Bearcats! (1971): Season 0, Episode 0 - Powderkeg - full transcript
A Mexican bandit is about to be executed in the United States. So his brother takes over a train and holds the passengers as hostages unless his brother is released. Now both the Americans and Mexicans are baffled as to what to do. But one of the passengers, who wrote the letter for their captor, has a suggestion; call Hank Brackett and Johnny Reech, two mercenaries. Which they do. And as expected they do come up with a plan but the President of the Railroad is not sure if it will work.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[GUNFIRE ROARS]
[PANICKED SCREAMS]
[IN SPANISH]
-He says shut up!
So shut up!
Unless you want to get killed!
He's Chucho Morales.
We are not banditos.
We are liberators.
So shut up.
[CRASH]
-I'm Chucho Morales.
We are not bandits.
We are liberators.
[GUNFIRE]
[GUNFIRE]
-I'll give you
whatever you want.
Just jewels, money--
just take it.
-Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Boss, you,uh, you talk big, huh?
Are you somebody?
Huh?
Big man, huh?
-My name Parkinson.
I'm [INAUDIBLE]
with this railroad.
Listen, I--
-No, no, no, no.
What you got in there, eh?
What are you hiding, huh?
-That's my daughter.
You leave her alone.
I've already said we'd give
you all the money you want.
-Hey, linda.
You, uh-- your papa here,
he kiss you good night, uh?
No?
Oh.
Maybe-- maybe you want I kiss
you good night, eh, linda?
-You filthy animal.
[GUNSHOT]
[SCREAM]
-Very bad mistake, big
man of the railroad.
Very bad.
Hey, Briggs-- get someone
who can think in Spanish
and write in English.
-Hey, Chucho.
I got this kid.
He can write.
But more, he says he's a lawyer.
-Mm.
A lawyer, huh?
[IN SPANISH]
-A student.
-Ah, same thing.
Hey, you, ah, you hungry?
-No, gracias.
-Too bad.
Made very special, for one
big man of the railroad.
But, uh, he ain't hungry, too.
Now, uh, we-- we write letter.
Come.
Now-- sit down, now.
Sit down.
Paper.
Pen.
Now, write letter, to the
biggest man of the railroad.
El Presidente.
Write down his name--
-I don't know his name.
-You don't know his name, uh?
Then put down El
Presidente, and any names
you know of the important
men in Estados Unidos.
[TRAIN SOUNDS, TRAIN BELL RINGS]
[THUD]
DAVENPORT: Here's where they
threw his body off the train.
With that note pinned to it.
His daughter, Beth,
is like my own.
She was with him.
Now, I'm torn between
hoping she's not dead,
and hoping she is.
-Hope is strong
stuff, Mr. Davenport.
Let's keep it on
the positive side.
-Tell me how, Major-- when
you just told us officially
that we can't possibly deliver
what those outlaws demand.
And yet, if we
don't, they'll kill
every man, woman, and
child on that train.
Now, on what basis, please, do
we hold the positive thought?
-This message was addressed
to you, and two other men--
Hank Brackett, and Johnny Reach.
Have you been in
touch with them?
-They're not with this railroad.
I don't know who they are, or
what they have to do with this.
-Neither does Morales.
But whoever wrote this letter
for him, he knows who they are.
-And so do you, apparently.
-As a matter of fact, I do.
Used to soldier with Brackett.
And I've heard a lot
about his partner.
Their names aren't
here by accident.
Between the lines,
whoever wrote this
was calling out
to them for help.
-To them?
Why?
-Because he's in deep trouble,
and that's their specialty.
-Hm.
What are they?
Hired guns?
-Well, they don't work for free.
At first, they did.
Cleaned up a couple
of tough border towns,
just in self-defense.
Then, other towns,
or folks in trouble,
took to coming to them for help.
So many, they had to
get a bit mercenary
about putting their
lives on the line.
-I see.
Well, what's their
customary fee?
-A blank check, Mr. Davenport.
You see, they feel like this--
if you can put a price on it,
you don't need them bad enough.
-Are you trying to tell us,
Major, that the United States
Army can't do the job here,
but that two men possibly can?
-I've already told
you, Mr. Davenport.
We can't move troops
across the border.
I know that.
I don't know what they can
do, if they take the job.
But whatever it is, it can't
be much worse than what
Morales has in mind, now can it?
-Where can they be contacted?
-Casa Grande Hotel,
Casa Grande, New Mexico.
-Miss Baker, get a telegram
off to Mr. Hank Brackett,
Mr. Johnny Reach, that address.
Gentlemen.
Come at once.
Situation desperate.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
FOOTE: Them
tarnation gas buggies
are an abomination to the Lord.
Yea, verily, the love a man
beareth for his horse ain't
never going to be replaced
by no bucket of bolts.
Noisy, smelly,
newfangled contraptions.
You expect to leave
that stack of smoke
and scrap iron here, to offend
the noses of honest horses?
-Oh, yes, sir.
And we expect you to
guard it tenderly.
With loving care.
-Me?
Them things is against nature.
And the opposite
of all I stand for.
Yea, verily.
Thus they provoked Him to
anger, with their inventions.
And the plague
broke in upon them.
Psalms 106, verse 29.
-And the chariots shall
rage in the streets,
they shall justle one against
the other in the broad ways--
they shall seem like
torches, and they
shall run like the lightnings.
Nahum two, verse four.
-Hey, you know your scriptures.
-If thou canst not
lick them, join them.
Uh, Johnny Reach, 1914.
-And for your Christian kindness
in taking her off the streets
and keeping her safe
from prying eyes
and busy fingers, a
love offer, brother.
$20.
Hard cash.
-Seeing you put
it that way, I'll
look after her like she's
pure-blooded horse flesh.
Expect you come to
see the hanging, huh?
-Hanging?
-What hanging?
-You didn't know?
You must not have come in
by the way of Main Street.
Why, the whole town's over
there, fixing to hang a man,
right now.
-I was wondering how we
got into town unnoticed.
-Maybe that's why
Davenport sent for us.
Said it was urgent.
-Cyrus Davenport?
Well, he's president
of the railroad.
Richest man in New Mexico.
-Well, I don't suppose
they're gonna hang him.
-No.
Paco Morales.
The bandit.
You must have heard about it.
Why, him and his brother
and his whole bunch
come blasting across the border.
They pulled a raid
in this very town.
They killed men, women,
kids-- it was awful.
This Paco fellow is the
only one we got alive.
MISS BAKER: Mr. Brackett?
Mr. Reach?
-Yes, ma'am?
-Yes, indeed.
-I'm Miss Baker.
Mr. Davenport's secretary.
We assumed you had arrived.
Oh-- so that's a Stutz Bearcat.
Oh.
Isn't it beautiful?
-Gorgeous.
-My.
I bet it really travels, too.
-Yeah, I'll bet it really does.
-Well.
If you're ready now, we'll go
straight to your hotel room.
-Fine.
-I mean, uh, it's all
right with the management.
Arranged, that is.
Your accommodations
at the Plaza.
-Hey, you're in luck.
You can look right
out your window
there, and watch that
fellow being hanged.
The righteous shall rejoice
when he seeth the vengeance.
Psalms 58, verse 10.
-Yeah, well, maybe we're
not be all that righteous.
[CROWD NOISE]
-Hang him.
Hang him!
-Gringos!
Come and get me, why don't you?
I don't care.
Hey, Sheriff?
Let them in, I don't care.
Tonight, tomorrow, Friday-- Paco
Morales ain't scared to die.
VOICE IN CROWD: Are we cowards?
[CROWD NOISE GROWS]
-Now, you listen.
Go on-- get out of here.
Go home.
What you're doing here
don't even make sense.
This man's been sentenced
by a court of law.
Now, you go on and get.
You want to see justice done,
you can come back Friday.
-Well, it's too
late for that, Sam.
-Come on!
Get it over with!
Gringos!
-What do you think, Hank?
-If they ever get
organized, I wouldn't
like to be the one
to try and stop them.
Is that the job, Miss Baker?
-Well, no.
Not exactly.
Well, I mean, the prisoner
is a related problem.
But I'd rather you heard the
details from Mr. Davenport.
He'll be here directly.
-Well, he'd better be,
because this problem's
liable to become
unrelated awful sudden.
-What about this Sheriff?
Just how many men has he got?
-Oh, [INAUDIBLE] five.
-Yeah?
-Five regular deputies,
seven special.
-And just how many of them
care whether Paco Morales is
hanged tonight, or
some time Friday?
-They wouldn't let it
happen, Mr. Brackett.
No matter how they
felt about him.
Sheriff Lynch is
a very good man.
-It's kind of an unfortunate
name though, isn't it?
-Hey, there's a good sign.
A good fistfight's
getting started.
A chance to work out
some of that poison,
before it comes to a head.
-You know, my partner's an old
hand at these necktie parties.
-Really?
-No, really.
The first one I attended,
he was guest of honor.
That's where I found him.
I just plucked him
off a cottonwood tree.
And he wasn't very ripe, either.
-I'd be swinging there yet, if
old Hank hadn't happened by.
And spoke up from the other
end of a double stack blow gun.
-Well, what were you doing?
-Oh, well, uh-- a little
kicking, a little cussing.
-A lot of cussing.
-No, I, I mean,
before the actual--
-Well, ma'am, just drifting.
Sat down to a camp fire
for a cup of coffee
with some boys driving
their beeves up to market.
Well, I come to find out those
beeves didn't belong to them.
-Oh, and you were
implicated by association.
-The association
turned up shooting.
By the time the smoke cleared,
none of my coffee drinking
friends were fit to be hanged.
But being alive, well, that
made me the logical choice.
-Oh, well, you
certainly have reason
to be grateful to Mr. Brackett.
-He certainly does.
But he's paid off.
[SOUNDS AT THE DOOR]
-Thanks for coming, gentlemen.
I'm Davenport.
-How are you, sir?
-Captain Brackett.
-Well, just plain Hank Brackett.
-Colonel Delgado.
-How are you?
-Senor.
-And of course,
you know the Major.
-Hey, Billy.
How are you, buddy?
Long time between wars.
-Well, it certainly is.
The old sawbones let you
loose, leg and all, eh?
-Oh, I got a new one.
-Oh, sorry about that.
Don't leave it laying around.
He was always losing
something on [INAUDIBLE].
Except in battles.
-Right.
-I'm sorry, sir.
This is my partner,
Johnny Reach.
-Hello, Johnny.
Edward.
The Colonel.
Bill Graham, our chief engineer.
-How are you?
-How are you?
-Carlos Merida, our
chief of maintenance.
-Gentlemen.
-And I think you
all know Miss Baker.
Uh, this circus out here--
I wanted you to see it,
to be on top of
it, if necessary.
That's why we're meeting here.
Tell me, uh, how do you
estimate Morales' chances?
I mean, do you think
he'll keep till Friday?
-Mm, if he can get through
the next few hours.
You know how these things
get stirred up at night,
and go sour in the sun.
-We've got a national
guard unit coming in
to back up the Sheriff,
if he needs it.
Should be here soon enough.
-We want to apologize
again, Colonel,
for the inconvenience
of your visit.
-[IN SPANISH].
It was my wish to come.
But as you see, senors,
this is no longer
a safe place for Mexicans.
-Because of Paco Morales?
-Si.
-This means that you came
up here unofficially.
-Not unofficially, but secretly.
Like a thief in the night.
-I hope you do understand,
sir, that, uh, we're
not all like that mob out there.
-Just as you understand
that we are not
all like that one
across the way.
Still, we had to take
certain precautions.
But this young man and
I were not observed.
Otherwise, we would
have been here sooner.
-Incidentally, you
made fantastic time.
-Incidentally, you
made a fantastic offer
just for getting here.
-Couldn't spell out all the
details in the telegraph.
But that much is
yours, in any case.
As far as the job is
concerned, the Major
tells me your customary
fee is a blank check.
Well, that one is signed
and countersigned.
And it's my
understanding you'll fill
it in, if you take the job.
-Yeah, well, let's just let
this one settle in a while.
