Rawhide (1959–1965): Season 5, Episode 9 - Incident at Sugar Creek - full transcript
As the herd nears Sugar Creek Sam Garrett is seriously hurt and they learn the herd is facing tick fever ahead. When the people of Sugar Creek learn Sam is with the herd, the town turns on the drovers except for Marcie who runs the saloon.
♪ 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)
(wolf howling)
(cattle lowing, men yelling)
(growling, barking)
(whinnying)
Doesn't look like you have
very good news, Señor Quince.
I don't. I counted 50 critters
in the last half hour,
all dead and not a mark on them.
(howling, whinnying)
(speaking Spanish)
I never seen
the like of it, Rowdy.
Knew their jacks
of packrats and gophers,
just like they died
in their tracks.
And them buzzards are gonna be
too fat to fly in another week.
Get yourself
something to eat, Jim.
(grunts)
I saw this up in the Nations
a couple years ago, Rowdy.
Now you got to ride a week
in any direction.
Never see any small game.
Yeah, well,
what I'm worried about is, uh,
if this plague will get
into the herd or not.
Yeah, well,
small game doesn't eat grass,
and neither does lobos.
You know,
if they get hungry enough...
I know.
If they run out of small game
to feed on,
they'll come at this herd
like a walking Sunday social.
When's Mr. Favor gonna get back?
(chuckling) Oh, not for ten,
12 days.
Now, you know the army
isn't exactly swift
when it's dealing for beef.
- Yeah.
-(howling)
(exhales)
(gunshots)
(wolves howling)
Where will I find the man
runnin' this outfit?
Sitting down over there.
Me and my crew are camped
downwind of your herd.
Name's Yates.
This here is Forrester.
Figure you and me
ought to dicker a deal.
Oh? What kind of deal?
(howling continues)
You're just about here
right now.
The Sawtooth's over here
and another mountain range
all along here.
Up north is Land's End.
It took me and my crew five days
to get down here
from Land's End.
And that reckons out
about a ten-day push for you.
Maybe, maybe less.
So, what about it?
You cut me out 50 head of beef
when you reach Land's End,
and me and my crew
will ride along with you.
30?
Why?
'Cause you've got ten days
of pushing through more wolves
than you can count,
and the plague stretches
through this whole valley,
from Land's End down to here,
and it's moving along
like grassfire.
That herd of yours
gonna look real tasty
to them lobos, trail boss.
Ramrod, trail boss was here
before Concho.
Look, you want 50 head
of my cattle
for a pig and a poke, and I
ain't even heard him squeal yet.
I'm under contract
to the army to kill wolves.
Our dicker makes it so
I can kill them where you are.
Army paying you for this?
12 cents for every set of ears
I turn over.
Well, then, kill them then.
No hurry about it.
You'll still be around
after what's left
of your herd is long gone.
Yeah, well,
we'll get along, mister.
(cattle lowing)
I made you an offer.
You'd be smart to take it.
Look, I never saw the man
in my life
who was worth paying twice
for the same job.
(howling)
Yonder goes a man who would be
easy to dislike...
-(sighs)
-...permanently.
(horse approaching)
Herd's a little spooky, Rowdy.
Them wolves got them
talking to themselves.
Any sign of stock sickness?
No.
Well, that settles it.
No reason to believe
if we doubled back
there wouldn't be plague
on the other side
of those Sawtooths.
Clay, uh, we're gonna move
on Land's End.
I want every man packing
a rifle.
(grunts)
Okay, boys, you heard the man.
(gunshot)
What's that?
A man stopped by
to offer me a deal.
Now, he's covering his hand
with a few dead wolves.
Huh?
(gunshot)
Hey, if comes to the point,
use that rifle if you have to.
Just why do you think
I have it out?
We're ready.
Take a look.
They're moving in closer,
not because
they're curious, either.
Yeah.
Why don't you ride out and see
if you can get
one of the big ones, Jim?
Maybe that'll scare
the rest of them off.
If they don't, I will.
(wolves howling)
How many of them wolves
do you think is out there,
Mr. Wishbone?
I don't know.
I'm sure not
about to count them.
(howling continues)
Give me one
of those sticks of wood.
Come on, we got
a lot more fires to light.
Everything's left of wood.
Getting a little short.
Yeah, well,
we got a few hours to light.
Yeah, just, uh, how long
do you figure these fires
gonna keep
them wolves back anyway?
I don't know, Jim.
Well, I ain't worried,
particularly.
Just wondering.
Yeah, well, so am I.
The men as bad off as they look?
Oh, just about.
Few more night of this,
and they'll be ready
for pine box fittings.
I sure wish I knew what
Mr. Favor would do
in a case like this.
Well, your guess
is as good as mine, Rowdy.
I don't think
that matters right now.
I mean, what is important is
what are you gonna do?
(sighs)
- Yeah.
-(howling)
That the fresh horse you got?
Well, as fresh as we got, yeah.
Well, come sunup, you ride back
and tell that wolver
he's got a deal.
Tell him I want him here
by bedding time.
I think I can get him here
by noon if I leave now.
Well, I mean, after all,
he and his crew
can't be far behind,
and they're paid
for killing wolves.
All right, get him here
by noon then.
I'll do it.
(whistling)
I
Scarlet?
We'll make camp here.
Tell Wishbone, will you?
We ain't ridden hardly
more than a mile.
I told you we'll make it
right here.
Now, tell him. Come on.
Haul them in, boys!
Did you find the wolver, señor?
Yeah, he'll be along.
How far back was he?
