Original subtitles

♪ [ trumpet ]

One of the oldest magic tricks in history

is the placing of a stone or a bean

or, in this case, a gold nugget,

under a cup or a hat...

...and presto, producing a handful.

Today, of course, we live in a magical age

that would simply astonish a magician of the past.

Yet, those wizards, who fooled our grandfathers,

were a breed all their own.

Most were medicine men who wandered the West

with magic in a bottle,

an elixir to cure man's ailments.

Often, the medicine man was the only one

to bring entertainment to the remotest of places.

This is the tale of one such man.

We call it...

Fire.

Go ahead, shoot.

Come on, Jenny. Shoot!

[ people applauding ]

All right. Gather around, my friends.

Gather around, while, I, Dr. Davis,

tell you of the wondrous secrets of the world.

Now, you may not be eager to learn

how to catch bullets between your teeth...

[ laughter ]

...but I am sure you would like to learn

how to rid your body of the pains of heartburn,

ague, and dyspepsia.

And, my friends, I, and I alone,

possess the knowledge that will help you.

Years ago...

[ quietly ] Year ago...

I saved the life of a Kickapoo chief.

In gratitude,

he entrusted to me, and me alone,

the secrets that have kept his people alive

and healthy for centuries--[ board creaking ]

...secrets found in the nectar of flowers, roots, and herbs--

...known only to his people.

Tell me something, my boy.

Have you ever saved the life of a Kickapoo chief?

No, sir.

Then get your hands off my stage.

[ laughter ]

A secret, my friends,

which I am prepared to share with you

this very day.

May I borrow your scarf?

Oh.

Oops, wrong secret.

[ laughter ]

Ah! Here is the elixir of life you crave.

I have a limited supply,

but I'm prepared to share it with you

for the paltry introductory price,

of just one dollar.

Yes, madam, go ahead, drink it.

Drink it right now.

Just one dollar to rid yourself

of the pains and discomforts of the body.

Just one dollar. Yes, sir.

Have another bottle for the young lady over here.

Thank you, madam.

$17, not bad in a town the size of Fowler.

Oh, by the way, that bit of hesitation

was an ingenious idea.

Keep it in, honey.

That wasn't an act, William. I was really scared.

There's no need to be.

If that gun is set right, there's no danger,

I told you that.

What if it isn't? What if it should--

Ah, shh.

My concern is about you.

Jenny, you're a magnificent magician's assistant,

but you can't hide pain with constant misdirection.

Now, honey, what's the matter?

[ sighs ] It's nothing your elixir can cure.

It's just that I'm tired from this traveling

sand moving around.

Well, I'm sorry. I really am.

What do you say we quit the show,

head for the gold fields?

I don't consider that much of an improvement.

I haven't wanted to complain, William,

but I do have something in mind that might help.

Now, promise that you hear me out before you say anything.

All right.

I want you to take on a new assistant.

No-- wait.

Just listen,

because I made all the arrangements,

and I know it's hard to train a new assistant

and everything, but I'll help.

When I get better, we can enlarge the act,

but right now I need someone to take my place

and help with the chores.

Jenny I've told you a hundred times,

we can't afford to pay anyone.

I know that, and that's why I went

to the orphanage in town this morning.

Tad.

Come here, Tad.

How old are you?10.

Come on, speak up. I can't hear you.

What'd you say?

Uh-- 10, sir.

10, sir.

Pick a card.

Jack of Clubs.

Uh, sir.

Some assistant, he can't even read the cards.

All right, we'll keep him for a time

if he earns his keep.

Jenny, don't expect any more,

I'm not about to raise another man's child.

He's supposed to do the work, remember?

Here.

And now this one.

It's... the King?

No?

Jack.

Jack of what?

Spades?No.

Clubs, then.

Oh, I wish I could learn the difference.

We'll keep trying.

Tad.

Yes, sir?

I want you to go into town and distribute these handbills.

Huh?

Pass them out to everyone along the main street.

Yes, sir.

Don't answer any questions

about who you are or what they're for.

Do you understand?Yes, sir.

And don't take all day about it!

No, sir!

William?

Well, how are you feeling?

Better.You sure?

Not the worst.

Well, our next stop is Porterville.

There's a doctor there.I don't want to see--

I want you to do it for me.

All right,

if you'll do something for me.

Be gentle with the boy. He tries.

He wants so much to please you.

He'd please me a lot more if he'd stay out of my way.

I've never seen a boy so clumsy and underfoot all the time.

If you had to get a kid from the orphanage,

could you at least have found one that wasn't all thumbs?

Well, at least you can do something right.

See that bucket?

Grab it and come with me.

Give me that bucket.

All right.

I want you to scrub the labels off of these bottles.

Put these on.

You mean you didn't save an Indian's life?

You just do as you're told!

Yes, sir.

A man has got to earn his living

the best way he knows how,

using whatever talents he was born with

or able to learn.

Life is a matter of supply and demand.

You've gotta give those people what they want.

How many of them do you think would pay to see a show?

Huh? How many?

Well, I'll tell you.

None!

They want to see something in their hand for their money.

They don't realize that the entertainment,

and laughter I bring into their lives is 100%

better medicine than anything put up in a bottle.

Now, I pay 50 cents for these,

and I sell it for one dollar.

Good, honest profit.

Yes, sir.

At least I buy good, patented stuff.

There are those that concoct their own belly-rotting brew

and sell it for twice as much.

Yes, sir.

Now, you get on with it.

We've got to make an early start in the morning.

I've got to take Jenny to the doctor in Porterville.

Doctor?

She's not well.

She's-- She's not well at all.

But I thought you were a doc.

It's a pity you're not as adept with your hands,

as you are with that mouth of yours, boy.

Miss Jenny?

