Rawhide (1959–1965): Season 7, Episode 22 - Prairie Fire - full transcript
Wishbone makes a short detour from the drive to meet an old friend, who has a small ranch with 500 head of cattle and 3 drovers. They planned to merge the cattle with Favor's larger cattle drive, but the friend soon dies of natural causes, and the three drovers turn bad and decide to steal the 500 cattle. However, they need the ownership papers which Wishbone has secreted. Wishbone refuses to hand over the papers so two of them (not including Jerry, who has moral doubts) start torturing Wishbone, who resists. To keep Favor and his drovers away, the knaves have Wishbone write a letter explaining his extended absence, which one of them delivers to Favor's camp. However, Wishbone wisely uncharacteristically began the letter "Dear Gil," a tip-off to Rowdy who comes to the rescue.
- Scarlet, how's the foot?
- Oh, I think it's better, Mr. Favor.
I do what I can, Señor Favor.
And he's doing all
right. It ain't hurting at all.
Well, sir, I don't know what
Señor Wishbone would do
- if he was here.
- What did you do?
I give Señor Scarlet
some medical whiskey.
No wonder he ain't hurting.
Only thing is, I feel terrible
not being able to ride.
One good thing, it gives Mushy a
chance to be a drover for a while.
That's good?
Keeps him from cooking.
That's good.
Hold this.
What's the matter?
What is it?
Beef enchilada.
- A beef what?
- Enchilada.
Ain't you never
eaten Mexican food?
Well, I don't like to eat
nothing that I ain't familiar with.
Well, Hey Soos made it for us,
and in fact it's mighty tasty.
Then why does it look
like it's already been eaten?
Hey Soos is relieving
Mushy on the cooking
till Wishbone gets
back, that's all.
Now, if you don't like his grub,
all you gotta do is tell the boss.
But most likely if you did,
he'd put Mushy back
on that chuck wagon
and you'd be eating Mushy's
special stew instead of that enchilada.
I like it.
I like it.
Señor Favor, I am worried.
About what?
Maybe the men do not
like Spanish cooking.
Well, take a look.
They're acting like they've
been starved for a week.
I would feel better when
Señor Wishbone comes back.
Only a couple of days now,
we'll be at Horsehead Crossing,
joining up with Wishbone
and his friend's herd.
Meantime, I could use
some more food, Hey Soos.
- Trouble?
- There's a prairie fire up ahead.
It's a big one. Spreading.
- How close?
- Less than 20 miles.
Well, I have to pull
the herd off the trail,
pick it up past the fire.
Well, that means going west.
There's no water
for 20 miles or more.
Hey, what's up, Pete?
You came riding here
like your horse was on fire.
The prairie up ahead is.
Three days forced drive
ought to get us through.
We'll start moving out as of right
now. We'll push night and day.
Scarlet, you fix
sandwiches for the men.
Hey Soos, every drover's to
have a fresh horse every four hours.
We're moving out,
starting right now.
Going west is gonna mean we
won't go through Horsehead Crossing.
We'll worry about that later.
If I could only get my boot on.
Somebody's got to
drive the chuck wagon.
May God have mercy
on his soul. Amen.
And I think the good Lord will.
Tod Murdoch was a good
man all the days of his life.
Good man, good
father, good friend.
Well, that's all we
can do or say here.
Jerry, get ready to
move the beeves out
first thing in the morning.
Mr. Favor will be expecting
us at Horsehead Crossing.
We've been ready
for more than a week.
I couldn't let Tod
Murdoch die alone.
Oh, we're gonna have to let
his daughter know about this.
You got the name of that
school she goes to back east?
- Mm-hm.
- I'd just soon you'd write the letter.
The main thing is for her to understand
that we'll take care of the herd,
get her the absolute
top dollar for them.
I'll get that
letter off tonight.
Oh, I hope you don't
think that I'm being...
Taking charge too
much or anything like that.
Uh, see, Tod and I
was friends for so long.
Well, he was always
talking about you.
Yeah, we was
mountain men together.
Went through an
awful lot in those days.
Must be that's why he kind
of left me in charge, you see.
Give me the ownership paper.
Oh, I ain't taking offense.
I've been following Mr. Murdoch's
orders for a long time,
and they're still my orders,
even though he's dead.
He sure had you pegged right.
Tod told me when
Mr. Favor sold the herd,
you were to have an extra
10 percent for past services.
Well, that's very nice of him.
You fellas will come
into something too.
- All right.
- Real nice.
Well, I guess we might
as well board up the house.
Get those beeves ready to move.
Oh, uh, I wonder if it wouldn't be a
good idea for me to ride on ahead
and tell Mr. Favor
what's been holding us up.
If we're late, he'll
be fit to bust a gut.
Then, of course, those
drovers having Mushy's food
to eat all this time, they're
not gonna be happy either.
Anyway, I want Mr. Favor
to have the ownership paper
so I don't have to
worry about it anymore.
So you fellas bring on the
beeves just as fast as you can.
If Mr. Favor has to wait
any, he'll be mighty unhappy.
He's not exactly a patient type.
You ain't going anywhere,
Mr. Wishbone, without us.
He's only fooling.
Only fooling with a gun?
Well, that's always good
for a laugh, among friends.
A gun never made me laugh.
Wishbone don't know
you like we know you.
Now, tell him it was all in fun.
But, Vinnie, you said that we
shouldn't let Mr. Wishbone go.
Of course. We got
used to eating good,
we didn't wanna stop yet.
That's what he means. Now,
ain't that what you mean?
Heh. Oh, yeah. Yeah, sure.
It was all in fun, Mr. Wishbone.
We got so used to eating
good, Mr. Wishbone.
So you wouldn't run off
and leave us behind now,
- would you, Wishbone?
- No, of course not.
What's a few more days?
Mr. Favor and those
drovers can just wait.
Make them appreciate me more.
- Thanks, Wish.
- Yeah, thanks.
