Have Gun - Will Travel (1957–1963): Season 2, Episode 22 - The Scorched Feather - full transcript

Monsieur Robert Ceilbleu hires Paladin to protect former scout Billy Blueskies from a young but dreaded Comanche war chief whose true identity is decidedly open to speculation.

THE ROAD YOU TRAVEL LEADS
TO ONLY ONE THING: DEATH.

IF I CAN TURN YOU BACK, I WILL.

IF I CAN'T, THEN I'M THE
END OF THAT ROAD FOR YOU.

PAGING MR. PALADIN.

MR. PALADIN?

[GIGGLES]

MR. PALADIN? HEY BOY.

OVER HERE.

A GENTLEMAN WISH TO MEET YOU.

HE'S OVER THERE.

HEY BOY, TELL THE GENTLEMAN I'LL
BE HAPPY TO MAKE HIS ACQUAINTANCE.



MR. PALADIN BE
HAPPY TO SEE YOU, SIR.

PLEASE EXCUSE THE
FORMALITY, MR. PALADIN.

FRANKLY, I WANTED TO
HAVE A TALK WITH YOU.

BY ALL MEANS. AND YOU
PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME...?

"CEILBLEU."

WELL, MR. CEILBLEU,

I'M AT YOUR SERVICE.

THEN MAY I HAVE THE
PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY?

WILL YOU JOIN ME
IN A LATE LUNCH?

I'LL BE DELIGHTED.

I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF
ORDERING DUCK A'LA RANGE.

I HOPE YOU FANCY FOWL, SIR?

THE STOCKTON HOUSE IS FAMOUS
FOR THAT DISH. I LOOK FORWARD TO IT.

HOLD IT! IN HERE.



DROP YOUR PURSES.

WELL, NOW YOU FORGOT THIS.

[SHOUTS]

[CHUCKLES]

OH, I'M AFRAID
YOU'VE LOST A LINING.

IT'S NO MATTER.
IT'S EASILY SEWN.

THERE'S $2,000 IN THIS.

TO PAY FOR DUCK A'LA RANGE?

REMIND ME NEVER TO ORDER
THAT AT THE STOCKTON HOUSE.

I HAVE AN ACCOUNT
THERE. SHALL WE?

STEWART, NAPOLEON BRANDY, 1851,

AND WARM THE
GLASSES, IF YOU PLEASE.

VERY GOOD, SIR.

YOU ORDER AN EXCELLENT MEAL.

THANK YOU.

NOW, MR. PALADIN, I WONDER
IF I MIGHT SEE YOUR CARD?

MY CARD INTRIGUES YOU?

THAT'S ONE POSSIBLE
WAY TO PUT IT.

YOU DON'T SEEM SURPRISED.

FROM THE SHERIFF PROMISE.

FROM TWO SULFUR
MINERS AT LUCIFER'S PIT.

FLORENCE,
CALIFORNIA, THE BARBER.

[LAUGHING]

I WONDER WHAT THE
HISTORY OF THIS CARD WILL BE.

AT THE MOMENT, I'D SUSPECT YOU
KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT THAN I DO.

YES, SIR.

I WANT TO HIRE YOU TO
TRY AND SAVE A MAN'S LIFE.

WHO'S THE MAN?

MY FATHER.

NOW, YOU SAID "TRY."

IS THAT BECAUSE YOU
BELIEVE I CAN'T DO IT?

THE MAN WHO WANTS
TO KILL MY FATHER,

IS THE FINEST
SOLDIER IN THE WORLD.

WHAT'S HIS NAME?

JOTAN ETAN.

THE YOUNGEST WAR CHIEF
OF THE SHOSHONE COMANCHES.

WELL, NOW I'VE
SEEN YOU IN ACTION.

YOUR CAPABILITIES EXTEND FAR
BEYOND THE ABILITY TO ORDER A FINE MEAL.

IT'S YOUR FATHER.

WHY DON'T YOU FIGHT JOTAN ETAN?

I HAVE FOUGHT HIM.
HE'S STRONGER THAN I AM.

WHY DOES JOTAN ETAN
WANT TO KILL YOUR FATHER?

MY FATHER WILL TELL YOU. I
OFFER A RATHER LARGE SUM.

MM. $2,000.

YOU HAVE A GOOD MEMORY.

I SELDOM FORGET A
FACE OR A SUM OF MONEY.

DOES MY PROPOSITION
INTEREST YOU?

IT DOES.

THAT'LL BE ALL, STEWART.

YES, SIR.

