Kung Fu (1972–1975): Season 2, Episode 18 - Crossties - full transcript

I am looking for Mr. Gates.

- What do you want with him?
- I wish to talk to him.

Isn't here.

- Where is he now?
- Don't know.

- Is there anyone else who could tell me?
- Don't see anyone else around, do you?

I saw men out there.

Yeah. Come to think of it, you might
have seen some of the boys.

That would have been
the last of day shift.

I didn't mean to be so short with you.
I'm kind of tired, I guess.

Perhaps one of those men
can help me.

They might, but it's gonna be dark
out there in a few minutes.



Why don't you wait till morning
when they come back. Ask them then.

Plenty of room here.

Gonna be cold out there. Why don't you
stretch out. Make yourself comfortable.

- You are very kind.
- Yeah.

Now, we won't hurt you
if you stay out of our way.

I've got no gun. I'm just a watchman.

There's two of them.
They won't bother us.

Stay put.

You boys have got a surprise
coming to you tonight.

Now. Now! Let them have it.

What are you waiting for?

- Hold it! Hold your fire!
- Hold it! Hold it! Stop firing.

All right. Let's go.

You got my buddy!



We give up!

Cuff them.

Did we get them, Miller?

- Just these three.
- You.

Where's Youngblood?

This man is badly hurt.

We'll trade him for your boss.

Forget it.

All right.
We'll let nature take its course.

We take these three with us.
Get them inside and lock them up.

Miller, send a man up to the wire.
Get a repair crew and engine here fast.

- Yes, sir.
- All right, move them.

I am not one of these men.

I've been on to you from the start.

Get them inside.

- Youngblood will try to get him back.
- He's sure to.

Him and Johnny Walker's
close as two links of track.

- They give you trouble, just kill them.
- Yes, sir.

- All right, Miller. Get the men out.
- Yes, sir.

You've gone too far, Youngblood.
I got more guns than you can handle.

Well, this is the one that matters.

Tell your tin-soldier Pinkertons out there
to set my boys free.

Tell them to be very careful about it.
For your sake.

I couldn't help it, sir.

The railroad hired me to bring
you and your men to justice...

...not to give orders
to help you escape.

Be out of a job permanently
if you don't do as I say.

- All right. I have to call my assistant.
- Well, you just do that.

- Miller.
- Yes, sir?

All right, hold it!

Don't anybody try me, because
I'd just as soon shoot as not.

Now, drop the rifles!

Do what he says.

All right. Let's flatten out.
Facedown!

Come on!

You boys got yourself a little bang.

Johnny's hurt. Pretty bad.

All right, somebody give me
those keys, fast!

- Well, come on. Let's go!
- Get that jacket on him.

Come on. Let's move!

All right.

You better come with us.

There'll be more of them
coming down the line any minute.

I am not at war with them.

They're not gonna look at it that way,
not after what you did.

Johnny's been shot. Get some water.

- I'm all right!
- Johnny.

All right. Don't stand around.
Get some bandages.

How bad is it?

He will need a doctor.

We can't take him to a doctor.
It's too risky.

Then he will die.

Those murderers.

His brother Frank
was the first one we lost.

He lay five years now.

Johnny was like spring grass then.
Fresh, new.

Just starting to thicken out.

He saw Frank die. Saw all the others.

Now it's his blood being spilled.

I keep looking for an end to it.

I keep thinking...

...it's just up ahead.

It will be.

The day we stop do-si-do-ing around
with them Pinks and cut them down.

Now, Bill, that's the difference between
us and them. We don't murder!

If you shoot guns...

...do you not take lives?

What do you expect us to do?

They run us off our land.
They burn our crops.

They burn our farms.
They burn them right down to the earth!

Plant new crops.
Build new houses.

They offered us 10 cents on the dollar!

Well, you-
You don't understand.

Will you go on with your war forever?

We've sworn to fight it
through to the end.