Well, fellas, we better
get our gear packed.
Tomorrow morning we
all move out together?
Yeah, sure.
I wonder who invented horses.
Well, now, I don't think you can
rightly use the word "invented"
in relation to horses, Barney.
Well, I can think of
lots of words to use,
but not when I'm in the saddle.
What's the matter, fellas? The
saddles don't fit too good today?
Well, we was just resting
the horses, Mr. Favor.
Oh, good, good.
All right, you get moving then.
Uh, on foot.
We'll give the horses
a real good rest, huh?
The wind's still
holding like it was,
ought to keep the
fire off our back.
We still got two more
days of forced drive
- before we get the beeves to water.
- No, I know.
The men have been in the
saddle for 24 hours, though.
They gotta have a rest.
Boss, there's no doubt
we're all tuckered out,
but we know the herd's
gotta be pushed on.
You just say the word
and we'll be in the saddle
before you can get off the ground.
Any man can't make it to the
saddle, I'll, uh, give him a lift.
We've been pushed this hard
before, never killed any of us.
Pete's right, Mr. Favor.
Matter of fact, Mr. Favor,
I ain't even saddle sore.
A little foot sore maybe, but...
It's easier to keep going, boss.
Laying around
just stiffens you up.
Next thing you know,
I bet the lead steer is
telling me how to do the job.
Now, I said we need a rest.
What are you all doing
standing around not resting?
My job to get the herd in,
every one of them alive, and
as much of the crew as I can.
Scarlet, you get a
boot on that foot yet?
It's these stupid bandages.
All right, all right, you
stick with the chuck wagon.
I miss old Wishbone.
You?
Ain't you the one what
complains the loudest
about Wishbone's cooking?
Yeah, well, I'm saying
I miss him, not my...
I'm not saying my
stomach misses him.
Well, Wish probably
having the time of his life
at Horsehead Crossing.
Hey! Take that
right fork up there!
Come on.
The wind's shifted. That
fire's changing its direction.
- The water?
- Just beyond that.
That's where we're going then.
You can't drive a
herd through that.
We can't go back neither.
Last water we was at was
three days drive from here.
Three days forced drive.
- You think the herd can make that?
- Nope.
Why don't you just
throw that bucket away?
Oh, that? Oh, I got
too attached to that one.
I'll get it fixed when we
get to Horsehead Crossing.
Are you sure the trail boss is still
gonna be there? We're kind of late.
Mr. Favor will be
there, don't you worry.
He may be mad as a
hornet with nobody to sting,
but he'll be there.
Probably waiting to sting me.
Thinks a lot of you, don't he?
Oh, yeah. We're kind
of a team, you might say.
If you don't say it so
as he can hear you.
Hey. They took the wrong turn.
They took the wrong
turn, didn't you hear me?
You doing what I
think you doing, Jerry?
You're wrong, Wishbone.
See, those beeves are going
exactly where I intend for them to go.
Top dollar, Wishbone, like you
said, and no split for the trail boss.
And no split for Tod
Murdoch's daughter either, huh?
I always thought
you were a sly one.
Well, it don't take any mental giant
to figure what you're all planning to do.
- We're gonna cut you in too.
- Thanks for nothing.
I didn't think Wishbone
would be asking for his share.
After all, he's honest.
It's more than that. I
remember Tod Murdoch.
Forget him, he's dead.
Up at the rail head, these beeves
will bring maybe $40 a head.
That's $20,000.
And none of it yours.
Well, we're making it ours.
Now, don't talk
rough to Wishbone.
Now he knows how
much money there is,
he might wanna change his mind.
Yeah, I might.
- I'll be honest with you, Wishbone...
- Oh, keep honesty out of it.
Well, we're not gonna
make any money
with that herd grazing here.
- Let's go.
- Sure.
You forgot the ownership paper.
You can't sell beeves to anybody
without the paper showing you got title.
- It's safe enough with me.
- I think it'd be safer with me.
You've been honest a long time,
it might be hard to break the habit.
Just possible while
we're out driving the herd,
you might decide to take
off for someplace else,
like Horsehead Crossing.
We're taking them away from you.
Get down off that wagon!
You had me fooled, Jerry.
I never did think much
of these other two.
Get down!
A dead man thought
you was decent and loyal.
- Shut up.
- A decent and loyal thief.
I don't wanna hear any more!
Well, get used
to the label, Jerry,
because you're gonna
be wearing it a long time.
Give us that paper, Wishbone.
Put that gun down!
You kill him and
we'll never find out.
Ask me, Jerry, ask
me. Don't tell me.
You're not the foreman anymore.
Why don't you go easy
on yourself, Wishbone?
Just tell us where
you put the paper.
You'll never know.
Never's a long time.
- Oh!
- Leave him go!
A man his age, you'll bust his
ribs. You'll most likely kill him.
He's right, Milt.
We don't need
to bother with him.
That paper's on him or
someplace in the wagon.
We'll find it.
It just ain't in the wagon.
Yup. It ain't on
the old man either.
Can't be.
He sure got it hid someplace.
Jerry, it'd be a lot
quicker our way.
Do what you have to do.
You know, Wishbone,
a man can stand pain for an
hour, a day, couple of days,
maybe even a week.
Then the pain gets stronger
than he is and he talks.
No matter how much he
don't want to, he just talks.
You know something, Mr. Pitts?
You aren't gonna have that much time.
Because if I don't show
up at Horsehead Crossing,
Mr. Favor and all his drovers
are gonna come looking for me.
Jerry?
He could be right.
Let's make sure he ain't right.
If you'd kept your mouth
shut, it just might've happened.
Oh, it's gonna
happen, all right.
No.
No, you're gonna write
a letter to Mr. Favor.
Oh, yeah? What kind of letter?
Oh, a letter saying you decided
not to join up your new herd with his.
That, uh, you figure you can
get a better price on your own.
I'm not gonna write
any such kind of letter.
You hear that, Milt?
