Centennial (1978–1979): Season 1, Episode 6 - The Longhorns - full transcript

The War Between the States
tore the nation apart.

Fort Sumter, Bull Run,

Chickamauga, Shiloh,

Vicksburg and,
finally, Appomattox.

Colorado had survived the Civil
War without coming under fire.

But it had been the battleground
of another bloody conflict

over who was rightful
ruler of the land.

The Indians, who had roamed its
open spaces for hundreds of years

or the white man who had come
to build forts and start farms.

There had been a disgraceful massacre
by an obsessed militia colonel

named Frank Skimmerhorn,



and retaliation led by the
Cheyenne chief, Broken Thumb

and the Pasquinel brothers.

During the hostilities, men of
honor, like Major Maxwell Mercy,

worked tirelessly to bring
about a lasting peace.

Men of integrity, like the trader,
Levi Zendt, stood their ground.

Men of vision, like the farmer,
Hans Brumbaugh, began to prosper.

And now, as peace prevailed, yet
another kind of man returned.

His name was Oliver Seccombe.
And Seccombe was a dreamer.

It was what brought him west
with Levi and Elly Zendt in 1844

and what kept him going when
Levi and Elly turned back.

Now he would found an empire
from the dream of a lifetime.

A ranch that would spread from
the Rocky Mountains on the west

to the Nebraska border.

A 150-mile stretch running 50
miles from north to south.



A landholding that dominated
an area of 5, 760,000 acres.

A ranch called Venneford.

To make this ranch prosper,
Seccombe needed two things,

cattle tough enough to
survive on the open range,

and men tough enough
to bring them to him.

The cattle were in Texas,

a sturdy, wild breed
called longhorns.

The men would be
found there, too.

And the man he sent to find
them was John Skimmerhorn.

Meat and onions.

Señor, I no steal!

Don't worry.

What's that you're cooking?

Señor, onions.

So it is. It just
smells like a lot more.

You want some?

Yeah, thanks.

Delicious.

What's in it onions
and peppers and sage?

If you know what's in it,
then it isn't done right.

You want some more?

Listen to me. I have
some real beef here.

You think we could put a little...
Real beef?

With real beef, señor,
we will have a feast!

I haven't had anything tasted that
good since back home in Minnesota.

Minnesota? Where is that?

You never heard of Minnesota?

No, señor.

Well, it's a place a
long way from here.

Good farmland.

A farm! Yes, I come from farm, too.
You know Santa Ynez in Mexico?

Hmm. You a farmer?

No, señor.

Everything I plant won't
even grow in Minnesota,

but what I cook tastes good, sí?

Best I ever tasted.

So what do you do?

I cook.

For who?

No work now.

How'd you like to ride for me? Tend
to the horses, do the cooking?

Where you heading to, señor?
Who knows?

Wherever I can find a trail boss
that'll drive a herd north for me.

Going to Kansas? Colorado.

What's the matter?

I've always wanted
to see Colorado.

Well, then, that's settled.

My name's Skimmerhorn.
John Skimmerhorn.

Skimmerhorn? Are you the man
who fought the Indians?

You never heard of Minnesota, but
you heard of Skimmerhorn, huh?

No, I heard of the massacre, señor.
I mean, everybody's heard it.

That was my father.

Did you go with him?

No. Thanks for the meal.

Señor?

My name is Gomez. Ignacio Gomez.

My friends call me Nacho.

I think I know where we can find
a man to drive your cattle.

Where's that?

In Palo Pinto County.

Poteet. His name is R.J. Poteet.

I heard the men talk about him.

He's... He's a tall man.

He knows cattle and he
knows how to drive them.

Palo Pinto County,
where is that?

Oh, two, three days from
here if we ride hard.

We?

I'm sorry for the way I acted.

I should know, like everyone else, a
man can't help what his family does.

My own brother, he's a priest.

R. J. Poteet!

Poteet?

I'm Poteet.

I'm Skimmerhorn,
down from Colorado.

Well, what can I do for you, Mr.
Skimmerhorn?

I want you to put me
together a good mixed herd.

Well, why mix? If you're selling
beef, steers'll trail a lot better.

I'm not selling. We're
starting a ranch.

How many you need?

Two, three thousand.

Well, we can get them for you.

But can you get them north?

Well, you know,

if we tried pushing them
across western Kansas,

we'll be lucky to keep half
the herd, I've tried that.

What can we do?

That all depends on you.

What do you mean?

Well, there's another way, but I
wouldn't wanna force it on you.

What way?

About two years ago, a
man named Goodnight,

he was something, he headed 2,000
critters far south of here,

right straight
across the desert,

then swung them north to
Colorado, and Wyoming.

The desert?

That way, his greatest risk was
nature, not the Indians or outlaws.

Could it be done again?

It could.

What are your terms?

Eighty cents a head for
every animal I deliver.

I pay the crew, you
furnish the horses.

How soon could we get started?

Well, the way the weather is shaping
up, I'd say a week, 10 days.

Mr. Poteet, you're the man
I've been looking for.

Tomorrow, we can put together the herd,
you pick your men and we'll head north.

Well, we could start buying right now.
Let's go.

Who's the Mexican?

Nacho. He'll be the cook.

Not on my trail, he won't.

You skinny little, half-baked
excuse for a dough-puncher.

Who the hell told you you could
ride trail with a Texan?

I was riding trail
in this territory

when you were still learning
to speak my language

and riding the chuck line, you
big, overgrown, bed louse.

Hey!

Wait just a minute.

What kind of cocinero are
you to be calling me names?

I am the cocinero who's gonna fill your
big overblown belly when it's empty,

and pour a bottle of painkiller
in it when it's aching.

I'm the cocinero who's gonna hold
your bets, settle your quarrels,

listen to your complaints
and hear your confessions.

I keep my wagon packed tight
and my coffee's always hot.

