Original subtitles

[ gunshots ]

[ gunshots continue ]

Look out, over here!

[ gunshots continue ]

Just plain nosey

or don't you care about your hide?

I care.

What's going on anyway?

Can't you see?

They're throwing me a little party.

Looks like you're the guest of honor

right along with me.

Hope you have a good time.

[ gunshots ]

How'd you get into this mess?

Oh, just riding along minding my own business.

Suddenly they jumped me.

Tried to outrun them, but my horse threw.

Lucky I found this place to hole up.

Some luck.

Backed into a blind corner

with no more cover than a skinned bear.

They still can't get at us without going out in the open.

How many of them are there?

Two as far as I know.

They got what you might call a tactical advantage.

Yeah, well, if we can get one of them to show himself,

we might be able to cut them odds down some.

You reckon if one of us heads for them

rocks over there, one of them would show himself?

Yeah, that'd give me a real good shot.

I'm elected, huh?

You look like you could run faster.

Besides, it was your idea, wasn't it?

You all right?

Not by much.

Listen, if we circle south we'll be at their backs.

You circle south, I'm circling north.

Wait a minute.

That Cully Brown is worth $1,000 bounty.

Fine, you can collect it.

And if they got a price on that friend of his,

you can have that, too.

I'm leaving.

Thanks for pitching in.

Name's Cully Brown.

Jess Harper. Glad I could help out.

Might ask another little favor of you,

if you could spare it.

It's a long walk into the next town.

Yeah, we can ride double.

Thank you.

Then I quit that job and headed north.

Made a little mistake though.

I stopped off in Denver figuring I could double

the 6 months' pay I had in my pocket.

It lasted me about 6 hours.

Oh, them cards.

Well, here's to you, friend.

If I didn't say it proper before, thanks.

Yeah, that's some drink.

Hardly enough to wet my back teeth.

Hey, let's try it again.

After I've seen the color of your money, mister.

Oh, yeah, well, uh...

That's all right, Cully, I'm buying.

Thank you, Jess.

Bring the bottle, huh?

That's a lot of money you're carrying.

Well, I just sold some cattle, taking the profits back home.

Be safer to send it home with Wells Fargo, wouldn't it?

Why? I figure I'm as good as any Wells Fargo shotgun.

Besides, you're the only one that knows about it.

I owe you a man-size debt.

You figure I'd pay it that way?

No.

Where's that gal?

Come on, let's have that bottle.

Coming.

You know, Cully, I was thinking,

since you're just drifting and you're looking for a job,

why don't you ride back to Laramie with me?

Maybe I can set you up with a stage line.

Ah, tell you, Jess,

I ain't much for lightening one place.

Job like that, stage line,

don't see much future in it.

A fellow like me, I got to hit it big

and hit it rich all of a sudden like.

Just starting from the bottom and working up,

that's not for me.

As a matter of fact,

I'm working on an angle

right now down in the Sand River Valley.

You ever been there?

No.

A place called the Bar BJ Ranch.

Bryan James' place, big spread, horses mostly.

Cully, look out!

He's still alive.

Somebody get the doctor.

I hate to tell you, mister,

doesn't look like he's gonna last.

Now don't nobody ask you.

Now get me a clean towel.

All right, let's have it.

What happened?

Well, he started shooting,

didn't turn out the way he expected.

Who was he? Why was he gunning for you?

I don't know. I didn't bother to ask him.

Anyway, he drew first, everybody saw it.

That's right, Sheriff.

Now where's that doctor?

He won't be back before morning.

Anybody else?

Bert might be able to do something for him.

He's going to have to one way or the other.

What do you mean by that?

Well, Bert's our undertaker.

Nothing doing.

Bert's as close to a doctor as you'll get tonight.

I'll have him send a buckboard around.

Might as well move them both together.

Move them where?

To Bert's place.

That's where he's gonna wind up anyway.

I don't know, Bert, seems to me

you're going out of your way to drum up business.

What's your hurry?

You'll get all of it sooner or later anyhow.

