Original subtitles

♪♪ [Bugle]

[Horn blowing]

You sure took your own good time getting back.

I'm sorry, boss. I finished up as fast as I could.

Oh, pay no attention to him. He's just jealous.

I'm what?

Oh, I mean you wish you'd been there.

I wish he'd been there, too.

You know that country around Lawton Springs

like the inside of your hat.

I had to go by guess and by gosh.

Modest young fella, isn't he, Sheriff?

You did a fine job, Jim.

The whole county's talking about it.

Have you seen the Sacramento paper?

"New deputy on first big case

solves $40,000 train holdup single handed.

Three days on the trail, three outlaws in jail."

Now, that's poetry.

How'd you work the big roundup.

I just did what the Sheriff told me to.

I figured out where I would run to

if I was on the run, and I went there,

and there they were.

Nice of him to cut you in on the credit. Isn't it, Sheriff?

Here, why don't you save this for your grandchildren?

I'll see you at the office when you get around to it.

Dad...

Jim, how long you going to keep covering up for him?

He doesn't need to be covered up for,

by me or anybody.

If he'd gone after that train-robbing gang himself,

they'd still be on the loose with him 40 miles behind.

His record says you're wrong.

I got nothing against him personally,

but time wrote the end on his record

a long time back.

You don't sound like you'd vote for him

if he was up for re-election.

He will be soon.

And there's not a man in the county

who'd be fool enough to try to run against him.

That could change.

Why should it?

You know as well as I do,

with the railroad finished,

people pouring into town,

more mines opening up,

the job is too big

for a tired old man,

and that's what he is,

and that's all he is.

Not to me, Mr. Hendricks.

If it wasn't for him taking a chance on me,

I'd still be an out-of-work cowhand going no place.

Jim, look, it's fine.

And I admire you for it,

but let's be practical.

Like how?

This should be enough to get you elected.

If you wait any longer,

you'll have more competition.

Right now you're way ahead of the rush.

Tell me...

What difference does it make to you

who's Sheriff and who's not?

I want to see Washoe County get ahead

and Nevada get ahead.

Is that the railroad talking or you talking?

Both.

Which talks first,

the kite or the tail?

You're no fool, Jim.

You're no fool.

Now, you think about it.

I'll do that, Mr. Hendricks.

I'll do that.

Well, how does it feel to be a hero?

Well, I wouldn't know.

Aw, come on now. Don't be modest.

First your father, and now you?

Why worry about us...

As long as Hal Hendricks has decided to adopt you?

Now, look, Nora.

You just stood there letting him stick knives in Dad.

Now, I figure your father can kill his own coyotes

without me horning in.

You haven't noticed a change in him?

We all get older as time goes by.

But I think it's more than that.

Mr. Hendricks came by while you were gone,

and he said, "why don't you resign

instead of hanging on until you're voted out?"

Just like that?

Just like that.

He wants a Sheriff who will take orders,

which Dad won't do.

[Door closes] [Mouths]

I made out my report on the train.

The railroad wants all three sent up for life, with a lesson

so nobody else will be tempted to rob their train.

If that's what the railroad wants,

that's how it'll be.

Sam...

When I was three-feet high,

I decided I would never know another man

as tall as Sheriff Sam Jackson.

Now, you look the same to me from where I stand.

Am I supposed to thank you for the kind words?

No, you're not.

Well, then, what?

You tell me.

All right, I'll tell you,

and you can tell Hendricks.

Whenever I get too old and useless to handle the job

the taxpayers are paying me for,

they can vote me out,

and until they do,

there's going to be at least one man in Washoe County

the railroad don't own

and Hendricks can't buy.

Take a look at me, Sam.

Do you see any for-sale sign me?

Now, you look hard now.

Oh, I'm sorry, Jim.

I-- just when a man gets up in years,

he kinda forgets what he ought to remember.

How long since you ate a home-cooked meal?

Too long.

I think we can do something about that.

Don't you, Dad?

[Laughing] Well, sure.

Sheriff! Sheriff, we won.

Won what?

This just come in from our lawyers in Sacramento.

"Washoe county board of supervisors, Reno, Nevada.

Federal district court rules in your favor.

You are entitled to collect in full

back taxes claimed due from central pacific railroad company.

