Rawhide (1959–1965): Season 5, Episode 24 - Incident of the Clown - full transcript
A clumsy philologist (and former circus clown) stumbles into the trail camp. The man is hoping to compile a dictionary of the Comanche language so that they and the whites can better ...
♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
- Hyah!
-♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
♪ Keep movin', movin', movin' ♪
♪ Though they're disapprovin' ♪
♪ Keep them dogies movin' ♪
♪ Rawhide! ♪
♪ Don't try to understand them ♪
♪ Just rope and throw
and brand 'em ♪
♪ Soon we'll be livin'
high and wide ♪
♪ My heart's calculatin' ♪
♪ My true love will be waitin' ♪
♪ Be waiting at the end
of my ride ♪
♪ Move 'em on, head 'em up,
head 'em up, move 'em on ♪
♪ Move 'em on,
head 'em up, Rawhide! ♪
-(whip cracks)
-♪ Cut 'em out, ride 'em in ♪
♪ Ride 'em in, let 'em out,
cut 'em out, ride 'em in ♪
-♪ Rawhide...! ♪
-♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
- Hyah!
-♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin'. ♪
(whip cracks twice)
♪♪
Working the gambling halls
from town to town,
a man comes to think he's seen
just about everything.
I never saw a thing
like this before.
It's a kensabi.
It's an ancient Indian
torture rack.
They stretch a man across...
bows here and strap his arms
and legs, and they...
and they put these strips
of wet rawhide
to these branches.
When that rawhide dries...
Whoever was on this is lucky.
Strips have been cut.
Well, depends on how long
he was there
before he was cut down.
Well, the rawhide's still wet.
(distant gunshot)
(gunshot)
Is that what I think it is?
It ain't a penguin.
Ma'am.
Heard the shots.
Are you in any trouble?
More than the rabbit
I was shooting at.
I'm afraid I'm not
a very good shot.
I'm Sister Bonaventura Margaret.
Hi. I'm, uh, Rowdy Yates,
with a herd
across the hill there.
This is, uh, Jim Quince
-and Sam Barnes.
- Hello. Hello.
You're not out here alone,
are you, ma'am?
Oh, no.
No, I'm not.
That's a relief.
Sister Teresa.
Sister Teresa and I are nurses.
We were on our way to Santa Fe
when the traces broke
and our horses ran away.
We've been here several days,
and, uh, our supplies
are very low.
I wonder if I might trouble you
for a little water.
It's no trouble at all, ma'am.
Thank you.
I'll return it
as soon as he's had a drink.
Who's had a drink?
Our patient.
♪ ♪
He's got all the earmarks
of an Indian to me.
Yeah. Who is he?
I don't know his name.
We found him strapped
to some horrible contraption
just back a way.
His condition's very serious.
QUINCE:
Well, that was the idea, ma'am,
and when whoever did this
comes back and finds him...
Uh, Jim, uh...
Look, uh, just you two sisters
and this wounded man
going to Santa Fe
all by yourself?
Well, we weren't left a choice.
Our guides
were quite apprehensive.
When we insisted on cutting
this poor man down,
they claimed we
were bringing disaster
upon ourselves, as well as them,
so they left.
We'll camp here tonight,
and, uh,
we'll see you as far
as Raybon Station tomorrow.
There, you can pick up supplies
and another guide
to get you to Santa Fe.
Oh, we'd be very grateful.
Uh, Jim, you stay here
and keep the Sisters company.
We'll be back
with the wagons real soon.
Thanks again, Mr. Yates.
(cattle lowing)
How's the patient?
Is he talking?
No. He's still unconscious.
What's the matter
with him anyway?
Lacerations,
two rib misplacements
and probably other
internal injuries, as well,
but what worries me most
is that blood poisoning
may have set in.
What a brutal thing for one man
to do to another.
Yeah, well, you may be
just prejudging, Sister.
Surely, you're not trying to
justify a medieval torture rack.
No, but, uh, out here,
in this country,
is a strange breed of man.
Don't take me to be so naive,
Mr. Yates.
This may be my first
trip out here,
but the West has no monopoly
on sin.
Out here,
justice is right to the point.
Brutality can't be defined
as justice.
He's a member of the human race.
That means there's
some good in him
and he deserved better
than he got.
Maybe.
If I were a gambling woman,
Mr. Yates,
I'd make you a bet on it.
Sister Margaret.
(man grunting)
My name is Sister Margaret.
This is Sister Teresa.
We found you on the trail.
These gentlemen
are part of a trail drive.
They've given us assistance.
Name is Rowdy Yates.
Como se siente?
How do I feel?
(chuckling)
How would any man feel...
with two angels on his right
and el jefe himself on his left?
What's your name?
Chappala.
Maria Jose Chappala.
But if anyone is big enough,
he just calls me half-breed.
So, these two angels
cut me down from that rack.
It takes all kinds, como no?
You owe them your life.
I owe no one nothing.
It's because I am nothing
and like it.
Who strung you up?
Friends.
Against my enemies,
I can defend myself.
I asked you a question, mister.
And you got an answer.
If it isn't the right one,
put me on a horse, and pronto.
No more Chappala.
That'll happen
as soon as you're ready to ride.
Who says I'm going
to last that long?
What does that mean?
I had an appointment
with that rack.
Maybe somebody
is going to come back
to make sure I keep it.
These Sisters...
should have left
well enough alone.
What do you think, jefe?
Now, he's sure got
a point there, Rowdy.
All the men who'd like
to see him dead
got to get in line.
You know him?
Why, everybody from this part
of the country's heard of him.
A renegade Comanchero.
One of the worst.
Yes, sir, Rowdy, you sure do
pick yourself
some sweet company.
The Comanchero outfit
he's a part of--
they don't just, uh,
trade whiskey
and guns with the Indians.
They teach them
how to really enjoy them.
He's right, Rowdy.
I heard of Chappala
in Silver City.
There ain't nothing
him and his bunch
won't do for a dollar.
Valle de las Lagrimas.
Ring a bell, Chappala?
A faint ring.
Valle de las Lagrimas.
The Valley of Tears.
