Frontier Fugitives (1945) - full transcript

[ Man muttering]

Well, what are you
trying to do, panhandle?

Don't you get it, Dave?Sorry.

You understand,
don't you, Tex?

Sure. You're giving
an imitation

of a razorback hog
stuck in a barbwire fence.

[Laughing]That ain't it at all.

We're near Indian country,
ain't we?

Well, I'm practicing
talkin' Indian.

Throwing up smoke signals,
practicing sign language.

Oh, we were
only kidding, panhandle.



Understood
every word you said.

Didn't we, Dave?Sure did.

And you're dead right.
We've got to be prepared.

We'll hold
a council of war right now.

The first thing we'd
better do is see Allen fain,

the new Indian agent
at bear settlement.

We'll learn more
about the trouble from him.

People find out the three
strangers are lawmen,

we won't find out
nothing from nobody,

especially about who's killing
the trappers and Indians.

Panhandle's right again.

If we're going
to solve the mystery,

we've got to work
undercover.

Let's figure it out
while we're riding.



[ Gun clicks ]

[ Gunshots ]

[ Gun clicks ]

[ Gun clicks ]

[ Gunshot ]

[ Gunshot ]

I'm sorry I hit Fred,

but he shouldn't have
let himself get caught.

Wouldn't do for anybody
working with you

to tell what they know,
would it, donner?

Not if they expect
to stay healthy, sneed.

Drop those guns.

Drop those guns
on the bunk.

You're under arrest,
stranger.

What are the charges?

Murder. For shooting
that Indian.

Did you
see me shoot him?

I caught you leaning over him
with your guns in your hands,

and that's enough for me.

I didn't mean to bust in
on an argument.

I just wanted
to inquire the way

to bear settlement.

If you can make
a deal there,

maybe he'll let you
ride along.

Oh. You the sheriff?

No, I'm Allen fain,
the new Indian agent.

Uh-huh. Looks like
you captured yourself

a desperate character,
Mr. Fain.

What'd he do?

Killed that Indian
in cold blood.

He more than likely belongs
to the band of men

that's robbing the trappers
and Indians of their furs.

He doesn't look much
like a killer to me.

If he was, he wouldn't
let you capture him.

There's a good reason why
I'm letting him take me in.

He's got me covered.

I see.

I didn't kill
that Indian.

And you can do me
a big favor, if you will.

Get word to
chief tall wolf panhandle

that I'm in trouble.

If I run into him.

I'm not going out of
my way to run your errands.

I'm heading
for bear settlement.

Follow the south fork
of the stage road

down through the valley.

Oh, um, you better
keep your eye on him.

Come on, let's go.

[ Horses approaching ]

He's dead.

Did he say anything
before he died?

Yeah. He kept mumbling
something about a wildcat

and his daughter Ellen.

That his daughter Ellen
was a wildcat

or something like that.

Let's go get the sheriff.

I ain't fond of
hanging around a corpse.

I'll take care of
the sheriff. What else?

He said his cabin
was over that Ridge.

Say, maybe his daughter
is a female catamount

and she's in that cabin.

Let's go. I ain't seen
a wild woman for ages.

I'll take care
of the lady.

I thought you was going
to take care of the sheriff.

I'll take care of both.

I've got something much more
important for you to do.

Do you remember
how impressed I was

when I heard you
talking Indian?

Yeah.

Well, that's it.

What?

You're going to be
chief tall wolf.

And I know where there's
an Indian scalp you can wear.

Good.a dead Indian.

Now, wait a minute, Dave.

I don't mind you leaving me here
while you go for the sheriff,

and I don't mind you going
over the Ridge to see the lady,

but if you think I'm going
to be a dead Indian chief,

you've got another think coming.

Not a dead Indian, panhandle.
You'll be very much alive.

[ Laughs ]

Take a look
in that trunk.

There's nothing in there.

Put up your hands.

All right, reach!

