The Wild Wild West (1965–1969): Season 3, Episode 11 - The Night of the Cut-Throats - full transcript

New Athens isn't the biggest
town in the Wyoming territory,

but since it's stuck in
the middle of nowhere,

I am the sole distributor
of ladies' needleware.

Got the market all sewed up.

Ha-ha-ha. Joke.

"All sewed up." You get it?

Ha-ha-ha.

Sir, if you don't
stop boring us,

you may very soon find

your mouth all sewed up.

Was that a shot?



What's happening?
Why are we stopping?

It would appear
we're being held up.

It would appear.

Whoa.

All right, everybody out.

Quick, get out of there.

Don't, uh, be frightened, ma'am.

Under that mask, he's
probably as worried as you are.

I said, out.

Come on, make it quick.

Nothing. Nothing.

Say, you boys must
not be from around here.

I mean, I could've told you.
Nobody ever robs this stage.

Never carries any money.
Mine shut down two years ago.



Shut up.

All right, all of you
empty your pockets.

Give me that
purse. Oh, please...

This man's dead.

This one too.

There doesn't seem
to be any damage here.

I'll help the guard.

Hyah, hyah, hyah, hyah.

Ah, looks like they've lost
their taste for the battle.

Personally, I'd rather
not have their company

the rest of the
way to New Athens.

It would upset the lady.

Ah, never upset a lady.

You, uh, handled
yourself very well.

And now, miss,
if you'll allow me.

Guard, why don't
you, uh, take my place?

Guard, the rifle.

The gentlemen's walking
stick packs quite a wallop.

Yeah, it does.

You call yourself men?

Protect your property!

Don't panic. Don't panic, man.

Hold on, hold on. Don't
let them drive you out.

Don't let them drive you
out. In unity there is strength.

We can't be bluffed.

May I escort you to the hotel?

We need some help around
here. We can't do it all.

Why are the people leaving town?

Maybe they don't like it here.

Howdy. You're the
sheriff in town, huh?

This badge sure
ain't for dog catching.

I wonder if you might
answer a few questions for me.

Make it quick.

Eating and talking
at the same time

ain't good for my digestion.

Why is everybody
leaving town, sheriff?

Wild rumors. Nothing
you can put your finger on.

Like what?

Passel of gunslingers,
bums, ex-cons.

They've been drifting
into the territory.

Makes folks nervous.

Of course, I never
seen 'em myself.

I understand they're
camped outside of town.

Well, what if they
did come into town?

Well, if I saw them,

I'd sure give it some thought.

I'll bet you would.

Sheriff,

you better go easy
on the starches.

Nobody likes a fat hero.

Howdy, mister.

Any particular selection
you'd like to hear?

Depends. Do you know something
recent by a man named Mason?

If you're talking
about Warner Mason,

he hasn't written anything
since he left Washington.

Either he's had some very
urgent business elsewheres...

Unlikely.

Or he's dead.

What about Arthur Cole?

Eh. Cole's been out of town.

Lunch at my place,
as usual, darling?

You bet, sugar.

Things must have
been dull for you

around here the last few days.

You know, you gotta get your
information where you can.

Yeah, I know, I
saw Sheriff Koster.

Well, Cole's expected back
this afternoon, you know.

I better get out
there this afternoon.

Then you join us, huh?

Uh-huh. It's about
a mile east of town,

a place called Pembroke Road.

That's, uh, Sally Yarnell.
She owns the joint.

What's the matter
with everybody?

Joe, you better play something,
and liven these boys up.

Right, honey.

See you later, Joe.

Gentlemen.

Welcome home. Mike.

That's not my brand, of course.

Mm.

People are staring.
I don't like that.

Well, it's sort of a
shock, you coming back.

Shouldn't be.

This is my hometown.

I want to drink
alone. Clear the room.

Uh, listen, folks,

the bar's closing.

Uh, sir, the bar is closed.

Why?

Because the gentlemen
prefers it that way.

But I came in here for a drink.