If I didn't think that you
were testing me, señor,

I will be holding this the
way it should be held.

And you,

you will be blowing hot airs
out of more holes than one.

He's a cook?

Brumbaugh?

Seccombe.

Looks like you bought
out the store.

Well, I don't get
to town that often.

I heard you had quite a harvest.
Potatoes? Mostly.

What precious little food
was transported out here,

I imagine your vegetables
sold at a premium.

I suppose you know my profits
just as good as I do.

I made inquiries.

And that Mr. Farwell, that came
out to ask about buying my land,

that was another one
of your inquiries?

Farwell?

Let's don't waste the time.
You wanna buy my land.

I don't intend to sell.

You haven't heard my best offer.

I heard what happened to Henry Kolvig
when he said no to your best offer.

That's a calumny I don't
have to suffer, sir.

I was in Chicago at the time.

You wired a lawyer to buy his
land before Henry was buried.

I will not be called a murderer.

And I won't sell my land.

Mr. Brumbaugh, I need your water.
So do I.

For potatoes? I'm bringing 3,000
head of cattle onto this land.

I'm creating an industry that will make
the territory ready for statehood.

I know what you're
doing, Seccombe.

You're taking advantage
of the Homestead Act.

You get people to prove up every
piece of land that has water on it

and sell it back to you
for next to nothing,

then you control all
the dry land around it

because no one but you will
be able to work your water.

Well, that's a real good idea,

but it doesn't happen to be what
the Homestead Act was passed for.

It was passed so men coming
out of the war with nothing

could work hard on
land that they own.

So they could know some dignity
they lost in the terrible fight.

It was passed for
farmers, not cows.

And not a bunch of
fancy-pantsed English Lords

sitting in their mansions
6,000 miles away.

You really can't see what this ranch
will do for this territory, can you?

See what you think
it could do for you.

Tell you flat out, you send
any nightriders onto my land,

you won't live to see if a
Texas cow gets here or not.

Howdy, Mr. Poteet.

Rachel, Nate, say hello
to John Skimmerhorn.

Same name, different man.

How do you do, Mr. Skimmerhorn?

Ma'am.

Howdy.

Nate.

How you doing, Nate?

Not bad.

We got the children dressed. I'm
getting work here and there.

When you and Mrs. Poteet gonna
start bringing me your washing?

Oh, any day now, Rachel.

We're heading north.

When?

Now.

It'll be seven or eight
months up and back.

I guess you heard I
had to sell my horse.

Yeah.

Well, you can throw your
saddle on Baldy here.

He looks sound. He is.

Rachel. Mr. Poteet.
Mr. Skimmerhorn.

Mrs. Person.

Tell the boys I said goodbye.

How big a herd?

Twenty-eight hundred.

Buy them already?

Shook hands.

Some from Lem Frater,
Pardees, Richardson boys,

old Cy Fitch.

We'll pick them up
in Jacksborough.

Where we heading them? Kansas?

Colorado.

Colorado?

Starting a ranch up there.

That means you'll
be trailing bulls.

That too tough a job for you?

You know I ain't one
for complaining.

What trail are you
planning on taking?

The way Mr. Goodnight went.

Llano Estacado?

Same.

You any idea of the
Llano Estacado?

Mr. Poteet says that way avoids the
Comanches and the Kansas outlaws.

It does that.

It's got one stretch
of 70 miles.

More like 80, 90.

An agonizing trail.

It's 200 miles out of the
way, south of New Mexico.

That 90-mile stretch ain't
got a single drop of water.

He's the boss.

Oh, he's loco.

Beats grubbing day work from the
likes of Clem Goodly, don't it?

All to hell. Boss.

Canby!

Yo, Mule!

Must be out back.

Well, hello, Poteet. I hear
you're buying cattle like crazy.

We're leaving for Colorado.

Uh-huh, well, I sort of
figured you might need me.

When? Now.

Sounds good. You wanna buy my string
of horses? They're right over there.

Well, if they're any good.

Why don't you look them over
while I get my guns, huh?

See you in a little
bit, be right back.

Do it.

He's got some beauties. I'd
recommend you buy them all.

Well, it'll cost you.

He loves his horses.

Well, you can't get animals
like this in Jacksborough.

And I'd like to use Canby
at point along with Nate.

Would make him feel real good if
we met his price at the beginning.

Point?

Yeah, when you get your cattle
strung out on the trail,

you want your two best
men riding up front

on the left and right of the lead
steer and a little bit ahead.

That way, if something happens,

you don't have time
to explain nothing.

Your points gotta take
responsibility on their own.

Now Nate here is the
best I've ever seen.

And I trust Canby, too.

Well, let's buy his horses,
if his price isn't robbery.

It will be.

Well, how you like them? Huh?

They're good enough. How much?

Well, ten dollars a horse.

Ten dollars?

Stock this good in
Colorado would go for...

You sure drive a hard
bargain there, Canby.

Well, R.J., them
horses have hard feet.

I'll give you $45 for the lot.

You got yourself a deal.

You Skimmerhorn? Yes, sir.

Real pleasure. Nate, you and
me riding point, are we?

Yeah, that's right. Well,
that's good. Good.

Listen here now, Skimmerhorn...

Look, I appreciate you know a
good horse from a bad one,

but you mind some advice? No.

Let R.J. here watch
your money, okay?

I'll do that, Canby. Okay.

Man can't trust R.J. Poteet,

he can't trust nobody.

We riding or lollygagging?

We're riding.

Hey.

Mike Laseter.

I know.

We're gonna need another
seven hands, R.J.

He stole horses.

Well, I know, but that
was a long time ago.

You won't find a better
cowboy in the whole county.

I'll get them in Jacksborough.

Canby. Hello, Mike.

Mr. Poteet, I'm Mike Laseter.

I know who you are.

I'd like to ride with you.

Don't need you.

Well, you need a good dozen.
I count only four.

Five.