[ Fighting sounds ]

Whoa.

Hold it.

I thought you was on your way
to bear settlement.

Well, I am.This is not the road
to the settlement.

I got lost on the way
and stopped to ask directions.

Every time you stop,
you start something.

You had better be cellmates
until I can check up on you.

I guess it was my fault
he got in the fight.

Thought he was one
of mert donner's men.

Who is mert donner?

I haven't any proof,
but I think he was after

my father's cache
of furs, and i--

go ahead and talk, miss.

This is Mr. Fain,
the new Indian agent.

I'm Tex Haines.

He thinks I belong
to donner's gang,

but he's wrong.

I have no idea
who this is.

Hello. I'm Dave Wyatt,
but that's not half as important

as who is the young lady?

I'm Ellen Williams.
This is my father's cabin.

What makes you think
those men

were trying to steal
your father's furs?

My father
thought they were.

That's why I left
to their hiding place.

Maybe they were
trying to steal them.

When I came in,
they were searching the cabin.

Don't you think you should
offer the young lady

your protection?That's right.

Maybe you'd better ride
to the settlement with US

until we can
locate your father.

Oh, miss Williams,

I saw your father
on the way down here.

Maybe we'd better ride
to town in that direction.

I'll explain to you
what happened.

[ Door closes ]

You bungled.

Two men I never saw
in these parts before.

They almost caught Sam
and Higgins.

Mert here
tried to shoot them,

but he needs the sights
on his rifle fixed.

Out with it.
What happened?

I tried to hit
one of those hombres,

but I-I shot Sam.

What happened to Higgins?

I don't know.

[ Footsteps ]

I'm Allen fain,
the new Indian agent.

I'd like to examine some
of the markings on your furs.

Go ahead. You'll find
everything in order.

Higgins is dead.
In a shack on stony creek.

I'm more interested in what
happened to them strangers.

I've got those two in jail.

The one named Tex I can hold
for the killing of Higgins,

but I'm not so sure
about the other.

What do you know about
that deaf old sheriff?

He ain't the sheriff.

Sheriff's been out
of town for a week.

That's old man Wilson.

Sheriff left him here
to look after things.

Just to look
after things, huh?

[ Laughs ]

♪ I broke your heart, dear

♪ I was untrue

♪ and now I've lost you

♪ what can I do?

♪ Take my hand, dear

♪ though we did try

♪ too late to worry

♪ too blue to cry

♪ we made our vows, dear

♪ to never part

♪ we laughed,
we loved then ♪

♪ we crossed our hearts

♪ I was unfaithful

♪ so here am I

♪ too late to worry

♪ too blue to cry

♪ I've played around, dear

♪ I had my way

♪ but now I find, dear

♪ I've had to pay

♪ I'll always love you

♪ as days go by

♪ too late to worry

♪ too blue to cry

♪ up on my pillow

♪ last night I lay

♪ I dreamed of bygones

♪ and I did pray

♪ but it's all over

♪ we've said good-bye

♪ too late to worry

♪ too blue to cry

Hey, Wilson,
here's your gun.

Yeah, it sure was fun.

I didn't say "fun."
I said "gun."

You ever see one
like that before?

Why, sure, of course.
Just exactly like my gun.

[ Muttering ]

Hand me that gun!

Hold this gun a minute.

Give me that other gun
back here!

Why, of all the rapscallions
I ever saw.

[ Laughing ]

Me big Indian chief.
Make powwow.

Oh, a thief, huh?

No, no.
Chief powwow.

Oh, chief powwow.
How.

How. How come
you got him in jail?

No moratorium.

That's Latin.
Chief went to law school.

It means "release
the prisoner." That's me.

How about me?

You keep quiet.

Hey, do you realize
that he killed an Indian?

A brother of yours?

Don't got brother.
Me chief.

What'd you say?Him chief!

Oh, yes, chief.

