Original subtitles

[Knock on door]

Come in.

Afternoon, Governor.

Well, I'm glad you didn't say good afternoon, Burt.

[Chuckles] Listen to this.

When Governor Murphy instructed his friend

Burt Mossman

to organize the Arizona Rangers,

it was understood that their top objective

was to apprehend and bring to justice

one Augustine Chacon, a brutal killer

who for years has terrorized this territory.

It has been four years now

since Chacon escaped escaped his own hanging

at Solomonville.

I read it.

You know about the switch in Washington?

They're putting a stranglehold on me, Burt.

They're after your blood, too.

I know.

You're a young man.

What about that lovely girl in Kansas

who'd like very much to see you again?

[Chuckles]

You're asking me to resign, Governor?

Burt, you know the kind of a job you've done for me

and the people of this territory.

Why don't you tell some of these poison panderers

that if they feel brave enough,

why don't they bring in Chacon?

Chacon's mine.

Everything's against you.

There's no sense fighting it.

If I let them force me out of office now,

everything that the Rangers have accomplished

will be forgotten.

The only thing they'll remember

is that we didn't get Chacon.

You're probably right.

Look, why don't you-- why don't you stall them,

delay them a little bit, stretch every second?

Burt, as a friend,

and a good friend,

may I say that I think--

thanks, Bob.

♪♪ [Trumpet]

Howdy, folks.

I'm the Old Ranger.

To this day,

some old timers down in Arizona will tell you

that Burt Mossman was the stubbornest man in the world

while others will tell you

that he was the bravest,

but the truth as we can now see it is

that he was a combination of both

because only time can give us the real...

Judge, you'd like to get black Jack Alvord

back in jail again, wouldn't you?

Well, it would please me and the express company, too.

They'd like to get their money back,

$60,000 of it.

Well, according to Alvord's friend Billy Stiles,

Alvord knows where it's buried,

but he's holed up.

He's afraid to come out and get it.

Now, Alvord has a wife,

and chances are he's tired of running.

Now, if you could give me a letter to him,

stating that if he gives himself up,

you'll go easy with him...

It's worth a try.

Fair enough.

If he tells us where the 60,000 is hidden,

I'll go easy.

Well, that's not exactly

what I wanted you to put in the letter, Judge.

But it's the truth. What else could I say?

That you'll give him a light sentence and...

In exchange he'll lead me to Augustine Chacon.

All right, but it's a shot in the dark.

Suppose you do get to chacon.

He'll have friends.

How many Rangers will you have?

Chacon's smart as a fox.

He knows we're after him.

Any more than one man

couldn't get within hailing distance of him.

Only one.

Who'd take that job?

That's suicide.

Well, I'd never ask any ranger

to do something I wouldn't do myself.

You?

Alone?

Mossman, you're crazy.

All right, then, judge, humor a crazy man.

Sign that letter for me.

This is definite legal evidence

that I'm crazier than you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

[Mossman] Turner.

Come over here.

Give him anything he wants.

Now-- now, captain, you can't prove a thing.

I was down at sulfur Springs,

branding with the Anderson boys.

And I can prove that.

I didn't even hear about that raid till last week.

How'd you like to make a hundred dollars?

Where's Alvord?

The county getting up reward money for him?

No, it's my money.

All you have to do is just write it down on a piece of paper.

Well, I ain't--

I ain't heard about him more than a month now.

You want him pretty bad?

I have something that he'll want very bad.

You'd be doing him a big favor.

Take care of him.

How do you figure this,

his own money?

That's Mossman for you.

That's why they're greasing the skids under him,

big boys in Washington.

I hear they're going to give Mossman his walking papers.

Oh, that's too bad.

He's always given me a fair shake.

Captain.

There's a drink waiting for you at the antlers, captain.

Afternoon.

Who is she?

Turner didn't say.

Please sit down, Captain.

Thank you.

I'm Mrs. Ruth Alvord.

I hear you have something my husband would want.

Yes.

So it's Chacon you're after.

And you want my husband to help you?

It's for his own good...

And yours.