The pepper-gut?

He's no thief.

Now how is it a man like
you, goes off to war,

loses all his money,
he can earn it back?

A man like me,

he looses his good name, he can't earn
it back no matter how hard he tries?

I been looking on a lot of trails, Mr.
Poteet.

I been crossing rivers
from sundown to hell.

Mr. Poteet?

He can ride.

I'll even ride drag. You need a
good man back there in the dust.

All right.

All right, Laseter. But let me
spell out my rules real clear.

Now, a man needs work as bad as you
say you do, I'll see that he gets it.

He's hungry, I'll
see he gets fed.

He needs shelter, I'll
see he gets a warm bunk,

but, by God, he steals from me,

I'll see he's hanged.

Thank you, sir!

You know where he's taking us?

Llano Estacado.

Mr. Goodnight when he come back

he called it the graveyard
of cowman's hopes.

All gotta get buried sometime, might as
well be with a man like R.J. Poteet.

Nacho, give Sanderson a look at this.
Tell him I want a special type wagon

with something like a desk
on the rear end there,

plenty of drawers to hold things,
table top pulls out when we stop.

You drew this?

I'm no artist.

The drawers, how big?

Well, I'm no
cabinetmaker either.

Just give it to Sanderson.
He'll figure it out.

And barrels. This should
have two barrels.

One for flour, one for beans.

Beans? You danged Mexicans can't
live without beans, can you?

The way he makes them, you'll think you
were part Mexican yourself, Canby.

All right, Nacho,
it's your wagon.

You want some barrels on
there, just build them on.

Yeah, but hooks, we need
hooks all around...

Tell it to Sanderson, will you?

Okay, boss. We're gonna
build us some wagon!

Beans.

We got some hands to hire.

Those are the trail hands
you said were waiting?

We all looked like
that at sixteen.

Yeah, but we weren't
trailing cattle.

I was.

Hey, that's our toughest job.
Taking them as calves

and turning them into
strong young bulls.

I'm Poteet.

Well, I guess you heard that I...
I need an outfit.

I'm glad to say, I don't
see a coward among you.

Coward would never come
looking for trail work.

But a weakling...

A weakling won't start this drive, I
don't care how much sand he shows.

Man's unfit, never make
it to where we're headed.

Now the kind of men
that I'm looking for,

will fight just because
I ask them to.

They'll lose three nights'
sleep hand-running,

spend 72 hours in the
saddle without a rest

just because there's
a job to be done.

And each one knows that he's
the only one that can do it.

Now the herd's being
held just south of town.

Anybody feels he measures up,
I'll see him there at 2:00.

Come on. Come on.

It's a Crown V.
What do you think?

I like it. Good!

But I thought it was
just gonna be a V.

Well, an outfit down the
line's already using that.

I tried Lazy V,
Bar V, Diamond V,

they were all taken. Then I
remembered that you said

this Venneford fella was
a king or something.

An earl.

Yeah. Well, anyway, I figured
he'd be wearing a crown.

And even if he don't,
his cattle can.

Boss? Hmm?

It's about 2:00.

Thank you.

What's your name, son?

Ragland, sir.

Trailed before?

No, sir.

Well, you're an honest man, Mr.
Ragland.

Don't let this drive
change you none.

No, sir. Thank you, sir.

Name?

Calendar.

Anybody tell you
where we're headed?

Just so it's out of here.

You in trouble?

Well, not with the law.

You'll do.

What's your name, cowboy?

Savage, sir. William Savage.

Ever do any soldiering?

My daddy did. Before the war.
Fighting Apaches.

Well, step over there, Mr.
Savage.

Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.

I know you?

No, sir.

You sure?

Yes, sir.

It was my brother. He served in
your company, Captain Poteet.

Gompert?

Yes, sir.

Of course. He's a brave man.

Yes, sir.

My mother read me your letter.

She know you're here?

She died last year, sir.

Well, Mr. Gompert, why don't you

uncinch your saddle there and
throw it on one of our horses.

That old nag that you're riding doesn't
look like she's up to where we're headed.

Yes, sir.

Is that it?

Well, I could use another one, I
don't know where I'll find him.

What about the loner,
sitting on the ground?

Call him Buck. I hear he's a
pretty good man with a remuda

if you can stand the smell. Huh.

Yeah, he's a wonderful-looking
sort all right.

Well, he ain't got to
hang around too close.

Well, if he's good with horses,
hire him, smell or not.

Agreed.

Buck? Sir?

Need a wrangler.
Can you handle it?

You bet.

Well, listen, why don't you get
acquainted with the stock?

They're in your hands now.

You bet.

Well, boys, that's it.
Thanks for turning out.

Who's the boss?

There's a hole in that saddle.

Yeah, that's a McClellan.

Looks like a pincher to me.

Where's the horn?

That ain't a real saddle.

Not for a man, anyways.

One of you be the boss?

You're looking at him.

My name is Coker. Buford
Coker, they call me Bufe.

Yeah, Mr. Coker. Where'd
you get the saddle?

Took it off on a
blue-coat officer.

That revolver. That's a LeMat?

Where'd you get the LeMat?

Took it off on a
gray-coat officer.

Where you from?

South Calinky.

You sure you want to go north?

Well, sir, I been moving
for some time now.

Well, we might find
a place for you.

Mexican over at the wagon
shop said there was one.

Well, I said we might find a place for you.
Depends on whether my top hand here

thinks you fit.

I'll fit.

Mr. Person, you think you can
work with this young gentleman?

This trail could be as dangerous
as that war you was in, soldier.

You ever run from anything, Mr.
Person?

Nothing worth remembering.

Well, neither have I.

I think he might be a good one, Mr.
Poteet.

You think you can work with Mr.
Person?

Well, I worked with
Colonel Biggerstaff,

I figure if you can
work with a son-of-a...

Well, a hard-tail like that,

a man ought to be able to work with
a gentleman like Mr. Person here.

