Original subtitles

♪ [ trumpet ]

With the first discoveries of silver in Leadville, Colorado,

men from all walks of life joined the rush to the Rockies.

Some were lucky and became millionaires overnight.

Such a man was Horace Austin Warner Tabor,

who found a mountain lined with silver.

Others just kept digging,

with a lot of faith and a lot of fight.

Such a man was...

Horace Tabor is a no-account claim-stealing crook,

and you tell Mulcahy he ain't much better.

You do the devil's bidding, boy, offering me 300 for a claim

that Horace knows is worth as much as his bonanza up there.

You know, every survey I've run

proves that Mr. Tabor found the only silver on the hill.

Now, he's offering you a fair price

for this sinkhole.

Sinkhole?

Well, if it's a sinkhole,

what does he want mine for, huh?

Answer me that.

Your claim and the others are in the right-of-way

for a road Mr. Tabor's building up

to his Little Pittsburgh mine.

Ah-ha! Listen, young fella,

I've known old Horace too long to be fooled.

He didn't get rich buying sinkholes.

He knows that I'm sitting on another bonanza,

so he sent you out here to steal it from me.

Bill, all you're sitting on is a pile of worthless rocks.

Well, I ain't selling it for no 300,

so you get on back to Leadville

and tell that crooked old buzzard what I said.

Chicken Bill Lovell is a shifty, cantankerous, no-good liar.

True, Horace. True.

But his claim is smack in the middle

of our right-of-way.

Mr. Hook is right, of course.

Tim, go back and tell Bill

I hold no grudge for what he said,

and tell him my generous offer still stands,

and Tim, lad--Yes, Mr. Tabor?

Tell him I aim to have my road.

I said that Horace Tabor's a no-account,

claim-stealing crook,

and you ain't brung me nothing back to change my mind.

Well, his generous offer still stands if you

should change your mind about selling.

Well, I won't.

Look at this, Bill.

It's from the Little Pittsburgh.

Compare it with the ore from your claim.

There's a bit of difference, isn't there?

Some.

Well, Mr. Hook will be in town this afternoon,

more than willing to pay $300 for every no-good claim

on Mr. Tabor's hill.

Think about it, Bill.

[ mockingly ] Tabor's hill.

Dag-blame sinkhole!

$300 won't even get me out of town.

♪♪ [ whistling ]

[ gavel bangs ]

Keep it orderly, men. Keep it orderly.

There's plenty of money for everyone.

A $300 grubstake for each claim presented.

Who's gonna be first?

Here you are. One, two, three.

MAN: Afternoon, Bill.Two, three...

Afternoon, Horace.

Changed your mind, huh?

Nope, I ain't.

Then what did you come here for?

Going to the assay office,

if it's any of your business, which it ain't.

Why, you stubborn old coot.

Bone-picking old buzzard.

Hold your tongue, Lovell.

Hold my tongue while you rob my friends?

You know that they're just a few feet

from hitting pay dirt.

I ain't robbing nobody.

They're selling and I'm buying.

And I'll pay the same for your no-good claim.

900 cash is what I want.

And if you want this here,

it's gonna cost you another 600.

You already owe me $600.

I grubstaked you to this here claim.

That's right, 'fore you knew how much silver

was waiting to be found up there.

Liar!

Liar?

Then why you'd cut me off

when the Little Pittsburgh come in?

I'll tell you why.

Because you wanted this here claim back cheap.

I call your bluff, didn't I, Mr. Tabor?

[ laughs ]

Whiskey, Mr. Barkeep,

and keep it coming.

You got money, Lovell?

My friend's paying.

You know our leading citizen?

Howdy, Mr. Tabor.

[ whistles ]

[ laughs ]

Now, why are you going to the assay office, Lovell?

That'll cost you 900 to find out, Horace.

Well, now, why should I pay you that

for a hole full of rocks?

You will.

You got a hunch. I got a hunch.

There ain't nothing under them rocks, Lovell.

You know for sure, Horace?

Tim Mulcahy knows.

He's the best mineralogist is the state of Colorado.

Tim do all your mining survey?

He does.

You ain't smart, Horace.

Why not?

Maybe he ain't telling the truth.

Maybe he done gone and made me a private offer, huh?

Mulcahy ain't got $900.

Are you sure, Horace?

Okay, wise guy, who's paying for this?

And keep the change, barkeep.

[ laughs ]

Keep, barkeep.

[ laughs ]

Are you crazy, Lovell?

Well, who's paying?

Where did you get this, Bill?

Ask Tim Mulcahy.

What does that mean?

It means, Mr. Tabor,

you can't cheat an honest man.

As rich as any ore on the hill, George.

Look at it.

I know. I know. I've seen it.

I'd feel better if Tim looked at it.

I'll go find him.No, no.

Not a word to him or anybody.