What's it mean?
It's where Chappala's bunch
do most of their trading.
It... it gets its name
because of...
because of the whites
sold to the Comanches.
But being a gambling man
by profession,
I've come to take a sort of
liberal attitude
about my fellow man.
But with Chappala, I think
that's stretching things.
ROWDY: Meaning?
Put him on his horse
and run him out of here.
But his injuries.
Why, he couldn't live
through the night.
Then that'd solve everybody's
problem, wouldn't it, Sister?
That's enough, Barnes.
You and Quince and Scarlet,
get something to eat,
and relieve the night guard.
Whoever strung up Chappala
has got a mighty big
vendetta on with him.
What if they come
looking for him?
ROWDY: Suppose you let me
worry about that, huh?
About my skin?
Oh, no, Rowdy.
Nobody worries about that
as good as me-- nobody.
SISTER MARGARET:
Mr. Yates.
When we accepted
your hospitality,
I didn't know the problems
we were bringing you.
I think it would be better
if Sister Teresa and I
left with our patient.
If you could just
give us a guide.
Ma'am, I can't spare a man.
Please, Mr. Yates.
Don't dress it up in chivalry
because of the black habit.
Sister Teresa and I
are very well aware
of the possibility
of retaliation,
but this man,
no matter what he's done,
would die without our help.
Look, I said
you're gonna ride along with us
as far as Raybon Station,
and that still goes.
If any of these men
don't like it,
they can collect
their pay right now.
Well?
Well, a gambling man
with no money in his cake's
sure not likely to be
of a bargaining nature.
I'll stay,
but if anybody comes
looking for him
and don't care what they have
to do to get him...
...just be sure
you don't count on me.
CHAPPALA:
Jefe.
You make me weep.
I've never known such pity.
To think, you're doing
all of this...
...just for me.
♪♪
♪♪
(cowboys whistling and shouting)
(whistling and shouting
continue)
That is the wagon.
Ride for the others.
- But, Malvado...
- Now, Carlos.
I want Chappala alive.
But, Mr. Wishbone,
adding the salt too soon
only toughens the meat
and ruins the flavor.
Sister, I have been cooking
for more years
than you can remember
and I've never yet
let the stew get done
before I put in the salt.
Mushy, bring me the salt.
Toughens the meat
and ruins the flavor.
Sister, of all the...
Well, I clean forgot where I am.
Sorry, Sister.
Why?
Just because you were going
to call me
a meddlesome female who should
stay where she belongs?
I had it coming, Mr. Wishbone,
and I promise to leave
your cooking alone.
And what do you think
you're doing?
Why, I was gonna add the salt.
Toughens the meat
and ruins the flavor.
(cattle lowing)
The little angel
is still by my side.
Take some of this, please.
(coughs quietly)
You're still trying
to save my life?
Yes, of course I am.
You're going to lose.
What do you mean?
'Cause I'm already
the same as dead,
something to be put
into the ground.
Why don't you let me
decide that?
Because you don't know enough
to decide.
If what happened to me
on that rack doesn't kill me...
they're still out there.
I don't understand.
Where are we?
Oh, some canyon.
The red rimrocks...
and still no visitors.
Then you do... you do expect
someone to come for you.
As sure as the sun will shine,
my little angel.
That... Valley of Tears.
One human being selling another.
That's hard to believe.
Only up in those pretty
pink clouds you live in.
Why don't you come down
and join the rest of the world?
Your world, Mr. Chappala?
Why don't you tell me something
about yourself?
What for-- my salvation?
I'll leave that
to a higher authority.
I'm only a nurse--
let's say a curious nurse.
Curiosity sometimes opens doors
better left locked.
Al right.
We can begin with my birth.
You see, that was
the first mistake.
Chappala-- is that Spanish?
Indian.
My father's name.
My mother was Mexican.
You might say you saved
their raceless...
and faithless man.
(Chappala chuckles)
It doesn't strike you funny,
Sister?
You're a human being.
That made the saving worthwhile.
No, not a human being.
A mestizo, a half-breed.
There is a difference.
For the half-breed...
...it's you against the world.
You fight the battle
the best way you can
with every weapon you can find.
But did it have to be
with those Comancheros?
With the Comancheros
it doesn't matter
who your people were
or what you were...
...so long
as you could measure up
with a gun and a horse.
And a complete lack of morality.
Morality, my little angel,
is something
no half-breed can afford.
But you were asking me
a lot of questions.
Now I got one to ask you.
Why are you trying so hard
to save my life?
After all you heard, do you
really think I am worth it?
Your worth is not
for me to decide.
And why?
Everybody has got a reason.
What's yours?
Only to do my work well.
(laughing)
Oh, que lastima.
I forgot, the creed.
Like el conejo-- the rabbit--
you run and you hide
behind your black cloth.
One does not run from life
to God, Mr. Chappala.
One comes from God to life.
And what does it get you?
I remember, down in el Bora
a few years ago...
...there was this priest--
Father Giuseppe he was called--
and he was preaching about
the great brotherhood of man.
And this big buscadaro...
calls him down
and he runs him headfirst
into the horse trough.
You know what this priest did?
He got up
out of the horse trough
and he kneels down
to say a prayer for him.
(laughing)
You ever hear
of such foolishness?
What did this ever do
for this Father Giuseppe?
What was this buscadaro's name?
I forgot. Why?
You remembered
the priest's name.
He was properly paid.
All right, pick 'em up
and read 'em.
Mushy, your high card's
a ten of clubs.
That's right, Mr. Wishbone.
And, Wishbone, yours is
the king of diamonds.
All the years I spent
chasing cards in saloons,
no wonder I'm still chasing
the handle of a skillet.
(all laugh)
May I interrupt?
Help yourself.
Yours is the ace of hearts.
And yours is
the nine of diamonds.
Mr. Wishbone, you have
the jack of spades.
If you don't mind my saying so,
Mr. Barnes,
your dealing of the Mexican
roll is a little rusty.
I still can't get over that.
I may be some rusty
but not that bad.
If I hadn't seen it
with my own eyes,
I wouldn't have believed it.
