Alias Smith and Jones (1971–1973): Season 3, Episode 2 - High Lonesome Country - full transcript

Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry.

The two most successful outlaws
in the history of the West.

And in all the trains and banks they robbed,
they never shot anyone.

This made our two
Kansas cousins very popular.

With everyone
but the railroads and the banks.

One thing we gotta get Heyes.
What's that?

Outta this business.

The governor can't come flat out
and give you amnesty now.

First you gotta prove you deserve it.

Lom, are you saying that all
we have to do is stay out of trouble

until the governor figures
that we deserved amnesty?



And in the meantime
we'll still be wanted?

That's true.

Till then only you me and the governor
will know about it.

It'll be our secret.

That's a good deal?

I sure wish the governor would let a
few more people in on our secret.

Hey, I got a pretty hand.

Two's over three smallest full house they make.

Looks awful big to me.

C'mon boys, we gotta get ridin'.

An hour (???) left for few more hands left, Clyde?
I wanna win some of my money back.

(???) until tomorrow.

Well, boys, that's the game.

Four-handed it just ain't poker.



No, yes it ain't.

Sure ain't.

I don't recall seeing you two fellows around here before.

What ranch you work at?

Well, we don't work at any at the moment we're...

we're what you might call unemployed.

But you are cowhands?

No, actually we're not cowhands.

Never handled a cow in our whole lives.

Well, if you don't mind my asking:

What line of business are you in?

Now, I'm not usually this nosy,
but I got a reason for asking.

Uh, no, we don't mind.

You may find this hard to believe but we're...

trappers.

Oh, I can't believe it.

I just can't believe it.

You boys know why I came into town?

Not...
looking for trappers?

Yes, sir!

I came in two days ago looking for somebody to trap out my ranch.

Couldn't find a soul.

So, I sit down before I go home to have a game of poker

and I'm playing with two trappers!

By golly, this calls for a drink!
Charlie!

Bring over some whiskey.

You know something?

You fellas don't look like trappers.

Don't blame Archer, Kid.
You got us into this.

Me?

Yeah, you.

You know I've been meaning to tell you something for some time.

Unless the conversation is about guns

or something very simple and unimportant, just...

let me do the talking.

Well, I didn't see you talk us out of the situation.

Kid, when you're stuck, you're stuck.

Now, I thought about just riding out of town.

And archers next stop would have been the sheriff's office.

Would you rather be running

or doing this?

Well, maybe it'll turn out all right, anyway.

Through all there's a depression on and we could use the money.

What he says, we'll make enough money just for trapping out his ranch

to pay for all this equipment and have a lot left over.

And later on when we get back to town we can sell these traps for good money.

Good money.

Kid, don't ever go into business.

It's only when you're buying, that money's good.

When you're selling it's poor.

Very poor.

Git up.
Come on.

Jake?
Jake, care the wagon!

Honey, you'll never believe it how lucky I got.

I found someone to trap out or place.

This here is Joshua Smith and Thaddaeus Jones.

Boys, this is my wife Helen.

Ma'am.
Howdy, ma'am.

Pleased to meet you.

Well, we'll be having supper pretty soon.

Bunkhouse is right around the corner there.
Why don't you wash up

and then come back and eat with Helen and me?

Thank you, that sounds real nice.

Honey, what's the matter?

That wasn't like you, the way you said hello to those two.

Where did you find 'em, Phil?

In a poker game in the Bluebell Saloon.
Why?

I recognized one of them,

the one with the curly hair.

He's Kid Curry.

Oh, ain't this a situation.

What the devil do I do now?

If he's Kid Curry,

the other one's got to be Hannibal Heyes!
How do I handle that?

Oh, why don't just lock 'em up in the icehouse?

Lock 'em up?

People like Kid Curry and Hannibal Heyes

don't just throw up their hands!

They fight!

They got nothing to lose, they're gonna hang anyway!

No, they're not.

They're not wanted for murder,
they just go to prison.

Sure, for the rest of their lives.

No, sir, when you try to arrest men
like Kid Curry and Hannibal Heyes

you think first.

Very carefully.

Helen...

ain't there a price on their heads?

Yes, I believe there is.

I'm not sure but

seems to me it was $10,000 apiece.

That's right.

That's what I thought.

Phil,

what are you gonna do?

Well,

I'm gonna let him go on up in the hills and start trapping.

And Helen,

don't say anything to the hands.

If there's $20,000 reward on those two,

I don't want to be splitting it with eight ranch hands.

Well, look you here. (???)

You know, how about this is part of an old wolf kill.

