Original subtitles

Here's the last of them, Canby.

How's that mule holding up under all this?

Boy, she's doing just fine.

But I'm afraid to tell her she's carrying close to $50,000

'cause I'm afraid she'll sit down

and start counting it.

No hurry, boys, we got nothing but time.

Nothing but time and money.

Come back here, you stone-headed, you...

[ whistles ]

[ horse whinnies ]

Stede, Ann, it's me, Jess Harper.

Jess! Jess, you old sidewinder!

How are you? Good to see you, boy.

I've been wanting to come up for a long time,

but every time I started, something came up.

Ugly as ever.

Ugly as ever, Jess.

Oh, it's so good to see you.

I wouldn't pick that word for you.

And I'll shoot the first man that does.

Come on, come on, come on inside.

It's good to see you.

Before you get carried away, how about some supper?

Well, I'll tell you, if it's you who did the cooking and not him,

you can count me in.

Squirrel stew, biscuits and hot coffee.

- Sound all right? - Sounds good to me.

And I've got a jug in the shed.

You're gonna stay the night, aren't you?

Oh, sure am. Not even a cat will try that mountain trail in the dark.

Good. I'll be right back.

Look at that.

Mmm, you mean, you can get a smell like that

out of just a plain old common tree squirrel?

If you think flattery is gonna get you anywhere, you're right.

I can't understand why some girl hasn't caught you yet.

Well, I'll tell you, I'm shy.

Oh.

Besides, I got a fast horse.

How's things going with you newlyweds?

Just fine, Jess.

Are you sure of that?

He's been hunting again, hasn't he,

instead of fixing this place up?

I could tell when I rode in.

This time it was buffalo.

Buff? That's not easy to do.

They're scarcer than three-legged steers nowadays.

Last time it was a lynx,

tracked it for 11 straight hours.

Well, I'll tell you something, Ann.

When a man is brought up with a habit

like that inside of him, it's kind of hard to change.

He'll settle down.

When?

Oh, Jess, I know he's a good hunter.

If he wasn't, we'd probably starve,

but that's all he does.

He doesn't do any plowing or any planting.

The things that make a farm a home

instead of just some place to worry in.

If we had kids, I--

well, I don't know what I'd do.

Well, this may not be smooth, but every drop's got muscle.

To the good old times, Jess, and the new.

You bet.

Well, you've seen the whole place now, Jess.

What do you think?

What am I doing wrong, Jess? Level with me.

It's not what you're doing wrong, Stede.

It's what you're not doing.

Like that bunch of wild hay in the north corner.

What's the matter with it?

It needs cutting for winter feeding.

All your fences need mending.

Yesterday when I come in, I saw a bunch of your cows

near a quicksand patch.

You don't have any catch basins to trap water,

things like that.

Yeah, I guess you got to improve a homestead

or you lose it.

And I'm gonna lose it, Jess.

Gonna lose my wife, too, maybe.

Oh, no, no, Ann loves me, I know that.

But I can't tie her down to a rundown place like this.

It wouldn't take much.

Oh, not much, just some money, and I don't have any.

They're looking for freighters in Laramie.

Laramie?

Jess, I'd never go back to that town again.

Come on, ten years is a long time, I told you.

Well, there's hardly anybody there now

that'll remember that old rustling charge they had against you.

Besides, you were acquitted, weren't you?

Yeah, there's still enough there to mention it.

A man can't think much of a town that thought that little of him.

No, I want no part of that, Jess.

Look, when you and Ann got married,

I offered to lend you some money,

and you wouldn't take it.

Well, I'm offering it again,

and this time you can't turn it down.

Good morning.

Morning.

Well, what are you two so serious about?

Oh, Jess here wants to lend us some money.

Oh.

They're nice, aren't they?

I picked them down by the creek.

You see, Jess, Ann and me aren't much for loans.

All right.

We've got some old equipment at the ranch

that we're not using right now.

Hand plow, grain scythe,

extra wire, things like that.

Now we're not using them.

They're just sitting here, rusting up on us.

The fact is you'd be doing us a favor

if you took them off our hands.

I'd help you pack them back here

and spend a few days with you

till you get things straightened out.

But I won't do it for nothing.

Well, what would you be expecting in return?

