Original subtitles

♪ [ trumpet ]

The pages of history are filled with great men

who are plagued with bad habits.

Some hit the bottle too often,

others couldn't stay away from the ladies

or the gambling tables,

but there was one man in Northern Montana

who became notorious for his...

Terribly sorry.

It's quite all right, Reverend.

No harm done.

Afraid I wasn't looking.That's all right.

A wedding gown perhaps?

No, no, just some table linens for my trousseau.

I had my wedding gown sent from St. Louis.

Cost $50.

By the way, have you seen my engagement ring?

Oh, it's lovely.Thank you.

Pike Landusky is indeed a lucky man

to be getting such a charming woman as you for a wife.

Oh, thank you, Reverend.

There's nothing like a good solid woman

to settle a man down.

I hope you're right, sir.

Afternoon, Angela.Hello, John.

Oh, Reverend Parker, this is John Wirt,

Pike's partner.

Oh, and the best man, I believe?

She's a mighty courageous woman, Reverend.

I've tried to tame Pike Landusky for 20 years.

Got the scars to prove it,

but I think Angela's going to be able to handle

that terrible temper of Pike's.

I've heard many stories about Pike Landusky's temper.

All true.

A bad temper can be a curse to a man.

Pike knows that now.

I told him I wouldn't marry him

until he promised to control that terrible temper of his.

"He best keeps from anger

"who remembers that God is always looking upon him,

"for anger begins in folly and--"

PIKE: You mangy, sneaky flimflammers!

I'll learn you two trolling highbinders

not to cheat Pike Landusky!

Amen.[ commotion ]

But he promised.

[ loud brawl ]

Take your rotgut beer with you!

Angie.

Angie, I know what you're thinking, honey,

but them hunkers cheated me.

I caught 'em at it, barefaced and red-handed,

and then they pushed this spiked beer on me.

Angela, please try to understand.

Oh, I understand, Pike.

I understand perfectly.

Why don't you take this

and wear it in your nose like the other savages?

The wedding's off, Pike, for good.

I never want to see you again.

Angie?

Angie.

Did it again, huh?

She called off the wedding.

"There is nothing on God's green earth

"that makes a man so deformed, so beastly,

"as does a temperate anger."

Don't you go preaching at me with--

You are right, Reverend.

You are so right.

"He who can suppress a moment's anger

"may prevent a day of sorrow."

I know, I know all them Bible words, Reverend,

I have been preached at by the very best,

but I can't help it.

I've always had this temper. Ain't that right, John?

I can vouch for that.

One day, Mr. Landusky,

the Almighty will send you a sign as a last warning.

If you do not heed his sign,

you may end up

paying the consequences of your ter--

of your pagan wrath.

You know how I feel about Angela, John.

What am I going to do?

Just let her cool off, Pike.

Look, we leave for the mountains tomorrow

for a week of trapping.

Maybe she'll be all softened up by the time you get back.

No.

She meant it this time.

So help me, John, I am going to change.

From this very second.

I am not going to lose my temper.

Even if somebody insults me or cheats me,

or someone steps on my sore toe deliberately!

I am not going to lose my temper.

You stupid, boneheaded numbskull!

Why don't you watch where you're going,

you bat-blind, addle-brained bullhorn!

[ chickens squawking ]

It won't work, John. She had that look in her eye today.

Now look, I'm not going to have you moping around

up in that mountain for a whole week

while we're trapping.

Now go on. Go on, go on.

I solemnly promise never to lose--

I told you I never want to see you again, Pike Landusky.

You get away from here or I'll scream!

Angie, if you don't open that door--

[ screaming ]

She got a strong will, that woman.

Never seen a female that didn't.

Maybe Angie's right about me.

I don't rightly blame any woman

for not wanting to hitch up

with a rampaging old blunderbuss like me.

Don't go running yourself into the ground, Pike.

You ain't all bad.

Just that mad man temper of yours, that's all.

But otherwise than that,

I ain't never met a more decent, honest man

than you.

That's right nice of you to say that, John.

Why do you think I've stuck with you these near 20 years,

you...

bull, windy, mustang?

[ commotion ]

You've got me wrong, mister!

Hey, now, put that thing away.

Oh.

Don't you know you could hurt people with guns, son?

Now you take care of yourself.

What is it this time, Henry?

Well, we was playing poker,

and I get me a straight, and he raises $4,

and I put up my solid gold watch,

and he bit a chunk off the fine timepiece

and said it was brass.

Accused me of lying.

Were you?

No, it's a good watch.

Listen, that straight was the beginning of a lucky streak.