Archer said he had quite a few wolves in the place.

Uh-huh.

He also said he had quite a few coyote, mountain lion and grizzly bear -

take your pick.

I think, I prefer running into that cougar he told us about.

You know, the smart old boy, he's willing to pay a $50 bonus for.

Kid, let's hope

we don't run into that smart old boy.

Howdy, stranger.

(???) Like and give your a horse a rest?

Your name be Archer?
That's right.

I'm Billings.

Luke Billings?
That's right.

A friend of yours at the Bar X Ranch told me you were looking for a hunter.

You're exactly the man I was looking for but...

since I've been up to the Bar X I

hired on a couple of other men to do the job.

That looks like I had me a long ride for nothing then.

Hold on.

You gotta at least come in and have a drink or something to cut the dust.

My wife and I wouldn't have it any other way.

All right with me.

Have a seat, Mr. Billings.

What can I bring you, Mr. Billings?
Would you like some coffee?

Have any whiskey?

Yes, but...

Fine. Bring me coffee and put some whiskey in it first.

Cigar?

You know, I always hate to bring this up.

Did you notice the way Mrs. Archer was looking at me during supper last night?

Well, I just thought she was a little strange, is all.

Yeah?
How's that?

Well, any woman rather lookin' at you than me 'd be a little strange.

Then the world sure is full of a lot of strange women.

Mrs. Archer wasn't looking at me that way.

Naw, she looked kind of scared.

Wish I'd figure out what that meant.

Kid, you're just spooked.

We've been on the dodge too long.

Yeah, maybe so.
Maybe so.

Tell me,

are you anywhere near as good as your reputation says your are?

Reputation for what?

Hunting.

Yeah, I'm probably better than my reputation.

I may have an interesting proposition to make to you.

Thanks, honey.
You...

better shut the door on the way out.

You know how you hate for cigar smoke to get through the whole house.

This proposition is worth $10,000.

But it may only take a week of your time.

That's 3 times more than they pay the governor of this territory in a year.

It just so happens that it might be dangerous.

But maybe not for a man like you.

A hunting job is it?

That's right.

At that price it's got to be men, I'll be huntin'.

That's right.

And before I go on,

I want your word on one thing.

Either you take the job exactly the way I lay it out or forget the whole thing.

You give me your word on it?

Go ahead.

Well,

it's about those two trappers I hired.

I found out later...

that they are Kid Curry

and Hannibal Heyes.

There's a $10,000 reward on each one of them.

Dead or alive?

That's right.

Dead or alive.

What part of your place are they trapping?

In northwest section in the foothills.

What about my proposition?

Mr. Archer,

I don't hire out to hunt men.

Up in those hills you say, huh?

See you around.

I heard it all every word.

Well, they are wanted dead or alive.

Maybe they are but they're not killers either one of them.

I just can't believe what I heard.

I don't want to believe it.

Wait Helen,

you know how much we can use that money, you know how much we need it.

I think something's out there working up an appetite.

Yeah, maybe it's that $50 cougar.

or a grizzly.

Say, did you ever face a

1,000-pound grizzly bear?

No,

closest I've ever come to a 1,000-pound grizzly bear was on One Leg Harrison.

You remember him?

Yeah, I remember they called him One Leg Harrison.

'Cause that's the number of legs he had.

Yeah.

On account of the other was bit clean off by a 1,000-pound grizzly bear.

Would you like to give up trapping?

Yeah, I think I would.

But, Kid, we got us an investment to protect.

Heyes, I hid it!

Blood up here.

Come on down, we can't track in the dark.

Yeah, I guess, you're right.

Gonna be easy to track it down tomorrow.

Yeah, I can hardly wait.

They say there's only one thing more dangerous than a grizzly

and that's a wounded cougar.

Kid, he's dragging his left front paw.

I think you just painted it. (???)

Not your usual deadeye shooting.

Heyes, did I ever claim to be an expert with a Winchester?

The only man I can think of that I'm better than with a Winchester's you.

Now, Heyes, I've been thinking.

Next time we get jumped by a cougar, let's make sure it's you that gets jumped, okay?

'Cause if one of us has to shoot in a cougar and a man wrestling...

That's shooting!

He missed you, didn't he?

Yeah, only because I slipped right when he fired.

Well, now we know why Mrs. archer was looking at me that way.

Could have been an accident.

That was no accident.

Somebody out there is trying to kill us and I don't think it's Archer either.

That shot came from too far off.

Must have hired somebody.

Somebody awful good.

Kid, it could only be one man.

Otherwise there would have been more than one shot.