Well, I'd like some of that good squirrel stew

every night for dinner,

and some of them homemade biscuits.

What do you say, Annie?

Oh, yes.

Okay, fine, we'll leave tomorrow at first light,

the three of us.

You got yourself a deal.

You all right?

For a man nearly been buried alive, yeah.

How about you?

I twisted a knee.

Now come on.

It's a lucky day when we grubstaked him.

Yeah, yeah, well,

we still got two guns and the bullets to go with them.

Well, let's get trailing.

I remember one time when I was a young man,

I had a personal difference of opinion with a bear.

That seemed like a Sunday school picnic

compared to that time me and Jess on the 4th of July,

we challenged the whole town of Butte.

Hey, what's wrong?

Look over there.

Well, I swear, if that doesn't look like a mule,

drinking in my waterhole.

I don't see the owner anywhere in sight.

Let's take a look.

Hey, little fella.

Where did you get such a heavy load?

Ho, ho.

Jess, it's gold.

I reckon it is.

Oh, look.

Look at all them pokes.

Oh, Jess, ya-hoo!

You brought me luck in the past,

but never anything like this.

How do you figure it being out here, though?

What difference does it make?

We're rich, all three of us!

Stede!

Wait a minute, Stede.

This gold doesn't belong to us.

What do you mean it doesn't belong to us?

We found it, didn't we?

Oh, come on, quit joking, Jess.

I'm not joking.

This mule belongs to somebody.

I'm gonna backtrack and see if I can find him.

If I can't, we'll take him to the sheriff in Laramie.

If nobody claims it then--

Laramie?

Claims it?

Oh, come on, Jess, you know that town is not about

to give up this to a mountain man like me.

Now come on, we found it, it's ours.

Stede, the gold didn't just hop in those sacks.

Somebody's worked hard for it.

Ann's right, Stede.

It's up to us to try and find him.

You wait here, and I'll backtrack.

Jess.

Nobody else is gonna get this gold.

I'm sorry you made me do that.

Stede, for heaven sakes--

Get his belt.

You hear me?

Now maybe we can talk straight.

Just what makes you think

that we don't have this coming to us, all of us?

Jess, we'll take this gold,

and we'll just light out across the badlands where nobody will bother us.

Maybe go all the way to San Francisco.

And we'll lock off the Golden Gate and raise rice.

What do you say, Jess?

I say I can't figure you out.

You won't take a loan from me,

but you'll steal gold from another man.

I say what you're doing is wrong,

and it's gonna cause you trouble.

Jess, neither one of us is a stranger to trouble.

And this is the end of it for both of us.

Jess, I want this chance for you

just as much as I want it for me and Ann.

Save it.

I couldn't spend gold that didn't belong to me.

I don't think you could either, or Ann.

Oh, you're wrong there by a country mile,

and you're wrong about yourself, too.

But there's one thing you'd better understand, Jess.

You're either with me or you're against me, Jess.

There's no place for you in the middle.

I know that.

And one more time, Jess.

Well?

No.

Then I'm sorry.

Stand over there.

Ya! Ya!

All right, now start walking.

Stede, please, don't do this.

Ann, I don't like it any more than you do, but there's no other way.

He's your friend. He's trying to help us.

- He wanted to loan you money. - That's enough, Ann.

Look, he's out there alone.

He doesn't have a gun, and he doesn't have any food.

If anything happens to him I'll never--

Nothing's going to happen to him.

He's a day out of Laramie, two at the most,

which will give us the time that we need

if he goes to the law, and he will.

Hey, look, Ann, do I have to say it again?

You're either with me or you're against me.

There's no place in the middle.

Ann, I need--

If it does belong to somebody else--

It doesn't belong to anybody else.

At least not to anybody who's still alive.

Honey, prospectors are old men.

This one probably just died on the trail somewhere.

Honey, do you know what's in those bags?

Real silk dresses.

Railroad tickets to fancy places.

Ranch as big as you can think of.

Honey, we're gonna be somebody, don't you see that?

I'll tell you what I see.

I see the only man I've ever loved

trying to take the easy way

and justifying what's wrong

by telling me how good it's gonna feel.

Do you want to try telling me

how much better it feels being poor?

Money was never a part of it with you and I,

and you know it.