Because we're talking
about a Friday deadline
for doing what has to be
done before Paco hangs.
Is that right?
-Let's sit down, gentlemen.
Suppose you begin, Colonel.
-Well, as you know,
this Paco Morales
is one of two brothers
who command a force of,
well, what began
as revolutionaries,
but go on as renegades,
forgetting, after years
of bloodshed, what
the beginning was.
-They used to ride
with Pancho Villa.
Then they split
off on their own,
and the elder one--
Chucho-- he's the boss.
Chucho Morales.
El libertador.
-What happened is this-- since
Paco is very probably content
to die for his crimes on
this side of the border,
his brother, Chucho, has
seized and holding a passenger
train in the State of Chihuahua.
On board, as hostages,
are some 73 civilians.
Mexican and Americans.
-What's he plan to do?
Kill them all, if
we hang his brother?
-I see you've heard
of his reputation.
It's not based on bluff.
-I tell you, so that you know.
In a place in Estados Unidos,
they plan to hang my brother.
My brother.
My Paco.
My mano.
So I say, no!
I say, no.
You kill my brother,
ah-- I kill many people.
All of you people on this train.
-Oh, no.
-Yeah.
All of you.
It is sad.
Very sad.
But it is my only way to keep
my brother not to be hung.
-And they have agreed to this?
The Americanos-- to let him go?
-Yes.
They will have to.
-This man has often bargained
for the lives of his prisoners.
Won his every demand.
And still, delivered them dead.
To deal with him, on any
terms, is to invite death.
In this case, for
73 innocent people.
-And the key word,
gentlemen, isn't 73.
It's people.
Like my friend Joe Parkinson,
who's already dead.
Like his daughter, Beth,
who's still on that train.
Joe's body was delivered
with this note.
Which may have been written
by a friend of yours.
-A friend of ours?
It's signed, Chucho Morales.
By Ricardo Sandoval.
-Ricardo?
-Then you do know him?
-Sure.
Through his father.
The old man worked with us, down
in Mexico, on a lot of jobs.
Last time I heard of Ricardo,
he was going to law school,
wasn't he?
-Mm.
-Officially, Hank,
it's too hot to handle.
He'll shoot them on the
spot if any attempt is made
to stop the train, or
even get close to it.
-Which means that, if our
soldiers made the attempt,
we could be responsible for
the deaths of your people,
as well as our own.
-And if our boys cross
the border, as they
shouldn't, your
people are butchered.
-Either way, you see what would
happen between our countries.
-You said any attempt
to stop the train.
That means they're running it.
Where?
-Forward and back,
between here, and here.
About 40 miles of
wide open country.
At about 60 miles per hour.
-No, now wait a minute.
They've gotta stop
for fuel and water.
Give me a look at this.
So where's the water?
-This is the water tower.
And this is the coal supply.
Both guarded by Morales' men.
-Oh, it's no great
matter to seize them.
To cut the train off and
surprise a few in order.
Or to block the track,
and stop it altogether.
But if we do, those
passengers are dead.
-Keeping on the move within
that flat 40-mile stretch,
Morales can command 360 degrees
of unobstructed view for miles.
And anything that
moves out there
could trigger the killings.
-Wait a minute, now.
The train moves no further north
than here, and no further south
than here?
-Well, not yet.
However, we're supposed
to deliver Paco,
alone and alive,
at 9 o'clock Friday
morning, precisely there.
Which is 20 miles
closer to the border
than that stretch of
track they're on now.
-Uh-huh.
And in the meantime, what
you want Johnny and me to do
is pull 73 passengers
off a moving
train, in wide open
country, without being seen,
and if we are seen,
they're all killed.
Is that the job?
-I told you.
It can't be done.
-I didn't say that.
-It, uh, might take
a minute or two.
[TRAIN WHISTLE]
RICARDO: Senorita?
Senorita?
I think if they had
meant to kill us,
they would have done so.
-And you're grateful for
that one small favor?
Where are your police?
Have you no laws in this
godforsaken country?
-Si, senorita.
We have laws.
And men to break them.
Thus in all countries
which are called civilized.
I myself have studied law.
At Guadalajara.
Mm, perhaps I will
live to practice it.
Perhaps not.
But all of these men
will answer to it.
And I have reason to believe
that a plan to rescue us
is, even now, in operation.
-What plan?
What reason to believe?
-Please-- how long do you
expect to keep us here?
Aboard this train?
Running back and
forth, going nowhere?
-What is it?
What is it?
You don't like?
Huh?
Something wrong?
You want to go someplace?
Maybe I send you someplace, huh?
[GUN COCK]
-Leave him alone.
-Oh, linda.
Little linda.
It is you who speak-- I obey.
You see, with you, I am
like a-- like a little baby.
I am helpless.
What is your command?
Hm?
-If you want to rob
and kill us all,
then why are you prolonging it?
-Patience.
You, you must have
patience, and hope.
Hope.
I do not think you understand.
You must, you must come with
me, I-- we will talk in private.
I will explain
everything to you.
Eh?
There will be no
secret between us.
Come.
Come.
I do not want to
insist, but, uh,
I will shoot into this
man's ear if you don't.
-Chucho Morales!
-No, no, no-- [IN SPANISH].
Amigos.
Here we have a great sight.
Like the first steps of a baby,
this, uh, this fine muchacho,
this, this schoolboy,
I, I didn't
know he had any legs to stand
up on, I-- I just didn't know.
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
-You were once a
man of the people.
Your name was spoken
with admiration.
Like that of Zapata.
You stood side by side with him.
How do you wish
to be remembered?
As you were then?
Or for what you do now?
-And how do you wish
to be remembered, uh?
With a bullet hole
between your eyes?
-I'm just asking
you to be the man
you could be, and have been.
[CLICK]
-Please.
I'll go with you.
-No, no, little linda, no.
You must want to go with me, hm?
You must beg me.
-Then I'm begging you.
I'm begging you.
-Hey.
Hey, schoolboy.
She beg me to go with her.
Do you want me to go with
her, or-- or you want to die?
-I, I don't want to die.
-Then say, please let me live.
-Please, let me live.
-And go with her.
-And go with her.
-Hm.
Hm, hm, hm, hm, hm-- ha, ha, ha,
ha, ha-- Ah, you see, amigos?
You see?
The schoolboy
learned the lesson.
Yes.
A man is a man, or he ain't.
[LAUGHTER]
[TRAIN WHISTLE]
-Well, now.
Where's the [INAUDIBLE]?
Here.
Is that a spur track?
-At one time, senor.
Went to a mining camp.
Since abandoned.
-Well, that is about--
that's 15 miles from where
they're running the train, and
about five miles from where
they were going
to pick up Paco--
-That spur line is gone.
All that track
has been taken up.
-How about the trestle?
Where's that?
Here-- this trestle
bridge, over the gorge--
is that still standing?
-Yeah, at last reports.
-When?
-Nine, 10 months ago.
Why?
Is it important?
-Is it important?
That is probably the ballgame.
I'll take this, Mr.
Davenport, if you
don't mind, and
fill it in later.
Fair?
-Why, certainly.
What is your plan?
-Well, we don't like to
talk about things like that,
because, uh, you'll
probably think we're crazy,
and you might be right.
Senor Merida?
Get on the telegraph.
Get in touch with the best
section gang you've got.
You get them down
there, and they
can be working while
we're getting ready.
-Putting that old spur back in?
-Right.
A good gang ought to do that
an hour before lunch, easy.
But I want the
main line torn up.
Track and ties, for at least
a mile, north of the spur.
I don't want Morales
rubbernecking out
of that train, and seeing
he's been sidetracked.
-Sidetracked?
Well, what about the engineer?
Whoever's pushing that loco's
bound to know the pike.
He's surely gonna--
-Yeah, well, you
see, by that time,
Johnny will be
running the train.
-Johnny?
-Well, don't worry about
a thing, Mr. Davenport.
First job I ever did was
railroad, with the Santa Fe.
I'll keep your kettle boiling.
-Well, even so, how
you gonna get aboard?
Without being seen?
At 50 or 60 miles an hour?
-Don't know just yet.
We sort of touch those
things up as we go along.
-This is absolute insanity.
-You know, I said
you'd maybe say that.
Listen, can I have a
plan of that trestle?
And I want a map of the
train around the gorge,
and some photographs,
if possible.
-I'll need, uh, specifications
on the locomotive.
And blueprints.
-Give them anything
they need to do the job.
And let's pray to God they
know what they're doing.
[GUNSHOT]
[GUNSHOT]
[GUNSHOT]
-There's your boy, Bill.
-That's a welcome sight.
-Hank, what do you think?
This plan of yours--
will it work?
-What, that stuff in there?
Whoa, Billy.
Pretty hard to do sleight
of hand with your fingers
crossed, I'll tell you.
-Hey, schoolboy.
If you're looking
for federales, you
better hope you don't see one.
One federale out there, and
a lot of dead people in here.
Maybe you dead already.
You don't move.
You don't speak.
Maybe you're thinking about
your, ah, lady friend.
The gringo woman.
Huh?
Ah, forget it.
Chucho will take care of her.
Leave everything to him.
Hm?
-Ah.
Oh, little linda.
Why you look so sad, eh?
Hey, little linda, you,
you ain't married, huh?
That's why you sad.
I think you want to marry, huh?
Not like the
captain of the ship.
He do marriage.
I am the captain of the train--
presto-- we are married.
Heh, heh, heh, heh.
Happy?
No happy, eh?
So we don't get married.
We get drunk, huh?
Ah.
Now, you drink.
-Let me go back now.
-To what?
To the schoolboy?
-No, just back to the others.
-No.
I don't like them.
I don't like to look at them.
I like to look at you.
I look at them?
Maybe they don't live so long.
Now, if you stay here with me,
maybe they stay alive, huh?
Now, you drink.
Drink.
Ta bueno.
You see, in the bottle, in
the bottle there is hope.
Nowhere else.
No one to help you.
Poor little linda.
No one to help her.
-I'll have the carriage
brought around the back.
-Bueno.
-Well, thanks again,
Colonel, for coming,
and for all your help.
-We are neighbors, senor.
We do not close our
doors to one another
because there's a mad
dog in the streets.
Adios, amigo.
Plenty of men will be
there when you need them.
-Not before.
-I understand.
Senorita.
God be with you both.
Vamanos.
-Abiento.
-I'll have those things
you wanted brought over
as soon as we can dig them out.
-Fine.
-You have the list, Miss Baker?
-No.
I mean, yes.
I mean, well, if
there's anything
else you want that
I don't have--
-Not that I can think of.
Uh, you will be bringing those
papers back personally, ma'am?
-Oh, no, I better not.
I mean, I couldn't possibly
come back tonight, I--
I mean, I have so
much to do that I
probably won't
get to bed at all.
I mean, I won't get--
-Ahem.
Miss Baker?
-Yes, Mr. Davenport, I'm coming.
Excuse me.
-See you in the
morning, gentlemen.
-Oh, yes, yes, Miss Baker.
Yes, indeed, and I mean--
-Listen, Bill-- you see that?
Now, I think we should move Paco
to an inside cell, don't you?
Setting him up in
a window like that
is kind of like flashing
our ace in the hole.
-Yeah, I see what you mean.
-What's he keep
looking for, I wonder?
-Same thing we are, I guess.
A miracle.
[TRAIN SOUND]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
-Whatever you need in the
way of special equipment.
-Oh, listen, I got a
whole list of stuff
I want from your arsenal.
But right now,
let's get ourselves
outside some meat and potatoes.
HOTEL CLERK: Now, I've
told you politely.
There's no room for you here.
-All the rooms are occupied?
-I didn't say that.
[LAUGHTER]
-We have money, senor.
-Sorry.
We don't take Mexican money.
-But this is American money.
-It's Mexican money.
[LAUGHTER]
-Senor?
My brother and I do
not, uh, require a place
for ourselves, but
for our sister.
-Por favor, Alfredo--
vamos a buscar otro hotel.
-Well, not in this town.
There ain't no hotel
on the chili bean side.
-Relax, killer.
Perdoneme, Senorita.