About three miles,
just tagging along.
Do you know that
he's got a total
of a crew of three,
including him?
Three men gonna handle
all those wolves?
I mentioned the matter,
and he told me
that he could get the job done.
Well, where is he now?
He told me he'd
be here when he got here.
Al right.
Clay, get yourself
something to eat.
We'll probably be
hanging around a while.
Whoa. Whoa.
I'd like to know the name of
the man that's working for me.
It's Cannon.
And them?
Cannon, too.
They're my sons.
All right, Cannon,
you got your deal.
I'll cut out 50 head
when we get to Land's End.
Only that ain't the deal
no more, ramrod.
What are you talking about?
That's the deal you offered.
Wrong.
That's the deal you turned down.
I was gonna use
20 of my head for bait,
two each night.
Now the new deal I'm dickering
is you provide the bait.
All right, someone cut
two steers out for this man.
- Luther?
- Yeah, Pa?
You and Matt go with those men
and bring back them cattle.
Right away, Pa.
Julie!
Yes, Pa?
I'm gonna need a big enough
batch of that mix for two steer.
Yes, Pa.
Here's some grub.
I'll fill plates for the others
when they get back.
We feed ourselves.
Word of your cooking's
gotten around, Wishbone.
Say, Cannon, just what
do you do with that outfit?
Kill wolves.
Well, not setting there,
you don't.
Man don't beat nature
with muscles, mister.
He does it with this.
Oh? How?
It ain't pretty.
But nothing strychnine
does is pretty.
-(howling in distance)
-(cattle lowing)
(howling in distance)
Them wolves are getting
a lot closer, Rowdy.
Tell you the truth,
they got me about ready
to jump out of my skin.
Yeah, well, they got
everybody that way, Jim.
When's this wolver
gonna get to wolving anyway?
I don't know,
he rode out of here
a half hour ago
with his two boys.
You mean out there with them?
Yeah. All he had was
two torches on his cart.
Well, I don't know
which is spookier,
having them out there or him.
- Yeah.
-(screeching in distance)
You know, that sounds like
a mule-eared jack being killed.
There's no mule-eared jacks
to be killed around here, Jim.
Rowdy, look!
(screeching in distance)
(screeching)
-(screeching)
-(barking in distance)
(screeching, barking continue)
(meat hits bush)
(excited barking)
(cattle lowing)
Oh, they'll send us right back
with them critters, Mr. Yates.
How come?
Pa says the more bait you use
the more fish you catch.
Pa is always right.
Don't seem human for a man
to always be right, boy.
Pa is. Pa says we're not to take
no animal under 1,200 pound.
(Rowdy sighs)
All right, Joe,
you heard what Pa said.
I don't know why Pa just doesn't
order them wolves to drop dead--
that would save us
an awful lot of bother.
That don't make good sense,
does it, Mr. Yates?
(Rowdy sighs)
I
I don't believe we've met.
No need to.
Julie, you tend to the water.
Looks like you got in
some pretty good licks
last night, huh?
Oh, about a hundred pair, yeah.
That mean I can cut out
the guard fires pretty quick?
It takes a lot of dipping
to empty the pot, Yates.
That don't answer my question.
I'll be able to answer better
after this night's work.
That dipper-ful last night
didn't seem to do much.
Now, you just mind
that 50 head of mine, ramrod.
I mean to market 'em
good and fat.
Yeah, well, the market's in
Denver, Cannon, not Land's End.
You're gonna have to drive them
the rest of the way yourself.
Won't have to.
You see, just beyond Land's End
there's some Cheyenne
does a lot of trappin',
and I'm gonna dicker off
them cattle to them.
You know, Ramrod, I don't think
me and my boys'll have a bit
of trouble driving a load of
prime beaver pelts into Denver.
- Let me give you a hand.
- Oh, I can manage fine.
Well, a little girl like you
shouldn't be toting
-a big bucket like this.
- Thank you.
Julie! Do your own toting!
Please!
You hear me, girl?
Please! (gasps)
Girl, you come here.
Well, what's he so riled about?
Can't the girl
even talk to anybody?
I've seen that kind before.
Always have to have somebody
kowtow to 'em.
Makes 'em feel important.
You know, he ought to try some
of that wolf poison on himself.
It's his family;
stay away from 'em.
Let's get this herd moving.
Making a laughingstock
out of yourself. (scoffs)
Well, ain't you got nothing
to say for yourself, girl?
- I'm sorry, Pa.
- Sorry?
You ought to be ashamed, making
eyes at a common trail hand!
Pa, I didn't even look at him.
He just come and offered
to tote the bucket.
You're Abner Cannon's
daughter, girl.
We ain't to be beholden
to nobody.
- Know, Pa.
Now, see that you remember it.
Now, get that dress washed up
before I take a strap to you.
I
M-Mr. Wishbone,
if you get good deal,
it ain't making you beholden
to anybody, is it?
Well, I don't see why it should.
Well, I'd like
to dicker off some cornmeal
for some salt pork.
Well, now, uh,
how big a piece of salt pork?
Enough for a mess of beans
for morning.
Oh, well, that
seems fair enough.
Come right along over here.
Now, you're gonna have
to parboil it pretty good.
- It's real salty.
- Y-Yes, sir.
That gonna be enough.
There you are.
Oh, no, honey, you keep it.
We're up to our ears
in cornmeal.
Oh, no, that's
part of the dicker.
Well, you're right at that.
My!
This is fine cornmeal!
I-I pounded her up myself,
Mr. Wishbone.
You don't say.
