’s every happened and nothing'’s gonna!

[ knocking at door ] [ Bindy barking ]

Oh, hello Marty.Hello.

Evening, Sheriff.Evenin'’.

Susan.Come on in.

Uh, Marty and me got some business

to talk over with your Pa, Susan.

Then I'’ll leave you.

Sit down, fellas.

[ door closes ]

We got a real important shipment for ya, Lew.

$8,000 in gold coin.

Now, we figure the best way to handle it is a mail sack.

Regular mail.Second-class mail.

See, you put it in a stagecoach and have somebody ridin'’ shotgun,

why, well, you'’re just advertisin'’ it.

This way, you ridin'’ in the buckboard, all alone like you always do,

well, uh, nobody would suspect anything.

$8,000 weighs an awful lot.

You'’ll leave early enough in the morning.

Nobody will see it put aboard.

I can get off before daybreak.

Better wear a gun.

I never have.[ scoffs ]

You never carried a treasure before either.

Here, you can use mine.

No, I got an old shotgun I carry under the seat,

for rabbits.

Well, suit yourself.

I'’ll get on down to the stable.

Tell Otto to be hitched up by 4:30.

Right. Night, Lew.

Good night.Good night.

Susan, I'’m goin' down to the stable.

Be right back.

[ Bindy barking ]

Well.

Say, you'’re a pretty smart dog, you know?

Even if you do belong to him.

Yeah.

Come on, Bindy.

I'’ll be leavin' real early.

4:30.4:00?

What'’s the idea?

Well, just because I wanna get an early start.

That'’s awful early.

Hardly even be light--I said I wanna take off at 4:30.

Okay.

Okay. I'’ll be ready to go then.

Oh, uh, Otto, uh...

What'’s the matter?

I'’m afraid I won't be able to take you, after all.

Why not?

Uh, it ain'’t convenient.

You--

You got another passenger?No.

Then how come there ain'’t room?

I'’ll take ya on another trip.

Well, I can'’t see why--

Look, I don'’t want company.

I wanna travel alone. Is that clear?

All right.

4:30.

[ door opens ]

[ door closes ]

Anybody'’d figure it was Christmas,

with the amount of mail goin'’ out.

[ thunder rumbling ]

Looks like we'’re in for a storm.

You got your shawl?

You'’re gonna need it.

[ thunder continues ]

It'’s up at the house.

Better get it.

I'’ll get you a tarp.

Throw over the back.

[ whimpering ]

Looks like Bindy wants to go with me.

He wants to find Bill.

I think he'’s taken a kind of a likin'’ to me.

You can go along, Bindy. Be company.

Yeah, go on, boy.

Bye, honey.

Otto?

Ah, we'’re goin' anyway.

Come on, Bindy. [ Bindy barks ]

Okay, here we go. Up we go!

[ thunder rumbling ]

Hyah!

[ barking ]

[ gunshot ]

[ barking continues ]

[ horses neighing ]

[ thunderclap ]

Bill!

For goodness sakes!

You look like a drowned rat.

Come on in and get dry.

Well, Susan--Pa'’s not here.

He left hours ago.

Where on Earth'’s your coat?

Guess I didn'’t wear one.

The idea, going out on a day like this without a coat.

Wasn'’t rainin' when I left.

It'’s been raining since 6:00 this morning.

Bill, what'’s wrong?

Nothin'’.

Well, then, what were you doing out at the crack of dawn?

I couldn'’t sleep.

I got to thinkin'’ about this new minin'’ proposition.

And about us, and everything your father said,

and finally I got up and went for a walk.

[ scratching at door ]

Sounds like somebody'’s scratchin'’ at your door.

Must be Bindy.

It can'’t be.

He went with Pa, believe it or not.

[ whimpering ]

It is Bindy.

Bindy, what happened? Didn'’t you go with Pa?

Maybe your pa hasn'’t left. Maybe waited till the storm was over.

Then he'’d have come back here to the house.

[ barks, whimpers ]

Stay here. I'’ll go over to the stable and ask Otto.

Otto?

Hey, Otto.

OTTO: Huh? What? Yeah?

It'’s Bill Gentry.

What do you want?Did Lew Sayres

leave with the mail this mornin'’?

Yeah.

How long ago?

What time is it now?

About 8:30.

Must'’ve been four hours ago.

I went back to bed.

Susan says he took Bindy with him.

[ sighs ]

Yeah. Why?

Well, Bindy just turned up at Sayres'’ place, alone.

Well, what was you doin'’ over at Sayres'’ place,

alone?

Well, the old man may be in trouble. I'’m notifying the sheriff.

[ barking, growling ]

All right, Bindy, you show us.

[ barking ]

Dead.

Shot in the back.

