The Magnificent Seven (1998–2000): Season 2, Episode 10 - The Trial - full transcript
BARKER:
Folks, come one, come all.
There's room for everybody.
Don't be shy.
Come on out.
See what you're made of.
Don't miss
this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. . .
. . .for an experience of a lifetime.
The McCormick Brothers'
Traveling Fun Competition.
. . .and the best sharpshooters
this side of the Mississippi.
Win yourself a brand-new
Winchester rifle.
Folks, come one, come all.
l don't see what all the fuss is about.
These fellas are as full of wind
as a bull in corn time.
J.D. :
You are right about that.
You know what they say:
''Those who can, do,
and those who can't, watch. ''
What's that supposed to mean?
That means he's trying to goad you
into racing for that Winchester.
Have a look, fellas.
[MEN SHOUTlNG AND WHOOPlNG ]
-Nice.
-Rifle's not bad either.
l might let you shoot it after l win.
Come on, now, Buck.
You got this all turned around.
-l'm gonna be winning that rifle.
-Fat chance, kid.
BARKER: When was the last time
you saw a rifle like that?
lf l were you, l'd hold off
on purchasing bullets just yet.
BARKER: Put your eyes back
in your heads, gentlemen, take a look.
Lot of frosting, no cake.
BARKER: When was the last time
you saw a rifle this purty?
l'll tell you, too long. Too long.
J.D. :
Hey, Josiah.
Ain't seen you around lately.
[WlND HOWLlNG ]
What's wrong with him?
This wind's kicking up.
lt's got everybody's skin crawling.
Maybe something happened to him
in Vista City.
-That's where he said he was going to.
-Vista City?
The only cultural attractions
in Vista City. . .
. . .are dust
and watered-down whiskey.
Well, there's only one thing
for sure is there.
Josiah's own personal hell.
[WlND HOWLlNG ]
ln those days shall men seek death
and shall not find it.
And shall desire to die.
And death shall flee from them.
PACE: Lady, this is Sledge.
We're the McCormick brothers.
-Don't you like him?
lRENE: Get out of my way.
SLEDGE:
My, my. You are a feisty one, ain't you?
Yeah, that's just the way l like them.
Ooh, we're gonna have a good time.
You like it like that?
Let go of me.
Now, you owe Miss lrene an apology.
-Stop it, stop it.
-Go to hell.
l'm already there.
SLEDGE:
You son of a--
-Come on.
PACE: Come on, Sledge, let's go.
l'll take you home.
[lRENE SCREAMlNG ]
[WlND HOWLlNG ]
Chris.
Get a look at this.
BUCK:
Stand back, now. We're in control.
-Who is she?
NATHAN: Miss lrene Dunlap.
Seamstress. Lived here in town.
J.D.'s riding out
to her folks' place to tell her.
-Mary, you might not want to see this.
-Buck, it's my job.
Those silver dollars?
EZRA:
They appear to be freshly minted. . .
. . .but the dates on them say
they're 6 years old.
Seems he saved them
for just such an occasion.
Can we--? Should we move her?
Get the poor girl off the street?
l'll see to it.
Don't touch or move anything.
l want everybody clear of this scene.
-Who's in charge here?
-l suppose that'd be me.
All right.
This woman. . .
. . .she was unmarried, lived alone.
Probably ran her own business.
Am l correct?
What do you know about this?
l've hunted the devil who did this
for two solid years.
l've traced his every move.
Ah.
Name's Cyrus Poplar.
You're a Pinkerton detective?
That l am, ma'am. That l am.
Wait a second. Two years?
So that means
there's been other murders?
This makes seven.
And unless l catch him soon. . .
. . .there's gonna be an eighth.
Two girls per town.
That's been his pattern.
EZRA:
Step aside.
BUCK: Give us some room.
-Be careful with her.
-l'm gonna wanna examine her later.
EZRA: Poor thing. Come on.
Easy, now.
l've just returned from Greely,
where a young lady fell under his knife.
l nearly had him there too.
But l have deduced
that he's working on a trail. . .
. . .headed directly
due south of the railroad.
Any idea what this devil looks like?
l've never seen him, far as l know.
All these traveling cowboys in town,
could be anyone.
-Better set up a patrol tonight.
-l recommend you do that.
Who was the last person
to see her alive?
l saw her. There was a cowboy
making trouble for her last night.
Josiah saw it too. l think
it was one of the McCormick brothers.
l'll wanna talk to you about that.
And where is this Josiah?
Josiah?
-What do you want?
-Well, l wanna ask you some questions.
Too early for answers.
A witness informed me
that you stopped a cowboy. . .
. . .from harassing a young lady
last night.
-And who would you be?
-Josiah, this is Cyrus Poplar.
He's with the Pinkerton Agency.
[JOSlAH GRUNTS]
To what do we owe this honor,
Mr. Pinkerton?
This young lady in question
was murdered last night.
Where'd you get that wound
on your head?
Murdered? Miss lrene?
Can you account
for your whereabouts last night?
Now, hold on there.
What kind of question is that?
JOSlAH:
l was. . . .
l was with her.
l tried to walk her home.
l was there to save her, but. . . .
She's dead.
God forgive me.
How long have you known this man?
Long enough.
[DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES]
EZRA:
My, my, my.
lt's just so awful.
Do you mind?
-Vulture.
-Just doing his job.
Yeah, well, he could show
a little respect.
Yeah. Well, we got a
strong hand, sharp blade.
A single cut from right to left.
-Could be our man's--
POPLAR: Left-handed.
l see you're a student of pathology.
l learn as l go.
Can we turn her over, please?
There may be some bruises
from where he grabbed her.
Yeah, could tell us
the size of his hands.
[GASPS
-Rain.
RAlN: Nathan.
They said you were here.
l'm sorry.
l did not realize. . . .
lsn't that your charming paramour
from the Seminole village?
She's a long way from home.