Me permitira ayudar.
-Gracias, Senor.
But, uh, we do not wish
to impose ourselves.
We will go.
-Oh, no, no, no-- no, no.
Don't do that.
Why don't you look again, and
if you can't find a vacancy,
we'll make one.
The lady can have our room.
-Um, Mr. Brackett, we never
had nothing against Mexicans.
Not until the Morales
brothers hit this town.
Now, you weren't here.
You don't know what it was.
But we can't forget it.
And our kids can't forget it.
We don't want any
part of them, huh?
Not now, not never.
VALLON: Yeah.
What do they want
here anyway, huh?
-What do any of you want?
We've come to see a man die.
-Well, you got some
special private reason?
-Si, Senor.
Both special and private.
-Well, in that case,
maybe your "seester"
can find herself a bed
over at the Hotel Del Sol.
[LAUGHTER]
-Mister?
This is a free
country, and a man
ought to be able to
say what he thinks.
That's the way it ought to be.
But if another man
don't like what he says,
then he ought to be able
to shut his fat mouth.
Now.
You were saying?
-It was all in fun, mister.
But say, what makes it so
much business of yours?
You don't even belong here.
Now, who are you?
We don't know you.
What are you, friends of theirs?
-Uh, Mr. Vallon-- he's a
friend of Mr. Davenport.
-Oh.
Well, that still don't
give him no butt in rights.
-Well, that's right.
Mr. Davenport may
own the railroad,
and the railroad
may own the town,
but he don't have no rights
to make rules for this hotel.
-Who does?
-I do.
-Are you the owner, sir?
-I am.
-Mind if we have a
little talk, in private?
-Yes, I'd prefer it.
-Don't you run away, now.
-If you wish it, Senor.
-Gracias.
Johnny, keep an
eye on the kettle.
-Just a short recess, folks.
Keep your places.
Con mucho gusto, Senorita.
I'm a friend of Mr.
Davenport's friend.
-Senor.
-Now, Mr., uh--
-Ramsey.
-Ramsey.
What about this vacancy?
-Well, I'm sorry,
but there's-- there
just isn't going to be one.
Even if you do move.
And really, Mr. Brackett,
I wish you wouldn't.
And though you and Mr.
Davenport are involved
in some very important
deal, and Mr. Davenport's
a very important man, and I hate
to be put in the middle, but--
-Yeah, well, you see,
that's the trouble.
I'm in the middle, too.
I gave my word to a lady,
and I'm out on a limb,
and I don't want
to break it off.
-Why does it mean
so much to you?
-Well, what if I told you
it was love at first sight?
Naw-- don't believe that?
Well, what if I said
I was just stubborn?
Now, let's register the lady,
and that takes care of that.
-For you, maybe.
But what about me?
I have to live in this town.
I have to do business with the
other people who live here.
You've seen their attitude.
-Do you go along with it?
-No.
It wouldn't be rational.
But I'm not dealing with a
rational populace these days.
I can't fly in the
face of public opinion.
-Why can't you?
-Ah, tell you the
truth, I wish I could.
I wish I'd never
left Philadelphia.
But here I am, and
here I'm stuck.
-Mr. Ramsey, I see
you got a problem.
But everything's got its
price, so what's it worth?
-I couldn't sell you a room now
for that lady, at any price.
-I'm not talking about a room,
I'm talking about the hotel.
-You can't be serious.
-Would you sell for what
you've got in it, plus 10%?
-At this point, ecstatically.
-That check any good?
-With Davenport's signature,
that's better than cash.
-You fill in the amount, and
if it's fair, I'll endorse it.
That's fair.
Mr. Ramsey, you're on
your way to Philadelphia.
-I think I understand.
It's your meeting
with Davenport--
that conference upstairs.
You must have been
planning this.
-Well, you know, one
thing leads to another.
Actually, we were
planning something bigger,
but that's confidential.
By the way, so is this.
I don't want the
change of ownership
to become public just
yet, because I have
to explain things to my partner.
-Certainly.
I couldn't transfer the
papers anyhow, before--
-Oh, that, that doesn't matter,
because Mr. Reach and myself
are leaving town
for a couple of days
to look into a, a big
Mexican railroad tie-up.
Well, we've got some
guests to register.
-Yes-- my pleasure.
-Ha, ha.
-All right, I'll handle
this, Mr. Muncie.
You can, uh, just take these
bags on up to suite 214.
You heard me.
Now, then.
If, uh, you'll just
sign the register.
-Hey, what goes on
here, Mr. Ramsey?
-Why, Mr. Vallon,
it's very simple.
We've had a cancellation.
-So that's how it is, huh?
All right, Ramsey, you go ahead.
But you're finished in
this town, you know that.
-Yes, isn't it wonderful?
The bags, Mr. Muncie,
or do you have
another offer of employment?
-Uh, no, sir.
I just work here, folks.
-You see?
There's always a way.
-What'd I tell you?
-How'd you do it, Hank?
-Huh?
-How'd you do it?
-Johnny and me bought the hotel.
-You see, this-- you
bought the hotel.
-Davenport's check.
-I see.
-I think he'll
probably buy it back,
if we get those passengers
off his train, though.
-A-- and if we don't?
-Well, we couldn't have spent
the check anyhow, could we?
-That's true.
-Thank you.
Very well, Miss-- the,
uh, top of the stairs
at the end of the hall.
Mr. Muncie will
show you your rooms.
-May I ask, Senor, to
whom we are indebted?
-Well, no one, really.
I'm Hank Brackett.
This is Johnny Reach, and
that there's Major Buckner.
-Bien.
I am Alfredo Sierra-Perez.
Se muy commilda servidor.
At your most kind command.
My sister, Juanita.
My brother, Marcos.
-We admire you for
what you did, Don Hank.
And your manner of doing it.
Should you ever
come to our country,
we hope to reward
you as you deserve.
But for now, gracias.
Mil gracias.
And very good night
to you, Senors.
-All right, folks.
Town meeting's over.
-Well, all we have to
do is have that steak.
-After you, Don Hank.
-You know, I've been
standing here feeling stupid,
stepped upon, and
ashamed of myself.
-Nothing happened.
Everybody makes a mistake.
-Yeah.
Only mine was in not calling
your bluff the first time.
The next time you start
talking tall to me,
be ready to back it up.
-You think I wasn't?
-I think I got to find out.
Ooh-- ooh--
-I, uh, was beginning to wonder
how long it was gonna take you.
-Hey, he's mean.
-Now, Mr. Brackett.
We have another small situation.
It's, uh, it's related to
our previous discussion.
-Oh, no, it's fine,
I, I told him.
-Oh.
Well, then, maybe it's
none of my business.
After all, it's your hotel.
But, uh, what do you
know about that lady?
-Not nearly enough.
Why?
-Uh, yes-- Senor
Alfredo Sierra-Perez,
Senor Marcos Sierra-Perez,
Senora Juanita Perez
de Morales, of,
uh, parentheses--
-Boy, partner.
You can sure pick them.
-Uh-huh.
Mrs. Paco Morales.
-I do not expect you
to understand, Senors.
Nor to approve.
But I've come to claim
the body of my husband,
and take him home for burial.
Is that so wrong?
-Not so wrong,
maybe, but a mistake.
And signing the hotel registry
with your married name
was a worse mistake.
Senora, an hour ago,
those people out there
would have torn the jail
apart to get at your husband.
If they find out his wife
is in this hotel, it--
-But I can hardly keep
my name a secret, can I?
If I am to accomplish
what I came here to do.
-Well, it might not matter
so much after Friday.
But the way things are now, we--
-I just don't understand.
I'm sorry, Senora, I
just don't understand
how you could have married
him in the first place.
-That is a long story.
Not a pretty one.
And we have no time for it now.
We have had a long journey,
and we're really tired.
We want to thank you
again for your kindness,
and your concern.
But now, we must
really say good night.
-Oh, look, this is
no good-- excuse me.
Please, just do me a favor.
OK?
-Of course.
-Don't let it be
known around town
that you're Mrs. Paco Morales.
Promise?
-I promise.
-If she's married to Paco
Morales, I'm Teddy Roosevelt.
-If she isn't, why
would she claim to be?
-That is what I want to know.
-Might be some kind
of play to spring him.
-Or to see if we're gonna turn
him loose to meet that train.
-You mean, if Paco's not on
his way by tomorrow night,
and Chucho had some
way of knowing it,
he wouldn't have to wait till
Friday to kill those hostages.
-Now, I'm not saying that's it,
but I cannot see any connection
between that lady and
Paco or Chucho Morales.
As sure as God made
little green apples,
it just ain't in the family.
Billy?
-Uh-huh?
-I want a surveillance
put on that little lady,
and her brothers, every
minute, until Friday night.
You understand me?
I don't want her using the
telegraph to send messages,
I don't want her leaving town,
and I don't want her even
talking to anybody
who might leave town.
-I'll get some men on it.
Better eat without me.
BRACKETT: Eat?
I'm not even hungry now.
-Oh.
Oh, here's that
stuff you asked for.
Sure hope you can use it.
-Thanks, buddy.
Good night.
Scare up a big pot
of coffee, Johnny.
Got a lot of work to do.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[TRAIN WHISTLE]
-All quiet, now.
-Huh?
Oh, good.
Isis-- one, two, three--
-Hey, you figure we
ordered enough dynamite?
-We got enough dynamite to
blow two bridges this size.
But that ain't the trick, buddy.
The trick is not to blow
it all at once, right?
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
-Good morning.
-Morning.
-Uh, we finally located these.
The plans you wanted, and
specifications on engine 309.
-Well, thank you, ma'am.
Won't you come in?
-Oh, no, I better not.
-Oh.
Well, I'll put my shirt on.
-Oh, it's, it's all right.
I've seen men without their-- I
mean, I've-- just for a minute.
-Excuse me.
-Good morning, Mr. Brackett.
-Good morning, Miss Baker.
-Oh, my.
You haven't been
to sleep at all.
-Oh, Hank hasn't.
I stretched out on
the floor for a spell.
-Why, those beds
are perfectly good.
I tried them myself.
I mean, I--
-Well, if I'd have
known that, ma'am--
-If you're thinking
he was brought up
in a barn or something, ma'am,
it was nothing that fancy.
It was a wikiup.
-You mean an Indian dwelling?
-He's not even
quite civilized yet.
-Well, you certainly
don't look like a savage.
-Oh, I'm tame.
My family came out of Kansas.
My stepmother raised me up.
She was pure-blooded Chiricahua.
-Oh.
And you lived with her.
-Her people, yes, ma'am.
After my pa passed away.
Still can't sit a horse
with a saddle on it.
Or sleep in a bed.
Sorry.
-Oh, I'm sure it doesn't
matter to me, where you sleep.
I mean, it doesn't matter--
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
-Come on in.
-Everything's set.
-Good, buddy.
-Oh.
Am I interrupting something?
-Come on.
-The test run is ready
whenever you are, gentlemen.
Engine standing by.
[ENGINE THROBS]
-Now then, what's this
all about, Mr. Brackett?
-Over here, sir.
-What is it?
-Well, you did ask Johnny how
he was going to board that other
engine without being
seen, now didn't you,sir?
-Yes.
Well, where is he?
-Johnny--
-Morning, Mr. Davenport.
-What the devil?
-Lots of things a man don't
see in the desert, sir.
Like maybe a trap door spider?
-Well, uh, what say?
Shall we, uh, have a go at it?
-All right, ducks.
-All right, stand by.
Bring it up slow and steady.
All set?
-All set.
-Just don't try it if
he's coming too fast.
-Mm-hm.
-You want me to do it?
-I'm all right.
-You're sure?
-I'm all right.
-Maybe I better do it.
-I'm all right.
-Ah, OK.
[TRAIN WHISTLE, BELL]
Did you see him?
-No.
What was wrong?
Was I going too fast?
-Ha, ha, ha, ha.
Well, what do you think?
-Amusing stunt.
-A what?
-Well, how does he
propose to control
the speed of that other engine?
-Well, that's just
another problem.
-Yes, mm-hm.
