Original subtitles

♪ [ trumpet ]

Trinidad, Colorado, is today a modern city.

Less than a hundred years ago, it was a raw, new, mining camp,

not even on the map.

When the Sisters of Charity chose a young nun,

Sister Blandina,

to go along to Trinidad,

she thought she was being sent to an island in the Caribbean.

Instead, she found herself in Colorado Territory,

at the end of the Santa Fe Trail,

and fulfilled her lonely mission in the midst of violence

and sudden death.

We call our true story about her...

[ gun fires ]

[ gun fires ]

Marshal.

Marshal didn't need to get himself killed for this.

I'd have taken my loss.

I'd have let those two ride out scot-free

sooner than in any way be responsible.

What's the matter, Sister?

Oh, he's just a boy.

Help me get him inside.

That's no boy.

That's a dirty little murderer.

Take him over and lock him up and watch him.

Watch him bleed to death?

Somebody get him a doctor!

He doesn't deserve a doctor.

His kind belong in a cage.

No respect for man or God

or woman.

God made him.

Who are you?

I'm Sister Blandina.

One of them, huh?

Yes, one of them.

I'm a Sister of Charity.

I'm from the East, Ohio.

Where's my gun?

It's over here on the wall.

Here, drink this.

You've lost a lot of blood. You'd better lie still.

Good morning, Mr. Starrett.

Sister.

I see he's still alive.

Just barely.

I had hoped you'd bring a doctor.

I never said I would.

I know,

but I've become used to depending upon you, Mr. Starrett.

I've tried to be a help, Sister.

And I'm still trying, in spite of you.

I'll do anything I can to make Trinidad

a good place for folks to settle in.

A fit place for you to teach school in.

With four doctors in this town...

Doctors are a little too busy

to take on any new patients.

You mean too busy to bother about a boy

who'll die if they don't?

The sooner he does, the better for all concerned,

including you, Sister.

I would rather not believe you mean that,

the way it sounds.

You don't realize the kind of country you're in.

I've lived here seven years.

You've still got a lot to learn, Sister.

Here.

Take a look at this.

He's part of the gang that's been running wild,

with Billy the Kid.

Do you still think there's a lot of good in everybody,

if you could just get at it?

Well, that just isn't so, Sister,

not here in the territory.

You know what your poor little boy did to me?

He pistol-whipped me.

I stood there with my hands down.

No gun.

Never wore a gun in my life.

He came at me like a mad dog.

That's all he is.

You're giving houseroom to a mad dog.

Look out, Sister.

Hey, fat, get out from behind her!

Put down that gun.

You shut up your mouth,

and move!

All right, don't.

You don't mean nothing to me.

Put down that gun, you might as well.

I've taken the bullets out of it.

You're lying,

to protect that fat loudmouth.

I'm not allowed to lie.

Drop it.

You hear me?

Drop it!

Help me get him back to bed!

He's going out of here, Sister.

Walk, or be dragged, that's up to him.

No, Mr. Starrett.

He would have killed you if he could.

Any trapped animal sees enemies all around.

For the last time, Sister,

listen to me.

The way things are,

nobody wants the Marshal's job.

It'll take a week for the Sheriff to get here.

And there's a lot of talk in town

about "Why wait?"

Do you want a lynching in Trinidad?

You know me better than that.

I hope I do, Mr. Starrett.

I've been pretty reliable so far.

Anything you needed...

It's not what I need, now.

What you need is him off your hands

and under lock and key.

I'll take the responsibility.

I'm afraid you can't.

Oh, for heaven's sake, Sister!

There is that, isn't there?

Good morning.

Good morning.

I'm sorry there's no school today.

You won't mind a little vacation, will you?

Elsie?

Mary?

Doctor Evans.

Doctor Evans, we've never met,

but I've seen you and your wife from a distance,

and have meant to come and call on you

and welcome you to Trinidad.

I'm Sister Blandina.

I'm glad to know you, Sister.

I'm sorry that I don't have time

to stop and talk, unfortunately.

I can't stop now I have to drive over east

and see some patients.

I ought to be there now.

I may be gone several days.

Well, I'm glad to know that your practice

is prospering so rapidly.

Can't you spare just a minute?

You'll have to excuse me, Sister.

Well, Sister.

Well, Mr. Starrett.

I gave you fair warning.

Yes, you did.

I've never seen so many men taking time off from their work,

and walking around with guns.

And there are more of them than you can see.

All because I gave houseroom to a mad dog?

Who can't even walk?

We're kind of expecting a visit from a friend of his.

We figure that Billy the Kid might come

and try to get him out.

So, you're using him as bait for a trap?

That's one way of putting it.

Of course, his friend might not even show up.

Meanwhile, the boy may die.

For the last time, Sister,

he's no boy.

His mother called him Joey.

Little Joey.

What?

Nothing, Mr. Starrett.

[ mutters incoherently ]It's all right.

[ winces ]

[ mutters ]It's all right.

[ cries ]

Oh, mom.

Oh...

it's you.

Go back to sleep.

I'm scared to sleep.

I might not wake up.

I'll be right here.

Why?

Why are you fussin' over me?

Because your mother isn't here.

She don't even know where I am.

She wouldn't care none if she did.

Oh, yes, she would.

No, no, she wouldn't.

You know why I left Montana?

I killed a man.

He put me down in front of people,

and I stole a gun, and I killed him with it.

Right there where everybody could see me do it.

Don't talk anymore.

I'll talk anytime I feel like it.

You'll start the bleeding.

You said you were gonna get me a doctor.

I tried.

You tried. I'll bet you tried.

What do you care what happens to me?

I care very much, Joey.