Well, now,
uh, this isn't gonna be
a fair dicker
unless you get
a little something to boot.
Let's see what I've got here.
There we are.
Wha... What's it for?
Well, that's for making dreams
come true, honey.
Let me show you.
I
Just a minute.
How's that?
(laughs softly)
Thank you.
You're welcome, honey.
(quiet laugh)
I wondered what
Wishbone was doing
packing that ribbon around.
Looks very pretty on you.
My ma could read and write,
Mr. Yates.
Well, that don't take
to much to learn.
Oh, I can't hardly do nothing
except cook, and tote water,
and mend a little.
Well, that's more than I can do.
Except maybe tote water.
I am pretty handy at that.
Ma said that I'd grow up
to read and write, too.
The Lord would see to it.
It hasn't happened yet, though.
How old are you, Julie?
Well, I reckon about 18.
Yeah, well, I think
your ma was right,
but, uh, it's about time
you start giving the Lord
a little helping hand.
Ain't it awfully hard?
No harder than hauling water.
Here, I'll show you.
See these, uh...
These here...
letters are the letters
of the alphabet.
The ABC's, and each of them
has a different sound
of its own in the words.
You mean each of them
little marks
makes a noise?
Well...
no, well the marks don't,
but you make a noise
with the marks.
You wanna try it?
Well, pa always did say
I was part mule.
Try anything once.
How do I start?
You start with this one.
This is
It has the "ah" sound.
"Ah?"
"A", "ah."
"AR"?
Right.
- Oh.
Okay.
"G."
"Gee."
"Gee"?
-"Gee," yeah.
"Gee."
Right. "G," "H."
How do you say that?
"H."
Uh...
(giggles)
"H" is...
Ah...t.
Aht?
What's that one in front?
Well, that's an "M".
That's the "M" sound.
"Mmma."”
-"Mmma.”
-"Mma?"
Mmaa...t.
Maat? Mat?
Right.
- Mat?
- Yeah.
I-I can read my brother's name.
Sure.
What are the other sounds,
Mr. Yates?
Oh, please.
I got to know.
It'd be so much easier
if we had some pictures,
like, some pictures to go along
with the words, you know?
(fox call sounds)
I've been forgetting my chores.
Julie...
don't forget your first lesson.
I'm afraid it's gonna have to be
the last lesson, Mr. Yates.
Oh?
Oh, it ain't you.
It's Pa.
Myself, I don't mind
a licking.
Not if it's over something
really important.
It's what he might do to you.
To me?
Once he took a bullwhip
to a traveling man.
Would like to have killed him
before Luther and Matt
could've pulled him off.
All that man did was look at me.
That's all he did, Mr. Yates,
look at me.
(fox call sounds)
(dogs barking)
You mind telling me why
this herd isn't moving out?
Not at all.
The Cannon boys
haven't come down
for their two head yet.
Well, then cut them out,
and tie them down.
I want this herd moving.
ROWDY:
Clay here?
Morning, Mr. Yates.
Hi, Julie.
Say, uh,
where's your pa?
Him and the boys are down
at the crick washing up.
Oh.
By the way, how's the,
how's the reading coming along?
It ain't hardly easy, Mr. Yates.
Yeah, well,
nothing is.
You'll catch on, though.
But the big letters don't all
look like their little letters.
Oh, well, those, uh,
well, them are the boss letters,
you know?
Then I better learn them first.
Yeah.
I
YATES: The two steers staked
down with the pet ground.
Pa.
Pa?
We ain't gonna be baiting
no more, Ramrod.
We can clear up what few
are left with the traps.
When did you decide this?
Last night.
Saving you six head of beef.
Thought you'd
be appreciating that.
Yeah, well, I'd sure appreciate
someone telling me about it.
I've been holding up
the herd for an hour
waiting on your boys.
That's a real shame.
Hey, Pa,
why you so set on prodding
Mr. Yates?
He ain't a mister nothing, boy.
He's just a cow pusher.
Luther, you boys have rid
with your pa
ever since you was born.
First after buffalo,
elk, mule deer,
and then contract hunting.
No man has ever told us
when to go
or when to stay.
Now Yates is ramrod
of that drive,
but he ain't bossing
Abner Cannon.
I'm just making sure
he knows that.
I
I
(cows mooing)
I
I'm looking for Mr. Yates.
You know where he is?
Well, Hey Soos has got
a couple sick horses, ma'am.
He's over at the remuda,
help doctoring them.
Thank you, Mr. Mushgrove.
Well, anytime, ma'am.
Ought to keep these horses off
the line for a few days, huh?
It will take at least that long
for the salve to take effect.
Mr. Yates, could I talk
to you a spell?
- Oh, yeah.
- It's important.
Yeah, go ahead.
Pa said when we reach land's end
we'll be leaving the herd.
I'm afraid so.
Well, I'm getting so I can
make out some words, but...
on others sounds come out
I never heard before.
What, what happened
to the ribbon
that Wishbone gave you?
Oh, well, I guess I forgot it.
Oh.
Like, when you string these
three letters together.
G-H-T?
They don't sound like nothing
I ever heard before.
And "T" and "H" together,
and "O" and "U" together.
Oh, yeah, well, uh,
when those letters
are together in a word
they have different sounds...
wait a minute.
I didn't give you
any words with those letters
in it anyway.
Well, I got them in a letter.
Would you read it to me,
Mr. Yates?
It ain't long.
"Abner, you won't listen
so there is no other way.
I'm going..."
Abner your pa?
And who wrote this to him?
My ma wrote it.
Just before she...
before she went off.
