Maverick (1957–1962): Season 2, Episode 20 - Yellow River - full transcript

[GUNSHOTS]

[WOMAN SCREAMS]

[WOMAN SCREAMS]

Hey, clerk, somebody
get married?

Married? Billy Young's
gang just robbed the bank.

NARRATOR: Maverick.

Starring James
Garner and Jack Kelly.

Produced by Warner Bros.

From the entertainment
capital of the world...

produced for television
by Warner Bros.

Please, don't say anything.



Thank you, you've
been very kind.

I do owe you an
explanation, don't I?

No.

Uh, but it's nice to
know you have one.

You see...

Would you be interested
in earning some money?

Not as a rule, but I was
a depositor in the bank...

that was robbed last night.
What is you want done?

WOMAN: You can't see
them now, but they... Ugh.

Those two men.

They're wanted for murder
in Santa Fe, I live there.

They may have seen me and
they know I'd recognize them.

What you want is a sheriff.
You can get one for nothing.

No, I can't.



He and his deputies and half the men in
town are looking for the Billy Young gang.

I want those two men held
until the sheriff gets back.

I'll pay you $300.

Sold. Can I have
it in large bills?

- I'm a businesswoman, Mr...?
- Maverick.

Mr. Maverick.

I never pay for anything
until it's delivered.

I have to trust you, I don't
even know if they are wanted.

Look in the sheriff's office,
there's sure to be a poster on them.

Their names are Mills and Asher.

A hundred dollars
now and the rest later.

Three hundred, when you
deliver them to the sheriff.

Well, there may be a reward
too. The posters will say.

Oh, you ought to follow them.

I have to stop by the
sheriff's office first, remember?

Well, then hurry.

Shouldn't you wait
here for a while?

I have some important
business that can't wait.

Maybe you were right about
waiting, you go on ahead.

Where will I find you?

When the posse gets back, I'll
meet you in the sheriff's office.

My name is Alice Appleton.

Hope I haven't kept you
waiting, sneaked out for a bite.

Oh, no, I just came
in for a moment to rest.

Thank you.

You and me are gonna be in trouble,
now that's what's gonna happen.

Let's us get of town tonight.

- Is that the only tune you know?
- It's the best one I know.

[GUN COCKS]

MAVERICK: Ah, good
evening, Mr. Asher, Mr. Mills.

Now, who are you?

I am a conscientious citizen.

Say, what is this?

Oh, this is a citizen's
arrest, naturally.

Open your coats.

Drop the gun belts.

You got a badge or a warrant?

When the sheriff gets back,
I'm gonna let you talk to him.

He's got badges, warrants,
posters, everything.

Now, what do you want with us?

I want you to help
tie each other up.

- Whatever you think you're doing...
- Sam, shut up.

Haven't you got it yet?

We've been took again.

- We just ain't in her class.
- Huh?

Abigail.

She put him up to this.

She's probably working
a con somewhere...

and needed us out
of the way for a while.

Am I right, mister?

- Abigail?
- Abigail Allen.

- What name did she give you?
- That's it. It was her.

What kind of story
did she hand you?

What kind of story
have you boys got?

- Oh, it won't be near as good as hers.
- She stole $2000 from us.

We was trying to
cheat her out of a...

What you mean, "cheat"?

We gave her 2000
in cash, didn't we?

Oh, we thought the mining
claim was worth 20,000.

Nicest job of selling a
salted mine I ever saw.

You boys got a real good story.

Well, it's the truth.

- We followed her here to Yellow River.
- I was about to talk him into giving up.

You could've saved the
three of us a lot of a trouble.

Gentleman, I've got a
feeling I ought to believe you.

See, I've got an Abigail
Allen in my life too.

Her name's Samantha.

But we're still gonna wait
for the sheriff to get back.

[MILLS SIGHS]

Don't think you're gonna
get away with an apology.

- I'm gonna have the law...
- Sam, shut up.

- Any sign of Abigail?
- No.

I'm gonna let you
untie him, I'm afraid to.

- You ought to be.
- Oh, now take it easy, Sam.