It's like the farther you come
the harder it is to turn back.

It's not hard to go on.

You know it is.

I don't have to tell you that.

It's just not something we think
about anymore. It's something we do.

The way we live.

As you cling to the past...

...the railroad moves ahead.

They pay a price for every mile.

Measure theirs against yours.

Which is the greater?

Steel against flesh.

Man against man. It is a contest
that may have an end.

He who is most skilled will prevail.

You are both enjoined by your vows
to do your utmost.

Disciple Caine, you will attack.

Disciple Han, you will defend.

Disciple Han, you have done well.

He who attacks must vanquish.
He who defends must merely survive.

If you wish,
I will take him to the doctor.

Jack, they'll be waiting for him.

I can't let him die.
He's like a son to me.

But they'll know where we are!

Not from Johnny. Never.

I didn't say Johnny.
I was thinking about him.

- He won't tell either.
- How do you know?

I know.

Listen.

They see you bringing Johnny in...

...they're never gonna believe
you're not one of us.

You're taking a chance on your life.

If I do not, he will die.

What do you want?

I have a wounded man.

Bring him in.

Put him in there.

Don't look like one
of the Youngblood boys.

I am not.

Well, what are you doing with him?

The same as you.

If you'd left it a little longer, you'd have
saved the both of us a lot of trouble.

It was dangerous to bring him here...

...for you, as well as he.

Little dickens didn't want to come out.

- Will he be all right?
- What difference does it make?

Get through this, he'll just go out
and get himself shot again.

I know these boys.
Known them all their lives.

You do not believe in their cause?

I dosed these boys
through whooping cough...

...green-apple stomach, the measles.

Now here I am
digging bullets out of them.

- That's Johnny White there, isn't it?
- You get out of here.

I'm here to take these men
into custody.

This boy is my patient.

I just finished operating on him...

...and he's not going anywhere
till I say he's fit to be moved.

These men are fugitives from the law,
in case you weren't aware of that.

The railroad's posted a reward.

I'm aware that the reward
is a lot more...

...than the railroad shelled out
for their homes and their land.

You're welcome to your opinion,
but I've got a job to do.

And I'm gonna do it.

With or without your cooperation.

I will go with you.

You got no choice.

I will go with you
if you leave the boy here.

He cannot run away.

All right. We'll post a guard around
the house. Put the manacles on him.

There's a law against
harboring fugitives, doctor...

...even in this godforsaken territory.

I think I'll speak to the sheriff
about that.

You do that.
And while you're at it...

...tell him I'll be down for a warrant...

...for your arrest
for illegal entry into my home.

There's a law against that too,
you know.

This is not a jail.

You'll be glad enough to see that jail,
time you get to it. If you ever get to it.

Where's Youngblood's hole in the wall?

Caine, you took part
in a capital offense last night.

You're aware of that, aren't you?

Now, you play along with us,
and I'll put in a good word for you.

There is nothing I can tell you.

All right.
You'll tell me sooner or later.

Caine!

You walk out of here now, you know
what will happen to your friend Johnny.

- What can you do?
- You know what we'll do.

How can you stop me
from going to him now?

It won't be easy for you, Caine.

Because he is guarded by your men?

No. I've seen what you
can do with the men.

- What will you do?
- The question is, what will you do?

Will you go back
to the doctor's office?

And what if your friend Johnny
isn't there?

- You have moved him?
- You wanna risk it?

He who attacks must vanquish.

He who defends must merely survive.

Mr. Harrison, I'm Edwards.

- We met before in Chicago.
- One year ago, sir.

I recall it quite clearly.

I also quite clearly remember receiving
your assurances that within weeks...

...Youngblood and his outlaws
would cease to be a threat...

...to the Southwestern.

The board of directors wants to know
why these men are still at large.

Yes, sir. We've made some
good progress lately.

- I'd like to explain-
- I'd be happy to hear it.

Miller, see to Mr. Harrison's bags.

