Rawhide (1959–1965): Season 6, Episode 7 - Incident at Two Graves - full transcript

NARRATOR: Now
harken to a tale they keen

Of a man from Killadoon

With the power of
doomsday In his hands

And an ache in
his heart for a son.

[INDISTINCT CHATTERING]

It's well you've done, bucko.

I'll be putting an end to it.

There ain't no use counting.
It's another knockout.

I wish you'd quit
knocking them my way.

MAN 1: There goes my money.

Stick around, gentlemen.
Don't leave now.



We've got another
bout coming right up.

Thank you, gentlemen. Yes,
sir, my man's getting tired.

He can't win them all. I'll
have that one too, thank you.

This is a real betting
town, Jeremiah.

You stick with me and I'm
gonna raise your take to $15 a day.

Like I told you, Mr. Sloan,

done are me days for
knocking young buckos around.

Today I'll have me the money for
seeing me onto more important things.

And what's more
important than money?

The end of the world perhaps.

Or maybe the beginning.

Who's a man to say?

Just don't let them dreams
interfere with your fighting.

We're putting all of our
money on this next one.



Don't worry, Mr. Sloan.

For once, this day's earnings
mean more to me than they do to you.

MAN 2: Come on, let's
get another fight going here.

All right, gentlemen, despite
the fact he's exhausted,

Jeremiah O'Neal has agreed
to fight any new challenger.

Now, who's it gonna be? Who's gonna
challenge the great Jeremiah O'Neal?

I got $50 here, gentlemen.

Fifty dollars to any man that
can last five rounds with him.

And on top of that, I'm gonna
lay 3-to-1 I got the better man.

Now, who's gonna challenge
him? Step right up here.

I don't like that fellow's beard.
I'd take him if I wasn't so thirsty.

Yeah, what with, a sledgehammer?

What do I need a
sledgehammer for when I got this?

Here's a challenger.

Excellent. And a fine-looking
lad he is. Get him in the ring.

Come on. Come on.

ROWDY: What are you
doing? Wait a minute.

- Let me get your shirt.
- Trying to get me killed?

- He's an old man. You can take him.
- Yeah.

Think of the $50.

Sure, that'll just
about cover my funeral.

And I'm still backing age
against youth and giving odds.

Three-to-one, Jeremiah
takes the cowboy.

Remember, we're fighting
London Prize Ring rules.

A round ends when a man
is knocked out of the ring.

If he ain't back in 30
seconds, the fight's over.

A knockout is 25 seconds.

And if our young
challenger is still in the ring,

awake and ready for round six,

he wins 50 silver dollars.

All right, boys,
let's get ready.

NARRATOR: In the
sunny lust of life he was,

Strong as an iron rock keel.

With the smile of Ireland in his
eyes Was the lad they called O'Neal.

Round one.

All right, come on. Get up, get
up. He's an old man. Get him.

MAN 1: All right, hit him.

That shook him,
Rowdy. Now go after him.

[INDISTINCT CHATTERING]

Now you got him winded.
Go after his stomach.

Use your left, Mr. Rowdy.

Round two.

MAN 2: Get on him, boy!
MAN 3: Give him a right.

[INDISTINCT
CHATTERING CONTINUES]

MAN 4: That's right.

I don't understand. He
don't seem to try to hit me.

Get back in there.
This is London rules.

That means you
can kick and butt.

Get him, Mr. Rowdy.

Round three.

Make it easy for both of
us, lad. Get out and stay out.

[GRUNTS]

Come on, boy. Come
on, boy. Two more rounds.

Round four.

Only way you're gonna get
me out is knock me out clean.

Nonsense, my lad. I can't do it.

You ain't even hit him.
What are you trying to pull?

Is it his head you'd
have me tear off?

If he wins, the end of the world you're
looking for is gonna end right here.

Fifteen seconds, round five.

[INDISTINCT CHATTERING]

MAN 5: That's right.

BARTENDER: Five seconds.
- Come on, wake up.

You're sleeping away $50.

- Come on, boy.
BARTENDER: Ten seconds.

Fifteen seconds.

Twenty sec...

Challenger is still in
the ring for round six.

I declare him the winner of $50.

[CHEERING]

He gave the fight away.

One thing's for sure.

- He didn't do it for nothing.
- You're wrong, friend.

When I get through with Mr. O'Neal,
that's gonna be exactly what's left.

Pay everybody off.

- There you go.
- There you go.

All right.

That's 25 for me.

Eight for you.

And the 10 you owe Mr. Favor.

