Rawhide (1959–1965): Season 6, Episode 26 - Incident of El Toro - full transcript

The drive has been an unending list of problems and they are pushing Favor over the edge. The herd is late and shorthanded. Men have been killed and injured. They are coming to a river that is about to flood and Kiowa Indians are around them. The herd has become hard to control and they notice a massive wild bull stalking the herd causing the problem. Drover Fuller is feed up with Favor's pressure and decides to take a night off and go to town. Being a man short the herd stampedes when the bull closes in and the men are delayed getting to the now flooded river. Favor sends Fuller after the bull but he is mortally injured when Hey Soos runs. Favor decides to leave Rowdy in charge while he takes a leave to hunt the bull. Rowdy has his chance but is uncertain on the action to take and the men question him. Favor with Hey Soos try to take out the bull.

- Hyah!
- ♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪

♪ Keep movin', movin', movin' ♪

♪ Though they're disapprovin' ♪

♪ Keep them doggies movin' ♪

♪ Rawhide! ♪

♪ Don't try to understand them ♪

♪ Just rope and
throw and brand 'em ♪

♪ Soon we'll be
living 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! ♪

♪ 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' ♪

♪♪

Whoa!

Hyah! Hyah!

Hyah!

We gonna bed down
here for the night?

We'll move as
long as it's light.

19-year-old.



- Hm?
- Nothing.

♪♪

Fuller! Wake up! Take 'em in!

What is the matter
with you, Fuller!

What do you think you're
on, some kind of a picnic?

- It ain't me, it's the cows.
- Oh, I see.

You mean they don't want
to go north all by theirselves?

No, I mean
something's turning 'em.

Something turning 'em?
Everything turns 'em!

The wind even turns them!

It's your job to see
that they don't turn!

- Now, get to it!
- Mr...

Don't argue about it! Do it!

Troubles?

Aw, that two-bit tin god!

One day he's gonna push
me one good inch too far.

Well, he's got a
lot on his mind, Art.

I've never seen him
wound up this tight.

Well, let him pick on
somebody else for a change.

You think he hasn't been?

♪♪

Hi.

- Now what?
- Hm?

Somebody give you the day off?

Nope.

Well, then get back to the herd.

Well?

Well, I just thought that, uh,

seeing as we're taking a break,

maybe we could
have a little talk.

We're a week behind schedule.

I am on a cutoff that
Clay isn't even sure of.

We're undermanned, the
cows are skittish as kite,

and you want to
have a little talk?

Yeah.

You know...

some one of these days,
a whole, oh, five minutes

is gonna go by when
one of you jayhawks

don't come up with a
world-shakin' problem...

and the shock's gonna kill me.

All right, all
right, let's hear it.

Come on, come on.

Well...

it's about Fuller.

What about Fuller?

Well, he thinks you're
riding him too hard.

He thinks I'm ri... Well,
of course I'm riding him.

I'm gonna keep on riding him

till he gives a day's
work for a day's pay.

This has been a tough
drive, boss, with Jones...

They're all tough.

Yeah, but not as
bad as this one.

You know, the prairie
fire the first week,

and starting out six men
short in the first place,

and then having to
lose all that time...

I'll make it up.

Well, what good's that
gonna do if it kills you?

Look, we've been on
a lot of drives together,

and, uh...

well...

why don't you let me take
over for a few days until...

Until when?

Well, until you get a
chance to loosen up a bit.

You trying to say you think
I can't handle the drive?

No, no, not that.

Tell me, why is it...

why in the world is it
everybody and his brother thinks

they can handle the job better
than the boss, huh? Why? Why?

I never figured that,
I never figured that.

Look, when I want
your help, I'll ask for it.

Until then, you take
care of your own job.

Everybody's walking
around like sleepwalkers!

I got to take care of
everything myself! I...

Well, what am I hollering for?

There's a little,
uh, town, you know,

ten miles over to the east.