An article appeared
in The Tribune several days ago.

"Audacious daylight ambush
of speeding train.

Bold outlaws stampede the iron horse
to rescue their wounded comrades. "

Colorful, huh?

And ironic also, isn't it, Mr. Edwards?

We engage you to end this business, and
you're making a national hero of him.

I've got him on the run now.
He's holed up in the hills.

- But you still haven't caught him.
- I've got two of his men in custody.

I'm confident that we're very close
to the end of this business.

You were confident of that
a year ago, sir.

This business has gone on far too long.
The time has come to cut our losses.

- What does that mean?
- The board of directors...

...is considering a different approach
to the problem.

Jim, this is Mr. Harrison
from the railroad.

He wants to talk to your prisoner.

Is this the result of your interrogation?

It's what your company pays for.

I don't like to see this sort of thing.

Then you should
have stayed in Chicago.

You're one of Youngblood's gang.

He's a liar.

Can you read?

Good. I want you to read this.

It's a letter of amnesty.

- We're offering you a pardon-
- Sir, you really can't think that-

We are offering Youngblood
and all of you a full pardon.

It's signed
by the territorial commissioner.

That's his seal down there.

And by the chairman of our board.

And I've come all the way from Chicago
to assure you that it's genuine.

Well?

You offer forgiveness
to men you have wronged?

Well, I don't think
you quite understand.

Our company is interested
in only one objective.

Laying track and operating a line
through this territory.

And, quite frankly...

...you and your friends
have complicated things for us.

And I'm sure the Pinkertons
and Mr. Edwards...

...have made life somewhat
more difficult for you as well.

At this point, we're interested
in resolving the conflict...

...in the simplest way we can.

It's a purely practical decision.

I'd like to discuss this amnesty-

The decision has already been made.

By who?
Nobody asked me.

You are still working for us,
are you not, Mr. Edwards?

- Yes, sir.
- Well, then you'll do as you're told.

You have taken something of value...

...and in return, you offer paper.

My company offered good money
for that right of way.

But Youngblood wouldn't listen.
He chose to fight instead.

And to die.

Could it be,
your money was not so good?

A question of fair market value
is always debatable.

There may have been inequities.
They have been known to happen.

Perhaps you should not
offer forgiveness...

...but justice.

I'll tell you what.

I'll reopen the question of compensation
with the board.

I'll get into it myself, personally.

And if there have been inequities,
I'll see that they're corrected.

I am not the one you must talk to.

Bury the hatchet
and shake hands, huh?

After all this time?

They are practical men.
They've seen reason.

Well, that's one way to look at it.

I want you to change this dressing
every two days.

If this hand starts to swell...

...you figure out a way to get
back here and see me. You hear?

I don't know if Jack's gonna go for it.

Perhaps he will.

Too many things have happened.

I don't know.

If he does not want peace,
will you be sorry?

We swore an oath, Caine.

We swore an oath of friendship,
master.

- You are speaking of Disciple Han?
- Yes, master.

And he no longer
feels bound by his oath.

Because of the contest yesterday
between us in which he was defeated.

And do you feel
you have lost something?

I do.

- What will you do now with your oath?
- Is not an oath eternal?

But how can you control
such a thing as a friendship...

...which requires the assent
of two persons?

It is well to consider deeply before
binding yourself to an ideal...

...a cause, a man.

For what is an oath worth
that binds a man...

...who makes it
to an unachievable task?

Now, how do I know...

...that this just ain't some trick to draw
Jack and the boys out into the open?

Well, this man Edwards,
will he not be proof that it is not?

Yeah. Yeah, he ain't likely
to go get himself killed.

Life is a precious gift.

Well, just to be sure,
I'm gonna check him over real careful.

Something about him volunteering
to be a hostage just don't sit right.

- Stay alive, John.
- Thanks, doc.

I'm alive because of you, Caine.

Be careful if you wish
to keep that life.

