Rawhide (1959–1965): Season 7, Episode 27 - The Calf Women - full transcript

Eh, we're pushing them a
little hard, don't you think?

Yeah, we'll keep pushing them
hard till we reach some decent graze.

Well, that's about what
Mr. Favor would say if he was here.

Of course, uh, it's always
the ramrod that's the dirty dog

passing down the
orders to his men.

Oh, uh, being trail boss and ramrod,
must be a little hard on you, huh?

That's right, Jim,

but until Mr. Favor gets
back, you're ramrod.

Now, hold on, you
can't do that to me.

It's already done, Jim.

That wagon still following us?



- What's up ahead?
- Plenty of good grazing.

There's a plateau
up there on the hills.

Grass about a foot
high and so green,

that if I was a steer, my mouth
would be watering to get to it.

Is the climb too
steep for the beeves?

- No.
- Well, then, what's wrong?

I think you better come
take a look for yourself.

Mr. Ryan, this
is the trail boss.

Got nothing different to
say to him than I said to you.

Well, why don't you
try saying it anyway?

We've been rounding up buffalo
back there and it's taken us weeks.

We ain't got them pinned down
good enough to move in for the kill.

Yeah, we got a herd over 3,000
head down the flatlands. Poor grazing.

Well, I'm sorry
to hear about that.



We can move them
through here tomorrow.

You could,

but you won't.

Why?

You ought to know as well
as I do that them buffalos

are more skittish
than even your steers.

Now, you start moving
that herd through here,

you're gonna
stampede my buffalo.

Might lose half of
them, maybe even more.

Yeah, you got a point
there. I can't argue with that.

- Hey, Cole.
- Yeah, Billy.

You ever been this close
to a trail boss before?

Once or twice.

They all as fearful about
arguing as this one?

How long is it gonna take
to finish with the buffalo?

Few days, maybe a week.

All right. I'll hold them three
days, then we're coming through.

You'll bring them
through when I let you.

Three days, mister.

I wouldn't give them
three hours, Rowdy.

I, uh... I didn't
catch your name.

Yates. The name's Yates.

How many drovers you got?
- Twenty-five.

I got 40 hunters up here.

Including those two?

They're on a personal payroll.
Kind of insurance against trouble.

Look, you're gonna have to leave
ten men with that herd all the time.

Now, you make your
move before I'm ready,

I'm gonna have 40 of my
men against 15 of yours.

That's kind of bad odds.

I ain't a betting man, Ryan.

I'm gonna send a couple of
men to keep an eye on that herd.

Well, that's all right. You just keep
them out of my way, you understand?

Now, look, you start
moving that herd up here,

I'm gonna know about it.

You already know
about it. Three days.

You and your cows. How you ever
got Mr. Favor to agree, I'll never know.

Because I told him if he
bring along a few milking cows,

I could make better meals for
all his handsome young drovers.

Yeah, they keep dropping
calves all over the state of Texas,

- we never will get out of it.
- I'll get rid of the calves.

Don't worry about that.

Ahem. Mushy.

- Go get a rifle.
- Oh, right away, Mr. Wishbone.

What for? I ain't mad at nobody.

Rowdy, I still don't like the way
them buffalo hunters are acting.

Well, no use going
looking for trouble.

Half the time, it
comes looking for you.

Yeah.

See those calves?

What calves?

Them calves?

Take them out and shoot them.

- Take them out and shoot them?
- Right.

- Me?
- You.

Mr. Wishbone, don't
you want me to go down

and get some water or something?

Well, are you waiting for
those calves to turn into cows?

That's a good
idea, Mr. Wishbone.

I bet that's what would
happen if you kept them.

You can't keep
calves on a cattle drive.

It slows the herd down too much.

Anyway, there are gonna
be two, three more calves,

maybe tonight.

Now, be sure you take
them far enough away

so the shots don't
spook the herd.

Hey Soos.

Hey Soos, how do you...?

How do you feel
about these calves?

Uh, I am not
certain, Señor Mushy.

I will think about it sometime.

Well, look at them
scrawny little runts.