And the 5 you owe Quince.

And that just leaves enough for you to
buy another round of beers. Heh, heh.

Hey, that was a real good fight.

How you splitting with
Jeremiah, fifty-fifty?

It's all right. You
already gone five rounds.

Mr. Rowdy fought that
fight fair and square.

Trail boy, I refereed six
fights before you came along.

Jeremiah handed
your friend that fight.

He was only making $10
a day. It was the last day.

They figured it was smarter
to make a deal and split the 50.

ROWDY: Yeah? Who's they?

The losers outside cooking
up the tar and feathers.

[TOWNSPEOPLE
INDISTINCTLY CHATTERING]

I don't know what
they got in mind for you,

but the Irishman they're
gonna haul out of town.

A long way out of town.

Look, Wish, get the wagon and
meet me out in back of this place.

Out back? We can go now.
He isn't any of our affair.

That $50 makes him our
affair. Now, get the wagon.

[INDISTINCT CHATTERING]

Nice of you to drop by.

- Why?
- Why what?

Why did you let me win?

What makes the green
in the mountains at morn?

Or puts a head on a mug
of good Kilkenny stout?

You sure didn't do
either one of us a favor.

We gotta get out of here quick.

I'm obliged to you, lad.

But the road I'm traveling,
I'm traveling alone.

Maybe you don't understand. If
those sports out there get ahold of us,

neither one of us is gonna
be traveling anywhere.

- Look, lad...
- My friends will meet us with a wagon.

We could be headed north
before anybody finds out about it.

Did you say north?

- Yeah.
- Well, why didn't you say so?

I'll be right with you.

ROWDY: Look, you
haven't got time to pack.

No, no, it's the only
thing I'm taking with me.

ROWDY: Oh, here, I'll carry it.

[ROWDY GRUNTS]

What's that?

There's a saying, lad:

""Tis a fortunate man that knows his
own destiny before it overtakes him."

Here I have mine.

Oh, well, I'll carry your coat.

Come on.

Your calling, bucko?

Bucko?

Oh, I'm ramrodding the herd.

It's a rough trade. Of course,
it ain't as rough as yours.

Merely a means of
working my way west.

I'll get me a job
at the next hamlet.

And then me a
saddle and a horse.

Yeah, well, the next
hamlet, as you say,

that ain't but 60 miles away
and we're not going near there.

Then I'll walk it.

With this?

I'd carry it a thousand and ten
miles further than that, lad, if I had to.

Tell me, have you
ever worked cattle?

Only from behind
a knife and fork.

Well, maybe it's time to
round out your education.

Hold on, lad.

It's a burden I'd be to you.

No, the way I go,
I must go alone,

to a place unhappily
far from the old sod.

As bleak and as stony to the
soul as a banshee world of devils.

Men call it the San Cristobal.

Yeah, well, we're going
right through that range.

- For a fact?
- Yeah, for a fact.

So you're not...? You're
not prospecting there?

No, lad, I've long
since found and lost

the best things in life
worth searching for.

Well, I hear tales of
Spanish gold in those hills

and men that go in after it
don't seem to come back.

And them that does
wish they didn't.

It's an ugly climb
where time stands still

and even a ghost casts a shadow.

This driving of cows,
is there much to it?

Well, there's only
one way to find out.

Well, it'll be faster
for my purposes.

You've got yourself a hand.

NARRATOR: Pride of
his father's eyes was he

When the two put off to sea

With their hopes bound
up In a common kit

And their sights On
the land of the free.

[CATTLE LOWING]

- Hey Soos.
- Hey Soos.

- They call me Toothless.
- Toothless.

- Scarlet.
- Scarlet.

- Quince.
- Quince.

- Easy, that's my roping hand, heh.
- Ah.

JEREMIAH: Oh, well,
what a fine lot of buckos it is.

Never, Mr. Favor, have I seen a crew
the likes of this west of Downpatrick.

It's a real pleasure
to be working for you.

Now, if there's anything I can
do for you, just let me know.

Yeah, well, first off, you might
spook the herd in that outfit.

Jim, see if you can
get him some clothes.

Here, let me help you.

There, lad, steady. You'll
be straining your backside.

[JEREMIAH CHUCKLES]

What has he got in the sack?

Oh, I don't know. It's
something he calls his destiny.

Oh.

Oh, Lord, if he had only
knocked your head off,

it would have saved
me two big problems.

Well, look, boss, a fellow like this,
there's all kinds of things he could do.

Look at him, he's strong.
He could lift a steer.