Well, hang it all, Doc.

I thought sure he was a goner.

Well, when a guy gets shot in the head.

That's alongside the head, makes a heap of difference.

Yeah? Well, he still don't look too healthy to me.

Yeah, that's shock and loss of blood.

He'll get over it.

But I want to move him.

If he wakes up here he'll think that he's being

measured for one of your pine specials there.

Still alive, huh?

Yeah.

You know where we can bed him down for a few days

till he can get on his feet?

In jail.

Jail?

I found out what all the shooting was about.

The fella that was killed was a bounty hunter

going after this one.

Cully Brown.

$1,000!

Hmm, sort of answers the description, all right.

Of course, anybody would from one of these.

Oh, he's Brown, all right, no doubt about that.

I found an envelope in his wallet

with his name on it.

His initials were burned into his gun butt.

Too bad you went through so much trouble, Doc.

Because when I get him to Denver,

they're gonna do the job all over again.

Permanent.

Hiya, Doc.

Hiya.

How's our patient tonight?

He better be healthy enough to travel

or I'm going to give him a relapse.

Still squawking that he isn't Cully Brown.

Louder than ever.

Good sign, means he's getting healthy.

Well, let's have a look at him.

You get an answer?

No, I didn't.

I'll bet you didn't even send that wire.

No, it's a waste of time and money.

A waste of time and money?

Now you shut up and get back there!

Go on!

Doc, if you ever wanted to do me a favor, do it now.

Okay him to travel.

We'll see.

Doc, will you listen to me?

My name ain't Cully Brown,

and I ain't wanted by anybody.

My name's Jess Harper, and I come from Laramie.

I work for the Overland Stage Line.

Will you sit down, son?

I want to get rid of that bandage.

Doc, will you please listen to me?

Sit down!

Now hold still, I don't want to cut you.

You want the fella that was with me, Cully Brown,

he took my wallet.

Will you hold still?

You got to believe me, Doc,

and you got to make him believe me, too.

He just wants to take somebody in

for that reward money and he don't care who.

But the law in Denver does.

If you're really who you say you are or ain't,

they'll prove it for you.

Yeah, and by then Cully will be clear

out of that territory with my $500.

Well, I'd give that much anytime to keep my neck

from being stretched.

Now let's see.

Hmm, nice and clean.

Not much more I can do.

The rest of the healing is up to you.

Give you much pain, son?

No.

All right, Sheriff,

you can take him to Denver in the morning.

It'll be a pleasure.

I'll put on a little bandage--

Don't bother!

Hold it, Sheriff!

Turn around.

Now get in here.

You've got a gun.

How far do you think that'll get you?

Far enough to find Cully Brown

and bring him back here

and ram him down your throats.

Well, feeling better?

I was wondering when you'd wake up.

It's a little late for that.

I helped clean you up and put you to bed.

Thanks.

Looks like you had a hard time getting here.

Yeah, kinda.

Well, I'm sorry you're hurt, Cully,

but I'm awful glad to see you.

Now wait a minute.

You know you're my only hope, don't you?

He wouldn't let anyone else even set foot on this ranch.

That's why I wrote to you,

I knew you were coming here anyway.

Cully, can you do it soon?

Well, I don't know.

Oh, sure.

Whenever you're ready.

You must be hungry. I'll bring you a tray.

Don't bother, I'll get up.

All right, your clothes are in the closet.

And please, Cully, don't make me wait too long.

Can I help you, sir?

Leave me alone!

Just 'cause a man's in a wheelchair,

don't mean he can't do for himself.

Sure.

Well, Cully,

you look a lot better than you did last night.

I feel better, too.

Thanks for everything.

Nothing to thank.

You were no use to me in that condition.

How soon can you get to work?

Well, I'd like to get something straightened out first.

Nothing to straighten out.

I don't care what kind of scrape you're in.

I don't care if every law man in the territory

is after you.

I'll protect you so long as you're ready to get to work.

James, I just got back,

found about a half a dozen of them at Granite Canyon.

Why didn't you bring 'em back?

