Original subtitles

[Sam whimpering]

–Well, that makes, uh, two drinks I owe you. –That makes three drinks you owe me.

Oh.

Yeah, you mind telling me somethin'?

How come you're always broke a week after payday?

Well, it just seems that there's always

too much month left over at the end of my money.

Now if they was to shorten the months, I'd....

Bottle of whiskey.

Do you smell somethin'?

Ain't that sheep?

Hey, mister

have you been trailin' with sheep?

Or do you just naturally smell that bad?

[Sniffs]

[Yelling]

Come on! You're not gonna let a sheep man do that to you, are you?

[Laughing]

[Sighs]

Baaaa! [Laughs]

[All laughing]

You're gettin' a little soft around the oat bin there.

Huh? Oh, he hit me with one of them Sunday surprises.

Mister, I'm a cattleman. Like to buy you a drink.

–Well! Now that's mighty nice of you. –(Soldier) Hondo

Colonel Crook wants to see you right away.

–You, too. –Me, too?

Well, go on. Pour it, pour it.

And then you guard it with your life.

Hondo, how well do you know the Indians of the Pinto Basin Apache reservation?

–Well, I got friends there. –Good.

We've had some trouble getting beef up to the reservation.

Texas cattle we had coming up were lost crossing the Pecos.

Stampeded during a bad storm.

I, uh... I made a deal for another drive.

I want you to head it up.

Colonel, I agreed to help the Army keep the peace with the Apaches

not ramrod trail drives.

This'll help keep the peace.

Hungry Indians mean trouble.

Those men are here, Colonel.

Tell 'em to come on in.

Come in, sir. Come in.

Mr. Morgan Slade and one of his drivers, Allie.

Hondo Lane, Buffalo Baker.

Colonel Crook recommends you very highly, gentlemen.

I, uh... just bought 500 head of Merinos from Mr. Slade.

Merinos?

That's right.

Sheep.

Well, Hondo, what about that drive?

Get outta my way, Colonel.

You haven't been dismissed yet.

Colonel, you stopped bein' my commander when you went into the sheep business.

You need somebody to head up that sheep drive, go get yourself a nanny goat.

That's what they use to lead sheep.

All right, Hondo. You can walk out on this job.

But it's too late to get another cattle drive up from Texas before winter.

And you know what that means with the Pinto Indians.

Aw, Apaches never had a mutton steak in their life. You know that.

Well, I don't care too much for sheep myself, but I did some checking.

And I'm convinced.

Sheep will be better for the Indians than cattle, Mr. Lane.

Yeah, well you tell the Apaches that.

Look, Hondo, cattle are a one-shot item: meat

But sheep mean wool as well as meat.

And they're a lot easier to take care of.

They don't wander as far, they get along where cattle would starve,

and they don't need as much water.

I know this is an experiment but...

Well, it worked with the Navajos. Maybe it'll work with the Apaches.

I don't like sheep.

I'm sorry, Mr. Lane.

I asked the colonel for a cavalry escort.

Captain Richards is on patrol and I...

I can't spare any more troopers for a sheep drive.

Colonel, I'm Ben Cobb.

We're discussing business here, Mr. Cobb.

Well, you're discussing it with the wrong man.

I just heard that you bought some sheep from Morgan Slade here.

That you intend driving them up in the Pinto Basin territory.

That's right. To the reservation Indians.

Well, it just so happens that I'm head of the cattlemen's association in that part of the country.

Now you want them Indians to have meat

we'd be glad to sell you more beef than you'll need.

I contacted your organization, Mr. Cobb

and you stuck a gun to the Army's head.

We can't pay prices like that.

Besides

I've decided sheep will be better for the Indians.

If they get through.

They'll get through!

Slade, you musta lost your mind to bring sheep into cattle country.

If there isn't enough room in Arizona for both cattle and sheep

where is there enough?

Try California or try Dakota.

But don't try the Pinto Basin!

♪ ♪

It's up to you, Hondo.

Either the Apaches get those sheep, or they...

they starve.

I reckon I don't have much choice, do I?

Thank you, Mr. Lane.

I'll ride out to the reservation and tell the Indians the sheep are on their way.

–I'll meet you there. –All right.

Sheep are just outside the fort.

We all be headin' 'em out first thing in the mornin'.

Well... [Laughs]

Good luck, amigo. Good luck, and don't forget

you best keep upwind of them woolies. [Laughs]

(Crook) You're goin' with him.