Pa said she went back east
to her sister.
Well, I,
I can't read a letter
that's to your pa.
Does he know you have this?
He'd skin me if he ever knew
I went into the trunk
where she keeps her things.
Yeah, well, I think you
better put this back
in that trunk
and leave it there.
Then I'll never know
what my ma said.
No, not unless your pa
reads it to you.
I'm sorry, Julie.
Trouble, Señor Rowdy?
All right, Mushy, come on.
Let's move out.
Wishbone?
Ain't gonna be any noon camp.
I want this herd to the top
of Land's End by nightfall.
All right,
but there's fresh spring water
down at the bottom
of those cliffs,
and I need some.
Just you and Mushy don't go
drag-tailing about it.
What's got Mr. Rowdy on the pry?
The day you can figure out
what makes a ramrod tick
is the day you'll be one.
Come on, giddy up.
ABNER:
Julie?
Julie!
Julie.
What in thunder's got
into that girl?
Been a caution lately, Pa.
All the time wolf-gathering.
Now, you mark my word, boy.
It's wool-gathering
that's gonna stop it.
Julie?
You get out of there,
and you get food
for your brothers and your pa.
Julie, I've never had
to larrup you.
You've always been
a mindful girl,
the way your ma wanted.
The way Ma wanted, Pa?
You ain't feeling good, girl?
I feel sick.
Sick deep inside.
Sick to die.
Your sister's
feeling poorly, boys.
We'll rustle up
some grub ourselves.
Matt, fetch some firewood.
Luther, break out some stores.
Girl, if you're...
Like Ma wanted?
Girl?
What did Ma want?
What really happened to her?
Your ma didn't want us anymore.
She just run off,
like I told you.
Went back to her sister.
That's a lie.
- Girl!
- It's right here, Pa!
Here in this letter.
Mind your tongue.
It ain't true.
It ain't true?
What Ma wrote in her own writing
ain't true?
And if it weren't her writing,
you wouldn't have kept it
with her things.
Pa?
Shut up, boy.
Who read
that letter to you, girl?
Who read it to you?!
You couldn't read it yourself.
You'll tell me, girl.
Pa, you ain't gonna
touch Julie again.
That writing, what's it say?
What happened to Ma?
Now you're arguing?
Why you want to do
a thing like that?
'Cause I reckon
it's about time, Pa.
About Ma,
we got a right to know.
Al right.
Al right.
Your ma ain't back east.
She's dead.
Always talking about some
fool notion like schooling
or a house that ain't got
any wheels under it.
I told her, I kept telling her
that wasn't my way,
but she wouldn't give in.
She wouldn't stop arguing.
Finally, she wrote this.
And she started out
after a lawman
to make me raise
you young'uns her way.
I went after her,
tried to bring her back,
but the wagon...
It was an accident.
I didn't mean her no harm.
Never did.
But it's the best thing that
could've happened, you hear?
Pa, why didn't you tell us?
'Cause you didn't need to know.
I judged it done over with.
That's the way I left it.
I figure it's about time for us
to get loose of you, Pa.
Loose of your pa?
What are you gonna do, boy?
How are you gonna live?
We got a right to one
of the wagons,
and half of the wolf ears,
and-and there's half
of the cattle.
You have a like mind, Matt?
Pick up your brother.
Now, girl,
you listen real close.
How could you know
what your ma wrote?
Mr. Yates learned me
the alphabet.
I sounded out Ma's words.
Then it's just like
he read it to you.
Just like it.
(horse neighs)
Mr. Yates.
You read the letter?
Told your pa?
What happened?
He got terrible screamin' mad,
and then he rode off.
(sighs)
Luther and Matt...
he hurt 'em awful bad,
Mr. Yates.
I don't know what to do for 'em.
Well, let's go.
Julie, take his gun.
He was gonna kill
Luther and Matt
if I didn't fetch you,
Mr. Yates.
I couldn't let him kill
my own brothers.
Mind! You hear?
Throw it away.
Go inside, girl.
Get away from the wagon.
That's far enough.
Well, say what
you got to say, Cannon.
Don't need words.
I'm just studying a man
that's got nothing better to do
than to tend
to another man's business.
Well, that's
just one side of it.
Your wife had a side,
too, you know.
You did read
that letter to Julie.
No, I didn't;
I told her not to read it.
You're a liar, ramrod!
That's just your judgment.
And you better make
sure it's right, 'cause, uh,
to back it up, you're gonna have
to shoot me in the back.
Back or front, it don't matter.
No man can turn
my kin against me.
No man.
Even you can.
He's right, Pa.
Don't make it any worse.
I'm gonna get
on that horse and...
ride out and find
the nearest law.
We'll let the law decide
-who's right and who's wrong,
huh? -(cocks hammer)
Pa, don't do it.
(gunshot)
Dead.
(sobbing)
You're not leaving yet,
Mr. Yates?
Yeah, I'm afraid so, Julie.
No need for me now.
We'll be heading east
come sunup, Mr. Yates.
What about your cattle?
Aw, it was Pa's dicker,
not ours.
Matt and me, we figure
we're not entitled.
Thanks, anyway.
We're obliged, Mr. Yates.
I
Well... it's
all done with, Julie.
Try to put that
out of your mind now.
- It ain't easy, Mr. Yates.
- Yeah.
Not after...
Maybe it was the reading
that done it.
Well, that letter had to come
out in the open sooner or later.
It couldn't stay buried forever.
Got to believe that.
Maybe I do.
Least ways about Pa.
What about Luther
and Matt and me?