May be a kindness, wouldn't it,
to put them out of their misery?

If you say so, señor.

- Then take them out and shoot them.
- Señor Mushy.

It would be like killing babies.

Well, this is gonna hurt me
more than it's gonna hurt you.

I'm a liar, I guess.

I wouldn't pull that trigger.

Unless you're
gunning for people.

I'm Emma Teall.

Were you really gonna kill them?

Well, sure I was.

I mean, on a cattle
drive, you're supposed to.

I mean, they slow the herd down.

Mr. Wishbone told me to, I mean.

Well, I was trying.

Betsy.

We just got our first calves.

Isn't that nice?

Well, now, hold on. I ain't supposed
to give them calves to nobody.

I mean, I'm
supposed to kill them.

Are you going to?

Yeah, I might.

Well, what are you gonna
do with them anyways?

Take them to the wagon,

keep them until we get as many more
as we can from drives going through.

That's a pretty small wagon. I mean,
when them calves start growing up...

We won't stay out
with them that long.

We'll take them to our ranch.

You got a ranch?

Yeah.

A fallen-down house,

50 acres of fenced-in nothing.

We got a ranch.

Betsy, give me a
hand with the calves.

Kind of surprising your
menfolk didn't come to help you.

Only folks we had
of any kind was Pa.

He died a year ago.

Uh, Miss Emma,

uh, Mr. Wishbone,
he was expecting...

I mean... I mean, the
cows was expecting...

Well, anyway, there's gonna be
about three more calves around.

Uh, maybe by tonight.

More than likely, he'll
let me shoot them.

I mean, uh, just like
I shot these calves.

And I can bring them right back
to the same place and shoot them.

I'd appreciate that.

You know, you're
awfully nice to us.

Betsy, come on.

Come on.

- Well?
- Shot them both, Mr. Wishbone.

You can't keep
slowing the herd down

just on account of a
couple scrawny little runts.

No, and you can't keep slowing the
herd down by not feeding the men either.

Get over to the wagon,
put the plates out.

But, Mr. Wishbone, you said maybe
there's gonna be three other calves.

Yeah, well?

Well, if I gotta
do it, I gotta do it.

If you gotta do it,
you gotta do what?

Take them out and shoot them.

Oh, you're getting real
bloodthirsty, aren't you?

You don't get over to the
wagon and get those plates out,

you're the one
liable to get shot.

And here, give me that.

You're not gonna be
shooting the plates.

Uh, where's Wishbone?

- He's missing, so is the breakfast.
- Yeah? Mushy?

Down by the stream
getting water for coffee...

All right, which one of you
jaspers is a smart aleck?

I don't see anybody
laughing. What's the joke?

I went out to milk a cow, and
there wasn't one of them there.

Could be somebody's trying
their hand at a little rustling.

Yeah, well, if they are,
we're sitting ducks for it.

Ground's pretty hard. Do you
think we can track those cows, Pete?

I think so.

Scarlet, Jay, get some rifles.

But you haven't had your breakfast.
- It'll wait.

Where are they
going, Mr. Wishbone?

I don't know, but I got
the strongest feeling

I'm gonna be able
to blame this on you.

Nobody.

Well, that's that calf wagon
that's been following us.

Yeah, these people are a little
greedy. They want the cows too.

Scarlet, round up these cows
and start them back towards camp.

Give me a hand, will you?

That'll give them something
to think about for a while.

Better be careful with that.
You're liable to hit something.

If I'd wanted to, I would have.

Oh, Emma, look,
the wagon's ruined.

You did that? Why?

I don't like rustlers,
even if they're women.

Those calves are ours.
They were given to us.

And the cows?

Were here when we
got up this morning.

So I let them nurse the calves.
I didn't see no harm in that.

Uh...

Maybe I made a
mistake. I'm sorry.

What good's that?

Well, I'll send some men
over and have them fix it.

Meanwhile, I can't leave
you two out here alone.

When have women out here
ever been anything but alone?

You can come back
to camp with us.

We're not gonna
move out for a few days.