- She took us in too, you can't
blame him. MAVERICK: Thanks.

I'm gonna go looking for
her. She owes me $300.

- You wanna come along?
- Oh, not me.

I ain't smart
enough to fight her.

And neither are you.

We got a store to run.

Mister, if you find her...

give her a kiss for me.

Miss Allen?

Excuse me, ma'am, but hadn't we
ought to bed the herd down for the night?

You have to leave that
up to Mr. Grimes, Davie.

Or don't you think so?

Fifteen hundred I put in
this drive wasn't all mine.

I borrowed half of it, so I just
can't ignore what might happen.

What might happen?

The Shale River is
only 10 miles ahead.

The cattle get the scent, they're
gonna make a beeline for it.

- Well?
- Sun's almost down, ma'am.

They start stampeding now,
we could lose half the herd.

ABIGAIL: How much farther
to the Shale River, Fred?

- Why?
- Just curious.

Maybe 12 miles.

[ABIGAIL SIGHS]

With a little wind, isn't that near
enough for the cattle to smell it?

Maybe.

Why do you ask?

Those cattle are thirsty.

If they smell water,
mightn't they stampede?

Ride up and start turning them.

She didn't think of this all by
herself now, did she, little fellow?

- No.
- The point is, why didn't you?

Well, I'll be honest with
you, Abby, I didn't think of it.

But it won't happen again.

Maybe you think you
ought to be boss in this drive.

I've been on a drive, that makes me
smart enough to know I can't boss one.

[HORSE SNORTS]

[HORACE WHISTLING AND YELLING]

HORACE: Come on, ho, ho.

Hyah!

Hyah!

Fred.

BART: Hello, Miss Appleton.

[HOOFBEATS APPROACHING]

Hello, Mr. Maverick.

Where did you come from?

Right where you left me, Abby.

We do have some things
to talk over, don't we?

Yes.

Will you please
excuse us for a minute?

Where are those two men?

When last seen, they
were headed for Santa Fe.

Where they are
wanted for murder.

I do owe you an
explanation, don't I?

You just owe me $300.

I can't afford
another explanation.

But I don't have the money.

Every dime I own
is in the cattle.

You must have
had a lot of dimes.

It was only $2000, and I took
an option on the herd with that.

My partners gave me
the rest of the money.

That bill of sale wouldn't be
just in your name, would it?

Why, yes.

Only because I found the
herd and made the deal.

Tsk, Miss Allen, you'll be glad to
know there's a way you can pay me.

I'll just cut 60 head out the herd,
drive them back to Yellow River...

and at $5 each, I'll have
the 300 you owe me.

But you can't.

They're worth at least
$20 a head in Kansas.

But it's a two-month ride to Kansas, and
I don't think you're gonna get them there.

Why not?

Who's trail boss, you?

- Now what's wrong?
- The way they're bedded down.

Cattle are skittish when
they first start a drive.

Bunched together like that...

one of those big steers just
liable to swish his tail in the night...

and hit another
one on the face...

and you'll have a
stampede on your hands.

Have you ever bossed a
trail drive, Mr. Maverick?

In my irresponsible youth.

Before I settled down to the life of
a quiet, respectable poker player.

Mr. Maverick, I need you.

- Not again. I'll just cut out
my 60 head. ABIGAIL: Please.

Fred Grimes, he's one of my partners,
he's been a ranch hand for 10 years...

he claims that qualifies
him as a trail boss.

Well, ah, maybe you better drive
the herd back to Yellow River...

while you still got them.

You know, ranching and trail
driving just aren't the same thing.

Trail bosses get a
hundred a month.

I'll pay you three times that.

- You...
- You said you needed the money.

- How big is the herd?
- Seventeen hundred.

- All steers?
- Mixed.

Um...

Uh, I'm about to try the impossible,
Abigail, uh, to get the best of you.

I'll... I'll boss your drive
for the salary mentioned.

Plus a dollar for every
head delivered in Kansas.

- Oh, but that's...
- Robbery.

I thought you'd recognize it.