Me, Colonel?

Me? Wet nursin' a bunch of...

sheep?

Aw, Colonel, I don't even wear wool socks.

You don't wear any socks.

Now, if you'd like a little time in the guardhouse to think it over...

Well...

Like I was sayin'...

When do we go?

Receipt for your purchase, Mr. Cobb.

Whiskey and guns. Appreciate your business.

And I'd appreciate your confidence in the matter.

I rarely speak to anyone on the way to the bank, Mr. Cobb.

You gentlemen are welcome to use this office as long as you care to.

I'm going home.

–I thank you again. –Thank you.

–Good night. –Good night.

Allie, come here.

I'm gonna give you half now

and the other half when you see it through safe.

Can you manage to hide all this stuff on Slade's wagon?

Yeah, I'll salt it down with wheat sacks and boxes.

Slade leaves the wagons to me.

–Who do I deliver this stuff to? –You don't.

Coro and his renegade Apaches, they're gonna attack the wagon and take it.

No, thanks. I wouldn't be alive to get the other half.

Oh, you won't have to worry about that.

I'm gonna give orders not to touch the man with the green bandanna.

I like your color green.

Now, them Indians better do a good job.

I don't want nobody left alive to see 'em take whiskey and guns outta my wagon.

They'll destroy everything.

Men and sheep.

But I'm still alive. Now how we gonna explain that?

You're just lucky, I guess.

And you're luck is gonna even be better.

With Indian trouble in the Pinto Basin

all the rest of them cattlemen

they're gonna wanna sell out cheap.

And you'll come to work for me.

I'll drink to that.

You'll drink to it when you come to work for me.

Fair enough.

Well, there's our mutton. [Laughs]

I'm puttin' in for sick leave already.

[Sheep dog barking]

[Sam barks]

[Sam barking]

–Sam! –Hey, don't shoot!

[Sam barking]

That's all right, mister. He won't hurt those sheep.

Your dog, señor?

Well, no. Not exactly. Uh...

I guess he's... he's just interested in your sheep dog.

Only to one as ugly as him.

But Maria looks beautiful.

[Laughs] Maria... ain't that a pretty name for a dog?

Sí, señor.

Sancho takes care of the sheep.

Hondo Lane, Buffalo Baker.

Mr. Slade sold the sheep to the Army. Lane's in charge now.

Good. We will move now, eh, señor?

Yeah, well... just as soon as I meet the rest of the crew.

–Sí, señor. –This way.

This is Hondo Lane, Buffalo Baker.

–Lane's takin' over the drive. –Well, ain't that nice.

That's Dakota

Rufus

Kemp.

Looks like sheep herders come in all sizes these days.

Buffalo.

Thought Slade said we were supposed to have some troopers for escort.

–Where are they? –This is our escort of troopers.

Two scouts.

Lane, you better quit the job right now.

There's no way that you can get these sheep into Pinto Basin without Army help.

Yeah, well, we're gonna try. Let's get those sheep movin'.

We don't drive mutton. Just these wagons.

You need four wagons for a sheep drive?

What do you got in 'em?

They're supplies for Mr. Slade's tradin' post in the basin.

What does that got to do with sheep?

Look, I don't know. I don't care.

You just check your orders. You'll find these wagons were approved by Colonel Crook.

Whose bugle?

Mine.

Belonged to my boy.

He was a bugler for the Third Ohioans.

He was killed at Tate's Meadows.

All right, get those wagons hitched. We're movin' outta here.

What'd you do that for?

Well, I just wanted to know what kind of a sheep herder we're takin' orders from now.

Well, that seems like a lot of bother

but if that's the way it's gotta be, then...

Well, you heard the man.

Let's get 'em hitched up.

[Sheep bleating]

[Barks]

Shut up, Sam. Stop rilin' up those sheep.

[Laughs] It ain't them sheep he's interested in.

It's Maria.

Well...

Where you goin', Sancho?

Huh? I'm goin' take care of the sheep.

Ain't it kinda lonesome out there

all alone, standin' guard over a

blanket of wool?

Lonesome, señor, yo?

I have my Maria

the sheep

the stars

and the wind from the mountains

and the night bird sometimes.

It give me time to think of my wife.

She's waiting in Chihuahua.

So you see, amigo, I'm not lonesome.