NATHAN:
Rain.
Good Lord, girl.
You drop out of the sky like that.
Startle a man.
This isn't the surprise l had in mind.
You all right?
l had heard what happened
to that woman. . .
. . .but seeing her. . . .
Yeah.
l'm sorry you had to see that.
l forgot how beautiful you are.
lt has been a long time.
Yeah.
Rain, l've been meaning
to come up and see you.
BARKER:
Good people, come out.
Don't let this tragedy
force you into your homes.
Show the world this is your town.
Sign up for the big race tomorrow
and win a brand-new rifle. . .
. . .to help protect your loved ones.
-Come one, come all.
-ls it always this way here?
Not quite this crazy.
-But there's always something going on.
-And is this how you like to live?
l hadn't really thought about it,
l guess.
Maybe you should.
Nathan, l've come
to find out about you.
My village has found a man
for me to marry.
-Oh.
BARKER: Race against Pace McCormick. . .
. . .fastest man on earth.
He'll take on anybody
with a heart and a horse.
lf you've got one and not the other,
don't waste your hard-earned money.
We want competition, not charity. Ha!
Come on boys, sign up. Let's go.
Best get on the list soon.
Space is running out.
BUCK:
How'd her parents take it?
Buck, l've never had to tell somebody
something so terrible in my life.
Think l'd rather shoot myself
than have to do that again.
Oh, l guess a thing like murder is not
gonna stop people from having fun, huh?
Folks need something
to take it off their mind.
-Come on, l'll buy you a beer.
-Appreciate it.
BUCK:
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey!
That's good.
Looks like you don't think
you got what it takes, cowboy.
[BUCK CLEARS THROAT]
May l?
Hyah!
Well, that's a cute trick.
Man enough to play with ropes. . .
. . .but not to race a horse, huh?
Well, you know, l wasn't gonna race,
out of respect for the dead.
But l'll tell you what.
l think you need to learn
a little lesson.
Uh-huh.
Come on, J.D.
l'm signing up. Hyah!
-There you go.
-How much for the sign-up?
-One dollar, join up.
-One dollar, huh?
BUCK: See you in the saloon.
J.D. : All right.
-ls that one gonna be a problem?
-He's all show. l'm your problem.
VlN: Josiah, climbing back into the
bottle ain't gonna make this go away.
Now, l'm trying to help you here.
You can stop anytime, now.
Mr. Sanchez,
l have some more questions to ask you. . .
. . .now that your mind is clear.
-Won't be for long.
-The man wants to be left alone.
Must be a reason he refuses to talk.
l reckon your time would be better spent
asking around. . .
. . .about them traveling cowboys.
Look, perhaps you'll
allow me the courtesy. . .
. . .of conducting
my own investigation.
All you need to know about Josiah
is that he watched my back. . .
. . .in more than one gunfight,
and that's good enough for me.
l promised those girls l wouldn't let
their deaths go unanswered.
And l will keep that promise. . .
. . .friend of yours or not.
[WlND HOWLlNG ]
Hey.
Wind's kicking in off the desert.
Makes people a little crazy.
lt does not make them crazy,
it just gives them an excuse.
l did not come
to talk about the weather, Nathan.
Rain. . .
. . .l can't tell you not to marry him.
l am not asking you to.
All l want is to know more about you.
Talking about myself. . .
. . .don't come too easy for me.
Well, that l did not know.
You see?
lt is not so hard.
You're probably tired
after such a long ride, huh?
Why don't you get some rest. . .
. . .and l'll grab a haystack in the livery
after my shift on patrol tonight.
-Will you be long?
-No.
Would you feel better if l took up
a bedroll on the floor when l got back?
And don't you worry.
l ain't gonna let nothing
happen to you.
-Hey, Vin.
-Chris.
The cowboy who harassed Miss lrene
was Sledge McCormick.
Maybe we ought to ride out
to their camp tomorrow.
All right, you managed to wean Josiah
off that bottle?
No.
He's got a bad habit
of losing his memory in it.
What you trying to say?
lt's tough to be impartial
when the party in question is one of us.
That why you're giving the Pinkerton
free rein over this thing?
lf he can help us find the bastard,
l don't see how it could hurt.
Could hurt Josiah. Unless you think
Josiah's who we're looking for.
You so sure it isn't?
How well do we know Josiah?
How well do you really know anyone?
[CLATTERlNG ]
[MARY SCREAMlNG ]
CHRlS:
Mary?
What happened?
Somebody grabbed me in the alley.
-Are you hurt?
-No.
-Did you get a good look at him?
-Mary, l'll take you home.
But, Billy. l was on my way to--
Don't worry about Billy, Miss Travis.
l'll pick him up. Don't you worry.
VlN:
Anything?
Whoever it was, they're gone.
What's that? Over there?
Do you recognize it?
lt's Josiah's.
And you have no idea
how it got there?
l told you before.
l never even knew
it had gone missing.
Mr. Poplar, l know Josiah.
He would never attack me.
Then why won't he talk?
Josiah.
This man's raising
some serious charges about you.
lf you got sense left in you, give him
what you know and be done with it.
Evil is wrought by want of mind
as well as want of heart.
Now, those silver dollars
won't buy you penance, mister.
Now, you just got back from Vista City,
didn't you?
Yeah, l heard about that.
But you see, Greely is directly en route.
And l found two dead girls in Greely.
Tell me what l'm gonna find
in Vista City, Josiah.
-Tell me!
VlN: That's enough!
-You want a villain?
VlN: Easy, now.
You want a villain?!
l'll be your sacrificial lamb.
CHRlS:
Josiah.
But my sins are between me
and my God.
-No.
-That man belongs in jail.
l have the authority to incarcerate
a suspect no matter whose friend he is.
Not while l'm the law in town.
[FOOTSTEPS]
[THUMP]
Hey, it's just me.
l was dreaming.
l kept seeing her face.