You ought to ride
over and, uh, relax,

maybe play a few games of cards,

relax a bit.

You know, I can't
wreck the whole herd

in two miserable days.

I wonder.

Why don't you give it a try.

Maybe you got an idea there.

Just might, uh...

Mr. Favor!

Cattle's going crazy up front!

- Stampede?
- Not yet, but we sure can't keep 'em straight.

Hyah!

Hey!

Uh-oh. Wild bull.

No wonder they were having fits.

Judas Priest, look
at the size of him.

Get back and help
'em with the herd.

Since when did you
start chasing strays?

It's no stray.

It's a wild one?

Free as the breeze.

But he spooked the whole herd.

He'll raise Cain
until he's killed.

- Better get him.
- Right.

Oh, by the way, how's
things look up ahead?

Well, there could be trouble.

I'll tell you about it later.

Hyah!

Jenkins.

Take it easy.

I can't get my breath.

It's his ribs.

How bad?

Bad enough.

No riding for a while.

He should stay flat on
his back couple of days.

All right, bed down the herd.

What happened to him?

He was out chasing strays.

Took a bad fall.

How about the bull?

Oh, I ran into a chuckhole
right after I left you.

He's still running.

- Probably won't be back.
- Don't bet on it.

I hope you don't plan
to set here for very long.

The man says he needs two days.

I think you better give up
the idea of using this cutoff.

Oh, why?

Well, there's a river up ahead.

I know.

You said we'd
be able to ford it.

11 months out of
the year, we would,

but the, uh, snow is
melting upstream right now.

Is she flooded?

Well, not yet, but, uh,

two wasted days isn't
going to help our odds any.

Fine. Just fine.

Oh, maybe we could
leave a man with Jenkins.

They could come over
later after we've crossed.

Jenkins out, we're
shorthanded as it is.

Leave another man
behind, we're in real trouble.

I could make it with ten men.

Oh, you could get him
across, couldn't you?

Yeah, well, sure.

You driving the herd now?

No, but, I mean, if you're
going to be in town...

Town? What is this?

Well, Mr. Yates here is
just aching for me to retire.

Aren't you, Mr. Yates?

I never said that.

Mr. Yates figures I've

just about reached
the end of the line.

Look...

Careful, ramrod.

You don't want to aggravate

the little tin god
of the plains.

Got something to
say to me, Fuller?

Yeah, you bet your life I have.

I told you it was more than
the wind turning those cows.

I don't care what turns them.

You were hired to
keep them straight.

Yeah, and what
are you hired for?

Sit by a shady stream while
those cows are cutting loose?

You...

Oh, get on back to work, Fuller.

Close.

Yeah?

Come on.

Come on, open up your mouth.

I don't want no more.

Are you gonna open up,

or am I gonna have to
stuff it down your nose?

Wish, I-I'm in terrible pain.

How about some
of that cooking wine

to help ease this
unbearable constant agony?

You better open up,

or I'll give you something
to agonize about.

Oh!

Golly, he looks just like

a little bird in a nest,
don't he, Mr. Wishbone?

- Well, he's back, huh?
- Yeah.

Maybe somebody
ought to go after him.

Waste of time in the dark.

Git!

It's just me. Favor.

Oh, Señor Boss...

Where is he?

Up there, Señor.

He give you any trouble?

No, the horses don't
like him to be so near.

They know he's a
murderer with the bull ring.

No, no, not that one, Hey Soos.

He's a little too crafty.

You know about
bullfights, Señor?

Well, I've seen a few corridas.

Tell me, did you ever see
a torero called El Caparon?

Nope.

He fought in the fiestas
in the Bora villages,

but only for two years.

Killed?

Yes.

Friend of yours?

My oldest brother.

It was a bull very
much like that one.

Muy sentido.

He was a brave man, my brother.

Braver than me.

Just 'cause he was a torero?

Oh, not just because
he was a torero, Señor.