Now, look sir, I told you...

I know what you told me.

Whiskey.

Mr. Trayne drinks alone.

You've got an adverse effect

on a lot of people in this town.

Homecomings can be emotional.

I told you I wanted
some whiskey.

Uh, allow me.

This is the best
whiskey in New Athens,

Mr...

West. James West.

I'm Mike Trayne.

You see, Mr. Trayne didn't
want to drink alone after all.

Oh, I did,

but occasionally,
I change my mind.

Me too.

I don't think I want this drink.

Even the best
whiskey in New Athens.

Mr. Trayne.

My, this silence is deafening.

Do you know...?

Do you know "Little Liza Jane"?

Um, no, not really,

but I'll fake it.

Cole?

Cole?

Arthur Cole? Yes.

Well, it looks like I
timed my arrival just right.

You haven't even
unsaddled your horse yet.

Yeah, I just got back.

I didn't get your name.

Oh, I'm sorry. My
name is James West.

What can I do for you?

I'm looking for a man
named Walter Mason.

Has he contacted you yet?

Mason?

No, not yet.

But you did get a letter
saying he was coming?

I got a letter,

but Mr. Mason didn't show.

Uh, would you like one?

Yeah, thanks.

When we got no
report from Mason,

we figured something
might have happened to him.

That's why I'm here.

I see.

And since I am here,
what was it, Mr. Cole,

that you wanted to
tell the Secret Service

that you couldn't
put into a letter?

Mason never wrote,

told you before he disappeared?

Well, if he had, Mr. Cole,

I wouldn't be here
asking questions.

So you're completely
in the dark,

eh, Mr. West?

Yeah, that's about the
size of it. Blindly groping.

Agh!

Cole?

No.

Probably Cole's murderer.
He hit his head on this.

And Cole's dead?

Yeah, I think so, Artie.

This man had a shovel
when I first saw him.

Let's look around the back.

It looks like a freshly
dug grave, Artie.

Yeah.

Cole's.

Which means we'll
never find out from him

what information he
was trying to give us.

Or where Mason
is, or if he's alive.

You know, there must be
15, 20 of these hard cases

camped at Willow
Creek just outside of town.

More coming in every day.

Has there been
any trouble in town?

No, none. Well, they
look threatening enough,

but they don't do anything.

You can't arrest a man
for the way he looks.

The town's plenty scared.

Good, solid citizens have been
packing up and leaving all week.

Artie, what is
there in New Athens

that would attract a band
of cutthroats like that?

You tell me.

The mines ran out long ago.

There's no heavy industry.

Town's poor as a church mouse.

Yet that scum sits out
there at Willow Springs

just waiting.

For what?

Maybe for somebody
to light a match.

Oh.

Uh, I better take
the north path.

See you in town. Yeah.

One more time!

You people get out of town,

or you're gonna get a lot worse
than what your mayor's getting.

Hey, boys,

you could drown a man like that.

Man can get killed butting
into other people's business.

That s...?

Ha-ha-ha!

All right, hold it!

All right, boys.

School's over.

Climb back on your
horsies and go home.

Move!

Don't forget what I said.

Get out of town.

Are you all right, mayor?

It'd take more than
six of that breed

to scare a Cassidy away.

Hey, what's going on here?

Well, if you'd have come
around a little bit sooner, sheriff,

you might have known
what had happened.

He probably had his head
buried in a bucket of food.

Now, look, you got no
right to say that, Cassidy.

I didn't know anything till
some kid bucked into my office

a minute ago. Well,
you better hurry back

before he steals your pie.

Eh. Useless.

What were they
trying to prove, mayor?

Ah, they're trying to
drive my people out

by terrorizing me.

Well, don't you believe
them, not any of them.

As long as we stand
together, we'll win.

That's it. Have spirit.

Hey, I don't believe
I got your name, lad.

James West, mayor.

West. West.

That's not an Irish name.

I'm not Irish, sir.

Oh, you must be.