He says he ain't gonna
write any such kind of letter.
If you don't, we got nothing to
lose trying to find out if you can live
with all your ribs busted.
All right, all right.
No sense making such a
fuss over a little old letter.
After all, it isn't like I was
giving you the ownership paper.
Of course not.
You write the letter,
we'll get it to Mr. Favor,
and then we'll see.
You might change your
mind about other things.
Yeah.
First I'll write the
letter, then we'll see.
Herd's moving real
good, eh, Mr. Favor?
Oh, yeah. Yeah, just terrible.
I sure don't know what
got into that lead steer.
Well, it'll happen
sometimes on a forced march.
The lead steer cracks, goes bad.
We'll need a substitute lead.
Well, there's a red one
there on the far side.
He's got the makings.
What do you say, boss?
He'll do.
The herd's bunching
up, Mr. Favor.
Lead steer went
bad. Butcher him.
Quince, you cut out
the substitute lead.
Get him moving at the head
of the herd quick as you can.
Yeah.
Mr. Favor, why you
gotta kill that steer for?
Why don't you just put him
back with the rest of the herd?
Well, Mushy, the rest of the herd
just got used to following that lead.
No matter where you put him,
the rest would just line
up in the back of him.
I'm afraid it's just
the way of cattle.
Or people, for that matter.
- Maybe you killed him.
- He's still breathing.
He's an old man.
If he doesn't tell us
where that paper is,
he ain't gonna get much older.
Vinnie, you know, we
can get rid of those beeves
without an ownership paper.
To who? Skinners?
All they'd give us
is a lousy $5 a head.
Well, that's still 2,500, and
it's money here and now,
not four months away in Abilene.
You mean you'd be willing to settle
for $2,500 instead of 20,000, Jerry?
Maybe he is, but I ain't.
You already beat him
unconscious. What more can you do?
I ain't killed him yet.
It sure smells good.
When's that stuff gonna
be ready? I'm hungry.
Going someplace?
Get off that horse.
As soon as he came to,
he went to the back
of the chuck wagon.
Started rummaging around a
bit and found a piece of paper.
I don't know how I missed it,
but it's in his front pocket.
His front right pocket.
This ain't nothing
but a grocery list.
- Why, you miserable...
- Never mind him.
Let's get the horse. We
ain't got none to spare.
You haven't got any brains
to spare neither, mister.
Trying to pull an old
trick like that on me.
No harm done, old man.
We got all the
time in the world.
We're gonna find that
paper sooner or later.
Why get yourself hurt so much?
What's the matter, Jerry?
You got no stomach
for this sort of thing?
I didn't want it this way.
Of course not.
You wanted it nice
and easy and friendly
and crooked as blazes.
I got nothing against
you, Wishbone.
Oh, thanks.
Wish I could say the
same for your friends.
They ain't my friends.
I need their help.
Once we sell the beeves,
I'll never see me again.
You'll see them,
or others just like them.
No, I ain't gonna stay a thief.
This is just to
give me a chance.
I've been raising other
men's steers all my life.
I've never had more
than 20, $30 in my pocket,
and not for long neither.
Not for cards or
women or drinks.
Year in and year out,
my life passed through
my hands like sand.
Well, the money I get out of
this is gonna give me a chance.
Dirty money isn't gonna
give you a clean life.
No, money ain't clean or
dirty. Money is just money.
- Money is Tod Murdoch's money.
- He's dead.
Well, his daughter isn't.
She's somebody I don't
know in a place I never been.
Look, if you wanna be a rustler,
why don't you steal
from some rancher
that wears a gun and
can come after you?
Instead of some dead
man and his daughter.
Forget me.
I'm trying to save your skin.
Well, forget my skin.
It'll hurt some,
but it'll get well.
You wanna save something,
look inside your own skin.
You'll find more than
you can handle right there.
Why ain't the herd moving?
Well, they're beat,
Mr. Favor. They're beat.
They got more brains than all the
drovers that ever lived put together.
When they're hurt, they bellow.
When they're
wore out, they stop.
Rowdy said we better
stop and rest them a spell.
- Where is he?
- He's up ahead.
Move, you slab-sided
mountain goat.
Now, move!
All right. All right, fella.
Look, I know...
I know you're beat, so am I.
Now, move!
That steer's too spent to move.
Boss is trying
to raise the dead.
Now, look, fella, I
said I understand.
You're beat, I'm beat,
everybody's beat.
Nobody...
Nobody thinks we can do it.
But we're gonna fool
them, ain't we, fella?
Now, you're gonna move.
You're gonna move or I'm
gonna break your back, buddy.
Now, move! Hyah! Move!
All right, let's keep
moving now, huh?
That lead steer is as much
a trail boss as you are, boss.
That's saying a lot.
Chuck wagon sure
needed fresh horses.
- Uh, the foot, it is better?
- Well, it'll hold me up.
Especially when I
get back in the saddle.
You must be the cook's louse.
- But, señor, I...
- I got a note from your cookie.
Señor Wishbone?
- Who was that?
- I don't know.
What was that drover
doing? Slacking off?
It was not a drover, señor.
He brings this. It's a letter
from Señor Wishbone.
Well, read it. Let's find
out how he's getting along.
- "Dear Gil."
- Huh?
It is what it says.
It is what Señor Wishbone wrote.
I've been on these drives
a long time with Wishbone,
never once heard
him call Mr. Favor "Gil."
It sure don't sound
right coming from him.
Go ahead, read
the rest of the letter.
"Don't expect me for the
drive or the cattle neither.
Mr. Murdoch died,
left the beeves to me, and
I'm gonna sell them on my own.
Regards, G.W. Wishbone."
Well, that don't
sound like Wish either.
He's in trouble, Pete.
That "Dear Gil" and that
"Regards, G.W. Wishbone"
are a sure sign of it.
If this herd wasn't
in trouble, I'd, uh...
I'd run after that jasper
and find out what's going on.
Why don't you ride
after him anyhow?