SOMEONE MAY TRY TO TALK YOU
OUT OF SAVING MY FATHER'S LIFE.

I UNDERSTAND.

TO YOUR VERY GOOD HEALTH, SIR.

AND YOURS.

[GUN COCKS]

I COME AS A FRIEND.

I'M WALKING AWAY FROM
YOU TOWARD THE HOUSE.

WELL, YOU JUST KEEP
WALKING, REAL FRIENDLY-LIKE.

NOW PUT YOUR HANDS ON
BOTH SIDES OF THAT DOOR.

NOW GET ON IN THERE.

YOU'RE WILLIAM CEILBLEU?

THAT'S RIGHT.

YOU SAID YOU COME
HERE REAL FRIENDLY-LIKE.

YOU JUST SET DOWN AND GIVE ME A
COUPLE REASONS WHY I SHOULD BELIEVE THAT.

YOUR SON HIRED ME TO COME HERE.

JOHN?

ROBERT. I BELIEVE YOU
HAVE ONLY ONE SON.

THAT'S RIGHT. SPITTIN'
IMAGE OF ME, AIN'T HE?

NO, ON THE CONTRARY.

HE'S TALLER, DARKER,
AND MUCH BETTER LOOKING.

THAT'S RIGHT.

GOT BETTER MANNERS, TOO, HUH?

MM-HM. THAT IS RIGHT.

MUCH MORE EDUCATION AND
MAYBE NOT AS MUCH SENSE.

SIR, I INTEND NO INSULT,

BUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND
YOUR SON IS ABSOLUTELY ASTONISHING.

SPENT EVERY NICKEL I EVER
MADE ON HIS EDUCATION.

DIDN'T PAY OFF.

I WOULDN'T BE TOO SURE. HE'S AN
EXCELLENT JUDGE OF GOOD BRANDY.

YOU DRANK WITH HIM?

MM.

WHERE?

AT THE STOCKTON
HOUSE IN SAN FRANCISCO.

YEAH, THAT'S FUNNY.

YEAH, THEY, THEY
MIGHT SERVE HIM THERE.

WHY NOT?

WHAT'S YOUR NAME, MISTER?

MY NAME IS PALADIN.

BUT YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW MINE.

CEILBLEU.

FRENCH FOR "BLUE SKIES."

YOU'RE BILLY BLUE SKY.

SCOUT FOR THE ARMY
DURING THE INDIAN CAMPAIGNS.

I WAS A SCOUT,
BUT I AIN'T NO INDIAN.

I LIVED WITH 'EM FOR YEARS AND
FOUGHT 'EM FOR YEARS AFTER THAT.

YOUR SON SAID YOU'D
TELL ME THE "WHY."

JUST WHAT MY SON PAY YOU
TO COME DOWN HERE FOR?

TO TRY AND SAVE YOUR LIFE.

FROM WHAT?

FROM A COMANCHE WAR
CHIEF NAMED JOTAN ETAN.

THAT'S WRONG. HE'D
NEVER DO THAT. HE DID.

I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!

STOCKTON HOUSE OR NO PLACE ELSE,

IS ALLOWED TO SELL
LIQUOR TO AN INDIAN.

HE IS YOUR SON?

THAT'S RIGHT.

AND HIS MOTHER...?

I AIN'T MAKING NO EXCUSES.

SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL.

WHY DID YOUR SON COME HERE TO
KILL YOU AND HIRE ME TO STOP HIM?

I'M BILLY BLUE SKY. I KILLED
HUNDREDS OF COMANCHE.

THAT'S NOT THE REASON. WHY?

WHY? I'M GETTING SICK
OF THAT WORD, "WHY."

WHY DON'T YOU GO ASK MY SON?

I WILL.

I DOUBT IT.

'LESS YOU CAN TALK TO A CORPSE.

ROBERT!

ROBERT CEILBLEU?

YES!

I WANT A PARLEY.

THAT SEEMS
REASONABLE ENOUGH, SIR.

JOTAN ETAN WILL SPEAK WITH YOU.

SO, JOTAN ETAN IS THE STRONGER?

ROBERT CEILBLEU FOUGHT HARD.

HARDER THAN EVER.
BUT IN THE END, HE LOST.

YOU KNEW HE WOULD.
WHY DID YOU HIRE ME?

I DIDN'T HIRE YOU, HE DID. WHY?

I CANNOT SAY.

THEN, LET ROBERT CEILBLEU SAY.

HE CANNOT TELL YOU,
EITHER. HE IS DEAD.

