Original subtitles

** [ trumpet ]

where Western history comes alive.

With your host, Dale Robertson.

Stories of the Old West

are stories of hardships and adventure.

Of dreams, and of courage.

Stories of the American pioneer...

are all a part of our past, of our heritage.

Miners in the Old West had a saying,

"Gold is where you find it."

And they often did find it in some very improbable places.

In the late 1880s, one of the most unusual discoveries

was made by two prospectors named

Dan Purcell and Tom Catlin.

Not that the territory of Arizona was all that improbable,

but their find was-- and it started

"The Great Pinto Bean Gold Hunt."

Where you been since sun-up?

[ gasps ] Out. Lookin'.

Didn't find no gold.

But I bought us some beans!

You rode all the way into Phoenix to buy some beans?

No, I met the freighter, headin' North for Sunflower.

He sold 'em to me.

It, uh-- It don't bother you none,

looking for gold, and comin' back with beans?

A man gotta eat, Dan.

But we'll eat a lot better if you get them beans soakin' early.

You ain't gonna pick through 'em first?

Why? Because your last batch had so much gravel,

I dang near busted a tooth!

Pick.

Picky-pick. Picky-pick!

How's that? Nothin'.

You ever think of the time it took somebody to put

all that gravel in them beans, Tommy?

No, I never gave it much thought.

Well you should. We might get ourselves a job at it sometime.

Yeah, I suppose somebody gotta do it.

Sure! Bet you never seen a sack of beans

that wasn't half-gravel.

Hey! That one's a dandy.

Dan? Lookit.

It's gold!

Gold nuggets?

Why, them's solid gold nuggets.

How do you suppose it got in here?

It must have been scooped up with the beans when the sack was filled.

You mean the beans was growed on ground where gold was scattered?

Yeah! Where'd you leave that freighter? Who?

The man you bought these beans from. Where'd you leave him?

Ten mile north of Phoenix. Come on!

Come on, he's gonna tell us where he got these!

Why should he do that? Why shouldn't he?

If he knew about the gold, he'd have never sold you the beans in the first place!

Come on!

[ clears throat ]

[ groans ]

Are you sure this is the place?

This is where he sold me the beans.

That's what you said the last two places we stopped.

I know. But I remember he tied his horses to that fence!

'Course, he ain't here now.

I can see that.

I know you can, Dan.

We can follow him north to Sunflower.

It's only three days' mule ride.

Hmm. Well, I ain't much for mules.

But we're gonna find him, if I gotta ride

this miserable critter across the whole territory!

He left yesterday. Camp Verde.

That's how far? Two days?

More, or less? More.

Oh! [ sighs ]

Camp Verde. You know, "Verde" means "Green," Dan.

I know what it means!

Now he's going to Camp Apache.

That's what, two weeks away? More like three.

Ha!

One... Two...

Three. [ groans ]

[ hoofbeats ]

[ sighs ]

He left about two days ago for Wilcox.

Indians say that's a five-day ride?

- Six. - Damn.

I shoulda known.

[ moaning ]

Uh... huh?

I said we might have to cover the whole territory.

We dang near have.

Wilcox is just ahead.

Wouldn't hurt my feelings none if we just turn back and forget the whole thing.

We got plenty.

Hurt feelings ain't what's troubling me.

Nope, Tommy, we're gonna find him

if we got to suffer through another thousand miles.

Come on!

Who are you? Why are you following me?

See, Danny, it weren't no thousand miles.

That's the man! Well, you better be sure.

He's waving that gun like it was a flag.

What do you want?

[ clears throat ] We would like to buy some beans, sir.

Want to buy some what?

That ain't why you been followin' me the last couple weeks.

I could feel you out there! 'A-lurkin', 'a-dodgin'.

Never more than two steps behind.

We ain't been doin' no lurkin' and dodgin'!

We been more'n two or three days behind you most of the way!

I seen you somewheres before.

Name's Catlin. Meet Dan Purcell.

I bought some beans from ya, outside Phoenix?

Bukner's my name. Clyde Bukner.

Now why'd you follow me here?

Uh, Mr. Bukner, pure and simple:

We'd like to buy some more of them Double-X brand beans.

You must be crazy. Or somethin'.

Look, I ain't got any bags of beans,

with or without X's-- I'm sold out.

Where'd you buy 'em? Phoenix? No.

San Manuel. At a store!

Much obliged! But San Manuel's two weeks' ride from here!

Mr. Bukner, everything is two weeks' ride from where we are.

But beans is beans! No matter where you buy 'em.

I had a real funny feelin', Dan.

Real funny feelin'.

Me too. Had it ever since we left Wilcox.

Like somebody's out there.

Lurkin'. Dodgin'.

When you turn...

Nothin'!

Nothin' at all.

[ rattling ]

[ rattling ]

You see something?

No!

But that don't mean they ain't there!

Like Bukner said, two steps behind.

What you doin'? Oh, just

pickin' out some of these beans for supper.