Me say Indian...
[ Incoherent ]

You're right. I've got to
release the prisoner.

On what grounds?

Yeah, yeah,
on what grounds?

Ugh. Umpum! Umpum!

There you are.
Couldn't ask for better grounds.

Best argument I ever heard

in favor
of releasing a prisoner.

The sheriff
would want me to.

Hey, chief, I got
mixed up in this

with your friend there.
How about getting me out?

If he's a friend of yours,
we'd better help him.

Me don't know him.

I thought you was going
to see the sheriff.

I rode over to whitlock

to see the circuit judge
about my father's affairs.

He gave me this paper

and said it would get
Mr. Wyatt out of jail.

I sort of felt responsible
for your being here.

Well, I'm glad
somebody's interested

in getting me
out of jail.

It's in order,
all right.

You've got
to stick around

until the judge
can hold a trial.

I'll be very much around
when the judge holds a trial!

Say, Mr. Wyatt,

I'd like to see you
over at the hotel.

Oh. I think maybe we'd
better take these two along.

All right.

I can't understand
why my father

didn't leave
some kind of message.

He was always so careful
about that sort of thing.

From the looks
of that cabin,

I don't think
he had time to do anything

except to
put up a battle.

No, he wouldn't hide
that cache of furs

without leaving me some
word where to find it.

You see, my father
had permission

to trade
on the reservation.

He brought
the Indians medicine,

and they all liked him
and saved him their best furs.

He was always trying to
do something to help people.

I thought maybe if I could
find that cache of furs

that I could go on
with the work he'd started.

Well, we aren't
leaving this territory

until whoever
killed your father

is brought to justice.

You can depend on that,
miss Williams.You sure can.

Oh, he isn't
a real Indian.

No, he's a pal of mine.
Panhandle Perkins.

We're rangers.

Right now we're
working with Tex,

helping out
with his trouble.

Wait till I get
this regalia off

and you can see
what I really look like

and thank me in person.

Wait a minute, panhandle.

You've shown up
on the settlement

as chief tall wolf.
You can't change now.

The only chance
you have of finding out

any information is going
around as an Indian.

Well, miss Williams,
we'll let you know

the minute
we get track of anything.

Are you staying here
at the hotel?

Yes, for a while.

Do you mind
if I search that cabin?

I'll bet I can find
that message.

I certainly
appreciate your help

and thank you a lot.

Say, Tex,
what was the idea

of letting that Indian agent
put you in jail?

Because the man that
calls himself fain

isn't the Indian agent.

What's that?

I know Allen fain.
This man is an imposter.

And you think something
happened to the real agent.

I don't like to think so,
but looks that way.

We can't make a move
to arrest the man

who calls himself fain
without proof.

It looks
mighty hopeless to me.

Dead Indians
that ain't Indians,

an Indian agent that
ain't an Indian agent,

and somebody
killing off people,

and we haven't
the smokiest idea who it is.

At least we know why
we were sent into the territory.

Ordinarily it would be
up to the Indian agent

to do the investigating,
but he's disappeared.

I'll see if I can
pick up his trail.

Panhandle, that was
a good idea of yours

about searching
the Williams cabin.

Dave, you, uh,
sort of hang around town.

Miss Williams
may need help.

Oh, he always gets
to be ladies' man.

Ah, that is because
I'm smart.

Move, Indian,
and pronto.

Ugh.

It's about time
you two got here.

Why? What are you
all head up about?

An Indian chief got
Tex Haines out of jail,

and then that Williams girl
got a legal paper

that took
that other one out.

Come here.

Gar, take a look.

That must be
your Indian chief.

I never saw him
around here before.

Sneed, go fix yourself up
in one of those Indian getups.

Trail him and see
what you can learn.

How.

How.

How, how.

How, how. How!

How, how, how, how! Ugh!

Ugh!

Wassum.

Wassum why.

Wassum there.

Wassum...there.

Ohh!

Ah! Cham-cham.