Believed what, Mr. Barnes?
That I wasn't born
in this habit?
That I'm unaware of any world
other than my own?
Or is it that you just
can't quite believe
I'm as human as you are?
Well, let's just say
I've been conditioned to expect
that holier-than-thou piety
that goes
with fire and brimstone.
I prefer the Sermon on the Mount
myself.
How did you get started
in your work, Sister?
The pay is so good.
This is Sam Barnes you're
talking to, lady, remember?
Al right.
It was a very deep love
for the human body
and the soul.
See, Mr. Barnes,
where I grew up,
death was the commonplace,
not the exception.
I got to see the body
as a delicate machine
fighting an uphill battle
all the way.
When something wore out,
there were no spare parts
to take its place.
Doing repair work on such
a wonderful instrument seemed
a good life's work for me.
And apparently you do that work
with no exceptions.
You mean Mr. Chappala?
Is a man like Chappala really
worth repair work, Sister?
Mr. Barnes, don't confuse
medicine with mysticism.
I don't choose my patients
any more than I predict
their horoscopes.
MALVADO:
Such a pretty hermana.
My, my, bowl of chili peppers.
Hola, muchachos.
We are peaceful men,
so do not make us kill you.
What do you want?
A talk with your boss.
You will take us to him.
Now.
Rowdy.
It's a nice camp...
and such a beautiful companion.
Who are you?
I am called many things,
but you may call me Malvado.
Such unfriendly compadres.
We come in peace.
What do you want?
Something that I am sure
is of no interest to you.
His name is Chappala.
ROWDY:
What do you want him for?
MALVADO:
We are friends.
And we have some
unfinished business.
Such as stringing him up
on that rack again?
Hermana...
who can argue with their grave?
And Chappala has been
digging his for some time now.
It is like a reunion,
eh, Malvado?
The night of my life.
Look, Malvado...
all in one piece.
It is like a miracle, no?
Only children believe
in miracles, amigo.
I think I will do
a better job next time.
Maybe there won't be
a next time.
Look, Malvado...
I walk with an angel.
And even a man such as you
cannot defeat an angel.
And look, Malvado...
these caballeros...
brave tejanos...
who carry guns
and know well of their use.
Did you ever think
Maria Jose Chappala
would be protected by
the company of such as these?
I think you have worn out
your welcome.
It is time two old friends
finish their business.
I will decide
if there is to be a time.
Then make it soon, old friend.
For the sake of all of them,
make it soon.
Why do we go
to all this trouble?
Give me Chappala,
and we go away.
Friendly. All of us.
Well, you can, uh,
talk to the authorities
at Raybon Station.
That's where we're gonna
drop him off.
(laughs)
The authorities.
My friend, the authorities
would be most happy to see us.
And they would be most happy
of all to see Chappala.
There are many hangman's ropes
waiting for him.
So what is the harm
in letting us have him now?
No, he's riding with us
to Raybon Station.
2,000, maybe 3,000 head
of cattle out there.
And the lives of 20 men.
It's a big responsibility
you carry.
Destruction is our specialty,
senor.
Maybe you will never reach
this Raybon Station.
Comprende?
We will meet soon, old friend.
Adios, amigo.
For now.
Why didn't you tell me
who it was that was after you?
Why worry such a busy jefe
when there was nothing
he could do?
What do they want you for?
A good reason.
I don't blame him.
When I was their leader,
I would have done the same.
You led the Comancheros?
Until I decided to leave.
Ah!
Now we know why
the Sisters took you in.
A reformed man.
And what about you?
Have you decided
to give up gambling?
Only until I get a stake
and a table over my feet.
It's the same with me
and the Comancheros.
I would still be there
if it was as easy as that.
Like I said, it was a place
where I belonged.
Why, then?
Why did you leave?
It has to do with that part of
the world you do not understand.
A Comanchero leader
keeps his place
only so long as there is
no one good enough
to take it away from him.
The Comanchero Bible.
Survival of the fittest--
that it, Chappala?
It is a good law.
So long as a man knows
when time has dulled his worth.
Who had you worried? Malvado?
Why should I get killed
in a fight with Malvado
when I could leave on my own?
Why'd they bother stringing you
up on that rack
then come back looking for you?
When I left,
I did not leave alone.
I took the camp's money with me.
To remind me of better times.
It's no wonder
you're still alive.
No grave would have you.
Look at those fires out there.
They must outnumber us
three to one.
Yeah.
Rowdy, against
a bunch like that,
we ain't gonna stand
much of a chance.
BARNES:
You haven't got any chance.
I told you before,
I'm a gambler.
By trade.
The odds are important to me.
I figure 40,
50 Comancheros out there,
and not one of them running over
with the milk of human kindness.
What do you got, Rowdy?
20 men? A couple of nuns?
I wouldn't play in this game
if I'd personally
stacked the deck.
What choice you think
you're gonna have?
You think Malvado's gonna
let you ride out of here?
The Comancheros are interested
in Chappala, not me.
The odds are leaning my way.
Mr. Barnes!
Uh, no thanks, lady.
You can keep your
Sermon on the Mount.
Good luck.
All right, Jim, I want
every man packing a rifle.
And double up on the herd.
That's not gonna do much good,
not with all them
Comancheros out there.
Toothless, uh...
what would you suggest, huh?
Well, Barnes--
he had the right idea.
Put Chappala on a horse
and run him out of here.
Before it's too late.
Thank you.
Rowdy! Rowdy!
What happened, Barnes?
Some free advice, Rowdy:
never pull five aces
on a Comanchero.
They got a special talent
with a... knife.
Mr. Barnes!
Bring him over here quickly.
My bag, Sister.
Put him down here.
Teresa.
Knew a Teresa once.
Green Hat Saloon, Ellsworth.
Sang like an angel.
(coughs painfully)
What a hit you'd have been
in that vocation.
What happened?
It don't matter now, just...
just say I got curiosity
mixed up with carelessness.
What does matter
is you... all of you.
Them Comancheros--
they were shootin' dice,
divvying up the...
the wagon, the cows...
the supplies.
Everything.