- I can't. Not without telling
Mr. Favor. PETE: I'll pass the word,
Mr. Favor won't know
you're gone till you get back.
The rest of us will
work to make up for it.
I'm ready to ride again.
See, you're not the only
one that likes Wishbone.
All right.
I kind of hate to see him
ride off alone like that.
- I think I'll, uh...
- You think you'll...?
With that foot like that?
He's kind of putting
up a pretty good fight
for a little skinny old man.
You getting like Munson, Milt?
All soft and kindly.
Don't you worry about it.
Jerry, you getting
anywhere with that old fool?
Go ahead, Jerry.
Tell him how far you're
getting with the old fool.
That paper's gotta be someplace.
We'll find it.
When? Before or
after we get to Abilene?
That paper ain't
worth a man's life.
You're trying to get killed,
that's what you're doing.
You're trying to make
a murderer out of me.
A man does that for himself.
Just tell me where the paper is.
I'll make sure they let you go.
I swear, you'll come to no harm.
It'd be interesting to know
what you swear by, Munson.
God, your honor,
what?
Dexter, stop!
Well, now, thank you, boy.
How'd you know I was thirsty?
Now, look, we can't keep
on torturing an old man.
Let's get rid of the beeves
here and now to the skinners
so we can forget
the whole business.
At $5 a head instead of 40?
I can't afford to
take no such loss.
You get my letter to Mr. Favor?
The trail boss was busy. I
gave it to the cook's louse.
This is as far as we go.
You tell us where the
paper is here and now,
or you're gonna
die here and now.
All right, tie him to the wagon.
Heat lightning.
That sounds pretty hot.
I'd say unless you talk
before then, old-timer,
you'll last maybe three
hours, give or take a little.
We're not getting the beeves through
that fire, boss. It's half a mile deep.
There's no other way to go?
Summer lightning.
Now, when we hit the fire,
there might be some burnt-out
ground we can push the beeves through.
There might be.
We'll find out
when we get there.
Hold it.
You lose the chuck
wagon or something?
No, Señor Rowdy.
I thought maybe you'll
have some trouble,
and I came to help.
Yeah. If there's any trouble, we're
gonna be riding right in the middle of it.
I don't mind. It is to
help Señor Wishbone.
I wouldn't want to say
this where he would hear,
but he's like a father to me.
Yeah.
Señor Scarlet's foot is very
painful yet, but he is with the wagon.
Yeah. Something
else will be painful.
Well, as long as
you're here, fine.
Only trouble is, these tracks
seem to have given out.
I guess the ground's too hard.
If we go on ahead,
maybe we'll find something.
If you're scouting on
sandwiches, I'm working on it.
The men are gonna have to wait.
They don't seem to come out right.
Well, we don't have
much time to eat anyhow.
Besides, nobody's
got much of an appetite.
Well, that being the case...
We're gonna be hitting
that fire in less than an hour.
If we find a way through
it or around it, fine.
- But if we don't...
- We got to.
Ain't no other way
of saving the herd.
That's right, there ain't.
Well, what I wanna know
is if we don't get through,
are you gonna be able to saddle one
of these wagon horses and ride out?
Sure. But the hardest
part was getting my boot on.
Just remember, them ain't
the fastest horses in the world.
When the fire burns their tail,
ain't no such thing as a slow horse.
Shot came from over there.
Senior Wishbone is in trouble.
Hey Soos, come back here.
You don't wanna tease
old Wishbone like that.
He'll get all the water he wants
once he hands over
the ownership paper.
Matter of fact, once he does that,
we might even let him go swimming.
A nice cool, wet river.
How does that sound to you?
I'll see the devil
fry you first.
You're the one
who's frying, old-timer.
- Hey Soos! Watch out!
- Señor Wishbone...
Tie him up, Jerry.
Take Munson's gun, Milt.
- There's no reason for that.
- I ain't waiting for one.
We're not gonna be able
to circle that, Mr. Favor.
Well, we gonna keep trying.
Well, there ain't a chance.
Any man worried
about it can cut out now.
All right then, get
back to the beeves.
The beeves are spooking.
They're spooking
because I stirred them up.
What...?
He'll get it before I do.
You drop your gun, mister,
if you want the old-timer
here to go on living.
Dead, huh?
Well, I guess that cuts him out.
Don't look too good though,
our chances of getting
them cows to market.
There's always the skinners.
The price ain't too bad
if I don't have to split
it with none of you.
And none of you
are gonna be around.
He looks like
he'll live to hang.
Why don't you untie
Hey Soos, huh?
You don't look too good, Wish.
You always have been
jealous of my beard.
Well, that was a pretty quiet bunch.
I had a hard time stirring them up.
They never did make
these canteens big enough.
Why'd you shoot Pitts?
I ain't sure.
I didn't like what
was happening to you,
but even more, I didn't like
what was happening to me.
They made you do it, didn't
they? Just like they did me.
Well, we got one to bury
and one to turn over to the law.
Jerry, why don't
you stick with us
to drive this herd till we
catch up with Mr. Favor?
- Sure.
- Yeah.
That's if Mr. Favor
has a herd left.
Only one thing, Wishbone.
What did you do with
that ownership paper?
Oh, I hid that real good.
There it was all the time.
You know, a man looking
for something hidden
almost never looks
right under his nose.
Hey. It's a good thing this
rain didn't start any sooner.
This paper could
have got washed away.
Hey, you were saying something
about Mr. Favor not having a herd?
Yeah. Well, that was
before this rain started.
That way things worked out
just the way I wanted them to.
You see, I wanted them to force
me to write that letter to Mr. Favor
saying that I wasn't
coming back to the herd.
Well, suppose Mr. Favor
would have believed it?
That's exactly why I started
out the letter the way I did,
saying "Dear Gil."
- You'll excuse me, Mr. Favor.
- Of course, Mr. Wishbone.
Because I knew the minute he
laid his eyes on that "Dear Gil,"
he'd know something
was mighty well wrong.