I'll let you use the supply
wagon till this one's fixed up.

That's awfully sweet
of you, uh, mister...?

Rowdy Yates, ma'am.

I'm Betsy Teall.

Pleasure.

Thank you, Mr. Yates.

- Hey, Cole.
- Hm?

See that yellow-haired one?
That's the one I was telling you about.

The one I met at a church
social in Pottersville last month.

Was doing pretty good
until her sister come along.

Looked like she
wanted to kill me.

Her sister is still along,

not to mention them drovers.

I've oftentimes wondered

How girls could love men

I've oftentimes wondered

How men could love them

By law and experience

I very well know

I'll fall...

You know, I've never seen so
many clean and shining faces.

They all went down to the stream
after they ate, Mr. Wishbone, and shaved.

You think I need a shave?

About as much as a
hard-boiled egg does.

How sorry am I

I parted with you

Against the next meeting

Our joys will renew

We'll change the green laurel

To the orange and blue

- Let's hear "Doney Gal."
- Yeah, good idea.

Hey, sing "Gypsy
Davy" for us, huh?

All right, that's all.

The beeves are
hungry and restless.

Half of you are
gonna ride night guard,

the other half are gonna have
to get some sleep while you can.

It's gonna be a
rough day tomorrow.

He's so handsome.
And he's so strong too.

You know, everybody
does what he says.

That's the kind of man that I'd
like to have someday when...

No.

- Uh, you girls, uh...
- Betsy, come.

You girls will sleep
in the supply wagon.

We'll have your own
wagon ready by tomorrow.

That's awful sweet
of you, Mr. Yates.

- Good night, Mr. Yates.
- Good night.

Hello, Miss Betsy.

Hi, Billy.

Miss Emma.

Why, Emma, it's Billy.

It's a real pleasure running
into you girls way out here.

Good night.

It's a beautiful
moon out tonight.

I kind of thought I'd take Miss Betsy
for a little walk and show it to her.

Would you please
get out of our way?

I ain't heard from
Miss Betsy yet.

Why, Emma, there
wouldn't be no harm...

You'll do as I tell you.

Now, you wouldn't wanna
interfere with your sister going out

with her beau, now, would you?
- You...

You get up.

You know, a man could get shot
and killed for doing what you just did.

Boy, there ain't nothing
for you around here.

I guess you feel pretty safe
with all your drovers around.

Some other time though.

Some other time, things
just might be a little different.

You stay away from the beeves

and you stay away
from the women.

Yeah, I know. The
beeves belong to you.

Get moving.

Good night, Miss Betsy.
It's been a real pleasure.

Miss Emma.

Come on, honey,
get in the wagon.

- Mr. Yates?
- Hm?

Should I be grateful to you?

Well, that depends.

It depends on what
you came here for.

I came here to make sure you
and your sister were all right.

Uh, you'd be surprised
how many men

are worried about
Betsy's safety, Mr. Yates.

Well, she's a very pretty girl.

And not for you.

And not for any man in this
west that's been a graveyard

for so many women's
hopes and dreams.

I was 13 when my mother
died, and she was old, wore out.

And she wasn't a day
older than I am now.

Mr. Yates, I'm sending Betsy back
east as soon as I get enough money.

We got folks there, and
she'll get an education.

And she'll marry a man
who'll be able to look after her

without his having to become
a killer or a digger in the earth.

She'll live in a warm house when
it's winter, and she'll have children,

and there'll be a
doctor looking after her

and servants waiting on her.

So you see, Mr. Yates, you don't
have to worry about Betsy at all.

Who said I'm worried
about just Betsy?

Betsy, she's gonna do all right,
you know, no matter where she is.

What you're talking about is
what you want, what you like.

- No, I...
- Now, you got five calves from us.

You'll probably pick up
some from some other herds.

You'll raise them and sell them.

Put Betsy on a
stagecoach going east.

Well, that's fine.

What are you gonna do?

What happens to you?

Um...

I... I didn't thank
you for helping us.

Well, I didn't come
here to get, uh, thanked.

Then why did you
come, Mr. Yates?