When they gonna hit?
Soon as you got the herd
strung out in the morning.
That way they...
they figure they can pick you
off one at a time.
You disappoint me, Barnes.
I didn't think
you would become a hero,
riding a white charger
to rescue your fellow man.
I didn't...
come back for the men.
Tell me,
this... Valley of Tears--
what do people bring?
Depends on who they are.
There must be a bonus
for women...
who wear black.
BARNES:
A little wager, amigo,
and you can name your own odds.
You won't let it happen.
The gambler makes a bet
he cannot honor.
He's already a dead man.
That, uh...
that-that Sermon on the Mount...
wasn't there something
in there about...
about knowing
the difference between...
true and false treasures?
Yes, there was.
BARNES:
Funny, ...
I never learned
the difference myself.
The jingle of money
in my pocket--
that was all I ever needed.
S-Sister.
Is there really...
such a difference?
I think you know that now.
Sister, I think you ought to see
about your patient there.
Jim, I want five men
posted around the camp.
Put the rest on the herd.
Wish...
All right, Sister.
We'll take care of him.
(cattle lowing)
Out there is death,
and what do you do?
Change bandages.
It's what I was trained to do.
To waste your time.
How much time I got?
Time is only a word,
Mr. Chappala.
Sister...
keep your gentleness
for your own kind.
A half-breed never
gets treated tender.
I'm going to die,
I just want to know when.
I don't know.
You want to hear a funny story?
When I was a young chico,
my father moved us
to a place
called Bitter Springs.
In his tribe, he was a...
chief on the war council.
But you know what he was
in Bitter Springs?
He was a payaso.
A clown.
Oso bravo they called him.
Brave bear.
Because that was
the one thing he could do--
imitate a brave bear.
He would do it in the street
to make the people laugh,
so he could get free whiskey.
But when he died,
nobody would help
my mother and me bury him,
so I dug the hole myself...
...and we dragged him to it.
I can still remember
how heavy that body
seemed to me.
After I covered him up,
I went to town...
and I hit the first man I saw.
But this man had friends.
They left me for dead.
No doctor would even touch me.
Fever set in.
I was unconscious
for three days.
No...
No sympathy
and tears, Sister.
It was the best thing
that ever happened to me.
It taught me all I have to know
about this brotherhood of man.
There are other kinds
of people.
Si.
There's your kind!
And you're a throwback!
A freak!
I am Maria Jose Chappala!
Doesn't that mean
anything to you yet?
Yes, it does now.
I understand a great deal.
I'm going to die.
I know it.
You will know it.
So what's the difference?
I could go on out to Malvado
or I could stay here--
the end is the same for me.
But not for you and the others.
So you know what
I'm going to do,
my little angel?
I'm going to stay right here.
Why don't you...
tell Yates
to turn me over to them?
It will just take a word
from you.
Valle de las Lagrimas.
You remember what
Barnes said about that--
the Valley of Tears?
Doesn't that do anything to you?
Is that what
you've been trained for...
to save a man
who would sell whites
to the Comanches?
What is it you really want,
Mr. Chappala--
for me to make the decision
for you?
To make it easy,
so that you won't have to feel
you've compromised
with your belief?
Talk...
You're full of talk, aren't you?
What about here, now?
My life mean that much to you?
Life is a precious thing.
No one has a right
to give it away.
You don't understand what's
going to happen to you.
You think Malvado cares about
your wearing black?
You seem to care
what happens
to Sister Teresa and me.
That's a good sign.
No.
No, I don't care about you.
It's the kind of life it is.
Everybody for himself.
What is it that's really started
to bother you, Mr. Chappala?
Is it me
or is it yourself?
(cattle lowing)
(horse whinnies)
Well, there's one thing I'll say
about that Malvado--
he's right on time.
Yeah, with a few friends.
Men ready?
Just waiting on you.
All right, as soon as I get
wheels under Wishbone,
you take point, Scarlet and I
will take it from here.
Will do.
♪♪
"There the wicked cease
from troubling
and there the weary
be at rest.”
The Old Testament, Mr. Chappala?
From a Comanchero?
The Book of Job,
my little angel.
Chapter 3, verse 17.
In a Santa Fe jail,
your Bible was the only thing
I could find to read.
It seemed like a good epitaph
for a man who tried
to buck the tiger
once too many times.
I hope they don't use
an honest deck where he is.
He will be lost.
(hoof beats approaching)
Tie down tight, Wishbone.
It's gonna be a long run.
Sister, you better
get in the wagon.
Toothless here will drive you.
You still playing
the game, jefe?
Soon as I get
the wagons bunched up,
I'm gonna start
this herd running,
then pull every man
back on drag.
You think that will stop
Malvado?
Well, if 20 guns behind
a running herd don't stop him,
it'll sure slow him up some.
Now get in your wagon.
Sorry, jefe.
I'm too used to giving orders
to start taking them now.
Yeah, well, what do you
got in mind?
It's simple--
Malvado's got too much for you,
stampede or otherwise.
I think I'll take my chances
on a horse.
Naturally, I picked out the
fastest animal in your remuda.
And don't think this has
anything to do with you.
Don't go ringing any bells.
It has to do with you,
that's the important thing.
You just won't give up,
will you?
Asking don't come easy.
Please let this be my way.
I did not ask to be here.
I have a right...
I have a right.
A man has so many heartbeats.
I wasted too many.
You can't let him
go out there like that.
He's got nothing to say
about it.
Out there, Malvado...
he can already see me
stretched out on that rack.
But Malvado never won
a fight with me yet.
You listen closely tomorrow,
jefe...
the next day...
all you will hear
will be me laughing.
Mr. Chappala...
Until we meet again,
my little angel?
Adios, compadre.
There he goes!
Cut him off!
And remember, I want him alive!
(men whooping)
♪♪
Well, he ain't gonna make it,
and I can't say
that I'm very sorry.
You're wrong; he'll make it.
The way he wanted to.
Head 'em up!
Move 'em out!
♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
♪ Keep movin', movin', movin' ♪
♪ Though they're disapprovin' ♪
♪ Keep them dogies movin' ♪
♪ Rawhide! ♪
♪ Rawhide...! ♪
Hyah!