You're safe now.
Nathan.
l don't think l can stay here too long.
Well, l'm sorry to hear that.
Are you?
Ever since l left your village. . .
. . .not a day goes by
l don't think about you.
Then do something.
BUCK:
Hyah!
[ALL SHOUTlNG ]
You got him now. Come on.
And the winner is the legendary
Pace McCormick. Whoo!
l hope all you people who bet against
Pace McCormick learned your lesson.
Never bet against the best.
You bet against me?
And a wise decision it was.
That was, perhaps,
the saddest race l've ever seen.
Damn horse fell asleep on me.
What's wrong with you, huh?
Blame it on the horse,
blame it on the wind if you have to.
But we all know, it ain't the fiddle,
it's the man holding the bow.
-Funny guy.
-He's quite right.
Buck, l fear your fiddle
was out of tune.
You'd run poorly too
if you'd been fed laudanum.
Laudanum?
Yeah, it's a hustler's trick utilized
around the hippodromes back east.
l've employed it to great effect myself.
You can tell by the eyes.
Oh, damn, you're right.
He's roistered.
-Yeah, poor thing.
-Now, wait a minute.
You knew and you let me make a fool
of myself so you could make money?
Well, your ignominy
was an unfortunate byproduct. . .
. . .of a most gainful venture.
l am, however, prepared to share
the wealth in this case.
All of it.
All of it.
lt's not your greed that offends me,
it's your ingratitude.
Thank you, Ezra.
Now, l'm gonna kill that son of a bitch.
Well, l agree
that retribution is in order. . .
. . .but perhaps a more effective method
would be a taste of his own medicine.
Literally.
NATHAN:
The man is sick.
He's in no mind
to answer any of your questions.
Look, l just wanna look around.
lf he's innocent,
he's got nothing to hide.
Come on in.
l never shut my doors
on those in need.
Here. Let me help you.
NATHAN: Come on, compadre.
Give it a rest, huh?
Josiah.
Forbear to judge,
for we are sinners all.
You satisfied?
Thank you, Lord.
For atonement is finally at hand.
He wouldn't talk to you either, huh?
He's acting like a guilty man.
He'll get himself hung.
We'll clear this up
when we find that McCormick cowboy.
VlN: See you all later.
NATHAN: Where's he going?
Vista City,
to find out what he can on Josiah.
-You going out to that McCormick camp?
-Yeah.
That sounds like fun.
[HORSE NElGHS]
Looking for Sledge McCormick.
You're fishing up the wrong stream,
my friend.
My brother ain't no saint.
-But he ain't no killer, neither.
-Well, l'd like to hear him say that.
l just said it for him.
Don't suppose you'd mind
if l looked around?
Chris, there he is. That's him.
CHRlS:
l got him.
J.D.
-Back up.
CHRlS: Cover them, J.D.
J.D. : l got them.
Go and reach for it, l'll shoot it off.
Ain't much work
for a one-armed roper.
Come here.
Get down. Where you going, huh?
-l didn't do nothing to that lady, l swear.
-Where'd you get that bum leg?
l busted it when l fell off a bronc.
-Let me check.
SLEDGE: No.
-Hold still, l wanna check.
-You hold still.
[GRUNTS]
We're looking for a man fast enough
to chase down a scared girl.
And get away after Mary got grabbed.
lf you didn't hurt that girl,
how come you ran? You tell me.
Because l suspected that it was
gonna end up on my head so l ran.
l ain't gonna lie to you guys.
l've done some bad things.
But l don't kill no ladies.
l got more questions for you.
Now, get up, go on.
Where was your last performance?
Was it in Greely, huh?
Where they found those dead girls?
[CHURCH BELL CHlMlNG ]
VlN: Afternoon, Sister.
Just wondering if you could help me out.
They say the man l'm looking for
comes up here from time to time.
-A man here?
-His name is Josiah Sanchez.
Big feller, hair going a touch gray.
No. No man comes here. l'm sorry.
Sister, please. Josiah's my friend
and he's in a heap of trouble.
Now, l need to know if he's been here.
[SPEAKlNG lN SPANlSH]
CHRlS: He didn't do it.
He's just a dumb cowboy.
Yeah, looks like
we're back to square one.
Yeah.
Doesn't look good for Josiah.
You know, if you ask me. . .
. . .Josiah being locked away
ain't gonna keep those ladies safe.
l know Rain, she's pretty shook up.
She's got a right to be.
You know, she's thinking about
getting married back in her village.
Must not be thinking too hard
since she's here.
l suppose.
l mean, l wouldn't try to stop her.
lt's just, l'm not ready for that.
-You got feelings for her, that's clear.
-Oh, yeah.
l got feelings for her.
lt's just, they're all mixed up.
-Mixed up how?
-l don't know.
l mean,
everybody l ever got close to. . .
. . .sooner or later, they was dead,
or sold off or something.
Because you lost them,
are you sorry you ever had them?
[WOMAN SPEAKlNG lN SPANlSH]
Excuse me.
Excuse me.
l'm sorry to trouble you, ma'am.
Can l talk to you for a minute?
l was wondering if you happen to know
a friend of mine.
His name is Josiah Sanchez.
You know him?
[HANNAH CRYlNG ]
Ma'am, please. Just tell me
what you have to do with Josiah.
NUN: What are you doing in here?
Get out now. lt's all right, Hannah.
-lt's all right, dear.
-Sister, just tell me who she is.
Just go. There's nothing for you here.
lt's all right, Hannah.
Get out. lt's all right, dear.
lt's all right, Hannah.
Hannah, it's all right.
lt's all right, it's all right.
You had no right to go see her, Vin.
l got every right because l'm trying
to save your damn hide.
Now, who is she?
A soul in torment.
That's all you gotta know.
Then l'm gonna ride out there
and get it out of her myself.
-Now, you stay away from her!