I'll take my chances
with Grimes.

Abigail.

Do you have any idea how many
herds have been lost completely...

because the trail boss
made one little mistake?

- Four hundred.
- Uh-uh.

You're a thief, Mr. Maverick, there's
just isn't anything I can do about it.

You're hired.

I'll introduce you
to my partners.

Oh, about Yellow River, you won't
say anything to anyone, will you?

Heh, I won't if you won't.

That's kind of a painful memory.

I think I'm gonna like you.

- Got a first name?
- Bart.

What name are you
using for the moment?

You're all wrong about
me, really, you are.

And my name is Abigail Allen.

Nice to meet you, Miss Apple...

Uh, Miss Allen.

Pete, there will be
one more for supper.

- I already figured that.
- Gentlemen, this is Bart Maverick.

My partners, Professor
Von Schulenberg...

Horace Cusack...

- and Fred Grimes.
- Fred.

I've just hired Mr. Maverick
to boss the drive.

Where do get off hiring anybody?

This is a partnership.

We already got a trail boss.

Oh, I think the others
will go along with me.

Mr. Maverick has trail
bossed before, you haven't.

But I know cattle.

No sense paying $100
a month for no reason.

Three hundred a
month, Mr. Grimes.

Plus a dollar for every
head delivered in Kansas.

[IN AUSTRIAN ACCENT] It's silly.

Agree to that, I will not.

Well, Cusack, you're a
shareholder, what do you say?

Uh.

Uh, I don't hardly think no
trail boss is worth that much.

And I say he is.

Abby, you've been out-voted.

Well, I'll go along anyway.

Thank you, Bart.

It's not that I'm generous.

Your partners will find out a
trail boss is worth that much.

Of course, if you lose too many cows
before that, I'll have to raise my price.

Is something
funny the way I eat?

No, I had a good friend
once who ate that way.

But he was a squirrel.

[CHUCKLES]

Well, I'm a vegetarian. I
don't believe in eating meat.

You're in the cattle
business? Ha, ha.

It's none of us in
the cattle business.

This lovely fräulein promised each
of us, if we invest in the cattle drive...

not only a small fortune
we win, but the lady also.

Professor, I did no such thing.

"Promise" is the wrong word.

"Hint" is maybe better.

[PETE CHUCKLES]

Maverick, that posse got back
before you left Yellow River?

Yeah, they brought back
three of the holdup men.

- They didn't catch Billy Young, did they?
- No.

You owe me a
dollar, Horace. Heh.

I told them they
wouldn't catch Billy.

That kid has gone through
four gangs in two years.

They catch everyone but
him. Heh. He's a wizard.

You sound like
you're on his side.

He never stole nothing from me.

When he does, I'll see if I can
work up a peeve against him.

[HOOFBEATS APPROACHING]

Your watch, professor.
Better get started.

Good.

The food, I was afraid
I might have to finish it.

You don't like
the food, fire me.

[MEN YELLING]

[MEN WHISTLING]

[COWS MOOING]

Looks like you've
had a little trouble.

Seems afraid of us,
maybe she'll talk to you.

What happened?

Where are your horses?

Are you alone?

They killed my father.

Who killed him?

Two men.

They stole our
horses and our food.

Shot him when he
tried to stop them.

When did it happen?

Yesterday.

He died this morning.

Can you ride a horse?

Why don't you get on mine
and ride along with her?

Come on, there's
nothing you can do here.

Where were you going?

To Kansas.

Oh, then you're
gonna be all right.

We're driving some cattle
there and you can travel with us.

Did you come from Yellow River?
I keep feeling we've met before.

We came up from Taos.

We're gonna bed the
herd right over there.

If there's anything you want from
the wagon, you can get it later.

ABIGAIL: Come on.

[HARMONICA PLAYING
"ROCK OF AGES"]

- Counting the herd?
- Ah.

[GASPS]

Fred, you startled me.

Couldn't you sleep?

I must be overtired.

I guess I'm getting soft.

I wouldn't want
you any other way.

Heh, well, we better
try and get some rest.

Abby.