I can't do everything all by myself.

Appears to me you can't do nothing by yourself.

This here is Cully Brown, man I've been expecting.

Now you'll have more than enough help.

Show him where he bunks.

Cully, supper's at 6:00.

Linda!

Linda, where are you?

If you're looking for your daughter, sir,

last time I saw her she was in the kitchen.

Thanks!

Kinda feisty, ain't he?

I don't imagine it improves his temper none

to have his wife called his daughter.

Take your pick.

One is just as hard as the next.

Well, looks like you had a pretty good size

crew here once.

It was a decent place to work once.

Sobey, I don't like walking into something blind.

So?

So how about letting me know what's going on around here?

Think a man that raises horses should know better than

to bring a filly around a bunch of colts.

Meaning Mr. James and his wife?

Murder, 2 years ago.

I don't know where he found her,

just come riding in one day.

Then on there's been nothing but trouble.

Came riding in?

Then he hasn't been in that wheelchair all the time.

It was about 6 months.

Found her down by the river.

Pete...

one of the wranglers, big gun fight,

people was killed, and he wound up in that chair.

What about Mrs. James?

[ chuckles ]

Poor Linda,

she was trying to fight Pete off

and the boss found him.

I bet you don't believe that.

Not for me to believe one way or the other.

I wasn't there.

Well, she wasn't scared enough

not to start hanging around the river again.

It was enough for the crew.

They packed up and let out.

Maybe the boss couldn't walk,

but he still could handle a gun.

What about you?

You're still here.

Ah, I needed the work.

And I knew enough to keep my nose out of places

where I wasn't wanted.

You?

[ door closes ]

So it's staring all over again, huh?

What is?

Her kind of trouble.

She's nowhere near the river.

Well, give her time.

I'll tell you one thing,

I ain't gonna hang around to watch it this time.

[ door opens ]

Good morning.

Did you sleep well?

Fine, thanks.

Sobey's gone.

I know.

I saw him ride out just after sun-up.

No, I mean he's gone for good.

He took his gear with him.

Small loss.

Your husband won't think that.

My husband is really depending on you, and so am I.

Well, I can't do this job alone.

Will this be enough help?

Where did you get that?

From the desk drawer where Bryan put it.

When are you gonna do it, Cully?

Now?

Please, Cully, don't wait.

We're all alone, so everyone will have to believe our story.

Just what is our story?

Exactly the way I wrote you.

My husband tried to kill you

and you had to shoot him in self defense.

And why did he try to kill me?

Because he was so insanely jealous,

just like before with Pete.

Please, Cully, do it now.

He's out at the corral.

I don't know...

maybe it's not such a good idea right now.

You're not going to back out on me now.

No, I just want to get things straight.

A man in my position, he can't take any chances.

He has to pick his spots.

Sure, I understand.

How did you latch on to me anyhow?

You never knew me before.

I know your reputation.

When I found out

Bryan had written you to come to work here

I thought you'd be interested in a more profitable job.

Believe me, Cully, the $100 I sent you

is only a small down payment.

There can be lots more.

Well, a job like this needs lots more.

It'll be there for the taking.

Haven't you seen how everything I wrote you is true,

how cold he is, how cruel?

Please, Cully, you've got to help me.

You're the only person I can turn to.

Please.

All right, but you got to let me do it my way

and in my own time.

Soon, Cully, please, do it soon.

Mr. James.

Morning, Cully.

Ready to ride out?

I'd like to talk to you first, sir.

What about?

What we should have talked about last night.

Me and about your wife.

One thing at a time, Cully.

Let's take my wife first.

Well?

She's hired Cully Brown to kill you, sir.

You're lying!

But I'm ready for you.

Don't even bother reaching.

I wouldn't have left that gun to be found so easy

if I hadn't loaded the chamber with duds.

Now what else do you want to talk about?

First off, I'm not Cully Brown.

I know that.

Cully Brown used to work for me years ago.

Well, why didn't you say something?

'Cause I wanted to see how far you'd go.