Don't you see, I don't care what you fail at,

as long as it isn't yourself.

That's just what you're gonna be doing

if you take what belongs to somebody else.

Ann, you talk to me

as if I were some kind of a criminal or something.

I haven't done anything wrong in my life before, have I?

Just trust me a little, honey.

Good boy.

Good boy.

Well, I'll get you.

Hold it, mister!

Raise 'em high.

Turn around.

Am I glad it's you, mister.

You are?

That's my horse you're after.

Well, I know, but that's my gun.

We're wearing the same kind of feathers.

You without a gun, me without my horse and mule.

Mule?

Yeah, pack mule.

Have you seen one around here somewheres?

What'd he look like?

Oh, dun color with black socks.

Packing a load?

Something for two full canteens, gold.

- What happened to you? - Well, you see,

I just finished up a service vein

back up in the Bighorn.

Well, that load represents a lifetime spent gopherin'.

I guess I got a little careless.

Coming down the trail, somebody jumped me,

never saw who.

Bullet creased my horse, he sun fished.

Well, it seems several stars came right down on my brains.

And now, well, you've got my gun

and I ain't even got what I started out with.

I think I've seen your mule, mister,

near where I lost my horse.

Well, the good Lord has His arms around me today.

Hallelujah to you, brother.

Give me my gun.

I think I'll just borrow it for a while

till I get mine back.

That is, if you don't mind.

I reckon not.

Oh, my name's Canby, Roger Canby.

Jess Harper.

I'll round up my horse.

We'll go look for your mule.

It's tracked up like a wagon train went through here.

How many you think?

Now let me see, one, two--

It's hard to say, maybe three or four horses and the mule.

He was meeting some others here then.

Yeah, looks like it.

Tracks lead west.

That's the badlands.

We ain't gonna follow anybody through there on foot.

We'll have to stop them before they get there.

Means doubling our time, let's go.

Well, whatever it means, I'm for it.

The feel of it's alive.

Dust and it's all it is.

Frightening the way it changes people.

It's brought about the only change in us

that I ever wanted.

It's made us rich instead of poor.

And if that's frightening, I hope we stay scared

for a long time.

Wait here.

Get up, Stede.

Now get up, nice and slow.

Come on, Canby.

I should have known you'd be a tough one to lose.

Who's he?

This here is Roger Canby.

This is Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes.

They've been taking care of your gold.

Who says it's his gold?

He says.

Described the mule and the pack.

Looks like it's all here,

excepting for that one poke on the ground over there.

I want you to have that, Harper, for your trouble.

Thanks. But you better keep it all together for the trip in.

Trip in?

We're going to Laramie.

Oh, I wasn't figuring on heading that way.

You can prove title to your claim there.

That way there won't be any misunderstandings by anybody.

All right.

Now if you want to take care of your horse,

I'll tend to supper.

That is, if there's any leavings left in the stew pot.

Ain't I seen you somewhere before, ma'am?

I'm from St. Louis.

Never been to St. Louis.

I can't stand lamb that sinks down flat.

Mmm, bunny mulligan, and mighty fragrant indeed.

They're not taking that gold away from us, Ann.

Taking?

You heard Jess, it belongs to Canby.

Well, I don't believe that, even if Jess does.

What are you doing awake, Canby?

Well, it's my money being guarded.

And I looked over and saw your head bobbing

like a sick woodpecker,

so I thought maybe I'd spell ya a while.

Yeah, I am kind of tired.

Sure.

Good sleep will freshen you up.

I reckon.

You got my gun.

- Huh? - My gun.

I can't do any guarding without a gun.

You got a point.

You get your rest now.

Bert, look.

Canby.

Ann!

[ horses whinnying ]

I believe we're too much for 'em.

Figure they're the same ones that jumped you before?

Eh, bushwhackers.

I'm gonna get some more shells, in case they come back.

You should have thought of that sooner, Jess.

You, too, friend.

Throw down those guns and move over here.

It's all right, Ann.

You figure you can stand them off alone?

Why not? They're bushwhackers, aren't they?

Two of them judging from the muzzle flashes.

What are they gonna do when there aren't any bushes

to whack from?

What do you mean?

We're gonna take that gold right across the badlands.

You can see an ant for 50 miles out there.