Well, as of this moment,
gentlemen, it's academic.
Because I don't intend
to let this insanity
go another step further.
-I'm afraid we don't
have any alternative.
-Well, then, we'll make one.
I have some power.
Some influence.
I'm in constant communication
with the governor.
I'll have Paco Morales
taken out of that cell
and delivered across the border
if it takes the entire state
militia to get him there alive.
-You can't deal with Morales--
don't you understand?
Either way, those people
are dead the minute
they serve his purpose.
Their only hope
is that something
can be done before the deadline.
-Ah, you may be right.
But if we give him what he
wants and he kills them anyway,
at least their blood will be
on his hands, and not on ours.
You going back with me, Major?
-I'll be along later, sir.
-Hey, partner.
You, uh, forgot to ask him
if he wants to buy a hotel.
-What?
Let's go.
-Hey, I'm sorry,
I, uh, really am.
-Forget it.
-OK, let's put it all
back the way it was.
-Well, now, Paco's wife
can cancel her plans, too.
-Plans?
-Yeah.
She's sure not one for
staying put, or keeping
shut, like you
especially told her to.
-What are you talking about?
What's she been up to?
-Had a busy morning.
Down to the undertakers
bright and early,
to pick out a casket.
Then over to the church
to light some candles.
Then on to the jailhouse,
for a powow with Paco.
-She's been talking to him?
-Well, she was talking
to the Sheriff,
who allows as how he
rightly can't deny
the condemned man a last--
-Get in.
Johnny, hop in the back.
-What's up, Hank?
-I don't know.
But something is.
-But Sheriff, if I
could only speak to him,
I know I could convince him
to confess his many sins,
and ask for absolution.
-Well, I sure can't
object to that,
Mrs. Morales, only,
uh, well, you've
given me an extra problem
coming here like this.
If folks in town
find out, I ain't
so sure I could
guarantee your safety.
-Why must anyone be informed?
It only concerns
those of us here.
-Surely, a man of
your authority--
-Por favor, Alfredo.
I know the Sheriff is a man
who makes his own decisions.
-Well, uh, yeah, that's so.
All right, ma'am.
But you go in alone.
Take nothing in with you.
And your brothers stay out.
-Of course.
You will wait here for me.
-Grant, give the
lady five minutes.
-This way, ma'am.
Your wife's here
to see you, Paco.
-My wife?
Ah, si, my wife, my beloved.
Ah, carita.
My darling.
My own sweet wife.
Mm, ha, ha.
-Senor, por favor,
can we be left alone?
-Huh?
Uh, oh.
Yes, ma'am.
Sorry.
-And how are the
little ones, uh?
Now tell me, pronto.
You come from Chucho?
You have plan to get me out?
When?
How?
-I've heard that he has a plan.
I do not know what it is.
But I have a plan of my own.
-You?
But why?
I don't know you.
Who are you?
-First, listen to me.
Listen to me well, and
you will not be hanged.
I have planned this carefully.
Now, you see this?
-What is it?
-A woman's weapon.
Easy to conceal.
When the guard comes back.
-Ah, si.
When the guard comes back.
-Quiet.
I think he's coming.
Embrace me, quickly.
-Ah-- tell me.
What is your name?
-Si.
I want you to know it.
I'm Juanita Sierra-Perez.
-Sierra-Perez?
-Remember?
Diaz Ciendo Sierra-Perez?
-Si.
I remember.
-It is good that you remember.
-Oh--
JUANITA: Guard?
Guard?
I'm ready to go.
He repents.
He wishes to be alone,
to make his peace.
-Well, ma'am, uh, did
he, uh, well, I mean,
is he ready for the priest?
-Si.
He is ready.
Mil gracias.
[CAR HORN HONKS]
-Hold it, ma'am.
I said, ma'am-- now, you
made me a promise, remember?
-Hey, what's going on?
-That's what I'm
going to find out.
-By whose authority?
-Mine, Sheriff.
-We want to know exactly what
this woman was doing here.
-Well, uh-- she was
seeing her husband.
-Well now, I want to see him.
-More visitors, Paco.
Paco.
-Come on, Paco.
You heard him.
Well, this man is dead, but
I can't see a mark on him.
What did you use, lady?
A hat pin?
Huh?
-Marcos, Alfredo,
and I were going
to visit the shrine of Guadalupe
when the Morales brothers
and their men came
to our hacienda.
They came for coal,
for guns, for horses.
All this they got,
but it wasn't enough.
This [IN SPANISH]
and his brother
believed my father
had more money hidden.
To make him tell the hiding
place, which did not exist,
my mother-- my sisters-- every
member of my family who they
could lay their hands upon--
were killed, one by one--
before his eyes.
Until--
-Easy.
Come on.
That's enough.
-But why now?
Couldn't you have waited
one more day to see him die?
-I heard that boast
of Chucho Morales
that he would prevent it.
He has kept such
promises before.
But this one-- he will not keep.
-Lady, you just don't
know what you've done.
-I know exactly what I've done.
What I came here to do.
And I'm prepared
to answer for it.
-Are you?
If word of this gets out,
you'll have killed 73 people.
Are you prepared
to answer for them?
-I-- I don't understand.
-I'll tell you something, Miss.
You're going to stay right here.
And if I ever get back,
I'll explain it to you.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
-Less than five minutes
ago, I got permission
from the governor to
attempt the exchange.
But perhaps you
were right, Major.
Perhaps we've been given a sign.
Has anyone else been told?
-No, sir.
We've put a lid on it.
-We'll be holding that lady
and her brothers incommunicado.
We'll carry on here
like it never happened.
-Well, I hope you can forgive
an old man's hesitation.
-Yes, sir.
-We'll get a telegram
off to Chihuahua,
and let that section gang know
you'll be there after all.
-We'll be there before
they deliver a telegram.
-80 miles?
-80 miles-- that'll take
us about, oh, 60 minutes.
-But Hank, there's no road.
-Sure there is.
-Good luck, and Godspeed.
-Don't I get a kiss goodbye?
-Well, we hardly know
each other, I mean, I--
-Well, then we'll
make it a hello kiss.
I could do that
without touching you.
-No, you can't.
I mean, that's not possible.
-I'll bet you five dollars.
-All right.
Mm.
You touched me.
-I warned you about them sneaky
Indian tricks, now didn't I?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
-Just let me know as soon as
Ricardo's father arrives, OK?
Meantime, I got a
little climbing.
[MUSIC CONTINUES]
[CLANK] [CLANK] [CLANK] [CLANK]
-Is he satisfied with the plan?
With your part of it?
-We'll see.
I will not say.
-You never have, old Pablo.
-This time, I must not.
My son is on that train.
I-- I am proud and
grateful to be of help.
I'm prouder still of my Ricardo,
for having the wisdom to,
to get a message out to you.
-You can tell him that tomorrow.
I guarantee it.
-Ah, little linda.
Manana, we must say goodbye.
That make you unhappy?
Huh?
No tears, eh?
Heh, heh.
All dried up, like a prune.
Heh, heh, heh.
-Wish we didn't have
to wait till morning.
-Well, now.
I set it up that way, Johnny.
Just for you.
-For me?
-You know how you Apaches
never attack at night?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[TRAIN WHISTLE]
-So, amigo.
You'll meet my brother.
No more stopping and, and
starting, and-- and backing up.
You see, now we, we go
north, to pick up Paco.
-And if he isn't there?
-If he ain't there, he, he
will be saying his prayers,
because-- because he will
be dead within the hour.
And you, you people,
you, you will
be saying your prayers, too.
What?
What, what-- why, why
train slow up, eh?
Why?
Why, what, what is it?
Ahh-- [SPEAKING SPANISH]
[SHEEP BLEAT]
-Stop train!
Stop train!
-[INAUDIBLE], Senor.
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
-You are-- you
know what I think?
I think that you, if you
would have got this gun?
You would have killed me.
-No.
-Heh, heh, heh.
I, uh, I think I cannot
turn my back on you.
But, eh, I do not kill you yet.
You know why?
Because you are so beautiful.
[CRACK]
-Oh-- hola-- ow--
[TRAIN WHISTLE]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
-What's going on?
Where are we?
Bueno-- [INAUDIBLE]
-Get them off the train!
Get them off the train--
we gonna kill them all!
[GATLING GUN FIRE]
No, no, no, look--
-Chucho Morales-- if just
one of those passengers die,
you and all your men are dead.
-We do not kill them here.
Rex--
-Up here, Morales.
And don't even think about
going for those guns.
[GUNFIRE]
-Hey, gringo!
You think you got
me into a trap, huh?
Ha, ha, ha, ha.
You don't.
I have the train
and the passengers.
And you're gonna let us go.
Or I will kill them all.
-Can't stop that, but I
can sure stop you, Morales.
Now, you come off
that bridge together,
or you all die together.
-Gringo, I mean it!
I tell you, I will
kill them all!
-Morales, you've got just three
minutes to unload that train.
Then I'm gonna dynamite
the whole bridge.
You understand me?
Now, let the passengers
come off towards me.
Then you and your men come off
with your hands up, and empty.
Three minutes.
Then we blow the bridge.
-A ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
You're lying,
gringo, you're lying.
You would not kill
the passengers.
Ha, ha, ha, ha.
[CRACK]
[BOOM]
[SIZZLE]
-Get back in that car.
-The first half of that bridge
is gonna blow in 60 seconds.
Now, let those passengers
come off towards me, amigo.
Here it comes, Morales.
-Ah-- you're bluffing, gringo.
-No, Chucho.
He means it.
-All right.
Let the passengers come out.
Get them out.
[SHOUTS, SCREAMS]
-They're coming out!
Go back!
-20 seconds.
-Get the people where
you can watch them.
Get them on the bridge.
[EXPLOSIONS]
-That leaves only one way
off the bridge, amigo.
Now, let the
passengers come off.
Let's move.
-You only blew up the
end of the bridge.
-You're hard to
convince, Morales.
[CRACK]
[BOOM]
-Here it comes.
I can't stop it-- nothing can.
Morales-- 120 seconds, and
the whole bridge goes up.
-Now, that's far enough!
Stay where you are.
Anybody moves, I will kill them.
[GUNSHOT]
Ahh--
-Now!
Passengers to the left.
Morales' men, right
here in front of me.
Move!
And keep together.
-You-- you didn't
blow the bridge!
-I lied.
-You called him Ricardo.
He's a friend of yours?
-Yes, ma'am.
He's the one who got the message
out, or we wouldn't be here.
[GUNSHOT]
-Well, she ain't
here, Mr. Brackett.
-Uh, where is she?
-Well, sir, after we got
the good word back from you,
we turned her loose.
On her promise that she'd
stay available for the trial.
-Then she didn't leave town.
-Not that lady.
Just moved back to the hotel.
-The hotel.
Thanks.
Oh, by the way,
about the trial--
how bad a time do you think
they're gonna give her?
-In this town?
For doing what they
were all fixing to do?
-You think they're
gonna remember
what they were all fixing to do?
-They'll remember.
I'm here to remind them.
She'll get a fair trial.
-Oh.
Evening.
-Looking pretty dapper.
Hey, guess what?
-What?
-She's out of jail.
-No.
-No, she's in the hotel, I
just talked to her brothers
in the lobby.
-Ah.
-Hey, uh, you want
to buy me a drink?
They're up the street, waiting.
-Yeah, well, I really think
one of us should go up
and say goodbye to her.
You know, since we're leaving
so early in the morning?
-Yeah.
The trouble is, I'm occupied.
-That's all right.
-They wanna buy me a drink, and
then I'll have to buy them one,
and-- it may turn out
to be a long evening.
-Well, look, I'll,
I'll tell you what.
What say, I go up
there, and I'll
say goodbye for both of us?
-Oh, buddy, I knew
you'd see it my way.
-All right.
Girlfriend?
On our way again.
-Yea, verily, the Lord worketh
in strange ways, his wonders
to perform.
-Amen to that, brother.
-Morning.
-Morning.
-Morning.
What kept you?
-Saw [INAUDIBLE].
I, uh, got your $5
back from Miss Baker.