All right, Coker. This
gentleman'll cut you out a horse.

All right, boys. Let's
get them branded.

Pick it up!

Believe this is about the best
branding I've ever been to.

With damn good whiskey, too.

I ain't had none this good since I was
in Abilene with old O.D. Cleaver.

O.D. Cleaver? You know old O.D.?

Know him? Hell, me and old O.D.
was in a brawl one night so bad,

old O.D. woke up in the
morning with a broken leg,

one arm in a sling, his
head in a bandage,

one of his eyes is
all black shut.

That's O.D. all right.

Well, now, he come to me
the next morning, he says,

"What in the world
happened last night?"

And I told him, "Well,

"you know that old drummer boy?

"Well, you bet him that you
could jump out the window,

"fly plum around the hotel

"and come back in the
very same window."

You mean to tell me he was your
friend and you let him do that?

Let him? I lost 10
dollars on him myself.

Jeez, Buck! I wish you'd either stay
with the horses or walk downwind.

Yeah, Buck.

Yeah, what's the matter,
don't you like water?

No, I ain't afraid of water.

Matter of fact, I kind of appreciate
it every once in a while.

For a chaser.

Now, Buck, that is the one time I
don't like it. Puts the fire out.

Now you think Canby
here likes his whiskey,

it ain't nothing like the
Injuns go crazy for it.

Few months back, I'm riding with O.D.
Cleaver myself

and both of us got us a quart
in our saddle pockets,

and we meet this Injun.

Well, sir, he sees what we got and he
offers us the horse he are riding,

and another one he's
leading, for that red-eye.

I'm telling you, a man wants a
saddle horse, those two were worth

$100 each and we only paid $6 for
that tonsil-varnish we're packing.

It was so bad, it'd raise
blister on a rawhide boot.

Well, did you make the trade?

Trade? Hell, no. It was
all the booze we had.

Well, better drink up.

That's the last whiskey
anybody gets for months.

There'll be no drinking.

If I catch anybody on the trail with
a bottle, he gets paid off fast.

Less the cost of one horse, which he
can take with him along with his own.

Now, come on now, R.J.

There'll be no gambling, either.

What?

None! Absolutely none.

It breeds discontent

and I aim to ride a
peaceable trail.

Now there's some trail bosses
who don't even allow swearing,

but I don't see how in the hell

that we can handle 2,800 of these
ornery bastards without it.

Well, that's the law.

It's easy to understand,
it's easy to keep.

Couple of other things.

You keep your gun in your belts.

I don't want no gunfire,
not even in a stampede.

Waving your hat, that's a lot
better for heading off steers.

And if the time comes
that we need guns,

you'll know it.

Now the most important thing.

We got a bunch of younger
fellas with us this time,

so maybe I should remind
everybody what a cowboy is.

Sometimes he has
to fight Indians.

Sometimes he requires fancy
riding and tricky rope work,

which I'm sure all
of you can do.

And at other times,
especially in Kansas,

he has to protect his
herd against outlaws.

And when he comes to towns, which
we won't be doing on this trail,

he's supposed to drink his weight in
liquor and throw his money to the girls.

Well, all that to one side.

It's important, but
it ain't necessary.

Now, to me a cowboy is
a man that tends cows.

All day, every day.

And Mr. Skimmerhorn's cows out yonder,
that's the reason that we're here.

And getting them to
Colorado in one piece,

that's your only responsibility.

I hope you understand that.

God help you if you don't.

Shoo, cow. Shoo, cow. Shoo.

Shoo cow.

Let's take them north!

Come on, Apple.

Can I help you, son?

Yes, sir, I'm looking for Mr.
R.J. Poteet.

You found him.

Mr. Poteet, my ma says to
please ride over and see her.

Who's your ma?

Emma Lloyd.

You Tom Lloyd's boy?

Yes, sir.

Well, how is old Tom?

He's dead. He didn't
get back from the war.

What's your name, son?

Jim.

Nacho, get word to Nate that he's
to take the herd till I get back.

Yes, sir.

Emma?

R.J., Bless me, you
look just fine.

Just fine!

Jim here told me that Tom
didn't make it back.

Him and too many others.

What can I do for you?

I need you to buy
my cattle, R.J.

Well, pretty much got
my string, Emma.

So Jim told me when he got
back from Jacksborough.

I sent him to offer ours there.

Got there too late.

I rode all night, but you's
all gone when I got there.

Well, Emma, we just got about
every head that we need.

I'm sure of it, R.J.,

but, well, we haven't had a cent
of spending money in over a year.

I just gotta sell my cattle.

How many kids you got?

Three boys. Jim's the oldest.

Could I see the others?

Boys, come on out here.

This is J. C.

And this is little Tom.

Yeah, he... He does
favor him some.

Boys, this is Mr. R.J. Poteet,

a good friend of your
father's for many years.

And of mine.

Howdy.

J.C.

Now, the reason that I'm here is

because you brother
told me about your pa,

and I reckon that if it was me that
didn't make it back instead of him,

I'd like to think that
he'd look in on my family

if they ask.

And I'd like to think he'd light into
them a little, if they needed it

and I think that you
boys just might need it.

You ought to clean this place up.
Cattle out there.

Could be in lot better shape than it is.
A lot better.

Jim, do you do the chores?
Help your ma?

I mean, you're men now, and you
got to begin to act like it.

I'll take your cattle, Emma.
How many you got?

Hundred and fifty.

I'll take them on consignment.

Two dollars a head now, plus
whatever I can get at Fort Sumner.

Thank God. Oh, God
bless you, R.J.

Oh, Jim?

There's one more thing.

What's that?

Would you consider
taking Jim with you?

Well, he's only a boy.

Just said I was a man.

How old are you, Jim?

Sixteen.

That's impossible.

Your mother here's only sixteen.