We're wolvers, Mr. Yates.
We don't belong in a town.
Well, that's because you
never... never lived in one.
I think you owe it to your ma
to try one out.
I
I
I
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)
(wolf howling)
(cattle lowing, men yelling)
(growling, barking)
(whinnying)
Doesn't look like you have
very good news, Señor Quince.
I don't. I counted 50 critters
in the last half hour,
all dead and not a mark on them.
(howling, whinnying)
(speaking Spanish)
I never seen
the like of it, Rowdy.
Knew their jacks
of packrats and gophers,
just like they died
in their tracks.
And them buzzards are gonna be
too fat to fly in another week.
Get yourself
something to eat, Jim.
(grunts)
I saw this up in the Nations
a couple years ago, Rowdy.
Now you got to ride a week
in any direction.
Never see any small game.
Yeah, well,
what I'm worried about is, uh,
if this plague will get
into the herd or not.
Yeah, well,
small game doesn't eat grass,
and neither does lobos.
You know,
if they get hungry enough...
I know.
If they run out of small game
to feed on,
they'll come at this herd
like a walking Sunday social.
When's Mr. Favor gonna get back?
(chuckling) Oh, not for ten,
12 days.
Now, you know the army
isn't exactly swift
when it's dealing for beef.
- Yeah.
-(howling)
(exhales)
(gunshots)
(wolves howling)
Where will I find the man
runnin' this outfit?
Sitting down over there.
Me and my crew are camped
downwind of your herd.
Name's Yates.
This here is Forrester.
Figure you and me
ought to dicker a deal.
Oh? What kind of deal?
(howling continues)
You're just about here
right now.
The Sawtooth's over here
and another mountain range
all along here.
Up north is Land's End.
It took me and my crew five days
to get down here
from Land's End.
And that reckons out
about a ten-day push for you.
Maybe, maybe less.
So, what about it?
You cut me out 50 head of beef
when you reach Land's End,
and me and my crew
will ride along with you.
30?
Why?
'Cause you've got ten days
of pushing through more wolves
than you can count,
and the plague stretches
through this whole valley,
from Land's End down to here,
and it's moving along
like grassfire.
That herd of yours
gonna look real tasty
to them lobos, trail boss.
Ramrod, trail boss was here
before Concho.
Look, you want 50 head
of my cattle
for a pig and a poke, and I
ain't even heard him squeal yet.
I'm under contract
to the army to kill wolves.
Our dicker makes it so
I can kill them where you are.
Army paying you for this?
12 cents for every set of ears
I turn over.
Well, then, kill them then.
No hurry about it.
You'll still be around
after what's left
of your herd is long gone.
Yeah, well,
we'll get along, mister.
(cattle lowing)
I made you an offer.
You'd be smart to take it.
Look, I never saw the man
in my life
who was worth paying twice
for the same job.
(howling)
Yonder goes a man who would be
easy to dislike...
-(sighs)
-...permanently.
(horse approaching)
Herd's a little spooky, Rowdy.
Them wolves got them
talking to themselves.
Any sign of stock sickness?
No.
Well, that settles it.
No reason to believe
if we doubled back
there wouldn't be plague
on the other side
of those Sawtooths.
Clay, uh, we're gonna move
on Land's End.
I want every man packing
a rifle.
(grunts)
Okay, boys, you heard the man.
(gunshot)
What's that?
A man stopped by
to offer me a deal.
Now, he's covering his hand
with a few dead wolves.
Huh?
(gunshot)
Hey, if comes to the point,
use that rifle if you have to.
Just why do you think
I have it out?
We're ready.
Take a look.
They're moving in closer,
not because
they're curious, either.
Yeah.
Why don't you ride out and see
if you can get
one of the big ones, Jim?
Maybe that'll scare
the rest of them off.
If they don't, I will.
(wolves howling)
How many of them wolves
do you think is out there,
Mr. Wishbone?
I don't know.
I'm sure not
about to count them.
(howling continues)
Give me one
of those sticks of wood.
Come on, we got
a lot more fires to light.
Everything's left of wood.
Getting a little short.
Yeah, well,
we got a few hours to light.
Yeah, just, uh, how long
do you figure these fires
gonna keep
them wolves back anyway?
I don't know, Jim.
Well, I ain't worried,
particularly.
Just wondering.
Yeah, well, so am I.
The men as bad off as they look?
Oh, just about.
Few more night of this,
and they'll be ready
for pine box fittings.
I sure wish I knew what
Mr. Favor would do
in a case like this.
Well, your guess
is as good as mine, Rowdy.
I don't think
that matters right now.
I mean, what is important is
what are you gonna do?
(sighs)
- Yeah.
-(howling)
That the fresh horse you got?
Well, as fresh as we got, yeah.
Well, come sunup, you ride back
and tell that wolver
he's got a deal.
Tell him I want him here
by bedding time.
I think I can get him here
by noon if I leave now.
Well, I mean, after all,
he and his crew
can't be far behind,
and they're paid
for killing wolves.
All right, get him here
by noon then.
I'll do it.
(whistling)
I
Scarlet?
We'll make camp here.
Tell Wishbone, will you?
We ain't ridden hardly
more than a mile.
I told you we'll make it
right here.
Now, tell him. Come on.
Haul them in, boys!
Did you find the wolver, señor?
Yeah, he'll be along.
How far back was he?
About three miles,
just tagging along.
Do you know that
he's got a total
of a crew of three,
including him?
Three men gonna handle
all those wolves?
I mentioned the matter,
and he told me
that he could get the job done.