I fear he values his cause
before all else.

- All set?
- Hold on just one second.

I just want to make sure you ain't
carrying something I don't know about.

If you'll allow me, Mr. Edwards.

- Satisfied?
- I am now.

Let's get going.

I hope your trip is successful,
gentlemen.

The offer of amnesty is genuine.

I give you my solemn word
that whatever lands are taken...

...you'll be fully compensated for.

Good luck.

Good luck to you, Mr. Edwards.

Don't worry, Miller.
Everything will be all right.

I'm sure I can handle it.

I'll be in my hotel, Miller. Tell me the
minute you hear anything from Edwards.

Yes, sir, Mr. Harrison.

Beautiful.

How many men have you put
in the ground with that thing?

Nowhere near
what it's cost our people.

Will you looky here!

Boy, you show up at the most
foolish places, usually without knocking.

- How's Johnny?
- He lives.

No Pink ever drew a breath
is going to get that boy.

He is coming here.

- Johnny?
- With Edwards.

A railroad man came from a place...

...called Chicago with a paper.

A pardon for all of you.

Free?

Amnesty?

He is bringing the paper with him.

There is also a promise of a fair payment
for all you have lost.

Why is Edwards coming? That supposed
to be a show of good faith?

- Yes.
- Get out there and watch for them.

There are men, many men,
following him.

What you call "Pinks. "

Johnny does not know this.

It's a trap.

Here they come!

Johnny's got a gun on him.

We gotta get out of here.

Too late. Pinks can't be more
than minutes behind.

Get them to the corral.
If they get past there...

...they'll pick us off
like swallows on a vine.

What about Edwards?

Let him through.

Welcome.

After you, Mr. Edwards.

He's clean. I searched him.

Posse's behind him. We gotta
spread out along the riverbank.

Get this out of here.

What's the matter?

Posse of Pinks...

...followed you right in here.

We got them pinned down.

But we can't hold them
like that forever.

- You don't stop at nothing, do you?
- Do you?

What will you do?

Well, we'll just spread out
and blast our way through.

And how many more of you will die?

Why don't you give it a try,
Youngblood?

Maybe you'll get yourself
another headline.

You have another choice.

If that railroad offer
was on the level...

...would he have set a trap for us?

The offer of peace is real.
You know it.

How can you still seek to do battle?

This has gone on too long
to end in a truce.

There's only one way to settle it now.

Maybe he's right.

He is still angry.

It troubles me.

I do not know how
to answer his hatred.

How else but with love?

One cannot always keep a friend...

...when that friend believes
that one has wronged him.

But I have not wronged him.
He is mistaken.

Each man has the right to choose
his enemies and his friends.

He may choose unwisely...

...but the decision
is his alone to make.

Then he must live
with the consequences...

...and so must his enemies
and his friends.

This man is a slave to his cause.
Are you?

Can you find no way to peace?

Jack, why don't we go out there
with him in front?

Why don't we settle it right here.

You may get one of us. That's all.

I'll take my pick, then.

He don't care about dying.

That's right. I was hired to stamp
you out. That's what I'm gonna do.

Nothing's gonna stop me.

You stay back
or I'll take you with him.

What will it serve you to take
yet another life?

Not just another life. It's his life.

Now, end it.

You must seek peace.

You must.

Miller!

Listen to me!

We're willing to accept
the railroad's offer.

- We don't want a battle.
- Miller.

Your men are under orders to me.

I order you to start firing.

But they'll kill you.

Shoot!

Shoot!

Shoot!

It is finished.

Miller.

Damn you, Miller. Shoot! Shoot!
Shoot, Miller! Shoot!

It's over.

Yeah.

To be here,
smack in the middle of town.

And we're not even hiding.

Been a long time since
I held a plow, turned the soil.

Wonder if I can go back to that.

To make things grow.

Is this not cause enough for any man?

Could be.

Strange feeling.

Yes.

It is peace.