Your pa and me, we've
been arguing all week

about who's gonna ask her to the dance
down at the church in Jacksborough.

As I remember, your pa took her on
account I couldn't find a clean shirt.

Sixteen.

Well, I guess if Tom Lloyd's boy
says so, it's gotta be a fact.

I've seen you ride,
can you throw a rope?

Yes, sir.

It's a deal.

But when the trail's over,
you don't get any wages.

Why not?

Because I'm giving them
to your mother now.

Well, I'm telling
you, it's unlucky.

Yep, I've heard. Me, too.

Thirteen men. That ain't
no way to trail cattle.

Something wrong, boys?

Well, we got ourselves 13 now, Mr.
Poteet.

Nothing against him, but we got
ourselves an unlucky number now.

Who says?

Come on, Mr. Poteet.

Everybody knows 13's bad luck.

Well, that's a fact.

That's right.

You wouldn't catch me trailing with
13 men in an outfit neither, no!

But that's not what we got here.

Begging your pardon, sir, but...

I think what Mr. Poteet
means, boys, is that

I represent the owners

and, so, that means this
outfit really only has twelve.

Is that right, Mr. Poteet?

That's exactly right, Mr.
Skimmerhorn.

I don't think anybody's ever heard
of twelve being unlucky, have they?

You know, I think
they tricked us.

How's that?

Now you watch.

If someone else wants to join
up, they'll count Skimmerhorn

and say it still isn't
thirteen, it's fourteen.

Well, that's why we're
just the punchers,

and they're the owners.

Don't take it personal, Jim.

You know, the best of men

we'll never ride with in
anyplace on this earth,

but the worst of them ain't
all that bad either.

Trouble?

Old Man Taylor was
born thinking trouble.

Better hold the herd, Mr.
Skimmerhorn,

get Nate and Canby, anybody else we
can spare, make sure they're armed.

Yes, sir. Come on!

Howdy, R.J.

Uncle Dick.

We heard you was moving north.

That's right.

I guess you don't recollect
this crossing's on my spread.

It's always been open.

Well, things ain't exactly
like they used to be, R.J.

You kind of have to
think different now.

Just how is it you're
thinking, Uncle Dick?

Well, I was thinking

you brought your herd up to the
crossing to water them down

for a long hard drive.

Now if you back them out of here, the nearest
crossing is gonna put you a fair piece

out of the way, not to mention the time I
don't suppose you'd want to be losing.

You got a price on
that inconvenience?

Well, let's say
ten cents a head.

Say that's too much.

Well, this is my crossing
and that's my price.

Well, I'm bringing
through 2,950 head.

R.J., we'll do the counting.
You just do the paying.

You're being downright
unreasonable, Uncle Dick.

I'm being downright
practical, R.J.

I own this land and
you'll pay to cross it.

Or what?

Or I'll stampede that
herd from here to Mexico.

Well, I'll tell you, Uncle Dick,

if you try and
stampede that herd,

I sure hope you got a shovel.

A shovel?

Yeah.

Cook broke the
handle out of ours.

You go to stampeding my
cattle and I aim to kill you.

Unless you got a shovel,
we can' t get you buried.

Well, you can't talk
to a Taylor like that!

When I'm talking to the wrong end of a
horse, I'll talk any way I see fit.

Hold it!

Anybody else honing for a fight?
Better get your praying done.

Those men behind him are
scared, Uncle Dick.

That's a fact.

But a steady man like R.J. here
is just trying to make a point.

Scared men kill.

Tell you what I'm gonna do, R.J.

Five cents a head.

Four, and I do the counting.

Done.

All right, boys, let's bring them
through, we're burning daylight.

Fine!

Hey, Buck, you gonna wash up?

Not likely.

Buck, what's the Lord gonna say when you
get up in heaven smelling the way you do?

It's just my body that smells.

And I plan on leaving
that down here.

You picked some good ones.

Looks like.

You know, they were all
ready to stand behind you.

Well, I'll tell you,
that was the easy part.

The other side of this water
the ground gets so hard

that we'll cross it
without leaving track.

Then we'll run into a
stretch of alkali.

Get in your nose, your throat,
your boots and your privates.

If it gets in your water,
it'll rust your boilers.

Enough of it'll kill the
orneriest steer in the herd,

but even knowing that,
you'll drink it

'cause it could be all
that you'll find.

What I'm telling you, Mr.
Skimmerhorn, is,

I'm getting ready to lead this
outfit into hell for a while.

Now, I think that I can lead us out
again, but there's no guarantee.

I didn't ask for any.

That's right, you didn't.

Bring them up in here!

Yeah!

Come on. Come on.

Here, cattle. Here, cattle.

Llano Estacado. What's it mean?

Staked plains.

When Spanish explorers
first crossed it,

they drove stakes in the ground so
they could find their way back.

Stakes still there?

Kind of wish that you
hadn't asked that.

Strange not seeing
a single tree.

Indians call it the land
of the backshade people.

Backshade?

Not a single shrub, or a tree.

Man's got to sit in the
shade of his own back.

What are you doing?

The North Star.

See, when it's gone
in the morning,

tongue of the wagon
will point the way.

The star tells the time too,
when you're riding nighthawk.

How?

Every 24 hours the Big Dipper
swings completely around it.

It won't take you long to know
when two hours have passed

that's how long it
takes you to ride.

My people call it El
reloj de los Yaquis.

The clock of the Yaquis.

Mr. Poteet.

Laseter.

Everything quiet?

Like a church.

Well, that worries me some.

Why's that?

Well, I gotta figure that
what you know about a church

wouldn't fit into a
spent cartridge.

That Canby?

Should be.

Well...

What happened, them
beans get to you?

Don't go riding my cook.
He's a good one.

I'd never thought I'd
see the day, R.J.

You seeing anything out there or you riding
around with your eyes closed as usual?

Saw O.D. Cleaver.

Something on your mind?

Mescalero Apache country.