-Then talk to me, you stubborn fool!
l'll give her your regards.
She's my sister.
She wasn't always like you saw her.
Time was when she was
real full of life.
Of course. . .
. . .being a missionary's daughter
ain't easy.
My father. . . .
My father. . . .
He said she was on a road
to destruction.
He tried to rein her in.
But the harder he'd pull,
the wilder she got.
lt's like she had a demon
inside of her.
She started doing crazy things.
Going off with men, drinking.
He tried locking her up.
Sending her away.
Beating her.
l should've stayed.
l could've saved her.
But l couldn't see past saving myself.
Every time l went home,
she was worse off.
Until she finally got to be
how she is now.
Every penny l got goes to keeping her.
And when l see her
it tears me up so bad.
Takes me a week
before l stop wanting to die.
And now the Lord is serving up my
penance and l'm looking forward to it.
l really am.
l need to find peace.
POPLAR:
So you will, Josiah.
So you will.
Overly religious father,
sexually promiscuous sister. . .
. . .even the coins make sense
when you think about the resentment. . .
. . .he felt for paying for her care.
You're twisting around everything
he said and it's gonna end now.
l have hunted him for too long
to let him walk away now.
You listen to me.
You got the wrong man, Poplar.
The judge will decide that.
Now you seem in an awful hurry
to beat your friend to the grave.
Give them over, Vin.
You ain't gonna do me any good dead.
l'll be back with the guilty man.
-Agreeable breakfast, Mr. McCormick?
BUCK: Damn fine preserves, huh?
Excuse me, boys. l'm off to--
[GRUNTS]
--humiliate your friend here.
You know, folks around here
don't appreciate a horse poisoning.
l suggest you find
a quiet alley somewhere.
lpecac takes effect quite suddenly
from what l hear.
[PACE HEAVlNG ]
[BUCK LAUGHlNG ]
-Ezra, Buck, what did you just do?
BUCK: Nothing.
Come on, now,
l can win this race on my own.
-Well, sure you can, son.
-But it's a matter of principle now.
Principle? Since when
do you two have principles?
Ahem. l do believe
l am in the need of an escort.
Ezra, would you care to. . .?
Oh, no, no, no. You're the ladies' man,
Buck. Please, be my guest.
-All right.
SHOWGlRL: Well?
-Here you go.
-How charming.
Have fun.
Buck always gets the girl.
Well, ahem. . .
. . .it's been a pleasure, ma'am.
-Ah!
-Oh!
Don't look at that.
l knew there was something
different about you.
You're a funny cowboy.
[BUCK LAUGHlNG ]
SHOWGlRL:
Wait!
Why?
l have to know.
What motivates a man
to do such terrible things?
l got no need
to confess to you, Poplar.
Oh, you're angry, that's clear.
But why?
Do you see someone in those girls?
ls it your sister?
l don't know whose story
you're telling, but it ain't mine.
You can't lie to me.
l see it in your eyes.
Yeah, the rage.
-Why am l mad, Poplar?
-You--
What is it those girls did to me?
Or are they paying
for somebody else's sins?
lt's a woman, isn't it?
-She hurt me.
-She left you.
That's right, she left me.
-But why?
-For all those other men.
You can hear the noises
she made with them at night.
Yeah, she left me
for those other men.
And every evening
before she'd go away. . .
. . .she'd put me on her lap
and tell me l was her one true love.
But she loved someone else,
didn't she?
She loved. . . .
She loved these.
The miners would lay them
on her bedside table.
Two a piece.
Two shiny silver dollars.
[POPLAR YELLS]
[POPLAR GRUNTlNG ]
[JOSlAH GRUNTS]
Poplar.
Poplar.
Poplar!
[SCREAMlNG ]
[RAlN SCREAMlNG ]
[POPLAR YELLS]
Nathan.
No, don't leave me.
[RAlN CRYlNG ]
Come on. Help me out here.
BARKER: All right, ladies and gentlemen,
finally the race you've been waiting for.
Between the incomparable
Pace McCormick. . .
. . .and your very own J.D. Dunn.
Are you ready?
Place your bets, place your bets.
Hello, Miss Travis,
care to come with me?
Oh, well. . . .
l've won races
in worse shape than this.
And l'm even faster when l'm mad.
-Come on, J.D.
-lt's Poplar.
BARKER: On your mark.
-There he is.
BARKER:
Get ready.
[CROWD CHEERlNG ]
[SHOUTlNG ]
Come on, get away from him.
J.D. :
Miss Travis.
-l got him.
-l'll go around back.
Stay back.
Now, you can't undo
what's already done.
But you can put an end to it now.
They torment you.
They haunt you, those women.
You see them when you close your eyes.
There's no rest.
Pay your penance, Poplar.
Pay it.
And be free.
Give me the knife.
[POPLAR GRUNTS]
JOSlAH:
Of all the tyrannies of humankind. . .
. . .the worst is that
which persecutes the mind.
Josiah.
What you told me
about your sister and all.
Just want you to know that
that's between you and me.
l appreciate that, Vin.
But, you know, saying it out loud. . .
. . .kind of made it
a little easier to bear.
Well. . .
. . .now you're free and clear.
Oh. . . .
l'll never be free and clear.
You know, Rain,
l got no right to ask you this question--
l am not going to marry him, Nathan.
l came to see about you.
And while l did not find out
all l wanted to. . .
. . .l did learn one important thing.
-Well, what's that?
-You are crazy about me.
That l am, Miss Rain.
That l am.
[RAlN MAKES CLlCKlNG NOlSE]
[HORSE APPROACHlNG ]
You know, Rain, l was thinking. . .
. . .if l was to ride a ways with you. . .
. . .maybe l could tell you
a little more about me. . .
. . .and you could tell me
a little bit more about you.
Could be a long talk.
Well, we got a long ride.
Did l ever tell you l was born
on a slave plantation in 1 839. . .