Yeah, I would, if I'd
ever got the letter.
Oh, yeah. Well, uh, you
were kind of busy at the time.
So you just took off from the
herd without notifying anybody?
Now, wait a minute, Mr. Favor.
- It's a good thing for me he did.
- Oh, I appreciate it. I do.
That's why he's gonna
ride drag for only a week.
Drag?
Head them up!
Move them out!
- Oh, I think it's better, Mr. Favor.
I do what I can, Señor Favor.
And he's doing all
right. It ain't hurting at all.
Well, sir, I don't know what
Señor Wishbone would do
- if he was here.
- What did you do?
I give Señor Scarlet
some medical whiskey.
No wonder he ain't hurting.
Only thing is, I feel terrible
not being able to ride.
One good thing, it gives Mushy a
chance to be a drover for a while.
That's good?
Keeps him from cooking.
That's good.
Hold this.
What's the matter?
What is it?
Beef enchilada.
- A beef what?
- Enchilada.
Ain't you never
eaten Mexican food?
Well, I don't like to eat
nothing that I ain't familiar with.
Well, Hey Soos made it for us,
and in fact it's mighty tasty.
Then why does it look
like it's already been eaten?
Hey Soos is relieving
Mushy on the cooking
till Wishbone gets
back, that's all.
Now, if you don't like his grub,
all you gotta do is tell the boss.
But most likely if you did,
he'd put Mushy back
on that chuck wagon
and you'd be eating Mushy's
special stew instead of that enchilada.
I like it.
I like it.
Señor Favor, I am worried.
About what?
Maybe the men do not
like Spanish cooking.
Well, take a look.
They're acting like they've
been starved for a week.
I would feel better when
Señor Wishbone comes back.
Only a couple of days now,
we'll be at Horsehead Crossing,
joining up with Wishbone
and his friend's herd.
Meantime, I could use
some more food, Hey Soos.
- Trouble?
- There's a prairie fire up ahead.
It's a big one. Spreading.
- How close?
- Less than 20 miles.
Well, I have to pull
the herd off the trail,
pick it up past the fire.
Well, that means going west.
There's no water
for 20 miles or more.
Hey, what's up, Pete?
You came riding here
like your horse was on fire.
The prairie up ahead is.
Three days forced drive
ought to get us through.
We'll start moving out as of right
now. We'll push night and day.
Scarlet, you fix
sandwiches for the men.
Hey Soos, every drover's to
have a fresh horse every four hours.
We're moving out,
starting right now.
Going west is gonna mean we
won't go through Horsehead Crossing.
We'll worry about that later.
If I could only get my boot on.
Somebody's got to
drive the chuck wagon.
May God have mercy
on his soul. Amen.
And I think the good Lord will.
Tod Murdoch was a good
man all the days of his life.
Good man, good
father, good friend.
Well, that's all we
can do or say here.
Jerry, get ready to
move the beeves out
first thing in the morning.
Mr. Favor will be expecting
us at Horsehead Crossing.
We've been ready
for more than a week.
I couldn't let Tod
Murdoch die alone.
Oh, we're gonna have to let
his daughter know about this.
You got the name of that
school she goes to back east?
- Mm-hm.
- I'd just soon you'd write the letter.
The main thing is for her to understand
that we'll take care of the herd,
get her the absolute
top dollar for them.
I'll get that
letter off tonight.
Oh, I hope you don't
think that I'm being...
Taking charge too
much or anything like that.
Uh, see, Tod and I
was friends for so long.
Well, he was always
talking about you.
Yeah, we was
mountain men together.
Went through an
awful lot in those days.
Must be that's why he kind
of left me in charge, you see.
Give me the ownership paper.
Oh, I ain't taking offense.
I've been following Mr. Murdoch's
orders for a long time,
and they're still my orders,
even though he's dead.
He sure had you pegged right.
Tod told me when
Mr. Favor sold the herd,
you were to have an extra
10 percent for past services.
Well, that's very nice of him.
You fellas will come
into something too.
- All right.
- Real nice.
Well, I guess we might
as well board up the house.
Get those beeves ready to move.
Oh, uh, I wonder if it wouldn't be a
good idea for me to ride on ahead
and tell Mr. Favor
what's been holding us up.
If we're late, he'll
be fit to bust a gut.
Then, of course, those
drovers having Mushy's food
to eat all this time, they're
not gonna be happy either.
Anyway, I want Mr. Favor
to have the ownership paper
so I don't have to
worry about it anymore.
So you fellas bring on the
beeves just as fast as you can.
If Mr. Favor has to wait
any, he'll be mighty unhappy.
He's not exactly a patient type.
You ain't going anywhere,
Mr. Wishbone, without us.
He's only fooling.
Only fooling with a gun?
Well, that's always good
for a laugh, among friends.
A gun never made me laugh.
Wishbone don't know
you like we know you.
Now, tell him it was all in fun.
But, Vinnie, you said that we
shouldn't let Mr. Wishbone go.
Of course. We got
used to eating good,
we didn't wanna stop yet.
That's what he means. Now,
ain't that what you mean?
Heh. Oh, yeah. Yeah, sure.
It was all in fun, Mr. Wishbone.
We got so used to eating
good, Mr. Wishbone.
So you wouldn't run off
and leave us behind now,
- would you, Wishbone?
- No, of course not.
What's a few more days?
Mr. Favor and those
drovers can just wait.
Make them appreciate me more.
- Thanks, Wish.
- Yeah, thanks.
Well, fellas, we better
get our gear packed.
Tomorrow morning we
all move out together?
Yeah, sure.
I wonder who invented horses.
Well, now, I don't think you can
rightly use the word "invented"
in relation to horses, Barney.
Well, I can think of
lots of words to use,
but not when I'm in the saddle.
What's the matter, fellas? The
saddles don't fit too good today?
Well, we was just resting
the horses, Mr. Favor.
Oh, good, good.