How do I know this letter isn't a trap for my husband,

that you're not after him and using chacon for bait?

Let's face the truth, Mrs. Alvord.

Your husband's running.

He's tired,

and maybe he's hurt.

Sooner or later

they're going to catch up to him.

He could be killed.

This way...

He'll come back sitting in a saddle,

not lying across one.

How many sleepless nights

I've thought about that, about...

Them bringing him home that way.

Trust me, Mrs. Alvord,

and trust this letter.

Garret ravine,

near orange canyon.

Thank you.

Tell him his wife's too sick to work,

that she's going hungry,

that her friends are plaguing her to go away

to forget about him, that...

She knows he's hurt,

and she's sick with worry and that...

She loves him.

I'll do that, Mrs. Alvord.

Join me in a cup, Alvord?

[Alvord] Just keep that cup in your right hand, Mossman.

All I want is a word with you.

Guess I should be honored,

visit from the head man.

How'd you find me?

Blind luck.

I've got a letter here...

With your name on it.

I heard you took one in the wrist.

Express-car shoot-up, huh?

Chacon?

What makes you think I know him?

Something I heard.

Uh, coffee?

You know something, captain?

I think it's the $60,000 you're after.

Me and $60,000, not Chacon.

I don't care about the money.

You know that much about me.

I don't want you or the $60,000.

But Chacon--

Chacon is a cold-blooded killer,

an animal.

All I want is him.

Sure is sticking in your craw. Ain't it, Captain?

Gnawing at your inside

because you ain't no closer to him

then you was four years ago.

Let me take a look at that wrist.

I've got a message for you,

something personal,

from your wife.

You seen her?

Before I left.

That's going into gangrene.

You don't get some treatment on that,

they're going to be calling you lefty.

My wife-- what did she say?

Well, that she's sick.

She can't work.

So she goes hungry.

But she loves you. She wants you back.

Look, I know what I'm asking you

could get your head blown off,

but you either stop running,

or you could lose this hand...

And your wife...

And possibly your life.

Chacon ever meet you face to face?

No, but I'm looking forward to it, mister.

Go back to town, Mossman...

And wait.

Billy Stiles will bring the word.

[Knock on door]

Come in.

I found Alvord,

and your letter did the trick.

He's setting things up for me with Chacon,

and Billy Stiles is bringing me the word.

I'll make these sniveling hypocrites around here

eat their words.

Sit down, captain, and brace yourself.

The country isn't the same one you left.

[Chuckles]

Why, what happened, Spain declare war on us this time?

President McKinley's been assassinated,

and there's a new bunch in Washington.

Governor Murphy's been asked to resign.

Where is he?

In his office, packing.

I just heard.

You haven't learned the basic fundamentals

of politics, my boy.

To the Victor belong the spoils.

Boys, will you leave us alone a minute?

And close the door.

[Door closes]

Burt, go over there and sign your resignation

as head of the Rangers.

But chacon's right at my fingertips.

And Washington's at our throats.

But I'll have him any day now.

Just give me some time, just a few days.

It's out of my hands.

You're going down with the ship.

I won't quit. I can't, not now.

Now, will you go over there and sign your resignation?

And that's an order.

All right.

You know, I'm going to get chacon

even if I have to do it without this.

♪♪ [Saloon piano]

Billy Stiles?

Yeah, I just this minute got into town.

Sorry I'm too late.

Where's Alvord?

He's with his friend,

but you ain't in the Rangers no more.

Don't let formalities bother you, Billy.

We're leaving in an hour.

But I had planned on having me a little hoop-dee-doo

and a genuine feast.

I hadn't had a good steak in a long time.

Get over to my place,

room number three in the Peterson boarding house

and keep out of sight.

I'll get you a steak big enough you can brand.

Now, scoot.

Well, I'll tell you something's gone wrong.

I can feel it.

There were two of them here all right.

They went that way.

It won't do you no good to follow them.

Chacon just don't leave no trail.

[Rocks rumbling]

He's not here.

He has to move every day or two.

Where is he now?

Just over that rise.