Well, where is he now?
He told me he'd
be here when he got here.
Al right.
Clay, get yourself
something to eat.
We'll probably be
hanging around a while.
Whoa. Whoa.
I'd like to know the name of
the man that's working for me.
It's Cannon.
And them?
Cannon, too.
They're my sons.
All right, Cannon,
you got your deal.
I'll cut out 50 head
when we get to Land's End.
Only that ain't the deal
no more, ramrod.
What are you talking about?
That's the deal you offered.
Wrong.
That's the deal you turned down.
I was gonna use
20 of my head for bait,
two each night.
Now the new deal I'm dickering
is you provide the bait.
All right, someone cut
two steers out for this man.
- Luther?
- Yeah, Pa?
You and Matt go with those men
and bring back them cattle.
Right away, Pa.
Julie!
Yes, Pa?
I'm gonna need a big enough
batch of that mix for two steer.
Yes, Pa.
Here's some grub.
I'll fill plates for the others
when they get back.
We feed ourselves.
Word of your cooking's
gotten around, Wishbone.
Say, Cannon, just what
do you do with that outfit?
Kill wolves.
Well, not setting there,
you don't.
Man don't beat nature
with muscles, mister.
He does it with this.
Oh? How?
It ain't pretty.
But nothing strychnine
does is pretty.
-(howling in distance)
-(cattle lowing)
(howling in distance)
Them wolves are getting
a lot closer, Rowdy.
Tell you the truth,
they got me about ready
to jump out of my skin.
Yeah, well, they got
everybody that way, Jim.
When's this wolver
gonna get to wolving anyway?
I don't know,
he rode out of here
a half hour ago
with his two boys.
You mean out there with them?
Yeah. All he had was
two torches on his cart.
Well, I don't know
which is spookier,
having them out there or him.
- Yeah.
-(screeching in distance)
You know, that sounds like
a mule-eared jack being killed.
There's no mule-eared jacks
to be killed around here, Jim.
Rowdy, look!
(screeching in distance)
(screeching)
-(screeching)
-(barking in distance)
(screeching, barking continue)
(meat hits bush)
(excited barking)
(cattle lowing)
Oh, they'll send us right back
with them critters, Mr. Yates.
How come?
Pa says the more bait you use
the more fish you catch.
Pa is always right.
Don't seem human for a man
to always be right, boy.
Pa is. Pa says we're not to take
no animal under 1,200 pound.
(Rowdy sighs)
All right, Joe,
you heard what Pa said.
I don't know why Pa just doesn't
order them wolves to drop dead--
that would save us
an awful lot of bother.
That don't make good sense,
does it, Mr. Yates?
(Rowdy sighs)
I
I don't believe we've met.
No need to.
Julie, you tend to the water.
Looks like you got in
some pretty good licks
last night, huh?
Oh, about a hundred pair, yeah.
That mean I can cut out
the guard fires pretty quick?
It takes a lot of dipping
to empty the pot, Yates.
That don't answer my question.
I'll be able to answer better
after this night's work.
That dipper-ful last night
didn't seem to do much.
Now, you just mind
that 50 head of mine, ramrod.
I mean to market 'em
good and fat.
Yeah, well, the market's in
Denver, Cannon, not Land's End.
You're gonna have to drive them
the rest of the way yourself.
Won't have to.
You see, just beyond Land's End
there's some Cheyenne
does a lot of trappin',
and I'm gonna dicker off
them cattle to them.
You know, Ramrod, I don't think
me and my boys'll have a bit
of trouble driving a load of
prime beaver pelts into Denver.
- Let me give you a hand.
- Oh, I can manage fine.
Well, a little girl like you
shouldn't be toting
-a big bucket like this.
- Thank you.
Julie! Do your own toting!
Please!
You hear me, girl?
Please! (gasps)
Girl, you come here.
Well, what's he so riled about?
Can't the girl
even talk to anybody?
I've seen that kind before.
Always have to have somebody
kowtow to 'em.
Makes 'em feel important.
You know, he ought to try some
of that wolf poison on himself.
It's his family;
stay away from 'em.
Let's get this herd moving.
Making a laughingstock
out of yourself. (scoffs)
Well, ain't you got nothing
to say for yourself, girl?
- I'm sorry, Pa.
- Sorry?
You ought to be ashamed, making
eyes at a common trail hand!
Pa, I didn't even look at him.
He just come and offered
to tote the bucket.
You're Abner Cannon's
daughter, girl.
We ain't to be beholden
to nobody.
- Know, Pa.
Now, see that you remember it.
Now, get that dress washed up
before I take a strap to you.
I
M-Mr. Wishbone,
if you get good deal,
it ain't making you beholden
to anybody, is it?
Well, I don't see why it should.
Well, I'd like
to dicker off some cornmeal
for some salt pork.
Well, now, uh,
how big a piece of salt pork?
Enough for a mess of beans
for morning.
Oh, well, that
seems fair enough.
Come right along over here.
Now, you're gonna have
to parboil it pretty good.
- It's real salty.
- Y-Yes, sir.
That gonna be enough.
There you are.
Oh, no, honey, you keep it.
We're up to our ears
in cornmeal.
Oh, no, that's
part of the dicker.
Well, you're right at that.
My!
This is fine cornmeal!
I-I pounded her up myself,
Mr. Wishbone.
You don't say.
Well, now,
uh, this isn't gonna be
a fair dicker
unless you get
a little something to boot.
Let's see what I've got here.
There we are.
Wha... What's it for?
Well, that's for making dreams
come true, honey.