Don't you call me that!

I didn't mean to. I won't again.

You ain't no friend of mine.

You're just doing what you have to do

to get to heaven.

Heaven.

You know what Billy says?

He says, "I'm headed straight for hell,

"and I'll take along as many as I can.

"and I'm counting Mexicans and Indians,

"to wait on me when I get there."

Yeah, that's what Billy says.

You know what he'll do to them no good doctors,

who wouldn't lift a hand to help a friend of his?

He'll kill 'em.

He'll hear,

and he'll come, and he'll cut 'em down.

[ gun firing noises ]

One, two, three, four.

He'll come down.

One...

two...

three...

four...

Hiya, Sister.Good morning.

[ scoffs ]

You say that like you meant it.

Like it's gonna be a good, good day.

All days are good in the morning.

It's what we do with them that makes the difference.

Yeah.

I guess you're right.

I guess you are.Would you like some tea?

Sooner have some coffee.

I'm sorry.

Oh.

Hard up, huh?

Yeah, we're hard up at home.

Do without this, do without that.

I quit school soon,

and go with patches on my britches.

I can manage.

Sure warms you up.

I don't feel as bad as I did yesterday.

Good.

Maybe I don't need a doctor.

Maybe time Billy comes up, I'll be ready to mount and ride.

Funny he don't come.

He'd hear about me, sure.

There ain't nothin' in the territory

he don't hear about.

All right, I'll just rest up here a spell.

That's right.

Rest. Don't worry.

Ain't nothing to worry about

soon as Billy gets here.

Sister?

I've been thinking about things.

I don't write none too good.

Would you write a letter for me?

To your mother?

Yeah.

How'd you know?

I just guessed.

You sure are smart.

I ain't wrote her since I run away

to be a big man.

That's three years nearly.

What are you doing?

I'm gonna go get a pen and some paper.

[ doorknob turning ]

Hold it. Sorry I scared you, Sister.

Billy the Kid.

That's right, Sister.

William Bonney.

20-years-old,

and you've already killed 21 men.

The first when you were only 13?

I didn't know nuns kept score on me, now.

It's all on the Wanted sheets.

Wanted, dead or alive.

Your friend was sure you'd come for him.

All right, so I'm here now. You just step out of the way.

He's tried so hard to be just like you.

He's done pretty good at it.

Two lost sheep.

I'm no lost sheep, Sister.

I know right where I'm going,

and I'll get there.

We both know where you're going.

The end of a road that only leads one way.

What happened to the boy you could have been, Billy?

The boy he was?

What do you mean, "was"?

Wake up, Joe.

Joe, wake up.

Come on, Joe. Wake up!

He's dead.

He wanted me to write a letter for him to his mother.

There wasn't time enough.

You kept me outside, preaching at me.

He carried his load as far as he could.

Shut up!

Four doctors in this town,

and not one of them raised a hand.

He told me you'd killed them all.

One, two, three, four,

but you won't.

I don't see any gun on you to stop me!

That black dress doesn't mean a thing to me.

What does, Billy?

Killing?

Killing until you're killed?

Driving other people to murder

to stop you from murdering?

Every able-bodied man in Trinidad

is out there waiting for you, armed and ready.

You're lying.

I told your friend I'm not allowed to lie.

They counted on you coming for him.

Why'd you tell me?

Because you're Billy the Kid,

you might kill and kill,

and get away like you have before.

You're the only one that ever did anything to help him.

Put it in the collection plate.

Tell me there's dirt on it because I'm Billy the Kid.

There's blood on it.

Just say a prayer over it, Sister.

Wash it white as snow.

What kind of nun are you?

You won't take my money,

but you wouldn't let me go out there

and maybe get my head blown off.

You tended Joe like he was your son.

[ door rattling ]

Sounds like you got company coming.

Like you just kept me hooked here till they came.

MAN: Sister Blandina.

Go on, open it.

Sister Blandina.

I said go and open it, go on, let 'em in.

What took you so long, Sister?

I was busy.

We thought maybe something had happened.

Something has happened, Doctor.

He died just a moment ago.

I should have been here.

Could have been here.

I lied to you, Sister.

I didn't have any patients to drive over east to see.

I just...

Doc came by to see me.

We talked about it.

Then we talked to some of the people in town.

We found that they feel the same way we do.

We all just got too worked up.

We meant well, Sister, but, well, anyhow...

it's all calmed down, and everybody's gone home

or put their guns away.

Like I said before, Doc,

we should have known that Billy the Kid

wouldn't bother himself about one mad dog

when the woods are full of them.

I know you feel bad about him, Sister.

After all, he is better off.

Yes, he's better off.

Well, I guess that covers everything.

Where'd that money come from?

It belonged to him.

You mean he stole it.

Probably killed to get it.

Well, it will pay for burying him.

Just a minute, Doc.

Sister, what I said to you before,

about not helping out anymore like I have in the past,

that was just talk.

Anything you want me to do, anytime,

just let me know, and I'll be there.

Thank you, Mr. Starrett.

I always light the alter candles

this time of day.

You're too tough for me, Sister.

I'll stay out of your town from now on.

So long, Sister.

Good-bye, Billy.

Sister?

When you say your prayers,

maybe you could just mention...

Billy the Kid.

I will, Billy.

Billy the Kid had two more years to live,

before Pat Garrett killed him.

Sister Blandina never forgot him.

She built a school and an orphan's home,

a hospital in Santa Fe,

and another school in Albuquerque,

which stands today.

In 1894, she returned to Ohio,

and was still doing her best

to help and guide young people,

when, at 91, she died.

One more chapter in Western history

that should never be forgotten.