No, hide 'em! We're only a couple of hours from San Manuel.

We'll eat when we get there.

Is there a bank in San Manuel?

Well, reckon so. Why?

You figured they think we was crazy

if we was to deposit a sack of beans?

We'll see, Tommy. We'll see!

It's locked solid! Yeah. It's closed.

MAN: The bank's been closed for some time, boys.

Since the fourth time it was robbed.

I'm the sheriff here. Gittings is the name.

Justin Gittings.

Now, you can just forget about the part

of Gittings getting while the getting's good.

Now, what can I do for ya?

We'd like to deposit this.

What's in it? Beans.

That's funny.

Okay. Sheriff.

They been followin' us.

Wouldn't be a bit surprised if they were, mister.

Got any idea who they might be?

No, sir. We never seen 'em.

But they been after us for two weeks now.

Lurkin'. Dodgin'.

Is he all right? 'Course he is!

Both of ya, huh? Sheriff, these beans got to be kept in a safe place.

Will you watch out for 'em? You're playing some sort of a game.

No, sir, we're not. We're real serious!

We need help!

You sure do.

It's your duty to help us if we ask for it, Sheriff.

[ under his breath ] No. Not here.

They may be watching. [ bird twittering ]

Let's go to your office.

All right, boys. We will.

But I'm keeping the door open.

Look. That's that Bukner's wagon.

Wonder what brings him here?

[ knocking ]

[ knocks harder ]

[ coughs ] We was expecting to see Mr. Bukner.

No sabe. I do not know him, señor.

Well, now, you must. This here's his wagon.

You are mistaken. The wagon, she is mine, señor.

Nosirree, I know this wagon.

It is unwise to know too much, señor.

Adiós.

Oh, yeah?

That wagon ain't no concern of ours.

Maybe Bukner sold it to him!

He don't look like he'd buy nothing he could steal.

Hey, Tom! Look, the store!

Mornin'!

This the only store in San Manuel? Yep.

Be right with ya.

Uh, we're looking for a special kind of beans.

It comes in a sack with two X's on it?

You got any? Nope.

But I remember the kind.

'Cause the old lady I bought 'em from tried to buy 'em back.

And did she? Nope.

I already sold 'em to a freighter, heading in for Phoenix.

Well, this old lady-- You buy all your beans from her?

Yep.

Her name's Serafina Martinez.

She lives just a couple of miles down the road.

Well, much obliged!

Si, I am Serafina. Ma'am.

You camp here, you must pay.

Two dollars.

Loco.

Loco.

You see them sacks?

Down there.

We been over every inch of this place, and still no gold.

It's gotta be here!

It's in them beans she sells.

What's the matter? I don't know.

It's that same feelin'. Like somebody's waitin' and watchin'.

Let's go.

What do you look for, señor?

There are beans. Pinto beans, nothing more.

They make chili for my grandchildren.

You-You must be proud of your grandchildren, eh, señora?

Si. I am old woman.

I have nothing else.

Dan?

Looky over here. Ah? Ew.

You better get to the house, señora.

Mamacita, they bother you?

No, no, no.

Mamacita? You know them?

Si. My grandchildren.

He is Alonso. Very bad.

He is Lorenzo. Not so bad.

My little Ignaçio, not good, not bad.

But... he is little.

Señors. The bag with the gold.

Por favor.

Alonso! Gold is all you think.

Do you know nothing else?

I know the gold does not grow among the beans.

Who-Who--

Who thinks it does?

You do, señor.

But you are wrong. We put the gold in with the beans.

My brothers, and me.

Why would you do a thing like that?

Eh, because we stole it!

She doesn't know this, and she sells the bag of beans.

I know this: when you say I must buy back the beans,

do you chase the man who buys them?

Do you kill him, uh? No, no, no, no, mamacita.

We just follow him, nothing more.

Then how come you got his wagon?

We only borrowed it, señor.

Why should we hurt Señor Bukner?

It is he who tells us what you are looking for.

Here, in San Manuel.

Well, we didn't steal your gold.

If you don't believe us, you just search us.

Then you will take us to where you hide it.

While we kill you.

Hold it right there, Alonso.

Drop the guns.

Here's what you been looking for!

Open it, Alonso.

Beans! Nothing but beans!

You had no right opening that! What's in it was ours!

The gold belongs to the bank at San Manuel.

And we're much obliged you went to all the trouble to bring it back.

But the beans? Now they're yours.

All right, let's go.

Where you take them, señor?

Same place we're taking you, señora.

Till we find out your part in this.

Comin' all the way across Arizona

to give back a fortune in gold.

Beans. Don't go gettin' yourself all riled up, Dan!

Hey! That ain't gonna be bad. Here, taste that.

It really doesn't bother you.

Lookin' for gold, and comin' back with beans.

Like I said, Dan, a man gotta eat!

Like so many frontier characters,

they were never heard of again.

But Dan Purcell and Tom Catlin

were remembered in Western history

as the men who started the Great Pinto Bean Gold Hunt.