We figure should we split up?

It's the only chance we've got.

We'll work our way back that way

separately to the wagon.

We ought to get there right at dark.

And then we're gonna get the devil out of here.

Well, that's the smartest thing you've said in a month.

All right. hold it right there!

Drop that Winchester.

All right, now the handgun.

Turn around.

All right, let's see whether my friends alive or dead.

Start running

and pray a little, too.

Faster!

Faster!

All right now, take a look at him.

I'd hit my back.

I think it's in my shoulder blade.

Go onn take a look at it!

Well, you two must live right.

He's gonna survive.

You better hope he does.

Now get the bullet out and stop the bleeding.

Me?

I ain't got time to tie you up, so you're gonna have to do it.

And you better do it right, because if he dies, I want to bury you right beside him.

I have to use my knife.

Go ahead.
Huh?

Just use it right,

'cause nothing would give me more pleasure than blowing your head off.

Now, don't jump. This thing's like a razor it'll go right through you.

You know, I really did enjoy this.

I think I could have walked myself,

but this is much nicer. More restful.

All right, put him down right here.

Thank you.

Okay, mister, come on.

Sit down here at that rock.

Put your hands behind your back.

Think you can hold a gun, Heyes?

Well, sure, easy.

Probably even pull the trigger.

What's your name?

And why did you come off after us?

Mister, we've got a lot of questions.

We'd better start getting some answers.
Now, you gonna come up with them?

Maybe,

when I find out what you're gonna do with me.

I'm not at all sure I want a bargain with you, friend.

Don't overplay your hand, it's not that strong.

All that was my terms, take 'em or leave 'em.

All right, what we're gonna do is leave you right here.

Alive and tied up.

That's not good enough.

I'm a hunter not an escape artist.

When we leave you here

we'll stop by the Archer Ranch on our way out tell Archer where your are.

I don't like that either.

Tell you what you do.
You tell Mrs. Archer.

Then maybe I'll answer your questions.

All right, Mrs. Archer it is.

Now, who are you?

Name's Luke Billings.

Why are you hunting us?

Archer wanted to make a deal split the reward on you two.

I didn't see any reason to split with him.

I'm gonna do all the work, I want all the money.

Well, Thaddeus you were right,

she did recognize you.

She sure did, if your Kid Curry and you're Hannibal Heyes.

Well, you're close, anyway.

You can see why I want you to tell Mrs. Archer.

After I cut her husband out of that deal, I don't think he'd be much help to me.

Oh, there's one other thing I want.

Yeah?

Put me in the wagon.

It's safer from panthers (???) there.

Think you can ride a horse?

Yeah, I think so.

I feel like a tree fell on me, but I think I can ride.

Just take it easy, Mr. Archer.

Nothing's gonna happen to you.

Let's go inside.

We've got a message for Mrs. Archer.

All right, Archer, sit down -

right there.

Your paid killer almost got the job done.

He shot me in the left shoulder.

100 yards away.

Only a couple inches off target.

We left him up there in the Hills tied up, of course.

He wanted me to tell you, ma'am.

So, he'd be sure that somebody came up to get him.

What...

what are you gonna do to me?

Well, we concluded you didn't tell any of your ranch hands about us, right?

No, no, I didn't.

Aall right, fine.

What we're gonna do is try to get a little rest here tonight.

All four of us right in this room.

And in the morning, you and I, Mr. Archer, will saddle up four horses,

while my friend here keeps an eye on Mrs. Archer.

And then we're all four gonna ride within a couple of miles of the nearest railroad.

After that you can go and take care of your friend Billings,

'cause that's a deal we made with him.

Any questions?

Mr. Heyes?

Yeah?

Are you in any pain?

Well now, ma'am, everybody has a little pain.

I've just got a little extra.

It's not too bad.

Oh...

All right, you might as well get yourself
some rest, because my partner and I plan to.

One at the time, of course.

Hit the ground!

Get your heads down.

It's coming from those rocks back up there.

Nobody can shoot that far.

That's close to 1,000 yards and no rifle made can carry that far.

Oh, yeah, serious.

U. Sharps Buffalo gun it's accurate up to a thousand yards.

Mr. Archer?

Yeah?

Billings have a sharps rifle with him?

Seems to me he did have two rifles.

One of 'em was a Winchester the other one I didn't recognize.

A big one, though.

That's Billings out there and he's got a Sharps with him.

First shot he just got his range a little short, that's all.

Got my saddle horn instead of me.

Well, he's got the range now.

Get down, he'll kill you!