Let me show you.
I
Just a minute.
How's that?
(laughs softly)
Thank you.
You're welcome, honey.
(quiet laugh)
I wondered what
Wishbone was doing
packing that ribbon around.
Looks very pretty on you.
My ma could read and write,
Mr. Yates.
Well, that don't take
to much to learn.
Oh, I can't hardly do nothing
except cook, and tote water,
and mend a little.
Well, that's more than I can do.
Except maybe tote water.
I am pretty handy at that.
Ma said that I'd grow up
to read and write, too.
The Lord would see to it.
It hasn't happened yet, though.
How old are you, Julie?
Well, I reckon about 18.
Yeah, well, I think
your ma was right,
but, uh, it's about time
you start giving the Lord
a little helping hand.
Ain't it awfully hard?
No harder than hauling water.
Here, I'll show you.
See these, uh...
These here...
letters are the letters
of the alphabet.
The ABC's, and each of them
has a different sound
of its own in the words.
You mean each of them
little marks
makes a noise?
Well...
no, well the marks don't,
but you make a noise
with the marks.
You wanna try it?
Well, pa always did say
I was part mule.
Try anything once.
How do I start?
You start with this one.
This is
It has the "ah" sound.
"Ah?"
"A", "ah."
"AR"?
Right.
- Oh.
Okay.
"G."
"Gee."
"Gee"?
-"Gee," yeah.
"Gee."
Right. "G," "H."
How do you say that?
"H."
Uh...
(giggles)
"H" is...
Ah...t.
Aht?
What's that one in front?
Well, that's an "M".
That's the "M" sound.
"Mmma."”
-"Mmma.”
-"Mma?"
Mmaa...t.
Maat? Mat?
Right.
- Mat?
- Yeah.
I-I can read my brother's name.
Sure.
What are the other sounds,
Mr. Yates?
Oh, please.
I got to know.
It'd be so much easier
if we had some pictures,
like, some pictures to go along
with the words, you know?
(fox call sounds)
I've been forgetting my chores.
Julie...
don't forget your first lesson.
I'm afraid it's gonna have to be
the last lesson, Mr. Yates.
Oh?
Oh, it ain't you.
It's Pa.
Myself, I don't mind
a licking.
Not if it's over something
really important.
It's what he might do to you.
To me?
Once he took a bullwhip
to a traveling man.
Would like to have killed him
before Luther and Matt
could've pulled him off.
All that man did was look at me.
That's all he did, Mr. Yates,
look at me.
(fox call sounds)
(dogs barking)
You mind telling me why
this herd isn't moving out?
Not at all.
The Cannon boys
haven't come down
for their two head yet.
Well, then cut them out,
and tie them down.
I want this herd moving.
ROWDY:
Clay here?
Morning, Mr. Yates.
Hi, Julie.
Say, uh,
where's your pa?
Him and the boys are down
at the crick washing up.
Oh.
By the way, how's the,
how's the reading coming along?
It ain't hardly easy, Mr. Yates.
Yeah, well,
nothing is.
You'll catch on, though.
But the big letters don't all
look like their little letters.
Oh, well, those, uh,
well, them are the boss letters,
you know?
Then I better learn them first.
Yeah.
I
YATES: The two steers staked
down with the pet ground.
Pa.
Pa?
We ain't gonna be baiting
no more, Ramrod.
We can clear up what few
are left with the traps.
When did you decide this?
Last night.
Saving you six head of beef.
Thought you'd
be appreciating that.
Yeah, well, I'd sure appreciate
someone telling me about it.
I've been holding up
the herd for an hour
waiting on your boys.
That's a real shame.
Hey, Pa,
why you so set on prodding
Mr. Yates?
He ain't a mister nothing, boy.
He's just a cow pusher.
Luther, you boys have rid
with your pa
ever since you was born.
First after buffalo,
elk, mule deer,
and then contract hunting.
No man has ever told us
when to go
or when to stay.
Now Yates is ramrod
of that drive,
but he ain't bossing
Abner Cannon.
I'm just making sure
he knows that.
I
I
(cows mooing)
I
I'm looking for Mr. Yates.
You know where he is?
Well, Hey Soos has got
a couple sick horses, ma'am.
He's over at the remuda,
help doctoring them.
Thank you, Mr. Mushgrove.
Well, anytime, ma'am.
Ought to keep these horses off
the line for a few days, huh?
It will take at least that long
for the salve to take effect.
Mr. Yates, could I talk
to you a spell?
- Oh, yeah.
- It's important.
Yeah, go ahead.
Pa said when we reach land's end
we'll be leaving the herd.
I'm afraid so.
Well, I'm getting so I can
make out some words, but...
on others sounds come out
I never heard before.
What, what happened
to the ribbon
that Wishbone gave you?
Oh, well, I guess I forgot it.
Oh.
Like, when you string these
three letters together.
G-H-T?
They don't sound like nothing
I ever heard before.
And "T" and "H" together,
and "O" and "U" together.
Oh, yeah, well, uh,
when those letters
are together in a word
they have different sounds...
wait a minute.
I didn't give you
any words with those letters
in it anyway.
Well, I got them in a letter.
Would you read it to me,
Mr. Yates?
It ain't long.
"Abner, you won't listen
so there is no other way.
I'm going..."
Abner your pa?
And who wrote this to him?
My ma wrote it.
Just before she...
before she went off.
Pa said she went back east
to her sister.
Well, I,
I can't read a letter
that's to your pa.
Does he know you have this?
He'd skin me if he ever knew
I went into the trunk
where she keeps her things.