Anything else you want to talk about?

Look, I don't know what's going on around here,

and I don't much care.

All I know is Cully Brown owes me $500.

Besides that, he's got to square me with the law.

You came here looking for him while posing as him?

I didn't.

You were the one who thought I was Cully Brown.

I only went along with it

so I could stay here and wait for him.

And make a deal with my wife to kill me.

She'd already made that deal with Cully.

You'd be more convincing if you weren't so confusing.

Confusing or not, it's true.

I think the truth is that you bushwhacked Cully.

And when you found my letter offering him a job here,

you took advantage of it.

Well, you're wrong.

You're a murderer,

and I'm well within my rights

in gunning you down right now.

CULLY: Easy, Boss.

I warned you about that temper.

Cully!

Like I keep telling you,

it can get you into a lot of trouble.

Well, I can't believe it.

I thought, when he came here with your--

Well, I ain't no ghost,

which makes him no killer, right?

Cully, you old polecat.

Am I glad you're back.

No more than I am, Boss.

Good to see you, too, Jess.

I'll bet it is.

Now don't start frying until you hear my side of it, huh?

I'm listening.

Wait a minute.

What's this all about anyway?

Well, it's a long story, Boss,

and like you said, kind of confusing, but true.

You heard that?

Heard it all from back there.

Getting kinda leery in my old age,

I like to know what's happening before I walk in anyplace.

Well, get on with it, Cully.

Stop crowding me, Jess, I'll level with you.

I just got you squared away with the boss, didn't I?

Not yet, you haven't.

Now wait a minute,

I can't handle you both at the same time.

Jess, why don't you wait for me back at the bunk house?

I want to talk to the boss first.

Why?

Well, because he's got a Carbine and a temper

and a hair trigger on both.

Now go on, will you?

Now wait a minute, I'm not convinced--

That make you feel better, Boss?

Oh, I know it ain't loaded

and as long as I have it, it won't be.

He can't bite with no teeth.

No, but you two can.

Jess boy, let me look at you.

I can't tell you how glad I am to see you alive.

Try, Cully.

Try real hard.

While you're at it, tell me about switching guns

and wallets and about my $500.

All right, Jess.

I guess you got good cause to be sore.

But try to look at it from my angle.

You were as good as dead anyway.

They said you wouldn't last till morning.

You felt real bad about that, too, didn't you?

Yes, I did, believe me.

Well, you picked a funny way of showing it.

Well, it was my one chance to get the law off my neck.

Now what difference would it have made

if you'd have been buried as Cully Brown?

Well, if things would have been turned around the other way,

I'd have been real glad to do you the same favor.

All right, Cully.

What about my $500?

Well, I got it right here.

That is what's left of it.

What's left of it?

Stopped off in a little town just west of here.

They dealt me worse cards than Denver.

$200.

I'll pay you back every cent, I swear, Jess.

As soon as we round up them horses--

What do you mean "we"?

Well, I talked the boss into keeping you on.

You'll get paid.

Look, I got a job, Cully.

Why don't you just give me my $200 back

and let me get out of here?

I can't, Jess, I don't have it.

Well, get an advance from Mr. James.

He don't have it either right now.

He'll be paid as soon as

he delivers them horses to the army.

Then I get my share.

Well, I'm sorry, Jess, real sorry,

but I'll work my head off

and we'll get this job done in no time flat.

Which job, Cully?

The one for Mr. James or for his wife?

Oh, that.

Yeah, that.

Hold on now.

You don't think I'd do anything to hurt the boss, do you?

I wouldn't know.

Well, he gave me my first job years ago.

He's like-- like a father to me.

You saw how glad he was to see me again.

Sure, I got that letter from his wife.

I didn't pay no attention to it.

Matter of fact, that was one of my reasons

for coming here.

See if I could, well, maybe straighten things out.

Make it right between them again.

You got to believe me, Jess.

I've done a lot of shady things in my time,

but I've never crossed a friend.

And Bryan James is my friend.

All right, Cully.

Now that's more like it.