Where I come from,

every man wanted
to be a matador,

and every man, at the
same time, was afraid.

My brother faced his fear.

And you?

I postponed it.

Buenas noches, amigo.

Oh, Señor Favor,

you will send somebody
to kill him tomorrow?

Soon as it's light.

Please, let me go.

Oh, I'm afraid I
can't spare you.

I need you on the remuda.
We're pushing out a daybreak.

But what about Jenkins?

Well, I'll have to have
Wishbone fix a bed for him

in the supply wagon.

We can't leave him.

We sure can't stay
here any longer.

How they looking out here?

Oh, they're quiet as babies.

Well, I sure hope old big
mouth don't move any closer.

You talking about
Favor or the bull?

Well, the bull.

No.

Sound like you're
a little disappointed.

Well, anything for
a little excitement.

Which reminds me,

why don't we look up that
town Clay told us about?

Looks like we're
gonna be stuck here

for a couple of days at least.

Yeah, might not be a
bad idea, you know?

You gonna drink
some civilized liquor?

Dance with some of
those good-looking women?

And maybe we could, uh...

It's a private tea party,
or can anybody join?

Oh, hi there, boss.

Maybe you ain't heard,
but those cows get restless

when they're
left alone at night.

That's right. I was
just on my way.

Yeah.

Mr. Favor?

Huh?

Uh, since we're gonna be
around these parts for a while...

We ain't. We're
pulling out at sunup.

Sunup?

Yeah. By the way, Fuller,

you as good at
shooting off a gun

as you are shooting
off your mouth?

Why?

Soon as it gets light enough,

I want you to
get after that bull.

- Aw...
- More objections?

No. You're the boss.

Meantime, if he comes in
too close tonight, cut him down.

Well, there goes
that trip to town

and those dancing women.

Don't be too sure, ramrod.

Easy, you slab-sided freaks.

Fuller?

He's over on your side.

Stampede!

Come on, everybody up.

Let's go. Come on, move it.

Come on, get up
there, everybody.

Come on, let's move.

Hyah!

Hyah.

Hmm.

I've been wondering

when you were gonna have
sense enough to come in.

- You pick up that last 50?
- No.

Not going to, either,
not in the shape you're in.

Now why don't you
call it off for a while?

I did that.

Well, now you're making sense.

What everybody needs around
here is a good night's sleep.

Nobody's sleeping till
we get across the river.

I hope you didn't say
what I think you said.

Yeah, we're pushing on.

Rowdy's heading up the
herd, so get your ridings ready.

You me now?!

Yeah, I mean now.

Boss, nobody's closed their
eyes for a week around here

since last midnight.

Get your wagons ready!

We'll make it by sundown?

We'd better.

We only lost a day.

Would she flood in a day?

Yeah, that thing
could flood in an hour.

You know, this is getting to be

the wrong side of
the river to be on.

Didn't you, uh, spot
our two friends up there?

Hmm?

Kiowa?

Kiowa. It's their territory,
and we're the strangers.

Oh, maybe you could buy
'em off with a couple of beefs.

I know one piece of
beef I sure would give 'em

without a fight.

I meant to ask you about that.

Uh, how'd he... how'd
he get in so close?

Who was on night watch?

Rowdy and Fuller.

Hey, come to think of it, I
haven't seen Fuller all day.

I sent him out to track the bull

soon as the sun come up.

Well, he ain't a bad shot.

Maybe that's one job he can do.

Yeah, maybe.

Hyah.

Howdy, ramrod.

Where you been, Fuller?

Who, me?

Town?

No, no.

Where'd you get that
paint on your face?

Some Indian, I suppose.

I guess you'll be running
off to tell Favor now, huh?

He'd kill you.

The only that would
bother me about that

is that we'd be short one hand.

I'll take care of you myself.

I don't mind a fight, ramrod,

but don't you think this
is an awful lot of fuss

just for me going into town?