(whip cracks twice)
- Hyah!
-♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
♪ Keep movin', movin', movin' ♪
♪ Though they're disapprovin' ♪
♪ Keep them dogies movin' ♪
♪ Rawhide! ♪
♪ Don't try to understand them ♪
♪ Just rope and throw
and brand 'em ♪
♪ Soon we'll be livin'
high and wide ♪
♪ My heart's calculatin' ♪
♪ My true love will be waitin' ♪
♪ Be waiting at the end
of my ride ♪
♪ Move 'em on, head 'em up,
head 'em up, move 'em on ♪
♪ Move 'em on,
head 'em up, Rawhide! ♪
-(whip cracks)
-♪ Cut 'em out, ride 'em in ♪
♪ Ride 'em in, let 'em out,
cut 'em out, ride 'em in ♪
-♪ Rawhide...! ♪
-♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
- Hyah!
-♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin'. ♪
(whip cracks twice)
♪♪
Working the gambling halls
from town to town,
a man comes to think he's seen
just about everything.
I never saw a thing
like this before.
It's a kensabi.
It's an ancient Indian
torture rack.
They stretch a man across...
bows here and strap his arms
and legs, and they...
and they put these strips
of wet rawhide
to these branches.
When that rawhide dries...
Whoever was on this is lucky.
Strips have been cut.
Well, depends on how long
he was there
before he was cut down.
Well, the rawhide's still wet.
(distant gunshot)
(gunshot)
Is that what I think it is?
It ain't a penguin.
Ma'am.
Heard the shots.
Are you in any trouble?
More than the rabbit
I was shooting at.
I'm afraid I'm not
a very good shot.
I'm Sister Bonaventura Margaret.
Hi. I'm, uh, Rowdy Yates,
with a herd
across the hill there.
This is, uh, Jim Quince
-and Sam Barnes.
- Hello. Hello.
You're not out here alone,
are you, ma'am?
Oh, no.
No, I'm not.
That's a relief.
Sister Teresa.
Sister Teresa and I are nurses.
We were on our way to Santa Fe
when the traces broke
and our horses ran away.
We've been here several days,
and, uh, our supplies
are very low.
I wonder if I might trouble you
for a little water.
It's no trouble at all, ma'am.
Thank you.
I'll return it
as soon as he's had a drink.
Who's had a drink?
Our patient.
♪ ♪
He's got all the earmarks
of an Indian to me.
Yeah. Who is he?
I don't know his name.
We found him strapped
to some horrible contraption
just back a way.
His condition's very serious.
QUINCE:
Well, that was the idea, ma'am,
and when whoever did this
comes back and finds him...
Uh, Jim, uh...
Look, uh, just you two sisters
and this wounded man
going to Santa Fe
all by yourself?
Well, we weren't left a choice.
Our guides
were quite apprehensive.
When we insisted on cutting
this poor man down,
they claimed we
were bringing disaster
upon ourselves, as well as them,
so they left.
We'll camp here tonight,
and, uh,
we'll see you as far
as Raybon Station tomorrow.
There, you can pick up supplies
and another guide
to get you to Santa Fe.
Oh, we'd be very grateful.
Uh, Jim, you stay here
and keep the Sisters company.
We'll be back
with the wagons real soon.
Thanks again, Mr. Yates.
(cattle lowing)
How's the patient?
Is he talking?
No. He's still unconscious.
What's the matter
with him anyway?
Lacerations,
two rib misplacements
and probably other
internal injuries, as well,
but what worries me most
is that blood poisoning
may have set in.
What a brutal thing for one man
to do to another.
Yeah, well, you may be
just prejudging, Sister.
Surely, you're not trying to
justify a medieval torture rack.
No, but, uh, out here,
in this country,
is a strange breed of man.
Don't take me to be so naive,
Mr. Yates.
This may be my first
trip out here,
but the West has no monopoly
on sin.
Out here,
justice is right to the point.
Brutality can't be defined
as justice.
He's a member of the human race.
That means there's
some good in him
and he deserved better
than he got.
Maybe.
If I were a gambling woman,
Mr. Yates,
I'd make you a bet on it.
Sister Margaret.
(man grunting)
My name is Sister Margaret.
This is Sister Teresa.
We found you on the trail.
These gentlemen
are part of a trail drive.
They've given us assistance.
Name is Rowdy Yates.
Como se siente?
How do I feel?
(chuckling)
How would any man feel...
with two angels on his right
and el jefe himself on his left?
What's your name?
Chappala.
Maria Jose Chappala.
But if anyone is big enough,
he just calls me half-breed.
So, these two angels
cut me down from that rack.
It takes all kinds, como no?
You owe them your life.
I owe no one nothing.
It's because I am nothing
and like it.
Who strung you up?
Friends.
Against my enemies,
I can defend myself.
I asked you a question, mister.
And you got an answer.
If it isn't the right one,
put me on a horse, and pronto.
No more Chappala.
That'll happen
as soon as you're ready to ride.
Who says I'm going
to last that long?
What does that mean?
I had an appointment
with that rack.
Maybe somebody
is going to come back
to make sure I keep it.
These Sisters...
should have left
well enough alone.
What do you think, jefe?
Now, he's sure got
a point there, Rowdy.
All the men who'd like
to see him dead
got to get in line.
You know him?
Why, everybody from this part
of the country's heard of him.
A renegade Comanchero.
One of the worst.
Yes, sir, Rowdy, you sure do
pick yourself
some sweet company.
The Comanchero outfit
he's a part of--
they don't just, uh,
trade whiskey
and guns with the Indians.
They teach them
how to really enjoy them.
He's right, Rowdy.
I heard of Chappala
in Silver City.
There ain't nothing
him and his bunch
won't do for a dollar.
Valle de las Lagrimas.
Ring a bell, Chappala?
A faint ring.
Valle de las Lagrimas.
The Valley of Tears.
What's it mean?
It's where Chappala's bunch
do most of their trading.
It... it gets its name
because of...
because of the whites
sold to the Comanches.