Yes, Tad.

I've been thinking.And?

I think you ought to take me back and get somebody else.

I ain't working out right.

You'll be fine, Tad.

It just takes a little time.

Seems like the more time I have the more I do wrong.

I broke one of them bottles.

That doesn't matter.

He says my hands are clumsy.

I guess he's right.

Do you know why I picked you from all the others?

It wasn't because of your hands.

It's because of what I saw in your eyes.

Have faith in yourself, Tad, I do.

I know, Miss Jenny.

But will he?

Jenny, are you ready?

Jenny?

Honey?

I'm afraid I won't be able to make the show today, William.

We won't do the show,

we'll head right into Porterville.

I want you to do the show,

with Tad.

I worked with him all morning, and he knows just what to do.

Ah, you probably wore yourself out trying to pound it into him.

He's a smart boy, William.

You just frighten him.

Give him a chance, please.

All right.

You just rest, I'll be back as soon as I can.

And now, my friends,

I have a great treat in store for you.

On one of my travels to Arabia,

I was entertained royally by the Sultan Barani,

where we exchanged secrets of the universe.

On my departure, he gave me a family treasure

that has been handed down

from father to son for centuries.

This afternoon I will share with you

the secrets of this treasure.

[ knocks on cabinet ]

Tad.

Get in.

Allah, Allah,

I call upon your spirit to take this boy onto you

and banish him from our midst.

[ raps on cabinet ]

So be it, Allah.

The boy is gone.

Hey, it seems like your friend Ally don't hear so good.

Wait a minute, my friends,

There are other--

My friends, I have a bottle of...

I'm sorry.

A whole day wasted, and not even a dime.

But you made them laugh and be happy.

Isn't that important?

Yes.

But if you don't mind, I'd rather eat while I do it.

Jenny, how are you feeling?

A little better.

How'd it go?

Not good.

It's all my fault, I should've--

made Tad understand a little better--

That's not important, that's not important.

You're burning up.No, I'm all right.

I'm not gonna wait until tomorrow,

I'm gonna take you to the doctor now.

Where's Tad?

He ran off, said he was gonna walk.

He'll be along, but I'm not gonna wait.

We can't leave without him.

Well, we cannot wait.

[ mumbling ]Easy now.

Careful.

You'll be all right.

H'yah!

Wait, Ms. Jenny!

Hurry, Tad!

Hurry!

William!

Wait, he's coming!

He's coming.

How's she feeling, doctor?

She gonna be all right?

I'm sorry, Mr. Davis, there's nothing I can do.

She should've had medical attention a long time ago.

She hasn't been feeling well, I didn't realize--

Go in now. There isn't much time.

You stay here, boy.

But Miss Jenny is... [ cries ]

Jenny...

I didn't know it would be so soon, William.

I knew it was coming.

I've known for some time.

Jenny,

why didn't you tell me?

We could have gotten help sooner.

It wouldn't have done any good.

Besides, I needed the time...

to plan things,

but there hasn't been enough time...

not enough time for you to learn to love a boy

and accept him as your own.

I knew there wasn't anything that could be done for me.

but I'm willing to do something for you.

There's nothing worse in the world

than being alone.

I didn't want to leave you alone.

Jenny...

you're not gonna leave me.

You'll get better.

We'll be together always, you'll see.

There's no time now magic words and wishes, William.

I wanted to give you the boy like I wanted to give you a son.

Everybody needs somebody,

even if it's somebody who needs them.

I was going to make you promise to keep him,

but that wouldn't be fair.

It wouldn't be fair to him

being with you all the time,

loving you and knowing that you don't want him.

It wouldn't be fair.

It wouldn't be fair.

Jenny.

Jenny?

Jenny!

Dr. Davis?

Are we heading back to Fowler?

To the orphanage?

They can take care of you there.

But I thought-- I mean,

who will help you with the show?

I think I'll quit the show,

head for the gold fields.

I could go along and help you.

No, that's no place for a boy.

It's better this way.

Someday you'll be adopted by a fine family.

Till then at least you can get some schooling.

Yes, sir.

It's not that I have anything against you, boy.

It's just that the only thing we had between us was Jenny.

Now that she's gone...

It's not like you were my own son...

or hers. do you understand?

Yes, sir.

Look!

[ war crying ]

H'yah! H'yah!

We ain't never gonna make it, Dr. Davis.

The wagon's too loaded.

All right, get in the back and start dumping things out.

That won't do no good.

We're gonna have to try something else.

Whoa!

It's working.

Well let's say we're working on borrowed time.

It looks like our captive audience is about ready

to decapitate us.

We better do something really fantastic.

I'll get the gun.No, no, Tad--

They may not understand that's part of the act.

Do you think you can do it?

I think so.

All right.

Now, it's got to be absolutely perfect.

We've got more to lose than just an audience this time.

Yes, sir.

And now, my friends, we are about to put all our eggs

in one basket.

[ speaks in foreign language ]

Would you like to do it?

All right, then let us proceed.

Remember the timing must be perfect.

Yes, sir.

Allah, Allah--

Tad, are you all right?

I'm okay, Dr. Davis.

Have they gone?

Yeah, they're gone.

You all set?Yes, sir.

Ain't we going back to Fowler?

There's nothing for us in Fowler.

We've already played there,

but we can't neglect any more of your education.

No, sir!

Uh, the six of spades.

That's right.

The five of clubs.

For several years, Dr. Davis and Tad

brought enjoyment to many people

in out-of-the way places with their traveling show.

Eventually, they settled down on a farm

in Ventura County, in California.

Later, Tad married.

Dr. Davis made certain that Tad's children carried on

the legacy of magic,

and kept alive his remembrances of the old West that was.

Next week, another story from our Western past.

See you then.