Aah!

Aah!

Aah!

[ Whooping ]

[ Whooping ]

You smokum
peace pipe?

Yeah. You smokum?

Good.

Now.

Ugh. Me smokum.

Good.

You started pipe.
You smokum. Hai.

[ Grunts ]

Good.

You smokum.

[ Opens door ]

[ Laughing ]

[ Laughing ]

[ Groaning ]

What's the matter
with you?

Why didn't you use
the back entrance?

What's the matter
with your idea?

I trailed him
to Williams' cabin.

Well, what'd you
find out?

If that chief powwow
is an Indian,

I'm a mackerel.

He's a white man?Trying to play
our game.

I think Tex Haines
and Dave Wyatt

are working with him.

If they think they're going
to get Williams first,

they got
another think coming.

If we expect to get him,
we got some thinking to do.

Well, if we
don't find him,

there's plenty more
in this territory.

Come on, let's get
in the back room.

Wassum fur.

We met before.

That's right.

The Williams ranch.Right again.

What makes you
so curious, stranger?

I always get curious when
somebody takes a shot at me.

Why, I thought
you was a fur thief.

Well, that's a funny thing.
I thought you were.

I'm not, so what are you
gonna do about it?

At the moment, nothing.
But don't shoot at me again.

On your way to the Indian
reservation, Mr. Fain?

Yes. I was going out there
to do a little checking out.

I just come from there.And?

Everything checks
about the way I figure it.

How would you
figure it, Mr. Fain?

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

You don't?
I'm talking about this hat.

I got it from the Indians.

It has an "a.F."
Marked in it.

You wouldn't be knowing
who it belongs to, would you?

No. No, I wouldn't.

Well, maybe I can
refreshen your memory.

This hat has
a bullet hole in the back.

The Indians found the owner
in the bottom of a canyon

and held a ceremony
over him.

You wouldn't like
to see the place

where he's buried,
would you?

This fur's also
stamped with an "a.F."

And the papers the man
was carrying on him

identified him as--

You didn't
let me finish.

As I was sayin',

the papers in the man's
pocket identified him

as Allen fain.

Now I'm going to let
the sheriff figure out

how Mr. Fain can be
both dead and alive.

Get moving.

Hey, gar, come here.

Take a look
up the street.

Wilson, I demand
to be released.

This man has
no right to hold me.

Every citizen
has a right

to make an arrest
if he wants to.

Oh, you're right.

And I'm here to see
that any man

Tex arrests
stays in jail.

A ranger, huh?

It ain't
the first time, fain.

All right, Wilson,
lock him up.

And we'll talk about
the case Tex has against him.

They must be lawmen.

That was fain's hat
Tex was carrying.

Williams must
have told his daughter

where his fur cache
is hidden.

What good'll
that do US?

Might do US
a lot of good.

Panhandle, you say
Williams kept talking

about a wildcat?

Yeah, but the mountains
are full of 'em.

Tex, is there any place
around here called wildcat?

Well, there's a lot
of wildcat mines.

[ Snaps fingers ]

I saw a wildcat head
out at the Williams cabin.

That's the one
panhandle was wearing.

Where is it now?It's still on my head.

No, it ain't, either.
I wonder what happened to it.

Ugh.

Me come for girl.

Chief many wampa's
at cabin.

Message from father.

You mean there's
an Indian chief at my cabin

with a message
from my father?

Big chief no wait long.

Horse.

Now, wait a minute.
I've gotta backtrack.

I had that thing on
out at the Williams cabin.

Let me think now.

I've got it!
That Indian

from the trading post,
he had it on.

Hey, that Indian, the one
I met at the Williams cabin,

he just rode out of town
with miss Williams.

Take the shortcut!

Take the shortcut!

Let's separate and see
if we can pick up a trail.

Put this wildcat
in the back room.

Let go of me!

Shut up
and get in there.

I don't think that girl
knows where the furs are.