Just wanted to
talk to you, I guess.

Good night.

Oh.

Good night.

Good morning, Mr. Wishbone.

- Mushy.
- Good morning, Miss Emma.

I wonder if we could have
a little milk for our coffee.

Why, sure thing.

You know, we was expecting you
over here for breakfast this morning.

Oh. Betsy had some things to wash
out. She's down at the stream now.

- There you are.
- Thank you, Mr. Wishbone.

Oh, I tell you, it's wonderful.

You think a girl is just a
plain, ordinary little thing,

and then all of a sudden,
she smiles and she's beautiful.

Miss Emma.

- Good morning.
- Good morning, Mr. Yates.

Uh, Scarlet, uh, says the
wagon is just about ready.

Something about
fixing the wheel.

Oh. Heh.

The supply wagon is very nice.

Calves are doing fine.

It's gonna be hard separating them
from those cows when you go off.

When I go off?

Oh. Uh, when are you
moving the herd out?

Uh, tomorrow morning.

Oh. Then we won't
be in your way.

Hi, Betsy.

You look pretty good to me.

Maybe you don't
realize it, Mr. Wallace,

but I'm kind of mad at you.

Well, you still look good.

You were mean
to Emma last night.

Well, that little old sister of
yours is fixing to be an old maid.

- Are you?
- Heh.

That's what I think too.

- Hey, you ever seen a buffalo hunt?
- No.

Well, there's one going
up in the hills right now.

You wanna come along
with me and watch it?

I'd like to.

But I better not.

Why? You afraid of me?

That's one thing I can't
make Emma understand.

I ain't afraid of any of you.

Men are awful easy to
handle if you just know how.

And you must have
been born knowing how.

Oh!

Oh.

Ow.

There I was,
walking up the aisle

with Mr. Yates waiting at
the altar, and the preacher,

and me in my beautiful
wedding dress and veil.

Oh. Heh.

And what do I do?

I drop the pitcher of milk right in
front of the admiring congregation.

Betsy, come on
out. Coffee's ready.

Even if I did spill the milk.

Betsy?

There. You got the
kiss you asked for.

Now, you go on and hunt them
buffalo you were talking about.

It wouldn't be as
much fun without you.

You do like I tell you,
or I'll get mad at you.

You talk like you was at a
church social or something.

- I'm going back.
- You're gonna go riding with me.

Weren't you the one who told me
you knew just how to handle men?

Oh, Billy, stop it.

Betsy, it's all right now.

It's all right.

Shh, honey.

- He's dead.
- He was after Betsy.

Pete, get the
girls back to camp.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute,
take this and put it in with our stuff.

As far as anybody's gonna
know, one of us shot him.

Huh, Jay, you know where Ryan's
men are keeping an eye on the herd?

Well, get him over to them.

They're gonna want
more than a dead body.

Whatever they want, they
have to come to me to get it.

I wanna keep the girls
out of this if possible.

- It'd be easier if we told them.
- When do we do things the easy way?

The three days the drovers give
us is gonna be up tomorrow morning.

I need more time.

Them buffalo ain't more
than about half killed off.

They'll come through
unless we stop them.

We'll stop them if we have to.

Only if we have to.

Those cattle are hungry.

Ought to be a way we can let them
come through without hurting us.

I'm gonna take a ride, have
a talk with that trail boss.

- Want me with you?
- No.

You backing out
from a fight, Mr. Ryan?

I'm up here after buffalo hides.

That's all I'm after.

Sorry, Cole, he's dead.

How did that happen?

One of the drovers brought
him to us, wouldn't say nothing.

Put him in one of the wagons.

You still going down to
the drovers, Mr. Ryan?

Looks like I'm riding
with you after all.

Oh, Pete, the calf
wagon is all fixed.

I can bring it in
whenever you want me to.

Oh, there ain't much
hurry about it now.

Yeah, it might be a
little too late anyway.

Young one's pretty worked up.

I gave her some medicine.
She'll sleep for a while.

And the sister wants
to stay with her.