NO, HE IS NOT DEAD. DEAD!

DYING, PERHAPS.

BUT NOT DEAD.

WHY DID YOU HIRE ME?

MY FATHER SPOKE OF MY MOTHER?

ONLY TO SAY THAT
SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL.

WAS. A COMANCHE
WOMAN WITHERS SOON

WHEN THE MAN SHE
LOVES SPITS IN HER FACE,

AND RIPS HER SON FROM HER ARMS.

SHE'S ALIVE? IN ME!

SHE DIED IN THE RAID ON
THE VILLAGE OF ASHIWARA.

BILLY BLUE SKY GUIDED THAT RAID.

LEAVE HIM.

TO KILL HIM
ACCOMPLISHES NOTHING.

I'LL RETURN YOUR FEE.

TAKE THE MONEY. GO.

I'M SORRY, I CAN'T.
I MADE A BARGAIN.

THE BARGAIN IS OFF. NO.

I DID NOT MAKE THE
BARGAIN WITH YOU.

I MADE IT WITH ROBERT
CEILBLEU. FINISH!

ROBERT?

THE PARLEY IS OVER.

WAIT.

THEN, ACCORDING TO THE
CUSTOM OF YOUR PEOPLE,

I WILL FIGHT YOU FOR
YOUR FATHER'S LIFE.

NOW?

DAYBREAK.

HOW WOULD YOU FIGHT?

BARE-HANDED?

KNIVES?

KNIVES, THEN, FROM DAYBREAK,

WHEREVER WE FIND EACH
OTHER IN THIS FOREST.

TO THE DEATH.

WHAT'D HE TELL YOU?

HE TOLD ME ABOUT YOU.

NOW, IT'S JOTAN
ETAN I HAVE TO FIGHT.

YOU TELL ME ABOUT HIM.

WELL, HE WASTED IT ALL.

I GAVE HIM EVERY
CHANCE I COULD BUY.

GAVE HIM EVERYTHING A
WHITE MAN COULD ASK FOR.

MONEY, SCHOOLING AND CLOTHES.

I GRABBED HIM OUT OF THAT SWAMP.

WHEN I GOT THROUGH WITH HIM,

THERE WASN'T NOBODY
EVER NEEDED TO KNOW.

HE NEVER NEEDED TO TELL
NOBODY HE WAS AN INDIAN.

BUT HE DID.

HE MADE A POINT OF TELLING THEM.

THAT WAS HIS MOTHER.

SHE HAD HIM TOO LONG.

CRAMMED FULL OF
COMANCHE NONSENSE.

I GOT HIM TOO LATE.

WHEN DID HE GO
BACK TO THE TRIBE?

I DON'T RIGHTLY KNOW.

I GUESS MAYBE INSIDE
HE NEVER REALLY LEFT.

ONE DAY I SAW HIM ON A SORTIE.

WHEN HE SAW ME, HE RODE OFF.

NEXT TIME HE SAW ME,

HE GIVE ME THIS.

HE WOUNDED YOU AT
THE VILLAGE OF ASHIWARA.

THAT'S RIGHT.

BUT I SWEAR TO YOU, I
DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS THERE.

WHEN I SAW HER... YOUR WIFE.

YEAH. THAT'S RIGHT.

I AIN'T NEVER DENIED
SHE WAS MY WIFE.

SHE WAS DEAD.

I DON'T RIGHTLY
KNOW WHO SHOT HER.

IT COULD'VE BEEN ME.
EVERYBODY WAS SHOOTING AND...

BUT I SWEAR TO YOU,

I NEVER WOULD'VE
DONE IT ON PURPOSE.

YOU HAVE ANY SUET HERE?

YEAH, RIGHT THERE BEHIND YOU.

THANK YOU.

I BELIEVE YOU, IF IT
MAKES ANY DIFFERENCE.

IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

NOT TO JOTAN ETAN.

NO.

I ALWAYS FIGURED HE'D COME
BACK TO GIVE ME WORSE THAN THIS.

THIS IS NOT THE BEST
PLACE TO HIDE I CAN IMAGINE.

HERE IN THE WOODS ALL BY ITSELF,

THAT'S FAR FROM
HELP IF YOU NEED IT.

BELIEVE ME, MISTER.

THERE WOULDN'T BE NO
STAMPEDE TO HELP BILLY BLUE SKY.

NO MATTER WHERE.

THEN YOU SHOULD'VE GONE
SOMEPLACE HE COULDN'T GET TO YOU.

WHERE WOULD THAT
BE? YOU'VE SEEN HIM.