We raise a lot of dust.

Yeah. I thought about that, too.

They see it, they
might get curious.

Tomorrow I'm gonna send
Nate on up ahead to scout.

He can keep his eye
open for trouble

and water.

Good idea. You want me
to take left point?

Yeah.

Mike,

with the boy riding drag, I want you
to take over up front on the right.

I'll take care of it, real good, Mr.
Poteet.

I know. Just keep
your ears forward.

Them Apaches can slip the
boots right off your feet.

My horse.

That was my bay out there!
Somebody got her!

Mine, too.

They got mine. Who was it?

Apaches. Let's get them!

Wait! Wait! Nobody's
going anywhere!

They got my horse!

No, wait! Now, a few horses are
not worth losing the whole herd!

Ah, Mr. Poteet,

Indians took some horses.

They got my bay out there,
and I'm going after it!

Gompert!

You ride out, you keep going
right on back to Jacksborough.

Now, those Indians just
stole a few horses.

They've been doing
that for centuries.

I want everybody mounted up
and on guard for a stampede,

not an Indian attack.

And the first man that fires a
gun, and I don't care for what,

better be ready to use it again

when he sees me coming for him.

All right, you heard the man.
Move out!

And move out quiet.

Mr. Canby! Hmm?

Mr. Poteet said I should
ask you to lend me a gun.

But I wanna buy it.

With what?

With money. When I get paid.

You ain't getting paid. Everybody knows
R.J. gave your wages to your ma.

Well, I'll get the
money somehow.

Well, I got me an Army
Colt, so I guess I...

I could borrow it to you.

I don't want to borrow it.
I want to buy it.

All right. Ten dollars.

And I'll throw in the bullets.

I'll pay you someday.
That's a promise.

Fair enough.

Don't put no cartridge
beneath the hammer.

Why not? One good bump and
you'll be shy a foot.

Man who packs six cartridges
don't know dung from wild honey.

That's true enough.

Man can't do the
job in five shots,

it's time he got the hell out
of whatever it was he is in.

Might as well saddle up.

Never carried a gun before.

Well, you're a man now.
It's time.

See, God made some men big
and some men small...

But Colonel Colt, he
made them all equal.

Did you ever fight with one?

Only way I know how.

Good Lord wanted me
to fight like a dog,

he'd have given me
long teeth and claws.

You ever kill anybody?

Once.

Why?

'Cause he was a thief.

Outlaw.

And just a little slow.

That, too.

Jim, boss wants us to gather up
them strays, he's ready to move.

Right.

Thank you again, Mr. Canby.

Jim?

There's just one rule

I want you to promise
you'll keep.

If you ever have to face
a man with that gun...

Yes, sir?

You always look that
man square in the eye.

Let him know what you aim to do.

Don't never smile and shoot.

I'll promise you that, too, Mr.
Canby.

Mr. Poteet? I can handle them.

It's not you, Bufe, it's them.

They know that there's water
behind them, not much up ahead.

A normal run, it's the point
that needs special attention.

A Hell's Reach like
this, it's the drag

so they don't turn back on us.

Mr. Skimmerhorn?

What's Colorado like?

Clean.

I like it already.

It's bound to be one of
the great states someday.

Better than Texas?

Better scenery.

Better chance for a young man.

You lived there long?

A year.

You have a family?

Wife, daughter.

And a son on the way!

Hey cow!

Gap's dead ahead. Fourteen
miles past it's the Pecos.

How's the water?

Sweet in one spot.

North and south it's all stagnant, pure
alkali. Kill every cow that drinks it.

Is it marked?

There's a sign that says
Horsehead Crossing.

Line of skulls tell you why.

Well, tell Nacho to let you sleep in the
wagon for a spell. You look peaked.

Here, haul up there! Let her go!

She's one of ma's, Mr. Poteet.
She's hurting bad.

Needs water. Some of
them don't make it.

It's all right, son.

Jim! Jim!

Get up, Bessie. Please get up!

Is that Jim?

One we bought from his ma.

Get up! Get up!

I raised her.

She dropped good calves.

You did right.

I won't ever see
my mother again.

There's no way of
knowing that, Jim.

I know.

I won't ever see her again.

My brothers, either.

I won't ever go back.

Jim.

You ready now?

Yes, sir.

Don't let them go through the water!
Stop them!

Hold those cattle!

Come on, Canby, get over there!
Watch where you're going!

Open them cattle!

Break them up!

Dust, hell.

That alkali weren't nothing

to what me and old O.D.
Cleaver come through

when we was finishing up
an Indian scout one time.

Nothing could've been
worse than that alkali.

I don't see how.

I'll tell you how.

Wind never stopped
blowing, that's how.

Three days and three nights.

Sand covered up every blade of
grass, even the mesquite bushes.

We's riding down through the sand
hills between El Paso and Alamogordo,

now you know what that's like.

I'll take it to that alkali.

Well, that's 'cause you wasn't
there when we found the hat.

The hat? Yes, sir.

A man's hat lying there
on top a sand dome

when the wind died down.

Was a real nice hat, too. Like
someone cared for it real good.

So old O.D., he climbs down to
pick it up, don't you know,

smack underneath it

there's a head.

A head?

What did you do?

Well, I climbed down
beside old O.D.

and we start scratching
the sand out of the eyes,

and the ears, and the
mouth with our fingers

and then danged if that old head didn't
look right smack up at both of us

and start talking...

It talked? That's right.

What did it say?

It says, "Get a shovel, boys,

"I'm on horseback."

Jim, I think there's
some strays over there

I'm gonna go check up
in this draw here.

Oh, there you are, huh?

Okay, now. Come on, cow, let's go.
Back to the herd.

Comanches!

What are they doing so far west?

Looking for more than horses.

Ragland!

Keep the herd over there!
I don't want a stampede!

Canby! My arm. I think
it's coming off.

Stay down, you hear? You
just stay right there.