Yeah, well, we walk
them, we don't carry them.

All right.

You found him, you find
something for him to do.

But don't tell me about it, huh?

Just surprise me.

[HARMONICA AND GUITAR
PLAYING "THE IRISH WASHERWOMAN]

[MEN GUFFAWING AND CHEERING]

MAN 1: All right.

[MAN 2 WHOOPING]

[LAUGHING AND CHEERING]

Where'd you learn
to hoedown like that?

Learn? What kind of a
question are you asking, boy?

In Kilkenny, every newborn
baby knows two things:

how to do an Irish jig and
where to find his supper.

Now, come on, lad,
spritely on your stems.

Oh, I find myself doing
more fighting than dancing.

I wish you'd teach
me how you fight.

Easier than a jig.

It's in the portside, lad.

You just keep on jabbing like that
until you've got your man transfixed.

Trans what?

Spellbinded, if you will.

And then it's hard over
to starboard, like this.

That's right, lad.

Well, by golly,
I think I got it.

Mushy, you're supposed
to be mixing the mush.

[ALL LAUGHING]

Well, I'll stir the mush
right away, Mr. Wishbone.

Hey, hey, round two's coming
up. I think you need a manager.

Do you know what you're
gonna have for supper?

- Mushy. ALL: Hey!

Hold on now.

Settle down, it was just an
accident. He didn't mean to.

HEY SOOS: Señor
Rowdy. ROWDY: Yeah?

[SPEAKING IN SPANISH]

Take a look at this.
Señor O'Neal dropped it.

ROWDY: Mighty pretty.
HEY SOOS: Pretty?

This is a treasure piece,
a cross of the lost padres.

Pure gold and silver too.

Feels like a good
30, 40 dollars' worth.

Oh, señores, this
is beyond price.

There are only four
others in the world.

It was after Coronado,
in the time of Vargas.

The Pueblo Indians,
early Navajos.

They made these
for the Spaniards.

How do you know so
much about this, Hey Soos?

I have seen colored pictures of
this in a book blessed by the fathers.

There is one in the
cathedral of Mexico

in a special room
in a glass case.

Another is held by the king
of Spain and two are in Rome.

So, what's all the
hollering about?

The treasure of the lost padres.

Many of these were
made and never found.

JEREMIAH: Not just
many, me buckos.

Hundreds.

Well, how did you
come by this one?

You didn't steal it from
the king of Spain, for sure.

Yeah, and if there's so many
made, how did they get lost?

The Pueblo Indians had no taste
for the making of these things, bucko.

Not for a white man's god.

But the gold and silver the
Spaniards put them to digging up

was from ground
sacred to the Indians.

Ah, such things
of tender beauty.

Wrought they were
with a delicate touch,

against the will, mind you,

for the soldiers of
the Spanish crown

and the high fancy
nobility of New Spain.

A shame it was.

For one day, a
hurricane of rage and fear

swept over the savage
slaves, and they rose up.

Like a swarm of hellish heathens,
they razed and looted the missions.

All the pure ore, the
artifacts, the hammered rings,

the kingly plates of
gold, the chalices.

All these precious
things, they gathered up

and they slaughtered the padres
without mercy as they knelt in prayer.

And they took these things to the
farthest reach of the Spanish crown

deep in the angry keep
of the San Cristobal.

There they buried the loot,
men, a treasure upon a treasure.

Enough of me
Blarney Stone wailing.

I'll be turning in.

Unless you'll be wanting
me driving the cows this night.

No, no, we do
that in the daytime.

Hey Soos will put you on
the remuda in the morning.

An excellent decision.

I've a great
affinity with horses.

As a man and boy, I've been
around these parts an awful long time.

My daddy even spent good
money to send me to school,

so I read some books.

I frankly resent an
immigrant Irishman

knowing more about
this country than I do.

You heard what he said.
Forget all about it, will you?

He speaks as one who knows.

Well, I never did put no stock in
those yarns about lost mines until now.

NARRATOR: In a
whaler's pub in Boston town

Over grogs five fingers tall,

They listened hard to a tale of
gold Long lost in San Cristobal

With Irish pluck and a song to
sing And nary a coin in the purse,

The father and the son set out to
find A treasure that bore a curse.

[CLANGING]

[MEN YELLING AND WHISTLING]

[CLANGING]

If he wanted you to see it, I'm
sure he'd invite you to look at it.

Well, it's a rock, all right.

It's an ore sample.
You can bet on it.

Yeah, probably shot clean
through with pure vein.