Sharps is a single-shot rifle, Mrs. Archer.

Takes an expert at least 5 seconds to reload, so I wasn't any danger, ma'am.

Keep your heads down.

Here he's up.

If we'd decide a ride right over there, we'd never even know about it -

until he took a nice clean shot at us.

Yeah. I've been trying to figure how long
it's gonna take him to be around over there.

I guess about 20 minutes or so.

If we knew for sure he'd be over there.

we could always take cover behind this Ridge here

Yeah, that's wonderful.

If we go around there and he hasn't moved,

he's gonna have a nice clean shot at us from where he is right now.

Now Kid, you ain't got any way of knowing what he's doing up there.

The only thing I know is, he's got 10 hours of daylight to do anything he wants.

What are you saying?

That we're in a lot of trouble, Mr. Archer.

We're just trying to think of something to do about it.

I've been doing some thinking, too.

He probably just wants the two of you for the reward.

If I was to make a run for my horse, I think he'd let me make it.

You do, huh?

Well, I doubt it.

Somebody has to go for help.

Wait 'till he works around up to there he just has to pick us off.

I don't think there's a chance he's gonna let you get on a horse and ride out of here.

I'm responsible for everything that's happening here.

My wife's in danger.

I'm going for help

Look, Archer,

somebody might have heard those shots now.

A Sharps can be heard a long way off.

There's nobody around to hear 'em.

But you can help me.

Maybe we can keep him guessing just long enough for me to get away.

I don't think he's a type to confuse this easy.

He only thinks of one thing at a time, slowly.

If I was to make a run for my horse

and you would just start shooting at me,

might give him a whole different idea.

Maybe it'll keep him guessing

just long enough for me to get on my horse and get it started.

There's only one thing wrong with that.

He knows who we are.

We start shooting at you,

he ain't gonna believe it unless we hit you.

Now, make it look good, come close.

Now, whether you help me or not,

I'm gonna try for my horse.

And don't get any wrong ideas.

I'm not doing it for you I'm doing it for my wife and myself.

All right, that's the way it's gonna be.

Tilt your head up, would you?

The hat?

Yeah.

we'll shoot it off your head.

Well, that's the only thing I can think of

to make him believe I'm really trying to hit you.

He won't miss, Mr. Archer.

I'll be back in a couple hours with plenty of help.

Get back down that gully!

Broke my leg, I can't move it.

Come on, come on,
get out of here!

She made it.

She'll be out of range by the time he reloads.

I wonder how he is, Archer.

I know she was talking to him.

Well, he must be all right the way she rode out of there.

By now we get back to worrying about our friend Billings.

If he ain't changed position yet, you think he's smart enough to?

Kid, we can't afford to think he isn't.

She'll be back with help in 2 hours and Billings knows it.

I was afraid you were gonna say that.

Then what we got to do is give him 20 minutes

to move to a different position and see if he did, right?

That's right.

Instead (???) one of us is gotta go out there and get shot at.

At least we'll be moving and there will be a chance he'll miss.

We won't be sitting here like a couple of sage hens.

You know, Heyes, whenever you say one of us has got to do something

I get very nervous -
because that usually means me.

Now, let's see.

It's been a couple of minutes since his last shot

We'll give him another 15 just to be on the safe side.

Then one of us goes out there and plays decoy.

One of us?
Which one of us?

Kid, you always could run faster than me.

Except when we're scared.
When we're scared you run faster.

Kid, that wound I got really must be bothering me.

This watch feels like it weighs 10 pounds.

It's time, Kid.

One of us better start to move

or we're gonna be finding out where Billings is the hard way.

Like I said before: which one of us?

Well, how about the youngest?

Oh no.

I'm only a couple years younger than you Heyes,

and a difference that don't make any difference is no difference.

Well, how about alphabetical order?

Well, if you're referring to Joshua and Thaddeus, it's fine.

Who used to win all the foot races when we were kids?

All right, Heyes I know you've been wounded and all that

but don't you think it'd be more of a partner thing to do if we flipped a coin?

All right, git callin?.
Tails.

What are you doing?

What does it look like I'm doing?
I'm taking my boots off.

They don't good for walking, let alone running.

And I want to be able to run -
fast!

Now, I see your point

you always said you wanted to die with your boots on.

You know, Heyes, sometimes I wonder why I like you.

All right, where'd it come from?

Same old place.

Hasn't moved an inch.

Oh, I don't tell me I did all that for nothing!

No, no, now, we know where he is.

Yeah, in another 20 minutes we're gonna have to do it all over again,

because he probably will move.

Yeah, I know.