. . .outside of Atlanta?
l never told you that?
Folks, come one, come all.
There's room for everybody.
Don't be shy.
Come on out.
See what you're made of.
Don't miss
this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. . .
. . .for an experience of a lifetime.
The McCormick Brothers'
Traveling Fun Competition.
. . .and the best sharpshooters
this side of the Mississippi.
Win yourself a brand-new
Winchester rifle.
Folks, come one, come all.
l don't see what all the fuss is about.
These fellas are as full of wind
as a bull in corn time.
J.D. :
You are right about that.
You know what they say:
''Those who can, do,
and those who can't, watch. ''
What's that supposed to mean?
That means he's trying to goad you
into racing for that Winchester.
Have a look, fellas.
[MEN SHOUTlNG AND WHOOPlNG ]
-Nice.
-Rifle's not bad either.
l might let you shoot it after l win.
Come on, now, Buck.
You got this all turned around.
-l'm gonna be winning that rifle.
-Fat chance, kid.
BARKER: When was the last time
you saw a rifle like that?
lf l were you, l'd hold off
on purchasing bullets just yet.
BARKER: Put your eyes back
in your heads, gentlemen, take a look.
Lot of frosting, no cake.
BARKER: When was the last time
you saw a rifle this purty?
l'll tell you, too long. Too long.
J.D. :
Hey, Josiah.
Ain't seen you around lately.
[WlND HOWLlNG ]
What's wrong with him?
This wind's kicking up.
lt's got everybody's skin crawling.
Maybe something happened to him
in Vista City.
-That's where he said he was going to.
-Vista City?
The only cultural attractions
in Vista City. . .
. . .are dust
and watered-down whiskey.
Well, there's only one thing
for sure is there.
Josiah's own personal hell.
[WlND HOWLlNG ]
ln those days shall men seek death
and shall not find it.
And shall desire to die.
And death shall flee from them.
PACE: Lady, this is Sledge.
We're the McCormick brothers.
-Don't you like him?
lRENE: Get out of my way.
SLEDGE:
My, my. You are a feisty one, ain't you?
Yeah, that's just the way l like them.
Ooh, we're gonna have a good time.
You like it like that?
Let go of me.
Now, you owe Miss lrene an apology.
-Stop it, stop it.
-Go to hell.
l'm already there.
SLEDGE:
You son of a--
-Come on.
PACE: Come on, Sledge, let's go.
l'll take you home.
[lRENE SCREAMlNG ]
[WlND HOWLlNG ]
Chris.
Get a look at this.
BUCK:
Stand back, now. We're in control.
-Who is she?
NATHAN: Miss lrene Dunlap.
Seamstress. Lived here in town.
J.D.'s riding out
to her folks' place to tell her.
-Mary, you might not want to see this.
-Buck, it's my job.
Those silver dollars?
EZRA:
They appear to be freshly minted. . .
. . .but the dates on them say
they're 6 years old.
Seems he saved them
for just such an occasion.
Can we--? Should we move her?
Get the poor girl off the street?
l'll see to it.
Don't touch or move anything.
l want everybody clear of this scene.
-Who's in charge here?
-l suppose that'd be me.
All right.
This woman. . .
. . .she was unmarried, lived alone.
Probably ran her own business.
Am l correct?
What do you know about this?
l've hunted the devil who did this
for two solid years.
l've traced his every move.
Ah.
Name's Cyrus Poplar.
You're a Pinkerton detective?
That l am, ma'am. That l am.
Wait a second. Two years?
So that means
there's been other murders?
This makes seven.
And unless l catch him soon. . .
. . .there's gonna be an eighth.
Two girls per town.
That's been his pattern.
EZRA:
Step aside.
BUCK: Give us some room.
-Be careful with her.
-l'm gonna wanna examine her later.
EZRA: Poor thing. Come on.
Easy, now.
l've just returned from Greely,
where a young lady fell under his knife.
l nearly had him there too.
But l have deduced
that he's working on a trail. . .
. . .headed directly
due south of the railroad.
Any idea what this devil looks like?
l've never seen him, far as l know.
All these traveling cowboys in town,
could be anyone.
-Better set up a patrol tonight.
-l recommend you do that.
Who was the last person
to see her alive?
l saw her. There was a cowboy
making trouble for her last night.
Josiah saw it too. l think
it was one of the McCormick brothers.
l'll wanna talk to you about that.
And where is this Josiah?
Josiah?
-What do you want?
-Well, l wanna ask you some questions.
Too early for answers.
A witness informed me
that you stopped a cowboy. . .
. . .from harassing a young lady
last night.
-And who would you be?
-Josiah, this is Cyrus Poplar.
He's with the Pinkerton Agency.
[JOSlAH GRUNTS]
To what do we owe this honor,
Mr. Pinkerton?
This young lady in question
was murdered last night.
Where'd you get that wound
on your head?
Murdered? Miss lrene?
Can you account
for your whereabouts last night?
Now, hold on there.
What kind of question is that?
JOSlAH:
l was. . . .
l was with her.
l tried to walk her home.
l was there to save her, but. . . .
She's dead.
God forgive me.
How long have you known this man?
Long enough.
[DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES]
EZRA:
My, my, my.
lt's just so awful.
Do you mind?
-Vulture.
-Just doing his job.
Yeah, well, he could show
a little respect.
Yeah. Well, we got a
strong hand, sharp blade.
A single cut from right to left.
-Could be our man's--
POPLAR: Left-handed.
l see you're a student of pathology.
l learn as l go.
Can we turn her over, please?
There may be some bruises
from where he grabbed her.
Yeah, could tell us
the size of his hands.
[GASPS
-Rain.
RAlN: Nathan.
They said you were here.
l'm sorry.
l did not realize. . . .
lsn't that your charming paramour
from the Seminole village?
She's a long way from home.
NATHAN:
Rain.
Good Lord, girl.