[Rufus playing Taps]

(Kemp) Old man, if you don't quit blowin' on that piece of tin

I'm gonna cram that thing down your gullet.

I was just thinkin' about my boy.

Well, he's dead, and you blowin' on that piece of pipe

ain't gonna bring him back to life.

Leave the man alone.

You a gambler, Lane?

Well, I take a chance sometimes.

Well, this is nickle and dime stuff.

My old man was a gambler all his life.

Cards and women.

Gambled away everything he had.

My mother, my sister.

Died in St. Louis.

Busted flush in his hand and a floozy on his lap.

If he hadn't

I'd have killed him myself, sooner or later.

Your own father?

What different it make?

You hate a man enough, you kill him.

Kill 'em all. Men, sheep...

Kill everything that moves.

You promise us guns, whiskey.

They'll be in the first wagon.

Plenty guns. Plenty whiskey.

There are many soldiers?

No soldiers.

Just a few drivers.

Two scouts.

You can wipe 'em out easy.

[Screams]

[All scream]

[Sam and Maria barking]

You see 'em, Hondo?

Yeah, I saw 'em an hour ago.

I counted six.

I counted seven.

You reckon we oughta look into it? It might mean some trouble.

Well, if it's trouble there's no need to look into it.

I guess it'll find us.

[Sheep bleating]

[Sam barking]

Ah, wouldn't you know it?

Well, a dry water hole. The next one's up ahead

maybe three, four miles, isn't it?

Well, maybe the sheep can make it, but the horses can't.

Now they gotta call a halt for the day.

Well, Pinto Basin is just over those hills.

I'd like to push as close as we can to it.

Don't make no difference what you'd like.

The wagon teams can't pull another mile.

Well...

Sancho

can those sheep hold out till the morning till we move on to the next water hole?

–Sí, señor. –Yeah, all right.

Well, we'll camp here tonight and then move out at sunup.

Yeah.

Te voy a llevar con tu mamá, pobre borrego.

[Maria barking]

[Barks]

[Sam growling]

All right, Sam.

Looks like that trouble found us.

[Coyote howling]

[Howling continues]

[Buffalo grunting]

[Gunshot]

[Gunshot]

No, it's me! [Gunshot]

[Gunshots]

You stopped some lead.

Well, it just grazed you. I guess you're lucky.

Another inch and you'd be dead.

Yeah.

I ain't gonna forget it.

Well, you was right.

There was seven of 'em.

You expect they was after our horses?

No, I don't think so.

Probably after the food in the wagons.

Nothin' to eat in this country. Even the jackrabbits are scarce.

Well, they won't be eatin' anymore breakfasts.

–How's it goin'? –Bad.

Them Army scouts and wagon drivers killed all but two Apaches.

Indians didn't touch one sheep.

There's still some ways to stop 'em.

Get one of the ranch hands and get ready to ride out to the next water hole at sunup.

Sancho, we're gonna ride up ahead and check the next water hole.

Guess you better hold the sheep here.

But, amigo, they gotta have some water.

Yeah, well, if that one is dry, we're gonna have to look in another direction.

There's no sense in runnin' those critters for nothin'.

What's this saltpeter do to this water anyhow?

Ruins it

for the sheep

Kills 'em dead.

Cobb foulin' one of his own water holes.

That kill his cattle, too?

No, cattle smell it. They won't drink it.

–Cattle ain't as dumb as sheep. –Or as sheepmen.

It's those two scouts for the sheep drive.

[Gunshots]

[Gunshots]

[Gunshots]

[Sam growling]

[Barks]

[Sam barking]

Looky here.

Saltpeter.

Where's Cobb?

All right, Sam.

[Sam growls]

Now hold on a minute.

He's in town. Apache Wells.

Take Sam back to Sancho and tell him to bring the sheep up here.

Tell him we found some water.

I'll take this fella back to Apache Wells and see Cobb.

Let's go.

Come on, Sam.

I'm telling you, men, we can't let those sheep get within a mile of this country, right?

[All] Right.

Now I've got an idea for delaying 'em a little.

Now a lot of 'em may die.

That's because they're stubborn.

But they'll keep pushing on unless we all ride out together and stop 'em for good.

[All] Yeah.

(Cobb) Guns. Guns are the only thing that they'll understand.

You better teach your men about guns first, Cobb.

This one got off lucky. Your other man is dead.

I don't know what you're talking about, sheep herder.