I got a hunch, George.

I got a real good hunch.

Lowell named his price, and I aim to take advantage of it.

[ laughs ] I'm sure you do, Horace.

George,

You suppose Chicken Bill would figure he got paid $900

if I gave him 300 cash and canceled his debt?

[ laughs ]

[ laughing ]

Good morning, Mr. Tabor.

You're up mighty early this morning.

Riding out to the Pittsburgh

before the day gets too hot, Mulcahy.

Hey, mind if I ride along with you?

Why?

I got some business out there, Mr. Tabor.

You stay here. Come out with George this afternoon.

Sure, Mr. Tabor. Sure.

When you come out, bring your paraphernalia.

I got some tests I want you to run.

All right, sir.

[ snoring ]

[ groans ]

[ horse whinny ]

Morning, Horace.

Up kinda early, ain't you?

I was just checking up on the Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh?

Pittsburgh's up there, Horace.

I got to talk to you, Lovell.

Bill, you just can't go around telling folks I cheated you.

It ain't fitting for a man in my position.

Well, it...

It never bothered you before, Horace

I aim to do right by ya, Bill.

Now, Horace, that don't sound like you.

What's on your mind?

I'll pay your price.

I'll give you $300 cash,

and I'll cancel the 600 you owe me.

Now, Horace, you know my price is $900,

and that's a bargain.

You saw my sample.

That's what bothers me, Bill.

Why are you selling out?

I'm a poor man, Horace.

Fortune don't smile on me.

What does that mean?

I hit pay dirt,

and I ain't got the gumption or the money to work it.

I sure ain't.

Sad.Very sad.

You mind if I have a look around for myself?

You go right ahead, Horace.

[ door closes ]

It's a bonanza.

A real bonanza.

You all right, Horace?

Yeah, I'll be right out.

Take your time.

Bill, this ore's richer than the Pittsburgh's.

Oh, it might be as rich, but it ain't richer.

Either way, you've got yourself a deal.

900 cash money?

Cash money.

And you're canceling my debt?

I got your note with me.

There you are.

Uh...

What are you gonna do with all that money, Bill?

First, I'm gonna go down to the bar

and buy everybody drinks.

So's that I can tell all the folks

the good fortune you've brung me, Horace,

and then I'm gonna move away from Leadville as far as I can,

so's that I can start over new.

You did that for me, Horace.

I wish you luck, Chicken Bill.

I wish you luck, Horace Tabor.

The drink's are on me, folks!

[ cheering ]

[ laughter ]

[ men whooping ]

What's going on, Mr. Hook?

I don't know.

You get that test equipment Horace wanted?

You gonna stop by the Pittsburgh, pick up some men?

Yeah.

[ laughter, whooping ]

Something surely is funny.

It sure is.

Come on, let's hurry, Tim.

Well, come on, Tim lad. What's the verdict?

Mr. Tabor, sir, you've been taken.

What?

This ore's from the Little Pittsburgh, sir.

This claim's been salted.

[ George laughing ]

I never thought I'd live to see the day.

No, sir, I didn't.

Do you mean to tell me you paid $900

for a mine that was salted with your own ore?

[ laughing ]

I paid $1,500 for it, George.

You what?

[ laughing ]I canceled his debt.

[ laughing ]

Now listen to me, you bunch of wall-eyed jackasses.

I ain't asking your opinion about this here hole I bought.

You was brought out here to dig.

Now, start digging.Aw, come on, now, Horace.

You're not gonna bluff this thing through.

You'll be the laughingstock of Leadville.

Let me worry about that. You start 'em digging.

You heard what the man said.

Start digging. Come on, Tim.

[ footsteps approaching ]

We're down another three feet.

To where?

45.

Well, keep 'em digging.

How far is that, Tim?

We're down to 47 feet, sir.

Good.

Horace, we're down to 47 feet.

Dig another foot.

Horace...

we're down to 48 feet.

Won't be long now.

George! Mr. Tabor!

George, look. We hit a vein!

Man, this looks richer than the Pittsburgh.

It could be. It just might prove to be.

Horace, look at this.

You were right. You were right.

It's a bonanza.

Wait.

You act like you knew this all along.

But you couldn't have.

I told you I had a hunch.

Ah, come Horace, admit it.

Chicken Bill was out to take you.

But he didn't.

He's a shifty, cantankerous, no-good liar,

but he finally met his match, didn't he, George?

Yes, he did.

But how did you know?

Because it's dang near impossible to cheat

an honest man.

Did Horace know there was

a fortune in silver below the salt?

Tabor never told,

and Chicken Bill Lovell faded into obscurity.

We do know, however, that the millions taken

from the chrysolite mine

helped make Horace Austin Warner Tabor

Colorado's first great silver baron.

Be with us next week for another true drama

from our American past.