They can't stay in the chuck
wagon. We gotta move the herd out.

- The girls are gonna have to...
- Oh, Rowdy, quit pushing it so hard.

I'm doing what
Mr. Favor would do.

You're only doing it because
you're trying so hard not to.

Buffalo men
riding in, Mr. Yates.

- Yeah? How many?
- Just two of them.

Want us to ride out there
and turn them back, Rowdy?

No, no. Let them come in.

What do you want?

The man who shot my brother.

Your brother got the
bullet he deserved.

That all you gonna say?

That's right.

You bring a sheriff in here, and
I'll tell him exactly what happened.

A sheriff?

I'm carrying my law with me.

Ride on out of here.

Now, which one of you was it?

Do I have to choose?

Maybe it was you.

I shot your brother,
Mr. Wallace.

- She's lying.
- Sure, she's lying.

Billy couldn't have
been killed by no woman.

Does it hurt your pride

to think a woman
can kill just like a man?

Who's she trying to protect?

I'll put my money on you.

You heard me, ride out of here.

Huh.

The odds are a little
heavy on your side.

Mr. Yates, you're dead.

The bullet that will kill you ain't
caught up with you yet, but it will.

Ryan, I'm bringing that
herd through right now.

I thought we might be
able to work that out,

but there's blood
in the way now.

Quince, bring the men
in. I wanna talk to them.

Scarlet, how's that calf wagon?

- Ready to roll.
- Now, bring it out.

How long before we move out?
- About an hour.

I'll ride on ahead and
see how the trail is.

Right.

You could've made
him believe you.

Or were you afraid he'd think you
were hiding behind a woman's skirt?

Except I never wear any.

Mr. Yates, I'm not sure I was
right shooting Billy Wallace.

Of course you were.

I can't get it out
of my mind. I...

I might've been able to
stop him without shooting.

I don't know whether
I killed Billy Wallace

because he was
dragging my sister off,

or because I was jealous.

Jealous because no man
would ever want me that much.

You had no other choice.

Men like Billy Wallace,
you can find them anywhere.

They see something they want,
and they just reach out and grab for it.

Sometimes, I even
wish I was that way.

Oh, the men are coming.

I'll go wake Betsy up.

We'll be ready when
the calf wagon gets here.

All right.

Now, we reach the
top of that plateau,

there's gonna be
no turning back.

They'll be 40 of them
against a lot less of us.

We gotta keep some men
with the herd at all times.

I don't know what chance we're
gonna have, but we're gonna take it.

So any man who wants to pull
out, now is the time to speak up.

There'll be no hard feelings.

I guess you don't need to sign a
piece of paper before a drover will fight.

All right. Quince will pass out
the rifles in the supply wagon.

Everybody make sure
you get a fresh horse.

We'll pull out as soon
as everybody's ready.

Mr. Wishbone, will
you do me a favor?

- What?
- I wanna write a letter to my ma,

in case anything
happens up in the hills.

Will you mail it for me?

Son, I'm gonna be
right there with you,

unless you think I'm too
old for that sort of thing.

The day you're too old to fight,
Wish, the sun ain't gonna rise.

Ah, you're mighty well told.

Anyway, you go ahead and write your
letter if it'll make you feel any better.

Mushy!

Mushy.

Mushy.

Mr. Wishbone, I'm sure
gonna miss them calves.

Well, you're a cook's
louse, not a cow.

Oh, my, you got me
talking as foolish as you.

Can I stay with them
until we move out?

Oh, all right.

Mr. Wishbone, where's Mr. Yates?

Well, he's probably down
the picket line with Hey Soos.

Oh. I guess he's too busy
to bother with... With us.

Will you tell him
goodbye for me?

Well, you know, I'm
kind of busy myself.

Why don't you just go
on down and tell him?

You really think I should?

Why, sure.

Oh.

Well, I'm not that busy I
can't watch over your sister.

I came to say goodbye.

Well, uh,

- I wasn't gonna leave, not till...
- Oh, uh,

you got your job to do.

Your life to lead.

A job that's taking you away.

A life that's got
no place in it for...