Fuss is, Fuller,
that bull hit last night

on your side of the herd.

The devil he did.

I wondered why you hadn't
gotten any father than you had.

And you picked
him up all that time?

All this time.

That strikes you
real funny, don't it?

You know, I was just
thinking about you here,

working here all night long

and me dancing
with those pretty girls.

What's the joke?

Well?

No joke, but, uh...

Well, did you get him?

Who?

Who? The bull. What
else you been after?

No, no, he got away from me.

Well, did you trail him?

Yeah, I trailed him.

I guess about 30 miles.

Should be halfway
to Mexico by now,

the way he was traveling.

- Boss?
- Huh?

Ah, forget it.

What's that about?

Beats me.

♪♪

Well, there she is.

Twice the size
and still growing.

If we hadn't had that stampede,
I think we might have made it.

"If," story of my life.

If, if, if.

Wouldn't you know it?

Let's bed them down.

Fuller!

You want me?

So, you chased him
halfway to Mexico, huh?

Well, I'll be danged.

He come back, did he?

And just maybe he never went.

You calling me
a liar, trail boss?

I might be calling you a
lot worse than that, boy.

Where was you when
that bull cut across

the bid ground last night?

Well, let's say I wasn't
sleeping the way you was.

Cut across your side.

Why didn't you shoot?

Well, he come in
quick, it was dark...

I never did see you
during that stampede.

Well, I can't help
it; I was there.

Now, you ask your ramrod.

Don't seem like my ramrod's
got an awful lot to say.

Where was you,
Fuller, scared off?

I ain't been scared of
nothing my whole life,

including you, trail boss.

I went to town.

You did what?

You heard me.

Into...

You left the herd?

You were the cause of
that stampede? You...

You take your hand off...

All right, all right,
that's enough, forget it.

Forget it?

Oh, let him go.

I'm all right.

All right, give me my pay.

You only get your
pay if you've earned it.

You want to quit, quit.

Oh, yeah, you'd like that,
wouldn't you, trail boss?

I'll tell you what.

I'll make a bargain with you.

That bull's ears for
a month's wages.

That's the end of it.

All right.

I want a fresh horse.

Take your pick.

Take this one.

Ah, good choice.

He's a smart boy,
afraid of nothing.

How will you do it?

Do what?

Get close enough to fight him.

He's very clever.

He's just a half a ton of
beef as far as I'm concerned.

Oh, no, no.

What do you mean, no?

Well, I mean, he's a brave bull.

He deserves a little respect.

Señor Fuller.

Yeah.

Would you mind
if I went with you?

What for?

Oh, just to help.

All right, suit yourself.

Any sign of him?

Not on the other side.

I told you he was a clever one.

Well, he's been at the water.

These tracks lead
right over there.

Señor.

One little move,
and he'll charge.

Take a rifle to knock him down.

How do we get to the horses?

Well, I guess we'd
better tippy-toe

soft and easy like.

I'm sorry, Señor Fuller.

Dios mío.

Will he make it?

Well, with a team of surgeons

and the Archangel
Gabriel he might.

I never liked him much,
but that's a tough way to die.

Well, there's
nothing you can do.

Why don't you go on
and get some sleep?

Mushy and I will watch.

Not now.

Wish.

- Well...?
- It's all over.

Get a couple of
shovels out of the wagon.

Mr. Favor.

You want this now?

What for?

To read at the service.

No.

No, I've had enough.

You read it.

Why me? You're the trail boss.

No more.

What do you mean?

I mean, I'm through,
I've had enough.

- Through?
- You can't just quit.

I can't?

Hey, w-w-wait a minute.

Hey, boss, let's...

The herd's in good shape.

If you're scared to
take 'em across here,

you can take 'em further west.

Bound to find a place to ford.

Lose a little time, then
you'll be out of Kiowa territory.

Hey, wait just a minute.