Now you'll stick and help me bring in them horses?

Well, I reckon I got to if I want to get my $200 back.

You'll get it back.

Everything that's coming to you and more.

You can start by giving me my gun back.

Sure, Jess.

Uh, only I'd keep out of sight of the boss for a while.

He don't trust you too far yet.

Him or you?

Come on, Jess, you know how I feel about you.

Relax.

Everything's gonna work out real fine.

We'll get this job done with no trouble at all.

Well, Linda...

things didn't turn out as expected.

Two Cully Browns.

Well, it certainly was a surprise.

And I don't understand why you let Harper stay

if you knew all the time.

I wanted to find out what he was up to.

And I did.

You don't believe him, do you?

You wouldn't take his word against mine?

Six months ago I took your word against Pete's...

and ever since I've wondered.

What do you mean wondered?

You know what he tried to do.

I know what you told me.

Bryan, do you realize what you're saying?

You can't mean all this.

I wish I didn't.

With everything that's in me, I wish I didn't.

What are you going to do?

Nothing.

Someday, someday soon,

I'm gonna get out of this chair,

I'm gonna stand on my own two feet again

and you won't need any other man.

You're the only man I've ever needed.

And now with Cully here,

everything's gonna be all right.

I know.

You've been gone a long time.

Big job.

I sent you some money for another kind of job.

Yeah, I remember.

Kind of cheap price though for what you wanted.

It's only a down payment.

I like my whole fee in advance.

Look around.

Is all this enough?

Might be.

Keep looking.

More than enough I'd say.

When?

One job at a time.

Let me bring these horses in first.

What about Harper?

Harper?

Oh, you mean Cully Brown, don't you?

That's who the sheriff thinks he is.

Cully Brown wanted.

So when I go into town

and tell about the boss being killed by Cully,

and how I gunned Cully down myself,

ain't anybody won't believe me.

You were gonna do it all the time.

Sure.

Just had to do some figuring ahead, that's all.

Say,

I understand something happened around here

about 6 months ago, down by the river.

What was it exactly?

I don't know what you're talking about.

[ horses neighing ]

How many does that make?

About 280, 290.

Well, the boss said 300.

I guess that's close enough.

Sure ain't gonna be easy rounding them up

and driving them in.

Not the way they're scattered out.

We'll drive them on down to a point on the river,

there's water on three sides

and an old log fence and brush blocking the fourth.

Get them all together there

and then drive them on over the ranch.

Good idea.

Another 2 or 3 days, Jess boy,

I'll be able to pay you back and we'll be square.

Not quite.

There's still a matter of a sheriff

that's looking for me.

You got to square that for me, Cully,

tell them who I really am.

Stick my neck in the rope?

Come on, Jess.

So mine goes in?

You'll be cleared the moment you got to Denver.

You mean if I get to Denver.

Don't forget I broke out of jail.

I'm willing to do anything to help you, Jess,

but you can't expect me to give myself up.

I expect you to do something, Cully.

Well, I'll write a letter to the sheriff

explaining the whole thing.

I'll even get the boss to sign it.

He's a big man around here. They'll believe him for sure.

I don't know.

Well, I'll even get the boss to take you there personally.

That'd square it for sure.

Yeah, it might at that.

Don't you worry about anything, Jess.

Everything's gonna be all right.

What are you gonna do after we wrap this up, Cully?

Oh, mosey along, I guess.

You know me.

Yeah, I reckon.

Just keep drifting, huh?

One step ahead of the law.

Not forever.

I plan on settling down pretty soon.

How are you gonna do that?

There are ways a man can cut his trail, get lost.

Law won't be on my back much longer.

You know, it's funny being here with you, Cully,

working with you these past few days,

knowing that you're wanted for murder.

A lot of difference between being wanted and being guilty.

Sure, I gunned the man,

but only to keep him from gunning me.

But nobody believed you, right?

That's right.

The other fella had friends and I didn't.

May not sound very original, but it's true.

I'd like to believe that, Cully.

You do believe me, Jess.

You never did think I was a killer.