Shoot! You!

All right, boys!

Hold your fire!

You held them, boys!
You held them!

They won't be coming back.

You all right, Mr. Skimmerhorn?
Yes, sir. Good work, Nate!

Thank you. You all
ought to seen old Jim.

He dropped that chief when
he was right on top of me.

I killed him? I sure
as hell didn't.

Someone else's bullet, maybe.

No, sir.

The chief was yours, Jim.

Mr. Poteet!

He took a hatchet, Mr. Poteet.

Mule?

It's my shooting arm, R.J.

It's near clean off.

Calendar,

tell Nacho I'll need the
wagon for a couple of days,

tell him to take everything off it
that he needs in the way of supplies.

Yes, sir.

We'll be going for
Fort Chadbourne...

No, no!

No, they'll cut it off. I
can't lose my gun arm.

I might as well die
as lose my gun arm.

You're not gonna die.

I ain't letting nobody
cut off my gun arm.

All right. All right.

I mean nobody.

Nobody.

R.J.?

Mr. Skimmerhorn?

He's gonna be losing his arm. We
gotta see he doesn't lose his life.

What do you need?

A wagon, a couple of
rifles, some ammunition.

I'll head for the fort.
I'll go with you.

No.

You keep the herd moving.

If I was you, I'd see that Mr.
Person there wears the money belt.

We're still south, Mr.
Skimmerhorn.

Ain't nobody gonna be
looking for money on me.

All right.

Whoa!

He can do one of two things.

Get well or die quick.

That ain't no way to talk.

That's how I'd want it
if it was my gun arm.

Will he die?

Just knowing he might is reason enough
not to ride too close to any man.

No matter how much sand a man's got, he
can always die when you need him most.

Now Mr. Skimmerhorn and Mr. Person will
be running this outfit till I get back.

Well, stop burning daylight and
let's get the herd moving.

Problem?

Tired, overworked,

like everyone else.

I'm gonna bring in the new team.

No, don't do that. What?

What he just done.

Mr. Person, we been in them
saddles 40 hours straight.

Don't throw yourself on
the ground like that.

When a cowboy sits down, there's
nine things can happen to him,

and eight of them are bad.

What are you talking about?

He can sit on a cactus,
or embers from a fire,

somebody's plate, a Gila
monster, a scorpion,

cow flop, someplace a
steer's made his mud,

worst of all, a rattlesnake.

If he's lucky, one time in nine,

he'll get a little rest,
so look out, both of you.

Especially you, Jim,

you already had your
good luck just now.

You know something, Bufe,

I don't care if there
was a rattlesnake here.

I couldn't take another step.

I know what you mean.

Snakes?

I mean there's more snakes
than I'd ever seen before.

Little rattlers, big rattlers.

There must've been 50 or 60 of
them danged crawlers in there.

Jim?

You all right, boy?

What? I said you all right?

Yep.

Where's my horse?

I put him on the picket line.

Your bed roll's over there.

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to go
to sleep like that.

You worked hard.

You want some food?

I'll get it for you, Jim-boy,

it's a real treat tonight. Bet you
never had anything this good.

I thought you say you
didn't like my cooking?

Well, you ain't never
cooked snake before.

Snake?

Yeah, it's about the
best I ever had.

Laseter? You want
couple of helpings?

No!

I'll just get some more
rest before night duty.

Well, suit yourself. You
mind if I have your share?

No, go right ahead.

All right.

You know how they make
rattlesnake meat so tender?

Milk. Did you know that, Jim?

What? They just love milk.

That's what makes it
so juicy and sweet.

Milk?

I mind old O.D. Cleaver,

he's coming home from
buying a little milk cow

if there's one animal on this earth
hates the rattler, it's the milk cow,

'cause the rattler, he loves
milk more than anything.

He'll just creep up on a cow,
he'll just suck her dry.

I don't believe no cow's
gonna allow that.

Well, I'm telling you, I mean old O.D.
Cleaver,

he was leading this milk cow
home when all of a sudden,

she just keels over,

and he looks over and there's
this six foot rattler

sucking away.

I don't think rattlers
can suck like that.

Even if they could, it wouldn't
drain her like you said.

You saying it didn't happen?

Well, I wasn't there,
but I doubt it.

You calling O.D. Cleaver a liar?

He seen it, goldangit. You calling O.D.
Cleaver a liar?

No, I'm not. If he seen it, I...

That's better.

You ought to try some of that snake, Jim.
It's good.

No, thanks.

Well, now you sleep tight, hear?

Good Lord, boy, what's wrong?

There's a snake in my
bed, a rattlesnake! No!

When I pulled my boots off,
and put my feet in it...

Did it bite you? No.

Check! I don't think so.

Well, you better check!

Did it get you?

Sure had a good
chance at me though.

Yeah.

He must have been
sleeping or dead.

Yeah, can't be too careful.

He was dead, I...

I don't think Buck'd be brave enough to
pick up a live one and put him in my bed.

Hey!

You're all right.

Calendar?

Yep.

That rabbit Nacho
cooked up tonight,

Savage told me you dropped one
of them on a run at 100 yards.

Yep.

That's some kind
of rifle you got.

That rifle was made by Christian
Sharp out of Harper's Ferry.

Some kind of shooting, too.
How you do that?

I looked.

Mind company?

I'd like it.

You did well back there.

Barely.

I've seen some couldn't take it.

Still wondering,
why'd they do it?

Oh.

Well, a couple reasons, I guess.

Out here a man's got to know who he can
depend on and who he can't to keep his head.

You get in a tight spot, that's
no time to find out who's steady.

Another, tends to get
lonesome out here, don't it?

Mighty.

Well, laughing kills lonesome.

I guess it does at that.

Good evening, gents.

Any more of that rabbit left?

I suspect so. Jim
didn't eat much.

Jim, you don't know what you're missing.
That Nacho is some kind of cook.