- I wanna talk to you.
- Ah, well, I'll still be here tomorrow.

Things were real nice with us...

until this fellow,
Maverick, showed up.

Now suddenly
everything's gone wrong.

Why?

Fred, you have much more to lose than
I do if this herd doesn't get to Kansas.

That's not what
I'm talking about.

The herd's not the
problem, it's you.

I wanna know where I stand.

Where you stand?

I don't know what
you told the others.

But between us,
it was real clear.

I didn't quit my job
and risk all my cash

just to make a little
money and you know it.

[SIGHS]

Maybe you'll remember this.

Fred, Fred, don't.

Let go of me. Fred.

[GRUNTS]

I'm glad you did that.

Because now we
can stop being polite.

When I pay $3000 for
something, I intend to...

That was for her and me both.

[FRED GROANS]

[FRED GRUNTS]

- Fred, Fred, he's just a boy. FRED:
Then he shouldn't fool with the men.

All right, that's all.

[PANTS]

- What's that for?
- Keep you from losing the herd.

Those cattle won't be
trail-broke for another week...

till then anything might set them off.
A fight's one of the best ways there is.

This isn't over, kid.

[DAVIE PANTS]

Just postponed.

Why ain't he up?

Let him sleep if he can.

I know I didn't get
much sleep last night.

He can make it up next winter.

Come on, kid, pile on.

Hey.

HORACE: Dust to dust.

And we pray that
his soul go to heaven.

And the soul of the coward who
took his life go to hell in damnation.

Amen.

Just a minute.

You think I did it.

Come on, I want to
hear somebody say it.

Then I really will kill someone.

Come on, you know-it-alls.

I know about the fight you had,
what you said when it was stopped.

No one else here had
any reason to kill the boy.

Fred, there will be
no more fighting.

Kill each other in Kansas when
we don't need you anymore.

If it will make you
feel any better...

I don't think you killed him.

Thanks.

I'll give you a chance to say
that again when the drive's over.

Tell you all you
one thing for sure.

Somebody right here did it.

An Indian would've
taken the kid's hair.

Nothing's missing,
so it wasn't a thief.

It was somebody right here.

Well, let's go get
those cattle moving.

[MEN YELLING]

MAN: Hyah!

MAN: Hyah! Hyah!

I've been waiting for you to make a
mistake, Grimes, and you just made one.

What mistake?

I don't tell, you'll
lose the whole herd.

There's your mistake,
getting unsaddled.

- Come on, you can talk plain English.
- See that over there?

- Them clouds?
- Yeah.

Heh. They ain't moving this way.

They don't have
to, that's a storm.

Gonna see it, hear it
and so are the cattle.

If we can stay saddled with
the herd, maybe they won't run.

Even if they do, at least
we'll be running with them.

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

Noisy, isn't it, little friends?

Well, it's a long way off
and doesn't mean a thing.

Just settle.

Settle down. Settle down.

[THUNDER CRASHING]

[SINGING] Play the fife lowly

And beat the drums slowly

Play the dead march

They can be...

[THUNDER CRASHES]

Put bunches of roses

All over my coffin

To deaden the sounds

Of the clods as they fall

[HORSE NEIGHING]

[THUNDER CRASHING]

[COW MOOING]

There they go!

[THUNDER CRASHES]

[HORACE GROANS]

Shouldn't somebody
be out on watch?

Somebody, not me.

A pack of wolves couldn't
budge that herd now.

They've run it all out.

Any idea how many we lost?

Oh, 50, no more than that.

Will you settle for 1500?

- Fifteen hundred what?
- Dollars.

To boss the drive.

Fifteen hundred flat.

Is it a deal?

Oh, that's quite a
cut under my offer.

But you got yourself a deal.

Thanks, Fred.

HORACE: Here comes
Jean and the cook.

- It's a good thing you lit that fire.
- If you hadn't, we'd never have found you.

WOMAN: Awful glad you did.

How anyone can be
glad, I don't understand.

One of you a killer.

And everybody laughing.

Tonight I sleep with
a gun in my hand.