Wait, wait for what, for a
couple more to be killed?

Can't quit.

He won't.

Just give him
time to work it out.

Well, that's fine, Wishbone, but
supposing he don't work it out.

Well, I guess we'd
better do some digging.

What do you think
is a good place, Clay,

up in the hill there?

Oh, yeah, I guess so.

Rowdy.

Yeah.

You're the ramrod.

Yeah, so what?

What are you driving at?

Well, if he does leave,

I think you'd better
be ready to take over.

He's right, Rowdy.

He ain't right.

What do you think
this is, Christmas,

and you're giving out
presents or something?

Being trail boss is no present.

Yeah, well, whatever it
is, I'll earn it on my own.

You've earned it.

All right.

Good.

I'll head west down the
river and see what's...

Hold it, we're not going west.

Why not?

Because we're eight days
behind schedule right now

and we haven't got time to go
looking around for any shallows.

We'll move 'em
across right here.

Well, we will...

We'll move 'em
across right here.

It can't be done!

Now, simmer down, you two!

You taken a look
at that river lately?

We can make it.

You'll lose half the herd.

Then that's my worry.

- Now, Rowdy, maybe...
- Are your wagons ready?

Almost, except for
strapping Jenkins in.

Toothless.

Help Mushy with the shovels.

- Right, boss.
- Excuse me.

Hey Soos, you'll take
the remuda across first.

No.

No?

I am going home, Señor Rowdy.

Home, why?

'Cause I can't stay with my
friends, now I am a coward.

- Hey Soos...
- Señor, I ran when the wild bull charged.

Anybody would have run.

Señor Fuller didn't.

My brother never did.

Look, will you forget about it?

I can't replace you, I
need a horse-wrangler.

I'm sorry, señor.

Uh, Mr. Favor, I think it's time
you and me had a little chat.

Well, go ahead, chat.

Well, we've known each
other for a good many years.

We've been on a
lot of drives together.

Yeah.

I wonder why.

Why what?

Wonder why we do it

year after year.

Couldn't have
been for the money.

Half the time
there weren't none.

Same dust every
spring, same heat,

same scrawny cows.

You know, you know, it's
like walking into a big cage

and locking the
door on yourself.

Is that what trail-bossing
means to you... being a prisoner?

Well, never did afore.

Well, what's so
different this time?

I don't know... it
just all builds up.

Well, everybody's
in a kind of a jail.

Who's free?

That wild bull, for one.

Well, now, Fuller
wasn't your fault.

You can't blame
yourself for that.

Who else should I blame?

Well, nobody.

It just happens.

Like Jones and Jenkins,
that whitewater up ahead...

They just happened.

You start using
'em for a crutch now

and you'll be breaking
mirrors the rest of your life.

Look, Wish, I just got
to get it off my back.

I got to unwind this once.

You ain't got a right to unwind.

Now, Mr. Favor, I never
stepped out of line with you

in all the years we've
knowed each other,

but maybe there's
a time for everything.

Now, I don't know
what you're looking for,

but I'm mighty well certain
you're not going to find it

with your kids or in any
saloon or anywhere else.

Oh, Wish.

Now, who says you're the only
man alive with any problems?

Everybody's got problems...

Rowdy, Clay, Hey
Soos, everybody.

Now, what they need is a
hand to steady 'em, help 'em.

Somebody else can help 'em.

Well, there isn't anybody else.

That's your job...
Making the decisions.

Yeah, but the right ones.

Right, wrong or indifferent,
they're yours to make.

Now, that's the way it is.

Señor Boss, would you
like company for a little way?

What?

Or have you changed
your mind about leaving?

No, I ain't changed
my mind about nothing.

Well, got a river to cross.

Let's move 'em out.

What's he waiting
for, Mr. Wishbone?

Oh, shut up.

Well?

Looks pretty deep.

Oh, it doesn't look any
deeper than it did yesterday.