Doggone it, we worked all
day in the hot sun for a dollar

and every night, he chips away
40, 50 dollars with that chisel of his.

You know, I think
I got it figured out.

He found that lost
treasure mine, all right.

Took a sample to town
and had it assayed.

Now he's going back to work it.

There's just no other reason

a man would go back into
that San Cristobal alone.

Do you suppose
he'd cut a fella in?

In his lifetime, one man could
never spend that much treasure.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: San Cristobal
was a banshee haunt

Of Navajos as had vowed

Death to the man As
had touched the gold

And a howling
sky for his shroud.

[MAN WHISTLING AND YELLING]

There she looms, bucko.

Like the jaws of hell.

Worse than that, if a
man gets off of this trail.

That's sacred country to the
Navajo. They get real mean about it.

A man goes in there alone,
he could use some help.

Of course, it's always nice
to have somebody to talk to.

You know, before I took up cooking,
I used to poke around the hills.

Got real handy with the pick.

It's not a fortune
I'm after, bucko.

You might say I'm picking
up the ragged edges of me life.

Dadgum it, Jeremiah,
a man's an outright fool

to go in there without
a real good reason.

Some would say, I spoke
with the feys at midnight,

or been touched
by a lopsided moon.

[CREAKING]

Whoa!

ROWDY: Hold them up.

Nothing for you to
be worried about.

I can jerry-rig this before Wishbone's
readied your noontime meal.

All right, well, we'll
chow here, then.

Mushy, my boy,
bring up the bellows.

And somebody fiddle a tune.

It's faster working to music.

Excellent, son.

It reminds me of the
day you and I broke our...

Limber with the wheel now, lad.

Well, I'll be dogged.

He ain't gonna need
any help with that mine.

He can carry a ton of gold in a sack
in each hand and one in his teeth.

- Now, that does it.
- Well done, lad.

WISHBONE: All right,
stew's hot. Come and get it.

You know, Rowdy, you and
I'd have made a fine team.

It's a pity that fate
showed her hand so soon.

Step up, lad, and get your grub.

WISHBONE: Move along
here. Come on, let's get going.

Hey, the supply wagon's on fire.

JEREMIAH: Step back, Rowdy.

A headstone?

TOOTHLESS: Yeah, but for who?

I'm not about to ask.
He might show me.

WISHBONE: All right, let's get
some patch and patch up this wagon.

Get that fire all right?

ROWDY: Here, this might help.
- Oh, thank you, lad.

Rowdy.

Never once have you
been prying into affairs

that have no value
to any man but myself.

And I'm deeply grateful, lad.

Tell your friends to
forget their dreams of gold.

This stone is for a grave.

It's taken me up
the San Cristobal,

not the magic cloud
at the end of a rainbow.

Yeah, well, I guess there's some
things a man feels he's gotta do.

I seafared all the way to
Kilkenny for this bit of rock.

A touch of the old sod topside
can warm even the coldest ground.

You have to go deep
into those mountains?

Yeah, deep.

Well, you can use some company.

Maybe I might
ride along with you.

It's like I told you, lad.

The trail I must travel,
I must travel alone.

And I won't be coming back.

[MEN YELLING]

I tell you, there ain't nobody.

Just nobody gonna ride in that
place with a headstone for a grave.

Ah, the Irish, they
are sentimental.

Yeah, but they ain't
no blithering idiots.

Yeah, but you know
what he's gonna do?

He's coming out of there with a
half a million dollars in a tow sack.

What are we gonna do about it?

Well, there ain't no law
against us trailing him.

Yeah.

If Jeremiah is smart enough to
outsmart them Navajos, so are we.

Sir, I got a feeling we're gonna
come out of this thing jangling rich.

You better believe it.

[MEN YELLING AND WHISTLING]

Know something, Jeremiah?

I've never seen them push
like this for the San Cristobal.

Usually they'd rather
drove 60 miles around.

I may as well say
flat-out, Mr. Favor.

The lure of gold can do
strange things to a man,

even make him forget what he is.

What's wrong with your men
is a disease I carried to them.

Too much talk of a past
that's better left dead.

Wouldn't have a cure
in mind, would you?

Well, that I have.

Painful but permanent.

It's sorry I am to be leaving
you tomorrow, Mr. Favor.

Who knows? I might even
have made a good cow driver.

Well, you got a job
anytime you want it.

- Thanks.
- Good luck.

[MEN YELLING AND WHISTLING]

NARRATOR: Of
the two, 'twas the son

As found the trove

And he was the first to die

In a way that
brought a lashing pain

And a tear to the father's eyes.