HE CAN GO ANYPLACE.

WILD OR CIVILIZED.

WHY, HE CAN GO ANYWHERE.

AND BELONGS NOWHERE.
THANKS TO YOU.

LOOK, YOU'RE
TALKING MIGHTY FUNNY

FOR A MAN THAT'S
SUPPOSED TO SAVE MY LIFE.

NOW, YOU THINK YOU CAN?

I ALREADY HAVE, UNTIL DAYBREAK.

LISTEN, MR. PALADIN.

HELPING BILLY BLUE SKY AIN'T GONNA
MAKE YOU POPULAR AROUND THESE PARTS.

AND HE AIN'T ASKING
YOU FOR NO HELP.

I LEAVE YOU HERE AND YOUR LIFE
SPAN WOULD BE JUST ABOUT ONE HOUR.

YEAH, YEAH THAT'S RIGHT.

THE COMANCHE DON'T
MAKE A WAR CHIEF

UNLESS THE MAN KNOWS
HOW TO MAKE WAR.

BUT YOU AIN'T GONNA GET
TO SPEND WHAT YOU EARN,

'LESS'N YOU GET OUT
OF HERE RIGHT NOW.

YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW MY SON.

OH, YOU'RE WRONG, BILLY.

IT'S YOU WHO DOESN'T
KNOW YOUR SON.

HE'S TWO PEOPLE.

AND THAT'S A MADNESS THAT'LL
NEVER GIVE HIM ANY PEACE.

[BIRD CHIRPS]

[SIGHS]

IT'S GONNA BE A LOVELY MORNING.

BEST DON'T GO OUT THERE.
MY SON'LL SURE KILL YOU.

I WON'T GO, IF I GET THE RIGHT
ANSWERS TO TWO QUESTIONS.

WELL, ASK 'EM.

IS THERE ANY CHANCE
YOUR SON WON'T KILL YOU?

NO.

NOW, WHAT WAS
YOUR OTHER QUESTION?

IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE,

WOULD YOU KILL YOUR SON?

NO.

NOW, I WANT TO
ASK YOU A QUESTION.

YOU THINK YOU CAN KILL MY SON?

MAYBE.

WILL YOU?

IF I CAN. WHY?

IT AIN'T FOR WHAT YOU
BEEN PAID, IT AIN'T FOR ME.

NOW, WHY?

BECAUSE JOTAN ETAN
WON'T GIVE ME ANY CHOICE.

AND I THINK HE WANTS TO DIE.

JOTAN ETAN!

THE OFFER'S STILL OPEN.

CALL IT OFF...

WORDS, WIDE EYE!

THERE'S NO WAY I CAN STOP YOU.

ONE WAY, MY FRIEND.

KILL ME!

ROBERT.

THANK YOU, SIR.

YOU EARNED YOUR FEE.

ROBERT CEILBLEU.

I DIE A COMANCHE.

YOU ALWAYS WERE.

A LITTLE LATE, IT'D SAY, SIR...

TO LEARN...

YOUR FATHER?

NOT HIS FAULT.

NOR MY MOTHER'S.

MINE.

PRIDE OR MADNESS.

"FOR IF HE LIVED LIKE A MADMAN,

"AT LEAST HE DIED
LIKE A WISE ONE."

DO YOU KNOW IT, SIR?

CERVANTES.

DON QUIXOTE'S EPITAPH.

PALADIN. HM?

I DIE NOW.

[GRUNTS]

JOTAN ETAN IS DEAD.

I KNEW THAT.

SO BILLY BLUE SKY'S SAFE
FROM HIS FELLOW MAN.

SO LONG AS HE
STAYS AWAY FROM HIM.

I'LL GO NOW.

I LIKED YOUR SON.

WHICH ONE OF 'EM?

THERE WAS ONLY ONE.

IN SPITE OF YOU.

YOU STILL DON'T
KNOW THE COMANCHES.

I KNEW YOUR SON.

I BURIED HIM OUT THERE.

I'LL LEAVE YOU HERE
TO BURY YOURSELF.

♪ "HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL,"
READS THE CARD OF A MAN ♪

♪ A KNIGHT WITHOUT
ARMOR IN A SAVAGE LAND ♪

♪ HIS FAST GUN-FOR-HIRE
HEEDS THE CALLING WIND ♪

♪ A SOLDIER OF FORTUNE IS
THE MAN CALLED PALADIN ♪

♪ PALADIN, PALADIN,
WHERE DO YOU ROAM? ♪