Only an Irishman
can fight that way.

Ah. This is Mayor
Cassidy, Mr. West.

He's Irish. Also the proprietor

of the Cassidy General
Store, the New Athens bank,

and sundry other
institutions here in town.

You, uh, fellas know each other.

Our paths have crossed before.

Aha. Back east.

Well...

You don't fool me, Trayne.

Getting somebody else to
do your dirty work for you

doesn't make you
any the less guilty.

Your good citizens
nailed me once, Cassidy.

This time, you better be
sure what you're saying.

Mr. Trayne.

Odd, but when people are
having their heads busted,

you always seem to be around.

Seems to work out
that way, doesn't it?

You know him?

I think I'm beginning to.

So you think it's Mike Trayne

that's gathering this
outlaw army outside of town.

Well, I have no proof,

but he's got the motive.

Which is what?

Three years ago,

Trayne was a big
man in this town.

Made it from the mines
before they closed down.

Didn't I hear he
was also engaged

to Miss Yarnell? CASSIDY: Aye.

That's the lady that
runs the saloon?

The same.

Trayne bashed in
the head of a fella

who was paying her
too much attention.

He claimed he was justified,

but the people of New
Athens didn't agree.

They sent him to prison.

And he was just
released from prison.

Aye. Now he's come back

to take his vengeance.

Know a Arthur Cole,
Pembroke Road?

Oh, very well.

Arthur's one of my best friends.

He's even more disturbed than
I am about this cutthroat army

that's gathering outside town.

We never realized
who was behind it

till Trayne arrived today.

He'll be very interested to
know that when he gets back.

He won't be coming back.

He's dead.

What?

Dead?

When?

Less than an hour ago.

Why, the filthy scum.

I'll have him arrested.

No, not Trayne.

He wouldn't have
done his own dirty work.

He's got a whole
army gathering for that.

What's the sheriff
doing about this?

That dunderhead?

Ah. He's too fat and
too yellow to fight.

I wouldn't be at all surprised

to find that Trayne
had him in his pocket.

That could account for how
somebody got out to Cole's place

before you did.

Mayor, while
you're trying to keep

every able-bodied man
from evacuating this town,

we're going to try and
stop Trayne's army.

Well, back to that keyboard.

Well, it could be worse, Artie.

You could trade your
piano in for a rifle.

Eh, think I'll just
learn a new song.

Mayor.

Thank you.

Hello, Sal.

Why did you come back, Mike?

You too? You of all
people should know why.

I don't need the kind
of trouble you bring.

Look at this place.
Look at New Athens.

You've scared everybody out.

Now, Sal, don't be uncharitable.

All I want is for
everything to...

To go back the way

that it used to be.

Especially you, Sal.

You and I...

Uh, excuse me.

I was just wondering
whether Miss Yarnell

would honor those, uh,

gentlemen over
there with a song?

I've decided that Miss Yarnell

will spend the rest
of the day with me.

What has the lady decided?

The lady agrees.

"Captain William Gates,
commander, Fort Savage. Stop.

"Request detachment
20 armed troops,

"proceed immediately
to New Athens. Stop.

James West. Stop."

You think they're really
gonna come, Mr. West?

The outlaws, I mean.

Well, better safe than sorry.

Well, that settles it.
Mayor or no mayor,

I'm taking my
family and getting...

You will send
that message first,

won't you, please?

What is it? What's wrong?

I don't get an acknowledgement.

The line's dead.

Like I said, the line's dead.

Easy.

Don't be running off.
Don't be running off.

Hey, where you...?
Don't be running away.

Don't abandon it.

You're abandoning
the town of New Athens!

You're leaving it to the scum!

Don't be running off!

What are you going to do?

Aw, it ain't no use, Cassidy.

It's gonna take real men

like you and me
and old Lizzy here.

They're all scared
of their shadows.

Well, that telegraph clerk

sure spread the word in a hurry.

I'm afraid even Cassidy
can't keep them here now.