You drop out of the sky like that.
Startle a man.
This isn't the surprise l had in mind.
You all right?
l had heard what happened
to that woman. . .
. . .but seeing her. . . .
Yeah.
l'm sorry you had to see that.
l forgot how beautiful you are.
lt has been a long time.
Yeah.
Rain, l've been meaning
to come up and see you.
BARKER:
Good people, come out.
Don't let this tragedy
force you into your homes.
Show the world this is your town.
Sign up for the big race tomorrow
and win a brand-new rifle. . .
. . .to help protect your loved ones.
-Come one, come all.
-ls it always this way here?
Not quite this crazy.
-But there's always something going on.
-And is this how you like to live?
l hadn't really thought about it,
l guess.
Maybe you should.
Nathan, l've come
to find out about you.
My village has found a man
for me to marry.
-Oh.
BARKER: Race against Pace McCormick. . .
. . .fastest man on earth.
He'll take on anybody
with a heart and a horse.
lf you've got one and not the other,
don't waste your hard-earned money.
We want competition, not charity. Ha!
Come on boys, sign up. Let's go.
Best get on the list soon.
Space is running out.
BUCK:
How'd her parents take it?
Buck, l've never had to tell somebody
something so terrible in my life.
Think l'd rather shoot myself
than have to do that again.
Oh, l guess a thing like murder is not
gonna stop people from having fun, huh?
Folks need something
to take it off their mind.
-Come on, l'll buy you a beer.
-Appreciate it.
BUCK:
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey!
That's good.
Looks like you don't think
you got what it takes, cowboy.
[BUCK CLEARS THROAT]
May l?
Hyah!
Well, that's a cute trick.
Man enough to play with ropes. . .
. . .but not to race a horse, huh?
Well, you know, l wasn't gonna race,
out of respect for the dead.
But l'll tell you what.
l think you need to learn
a little lesson.
Uh-huh.
Come on, J.D.
l'm signing up. Hyah!
-There you go.
-How much for the sign-up?
-One dollar, join up.
-One dollar, huh?
BUCK: See you in the saloon.
J.D. : All right.
-ls that one gonna be a problem?
-He's all show. l'm your problem.
VlN: Josiah, climbing back into the
bottle ain't gonna make this go away.
Now, l'm trying to help you here.
You can stop anytime, now.
Mr. Sanchez,
l have some more questions to ask you. . .
. . .now that your mind is clear.
-Won't be for long.
-The man wants to be left alone.
Must be a reason he refuses to talk.
l reckon your time would be better spent
asking around. . .
. . .about them traveling cowboys.
Look, perhaps you'll
allow me the courtesy. . .
. . .of conducting
my own investigation.
All you need to know about Josiah
is that he watched my back. . .
. . .in more than one gunfight,
and that's good enough for me.
l promised those girls l wouldn't let
their deaths go unanswered.
And l will keep that promise. . .
. . .friend of yours or not.
[WlND HOWLlNG ]
Hey.
Wind's kicking in off the desert.
Makes people a little crazy.
lt does not make them crazy,
it just gives them an excuse.
l did not come
to talk about the weather, Nathan.
Rain. . .
. . .l can't tell you not to marry him.
l am not asking you to.
All l want is to know more about you.
Talking about myself. . .
. . .don't come too easy for me.
Well, that l did not know.
You see?
lt is not so hard.
You're probably tired
after such a long ride, huh?
Why don't you get some rest. . .
. . .and l'll grab a haystack in the livery
after my shift on patrol tonight.
-Will you be long?
-No.
Would you feel better if l took up
a bedroll on the floor when l got back?
And don't you worry.
l ain't gonna let nothing
happen to you.
-Hey, Vin.
-Chris.
The cowboy who harassed Miss lrene
was Sledge McCormick.
Maybe we ought to ride out
to their camp tomorrow.
All right, you managed to wean Josiah
off that bottle?
No.
He's got a bad habit
of losing his memory in it.
What you trying to say?
lt's tough to be impartial
when the party in question is one of us.
That why you're giving the Pinkerton
free rein over this thing?
lf he can help us find the bastard,
l don't see how it could hurt.
Could hurt Josiah. Unless you think
Josiah's who we're looking for.
You so sure it isn't?
How well do we know Josiah?
How well do you really know anyone?
[CLATTERlNG ]
[MARY SCREAMlNG ]
CHRlS:
Mary?
What happened?
Somebody grabbed me in the alley.
-Are you hurt?
-No.
-Did you get a good look at him?
-Mary, l'll take you home.
But, Billy. l was on my way to--
Don't worry about Billy, Miss Travis.
l'll pick him up. Don't you worry.
VlN:
Anything?
Whoever it was, they're gone.
What's that? Over there?
Do you recognize it?
lt's Josiah's.
And you have no idea
how it got there?
l told you before.
l never even knew
it had gone missing.
Mr. Poplar, l know Josiah.
He would never attack me.
Then why won't he talk?
Josiah.
This man's raising
some serious charges about you.
lf you got sense left in you, give him
what you know and be done with it.
Evil is wrought by want of mind
as well as want of heart.
Now, those silver dollars
won't buy you penance, mister.
Now, you just got back from Vista City,
didn't you?
Yeah, l heard about that.
But you see, Greely is directly en route.
And l found two dead girls in Greely.
Tell me what l'm gonna find
in Vista City, Josiah.
-Tell me!
VlN: That's enough!
-You want a villain?
VlN: Easy, now.
You want a villain?!
l'll be your sacrificial lamb.
CHRlS:
Josiah.
But my sins are between me
and my God.
-No.
-That man belongs in jail.
l have the authority to incarcerate
a suspect no matter whose friend he is.
Not while l'm the law in town.
[FOOTSTEPS]
[THUMP]
Hey, it's just me.
l was dreaming.
l kept seeing her face.
You're safe now.
