Original subtitles

♪ [ trumpet ]

As the railroads pushed west

across the country in the 1880s,

towns sprang up along the railheads.

Towns that were tamed by lawmen like Bill Hickok in Abilene,

Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp in Dodge and Wichita,

and during its roaring days, Caldwell, Kansas

had a lawman who might have been as famous and respected

as the others, but different from all of them. He was...

[ group laughing ]

Stop it! Stop that.

You men stop that.

You can'’t destroy private property like that.

Stop it, I told you.

No good saddle tramps.

This town is getting to be a whiskey stop

for every cowhand off the Chisholm Trail.

That'’s what I heard.

I also heard the marshal'’s job's open.

You bet it'’s open.

Every other day it'’s open.

Doesn'’t stop with that, you know.

They get mean.

Pretty soon, somebody gets killed.

I'’m looking for a place to stay for a while.

I'’ll take the job.

What do you mean you'’ll take the job?

Who are you?

Brown, Hendry Brown.

All right, so you'’re Hendry Brown.

You know who I am.

This is my daughter, Margaret.

Ma'’am. Now,

where are you from?

Why do you want this job?

Look, I'’m from a lot of places. What difference does it make?

Do you need a marshal, or don'’t you?

Obviously we do but the town would want to know about you.

The town will know about me when they see what I can do.

If that'’s not good enough--

Wait a minute.

So I see it, we have no choice.

Nobody else is volunteering for the job.

This isn'’t a new badge.

It'’s been worn by four men in the past three months.

For whatever it'’s worth, good luck.

Mayor.

Oh...

your office is across the street.

Thank you.

Be seeing you again, ma'’am.

Margaret?

What do you think?

Well, he'’s confident enough.

Doesn'’t seem to have any doubts about himself.

But you do?

Don'’t you?

[ shouting ]

What'’s going on?

It'’s an ant race.

Sure, any fool can see that.

Whiskey, please.

Thank you.

Still time to get your bet down.

Oh, I don'’t think I should...

seeing as I'’m the new marshal.

I'’d say all bets are off.

You ever been marshal before?

What are you, checking my references?

Look, I don'’t care, it'’s got nothing to do with me,

but just in case the word hasn'’t reached you,

this is a bad town for lawmen.

I got that impression.

I got on duty at six o'’clock.

Mild fella, ain'’t he?

Somehow, I don'’t like his attitude.

They all start big.

I'’m laying odds he doesn'’t last overnight.

[ gunshots ]

Maybe they already scared him off.

He sure had plenty of time to get here.

Sure have.

Drop your guns.

All the way.

Now here'’s the way it'’s gonna be.

No carrying guns in town.

No running horses in the street.

No disturbing the peace in general.

No serving whiskey to a man when he'’s already drunk.

Anybody who can'’t go along with these rules,

either gets out of town or gets to know me real well.

You, pick him up.

Three of you are going to spend some time in jail.

Oh, Marshal?

I was out at Hef Jordan'’s place

the other day looking at some cows.

He especially wanted me to thank you

for the way you handled that fella

that wanted to call him out the other day.

He was just some trail hand

feeling a little braver than he could back up.

You'’re just too good to be true, Marshal.

How'’s that, ma'am?

We don'’t often see that kind of modesty around here.

Are all the men this way where you come from?

Some are, some aren'’t.

It'’s about like any place else.

You sure do wanna know where I'’m from, don't you?

What'’s the matter with you, Margaret?

What difference does it make,

as long as he'’s doing a good job?

We'’re mighty pleased

with the way that you'’re handling things.

Now these saddle tramps around here

will know they have to watch their step with you around.

MAN: No hick-town marshal'’s

going to tell me what to do with my gun.

You'’ve got to leave your gun. It'’s the rule.

I'’d say not everyone got the message.

Excuse me, ma'’am.

Marshal, I told him--Thank you, Mr. Dunne.

Seems like to me you'’ve been told nicely

not to carry a gun in town.

It'’s my gun and I'm going to hang on to it.

You can pick this up when you leave town.

More chicken?No, no thanks.

Sure was good though.

You know, I'’m kind of surprised that you'’re not married,

or is that what you brought me out here for?

I hope I wouldn'’t do anything that obvious,

but I can'’t help being curious.

You are sort of a mystery.

No, I'’m not a mystery.

You'’re trying to make one out of me.

Just doing my job.

Is it your job?

I'’ve got the idea you've never been a lawman before.

What, am I that obvious?

Not to anyone else.

You should hear the people in town rave about you.

You'’ve heard the things they said

when the city council gave you

that silver-mounted saddle and rifle.

Why, the way you'’ve cleaned up this town,

you could settle down here for the rest of your life

in peace and quiet.

Peace and quiet?

What'’s the matter with that?

Nothing for some fellas, I guess.

I'’m just too contrary for it to sound good to me.

Most men I'’ve known would welcome the chance.

I can'’t help wondering what makes you so different?

How do you manage to survive all the gunmen

who try to shoot up the town

when our other marshals couldn'’t?

Just had too much experience

shooting up towns myself, I guess.

I wasn'’t always on the right side of the badge.

Are you trying to live that down?

I made a lot of mistakes in my life,

but I'’ve had some good times, too.

Is that what you miss?

Is that why you don'’t like the idea of peace and quiet?

When things quiet down around here,

it does get a little dull.

Does that include me?

No.

You'’re the most exciting thing I'’ve found.

But it'’s not enough, is it Hendry?

I don'’t know. I hope so.

Where you been?

Just out having having a little peace and quiet.

Yeah well somebody just busted in a stage office.

How long ago?Well, just a little bit.

Was anyone hurt?

No, ma'’am, but he sure cleaned that place out.

Blew that safe wide open.