-How'd you do that?
-Oh, she, uh, she bet she could
kiss me without touching me.
-She bet you that?
-Yeah.
A born loser.
But an awful good sport.
[BRACKETT SINGS NONSENSE,
LOUDLY]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[GUNFIRE ROARS]
[PANICKED SCREAMS]
[IN SPANISH]
-He says shut up!
So shut up!
Unless you want to get killed!
He's Chucho Morales.
We are not banditos.
We are liberators.
So shut up.
[CRASH]
-I'm Chucho Morales.
We are not bandits.
We are liberators.
[GUNFIRE]
[GUNFIRE]
-I'll give you
whatever you want.
Just jewels, money--
just take it.
-Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Boss, you,uh, you talk big, huh?
Are you somebody?
Huh?
Big man, huh?
-My name Parkinson.
I'm [INAUDIBLE]
with this railroad.
Listen, I--
-No, no, no, no.
What you got in there, eh?
What are you hiding, huh?
-That's my daughter.
You leave her alone.
I've already said we'd give
you all the money you want.
-Hey, linda.
You, uh-- your papa here,
he kiss you good night, uh?
No?
Oh.
Maybe-- maybe you want I kiss
you good night, eh, linda?
-You filthy animal.
[GUNSHOT]
[SCREAM]
-Very bad mistake, big
man of the railroad.
Very bad.
Hey, Briggs-- get someone
who can think in Spanish
and write in English.
-Hey, Chucho.
I got this kid.
He can write.
But more, he says he's a lawyer.
-Mm.
A lawyer, huh?
[IN SPANISH]
-A student.
-Ah, same thing.
Hey, you, ah, you hungry?
-No, gracias.
-Too bad.
Made very special, for one
big man of the railroad.
But, uh, he ain't hungry, too.
Now, uh, we-- we write letter.
Come.
Now-- sit down, now.
Sit down.
Paper.
Pen.
Now, write letter, to the
biggest man of the railroad.
El Presidente.
Write down his name--
-I don't know his name.
-You don't know his name, uh?
Then put down El
Presidente, and any names
you know of the important
men in Estados Unidos.
[TRAIN SOUNDS, TRAIN BELL RINGS]
[THUD]
DAVENPORT: Here's where they
threw his body off the train.
With that note pinned to it.
His daughter, Beth,
is like my own.
She was with him.
Now, I'm torn between
hoping she's not dead,
and hoping she is.
-Hope is strong
stuff, Mr. Davenport.
Let's keep it on
the positive side.
-Tell me how, Major-- when
you just told us officially
that we can't possibly deliver
what those outlaws demand.
And yet, if we
don't, they'll kill
every man, woman, and
child on that train.
Now, on what basis, please, do
we hold the positive thought?
-This message was addressed
to you, and two other men--
Hank Brackett, and Johnny Reach.
Have you been in
touch with them?
-They're not with this railroad.
I don't know who they are, or
what they have to do with this.
-Neither does Morales.
But whoever wrote this letter
for him, he knows who they are.
-And so do you, apparently.
-As a matter of fact, I do.
Used to soldier with Brackett.
And I've heard a lot
about his partner.
Their names aren't
here by accident.
Between the lines,
whoever wrote this
was calling out
to them for help.
-To them?
Why?
-Because he's in deep trouble,
and that's their specialty.
-Hm.
What are they?
Hired guns?
-Well, they don't work for free.
At first, they did.
Cleaned up a couple
of tough border towns,
just in self-defense.
Then, other towns,
or folks in trouble,
took to coming to them for help.
So many, they had to
get a bit mercenary
about putting their
lives on the line.
-I see.
Well, what's their
customary fee?
-A blank check, Mr. Davenport.
You see, they feel like this--
if you can put a price on it,
you don't need them bad enough.
-Are you trying to tell us,
Major, that the United States
Army can't do the job here,
but that two men possibly can?
-I've already told
you, Mr. Davenport.
We can't move troops
across the border.
I know that.
I don't know what they can
do, if they take the job.
But whatever it is, it can't
be much worse than what
Morales has in mind, now can it?
-Where can they be contacted?
-Casa Grande Hotel,
Casa Grande, New Mexico.
-Miss Baker, get a telegram
off to Mr. Hank Brackett,
Mr. Johnny Reach, that address.
Gentlemen.
Come at once.
Situation desperate.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
FOOTE: Them
tarnation gas buggies
are an abomination to the Lord.
Yea, verily, the love a man
beareth for his horse ain't
never going to be replaced
by no bucket of bolts.
Noisy, smelly,
newfangled contraptions.
You expect to leave
that stack of smoke
and scrap iron here, to offend
the noses of honest horses?
-Oh, yes, sir.
And we expect you to
guard it tenderly.
With loving care.
-Me?
Them things is against nature.
And the opposite
of all I stand for.
Yea, verily.
Thus they provoked Him to
anger, with their inventions.
And the plague
broke in upon them.
Psalms 106, verse 29.
-And the chariots shall
rage in the streets,
they shall justle one against
the other in the broad ways--
they shall seem like
torches, and they
shall run like the lightnings.
Nahum two, verse four.
-Hey, you know your scriptures.
-If thou canst not
lick them, join them.
Uh, Johnny Reach, 1914.
-And for your Christian kindness
in taking her off the streets
and keeping her safe
from prying eyes
and busy fingers, a
love offer, brother.
$20.
Hard cash.
-Seeing you put
it that way, I'll
look after her like she's
pure-blooded horse flesh.
Expect you come to
see the hanging, huh?
-Hanging?
-What hanging?
-You didn't know?
You must not have come in
by the way of Main Street.
Why, the whole town's over
there, fixing to hang a man,
right now.
-I was wondering how we
got into town unnoticed.
-Maybe that's why
Davenport sent for us.
Said it was urgent.
-Cyrus Davenport?
Well, he's president
of the railroad.
Richest man in New Mexico.
-Well, I don't suppose
they're gonna hang him.
-No.
Paco Morales.
The bandit.
You must have heard about it.
Why, him and his brother
and his whole bunch
come blasting across the border.
They pulled a raid
in this very town.
They killed men, women,
kids-- it was awful.
This Paco fellow is the
only one we got alive.
MISS BAKER: Mr. Brackett?
Mr. Reach?
-Yes, ma'am?
-Yes, indeed.
-I'm Miss Baker.
Mr. Davenport's secretary.
We assumed you had arrived.
Oh-- so that's a Stutz Bearcat.
Oh.
Isn't it beautiful?
-Gorgeous.
-My.
I bet it really travels, too.
-Yeah, I'll bet it really does.
-Well.
If you're ready now, we'll go
straight to your hotel room.
-Fine.
-I mean, uh, it's all
right with the management.
Arranged, that is.
Your accommodations
at the Plaza.
-Hey, you're in luck.
You can look right
out your window
there, and watch that
fellow being hanged.
The righteous shall rejoice
when he seeth the vengeance.
Psalms 58, verse 10.
-Yeah, well, maybe we're
not be all that righteous.
[CROWD NOISE]
-Hang him.
Hang him!
-Gringos!
Come and get me, why don't you?
I don't care.
Hey, Sheriff?
Let them in, I don't care.
Tonight, tomorrow, Friday-- Paco
Morales ain't scared to die.
VOICE IN CROWD: Are we cowards?
[CROWD NOISE GROWS]
-Now, you listen.
Go on-- get out of here.
Go home.
What you're doing here
don't even make sense.
This man's been sentenced
by a court of law.
Now, you go on and get.
You want to see justice done,
you can come back Friday.
-Well, it's too
late for that, Sam.
-Come on!
Get it over with!
Gringos!
-What do you think, Hank?
-If they ever get
organized, I wouldn't
like to be the one
to try and stop them.
Is that the job, Miss Baker?
-Well, no.
Not exactly.
Well, I mean, the prisoner
is a related problem.
But I'd rather you heard the
details from Mr. Davenport.
He'll be here directly.
-Well, he'd better be,
because this problem's
liable to become
unrelated awful sudden.
-What about this Sheriff?
Just how many men has he got?
-Oh, [INAUDIBLE] five.
-Yeah?
-Five regular deputies,
seven special.
-And just how many of them
care whether Paco Morales is
hanged tonight, or
some time Friday?
-They wouldn't let it
happen, Mr. Brackett.
No matter how they
felt about him.
Sheriff Lynch is
a very good man.
-It's kind of an unfortunate
name though, isn't it?
-Hey, there's a good sign.
A good fistfight's
getting started.
A chance to work out
some of that poison,
before it comes to a head.
-You know, my partner's an old
hand at these necktie parties.
-Really?
-No, really.
The first one I attended,
he was guest of honor.
That's where I found him.
I just plucked him
off a cottonwood tree.
And he wasn't very ripe, either.
-I'd be swinging there yet, if
old Hank hadn't happened by.
And spoke up from the other
end of a double stack blow gun.
-Well, what were you doing?
-Oh, well, uh-- a little
kicking, a little cussing.
-A lot of cussing.
-No, I, I mean,
before the actual--
-Well, ma'am, just drifting.
Sat down to a camp fire
for a cup of coffee
with some boys driving
their beeves up to market.
Well, I come to find out those
beeves didn't belong to them.
-Oh, and you were
implicated by association.
-The association
turned up shooting.
By the time the smoke cleared,
none of my coffee drinking
friends were fit to be hanged.
But being alive, well, that
made me the logical choice.
-Oh, well, you
certainly have reason
to be grateful to Mr. Brackett.
-He certainly does.
But he's paid off.
[SOUNDS AT THE DOOR]
-Thanks for coming, gentlemen.
I'm Davenport.
-How are you, sir?
-Captain Brackett.
-Well, just plain Hank Brackett.
-Colonel Delgado.
-How are you?
-Senor.
-And of course,
you know the Major.
-Hey, Billy.
How are you, buddy?
Long time between wars.
-Well, it certainly is.
The old sawbones let you
loose, leg and all, eh?
-Oh, I got a new one.
-Oh, sorry about that.
Don't leave it laying around.
He was always losing
something on [INAUDIBLE].
Except in battles.
-Right.
-I'm sorry, sir.
This is my partner,
Johnny Reach.
-Hello, Johnny.
Edward.
The Colonel.
Bill Graham, our chief engineer.
-How are you?
-How are you?
-Carlos Merida, our
chief of maintenance.
-Gentlemen.
-And I think you
all know Miss Baker.
Uh, this circus out here--
I wanted you to see it,
to be on top of
it, if necessary.
That's why we're meeting here.
Tell me, uh, how do you
estimate Morales' chances?
I mean, do you think
he'll keep till Friday?
-Mm, if he can get through
the next few hours.
You know how these things
get stirred up at night,
and go sour in the sun.
-We've got a national
guard unit coming in
to back up the Sheriff,
if he needs it.
Should be here soon enough.
-We want to apologize
again, Colonel,
for the inconvenience
of your visit.
-[IN SPANISH].
It was my wish to come.
But as you see, senors,
this is no longer
a safe place for Mexicans.
-Because of Paco Morales?
-Si.
-This means that you came
up here unofficially.
-Not unofficially, but secretly.
Like a thief in the night.
-I hope you do understand,
sir, that, uh, we're
not all like that mob out there.
-Just as you understand
that we are not
all like that one
across the way.
Still, we had to take
certain precautions.
But this young man and
I were not observed.
Otherwise, we would
have been here sooner.
-Incidentally, you
made fantastic time.
-Incidentally, you
made a fantastic offer
just for getting here.
-Couldn't spell out all the
details in the telegraph.
But that much is
yours, in any case.
As far as the job is
concerned, the Major
tells me your customary
fee is a blank check.
Well, that one is signed
and countersigned.
And it's my
understanding you'll fill
it in, if you take the job.
-Yeah, well, let's just let
this one settle in a while.
Because we're talking
about a Friday deadline
for doing what has to be
done before Paco hangs.
Is that right?
-Let's sit down, gentlemen.
Suppose you begin, Colonel.
-Well, as you know,
this Paco Morales
is one of two brothers
who command a force of,
well, what began
as revolutionaries,
but go on as renegades,
forgetting, after years
of bloodshed, what
the beginning was.