Gone-- the whole kit and caboodle.

What do you mean?

It was marked "second-class mail."

Held $8,000 in cash on its way to the Elko bank.

[ Bindy barking ]

It'’s all right, Bindy. We'’ll find him.

Whoever did it, we'’ll find him.

[ barking continues, whimpering ]

Well, it has to be somebody here in Jarbidge.

You see, nobody outside of town knew anything about the shipment.

We didn'’t tell your father himself till last night.

Who? Who in this town could do anything so horrible?

Oh, Bindy, if only you could talk.

You know who it was, don'’t you?

You were there.

Here was there, all right.

We found his footprints.

Any others?Too many.

What, with our stompin'’ and the rain,

why, the ground was a mess.

Well, I'’m goin' over to the stable and have a look at the wagon.

See if that gives any clues.

[ barks ]

[ growling ]

[ vicious growl ]

What'’s the matter with you, Bindy? Don'’t you know Otto?

Never saw him snap at anybody like that before.[ barks ]

[ growling ]He smelled the blood on the wagon.

Yeah, maybe.

I'’ll give it a good scrubbin'’.

No! Leave it alone till we catch the killer.

You think you will?

Well, it'’s somebody in Jarbidge.

Somebody we all know. He wont get away.

I left word that nobody'’s to leave the camp.

We'’ll catch him.

Come on, Bindy.

[ Bindy growls, barks ]

[ barking ]

I thought I might find you here.

I got somethin'’ for you.

Nice, juicy steak.

Here.

Come on, take it.

Come on, take it.

Good dog.

[ barks, whimpers ]

Believe me, Susan, every man in town

is gonna have to account for where he was

at the time of the killing.

And, uh, this might sound a little silly to you,

but I want Bindy there when I question them.

I don'’t think that'’s silly at all.

Bindy'’s the only witness there was.

By the way, where is he?

I guess he'’s with Bill.

No. Bill says he hasn'’t seen him since early this morning.

That'’s funny.

You don'’t think anything could'’ve happened to him.

No. He'’s probably

off gallivantin'’ with some lady friend.

[ mutters ] Guess I better get down to the office.

Every man on this list was workin'’

the graveyard shift that mornin'’.

I checked the time myself.

All right, Joel. Thanks very much. That'’s all.

I heated up the croup kettle

and sat by my kids'’ bed for a couple of hours.

The whole family can testify.

All right, Ollie.

I seen Sayres off and I went back to bed.

Next thing I know, Bill Gentry was pounding at the door.

It was around 8:30.

Say you were goin'’ for a walk?

That'’s right.

Where'’d you go?Around.

You in the habit of takin'’ a walk before daylight?

No.

Why this particular morning?

Couldn'’t sleep.

You had something on your mind, maybe?

No.

You just wanted to go out and walk in the cold rain.

It wasn'’t stormin' when I left.

It was threatening.

You didn'’t have a coat on. Why was that?

I forgot it.

Or maybe you discarded it?

Hid it somewhere because it had blood on it?

Look, Sheriff...

Are you sure you went on your way home

to change clothes when Susan saw you and called to you?

I'’m sure.

Where'’s the money, Bill?

Where'’s the $8,000 you took from the mail sack?

I never saw the mail sack. I never touched the money.

Some of it you had.

You lost it at the Grizzly Bear, gamblin'’.

That'’s what you and Sayres were fightin'’ about

the day before he was killed, weren'’t you?

We may have had a few words, but--

He said he'’d rather see you dead

than married to Susan, didn'’t he?

I'’m sorry, Bill. I'’m placin' you under arrest.

Sheriff, I swear--I have no choice!

Takin'’ you to Elko and have you tried

for grand larceny and for murder.

They can'’t convict you of a crime you didn'’t commit.

You don'’t know juries.

There'’s no evidence.

No witnesses except Bindy, and he'’s disappeared.

Couldn'’t quite see Bindy on the witness stand, anyhow.

All aboard.

[ Bindy barking ]

Bindy!

[ barking continues ]

He looks half starved.

All right, boy, what is it?

He'’s found something he wants to show us.

Tie the team and come along.

[ barking continues ]

Blood on it.

It'’s the killer's coat.

Bill never had a coat like that.

Otto...

It'’s Otto's!

Hold it, Otto!

I'’ll have to trouble you for those handcuffs, Bill.

Seems we got '’em on the wrong man.

Stand up.

Do you solemnly swear to uphold the duties

of the office to which you'’ve been appointed?

[ whimpering ]

Deputy Sheriff Bindlestiff.

[ laughing ]

And that closed the incident of the murder at Jarbidge grade.

I have here a photostatic copy

of a newspaper story in the Elko Independent,

which tells of the robbery and the killing.

The rest you know.