MAN: Hyah!

[MAN WHISTLES]

Hyah!

[COWS MOOING]

A nut sandwich, Horace?

Heh, that's right.

I will eat no more swill.

This man is a
poisoner, not a cook.

If I was a poisoner you
would've been dead a week ago.

No more backtalk from you,
mein herr, I'm your employer.

You're my what?

Why, you ain't good enough to
eat with the hogs. You know that?

[BOTH ARGUING]

Let him come, Horace, I've never
seen a Dutchman yet I couldn't lick.

[IN AMERICAN ACCENT]
Why, you big overgrown baboon.

What happened to the
Heidelberg accent, professor?

What do you ask?

He ain't no Dutchman.

He killed the boy.

You're a fake and a killer.

Maybe you better
explain that accent.

All right, uh, I'm not a
professor from Austria.

But that doesn't
make me a killer.

Ah. Just what are you?

Nothing, I didn't
have any reason.

Nobody does things
with no reason.

I had a reason, but it wouldn't
mean anything to any of you.

Try us and see.

[SIGHS]

I lived in Philadelphia.

[SIGHS]

A little fat man.

The kind people never
remember his name.

I left there and came out West.

When I got here...

I was Professor Von
Schulenberg from Vienna, heh.

And I told you, you
wouldn't understand.

But it worked.

Ah, when I walked into a room...

people didn't look up and think:

"Here's comes that fat,
funny little what's-his-name."

They thought:

"Here comes that
professor from Vienna."

Made all the difference.

All the difference
between nothing...

and something.

Tell me, Professor
Von Schulenberg...

just what is it you don't
like about my cooking?

[CHUCKLES]

[ALL LAUGHING]

HORACE: Hey, Pete,
come on and get up.

Pete, come on, get up.

Maverick!

I'm getting out of here, I can't stand
this anymore, I don't wanna be killed.

[HORACE GROANS]

Why did you do that?

- If he hadn't, I would have.
- I'm sorry, Cusack.

But another second, you would've been
howling like a banshee. I had to do it.

Where's the professor?

He's with the cattle.

Somebody here is a killer.

We got two more weeks on
the trail before we get to Kansas.

What are we gonna do about it?

From here on, there will
be two on watch all night.

One with the herd,
the other here.

Who protects us when
the killer's on watch?

I wish he or she
would be that stupid.

You don't think I'm
capable of murder, do you?

I haven't the slightest
idea. Are you?

When I said "she,"
that included you too.

- I know.
- From here on, you're the cook.

Well, I guess it won't
be any worse than Pete's.

[COWS MOOING]

Well, I guess I was a
little too hard on old Pete.

Your cooking is not
much better than his was.

I know. I learned
from my father.

[HORSE NEIGHING]

Here he comes.

[HOOFBEATS APPROACHING]

ABIGAIL: Good news?
MAVERICK: The best.

The cow pens are
empty and waiting.

That's only half of it.

They're paying $22 a head.

[ALL LAUGH]

- We're not just filthy, we're filthy rich.
- Anything else?

Democrats nominated Sam
Tilden to run against Hayes.

They caught all but two
that robbed that bank.

Baldy MacAndrews and
Billy Young are still loose.

What time will we get
the herd in tomorrow?

Around noon if we're lucky.

World looks pretty good
to me right now, heh.

Except for one thing.

After we sell the
herd we'll split up.

We'll never know which
one of us is a sneaking killer.

That's where you're wrong, Fred.

I know which one of us it is.

Our little orphan girl
here, Miss Baxter.

That's not a very funny joke.

If I'm wrong, I'll
pretend I was just joking.

Well, you are wrong
and I don't think it's funny.

- Neither do I.
- Don't move that hand.

Fred, look under that
cloth and don't get careless.

Why?

- How did you know?
- I don't know how.

Maybe a girl knowing
nothing about how to cook.

Back in town I saw descriptions of
Baldy MacAndrews and Billy Young.

Baldy's fit her
poor dead father.

That's when it hit me.

Why did you do it?

Why did you kill them?

Get him on a horse.