But being a gambling man
by profession,
I've come to take a sort of
liberal attitude
about my fellow man.
But with Chappala, I think
that's stretching things.
ROWDY: Meaning?
Put him on his horse
and run him out of here.
But his injuries.
Why, he couldn't live
through the night.
Then that'd solve everybody's
problem, wouldn't it, Sister?
That's enough, Barnes.
You and Quince and Scarlet,
get something to eat,
and relieve the night guard.
Whoever strung up Chappala
has got a mighty big
vendetta on with him.
What if they come
looking for him?
ROWDY: Suppose you let me
worry about that, huh?
About my skin?
Oh, no, Rowdy.
Nobody worries about that
as good as me-- nobody.
SISTER MARGARET:
Mr. Yates.
When we accepted
your hospitality,
I didn't know the problems
we were bringing you.
I think it would be better
if Sister Teresa and I
left with our patient.
If you could just
give us a guide.
Ma'am, I can't spare a man.
Please, Mr. Yates.
Don't dress it up in chivalry
because of the black habit.
Sister Teresa and I
are very well aware
of the possibility
of retaliation,
but this man,
no matter what he's done,
would die without our help.
Look, I said
you're gonna ride along with us
as far as Raybon Station,
and that still goes.
If any of these men
don't like it,
they can collect
their pay right now.
Well?
Well, a gambling man
with no money in his cake's
sure not likely to be
of a bargaining nature.
I'll stay,
but if anybody comes
looking for him
and don't care what they have
to do to get him...
...just be sure
you don't count on me.
CHAPPALA:
Jefe.
You make me weep.
I've never known such pity.
To think, you're doing
all of this...
...just for me.
♪♪
♪♪
(cowboys whistling and shouting)
(whistling and shouting
continue)
That is the wagon.
Ride for the others.
- But, Malvado...
- Now, Carlos.
I want Chappala alive.
But, Mr. Wishbone,
adding the salt too soon
only toughens the meat
and ruins the flavor.
Sister, I have been cooking
for more years
than you can remember
and I've never yet
let the stew get done
before I put in the salt.
Mushy, bring me the salt.
Toughens the meat
and ruins the flavor.
Sister, of all the...
Well, I clean forgot where I am.
Sorry, Sister.
Why?
Just because you were going
to call me
a meddlesome female who should
stay where she belongs?
I had it coming, Mr. Wishbone,
and I promise to leave
your cooking alone.
And what do you think
you're doing?
Why, I was gonna add the salt.
Toughens the meat
and ruins the flavor.
(cattle lowing)
The little angel
is still by my side.
Take some of this, please.
(coughs quietly)
You're still trying
to save my life?
Yes, of course I am.
You're going to lose.
What do you mean?
'Cause I'm already
the same as dead,
something to be put
into the ground.
Why don't you let me
decide that?
Because you don't know enough
to decide.
If what happened to me
on that rack doesn't kill me...
they're still out there.
I don't understand.
Where are we?
Oh, some canyon.
The red rimrocks...
and still no visitors.
Then you do... you do expect
someone to come for you.
As sure as the sun will shine,
my little angel.
That... Valley of Tears.
One human being selling another.
That's hard to believe.
Only up in those pretty
pink clouds you live in.
Why don't you come down
and join the rest of the world?
Your world, Mr. Chappala?
Why don't you tell me something
about yourself?
What for-- my salvation?
I'll leave that
to a higher authority.
I'm only a nurse--
let's say a curious nurse.
Curiosity sometimes opens doors
better left locked.
Al right.
We can begin with my birth.
You see, that was
the first mistake.
Chappala-- is that Spanish?
Indian.
My father's name.
My mother was Mexican.
You might say you saved
their raceless...
and faithless man.
(Chappala chuckles)
It doesn't strike you funny,
Sister?
You're a human being.
That made the saving worthwhile.
No, not a human being.
A mestizo, a half-breed.
There is a difference.
For the half-breed...
...it's you against the world.
You fight the battle
the best way you can
with every weapon you can find.
But did it have to be
with those Comancheros?
With the Comancheros
it doesn't matter
who your people were
or what you were...
...so long
as you could measure up
with a gun and a horse.
And a complete lack of morality.
Morality, my little angel,
is something
no half-breed can afford.
But you were asking me
a lot of questions.
Now I got one to ask you.
Why are you trying so hard
to save my life?
After all you heard, do you
really think I am worth it?
Your worth is not
for me to decide.
And why?
Everybody has got a reason.
What's yours?
Only to do my work well.
(laughing)
Oh, que lastima.
I forgot, the creed.
Like el conejo-- the rabbit--
you run and you hide
behind your black cloth.
One does not run from life
to God, Mr. Chappala.
One comes from God to life.
And what does it get you?
I remember, down in el Bora
a few years ago...
...there was this priest--
Father Giuseppe he was called--
and he was preaching about
the great brotherhood of man.
And this big buscadaro...
calls him down
and he runs him headfirst
into the horse trough.
You know what this priest did?
He got up
out of the horse trough
and he kneels down
to say a prayer for him.
(laughing)
You ever hear
of such foolishness?
What did this ever do
for this Father Giuseppe?
What was this buscadaro's name?
I forgot. Why?
You remembered
the priest's name.
He was properly paid.
All right, pick 'em up
and read 'em.
Mushy, your high card's
a ten of clubs.
That's right, Mr. Wishbone.
And, Wishbone, yours is
the king of diamonds.
All the years I spent
chasing cards in saloons,
no wonder I'm still chasing
the handle of a skillet.
(all laugh)
May I interrupt?
Help yourself.
Yours is the ace of hearts.
And yours is
the nine of diamonds.
Mr. Wishbone, you have
the jack of spades.
If you don't mind my saying so,
Mr. Barnes,
your dealing of the Mexican
roll is a little rusty.
I still can't get over that.
I may be some rusty
but not that bad.
If I hadn't seen it
with my own eyes,
I wouldn't have believed it.
Believed what, Mr. Barnes?
That I wasn't born
in this habit?
That I'm unaware of any world
other than my own?