Nobody is gonna close in on us in that country.

Well, but our stock's run off.

How are you gonna get that gold across without no stock?

I'll think of something.

He sure did think of something, all right.

Been a lot of strange things in my life,

but ain't never been a pack mule before.

You got any oats on you, Harper?

Doesn't anything ever get you down, Canby?

Oh, a gravestone will, I reckon.

Point is, we ain't done yet.

An idea will come runnin' to me.

You'll see, always does.

Are you just gonna keep marching them like that?

You know a better way to get that gold across?

Yeah, but after you get it across,

then what are you gonna do with them?

Don't worry about it. Just keep walking.

I want to know.

All right, so you want to know.

I mean it, Stede.

When the time comes, I'll do what needs to be done.

You've killed before, haven't you?

To keep myself alive, yes.

Now get moving, and don't make it any tougher

than it has to be.

They made it.

Yeah, that gold of theirs must be getting kind of heavy though.

That's our gold. Oh, what's the difference?

They beat us.

We're low on shells, we got no food.

Even if we were in shape,

they're not gonna camp anywhere we can sneak into range.

We're through, Bert.

Maybe not.

They're packing quite a load down there.

It's gonna slow them down when they start running low on water.

It's gonna slow us down, too.

Well, the important thing is, fast or slow,

we can't creep in on them without being spotted.

Because they're on the lookout for us.

What if they had nothing to worry about?

Figure they've got rid of us for good.

That's a big "if," Bert.

Yeah.

The water's foul.

We'll have to boil it.

We're pushing on.

Next waterhole is better than 20 miles,

that's more than 2 days' travel.

Then we'll travel more than 2 days.

Stede, your wife is just about finished.

If she doesn't get water now, she will be.

We can't take the time to boil water.

We're being followed close by two men.

I've seen them edging up on us all day.

You better start squirting lead

if they're bothering you because here they are.

Stay down there.

You leave the gold where it is and move out!

Or I'll come in and nail you down!

They've probably seen only one of us is armed.

They'll figure on rushing him, and they're right.

We sure got a marksman in our midst.

I ain't never seen shooting like that.

You just keep it in mind.

How'd you set them sights for that shot?

Well, it's the third notch down,

then you bring the front bead down nice and fine.

You got to allow for wind--

Take him, Jess!

Leave him alone!

Get up here.

All right, Canby, start boiling water.

Well, at least there's only one of them to watch now.

I can get some rest.

Here, hold this on him, but don't get close.

If he moves an inch toward you, shoot.

Like I said,

it's a caution when gold gets hold of a man.

All we need is a little fur to become an animal.

You ever tried thinking about it that way?

Quite a bit lately.

Well, I mean,

good friends like this clubbing each other and all.

Does make it kind of humorous, though,

because we call them Injuns savages.

Water's cool.

Like to have a drink?

Yeah, after you finish bandaging.

I'll be through here in a minute.

Mr. Canby?

Yes, ma'am.

Have you ever bandaged anyone before?

Oh, I take care of myself mostly.

Why, am I doing something wrong?

Well, it's much too tight. I don't know which is worse,

the hit on the head or the bandage.

Well, where is it too tight?

Well, everywhere.

It needs to be loosened.

All right.

Oh, gently, gently.

Well, the bandage is kind of sticky.

It's hard to loosen now.

Well then, put some water on it from the canteen.

Oof. I only got the two hands, ma'am.

I'm not trying to be smart.

Sorry, I...

I'll do it.

There, now just hold his head up, will you?

Easy, easy.

There.

There, that ought to do it.

Yes, ma'am.

Now why don't you have that drink?

Ahh!

Wake up!

Good afternoon.

What happened?

He tricked me, Stede.

I was helping with the bandage and he got the gun away.

I told you not to get close enough--

That's enough out of you. Now you get up.

All right, give me them cartridges.

All right, now get over there with the little lady.

Sorry, Stede.

Well, Jess boy.

You think you can walk?

I guess.

How did you get them?

Well, that idea came running, just caught up.

What are you doing?

Well, you won't be needing that.

You'll be so busy packing that gold.

You see, I'm in charge here now, only me.

And you're gonna do and go where I say,

even little old Annie there.

[ chuckles ]

I hope you know what you're up to,

'cause I sure don't.