If I hadn't been sure of that

you think I'd have given you that gun?

Well, I'm gonna tell you,

you're a mighty persuasive fella.

I trust you, Jess.

You're my friend.

You know how I feel about a friend.

Well, that's the last of them, Cully.

We got them all.

You better not start cheering too soon.

Let's check along the river,

see if any of them might try to swim for it.

Well, they're all right.

Looks like they'll stay put.

I don't blame them.

That current looks mighty rough.

Deep along here, too.

Stay close to the bank.

Be careful of the potholes.

[ horse neighs ]

Cully!

Here!

Can you climb up?

I can't!

My belt's caught on something!

Hold still, I'll help you.

Cully, what are you doing?!

I'm sorry, Jess.

Afraid I can't help you after all.

Cully!

Well, like I said, I got to cut my trail someplace.

That's a good a place as any down there in them rapids.

Cully!

We'll keep the switch the way it was in the beginning.

Save everybody a lot of trouble.

Cully!

Too bad.

Nice try.

So long, Cully!

Cully!

[ knocking on door ]

Cully.

Evening, Linda.

I thought I heard someone. Come on in.

Hello, Boss.

Linda, what did I tell you?

He said he'd be here tonight and here he is.

Everything go all right, Cully?

Fine, fine.

Got all the horses penned up in the corral,

every last one of them.

I knew you could do it.

This calls for a celebration.

Linda, bring out the bottle.

Where's Jess?

Well, that's the bad part.

Bad? What happened?

His mount threw him, spilled him in the river.

Before I could get to him,

well, you know those rapids around there...

He drowned?

Saw him go down myself.

How awful.

I wanted them horses rounded up,

but not at the cost of a man's life.

Risks in every kind of work, Boss.

No need to take it so hard.

Well, it takes the edge off the occasion.

Not for me, it don't.

Where's that bottle, Linda?

I hope you're getting good money

for them horses, Boss.

The usual.

Government money is always shorter than open market.

Might be a better deal to sell them someplace else.

I got a contract.

Break it.

You know I can't do that.

If you can't, maybe somebody else can.

What are you talking about?

Your widow don't have to honor your contract.

My widow?

Ain't that right?

Whatever you say, Cully.

What?

What's going on here?

Come on, Boss,

it's easy enough to figure out.

I ain't Cully Brown no more.

I'm Jess Harper.

Now Cully Brown, he came in here

and gunned you down while he was robbing you.

I went after him, caught up with him

just in time to see him drown.

Pretty good, huh?

They'll find you out someway or the other.

Never.

Linda and me, we will live here nice and cozy.

Like they say in them story books, happy ever after.

You deserve each other.

Oh, that we do, that we do.

Two of a kind, huh, Linda?

Please, Cully, will you get it over with?

Ain't no rush.

We got all the time in the world.

Cully, look out!

Get him, Cully, get him!

Don't worry, I will.

[ horse neighing ]Cully, someone's coming.

[ horse approaching ]

Who is it?

JESS: Over here, Cully.

Jess?

What's the matter, Cully?

Weren't you expecting me?

How did you get out of that river?

How I got out don't matter.

But I found out what a friend means to you.

Well, so now you know.

Yeah, I reckon I do.

Well, I tell you, Jess...

Please, Bryan, please, it was all his fault.

He made me do it.

I love you, Bryan.

Please, you've got to believe me.

[ crying ]

It's the way she came.

I never thought she'd leave the same way.

Well, it's better than the way Cully left.

Yeah.

Sorry you've got to leave so soon.

I'd like to get to know you better.

Same here.

But they're gonna be wondering what happened to me back home.

Besides, I got to backtrack

and take that letter you gave me to the sheriff.

Dadgum, I sure hope he can read.

Well, if you have any trouble, send him out to see me.

You bet I will.

I'll send you money

as soon as I get it from the government.

Oh, now wait a minute, that ain't your debt.

You've got some pay coming,

and Cully won't be able to spend his.

I reckon not.

All right, thank you.

Good luck.