I'm not so sure about it.

With a little
stronger persuasion,

she'll tell US
where they are.

Store's closed.

Yeah, I know.

I want to look
at your guitars.

I'd like to get one
for a friend of mine.

[ Plays out-of-tune strings ]

[ Plays strings in tune ]

This one seems
to be pretty good.

I'd like your advice.

See how it sounds
with my voice.

[ Tunes guitar ]

♪ I'll wait for you, dear

♪ throughout the years

♪ I'll be your only

♪ I'll share your tears

♪ I'll be your sunshine

♪ when day is through

♪ just say you love me

♪ I'll wait for you

♪ I'll keep on waitin'

♪ though it's in vain

♪ I understand, dear

♪ you're not to blame

♪ whatever happens

♪ I know you're true

♪ throughout my life, dear

♪ I'll wait for you

♪ when day is ending

♪ the moon is high

♪ I watch true lovers

♪ go passin' by

♪ it all reminds me

♪ of days we knew

♪ if you'll come back, dear

♪ I'll wait for you

that guitar fits
your voice mighty fine.

You want it?

No, I don't believe so.

I don't think my friend
would like it.

Tone level
ain't too good.

These the only two
you got?

That's all.

I'll come back
when you get some more.

Tex!

Hold it.

[ Pounds on door ]

Throw your guns
behind the counter.

You open the door and let
that girl out of there.

Hurry up!

Hold it. Get up.

Get that key
out of his pocket, Dave.

Ellen's in that room.

All right, you two,
you're on your way to jail.

Out that door.

Come to me, kitty.
Come on, kitty.

Sneed: Put that down!

Put it down.

Uh-huh.

So, you want
to be tough, huh?

Wait a minute.

You can't jump a king
with a man.

Why, you sidewinder,
I'm jumping a king with a king.

Sneed: You're jumping,
but not with a king.

Your horses
are at the stable.

I found something
worth a fortune.

Grab your guns.

All right, get in there.

Hey! You spoiled
a good move!

What is it, panhandle?
What happened?

The message,
it was in there.

Message? What message?

I got hit on the head
and I can't remember.

Come on, think hard.
What was it?

Oh, it was a message
from your father.

Yes, panhandle.
What did it say?

I can't remember.

Come on, panhandle,
think.

Wilson doesn't know anything.
He's locked up.

I guess we'll let him
sit that way for a while.

What's the matter
with panhandle?

He found out something
about Ellen's father

and he can't remember
what it is.

Come on, Ellen, you'd better
wait in the hotel.

Hotel.
That's it--a hotel.

Do you know anything
about an old hotel

at the humber
gold camp?

It's about the only building
left in the old mining town.

That's where
your dad hid the furs.

Do those men
know about it?Yeah.

I know where
it is, Dave.

You stay here
with miss Ellen, panhandle.

Mert, you and gar
see what's upstairs.

The back room is
just loaded with furs.

Well, get 'em out.
Throw 'em down here.

Get this.

Must have taken Williams
years to collect these furs.

These are the best
I've ever seen.

There must be
a fortune here.

Shh. Sounds like
somebody's outside.

Awful quiet in there.

You think
they spotted US?

I'm afraid so.

[ Gunshot ]

[ Gun clicks ]

All right,
come on out of there.

One moment,
my little Indian friend.

You have reached
the end of the trail.

Get back in there.

In you go, my Indian friend.
In you go.

Tex, what happened?

It's all right, Ellen.
We got 'em all

and what they came after--
your father's furs.

♪ Though it's in vain

♪ I understand, dear

♪ you're not to blame

♪ whatever happens

♪ I know you're true

♪ throughout my life, dear

♪ I'll wait for you

♪ when day is ending

♪ the moon is high

♪ I watch true lovers

♪ go passing by

♪ it all reminds me

♪ of days we knew

♪ if you'll come back, dear

♪ I'll wait for you