The name is Hondo Lane, and I'm talkin' about your men poisonin' water holes.

–[All] Poisonin' water holes? –Is that true, Ben?

Saltpeter. It won't hurt any of our cattle.

But it'll sure stop those sheep.

Maybe you men don't understand that those sheep are Army property

until I deliver 'em to the Indians at the reservation.

And I'm under Army orders to get 'em there.

Over my dead body!

Yeah, that might be.

You know this was Apache country before any of you got here.

Now I don't wanna go into the rights and wrongs of the Apaches.

But remember two things:

one, we made a peace treaty with 'em.

two, we put 'em on that reservation.

We promised to feed 'em if they stayed bottled up there.

Now that's not much to ask to keep 'em quiet.

Keep 'em quiet?

Why, they've been raiding and stealing our cattle all along.

–[All] Yeah. –They stole five of mine.

Men, I'm telling you if you let the Army bring those sheep in for the Apaches

they're gonna hog the whole basin.

They'll drive us out.

Don't see it that way. Pinto Basin is big enough for Indians, cattlemen, sheep,

and cattle, too, with a lotta land left.

I don't want sheep in the basin, Ben

and I don't like fightin' the Army.

Someday we'll wanna sell beef to them, and then what?

We tried that, Hal.

Beef from our spring stock.

Cows we couldn't rightly spare.

[All murmuring] Well, you know what happened.

They wouldn't pay our prices. They brought cheaper beef up from Texas.

–That's right. –Yeah, you men remember that.

Now I say that we kill ever sheep that crosses this land into the basin.

Let Colonel Crook yell. I got influence back in Washington.

And Colonel Crook can be handled.

If we let those sheep out on our range we'll be grass-poor within a year.

Every blade of grass'll be stripped.

Every water hole fouled.

That's right, men.

Sorry you see it that way. It's my job to get those sheep to the reservation.

And I'm comin' through.

You're not goin' anywhere, Lane.

You're under arrest

for murder!

[Murmuring]

Where you goin'?

I'm gonna find Hondo.

He's been missin' all day.

Well, what about us?

Well, it's gonna be dark pretty soon.

If them Apaches hit us again, we might not be able to handle 'em.

Well, you handle all of 'em you can

but them sheep stay here till me and Hondo come back.

[Coyote howling]

They're back.

They've come back.

Hey, Allie, what's the matter with you?

I heard a coyote call.

Well, those coyotes are real coyotes.

–Come on, you're just a little scared. –(Sancho) Hey.

Wait a minute!

How 'bout a little poker? Come on. Get your mind off things.

–Rufus, get the deck, will you? –Yes, sir.

–Come on. –(Rufus) Wanna get a chance to win some money back.

(Sancho) What is it, boy? Packrat?

Ah, carabinas...

[Sniffs]

Phew!

Ah!

[Laughs]

Uh, give me one of them whiskeys.

With a beer chaser.

–You smell somethin'? –I sure do.

Smells like sheep dipped in bay rum.

Hey, mister.

You one of them sheep herders camped out by the basin?

Hey.

About them sheep...

I thought this was cow country.

It sure is

but some durned fools are tryin' to run a bunch of sheep into the basin.

Got one of them sheep herders in jail right now.

They oughta string him up.

Well, they just might

after they get through with them sheep.

Ben Cobb's out roundin' up some men now.

Gonna hit that sheep camp first thing in the mornin'.

Well, I'm just passin' through myself.

If'n I had more time I'd like to ride with you fellas. I...

I never did like sheep.

Blamed if I don't smell it myself.

Sheep...

dipped in bay rum. [Sniffs]

Do you have a sheriff in this town?

Why, sure we got a sheriff.

Where do you keep him?

Where a smart man like him oughta be...

outta town.

He don't wanna get mixed up in this.

Well, it's too bad you and some of the others don't.

Ben Cobb runs the basin.

[Pounding]

Hey! [Pounding]

Hey in there!

(Buffalo) Ben Cobb wants you to come over to the saloon!

(Buffalo) They caught another one of them sheep herders!

–Where's the keys? –In the drawer.

I got the horses outside.

That's very nice.

Thank you.

(Buffalo) Gonna sit here like a bunch of sittin' ducks?

They'll know you busted outta the pokey about now.

I don't figure they're gonna move tonight, Buffalo.

Well, it's all right, but what're we gonna do?

We're gonna move at sunup.