Or is it that you just
can't quite believe
I'm as human as you are?
Well, let's just say
I've been conditioned to expect
that holier-than-thou piety
that goes
with fire and brimstone.
I prefer the Sermon on the Mount
myself.
How did you get started
in your work, Sister?
The pay is so good.
This is Sam Barnes you're
talking to, lady, remember?
Al right.
It was a very deep love
for the human body
and the soul.
See, Mr. Barnes,
where I grew up,
death was the commonplace,
not the exception.
I got to see the body
as a delicate machine
fighting an uphill battle
all the way.
When something wore out,
there were no spare parts
to take its place.
Doing repair work on such
a wonderful instrument seemed
a good life's work for me.
And apparently you do that work
with no exceptions.
You mean Mr. Chappala?
Is a man like Chappala really
worth repair work, Sister?
Mr. Barnes, don't confuse
medicine with mysticism.
I don't choose my patients
any more than I predict
their horoscopes.
MALVADO:
Such a pretty hermana.
My, my, bowl of chili peppers.
Hola, muchachos.
We are peaceful men,
so do not make us kill you.
What do you want?
A talk with your boss.
You will take us to him.
Now.
Rowdy.
It's a nice camp...
and such a beautiful companion.
Who are you?
I am called many things,
but you may call me Malvado.
Such unfriendly compadres.
We come in peace.
What do you want?
Something that I am sure
is of no interest to you.
His name is Chappala.
ROWDY:
What do you want him for?
MALVADO:
We are friends.
And we have some
unfinished business.
Such as stringing him up
on that rack again?
Hermana...
who can argue with their grave?
And Chappala has been
digging his for some time now.
It is like a reunion,
eh, Malvado?
The night of my life.
Look, Malvado...
all in one piece.
It is like a miracle, no?
Only children believe
in miracles, amigo.
I think I will do
a better job next time.
Maybe there won't be
a next time.
Look, Malvado...
I walk with an angel.
And even a man such as you
cannot defeat an angel.
And look, Malvado...
these caballeros...
brave tejanos...
who carry guns
and know well of their use.
Did you ever think
Maria Jose Chappala
would be protected by
the company of such as these?
I think you have worn out
your welcome.
It is time two old friends
finish their business.
I will decide
if there is to be a time.
Then make it soon, old friend.
For the sake of all of them,
make it soon.
Why do we go
to all this trouble?
Give me Chappala,
and we go away.
Friendly. All of us.
Well, you can, uh,
talk to the authorities
at Raybon Station.
That's where we're gonna
drop him off.
(laughs)
The authorities.
My friend, the authorities
would be most happy to see us.
And they would be most happy
of all to see Chappala.
There are many hangman's ropes
waiting for him.
So what is the harm
in letting us have him now?
No, he's riding with us
to Raybon Station.
2,000, maybe 3,000 head
of cattle out there.
And the lives of 20 men.
It's a big responsibility
you carry.
Destruction is our specialty,
senor.
Maybe you will never reach
this Raybon Station.
Comprende?
We will meet soon, old friend.
Adios, amigo.
For now.
Why didn't you tell me
who it was that was after you?
Why worry such a busy jefe
when there was nothing
he could do?
What do they want you for?
A good reason.
I don't blame him.
When I was their leader,
I would have done the same.
You led the Comancheros?
Until I decided to leave.
Ah!
Now we know why
the Sisters took you in.
A reformed man.
And what about you?
Have you decided
to give up gambling?
Only until I get a stake
and a table over my feet.
It's the same with me
and the Comancheros.
I would still be there
if it was as easy as that.
Like I said, it was a place
where I belonged.
Why, then?
Why did you leave?
It has to do with that part of
the world you do not understand.
A Comanchero leader
keeps his place
only so long as there is
no one good enough
to take it away from him.
The Comanchero Bible.
Survival of the fittest--
that it, Chappala?
It is a good law.
So long as a man knows
when time has dulled his worth.
Who had you worried? Malvado?
Why should I get killed
in a fight with Malvado
when I could leave on my own?
Why'd they bother stringing you
up on that rack
then come back looking for you?
When I left,
I did not leave alone.
I took the camp's money with me.
To remind me of better times.
It's no wonder
you're still alive.
No grave would have you.
Look at those fires out there.
They must outnumber us
three to one.
Yeah.
Rowdy, against
a bunch like that,
we ain't gonna stand
much of a chance.
BARNES:
You haven't got any chance.
I told you before,
I'm a gambler.
By trade.
The odds are important to me.
I figure 40,
50 Comancheros out there,
and not one of them running over
with the milk of human kindness.
What do you got, Rowdy?
20 men? A couple of nuns?
I wouldn't play in this game
if I'd personally
stacked the deck.
What choice you think
you're gonna have?
You think Malvado's gonna
let you ride out of here?
The Comancheros are interested
in Chappala, not me.
The odds are leaning my way.
Mr. Barnes!
Uh, no thanks, lady.
You can keep your
Sermon on the Mount.
Good luck.
All right, Jim, I want
every man packing a rifle.
And double up on the herd.
That's not gonna do much good,
not with all them
Comancheros out there.
Toothless, uh...
what would you suggest, huh?
Well, Barnes--
he had the right idea.
Put Chappala on a horse
and run him out of here.
Before it's too late.
Thank you.
Rowdy! Rowdy!
What happened, Barnes?
Some free advice, Rowdy:
never pull five aces
on a Comanchero.
They got a special talent
with a... knife.
Mr. Barnes!
Bring him over here quickly.
My bag, Sister.
Put him down here.
Teresa.
Knew a Teresa once.
Green Hat Saloon, Ellsworth.
Sang like an angel.
(coughs painfully)
What a hit you'd have been
in that vocation.
What happened?
It don't matter now, just...
just say I got curiosity
mixed up with carelessness.
What does matter
is you... all of you.
Them Comancheros--
they were shootin' dice,
divvying up the...
the wagon, the cows...
the supplies.
Everything.
When they gonna hit?
Soon as you got the herd
strung out in the morning.
That way they...
they figure they can pick you
off one at a time.