Nathan.
l don't think l can stay here too long.
Well, l'm sorry to hear that.
Are you?
Ever since l left your village. . .
. . .not a day goes by
l don't think about you.
Then do something.
BUCK:
Hyah!
[ALL SHOUTlNG ]
You got him now. Come on.
And the winner is the legendary
Pace McCormick. Whoo!
l hope all you people who bet against
Pace McCormick learned your lesson.
Never bet against the best.
You bet against me?
And a wise decision it was.
That was, perhaps,
the saddest race l've ever seen.
Damn horse fell asleep on me.
What's wrong with you, huh?
Blame it on the horse,
blame it on the wind if you have to.
But we all know, it ain't the fiddle,
it's the man holding the bow.
-Funny guy.
-He's quite right.
Buck, l fear your fiddle
was out of tune.
You'd run poorly too
if you'd been fed laudanum.
Laudanum?
Yeah, it's a hustler's trick utilized
around the hippodromes back east.
l've employed it to great effect myself.
You can tell by the eyes.
Oh, damn, you're right.
He's roistered.
-Yeah, poor thing.
-Now, wait a minute.
You knew and you let me make a fool
of myself so you could make money?
Well, your ignominy
was an unfortunate byproduct. . .
. . .of a most gainful venture.
l am, however, prepared to share
the wealth in this case.
All of it.
All of it.
lt's not your greed that offends me,
it's your ingratitude.
Thank you, Ezra.
Now, l'm gonna kill that son of a bitch.
Well, l agree
that retribution is in order. . .
. . .but perhaps a more effective method
would be a taste of his own medicine.
Literally.
NATHAN:
The man is sick.
He's in no mind
to answer any of your questions.
Look, l just wanna look around.
lf he's innocent,
he's got nothing to hide.
Come on in.
l never shut my doors
on those in need.
Here. Let me help you.
NATHAN: Come on, compadre.
Give it a rest, huh?
Josiah.
Forbear to judge,
for we are sinners all.
You satisfied?
Thank you, Lord.
For atonement is finally at hand.
He wouldn't talk to you either, huh?
He's acting like a guilty man.
He'll get himself hung.
We'll clear this up
when we find that McCormick cowboy.
VlN: See you all later.
NATHAN: Where's he going?
Vista City,
to find out what he can on Josiah.
-You going out to that McCormick camp?
-Yeah.
That sounds like fun.
[HORSE NElGHS]
Looking for Sledge McCormick.
You're fishing up the wrong stream,
my friend.
My brother ain't no saint.
-But he ain't no killer, neither.
-Well, l'd like to hear him say that.
l just said it for him.
Don't suppose you'd mind
if l looked around?
Chris, there he is. That's him.
CHRlS:
l got him.
J.D.
-Back up.
CHRlS: Cover them, J.D.
J.D. : l got them.
Go and reach for it, l'll shoot it off.
Ain't much work
for a one-armed roper.
Come here.
Get down. Where you going, huh?
-l didn't do nothing to that lady, l swear.
-Where'd you get that bum leg?
l busted it when l fell off a bronc.
-Let me check.
SLEDGE: No.
-Hold still, l wanna check.
-You hold still.
[GRUNTS]
We're looking for a man fast enough
to chase down a scared girl.
And get away after Mary got grabbed.
lf you didn't hurt that girl,
how come you ran? You tell me.
Because l suspected that it was
gonna end up on my head so l ran.
l ain't gonna lie to you guys.
l've done some bad things.
But l don't kill no ladies.
l got more questions for you.
Now, get up, go on.
Where was your last performance?
Was it in Greely, huh?
Where they found those dead girls?
[CHURCH BELL CHlMlNG ]
VlN: Afternoon, Sister.
Just wondering if you could help me out.
They say the man l'm looking for
comes up here from time to time.
-A man here?
-His name is Josiah Sanchez.
Big feller, hair going a touch gray.
No. No man comes here. l'm sorry.
Sister, please. Josiah's my friend
and he's in a heap of trouble.
Now, l need to know if he's been here.
[SPEAKlNG lN SPANlSH]
CHRlS: He didn't do it.
He's just a dumb cowboy.
Yeah, looks like
we're back to square one.
Yeah.
Doesn't look good for Josiah.
You know, if you ask me. . .
. . .Josiah being locked away
ain't gonna keep those ladies safe.
l know Rain, she's pretty shook up.
She's got a right to be.
You know, she's thinking about
getting married back in her village.
Must not be thinking too hard
since she's here.
l suppose.
l mean, l wouldn't try to stop her.
lt's just, l'm not ready for that.
-You got feelings for her, that's clear.
-Oh, yeah.
l got feelings for her.
lt's just, they're all mixed up.
-Mixed up how?
-l don't know.
l mean,
everybody l ever got close to. . .
. . .sooner or later, they was dead,
or sold off or something.
Because you lost them,
are you sorry you ever had them?
[WOMAN SPEAKlNG lN SPANlSH]
Excuse me.
Excuse me.
l'm sorry to trouble you, ma'am.
Can l talk to you for a minute?
l was wondering if you happen to know
a friend of mine.
His name is Josiah Sanchez.
You know him?
[HANNAH CRYlNG ]
Ma'am, please. Just tell me
what you have to do with Josiah.
NUN: What are you doing in here?
Get out now. lt's all right, Hannah.
-lt's all right, dear.
-Sister, just tell me who she is.
Just go. There's nothing for you here.
lt's all right, Hannah.
Get out. lt's all right, dear.
lt's all right, Hannah.
Hannah, it's all right.
lt's all right, it's all right.
You had no right to go see her, Vin.
l got every right because l'm trying
to save your damn hide.
Now, who is she?
A soul in torment.
That's all you gotta know.
Then l'm gonna ride out there
and get it out of her myself.
-Now, you stay away from her!
-Then talk to me, you stubborn fool!
l'll give her your regards.