Señor Lane

your dog he find a little whiskey under one of the wagons

and I find a lots of whiskey inside the wagons

and boxes of rifles.

Yeah, which wagon is that?

That one. Allie's.

Here.

(Buffalo) Hey, Hondo, looky here.

The whole bottom layer of that wagon is full of whiskey.

And rifles, too!

I knew those Apaches weren't doggin' this outfit for a few sacks of grain.

Now who planted that stuff there?

I don't know nothin' about it.

Well, I didn't know that stuff was in there! It was my own bottle.

You loaded that wagon, and you put it in there.

Now who are you workin' for? Slade? Yourself? The cattlemen?

Who? Talk!

Come on, talk.

I'll... I'll talk.

I don't owe him nothin'.

He didn't keep his word with me.

I'll tell you.

Got five more guns, boys.

Step up to the bar. The drinks are on me.

(Cobb) Set 'em up, bartender.

Drink it up, boys.

Mr. Cobb, Mr. Cobb.

That sheep herder's pal done busted him outta jail.

They knocked me cold.

–Let's go get 'em! –[All] Yeah!

Wait a minute boys!

We'll get them along with the others at sunup.

Now come on back here.

Well, I got orders to see these sheep through, but it's not your fight.

You fellas can leave anytime you want.

No, señor. ¿Después quién cuida los borregitos chiquitos?

You know... the sheep.

We'll stay, Lane. We work for Slade, and he said to go through with the sheep.

Besides we all smell like sheep by now, so

we might as well stay with the sheep.

I can't quit. I gotta have a chance to get my money back from these two.

Well, the bartender said they'd be hittin' the saddle about daybreak.

They're gonna be comin' right through that half-moon pass there.

All right. Well, that's where we'll meet 'em.

–Sancho, you better take care of those sheep. –Sí, señor.

Kemp, Rufus, start to tearin' open some of those flour sacks.

–Dakota, take care of him, will you? –Be glad to.

Buffalo, open some of these whiskey jugs. We're runnin' outta time.

–What're you plannin'? –A little surprise party.

(Hondo) Spread out in the rocks. They're comin'.

(Sancho) Tonto.

[Yelling]

[Horse neighs]

Call your men off.

All right. Have it your way then.

Oh, all right, all right.

Hold your fire, men! Hold your fire!

I tried talkin' to you before but

maybe you'll listen to somebody else.

Dakota, bring Allie up here!

Tell these men what Cobb really wanted.

He wanted all of the

Pinto Basin. That's what he wanted.

Now he had guns and whiskey in the wagons

and then he fired up the renegade Apaches to hit 'em.

Shut up, Allie.

No, I ain't shuttin' up.

You promised I wouldn't even be touched.

Green bandanna nothin'.

You told 'em to kill me, same as everybody else!

I told you to shut up!

He wanted them Indians on a rampage!

That way they'd wipe out most of the cattlemen in the basin for him, and the Army could stop 'em.

Then he'd move in and buy everything dirt cheap!

This is your leader, a man who didn't care about sheep

cattle, Indians, or you.

I guess this country's big enough for both sheep and cattle, Mr. Lane.

Yeah, I reckon they don't build 'em any bigger.

[Sam barking]

[Maria barking]

My thanks for getting the sheep through, Mr. Lane.

Well, you better thank Buffalo.

I darn near had to kill him to throw away all that good whiskey.

Well, it weren't easy.

Well, I guess you're gonna leave, huh, Sancho?

No, señor. I don't think so.

You see, I think I will stay one or two weeks

so I can teach the Indians how to take care of the sheep.

Adios, amigos!

Adios.

(Slade) It'll work out, Mr. Lane. You'll see.

Cattle and sheep sharing Pinto Basin.

Cattlemen and Apaches.

Someday maybe they'll mix oil and water if cattle and sheep can finally mix.

Yeah, only they're not mixin'. The...

cattle get the good bottom graze land and the sheep get the ridges.

Sheep are tougher than cattle.

Well, why is it that the Apaches always get the dirty end of the stick?

Well, it has to be this way for now.

Maybe one day it'll be different.

One day maybe there won't be any need for Indian reservations.

Mr. Slade, there's no need for 'em right now.

Come on, Sam. [Sam barking]

Are you gonna come or stay here?

(Hondo) Suit yourself.

[Sam and Maria barking]

[Sam barking]

♪ ♪