-They used to ride
with Pancho Villa.
Then they split
off on their own,
and the elder one--
Chucho-- he's the boss.
Chucho Morales.
El libertador.
-What happened is this-- since
Paco is very probably content
to die for his crimes on
this side of the border,
his brother, Chucho, has
seized and holding a passenger
train in the State of Chihuahua.
On board, as hostages,
are some 73 civilians.
Mexican and Americans.
-What's he plan to do?
Kill them all, if
we hang his brother?
-I see you've heard
of his reputation.
It's not based on bluff.
-I tell you, so that you know.
In a place in Estados Unidos,
they plan to hang my brother.
My brother.
My Paco.
My mano.
So I say, no!
I say, no.
You kill my brother,
ah-- I kill many people.
All of you people on this train.
-Oh, no.
-Yeah.
All of you.
It is sad.
Very sad.
But it is my only way to keep
my brother not to be hung.
-And they have agreed to this?
The Americanos-- to let him go?
-Yes.
They will have to.
-This man has often bargained
for the lives of his prisoners.
Won his every demand.
And still, delivered them dead.
To deal with him, on any
terms, is to invite death.
In this case, for
73 innocent people.
-And the key word,
gentlemen, isn't 73.
It's people.
Like my friend Joe Parkinson,
who's already dead.
Like his daughter, Beth,
who's still on that train.
Joe's body was delivered
with this note.
Which may have been written
by a friend of yours.
-A friend of ours?
It's signed, Chucho Morales.
By Ricardo Sandoval.
-Ricardo?
-Then you do know him?
-Sure.
Through his father.
The old man worked with us, down
in Mexico, on a lot of jobs.
Last time I heard of Ricardo,
he was going to law school,
wasn't he?
-Mm.
-Officially, Hank,
it's too hot to handle.
He'll shoot them on the
spot if any attempt is made
to stop the train, or
even get close to it.
-Which means that, if our
soldiers made the attempt,
we could be responsible for
the deaths of your people,
as well as our own.
-And if our boys cross
the border, as they
shouldn't, your
people are butchered.
-Either way, you see what would
happen between our countries.
-You said any attempt
to stop the train.
That means they're running it.
Where?
-Forward and back,
between here, and here.
About 40 miles of
wide open country.
At about 60 miles per hour.
-No, now wait a minute.
They've gotta stop
for fuel and water.
Give me a look at this.
So where's the water?
-This is the water tower.
And this is the coal supply.
Both guarded by Morales' men.
-Oh, it's no great
matter to seize them.
To cut the train off and
surprise a few in order.
Or to block the track,
and stop it altogether.
But if we do, those
passengers are dead.
-Keeping on the move within
that flat 40-mile stretch,
Morales can command 360 degrees
of unobstructed view for miles.
And anything that
moves out there
could trigger the killings.
-Wait a minute, now.
The train moves no further north
than here, and no further south
than here?
-Well, not yet.
However, we're supposed
to deliver Paco,
alone and alive,
at 9 o'clock Friday
morning, precisely there.
Which is 20 miles
closer to the border
than that stretch of
track they're on now.
-Uh-huh.
And in the meantime, what
you want Johnny and me to do
is pull 73 passengers
off a moving
train, in wide open
country, without being seen,
and if we are seen,
they're all killed.
Is that the job?
-I told you.
It can't be done.
-I didn't say that.
-It, uh, might take
a minute or two.
[TRAIN WHISTLE]
RICARDO: Senorita?
Senorita?
I think if they had
meant to kill us,
they would have done so.
-And you're grateful for
that one small favor?
Where are your police?
Have you no laws in this
godforsaken country?
-Si, senorita.
We have laws.
And men to break them.
Thus in all countries
which are called civilized.
I myself have studied law.
At Guadalajara.
Mm, perhaps I will
live to practice it.
Perhaps not.
But all of these men
will answer to it.
And I have reason to believe
that a plan to rescue us
is, even now, in operation.
-What plan?
What reason to believe?
-Please-- how long do you
expect to keep us here?
Aboard this train?
Running back and
forth, going nowhere?
-What is it?
What is it?
You don't like?
Huh?
Something wrong?
You want to go someplace?
Maybe I send you someplace, huh?
[GUN COCK]
-Leave him alone.
-Oh, linda.
Little linda.
It is you who speak-- I obey.
You see, with you, I am
like a-- like a little baby.
I am helpless.
What is your command?
Hm?
-If you want to rob
and kill us all,
then why are you prolonging it?
-Patience.
You, you must have
patience, and hope.
Hope.
I do not think you understand.
You must, you must come with
me, I-- we will talk in private.
I will explain
everything to you.
Eh?
There will be no
secret between us.
Come.
Come.
I do not want to
insist, but, uh,
I will shoot into this
man's ear if you don't.
-Chucho Morales!
-No, no, no-- [IN SPANISH].
Amigos.
Here we have a great sight.
Like the first steps of a baby,
this, uh, this fine muchacho,
this, this schoolboy,
I, I didn't
know he had any legs to stand
up on, I-- I just didn't know.
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
-You were once a
man of the people.
Your name was spoken
with admiration.
Like that of Zapata.
You stood side by side with him.
How do you wish
to be remembered?
As you were then?
Or for what you do now?
-And how do you wish
to be remembered, uh?
With a bullet hole
between your eyes?
-I'm just asking
you to be the man
you could be, and have been.
[CLICK]
-Please.
I'll go with you.
-No, no, little linda, no.
You must want to go with me, hm?
You must beg me.
-Then I'm begging you.
I'm begging you.
-Hey.
Hey, schoolboy.
She beg me to go with her.
Do you want me to go with
her, or-- or you want to die?
-I, I don't want to die.
-Then say, please let me live.
-Please, let me live.
-And go with her.
-And go with her.
-Hm.
Hm, hm, hm, hm, hm-- ha, ha, ha,
ha, ha-- Ah, you see, amigos?
You see?
The schoolboy
learned the lesson.
Yes.
A man is a man, or he ain't.
[LAUGHTER]
[TRAIN WHISTLE]
-Well, now.
Where's the [INAUDIBLE]?
Here.
Is that a spur track?
-At one time, senor.
Went to a mining camp.
Since abandoned.
-Well, that is about--
that's 15 miles from where
they're running the train, and
about five miles from where
they were going
to pick up Paco--
-That spur line is gone.
All that track
has been taken up.
-How about the trestle?
Where's that?
Here-- this trestle
bridge, over the gorge--
is that still standing?
-Yeah, at last reports.
-When?
-Nine, 10 months ago.
Why?
Is it important?
-Is it important?
That is probably the ballgame.
I'll take this, Mr.
Davenport, if you
don't mind, and
fill it in later.
Fair?
-Why, certainly.
What is your plan?
-Well, we don't like to
talk about things like that,
because, uh, you'll
probably think we're crazy,
and you might be right.
Senor Merida?
Get on the telegraph.
Get in touch with the best
section gang you've got.
You get them down
there, and they
can be working while
we're getting ready.
-Putting that old spur back in?
-Right.
A good gang ought to do that
an hour before lunch, easy.
But I want the
main line torn up.
Track and ties, for at least
a mile, north of the spur.
I don't want Morales
rubbernecking out
of that train, and seeing
he's been sidetracked.
-Sidetracked?
Well, what about the engineer?
Whoever's pushing that loco's
bound to know the pike.
He's surely gonna--
-Yeah, well, you
see, by that time,
Johnny will be
running the train.
-Johnny?
-Well, don't worry about
a thing, Mr. Davenport.
First job I ever did was
railroad, with the Santa Fe.
I'll keep your kettle boiling.
-Well, even so, how
you gonna get aboard?
Without being seen?
At 50 or 60 miles an hour?
-Don't know just yet.
We sort of touch those
things up as we go along.
-This is absolute insanity.
-You know, I said
you'd maybe say that.
Listen, can I have a
plan of that trestle?
And I want a map of the
train around the gorge,
and some photographs,
if possible.
-I'll need, uh, specifications
on the locomotive.
And blueprints.
-Give them anything
they need to do the job.
And let's pray to God they
know what they're doing.
[GUNSHOT]
[GUNSHOT]
[GUNSHOT]
-There's your boy, Bill.
-That's a welcome sight.
-Hank, what do you think?
This plan of yours--
will it work?
-What, that stuff in there?
Whoa, Billy.
Pretty hard to do sleight
of hand with your fingers
crossed, I'll tell you.
-Hey, schoolboy.
If you're looking
for federales, you
better hope you don't see one.
One federale out there, and
a lot of dead people in here.
Maybe you dead already.
You don't move.
You don't speak.
Maybe you're thinking about
your, ah, lady friend.
The gringo woman.
Huh?
Ah, forget it.
Chucho will take care of her.
Leave everything to him.
Hm?
-Ah.
Oh, little linda.
Why you look so sad, eh?
Hey, little linda, you,
you ain't married, huh?
That's why you sad.
I think you want to marry, huh?
Not like the
captain of the ship.
He do marriage.
I am the captain of the train--
presto-- we are married.
Heh, heh, heh, heh.
Happy?
No happy, eh?
So we don't get married.
We get drunk, huh?
Ah.
Now, you drink.
-Let me go back now.
-To what?
To the schoolboy?
-No, just back to the others.
-No.
I don't like them.
I don't like to look at them.
I like to look at you.
I look at them?
Maybe they don't live so long.
Now, if you stay here with me,
maybe they stay alive, huh?
Now, you drink.
Drink.
Ta bueno.
You see, in the bottle, in
the bottle there is hope.
Nowhere else.
No one to help you.
Poor little linda.
No one to help her.
-I'll have the carriage
brought around the back.
-Bueno.
-Well, thanks again,
Colonel, for coming,
and for all your help.
-We are neighbors, senor.
We do not close our
doors to one another
because there's a mad
dog in the streets.
Adios, amigo.
Plenty of men will be
there when you need them.
-Not before.
-I understand.
Senorita.
God be with you both.
Vamanos.
-Abiento.
-I'll have those things
you wanted brought over
as soon as we can dig them out.
-Fine.
-You have the list, Miss Baker?
-No.
I mean, yes.
I mean, well, if
there's anything
else you want that
I don't have--
-Not that I can think of.
Uh, you will be bringing those
papers back personally, ma'am?
-Oh, no, I better not.
I mean, I couldn't possibly
come back tonight, I--
I mean, I have so
much to do that I
probably won't
get to bed at all.
I mean, I won't get--
-Ahem.
Miss Baker?
-Yes, Mr. Davenport, I'm coming.
Excuse me.
-See you in the
morning, gentlemen.
-Oh, yes, yes, Miss Baker.
Yes, indeed, and I mean--
-Listen, Bill-- you see that?
Now, I think we should move Paco
to an inside cell, don't you?
Setting him up in
a window like that
is kind of like flashing
our ace in the hole.
-Yeah, I see what you mean.
-What's he keep
looking for, I wonder?
-Same thing we are, I guess.
A miracle.
[TRAIN SOUND]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
-Whatever you need in the
way of special equipment.
-Oh, listen, I got a
whole list of stuff
I want from your arsenal.
But right now,
let's get ourselves
outside some meat and potatoes.
HOTEL CLERK: Now, I've
told you politely.
There's no room for you here.
-All the rooms are occupied?
-I didn't say that.
[LAUGHTER]
-We have money, senor.
-Sorry.
We don't take Mexican money.
-But this is American money.
-It's Mexican money.
[LAUGHTER]
-Senor?
My brother and I do
not, uh, require a place
for ourselves, but
for our sister.
-Por favor, Alfredo--
vamos a buscar otro hotel.
-Well, not in this town.
There ain't no hotel
on the chili bean side.
-Relax, killer.
Perdoneme, Senorita.
Me permitira ayudar.
-Gracias, Senor.
But, uh, we do not wish
to impose ourselves.
We will go.
-Oh, no, no, no-- no, no.
Don't do that.
Why don't you look again, and
if you can't find a vacancy,
we'll make one.