All right, who goes out there next time?

Well, I guess we flip again.

Seems like the fair way, just like you said.

Wait a minute, we just flipped and I lost now it's your turn to run.

Well, why? It was fair to flip the first time why not this time?

'Cause I've already played decoy once, now you're gonna play it.

Kid, would you look at my shoulder now, I'm wounded.

Heyes when we first made it in this gully you didn't have any trouble keeping up with me.

You may be wounded, but it sure didn't slow you down one bit.

Now, Kid it just seems only fair that we flip again now.

It's what you call a precedent see, precedent some...

Heyes,

you got 20 minutes to make up your mind.

And then you're gonna go out there like I did.

Otherwise, I'm gonna put a gun on you and make you go out you understand?

All right, all right, don't get violent.

Kid, sometimes you get a little weird you know?

Yeah, I know and I know why, too.

Oh, this wound is really starting to bother me, Kid.

I'm telling that really beginning to feel weak.

Hasn't bled a drop, so why you're feeling weak?

You want to know the truth, I felt kind of weak myself.

So, just pull off the other boot and run.

What's it'd like for you, huh?

More like cactus, rocks, maybe nails, huh?

Look, just do it alright?
I promise you you won't feel a thing...

till you get back.

Oh, Kid, you're making an old man out of me.

Oh, oh.

Well, now it is bleeding.

Let you be more careful.

Yeah.
That'll stop it.

Oh...

I guess he hasn't moved yet, has he?

Nope, not yet.

Now, that figures.

Oh, gosh - watch it.

It's time for you to go again, Kid.

What?

We just flipped and I lost, so I went first and then you went.

Now we start over and flip again.

Now, just wait a minute.

The whole principle is it was your turn and my turn, now it's your turn again.

No, the principle is, we flipped and I lost, so I went first and then you went.

Now, we flip again.

Look, I'm not going out there twice in a row now.

My shoulder is killing me and I've lost a lot of blood.

Well, I'm not going out there, that's it.

All right, I got an idea.

Let's flip to see whether we flip again.

No, we already flipped once to see who went first and that's it.

Besides...

do you know how I feel about gamblin??

Yeah, the same way I do.

We're not gonna get any help here for a long time,

so, we're just gonna have to keep doing this thing over and over again.

So, I might as well go out there and just take my turn.

What are we arguing about then?

Nothing!
Not a darn thing!

Kid, I got it all figured out.

If it just takes 2 hours to get to the ranch and back,

we only have to do this one more time before help gets here.

Yeah, it'll be your turn.

All nice and easy.

Yeah, yeah, I know.

Look, Kid,

if Billings gets me,

I want you to turn in my body for the reward, I don't want him to get it.

What?

How I gonna do that, Heyes?

Can I turn you in for the reward!?

Who gets the reward on me, when I'm getting the reward on you?

Now, come on, Kid, you can figure that out.

With you dead, Heyes, I won't be able to, so let's just forget...

Now, I get a feeling if you made your run for it, now nothing would happen.

I know, I got the same feeling.

Kid, let's go see how Archer is.

How bad is it, partner?

My legs broke, but I'm all right.

Over those shots...
pistol shots sound like.

We don't know.

Well, we know now.
It was your wife.

Guess, she figured you couldn't afford to wait 2 hours.

Heyes, will you stop complaining?
It all came out right, didn't it?

And we'll still be able to get our money back on the traps.

Kid, I keep telling you, we're gonna take a loss on those traps.

Trouble with you, Heyes, is you don't have any confidence in human nature.

Aren't you the one, who keeps telling me to look on the bright side?

Only when there is a bright side.

Well, if that's the way you feel, then I'll handle the transaction, all right?

Oh, you want to be the brains all of a sudden?

Yeah.
Go ahead!

Thanks.
Don't mention it.

Son, I told you once and I tell you again:

you paid $320 for these traps but they were new.

Now they are use traps.

They're are only 6 days old, some of them we haven't even used at all.

Sir, I'd like to help you.

But I got to take the position, that once they leave the parish, they are used traps.

Sure, haven't been used much.

You tell 'em, Thaddeus.

How about 75% of what we paid you

For used traps?

I can't pay that kind of money for used merchandise.

Now, the best I can do for you is...

25%.

Now, that's robbery!

You might as well stick a gun I ribs and take it from us!

Son, son, I've got to take the position, that once they leave the parish...

they are used!
Now, 25% is as far as I can go.

Now, you can't say that price one way up (???)

How about 50% and we'll throw in a dead cougar?

What will I do with a dead cougar?