Gold, what's everybody up to?

And you folks made it so nice and easy for me.

Then that gold don't belong to you?

Oh, third of it does.

The rest belong to that buzzard bait out in the rocks.

Then those men were...

My partners.

I thought I'd taken good care of 'em

when I blew 'em up in the mine,

but they came scratching along.

That is, until you properly pasted them down.

And you let me kill both of them for nothing.

Oh, it wasn't all for nothing.

You just finished off what I started.

Little bit of a fox, aren't you, Canby?

[ groaning ]

It worked, they're moving off.

They think they got us.

They were almost right.

You've been bleeding all this time?

Well, I just couldn't think of anything better to do.

What?

The bleeding stopped--, he just gouged me.

You know, Jack, I'm pretty lucky.

That boy is a good shot.

Well, their time is coming.

We can move in on them now without being expected,

we'll wipe them all out, and this time no mistake.

That's right, boys, head for Laramie

and may Roger Canby have mercy on your souls.

What's he want to head for Laramie for?

What's to stop him?

Once we get to town, it'll be his word against ours.

When we get to town, he'll have another idea

come running.

Like parting our hair with a bullet.

Oh.

Yeah, "oh."

Getting dry, gal?

Not for me, for you.

You say you're from St. Louie, huh?

St. Louis.

Oh, St. Louis.

Got a recipe for him, too.

Harper, go get him!

Stede, would you like some water?

No.

I remember now. Bodeen.

You worked a saloon in Bodeen.

Dance hall girl and all.

I seen her pass through once.

Ah, wouldn't likely be to forget that.

Her name was Mavis-- Mavis something.

Isn't that right, Mavis?

Oh, you didn't tell him about your dance hall days, huh?

It was a long time ago, Stede.

I-- I couldn't get any other job.

I just didn't see any reason to tell you.

There's no need to explain.

I mean, we're all good at making out

better than we really are.

Yeah, him and you and me.

Each of us has got a little of what the other didn't know.

Look, why don't you just leave her alone, funny man?

I forgot about him.

He's the one with the halo stuck on tight.

STEDE: Jess, look out!

Near--

Near shot my pack mule, I did.

Foolish that would be,

seeing as how I know some ways better when the time comes.

What's it like?

Well, they're camped up on top of this table rock--

Yeah.

There's loose shale all the way around it.

So we can't get anywhere near

without being heard right from the start.

Yeah, they're not taking any chances.

Canby's idea probably.

Well, they got to come down in the morning all the same.

That will be our time.

Yeah.

Look, Jess, I've never been much for sorries,

but I've sure been an awful fool.

Well, I'm glad you're finding out.

Well, nobody ever accused me of being overly smart.

I knew that gold didn't just happen along.

But the thought of what it could do for all of us was...

Well, I just had to take it, I had to.

All my life I've just barely been able

to get by, you know that, Jess.

But I never before ever took anything I didn't earn.

It only takes one time.

Yeah.

One time, that's all it takes.

Look, Jess, if we ever do get out of this, I...

Well, I can't even say that.

I couldn't swear that I wouldn't do the same thing

all over again.

I guess I'm just not much of a man.

Well, it takes some doing to admit that to yourself.

I always was mighty suspicious of a man

who wouldn't admit there's something wrong in him.

Maybe that's what's been the trouble with me.

Blaming the whole world for what's wrong with me.

What a trip this has been.

Shoot two innocent men

and gonna cost my best friend his life.

Then there's Ann.

I don't even know what's gonna happen with her.

[ Canby guffaws ]

Then I'm gonna get us a buggy

that's gonna be so long

that the horses will be where we're gonna go

a day ahead early and be grained down already.

Give us a kiss, honey.

Sweeter than honey.

Wait a minute. Wait--

Yes, just you and me.

We'll hire the others to do the work.

Those little hands will be just as soft--

JESS: Canby!

What?

These ropes are so tight,

they're cutting off the circulation.

If you want us to do any packing for you tomorrow, untie them.

Well, I reckon that sounds reasonable enough.

Untie them, sugar.

All right, sugar, that's enough.

Now slide back here real easy like.

The fire, how about putting some more wood on the fire?

It's getting cold.

Throw some wood on the fire.