Uh...

It's no good, this country.

Drives its men and
it kills its women.

Maybe... Maybe a
hundred years from now,

it'll be a good
place to live in.

There'd be a time for...

something.

You don't even know
what I'm talking about.

Well, a hundred years, probably
won't be any cattle drives.

We got our lives right
now, not a hundred years.

Anyway, you never even said
you'd wanna look twice at me,

no matter where or when we were.

I've already
looked twice at you.

For what it's worth, I...
I could look some more.

For what it's worth.

Oh.

Don't look at me. I'm
not near pretty enough.

You ain't pretty at all,
but you'll do just fine.

The ranch is in terrible shape.

The fences need fixing and...
Oh, the barn needs painting.

Oh, well, this darn drive is
gonna take three to four months

to get to the railhead.

The barn and that fence
will have to wait until then.

Oh, they'll wait.

The fences and
the barn, they'll wait.

And I'll wait.

You do that once more,
you're gonna have to marry me.

Oh.

Don't say anything to that. Heh.

Anyway, of course, when you start
fixing the fences and painting the barn,

I might get to work on you.

I better not frighten you off.

It's gonna be a
long time waiting.

I wish there was some
way of speeding up time.

Very happy to have
met you, Mr. Yates.

I'm very happy to have
met you, Miss Emma. Heh.

- Come back soon.
- I will.

Oh.

I almost forgot to say goodbye.

Goodbye, Rowdy.

Bye, Emma.

Rowdy, stay behind the horses!
There's someone up there with a rifle!

I don't know. I
did what I could.

I don't know if it's
gonna be good enough.

I don't know if anything
is gonna be good enough.

Mr. Rowdy, Emma's
asking for you.

Row... Rowdy.

You... You look...

You look so far away.

I was afraid maybe
you'd gone away.

No, I'm here, Emma.

People do go away, you know?

And things.

Where's Betsy?

She's right outside.

Oh. I have to take care of Betsy

and not let her get
too near the fire,

because... Because
she don't know it burns.

It burns. Oh.

Is Betsy all right?

She's fine.

Oh, the... The
barn is a disgrace.

Looks... Looks terrible.

Don't worry,
I'll... I'll paint it.

You'll paint the barn

and fix the fences.

Maybe you'll even marry me.

If you do,

don't let me bring
any milk to the church.

I'll spill it.

Oh, no.

Oh, no.

We checked up on that hill.
Signs of a man with a rifle.

Horse tracks leading
up into the hills.

I'm riding up.

I'll get the drovers together.

This has nothing to
do with any drovers.

Pete and I will go with you.

No, you won't.

Well, uh, I'll get your
horse for you, Rowdy.

I never told her, Wish.

I think maybe you did.

I'd holler it from the hills
now and she'd never know.

Not now.

Well, she knew.

Women do.

They got a way of knowing before
you ever have to open your mouth.

Of course, they like to be
told, but they don't need to.

Oh, no.

Yeah.

Her sister's pretty broken up.

The girl died.

She got in the way.

The bullet was meant for you.

How does it feel
to shoot a woman?

I knew it would
bring you up here.

And that pleases you.

It pleases me fine.

Why? I'm not a girl.

I'm not gonna turn
my back on you.

That's the way you usually
kill, isn't it? In the back?

Try me.

- Right.
- I'll put a bullet in you

before you get your
gun out of your holster.

You might.

But right now I'm not worried
about living or dying, and you are.

His killing days are over.

Uh, I'm sure sorry
about that girl.

You better get your men ready

because we're bringing
that herd through.

No, no, I ain't
gonna need any men.

You go get your herd, bring it
through on the west side of the plateau.

We'll both get our job
done. That fair enough?

Fair enough.

Betsy, we've got your
stuff in the supply wagon.

Pete has some money. We're
gonna buy this calf wagon off you

and that will send you
back east to your people.

The calf wagon ain't
worth that much, Mr. Yates.

I'm setting the price.

Emma, she wanted
you to go back east.

I'd like you to let us send you.

Hyah!

Head them up.

Move them out.