I can feel it in my bones.

Listen, lend me five, will you?

Henry, you're a professional loser.

I can do it. I know I can.

If I had $5, I could get even.

Here you are, Henry.

Thanks, Pike.

I'll see that you get it back in the morning.

That's about 35 he owes you now.

Henry's a nice fella.

He just can't help himself when it comes to his gambling.

It's like me and my temper.

I need a drink.

Well, just one.

We got to turn in early.

It's a long haul up to Musselshell

with our traps.

Evening, Roy.

Oh, better take him home.

His place is more than ten miles out of town.

Why don't you just let him sleep it off?

Oh, Ms. Caboneks would be worried.

Are you kidding?

He's been liquored up like that for years.

Well, just the same, I better take him home.

Maybe you could talk to Angie for me.

Forget about Angie, will you, Pike?

There's more than one rabbit in the forest.

Not like my Angie.

Come on, Roy.

Morning, Angie.

I'm leaving for the mountains this morning.

I'll be gone a week.

Give me another chance.

You've had a dozen chances.

Look, I promise--And a dozen promises, all of them broken.

Look, Pike, it's all over.

Now please go away and leave me alone.

Angie, you listen to me--

Sorry it wasn't beer, Mr. Landusky. Good-bye.

Two more. 60 pounds.

That's over a hundred beaver, Pike.

We really hit it this time. We're rich.

Don't matter if I'm rich. You can't buy a woman's love.

Yeah, depends on the woman.

Some of them put themselves on the open market

to the highest bidder.

Not Angie.

She's got pride and respect.

Woman a man could be proud of.

Yep, I gotta admit,

she's a right honorable female.

What am I going to do without her, John?

Her soft shiny hair, her sweet, soft song voice.

Those pretty eyes and-- [ screams ]

Darn you ding, wally-eyed, blasted-- You-- Ow!

That hurts! Ow! You--

Well, don't just sit there. Give me a towel.

What's wrong with you, Pike?

Grown-up man like you acting like some wet-eared kid.

I don't know.

I've been like this ever since I was a pup.

Once when I was about six months old,

my old man started to pick me up out of the crib.

I kicked him in the mouth,

knocked out two of his front teeth.

My mother hadn't been called Cecilia,

I probably wouldn't be like this.

What's your mother's name got to do with it?

Every time my pa would call her name, "Tethilia",

he'd whistle through that gap

where his two front teeth used to be.

Oh, he'd get like a redneck rooster

and just chase the Hades out of me.

Do more damage to yourself than your friends.

How many times I almost split your skull over some trifle?

Yeah. Always in the same spot, too.

It's a damnation.

It's a black curse, this temper of mine.

All the things it's cost me.

Friends, money for damages.

Now, Angie.

The only thing that ever meant anything to me in my life.

Hey, look at them skins.

We must have easily $1,000 in pelts stashed here.

That's $500 a piece.

What good is it?

Well, you can pick out a few select skins

and have a coat made for Angela.

Go on. Take your choice, I don't mind.

You think it might work?

I ain't never seen a woman yet

who wouldn't spark to a fur coat.

She'd look beautiful in a fox coat.

How about a nice little beaver?

Yeah, might work. It just might work.

It just might work.

We have to go into town tomorrow for some supplies.

Pick out the skins and have the coat made.

Here, look at this one.

Won't that look great around her pretty, little neck?

And this one here.

Wait till she sees this coat.

PIKE: Hey, John.

Yeah, Pike?I got it.

What?The fur coat for Angie.

So soon?Sure. I paid Thomson 10 extra dollars,

and he worked straight through on it.

Ain't it a beaut?It ought to be.

you picked out enough of the best belts to build a teepee.

I sure hope it softens up Angie.

Well, if it does, you can consider

my share of those pelts a wedding present.

I'm going to go see her now.

All right, but remember, we're pulling out at dawn tomorrow.

We got to haul the rest of those pelts down

before the first snow.

And Pike?Yeah?

You behave yourself.

Hey, Henry.

Hello, Pike, I was looking for you.

I heard you were back.

About that money I owe you--

You want to call it even? Forget what you owe me?

I'll tell you what I got in mind.

Hello, Angela.

Afternoon, Mr. Landusky.

You don't know what's happened.

Ever since you called off that wedding,

I've been like a drowning man going down for the third time.

I seem to recall being the one that was almost drowned.

What I mean is, my whole life's passing before my eyes

when I think of the terrible things my temper has cost me.

Jobs and money and friends and...

most of all, the only woman I ever loved.