Yeah, well, I think you
better put this back
in that trunk
and leave it there.
Then I'll never know
what my ma said.
No, not unless your pa
reads it to you.
I'm sorry, Julie.
Trouble, Señor Rowdy?
All right, Mushy, come on.
Let's move out.
Wishbone?
Ain't gonna be any noon camp.
I want this herd to the top
of Land's End by nightfall.
All right,
but there's fresh spring water
down at the bottom
of those cliffs,
and I need some.
Just you and Mushy don't go
drag-tailing about it.
What's got Mr. Rowdy on the pry?
The day you can figure out
what makes a ramrod tick
is the day you'll be one.
Come on, giddy up.
ABNER:
Julie?
Julie!
Julie.
What in thunder's got
into that girl?
Been a caution lately, Pa.
All the time wolf-gathering.
Now, you mark my word, boy.
It's wool-gathering
that's gonna stop it.
Julie?
You get out of there,
and you get food
for your brothers and your pa.
Julie, I've never had
to larrup you.
You've always been
a mindful girl,
the way your ma wanted.
The way Ma wanted, Pa?
You ain't feeling good, girl?
I feel sick.
Sick deep inside.
Sick to die.
Your sister's
feeling poorly, boys.
We'll rustle up
some grub ourselves.
Matt, fetch some firewood.
Luther, break out some stores.
Girl, if you're...
Like Ma wanted?
Girl?
What did Ma want?
What really happened to her?
Your ma didn't want us anymore.
She just run off,
like I told you.
Went back to her sister.
That's a lie.
- Girl!
- It's right here, Pa!
Here in this letter.
Mind your tongue.
It ain't true.
It ain't true?
What Ma wrote in her own writing
ain't true?
And if it weren't her writing,
you wouldn't have kept it
with her things.
Pa?
Shut up, boy.
Who read
that letter to you, girl?
Who read it to you?!
You couldn't read it yourself.
You'll tell me, girl.
Pa, you ain't gonna
touch Julie again.
That writing, what's it say?
What happened to Ma?
Now you're arguing?
Why you want to do
a thing like that?
'Cause I reckon
it's about time, Pa.
About Ma,
we got a right to know.
Al right.
Al right.
Your ma ain't back east.
She's dead.
Always talking about some
fool notion like schooling
or a house that ain't got
any wheels under it.
I told her, I kept telling her
that wasn't my way,
but she wouldn't give in.
She wouldn't stop arguing.
Finally, she wrote this.
And she started out
after a lawman
to make me raise
you young'uns her way.
I went after her,
tried to bring her back,
but the wagon...
It was an accident.
I didn't mean her no harm.
Never did.
But it's the best thing that
could've happened, you hear?
Pa, why didn't you tell us?
'Cause you didn't need to know.
I judged it done over with.
That's the way I left it.
I figure it's about time for us
to get loose of you, Pa.
Loose of your pa?
What are you gonna do, boy?
How are you gonna live?
We got a right to one
of the wagons,
and half of the wolf ears,
and-and there's half
of the cattle.
You have a like mind, Matt?
Pick up your brother.
Now, girl,
you listen real close.
How could you know
what your ma wrote?
Mr. Yates learned me
the alphabet.
I sounded out Ma's words.
Then it's just like
he read it to you.
Just like it.
(horse neighs)
Mr. Yates.
You read the letter?
Told your pa?
What happened?
He got terrible screamin' mad,
and then he rode off.
(sighs)
Luther and Matt...
he hurt 'em awful bad,
Mr. Yates.
I don't know what to do for 'em.
Well, let's go.
Julie, take his gun.
He was gonna kill
Luther and Matt
if I didn't fetch you,
Mr. Yates.
I couldn't let him kill
my own brothers.
Mind! You hear?
Throw it away.
Go inside, girl.
Get away from the wagon.
That's far enough.
Well, say what
you got to say, Cannon.
Don't need words.
I'm just studying a man
that's got nothing better to do
than to tend
to another man's business.
Well, that's
just one side of it.
Your wife had a side,
too, you know.
You did read
that letter to Julie.
No, I didn't;
I told her not to read it.
You're a liar, ramrod!
That's just your judgment.
And you better make
sure it's right, 'cause, uh,
to back it up, you're gonna have
to shoot me in the back.
Back or front, it don't matter.
No man can turn
my kin against me.
No man.
Even you can.
He's right, Pa.
Don't make it any worse.
I'm gonna get
on that horse and...
ride out and find
the nearest law.
We'll let the law decide
-who's right and who's wrong,
huh? -(cocks hammer)
Pa, don't do it.
(gunshot)
Dead.
(sobbing)
You're not leaving yet,
Mr. Yates?
Yeah, I'm afraid so, Julie.
No need for me now.
We'll be heading east
come sunup, Mr. Yates.
What about your cattle?
Aw, it was Pa's dicker,
not ours.
Matt and me, we figure
we're not entitled.
Thanks, anyway.
We're obliged, Mr. Yates.
I
Well... it's
all done with, Julie.
Try to put that
out of your mind now.
- It ain't easy, Mr. Yates.
- Yeah.
Not after...
Maybe it was the reading
that done it.
Well, that letter had to come
out in the open sooner or later.
It couldn't stay buried forever.
Got to believe that.
Maybe I do.
Least ways about Pa.
What about Luther
and Matt and me?
We're wolvers, Mr. Yates.
We don't belong in a town.
Well, that's because you
never... never lived in one.
I think you owe it to your ma
to try one out.
I
I
I
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)