The lady can have our room.
-Um, Mr. Brackett, we never
had nothing against Mexicans.
Not until the Morales
brothers hit this town.
Now, you weren't here.
You don't know what it was.
But we can't forget it.
And our kids can't forget it.
We don't want any
part of them, huh?
Not now, not never.
VALLON: Yeah.
What do they want
here anyway, huh?
-What do any of you want?
We've come to see a man die.
-Well, you got some
special private reason?
-Si, Senor.
Both special and private.
-Well, in that case,
maybe your "seester"
can find herself a bed
over at the Hotel Del Sol.
[LAUGHTER]
-Mister?
This is a free
country, and a man
ought to be able to
say what he thinks.
That's the way it ought to be.
But if another man
don't like what he says,
then he ought to be able
to shut his fat mouth.
Now.
You were saying?
-It was all in fun, mister.
But say, what makes it so
much business of yours?
You don't even belong here.
Now, who are you?
We don't know you.
What are you, friends of theirs?
-Uh, Mr. Vallon-- he's a
friend of Mr. Davenport.
-Oh.
Well, that still don't
give him no butt in rights.
-Well, that's right.
Mr. Davenport may
own the railroad,
and the railroad
may own the town,
but he don't have no rights
to make rules for this hotel.
-Who does?
-I do.
-Are you the owner, sir?
-I am.
-Mind if we have a
little talk, in private?
-Yes, I'd prefer it.
-Don't you run away, now.
-If you wish it, Senor.
-Gracias.
Johnny, keep an
eye on the kettle.
-Just a short recess, folks.
Keep your places.
Con mucho gusto, Senorita.
I'm a friend of Mr.
Davenport's friend.
-Senor.
-Now, Mr., uh--
-Ramsey.
-Ramsey.
What about this vacancy?
-Well, I'm sorry,
but there's-- there
just isn't going to be one.
Even if you do move.
And really, Mr. Brackett,
I wish you wouldn't.
And though you and Mr.
Davenport are involved
in some very important
deal, and Mr. Davenport's
a very important man, and I hate
to be put in the middle, but--
-Yeah, well, you see,
that's the trouble.
I'm in the middle, too.
I gave my word to a lady,
and I'm out on a limb,
and I don't want
to break it off.
-Why does it mean
so much to you?
-Well, what if I told you
it was love at first sight?
Naw-- don't believe that?
Well, what if I said
I was just stubborn?
Now, let's register the lady,
and that takes care of that.
-For you, maybe.
But what about me?
I have to live in this town.
I have to do business with the
other people who live here.
You've seen their attitude.
-Do you go along with it?
-No.
It wouldn't be rational.
But I'm not dealing with a
rational populace these days.
I can't fly in the
face of public opinion.
-Why can't you?
-Ah, tell you the
truth, I wish I could.
I wish I'd never
left Philadelphia.
But here I am, and
here I'm stuck.
-Mr. Ramsey, I see
you got a problem.
But everything's got its
price, so what's it worth?
-I couldn't sell you a room now
for that lady, at any price.
-I'm not talking about a room,
I'm talking about the hotel.
-You can't be serious.
-Would you sell for what
you've got in it, plus 10%?
-At this point, ecstatically.
-That check any good?
-With Davenport's signature,
that's better than cash.
-You fill in the amount, and
if it's fair, I'll endorse it.
That's fair.
Mr. Ramsey, you're on
your way to Philadelphia.
-I think I understand.
It's your meeting
with Davenport--
that conference upstairs.
You must have been
planning this.
-Well, you know, one
thing leads to another.
Actually, we were
planning something bigger,
but that's confidential.
By the way, so is this.
I don't want the
change of ownership
to become public just
yet, because I have
to explain things to my partner.
-Certainly.
I couldn't transfer the
papers anyhow, before--
-Oh, that, that doesn't matter,
because Mr. Reach and myself
are leaving town
for a couple of days
to look into a, a big
Mexican railroad tie-up.
Well, we've got some
guests to register.
-Yes-- my pleasure.
-Ha, ha.
-All right, I'll handle
this, Mr. Muncie.
You can, uh, just take these
bags on up to suite 214.
You heard me.
Now, then.
If, uh, you'll just
sign the register.
-Hey, what goes on
here, Mr. Ramsey?
-Why, Mr. Vallon,
it's very simple.
We've had a cancellation.
-So that's how it is, huh?
All right, Ramsey, you go ahead.
But you're finished in
this town, you know that.
-Yes, isn't it wonderful?
The bags, Mr. Muncie,
or do you have
another offer of employment?
-Uh, no, sir.
I just work here, folks.
-You see?
There's always a way.
-What'd I tell you?
-How'd you do it, Hank?
-Huh?
-How'd you do it?
-Johnny and me bought the hotel.
-You see, this-- you
bought the hotel.
-Davenport's check.
-I see.
-I think he'll
probably buy it back,
if we get those passengers
off his train, though.
-A-- and if we don't?
-Well, we couldn't have spent
the check anyhow, could we?
-That's true.
-Thank you.
Very well, Miss-- the,
uh, top of the stairs
at the end of the hall.
Mr. Muncie will
show you your rooms.
-May I ask, Senor, to
whom we are indebted?
-Well, no one, really.
I'm Hank Brackett.
This is Johnny Reach, and
that there's Major Buckner.
-Bien.
I am Alfredo Sierra-Perez.
Se muy commilda servidor.
At your most kind command.
My sister, Juanita.
My brother, Marcos.
-We admire you for
what you did, Don Hank.
And your manner of doing it.
Should you ever
come to our country,
we hope to reward
you as you deserve.
But for now, gracias.
Mil gracias.
And very good night
to you, Senors.
-All right, folks.
Town meeting's over.
-Well, all we have to
do is have that steak.
-After you, Don Hank.
-You know, I've been
standing here feeling stupid,
stepped upon, and
ashamed of myself.
-Nothing happened.
Everybody makes a mistake.
-Yeah.
Only mine was in not calling
your bluff the first time.
The next time you start
talking tall to me,
be ready to back it up.
-You think I wasn't?
-I think I got to find out.
Ooh-- ooh--
-I, uh, was beginning to wonder
how long it was gonna take you.
-Hey, he's mean.
-Now, Mr. Brackett.
We have another small situation.
It's, uh, it's related to
our previous discussion.
-Oh, no, it's fine,
I, I told him.
-Oh.
Well, then, maybe it's
none of my business.
After all, it's your hotel.
But, uh, what do you
know about that lady?
-Not nearly enough.
Why?
-Uh, yes-- Senor
Alfredo Sierra-Perez,
Senor Marcos Sierra-Perez,
Senora Juanita Perez
de Morales, of,
uh, parentheses--
-Boy, partner.
You can sure pick them.
-Uh-huh.
Mrs. Paco Morales.
-I do not expect you
to understand, Senors.
Nor to approve.
But I've come to claim
the body of my husband,
and take him home for burial.
Is that so wrong?
-Not so wrong,
maybe, but a mistake.
And signing the hotel registry
with your married name
was a worse mistake.
Senora, an hour ago,
those people out there
would have torn the jail
apart to get at your husband.
If they find out his wife
is in this hotel, it--
-But I can hardly keep
my name a secret, can I?
If I am to accomplish
what I came here to do.
-Well, it might not matter
so much after Friday.
But the way things are now, we--
-I just don't understand.
I'm sorry, Senora, I
just don't understand
how you could have married
him in the first place.
-That is a long story.
Not a pretty one.
And we have no time for it now.
We have had a long journey,
and we're really tired.
We want to thank you
again for your kindness,
and your concern.
But now, we must
really say good night.
-Oh, look, this is
no good-- excuse me.
Please, just do me a favor.
OK?
-Of course.
-Don't let it be
known around town
that you're Mrs. Paco Morales.
Promise?
-I promise.
-If she's married to Paco
Morales, I'm Teddy Roosevelt.
-If she isn't, why
would she claim to be?
-That is what I want to know.
-Might be some kind
of play to spring him.
-Or to see if we're gonna turn
him loose to meet that train.
-You mean, if Paco's not on
his way by tomorrow night,
and Chucho had some
way of knowing it,
he wouldn't have to wait till
Friday to kill those hostages.
-Now, I'm not saying that's it,
but I cannot see any connection
between that lady and
Paco or Chucho Morales.
As sure as God made
little green apples,
it just ain't in the family.
Billy?
-Uh-huh?
-I want a surveillance
put on that little lady,
and her brothers, every
minute, until Friday night.
You understand me?
I don't want her using the
telegraph to send messages,
I don't want her leaving town,
and I don't want her even
talking to anybody
who might leave town.
-I'll get some men on it.
Better eat without me.
BRACKETT: Eat?
I'm not even hungry now.
-Oh.
Oh, here's that
stuff you asked for.
Sure hope you can use it.
-Thanks, buddy.
Good night.
Scare up a big pot
of coffee, Johnny.
Got a lot of work to do.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[TRAIN WHISTLE]
-All quiet, now.
-Huh?
Oh, good.
Isis-- one, two, three--
-Hey, you figure we
ordered enough dynamite?
-We got enough dynamite to
blow two bridges this size.
But that ain't the trick, buddy.
The trick is not to blow
it all at once, right?
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
-Good morning.
-Morning.
-Uh, we finally located these.
The plans you wanted, and
specifications on engine 309.
-Well, thank you, ma'am.
Won't you come in?
-Oh, no, I better not.
-Oh.
Well, I'll put my shirt on.
-Oh, it's, it's all right.
I've seen men without their-- I
mean, I've-- just for a minute.
-Excuse me.
-Good morning, Mr. Brackett.
-Good morning, Miss Baker.
-Oh, my.
You haven't been
to sleep at all.
-Oh, Hank hasn't.
I stretched out on
the floor for a spell.
-Why, those beds
are perfectly good.
I tried them myself.
I mean, I--
-Well, if I'd have
known that, ma'am--
-If you're thinking
he was brought up
in a barn or something, ma'am,
it was nothing that fancy.
It was a wikiup.
-You mean an Indian dwelling?
-He's not even
quite civilized yet.
-Well, you certainly
don't look like a savage.
-Oh, I'm tame.
My family came out of Kansas.
My stepmother raised me up.
She was pure-blooded Chiricahua.
-Oh.
And you lived with her.
-Her people, yes, ma'am.
After my pa passed away.
Still can't sit a horse
with a saddle on it.
Or sleep in a bed.
Sorry.
-Oh, I'm sure it doesn't
matter to me, where you sleep.
I mean, it doesn't matter--
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
-Come on in.
-Everything's set.
-Good, buddy.
-Oh.
Am I interrupting something?
-Come on.
-The test run is ready
whenever you are, gentlemen.
Engine standing by.
[ENGINE THROBS]
-Now then, what's this
all about, Mr. Brackett?
-Over here, sir.
-What is it?
-Well, you did ask Johnny how
he was going to board that other
engine without being
seen, now didn't you,sir?
-Yes.
Well, where is he?
-Johnny--
-Morning, Mr. Davenport.
-What the devil?
-Lots of things a man don't
see in the desert, sir.
Like maybe a trap door spider?
-Well, uh, what say?
Shall we, uh, have a go at it?
-All right, ducks.
-All right, stand by.
Bring it up slow and steady.
All set?
-All set.
-Just don't try it if
he's coming too fast.
-Mm-hm.
-You want me to do it?
-I'm all right.
-You're sure?
-I'm all right.
-Maybe I better do it.
-I'm all right.
-Ah, OK.
[TRAIN WHISTLE, BELL]
Did you see him?
-No.
What was wrong?
Was I going too fast?
-Ha, ha, ha, ha.
Well, what do you think?
-Amusing stunt.
-A what?
-Well, how does he
propose to control
the speed of that other engine?
-Well, that's just
another problem.
-Yes, mm-hm.
Well, as of this moment,
gentlemen, it's academic.
Because I don't intend
to let this insanity
go another step further.
-I'm afraid we don't
have any alternative.
-Well, then, we'll make one.
I have some power.
Some influence.
I'm in constant communication
with the governor.