You disappoint me, Barnes.
I didn't think
you would become a hero,
riding a white charger
to rescue your fellow man.
I didn't...
come back for the men.
Tell me,
this... Valley of Tears--
what do people bring?
Depends on who they are.
There must be a bonus
for women...
who wear black.
BARNES:
A little wager, amigo,
and you can name your own odds.
You won't let it happen.
The gambler makes a bet
he cannot honor.
He's already a dead man.
That, uh...
that-that Sermon on the Mount...
wasn't there something
in there about...
about knowing
the difference between...
true and false treasures?
Yes, there was.
BARNES:
Funny, ...
I never learned
the difference myself.
The jingle of money
in my pocket--
that was all I ever needed.
S-Sister.
Is there really...
such a difference?
I think you know that now.
Sister, I think you ought to see
about your patient there.
Jim, I want five men
posted around the camp.
Put the rest on the herd.
Wish...
All right, Sister.
We'll take care of him.
(cattle lowing)
Out there is death,
and what do you do?
Change bandages.
It's what I was trained to do.
To waste your time.
How much time I got?
Time is only a word,
Mr. Chappala.
Sister...
keep your gentleness
for your own kind.
A half-breed never
gets treated tender.
I'm going to die,
I just want to know when.
I don't know.
You want to hear a funny story?
When I was a young chico,
my father moved us
to a place
called Bitter Springs.
In his tribe, he was a...
chief on the war council.
But you know what he was
in Bitter Springs?
He was a payaso.
A clown.
Oso bravo they called him.
Brave bear.
Because that was
the one thing he could do--
imitate a brave bear.
He would do it in the street
to make the people laugh,
so he could get free whiskey.
But when he died,
nobody would help
my mother and me bury him,
so I dug the hole myself...
...and we dragged him to it.
I can still remember
how heavy that body
seemed to me.
After I covered him up,
I went to town...
and I hit the first man I saw.
But this man had friends.
They left me for dead.
No doctor would even touch me.
Fever set in.
I was unconscious
for three days.
No...
No sympathy
and tears, Sister.
It was the best thing
that ever happened to me.
It taught me all I have to know
about this brotherhood of man.
There are other kinds
of people.
Si.
There's your kind!
And you're a throwback!
A freak!
I am Maria Jose Chappala!
Doesn't that mean
anything to you yet?
Yes, it does now.
I understand a great deal.
I'm going to die.
I know it.
You will know it.
So what's the difference?
I could go on out to Malvado
or I could stay here--
the end is the same for me.
But not for you and the others.
So you know what
I'm going to do,
my little angel?
I'm going to stay right here.
Why don't you...
tell Yates
to turn me over to them?
It will just take a word
from you.
Valle de las Lagrimas.
You remember what
Barnes said about that--
the Valley of Tears?
Doesn't that do anything to you?
Is that what
you've been trained for...
to save a man
who would sell whites
to the Comanches?
What is it you really want,
Mr. Chappala--
for me to make the decision
for you?
To make it easy,
so that you won't have to feel
you've compromised
with your belief?
Talk...
You're full of talk, aren't you?
What about here, now?
My life mean that much to you?
Life is a precious thing.
No one has a right
to give it away.
You don't understand what's
going to happen to you.
You think Malvado cares about
your wearing black?
You seem to care
what happens
to Sister Teresa and me.
That's a good sign.
No.
No, I don't care about you.
It's the kind of life it is.
Everybody for himself.
What is it that's really started
to bother you, Mr. Chappala?
Is it me
or is it yourself?
(cattle lowing)
(horse whinnies)
Well, there's one thing I'll say
about that Malvado--
he's right on time.
Yeah, with a few friends.
Men ready?
Just waiting on you.
All right, as soon as I get
wheels under Wishbone,
you take point, Scarlet and I
will take it from here.
Will do.
♪♪
"There the wicked cease
from troubling
and there the weary
be at rest.”
The Old Testament, Mr. Chappala?
From a Comanchero?
The Book of Job,
my little angel.
Chapter 3, verse 17.
In a Santa Fe jail,
your Bible was the only thing
I could find to read.
It seemed like a good epitaph
for a man who tried
to buck the tiger
once too many times.
I hope they don't use
an honest deck where he is.
He will be lost.
(hoof beats approaching)
Tie down tight, Wishbone.
It's gonna be a long run.
Sister, you better
get in the wagon.
Toothless here will drive you.
You still playing
the game, jefe?
Soon as I get
the wagons bunched up,
I'm gonna start
this herd running,
then pull every man
back on drag.
You think that will stop
Malvado?
Well, if 20 guns behind
a running herd don't stop him,
it'll sure slow him up some.
Now get in your wagon.
Sorry, jefe.
I'm too used to giving orders
to start taking them now.
Yeah, well, what do you
got in mind?
It's simple--
Malvado's got too much for you,
stampede or otherwise.
I think I'll take my chances
on a horse.
Naturally, I picked out the
fastest animal in your remuda.
And don't think this has
anything to do with you.
Don't go ringing any bells.
It has to do with you,
that's the important thing.
You just won't give up,
will you?
Asking don't come easy.
Please let this be my way.
I did not ask to be here.
I have a right...
I have a right.
A man has so many heartbeats.
I wasted too many.
You can't let him
go out there like that.
He's got nothing to say
about it.
Out there, Malvado...
he can already see me
stretched out on that rack.
But Malvado never won
a fight with me yet.
You listen closely tomorrow,
jefe...
the next day...
all you will hear
will be me laughing.
Mr. Chappala...
Until we meet again,
my little angel?
Adios, compadre.
There he goes!
Cut him off!
And remember, I want him alive!
(men whooping)
♪♪
Well, he ain't gonna make it,
and I can't say
that I'm very sorry.
You're wrong; he'll make it.
The way he wanted to.
Head 'em up!
Move 'em out!
♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
♪ Keep movin', movin', movin' ♪
♪ Though they're disapprovin' ♪
♪ Keep them dogies movin' ♪
♪ Rawhide! ♪
♪ Rawhide...! ♪
Hyah!
(whip cracks twice)