Board has issued writ of attachment being sent to you

authorizing seizure of railroad's property

within Washoe County limits

if railroad continues refusal

to pay Washoe County claim."

Why, you know what this means, Sheriff?

We stand to collect a hundred thousand dollars.

We can start building roads and schools

10 years before we could otherwise.

You won't collect one red cent.

Well, that's funny talk coming from you.

I make it a rule to talk straight or keep my mouth shut.

Well, it's your responsibility

to serve this writ on the railroad.

I'll do what I'm supposed to do,

and I know what'll come of it.

Nothing.

Ask Mr. Hendricks.

He's got all the answers.

I suppose you've heard about this, Mr. Hendricks.

Well, somebody wins, somebody has to lose.

Better all around, as attorney for the railroad,

if you just recommend that they pay up

without any further argument back and forth.

[Chuckles]

As the railroad's lawyer,

I can hardly be expected

to recommend establishing a precedent

that could touch off similar nuisance suits

all along the line.

The court says you have to pay up or else...

Or else?

Frankly, Mr. Valen,

I can't see my clients losing any sleep

over a threat like that.

Excuse me.

Well, Sheriff?

Well, what?

The taxpayers have a hundred thousand dollars

coming to them.

They're going to be mighty mad if they don't get it.

If they don't get it, it's not his fault.

I'm sure it won't be.

I don't need you two to wet-nurse me in public.

We're just trying to help you, Sam.

I'm not down to where I need a green-horned deputy

to help me carry my badge.

Dad. You keep out of this.

And you stay out of anything between me and Hendricks.

Some day that pride of yours

is going to kill you.

I've taken all I'm going to take from you.

You understand?

All I'm going to take!

All right, Sam.

You had no reason to talk to Jim like that.

He wants my job.

That's not so.

Oh, yes, it is.

He might not come out in the open and say so,

and he might even swear the opposite

and not realize he's lying,

but every time he looks at me,

he sees a sick, old man.

Dad.

[Groans]

Oh, no, no, let me--

people are watching.

I'll be all right. I'll be all right.

Let's go.

I told you to stay home.

That what you were waiting for, Sheriff?

You know what it is.

May I see it?

I'm serving you as legal representative

of the railroad.

Mm? Yeah.

Seems to be in order.

All right, Sheriff,

I hereby accept service of this writ of attachment

directed at my clients,

the central pacific railroad,

but I don't see what good it's going to do you.

I hardly expect

that you'll be tearing up the railroad tracks

and selling them for scrap metal

or auctioning off the depot.

You had to see the whole show. Didn't you?

You said I used to look tall to you.

Now you see how I look cut down to size.

Nora, take him home. I'll get the doctor.

I don't want any doctor.

Oh, shut up, Sam.

What are you going to do with that?

I just want to study 'em.

Well, it won't do you any good.

Come on, dad. Please.

I want to see what he's up to.

[Train approaching]

[Horn blows]

Morning, Mr. Hendricks.

Good morning.

Going to Sacramento?

That's right.

That sure was something yesterday.

Oh, you mean about the Sheriff?

Ex-Sheriff, come election.

Well, now, he may surprise you.

Oh, you're just being nice about it.

Well, I don't see any percentage in kicking a man

when he's already down.

[Man] All aboard!

Morning, Mr. Hendricks.

What the devil do you think you're doing?

Looks like I already done it.

Do you realize that this train is carrying the United States mail

and to interfere with the mail

is a federal offense?

I'm not interfering with anything.

I'm just acting pursuant to court orders.

It says "attach."

You can't attach a train.

Looks attached to me.

You must be out of your mind.

Now, I feel real sensible.

Get some tools and break those chains.

Now, I wouldn't do that if I were you.

It somewhere in the law

that if you interfere with the performance of an officer

in the line of his duty,

you do so at your own risk.

He's bluffing.

I might be,

and then again I might not.

Try that engine again.

That's the railroad company talking to you.

Now, I warn you.

For the last time, I warn you.

Unlock that padlock and get that chain off there.

If you don't, I'll--

you're what, Mr. Hendricks?

You folks might as well go back and sit down

in the train and relax.

Looks like you're going to be here for quite a while.

[People murmuring]

[Train horn blows]

Sounds to me like the fast freight coming in,

filled with all kinds of perishable stuff for market,

San Francisco and Sacramento.