I'll have Paco Morales
taken out of that cell
and delivered across the border
if it takes the entire state
militia to get him there alive.
-You can't deal with Morales--
don't you understand?
Either way, those people
are dead the minute
they serve his purpose.
Their only hope
is that something
can be done before the deadline.
-Ah, you may be right.
But if we give him what he
wants and he kills them anyway,
at least their blood will be
on his hands, and not on ours.
You going back with me, Major?
-I'll be along later, sir.
-Hey, partner.
You, uh, forgot to ask him
if he wants to buy a hotel.
-What?
Let's go.
-Hey, I'm sorry,
I, uh, really am.
-Forget it.
-OK, let's put it all
back the way it was.
-Well, now, Paco's wife
can cancel her plans, too.
-Plans?
-Yeah.
She's sure not one for
staying put, or keeping
shut, like you
especially told her to.
-What are you talking about?
What's she been up to?
-Had a busy morning.
Down to the undertakers
bright and early,
to pick out a casket.
Then over to the church
to light some candles.
Then on to the jailhouse,
for a powow with Paco.
-She's been talking to him?
-Well, she was talking
to the Sheriff,
who allows as how he
rightly can't deny
the condemned man a last--
-Get in.
Johnny, hop in the back.
-What's up, Hank?
-I don't know.
But something is.
-But Sheriff, if I
could only speak to him,
I know I could convince him
to confess his many sins,
and ask for absolution.
-Well, I sure can't
object to that,
Mrs. Morales, only,
uh, well, you've
given me an extra problem
coming here like this.
If folks in town
find out, I ain't
so sure I could
guarantee your safety.
-Why must anyone be informed?
It only concerns
those of us here.
-Surely, a man of
your authority--
-Por favor, Alfredo.
I know the Sheriff is a man
who makes his own decisions.
-Well, uh, yeah, that's so.
All right, ma'am.
But you go in alone.
Take nothing in with you.
And your brothers stay out.
-Of course.
You will wait here for me.
-Grant, give the
lady five minutes.
-This way, ma'am.
Your wife's here
to see you, Paco.
-My wife?
Ah, si, my wife, my beloved.
Ah, carita.
My darling.
My own sweet wife.
Mm, ha, ha.
-Senor, por favor,
can we be left alone?
-Huh?
Uh, oh.
Yes, ma'am.
Sorry.
-And how are the
little ones, uh?
Now tell me, pronto.
You come from Chucho?
You have plan to get me out?
When?
How?
-I've heard that he has a plan.
I do not know what it is.
But I have a plan of my own.
-You?
But why?
I don't know you.
Who are you?
-First, listen to me.
Listen to me well, and
you will not be hanged.
I have planned this carefully.
Now, you see this?
-What is it?
-A woman's weapon.
Easy to conceal.
When the guard comes back.
-Ah, si.
When the guard comes back.
-Quiet.
I think he's coming.
Embrace me, quickly.
-Ah-- tell me.
What is your name?
-Si.
I want you to know it.
I'm Juanita Sierra-Perez.
-Sierra-Perez?
-Remember?
Diaz Ciendo Sierra-Perez?
-Si.
I remember.
-It is good that you remember.
-Oh--
JUANITA: Guard?
Guard?
I'm ready to go.
He repents.
He wishes to be alone,
to make his peace.
-Well, ma'am, uh, did
he, uh, well, I mean,
is he ready for the priest?
-Si.
He is ready.
Mil gracias.
[CAR HORN HONKS]
-Hold it, ma'am.
I said, ma'am-- now, you
made me a promise, remember?
-Hey, what's going on?
-That's what I'm
going to find out.
-By whose authority?
-Mine, Sheriff.
-We want to know exactly what
this woman was doing here.
-Well, uh-- she was
seeing her husband.
-Well now, I want to see him.
-More visitors, Paco.
Paco.
-Come on, Paco.
You heard him.
Well, this man is dead, but
I can't see a mark on him.
What did you use, lady?
A hat pin?
Huh?
-Marcos, Alfredo,
and I were going
to visit the shrine of Guadalupe
when the Morales brothers
and their men came
to our hacienda.
They came for coal,
for guns, for horses.
All this they got,
but it wasn't enough.
This [IN SPANISH]
and his brother
believed my father
had more money hidden.
To make him tell the hiding
place, which did not exist,
my mother-- my sisters-- every
member of my family who they
could lay their hands upon--
were killed, one by one--
before his eyes.
Until--
-Easy.
Come on.
That's enough.
-But why now?
Couldn't you have waited
one more day to see him die?
-I heard that boast
of Chucho Morales
that he would prevent it.
He has kept such
promises before.
But this one-- he will not keep.
-Lady, you just don't
know what you've done.
-I know exactly what I've done.
What I came here to do.
And I'm prepared
to answer for it.
-Are you?
If word of this gets out,
you'll have killed 73 people.
Are you prepared
to answer for them?
-I-- I don't understand.
-I'll tell you something, Miss.
You're going to stay right here.
And if I ever get back,
I'll explain it to you.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
-Less than five minutes
ago, I got permission
from the governor to
attempt the exchange.
But perhaps you
were right, Major.
Perhaps we've been given a sign.
Has anyone else been told?
-No, sir.
We've put a lid on it.
-We'll be holding that lady
and her brothers incommunicado.
We'll carry on here
like it never happened.
-Well, I hope you can forgive
an old man's hesitation.
-Yes, sir.
-We'll get a telegram
off to Chihuahua,
and let that section gang know
you'll be there after all.
-We'll be there before
they deliver a telegram.
-80 miles?
-80 miles-- that'll take
us about, oh, 60 minutes.
-But Hank, there's no road.
-Sure there is.
-Good luck, and Godspeed.
-Don't I get a kiss goodbye?
-Well, we hardly know
each other, I mean, I--
-Well, then we'll
make it a hello kiss.
I could do that
without touching you.
-No, you can't.
I mean, that's not possible.
-I'll bet you five dollars.
-All right.
Mm.
You touched me.
-I warned you about them sneaky
Indian tricks, now didn't I?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
-Just let me know as soon as
Ricardo's father arrives, OK?
Meantime, I got a
little climbing.
[MUSIC CONTINUES]
[CLANK] [CLANK] [CLANK] [CLANK]
-Is he satisfied with the plan?
With your part of it?
-We'll see.
I will not say.
-You never have, old Pablo.
-This time, I must not.
My son is on that train.
I-- I am proud and
grateful to be of help.
I'm prouder still of my Ricardo,
for having the wisdom to,
to get a message out to you.
-You can tell him that tomorrow.
I guarantee it.
-Ah, little linda.
Manana, we must say goodbye.
That make you unhappy?
Huh?
No tears, eh?
Heh, heh.
All dried up, like a prune.
Heh, heh, heh.
-Wish we didn't have
to wait till morning.
-Well, now.
I set it up that way, Johnny.
Just for you.
-For me?
-You know how you Apaches
never attack at night?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[TRAIN WHISTLE]
-So, amigo.
You'll meet my brother.
No more stopping and, and
starting, and-- and backing up.
You see, now we, we go
north, to pick up Paco.
-And if he isn't there?
-If he ain't there, he, he
will be saying his prayers,
because-- because he will
be dead within the hour.
And you, you people,
you, you will
be saying your prayers, too.
What?
What, what-- why, why
train slow up, eh?
Why?
Why, what, what is it?
Ahh-- [SPEAKING SPANISH]
[SHEEP BLEAT]
-Stop train!
Stop train!
-[INAUDIBLE], Senor.
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
-You are-- you
know what I think?
I think that you, if you
would have got this gun?
You would have killed me.
-No.
-Heh, heh, heh.
I, uh, I think I cannot
turn my back on you.
But, eh, I do not kill you yet.
You know why?
Because you are so beautiful.
[CRACK]
-Oh-- hola-- ow--
[TRAIN WHISTLE]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
-What's going on?
Where are we?
Bueno-- [INAUDIBLE]
-Get them off the train!
Get them off the train--
we gonna kill them all!
[GATLING GUN FIRE]
No, no, no, look--
-Chucho Morales-- if just
one of those passengers die,
you and all your men are dead.
-We do not kill them here.
Rex--
-Up here, Morales.
And don't even think about
going for those guns.
[GUNFIRE]
-Hey, gringo!
You think you got
me into a trap, huh?
Ha, ha, ha, ha.
You don't.
I have the train
and the passengers.
And you're gonna let us go.
Or I will kill them all.
-Can't stop that, but I
can sure stop you, Morales.
Now, you come off
that bridge together,
or you all die together.
-Gringo, I mean it!
I tell you, I will
kill them all!
-Morales, you've got just three
minutes to unload that train.
Then I'm gonna dynamite
the whole bridge.
You understand me?
Now, let the passengers
come off towards me.
Then you and your men come off
with your hands up, and empty.
Three minutes.
Then we blow the bridge.
-A ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
You're lying,
gringo, you're lying.
You would not kill
the passengers.
Ha, ha, ha, ha.
[CRACK]
[BOOM]
[SIZZLE]
-Get back in that car.
-The first half of that bridge
is gonna blow in 60 seconds.
Now, let those passengers
come off towards me, amigo.
Here it comes, Morales.
-Ah-- you're bluffing, gringo.
-No, Chucho.
He means it.
-All right.
Let the passengers come out.
Get them out.
[SHOUTS, SCREAMS]
-They're coming out!
Go back!
-20 seconds.
-Get the people where
you can watch them.
Get them on the bridge.
[EXPLOSIONS]
-That leaves only one way
off the bridge, amigo.
Now, let the
passengers come off.
Let's move.
-You only blew up the
end of the bridge.
-You're hard to
convince, Morales.
[CRACK]
[BOOM]
-Here it comes.
I can't stop it-- nothing can.
Morales-- 120 seconds, and
the whole bridge goes up.
-Now, that's far enough!
Stay where you are.
Anybody moves, I will kill them.
[GUNSHOT]
Ahh--
-Now!
Passengers to the left.
Morales' men, right
here in front of me.
Move!
And keep together.
-You-- you didn't
blow the bridge!
-I lied.
-You called him Ricardo.
He's a friend of yours?
-Yes, ma'am.
He's the one who got the message
out, or we wouldn't be here.
[GUNSHOT]
-Well, she ain't
here, Mr. Brackett.
-Uh, where is she?
-Well, sir, after we got
the good word back from you,
we turned her loose.
On her promise that she'd
stay available for the trial.
-Then she didn't leave town.
-Not that lady.
Just moved back to the hotel.
-The hotel.
Thanks.
Oh, by the way,
about the trial--
how bad a time do you think
they're gonna give her?
-In this town?
For doing what they
were all fixing to do?
-You think they're
gonna remember
what they were all fixing to do?
-They'll remember.
I'm here to remind them.
She'll get a fair trial.
-Oh.
Evening.
-Looking pretty dapper.
Hey, guess what?
-What?
-She's out of jail.
-No.
-No, she's in the hotel, I
just talked to her brothers
in the lobby.
-Ah.
-Hey, uh, you want
to buy me a drink?
They're up the street, waiting.
-Yeah, well, I really think
one of us should go up
and say goodbye to her.
You know, since we're leaving
so early in the morning?
-Yeah.
The trouble is, I'm occupied.
-That's all right.
-They wanna buy me a drink, and
then I'll have to buy them one,
and-- it may turn out
to be a long evening.
-Well, look, I'll,
I'll tell you what.
What say, I go up
there, and I'll
say goodbye for both of us?
-Oh, buddy, I knew
you'd see it my way.
-All right.
Girlfriend?
On our way again.
-Yea, verily, the Lord worketh
in strange ways, his wonders
to perform.
-Amen to that, brother.
-Morning.
-Morning.
-Morning.
What kept you?
-Saw [INAUDIBLE].
I, uh, got your $5
back from Miss Baker.
-How'd you do that?
-Oh, she, uh, she bet she could
kiss me without touching me.
-She bet you that?
-Yeah.
A born loser.
But an awful good sport.
[BRACKETT SINGS NONSENSE,
LOUDLY]
[MUSIC PLAYING]