I might as well tell you, Mossman.

He ain't too happy.

What did you tell him about me?

You just busted out of jail,

got a good scheme for stealing horses.

You what?

Well, you said he ain't never see you.

Do these clothes look like I'm a jail-breaking rustler?

Yeah. Well, we better not take a chance.

We have a deal. Remember?

All right, but don't give him an even break.

Just shoot him down fast and get out.

I'm going to bring him in alive.

You're-- I'm going to parade him

down the center of town

so all those hypocrites can gawk at them.

Look, Mossman.

I'm doing this for several reasons,

maybe because I'm tired of running,

maybe 'cause-- 'cause I care about my wife.

But Chacon-- I ain't got no love for that half-breed animal.

He's got a taste for blood. He's too dangerous for you to take alive.

That's my problem.

Now, let's go.

Tie them up.

Here he is, Chacon,

my old amigo.

[Chuckles]

Alvord say you were just break out of the calaboose.

Four days ago.

Those clothes--

not for jail.

I changed them last night at a friend's house.

No sense in advertising what I am.

That's a nice pistol.

Let's see it, huh?

[Chuckles]

Chacon, he's my friend. Why'd you take his gun?

Shut up.

Alvord tell me your name,

but I never hear about you.

Morgan, Bill Morgan.

I worked up north mostly--

Idaho and Wyoming,

star valley with the Cassidy bunch.

Why you come down here?

I figured I'd worn out my welcome,

if you know what I mean.

Besides that, I learned something.

Look, this wrist is killing me.

I can't stand it. I gotta get it taken care of.

Better change that bandage.

Some clean linen in my saddle bag.

Yeah, well, you three make your plans.

I'll be back a couple days.

Adios, amigo.

You say you learned something.

I know a sportsman by the name of Colonel Bill Green.

He has a horse ranch over on the Gila River.

I never hear about him.

He just bought the place.

He moved in a couple of months ago.

He's got 10 thoroughbred breeding mares,

worth 2,000 a piece or more.

2,000 for a horse?

[Chuckles] Who'd pay that much?

The right people,

and I know the right people,

and I can get the horses.

For horses like that

must be an army to guard them.

No, I've got it all worked out.

I even have government maps

showing every hill and arroyo in the whole place.

I'll get it for you.

Here it is. It's all worked out.

All I need is a man like you.

[Laughs]

You blink your eyes the wrong way,

and I'll blow the top of your head off.

All right, Billy, get his guns.

Come on, hurry up, Billy.

Throw them over here.

Get that knife that's in the top of his boot.

Throw that over here, too.

All right, Billy, unbuckle your belt

and throw it down here.

But, Captain, i--

all I want to do is be sure nobody shoots him but me.

Come on, Billy.

You still got those handcuffs?

Well, put them on him, good and tight.

Hurry up, Billy.

You got that key, Billy?

Throw it in the bushes, just as far as you can.

Come on, throw it.

Billy, I'll kill you, Billy,

and Alvord!

And this dog.

They built a scaffold for you in Solomonville four years ago,

and it's still waiting.

Between here and there,

many friend of Chacon.

They catch you,

and you wish that they would only hang you.

All right, Billy, we're going to ride out.

You lead the way.

Keep moving.

Come on. I said mount up.

I ought to kill you.

I ought to choke the life out of you with my bare hands.

Don't tempt me. Get up there.

All right, Billy,

let's have it.

Come on, give it to me.

[Men chattering]

Burt! Burt, congratulations. Thank you.

Now that you've climbed your mountain, where to now?

Well, I think I'll take the Governor's advice

and head for Kansas.

Little gal back there I haven't seen in a long time.

I'll drink to that.

[Laughs] [Men chattering]

Mossman returned to that girl in Kansas,

and Alvord, true to the judge's word,

was shown clemency.

On November 23rd, 1901

in Solomonville,

Augustine Chacon was hanged,

and Burt Mossman had vowed he'd get chacon,

and he did,

even though he had been removed

from the office

by the politicians

who had watched Chacon's execution

with embarrassment.