Oh, if that wagon
sinks in that river,

Jenkins'll drown like a rat.

I'm thinking maybe
we better wait a while.

Look, if you're afraid to
cross, let's head on west.

I ain't afraid.

We'll wait.

Señor, these are his tracks.

Señor Fuller was over there.

The horses were back up there.

The bull, Hey Soos...
Where did he come from?

Up there. The arroyo.

Where the tracks lead now.

You... you must do this thing?

I'll have to take him, Hey Soos.

I guess I owe Fuller that much.

Maybe myself.

But this arroyo...
it's very bad.

El Toro can come from
anywhere at any time.

If he is too close...

I could use some help, Hey Soos.

I...

I tried to help once.

I... I can't do it again.

Via con dios.

You... you feel contempt
for me, Señor Favor?

No.

I think you do.

You're wrong, Hey Soos.

Via con dios, Señor.

I decided the contempt I
have didn't come from you.

From myself.

I don't know what good I'll be.

You scared?

Scared to death.

Oh, that makes two of us.

How shall we do it?

I'll try to close in on him,
but if he slips past me

and cuts back this way,
you take him, all right?

All right.

Fuller!

Did I... do this?

I sure don't see
nobody else around.

Oh, dios mio.

Well, why didn't you shoot him?

I don't know.

I guess my need was to
face him, not to kill him.

All right, stand off.

- Señor Boss?
- Yeah?

Look.

Kiowa?

I guess.

Think it's a raiding party.

Or a herd.

What should we do?

We'd best stay out of their way.

I think I'll go
back, Señor Boss.

What for? To warn 'em?

They'll be a full
day's west by now.

Kiowa won't follow 'em that
deep into Cheyenne territory,

and the Cheyenne
sure won't bother 'em.

No. I mean, I just
want to go back.

There's no reason not to now.

I faced the wild bull.

It's like it was sort of
important to you, Hey Soos.

The most important
moment of my life.

Oh, I know I should have known
better than run the first time.

I did a terrible thing.

I'm ashamed.

But it will never happen again.

I know that.

Sounds like it was more
than just the bull you faced.

Yes, maybe it was,
Señor. Like fear?

Yeah, like fear.

Like responsibilities,
like decisions.

Señor, what are you doing?

I'll cut the hobble on him.

We'll leave the tether on,

but he ought to be able to
break it in two, three days.

There's enough
grass and water around

for him to last that long.

We'll have the herd out
of his territory by then.

Like you say, you just
have to face the bull.

You don't have to kill it.

Let's go, hombre.

Well, it's been mighty quiet
since that smoke stopped.

Well, we can still head
west along the river.

Oh, they'd overtake us for sure.

The only thing left to do,
then, is try to cross and...

Is Hey Soos with you?

Back at the remuda.

Thought you was a-going west?

Rowdy wanted to try the river.

Well, why didn't you?

What's it matter?

You're back now.
You can take over.

I'll take over on
the other side.

- Well, but...
- But what?

I'm not sure we can
make it across there.

Well, I ain't sure, neither.

You're the boss.

Quince?

Yeah?

We're moving 'em
across. Head 'em out.

- Right.
- And, uh, Jim?

I want some Kiowa insurance.

Put six men on drag with rifles.

- They'll be there.
- Move 'em out.

All right, move 'em across.

Keep 'em moving.

Don't let 'em turn.

Yeah, keep moving.

Hyah. Hyah. Come on.

Keep 'em moving.
We're gonna make it.

Head 'em up!

Move 'em out!

♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪

♪ Keep movin', movin', movin' ♪

♪ Though they're disaprovin' ♪

♪ Keep them doggies movin' ♪

♪ Rawhide! ♪

♪ 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! ♪

♪ Cut 'em out, ride 'em in ♪

♪ Ride 'em in, let 'em out,
cut 'em out, ride 'em in ♪

♪ Rawhide...! ♪

Hyah!