That stuff'll probably spoil just sitting out there.

How much do you think that'll cost the railroad company

in damages, Mr. Hendricks?

A thousand dollars an hour?

Maybe more?

Come on.

You know, I always wondered how it feels to hold up a train...

Two trains.

Now I know.

[Tapping]

"We are holding east-bound transcontinental express

at Sacramento.

Having appeal to Nevada governor

to take emergency executive action.

Newspapers here issuing extras,

declaring our entire railroad system

tied up by washoe county authority.

Public sentiment

turning against our company.

You must-- repeat, must end tie-up immediately."

Hey, there's the Sheriff.

Sheriff.

Where have you been all day?

It won't be all day till sundown.

That's just four hours from now.

Nora, keep quiet.

Mr. Hendricks, I want you to know that--

and I want you to know

that your deputy

is holding up two trains here

and others along the line,

costing the railroad a fortune.

Now, wouldn't it be cheaper

if the railroad just paid Washoe County

that hundred thousand dollars?

Nora, I'm not going to tell you again.

And I'm not going to tell you again.

Unless these trains move in the next five minutes,

the railroad company will wipe Washoe County right off the map.

Now, just a minute.

I can't see that it's any crime

trying to collect what's owed the taxpayers.

They wouldn't even be here

if it weren't for the railroad.

And that works both ways.

Look, I'm not going to stand here arguing with you.

I want Jim Brand arrested.

On what charges?

I don't care what charges!

Well, I care!

That's more like it, Dad.

What? Oh... [Chuckles]

Hi, train holder-upper.

Hey, Sam, did I do wrong?

Well, of course you did.

Only when I was your age

and didn't know any better,

I'd have probably done the same thing myself

if I'd have thought of it. [Chuckles]

You hungry?

Well, holding up trains gives a man an appetite.

How you feeling, Sam?

Oh, 10 years younger. [Chuckles]

How about Hendricks?

[Chuckling] He's getting older by the minute.

Uh, Jim,

when you tangle with an octopus,

you just can't be sure

of what's coming at you from where.

Now, that's what a railroad is,

an octopus.

You ever seen an octopus?

No.

Neither have I.

[Laughs]

Say, no apple pie?

No, but there's chocolate cake.

Well, I'll settle.

[Hendricks] Sheriff.

This is for you.

It's from the governor.

Go on, read it.

Read it out loud so we can all hear it.

"Under my emergency powers

as chief executive

of the sovereign state of Nevada,

I hereby direct you

to take all necessary measures

to ensure immediate resumption

of transcontinental railroad traffic,

including arrest

of any person or persons

attempting any further interference

with such traffic."

Give me the key, Jim.

But the court order says we've got to attach railroad property.

Governor says we can't.

Let's go.

I'm sorry, Jim.

So am I, Sam. I tried.

There are some wars you just can't win.

But don't the people realize

from now on the railroad owns this town

and the people in it

and how Hendricks will run everything?

Mr. Hendricks! Mr. Hendricks, this just come.

It's from the company.

You mind if I take a look at that telegram?

That's private and personal.

We have nothing private between us.

Private and personal, huh?

Wanna do some more out loud reading

so these folks here won't miss anything?

Well-- well, sure.

"This will notify you as our legal representative

in Washoe County

that our company directors

have decided Washoe County taxes

are due as claimed and should be paid.

We have therefore deposited

to the account of Washoe County

board of supervisors

in the Sacramento Federal Bank

the sum of $107,077

in full settlement.

Ya done it, doggone it.

Ya gone and done it.

Ya beat the railroad right down on its knees

and made the whole town rich.

Wow-wee! $100,000!

Yahoo!

[Crowd cheering]

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Quite, quite.

Save your yells for election day

for the man I took my orders from.

Jim, i-- [Chuckles]

Modest young fellow, isn't he, Mr. Hendricks?

All aboard!

Well, let's go.

Where?

Well, Nora, you just saw me get arrested.

When a man pulls off the biggest train hold up that ever was,

two trains, and a hundred thousand dollars,

he has to take his punishment.

You're a fool.

That's not what Mr. Hendricks would say.

Sheriff, I'll take charge of the prisoner.

[Horn blows]