All right, you get moving then.
Uh, on foot.
We'll give the horses
a real good rest, huh?
The wind's still
holding like it was,
ought to keep the
fire off our back.
We still got two more
days of forced drive
- before we get the beeves to water.
- No, I know.
The men have been in the
saddle for 24 hours, though.
They gotta have a rest.
Boss, there's no doubt
we're all tuckered out,
but we know the herd's
gotta be pushed on.
You just say the word
and we'll be in the saddle
before you can get off the ground.
Any man can't make it to the
saddle, I'll, uh, give him a lift.
We've been pushed this hard
before, never killed any of us.
Pete's right, Mr. Favor.
Matter of fact, Mr. Favor,
I ain't even saddle sore.
A little foot sore maybe, but...
It's easier to keep going, boss.
Laying around
just stiffens you up.
Next thing you know,
I bet the lead steer is
telling me how to do the job.
Now, I said we need a rest.
What are you all doing
standing around not resting?
My job to get the herd in,
every one of them alive, and
as much of the crew as I can.
Scarlet, you get a
boot on that foot yet?
It's these stupid bandages.
All right, all right, you
stick with the chuck wagon.
I miss old Wishbone.
You?
Ain't you the one what
complains the loudest
about Wishbone's cooking?
Yeah, well, I'm saying
I miss him, not my...
I'm not saying my
stomach misses him.
Well, Wish probably
having the time of his life
at Horsehead Crossing.
Hey! Take that
right fork up there!
Come on.
The wind's shifted. That
fire's changing its direction.
- The water?
- Just beyond that.
That's where we're going then.
You can't drive a
herd through that.
We can't go back neither.
Last water we was at was
three days drive from here.
Three days forced drive.
- You think the herd can make that?
- Nope.
Why don't you just
throw that bucket away?
Oh, that? Oh, I got
too attached to that one.
I'll get it fixed when we
get to Horsehead Crossing.
Are you sure the trail boss is still
gonna be there? We're kind of late.
Mr. Favor will be
there, don't you worry.
He may be mad as a
hornet with nobody to sting,
but he'll be there.
Probably waiting to sting me.
Thinks a lot of you, don't he?
Oh, yeah. We're kind
of a team, you might say.
If you don't say it so
as he can hear you.
Hey. They took the wrong turn.
They took the wrong
turn, didn't you hear me?
You doing what I
think you doing, Jerry?
You're wrong, Wishbone.
See, those beeves are going
exactly where I intend for them to go.
Top dollar, Wishbone, like you
said, and no split for the trail boss.
And no split for Tod
Murdoch's daughter either, huh?
I always thought
you were a sly one.
Well, it don't take any mental giant
to figure what you're all planning to do.
- We're gonna cut you in too.
- Thanks for nothing.
I didn't think Wishbone
would be asking for his share.
After all, he's honest.
It's more than that. I
remember Tod Murdoch.
Forget him, he's dead.
Up at the rail head, these beeves
will bring maybe $40 a head.
That's $20,000.
And none of it yours.
Well, we're making it ours.
Now, don't talk
rough to Wishbone.
Now he knows how
much money there is,
he might wanna change his mind.
Yeah, I might.
- I'll be honest with you, Wishbone...
- Oh, keep honesty out of it.
Well, we're not gonna
make any money
with that herd grazing here.
- Let's go.
- Sure.
You forgot the ownership paper.
You can't sell beeves to anybody
without the paper showing you got title.
- It's safe enough with me.
- I think it'd be safer with me.
You've been honest a long time,
it might be hard to break the habit.
Just possible while
we're out driving the herd,
you might decide to take
off for someplace else,
like Horsehead Crossing.
We're taking them away from you.
Get down off that wagon!
You had me fooled, Jerry.
I never did think much
of these other two.
Get down!
A dead man thought
you was decent and loyal.
- Shut up.
- A decent and loyal thief.
I don't wanna hear any more!
Well, get used
to the label, Jerry,
because you're gonna
be wearing it a long time.
Give us that paper, Wishbone.
Put that gun down!
You kill him and
we'll never find out.
Ask me, Jerry, ask
me. Don't tell me.
You're not the foreman anymore.
Why don't you go easy
on yourself, Wishbone?
Just tell us where
you put the paper.
You'll never know.
Never's a long time.
- Oh!
- Leave him go!
A man his age, you'll bust his
ribs. You'll most likely kill him.
He's right, Milt.
We don't need
to bother with him.
That paper's on him or
someplace in the wagon.
We'll find it.
It just ain't in the wagon.
Yup. It ain't on
the old man either.
Can't be.
He sure got it hid someplace.
Jerry, it'd be a lot
quicker our way.
Do what you have to do.
You know, Wishbone,
a man can stand pain for an
hour, a day, couple of days,
maybe even a week.
Then the pain gets stronger
than he is and he talks.
No matter how much he
don't want to, he just talks.
You know something, Mr. Pitts?
You aren't gonna have that much time.
Because if I don't show
up at Horsehead Crossing,
Mr. Favor and all his drovers
are gonna come looking for me.
Jerry?
He could be right.
Let's make sure he ain't right.
If you'd kept your mouth
shut, it just might've happened.
Oh, it's gonna
happen, all right.
No.
No, you're gonna write
a letter to Mr. Favor.
Oh, yeah? What kind of letter?
Oh, a letter saying you decided
not to join up your new herd with his.
That, uh, you figure you can
get a better price on your own.
I'm not gonna write
any such kind of letter.
You hear that, Milt?
He says he ain't gonna
write any such kind of letter.
If you don't, we got nothing to
lose trying to find out if you can live
with all your ribs busted.
All right, all right.
No sense making such a
fuss over a little old letter.
After all, it isn't like I was
giving you the ownership paper.
Of course not.
You write the letter,
we'll get it to Mr. Favor,
and then we'll see.
You might change your
mind about other things.
Yeah.
First I'll write the
letter, then we'll see.