They all sing. How come?

The confidence a steer's got
in the night is a might frail.

Somehow just hearing
a man singing

keeps them settled.

Like a mammy and her baby,

they need to hear something
steady and calm,

not sounding scared.

That property Coker sings about.
What was it exactly?

Slaves.

Were you a slave, Mr. Person?

Was born one.

What I like most about
trailing cattle is

that you work hard for a man like Mr.
Poteet,

but you're free to leave any
time you don't like it.

No cowboy is any man's slave.

That's the Arkansas.

We wait for Poteet here?

No, he said to keep on
moving, he'll catch up.

We could get half across today,
the rest in the morning.

I don't wanna split them up.

Tell the boys to hold them this
side once they're watered down.

Mike, I want Nacho's camp

and the remuda moved to
the left flank tonight.

Extra guard on the right,
Calendar, I think.

Kind of edgy, ain't you? Well,
I'd rather be edgy than...

They got Laseter!

Who? Rustlers.

They're trying to
split the herd.

You all right, Jim?

I think so.

Let me see it now.

Yeah, it's just a crease.

You got him.

Yeah.

Let them go.

Who were they?

The Pettis boys. Couple
of brothers from Kansas.

How could you tell?

Them hard-boiled hats.

Let's round up the herd!

They's outlaws, Bufe. Killers.

Confederates.

They killed Laseter.

And I killed my own brother.

You understand that, Jim?
I killed one of my own.

Nacho?

Like to have a board
off your wagon.

A board?

I gotta at least
put up a marker.

Give us two. We'll
need one for Laseter.

Well, here I thought I was so all-fired
smart pushing us across the desert,

to keep away from the Comanches
and the Kansas outlaws,

and we get hit by both of them. We might
as well have gone straight north.

That way we'd have been hit by
both of them on their own ground.

They'd have had more men.
Your way was right.

Not for Laseter. Or Canby.

Tell you, I'd as soon they'd cut off my arm
as to watch him scream the way he did.

At least he's alive.

You ever see a one-armed cowboy?

He'll manage somehow.

He's a rare breed. You all are.

As tough as those
cows you sold me.

This ever strike you
funny, Skimmerhorn?

What's that?

Well, the two of us
breaking trail together.

You mean a Rebel and a Yank?

Yeah.

You know, yesterday we were
trying to kill each other.

Today, because of all this, we
can't live without each other.

You figure it out, let me know.

Things just got unraveled
for a while, I guess.

Beliefs, values.

Hey, you know, I got a hunch that this
trail-driving business is just gonna

point a lot of people
in the same direction.

I hope so, Mr. Poteet.
I sure hope so.

There's a rider.

It's Mr. Seccombe.

Mr. Skimmerhorn.

You're a sight for sore eyes.

Glad to see you, too, Mr.
Seccombe.

This is R.J. Poteet, the
man who got us here.

Mr. Poteet. Forever
in your debt, sir.

Well, the price is 80 cents a head, Mr.
Seccombe.

That'll clear you.

All right.

Well, Jim, pasture's
dead up ahead.

It's a land made for cattle, all right.
Air's clean even riding drag.

We'll hit the end
of the trail soon.

I sure wish Laseter
was here to see it.

And Canby.

Still owe Mr. Canby ten dollars.

Maybe we'll run into old O.D.
Cleaver up here.

You can give it to him.

I'm sure he'll see
that Canby gets it.

Mr. Person, I don't really believe
there ever was an O.D. Cleaver.

There's got to be an O.D.
Cleaver, Jim.

As long as cowboys
is trailing steers.

I guess you're right.

What about you, Jim?

Y'all gonna go back
home to your family?

No. I'm just one more mouth
that they can't feed.

What about your family, Bufe?

Was that man you shot
really your brother?

Yeah, he was my brother just
like you're my brother.

I figure two fellas eat drag
dust together for four months,

that sort of makes them
brothers, don't it?

I guess so.

If you ever need anything, Jim.

You, too, Bufe.

You did a splendid job, John.

They did the work.

Their work. You did yours.

I want you to keep on doing it.

I'm no cowman.

Well, you're the
best one I know.

I want you to run Venneford.

Well, Mr. Seccombe...

Well, to tell the truth, I don't know what
I would've done if you hadn't asked me.

Good. That's settled, then.
Okay.

You'll move your family onto the ranch.
I'll build you quarters

fitting your position.

I'll need help.

I leave that to you.

Men I can trust.

There's a boy who
came north with us.

A boy?

Well, like Mr. Poteet said,

once you've trailed cattle from Jacksborough
through the Llano, you grow up fast.

He helped fight off the Kansas outlaws.
He killed a Comanche chief.

Part of the reason your cattle
are here is because of that boy.

Well, as I said,
it's your choice.

What's his name?

Jim Lloyd.

Coker! They're
straying over there!

Yes, boss.

Jim. Well, this is
the trail's end.

I heard.

I'd like... I'd like for you
to hear something from me.

Sir?

You know, if...

If I was your own pa,
I couldn't be prouder

of the way that
you've come through.

I'd like to shake your hand.

Thank you, Mr. Poteet.
You betcha.

I'd like to give you
something, too.

Oh, no, sir. That
wasn't our deal.

All right, son.

Well, you think you'll be
sticking with this kind of work?

Yeah, if I can find it.

Now, the trick is finding
men like you that'll do it.

It's a big, wind-blistered world
we're riding through, Jim.

I just hope it'll last
a little while longer.

Why wouldn't it?

Well, because when
men like you and me

point the way to where
a town can be built,

then other men come along
and they build it.

Settlers that want a home or
a title, a piece of ground.

And they'll kill to keep it.

But if you're as much like me as I think
you are, you won't fight for that.

You'll only care about what you're
responsible for. Your horse

and your herd.

I don't know, Jim, maybe...

Maybe we're just too restless
to inherit the earth.