Did anybody recognize him?

No, all we seen was a cloud of dust heading south.

I'’ll get my horse.

Forget it. By the time you get saddled up,

he'’ll be in the territory.

Well I'’ll be.

How you been, Hendry?

Ben Wheeler.

You know it'’s been so long ago, I'’d almost forgotten about it.

Oh, it hasn'’t been that long.

Remember down at Tascosa?

Old Shorty kept falling off that horse?

And the owner wasn'’t five minutes behind him.

Sometimes I think those were the best years I ever had.

Oh, there still are,

you just don'’t know where to look.

I been having a real time for myself.

Yeah, I heard you had it pretty good down in Mexico.

What you come back for?

Them señoritas like pretty things,

pretty expensive things,

so here I am.

Why'’d you pick my town?

Well, why not?

I thought I was done for till I saw it was you.

Everything'’s worked out just fine.

I am the marshal here, Ben.

You'’re not serious.

You'’d take me in?

Isn'’t that the usual thing for a marshal to do?

Well you'’re not a usual lawman.

Look, I never said I was...

but I did take the job, didn'’t I?

That'’s not my fault, Hendry.

You'’re just not the marshal type.

There'’s something keeping you here,

making you act this way.

I'’ll bet I know. It'’s a girl.

Listen, Ben-- Old Hendry'’s gone and got himself caught.

I can'’t believe it'’s the same fella

who couldn'’t stand to stay two nights in the same town.

Always wanting to be on the move,

always wanting to go some place new,

and you think you can settle down

and be a dirt ordinary sod farmer?

I never thought about it like that, Ben.

Why can'’t I?

I know you, Hendry.

If I hadn'’t come along down there to break up the monotony,

you'’d have gone out of your mind.

Men like us need excitement,

the kind of excitement we used to have.

Ben, that was "used to have."

It still is.

I never thought I'’d ever see the day

you were ready for a rocking chair,

no matter who was rocking it.

All right, Ben, I guess you do know me.

I can'’t lock up anybody who was an old friend.

Not was, Hendry. Is.

I'’m sure glad to see you didn'’t go and get too honest.

You still got a healthy streak of larceny in you.

[ laughs ]

There'’s the money, all of it.

Nice going, Hendry.

How'’d you get it?

Well I caught up with him but...

but I couldn'’t hold him.

I had to settle for that.

Well that isn'’t going to hurt the stage company'’s feelings.

You know, Hendry, this is the first time

you'’ve had to settle for anything.

Well maybe you expect too much of me.

Well maybe I do.

Where'’s the marshal?

I don'’t know. What'’s the matter?

The stage was just robbed.

They drove off the team,

and the stage is stuck out by flat rock.

They? They who?

Two men. They wore bandanas pulled up.

I was on my way back from Honeywell.

I passed by just after it happened.

Where the devil is Hendry?

Honeywell? What were you doing--

You never go over to Honeywell.

I have...a business interest.

Here he is.

The stage was held up, out by flat rock.

Hendry, you'’ve got to do something about it.

Don'’t I always, Jonas?

I'’ll gather up some men and go after '’em.

Marshal?

Where have you been?

Jeff Bruster'’s had 50 head of cattle

rustled in broad daylight.

The mail train'’s been robbed.

They got away with everything.

Has anybody seen the marshal?

What'’s happening around here?

It'’s worse than it ever was.

Come on, George.

You'’re exaggerating. It can'’t be that bad.

How bad does it have to be?

Seems to me the stage is being held up every other week.

Ranchers are being robbed,

Folks are getting afraid.

They won'’t even drive up past the city limits.

I tell you, Hendry, it is bad.

You don'’t like the way I'’m handling it.

Well, I don'’t know.

You just don'’t seem to be around when something happens.

How many places can I be at one time, George?

Some of us think, maybe, you need a deputy.

Nah. No, I don'’t need a deputy,

and if the town doesn'’t like the way I'’m doing it a job,

you can have the badge.

Now, wait a minute, Hendry.

MARGARET: Hendry!

Hendry.

What'’s the matter with you? Nobody can talk to you lately.

All right. All right, so now it'’s your turn

to tell me how to do my job?

I don'’t care about your job.

I don'’t care how many criminals you catch.

I care about how you run your life.

I thought I was part of it.

You are, Margaret.

You are.

An important part.

Quit? You can'’t just call it off like that.

Why not? I called it on just like that.

But nobody has any idea.

All right.

All right.

I was getting homesick for a certain señorita anyway.

Good, then.

Hendry?

One more job. I'’ve got it all planned.

It'’s the biggest thing yet, right there in town.

Ben, I got to live in that town.

Why? You'’ve lived in lots better places.

What'’s there, the girl?

You'’ve had a hundred girls, and all of them added up

aren'’t as exciting as what I'’ve got in mind.

Sure make it sound good, Ben.

It is. It'’s a lot better than that peace and quiet

you'’ve been talking about.

And riskier, too.

Well, sure.

That'’s the point.

What do you think made the old days so great?

Riding in there taking everything

right out from under the noses of those yokels.

That'’s what gets your blood up.

That'’s really living.

Come on, Hendry.

Just this one big one.

And then I'’ll clear out.Okay?

Okay, Ben.

I didn'’t really mean to kill him.

Let'’s see.

I know who it is.

Hendry didn'’t take the marshal'’s job

because he wanted to be a lawman.

He wanted the excitement.

When that ran out, I guess he had to find it another way.

He was a restless man.

Hendry Brown rode with Billy the Kid.

He was an outlaw.

And for a brief period, he was a respected law man.

They should have put it on his tombstone

the way Margaret Hubble said it,

"He was a restless man."

Next week, another true drama from our Western past.

See you then.