Herd's moving real
good, eh, Mr. Favor?
Oh, yeah. Yeah, just terrible.
I sure don't know what
got into that lead steer.
Well, it'll happen
sometimes on a forced march.
The lead steer cracks, goes bad.
We'll need a substitute lead.
Well, there's a red one
there on the far side.
He's got the makings.
What do you say, boss?
He'll do.
The herd's bunching
up, Mr. Favor.
Lead steer went
bad. Butcher him.
Quince, you cut out
the substitute lead.
Get him moving at the head
of the herd quick as you can.
Yeah.
Mr. Favor, why you
gotta kill that steer for?
Why don't you just put him
back with the rest of the herd?
Well, Mushy, the rest of the herd
just got used to following that lead.
No matter where you put him,
the rest would just line
up in the back of him.
I'm afraid it's just
the way of cattle.
Or people, for that matter.
- Maybe you killed him.
- He's still breathing.
He's an old man.
If he doesn't tell us
where that paper is,
he ain't gonna get much older.
Vinnie, you know, we
can get rid of those beeves
without an ownership paper.
To who? Skinners?
All they'd give us
is a lousy $5 a head.
Well, that's still 2,500, and
it's money here and now,
not four months away in Abilene.
You mean you'd be willing to settle
for $2,500 instead of 20,000, Jerry?
Maybe he is, but I ain't.
You already beat him
unconscious. What more can you do?
I ain't killed him yet.
It sure smells good.
When's that stuff gonna
be ready? I'm hungry.
Going someplace?
Get off that horse.
As soon as he came to,
he went to the back
of the chuck wagon.
Started rummaging around a
bit and found a piece of paper.
I don't know how I missed it,
but it's in his front pocket.
His front right pocket.
This ain't nothing
but a grocery list.
- Why, you miserable...
- Never mind him.
Let's get the horse. We
ain't got none to spare.
You haven't got any brains
to spare neither, mister.
Trying to pull an old
trick like that on me.
No harm done, old man.
We got all the
time in the world.
We're gonna find that
paper sooner or later.
Why get yourself hurt so much?
What's the matter, Jerry?
You got no stomach
for this sort of thing?
I didn't want it this way.
Of course not.
You wanted it nice
and easy and friendly
and crooked as blazes.
I got nothing against
you, Wishbone.
Oh, thanks.
Wish I could say the
same for your friends.
They ain't my friends.
I need their help.
Once we sell the beeves,
I'll never see me again.
You'll see them,
or others just like them.
No, I ain't gonna stay a thief.
This is just to
give me a chance.
I've been raising other
men's steers all my life.
I've never had more
than 20, $30 in my pocket,
and not for long neither.
Not for cards or
women or drinks.
Year in and year out,
my life passed through
my hands like sand.
Well, the money I get out of
this is gonna give me a chance.
Dirty money isn't gonna
give you a clean life.
No, money ain't clean or
dirty. Money is just money.
- Money is Tod Murdoch's money.
- He's dead.
Well, his daughter isn't.
She's somebody I don't
know in a place I never been.
Look, if you wanna be a rustler,
why don't you steal
from some rancher
that wears a gun and
can come after you?
Instead of some dead
man and his daughter.
Forget me.
I'm trying to save your skin.
Well, forget my skin.
It'll hurt some,
but it'll get well.
You wanna save something,
look inside your own skin.
You'll find more than
you can handle right there.
Why ain't the herd moving?
Well, they're beat,
Mr. Favor. They're beat.
They got more brains than all the
drovers that ever lived put together.
When they're hurt, they bellow.
When they're
wore out, they stop.
Rowdy said we better
stop and rest them a spell.
- Where is he?
- He's up ahead.
Move, you slab-sided
mountain goat.
Now, move!
All right. All right, fella.
Look, I know...
I know you're beat, so am I.
Now, move!
That steer's too spent to move.
Boss is trying
to raise the dead.
Now, look, fella, I
said I understand.
You're beat, I'm beat,
everybody's beat.
Nobody...
Nobody thinks we can do it.
But we're gonna fool
them, ain't we, fella?
Now, you're gonna move.
You're gonna move or I'm
gonna break your back, buddy.
Now, move! Hyah! Move!
All right, let's keep
moving now, huh?
That lead steer is as much
a trail boss as you are, boss.
That's saying a lot.
Chuck wagon sure
needed fresh horses.
- Uh, the foot, it is better?
- Well, it'll hold me up.
Especially when I
get back in the saddle.
You must be the cook's louse.
- But, señor, I...
- I got a note from your cookie.
Señor Wishbone?
- Who was that?
- I don't know.
What was that drover
doing? Slacking off?
It was not a drover, señor.
He brings this. It's a letter
from Señor Wishbone.
Well, read it. Let's find
out how he's getting along.
- "Dear Gil."
- Huh?
It is what it says.
It is what Señor Wishbone wrote.
I've been on these drives
a long time with Wishbone,
never once heard
him call Mr. Favor "Gil."
It sure don't sound
right coming from him.
Go ahead, read
the rest of the letter.
"Don't expect me for the
drive or the cattle neither.
Mr. Murdoch died,
left the beeves to me, and
I'm gonna sell them on my own.
Regards, G.W. Wishbone."
Well, that don't
sound like Wish either.
He's in trouble, Pete.
That "Dear Gil" and that
"Regards, G.W. Wishbone"
are a sure sign of it.
If this herd wasn't
in trouble, I'd, uh...
I'd run after that jasper
and find out what's going on.
Why don't you ride
after him anyhow?
- I can't. Not without telling
Mr. Favor. PETE: I'll pass the word,
Mr. Favor won't know
you're gone till you get back.
The rest of us will
work to make up for it.
I'm ready to ride again.
See, you're not the only
one that likes Wishbone.
All right.
I kind of hate to see him
ride off alone like that.
- I think I'll, uh...
- You think you'll...?
With that foot like that?
He's kind of putting
up a pretty good fight
for a little skinny old man.