Did I do all right?

You did real good, sugar.

Now come here, give me another kiss.

[ gunshots ]

Get going, Jess!

Here's one of them.

- What's going on up there? Where are the others? - Who are you?

Talk, talk, what's happening?

I tried to make a break for it, Canby caught me.

- He's tied. - Who are you?

We're property owners, gold property.

Only we're owners who don't own it at the moment.

You mean you're a prisoner of Canby's?

Yeah, you guessed it.

I'm glad to see you boys didn't get plowed under

like we thought.

How do we know you're not in it with Canby?

Would I be tied up like this if I was his partner?

Stede, the other fellow, and me,

he's got his backpack and that gold for him.

He's sure to shoot us when he finishes with us.

You untie me and give me a gun,

we can three-side him before he gets any more ideas.

We ain't got another gun.

I don't like the feel of this, this could be a trick.

Could be Canby spotted us, sent him down here for bait.

We waited this long. We'll have to wait a little longer.

We can't wait any longer, I know Canby.

He knows Canby. He knows Canby.

You just lay back and you lay back real quiet.

One call out of you, and I'll give you this gun butt

that you want.

Harper! Get back up here,

or I'll put a bullet in the girl.

Rhodes got one in the shoulder.

He's not gonna be good for any packing.

Now get back up here, or I'll down them both.

Tell him I mean it, Stede.

He means it, Jess.

Does that sound like a trick?

Yeah, sounds right as rain.

To shoot and give away our positions so as they can jump us.

It could be at that.

It could be nothing. I'll tell you what will be.

He'll do what he says, he'll shoot 'em both.

Now untie me.

What will that do?

He's waiting for me to come up there.

You untie me and give me a gun, I can get close to him.

Do you think we're gonna give one of our guns away to you?

Harper!

One more minute I'll give you.

Just one more minute.

I'm telling you it's our only chance.

Only one man can go up that shale.

He can tell by the noise if it's more than one.

Untie me.

I'm not gonna wait much longer!

- All right, untie him. - He won't--

It's just like Canby to do it.

Untie him and give him your gun.

I could be making a mistake.

If I am, I'm gonna kill you the slowest way I know.

I'm coming!

I figured you would be.

Soft, your friend.

Had it been me, I'd have been down there

sawing them ropes off on a granite rock.

Then I'd have come a-huntin'.

Yeah, he's pretty soft comin' in like a fish on a line.

Well, well, the pilgrim's back.

Maybe you should have gone for help, Jess, but he'd have shot Ann sure.

Don't matter why he came back, the main thing is he's here.

You know, some fellas just ain't happy

unless they're in harness.

You never tire of listening to yourself talk, do you?

Go ahead, have your little say.

But I got my pack mule back.

That ain't all you got back.

Now hold it, Harper.

Turn around.

I said turn around!

Sure.

Where did you get the gun, Jess?

Couple of fellas at the bottom of the hill.

The ones you thought you shot, they were just playing possum.

Where is he?

Let me get you some more.

Oh, no, ma'am, not me, I'm stuffed tighter than a glacier.

You're gonna have to give me some of your recipes, Miss Cooper.

I've never known him to eat that much.

Oh.

Seems to me someone around here

keeps talking about squirrel stew.

Oh, well, I'm afraid Jess was just starving that night.

Jess and Slim says to tell you the things is ready,

Aunt Daisy.

"Are," Mike.

It ain't ours, Aunt Daisy, it's theirs,

that's the whole idea.

You will come and see us soon. Promise?

Oh, we promise, and thank you.

Thanks doesn't say nearly enough, Miss Cooper.

Oh.

Thought you said it was all old rusty equipment you couldn't use anymore.

That stuff's brand-new.

Well, the Lewis brothers wouldn't have it any other way.

Oh, but, Jess, you had a lot more to do with the--

Stede, if it hadn't been for you,

I'd have six feet of dirt in my ears right now.

You know, and those two miners bought 50 head of cattle.

We'll start running off tomorrow.

Stede, you think you can handle those lines?

Yeah, I can manage.

Thank you, Jess.

There are some things ladies can do

that I didn't know they could do, Aunt Daisy.

What's that, Mike?

They can kiss a man, and he'll smile for hours.

Why, you little...