Oh, Pike, I've heard that all before.

Excuse me.No, honey, I mean it. I really changed.

It was the thought of losing you that did it.

I'm sorry, Pike, it's my fault.

I guess I wasn't looking where I was going.

It's all right, Henry.

Perfectly all right.

Pike.

You were actually polite to him.

I told you, I'm a changed man.

I've got a wedding present for you.

[ squeals ][ chuckles ]

Pike, it's the most beautiful coat I've ever seen.

Oh, Pike, if I could only just believe--

I'm just like a saddle-broke bronc waiting to be reigned in.

[ yelling ]

Angie.

Let's stop and rest a while.

We've been pushing on for three hours

without a stop.

Smells like an early winter, wouldn't you say?

Oh, come on, Pike, it ain't the end of the world, you know?

I lose my girl, waste $30 in damages,

and some big jughead drops a 50 pound box on my bad toe.

Still hurts you, huh?

Aching and throbbing like I was hit with a smithy hammer.

If toes had a mouth, this one would be screaming.

That toe's been bothering you for months.

I still say it's them boots.

It's me.

It's the badness coming out.

The poison of my bad temper

gnawing at my very foundations.

Pig feathers.

You sound like that Reverend Parker now.

He tried to warn me and I wouldn't listen.

Oh, so you calculate

that sign he sermoned you about

is that pain in your big toe, huh?

Okay.

Come on, Pike, let's get back to camp

so you can soak the skin of wickedness

out of that evil thing.

But remember, "He who... Toe..."

[ laughs ]

[ Indian chanting ]

It's coming from over the rise.

The camp.

Why, them dirty redskin banshees.

Shut up. You just shut up.

So help me, Pike Landusky, I'll ventilate your windpipe.

Those furs are just as much mine as they are yours,

but I value my scalp more than I do some animal skins.

We can't just sit here, John--

We wouldn't stand a chance down there.

Them Sioux Braves would kill us

just as soon as we tried anything.

We just gotta steal away from here as quiet as we can.

Easy, Pike, easy.

If he nicks me once more with that sticker,

I'm going to give him a mouthful of fist.

They're just toying with us, now don't aggravate him.

He's aggravating me.

Please, Pike. If you ever simmer down, do it now.

I'm trying. Lord knows how I'm trying.

Maybe when they're through funning with us, they'll let us go.

They ain't gonna let us off that easy.

[ speaking foreign language]

[ speaking foreign language ]

[ speaking foreign language ]

What is it? You understand that Sioux lingo.

They're going to tie us by our feet to them ponies.

[ speaking foreign language ]

Let's make a run for it.

It's too late. Here they come.

[ screaming ]

Come on! Come on, you flea-bitten redskins!

Come on!

[ yelling, smashing ]White man mad...

like white mouth dog.

The gods warn...

not kill man mad like dog.

God say...

punish Sioux...

if he steal...

or hurt man.

I'll bite your heads off!

I'll tear your arms off!

[ yells ]

[ angry yelling ]

They thought you were crazy.

Loco.

That temper of yours, Pike, it saved our lives.

It's true what the Reverend Parker said.

That was the sign.

The Almighty has given me a sign.

It means the next time...

There's never going to be a next time.

No, sir, I mean it.

I am never going to lose my temper. Never.

♪ [ Wedding March ]

You two finally made it, and I'm glad.

He's a changed man, Angela.

Yes, all the bad is gone, it is only sweetness left.

Well, I don't know about that.

You threw off the shackles

of your terrible anger as Saint Michael...

routed the Devil from heaven.

Well, he sure "routed" them Sioux anyway, huh?

We better be getting, Angie,

It's four hours to our cabin up in the Musselshell.

Okay.

Well, look who's coming to see you off.

Boy, it's good of you to wish us well.

[ screaming ]

Shall we go, Mrs. Landusky?

You're wonderful, Mr. Landusky.

Now, you be careful of my dress, Pike.

It cost $50, and I want my daughter to be married in it.

[ ripping ][screams]

Oh, I'm sorry, honey.

You clumsy ox!

Look what you've done to my dress!

I told you to be careful, Pike.

Ooh, you dimwitted, bear-brained...

I told you to be careful of my dress!

Now look what you've done!

Now my daughter is going to have a darn thing to get married in!

Look what you've done to my dress!

[ yelling ]

[ yelling continues ]

Pike Landusky discovered his bride

had a temper to match his own.

They still talk about Pike's violent temper,

especially in a Montana town just off Highway 191,

a town named "Landusky."

Next week, another true story from Western history.