You getting like Munson, Milt?
All soft and kindly.
Don't you worry about it.
Jerry, you getting
anywhere with that old fool?
Go ahead, Jerry.
Tell him how far you're
getting with the old fool.
That paper's gotta be someplace.
We'll find it.
When? Before or
after we get to Abilene?
That paper ain't
worth a man's life.
You're trying to get killed,
that's what you're doing.
You're trying to make
a murderer out of me.
A man does that for himself.
Just tell me where the paper is.
I'll make sure they let you go.
I swear, you'll come to no harm.
It'd be interesting to know
what you swear by, Munson.
God, your honor,
what?
Dexter, stop!
Well, now, thank you, boy.
How'd you know I was thirsty?
Now, look, we can't keep
on torturing an old man.
Let's get rid of the beeves
here and now to the skinners
so we can forget
the whole business.
At $5 a head instead of 40?
I can't afford to
take no such loss.
You get my letter to Mr. Favor?
The trail boss was busy. I
gave it to the cook's louse.
This is as far as we go.
You tell us where the
paper is here and now,
or you're gonna
die here and now.
All right, tie him to the wagon.
Heat lightning.
That sounds pretty hot.
I'd say unless you talk
before then, old-timer,
you'll last maybe three
hours, give or take a little.
We're not getting the beeves through
that fire, boss. It's half a mile deep.
There's no other way to go?
Summer lightning.
Now, when we hit the fire,
there might be some burnt-out
ground we can push the beeves through.
There might be.
We'll find out
when we get there.
Hold it.
You lose the chuck
wagon or something?
No, Señor Rowdy.
I thought maybe you'll
have some trouble,
and I came to help.
Yeah. If there's any trouble, we're
gonna be riding right in the middle of it.
I don't mind. It is to
help Señor Wishbone.
I wouldn't want to say
this where he would hear,
but he's like a father to me.
Yeah.
Señor Scarlet's foot is very
painful yet, but he is with the wagon.
Yeah. Something
else will be painful.
Well, as long as
you're here, fine.
Only trouble is, these tracks
seem to have given out.
I guess the ground's too hard.
If we go on ahead,
maybe we'll find something.
If you're scouting on
sandwiches, I'm working on it.
The men are gonna have to wait.
They don't seem to come out right.
Well, we don't have
much time to eat anyhow.
Besides, nobody's
got much of an appetite.
Well, that being the case...
We're gonna be hitting
that fire in less than an hour.
If we find a way through
it or around it, fine.
- But if we don't...
- We got to.
Ain't no other way
of saving the herd.
That's right, there ain't.
Well, what I wanna know
is if we don't get through,
are you gonna be able to saddle one
of these wagon horses and ride out?
Sure. But the hardest
part was getting my boot on.
Just remember, them ain't
the fastest horses in the world.
When the fire burns their tail,
ain't no such thing as a slow horse.
Shot came from over there.
Senior Wishbone is in trouble.
Hey Soos, come back here.
You don't wanna tease
old Wishbone like that.
He'll get all the water he wants
once he hands over
the ownership paper.
Matter of fact, once he does that,
we might even let him go swimming.
A nice cool, wet river.
How does that sound to you?
I'll see the devil
fry you first.
You're the one
who's frying, old-timer.
- Hey Soos! Watch out!
- Señor Wishbone...
Tie him up, Jerry.
Take Munson's gun, Milt.
- There's no reason for that.
- I ain't waiting for one.
We're not gonna be able
to circle that, Mr. Favor.
Well, we gonna keep trying.
Well, there ain't a chance.
Any man worried
about it can cut out now.
All right then, get
back to the beeves.
The beeves are spooking.
They're spooking
because I stirred them up.
What...?
He'll get it before I do.
You drop your gun, mister,
if you want the old-timer
here to go on living.
Dead, huh?
Well, I guess that cuts him out.
Don't look too good though,
our chances of getting
them cows to market.
There's always the skinners.
The price ain't too bad
if I don't have to split
it with none of you.
And none of you
are gonna be around.
He looks like
he'll live to hang.
Why don't you untie
Hey Soos, huh?
You don't look too good, Wish.
You always have been
jealous of my beard.
Well, that was a pretty quiet bunch.
I had a hard time stirring them up.
They never did make
these canteens big enough.
Why'd you shoot Pitts?
I ain't sure.
I didn't like what
was happening to you,
but even more, I didn't like
what was happening to me.
They made you do it, didn't
they? Just like they did me.
Well, we got one to bury
and one to turn over to the law.
Jerry, why don't
you stick with us
to drive this herd till we
catch up with Mr. Favor?
- Sure.
- Yeah.
That's if Mr. Favor
has a herd left.
Only one thing, Wishbone.
What did you do with
that ownership paper?
Oh, I hid that real good.
There it was all the time.
You know, a man looking
for something hidden
almost never looks
right under his nose.
Hey. It's a good thing this
rain didn't start any sooner.
This paper could
have got washed away.
Hey, you were saying something
about Mr. Favor not having a herd?
Yeah. Well, that was
before this rain started.
That way things worked out
just the way I wanted them to.
You see, I wanted them to force
me to write that letter to Mr. Favor
saying that I wasn't
coming back to the herd.
Well, suppose Mr. Favor
would have believed it?
That's exactly why I started
out the letter the way I did,
saying "Dear Gil."
- You'll excuse me, Mr. Favor.
- Of course, Mr. Wishbone.
Because I knew the minute he
laid his eyes on that "Dear Gil,"
he'd know something
was mighty well wrong.
Yeah, I would, if I'd
ever got the letter.
Oh, yeah. Well, uh, you
were kind of busy at the time.
So you just took off from the
herd without notifying anybody?
Now, wait a minute, Mr. Favor.
- It's a good thing for me he did.
- Oh, I appreciate it. I do.
That's why he's gonna
ride drag for only a week.
Drag?
Head them up!
Move them out!