Rowdy, lad.

In case I miss you tomorrow,
I'll be saying goodbye.

Well, there's no need for
that. I'm going with you.

Rowdy, try to understand.

I've got to do this alone.

It's more than just destiny.

It's a reason for living.

Look, whatever's bothering you,

a good steady job on this
outfit will take care of that.

All right, lad, we'll discuss
this further tomorrow.

There's nothing to
discuss. I'm going with you.

- Night, Rowdy.
- Night.

Hey, Quince, bucko, wake up.

Hey, what are you doing here?

After great consideration,

I've decided you're the one to
have the treasure of the lost padres.

Yeah?

Have a good
night's sleep, bucko.

Come on, me
darlings, let's have you.

Come on. Hey, hey!

Come on, me
lovelies, let's have you.

Come on, darlings.

[JEREMIAH YELLING]

Come on, me darlings.

- Come on. MAN 1: Hey, wait.

Oh, get ropes on them!

JEREMIAH: Come on.

MAN 1: Whoa, whoa,
whoa. MAN 2: Whoa. Whoa.

MAN 1: Whoa.

Gone. Five horses.

We won't even be able to get
ourselves out of here, let alone the herd.

I never thought Jeremiah
would do a thing like that.

Yeah, well, maybe
it was the only way

he could be sure that
past would stay dead.

Rowdy back yet?

- Señor Favor, look there.
- Hmm?

Well, what do you know?

Here are your horses.

There's the trail.

Use both and use them now.

One of my men is still
out there hunting horses.

You go now.

Look, I can't leave
my man out there.

You have until the sun sets.

Stay and you'll see
the sun no more.

None of you.

Pick them up.

We can't go and leave
Mr. Rowdy, can we, Mr. Favor?

Twenty of us against one man

and the 3,000 head of cattle?

I just hope he finds
us before they find him.

All right, let's get
the herd moving.

You were right.

Time does seem
to stand still up here.

Rowdy, lad, I begged
you not to follow me.

Go. Go while you can.

I will, as soon as
you pay your respects.

This is the mine you
were talking about, huh?

Yes.

Are you truly interested?

Well, I guess everyone
is interested in money.

Price seems kind
of high, though.

Come on, let's get out of here.
We don't have too much time.

ROWDY: Looks like we
got company, Jeremiah.

Is there a back
trail out of here?

No, we're trapped.

Where's your gun?

I don't believe in them.

Like I told you, I don't
intend going out of here.

Well, might as well get comfortable.
Looks like we're gonna be here.

Listen, Rowdy.

Riches can fill a man
with an ugly desire.

A desire to keep.

I found myself filled
with such an ugly desire.

And it cost me the only
treasure in the world worth having.

On the third night after me son
Timothy and I came to this place,

I awakened to a noise

and saw a figure come into view.

I fired.

And then I called for Timothy.

But he never answered.

Nor never would, Rowdy lad.

I'd killed me own son.

I never thought I'd be fortunate
enough to see the likes of him again.

Then as I looked
across the ring that day,

into your face,

all the bells of Ireland
rang out in me brains.

Your face, your eyes.

The way you smiled.

Well, it's true,
Timothy was younger.

But the likeness, a miracle.

I saw again a young lad
coming over a clovered green

to meet me at the nets,

and grown up strong and...

Anyway, Rowdy,

you've given me a great pleasure

in spending my
last remaining days

in the living
presence of me son.

And I'd like to thank you.

Yeah, well, I figured it
was something like that.

As I told you, it's a fortunate
man that knows his own destiny.

And I knew mine then,

as you'll see by that headstone.

Now, Rowdy, bucko, take a look
and see if you can still see them.

For the honor of Brian Boru, come
out and fight, you banshee heathens!

NARRATOR: And the two
of them now rest in peace

Where barren dreams were sewn

And howling wind blows dust
against A shamrock on their storm.

[MAN WHISTLING AND YELLING]

Well, now I've seen
everything. Trail boss riding drag.

Yeah, well, maybe
I like it back here.

You ever think of that, huh?

Jeremiah?

He found what he wanted most.

No one can take
that away from him.

Yeah.

JEREMIAH: Rowdy, you've
given me the wonderful feeling

I've shared me
last remaining days

almost in the living
presence of me son.

And I'm deeply grateful.

NARRATOR: All the
gold there was naught,

But the father's
love for his son

Carried shining bright
Beyond the grave

Long after their grief was done.

Head them up!

Move them out!

[MEN YELLING AND WHISTLING]