I'll take him in now. I'll stay in town
tonight, meet you in the morning.

Wait, wait, I got $20,000...

and it's all yours
if you let me go.

BART: You'll tell us
why you killed them?

Yes.

- You got yourself... Shut up.
- You can't do that.

Go ahead.

You'll let me go?

That's right, you
got my word on it.

- What about them?
- Them too.

You swear I got your word?

Yes.

I killed Davie because I rode with
him once on the Barzee Spread.

He didn't recognized me
at first but he would have.

Cook figured out who
I was and told me so.

Said he didn't care
whether I got caught or not.

Never took anything of his.

Just figured I
couldn't chance him.

And the money?

Buried, back where Baldy died.

All right, get going.

- I need clothes and a gun.
- You're not even gonna get a horse.

But you said...

I said I'd let you go,
that's all. Now get started.

We can't let him go,
no matter what you said.

Yes, we can.

There's a sheriff and two
deputies just over that hill.

[COWS MOOING]

MAN: Come on. Whoop!

[MAN WHISTLES]

Mighty fine looking herd, ma'am.

Better than 1600 head, I'd say.

Oh, about 16 and a half.

We lost some on the way.

Well, we'll try to have an
exact count for you by 3:30.

We can meet at the bank.

- May I give you a lift?
- Thank you.

I don't know about
the rest of you...

but I aim to spend some time
leaning against the nearest bar.

And I'm going to the hotel
and soak in a tub till 3.

See you at the bank at 3:30.

BANKER: Tsk.

You see, the train leaves in an
hour and I simply must be on it.

Well, all we've got is a
rough count now, Miss Allen.

Little more than 1600
head, I understand.

Well, I'm willing to settle
on the basis of exactly 1600.

And there are at
least 50 head more.

The bill of sale states 1700
and we lost less than 50.

Heh, it means that much
to me to be on that train.

Well, heh, I guess I'm too
much of a businessman...

to pass up a deal like this.

Now, let's see,
that will come to...

$35,200, Miss Allen.

I expect you'll want cash?

Oh, yes, I'll wanna pay my
riders before the train leaves.

Heh. All right, fine.

Well, I tell you what you do now, you
just endorse over this bill of sale to me.

Henry Sawyer.

Five, 30...

$35,000, Miss Allen.

Plus 200.

That's an awful lot of money for a
little lady like you to carry around.

I'm sure I'll manage.

You've been very kind.

- Thank you and goodbye.
- It's been my pleasure to serve you.

Y'all come back now, you hear?

Tell me, Abby, you don't have any
relatives named Crawford, do you?

Samantha Crawford, for instance?

Pretty good wages
for a trail boss.

Yeah, well, I figure I earned them. And
not just for keeping my eye on the herd.

Easiest money I ever made.

Even though I didn't get
everything I'd bargained for.

You've been a very good friend,
Fred. I'm gonna miss you. All of you.

You know what I'm
gonna do with this?

Buy a 10-gallon hat, a pair of high-heeled
boots and I'm gonna move to Vienna.

[ALL CHUCKLE]

- Goodbye. Maverick.
- Goodbye, professor.

- Goodbye, Fred.
- Goodbye.

- Bye, Horace.
- Goodbye.

- Horace, good luck.
- Goodbye.

[MAVERICK SIGHS]

You made out real well.

Yeah, how about having
dinner with me tonight?

Well, I still haven't
taken that bath.

I'd like one mine myself.

Afterwards, we'll meet
in the hotel dining room.

Well, I suppose this is
where we say goodbye.

Afraid so.

Why don't you come to
New Mexico with me, Abby?

It gets awful cold in
Montana long about autumn.

I'm glad you asked me.

But I'm afraid it's
Montana for me.

I hear there's quite a strike and
you know how I feel about gold.

[BART CHUCKLES]

- Are you sure?
- Heh.

Well, bye, Abby.

Goodbye, Bart.

What's the hurry, Mr. Maverick?
New Mexico will still be there.

I'm not going to New
Mexico, I'm going to Montana.

[English - US -SDH]