She's my sister.
She wasn't always like you saw her.
Time was when she was
real full of life.
Of course. . .
. . .being a missionary's daughter
ain't easy.
My father. . . .
My father. . . .
He said she was on a road
to destruction.
He tried to rein her in.
But the harder he'd pull,
the wilder she got.
lt's like she had a demon
inside of her.
She started doing crazy things.
Going off with men, drinking.
He tried locking her up.
Sending her away.
Beating her.
l should've stayed.
l could've saved her.
But l couldn't see past saving myself.
Every time l went home,
she was worse off.
Until she finally got to be
how she is now.
Every penny l got goes to keeping her.
And when l see her
it tears me up so bad.
Takes me a week
before l stop wanting to die.
And now the Lord is serving up my
penance and l'm looking forward to it.
l really am.
l need to find peace.
POPLAR:
So you will, Josiah.
So you will.
Overly religious father,
sexually promiscuous sister. . .
. . .even the coins make sense
when you think about the resentment. . .
. . .he felt for paying for her care.
You're twisting around everything
he said and it's gonna end now.
l have hunted him for too long
to let him walk away now.
You listen to me.
You got the wrong man, Poplar.
The judge will decide that.
Now you seem in an awful hurry
to beat your friend to the grave.
Give them over, Vin.
You ain't gonna do me any good dead.
l'll be back with the guilty man.
-Agreeable breakfast, Mr. McCormick?
BUCK: Damn fine preserves, huh?
Excuse me, boys. l'm off to--
[GRUNTS]
--humiliate your friend here.
You know, folks around here
don't appreciate a horse poisoning.
l suggest you find
a quiet alley somewhere.
lpecac takes effect quite suddenly
from what l hear.
[PACE HEAVlNG ]
[BUCK LAUGHlNG ]
-Ezra, Buck, what did you just do?
BUCK: Nothing.
Come on, now,
l can win this race on my own.
-Well, sure you can, son.
-But it's a matter of principle now.
Principle? Since when
do you two have principles?
Ahem. l do believe
l am in the need of an escort.
Ezra, would you care to. . .?
Oh, no, no, no. You're the ladies' man,
Buck. Please, be my guest.
-All right.
SHOWGlRL: Well?
-Here you go.
-How charming.
Have fun.
Buck always gets the girl.
Well, ahem. . .
. . .it's been a pleasure, ma'am.
-Ah!
-Oh!
Don't look at that.
l knew there was something
different about you.
You're a funny cowboy.
[BUCK LAUGHlNG ]
SHOWGlRL:
Wait!
Why?
l have to know.
What motivates a man
to do such terrible things?
l got no need
to confess to you, Poplar.
Oh, you're angry, that's clear.
But why?
Do you see someone in those girls?
ls it your sister?
l don't know whose story
you're telling, but it ain't mine.
You can't lie to me.
l see it in your eyes.
Yeah, the rage.
-Why am l mad, Poplar?
-You--
What is it those girls did to me?
Or are they paying
for somebody else's sins?
lt's a woman, isn't it?
-She hurt me.
-She left you.
That's right, she left me.
-But why?
-For all those other men.
You can hear the noises
she made with them at night.
Yeah, she left me
for those other men.
And every evening
before she'd go away. . .
. . .she'd put me on her lap
and tell me l was her one true love.
But she loved someone else,
didn't she?
She loved. . . .
She loved these.
The miners would lay them
on her bedside table.
Two a piece.
Two shiny silver dollars.
[POPLAR YELLS]
[POPLAR GRUNTlNG ]
[JOSlAH GRUNTS]
Poplar.
Poplar.
Poplar!
[SCREAMlNG ]
[RAlN SCREAMlNG ]
[POPLAR YELLS]
Nathan.
No, don't leave me.
[RAlN CRYlNG ]
Come on. Help me out here.
BARKER: All right, ladies and gentlemen,
finally the race you've been waiting for.
Between the incomparable
Pace McCormick. . .
. . .and your very own J.D. Dunn.
Are you ready?
Place your bets, place your bets.
Hello, Miss Travis,
care to come with me?
Oh, well. . . .
l've won races
in worse shape than this.
And l'm even faster when l'm mad.
-Come on, J.D.
-lt's Poplar.
BARKER: On your mark.
-There he is.
BARKER:
Get ready.
[CROWD CHEERlNG ]
[SHOUTlNG ]
Come on, get away from him.
J.D. :
Miss Travis.
-l got him.
-l'll go around back.
Stay back.
Now, you can't undo
what's already done.
But you can put an end to it now.
They torment you.
They haunt you, those women.
You see them when you close your eyes.
There's no rest.
Pay your penance, Poplar.
Pay it.
And be free.
Give me the knife.
[POPLAR GRUNTS]
JOSlAH:
Of all the tyrannies of humankind. . .
. . .the worst is that
which persecutes the mind.
Josiah.
What you told me
about your sister and all.
Just want you to know that
that's between you and me.
l appreciate that, Vin.
But, you know, saying it out loud. . .
. . .kind of made it
a little easier to bear.
Well. . .
. . .now you're free and clear.
Oh. . . .
l'll never be free and clear.
You know, Rain,
l got no right to ask you this question--
l am not going to marry him, Nathan.
l came to see about you.
And while l did not find out
all l wanted to. . .
. . .l did learn one important thing.
-Well, what's that?
-You are crazy about me.
That l am, Miss Rain.
That l am.
[RAlN MAKES CLlCKlNG NOlSE]
[HORSE APPROACHlNG ]
You know, Rain, l was thinking. . .
. . .if l was to ride a ways with you. . .
. . .maybe l could tell you
a little more about me. . .
. . .and you could tell me
a little bit more about you.
Could be a long talk.
Well, we got a long ride.
Did l ever tell you l was born
on a slave plantation in 1 839. . .
. . .outside of Atlanta?
l never told you that?