So you think Trayne
knows who we are?

I think he wants to find out
how much we know, Artie,

before he makes his move.

Care to join us?

I'm sorry.

I didn't know
where to turn. I...

I'm frightened.

Of Mike Trayne?

You didn't seem
very frightened of him

the last time I saw
you two together.

If I hadn't done that,
he would have killed you.

Why didn't you
leave with the others?

He won't let me.

Can't you help me get away?

You know, Jim, with
the telegraph out,

one of us is going to have to
ride to Fort Savage for help.

Oh, take me with you, please.

I'm a good rider. I
won't hold you up.

Artie, if you left now,

you could be back with the
troopers by sundown tomorrow.

Fine.

A young lady like this
would be marvelous

for the moral at
Fort Savage anyway.

Please.

Mr. Gordon?

Yes.

There's been a
slight change of plan.

Well, now, that would
be fine, Miss Yarnell,

except that you can't
change plans very much

with a gun that
has no bullets in it.

Cardinal rule of mine.

Never travel next
to a loaded gun

unless you're sure it
belongs to a very dear friend.

Very well put, Mr. Gordon.

And now, if you'll
be good enough

to surrender your gun belt?

Why must it always
be so complicated?

Miss Yarnell tells me

that you and Mr. West
are government men

sent here to look
for Walter Mason.

Whom you have no
doubt already had killed.

However, your message, um,

to the army didn't get through,

so there will be no resistance

when my men move in on the town.

And all for revenge, Trayne.

The citizens of New
Athens took everything I had.

What can you do in return?
You can't steal a whole town.

No.

No, but you can erase it,

take away from it all
that endures in memory.

You see, I'm going to burn
New Athens to the ground.

And with it, all the public
and private records:

papers, deeds, transactions,

certificates of birth and death.

In short, all the paper
symbols of permanence.

There'll be nothing left to show
that New Athens ever existed.

You may find the citizens
giving you more of a fight

than you bargained for, Trayne.

Well, my, uh, partner

back in town

assures me that
the citizens have left.

There'll be no resistance.

Yeah, but supposing
that crazy Trayne

sends his men in before
the soldiers get here?

We're gonna prepare
for that right now, sheriff.

Mayor Cassidy.

Mayor.

He probably took
off with the others,

which you'd do if
you had any sense.

And leave you to defend
this town all by yourself?

By myself? Look,
I didn't mean...

Especially after the raw
courage you've shown?

No, no, sheriff. I
couldn't leave you.

Now, we're gonna need
some bullets, gunpowder.

We've got a full night's
work ahead of us.

Sheriff.

Huh?

Oh.

Uh, guard.

I think you'd better have a
look at this axle back here.

It's been creaking.
It's about ready to go.

That way!

You know, Mr. West,
heh-heh, I ain't been this excited

since Colonel Cattidge
Montgomery and me

took on 150 Siouxs
at Flat Creek.

Boy, that was a fight.

And me and old Lizzy here
have been a polecat-killing,

rattlesnake-drilling
team for a long, long time.

It is glad we are to have you
and Lizzy with us, Jeremiah.

Mr. West, when do
you expect your friend

to return with the soldiers?

Sundown.

Well, I'll go over
and cover the bank.

They're coming in!

Heh-heh-heh.

Hyah!

Hyah.

Artie, how did you
get back here so fast?

I'm back here because
I never got there.

Sally's in league with Trayne.
They were waiting for me.

You mean, the army
ain't coming at all?

I'm afraid that's the
general idea, sheriff.

Well, that tears it.

We'll never be able
to stop Trayne now.

Not if we stand
around here crying.

Why don't you men
strengthen this barricade.

How's the armament
situation, Jim?

Well, we got plenty
of rifles and bullets.

What we need is a psychological
advantage: heavy weapons.

You mean, like
howitzers and mortars?

And we'll need
some black powder.

Yeah. Wire, nails,
uh, stovepipe.

Uh-huh. Fireworks and
maybe some baking powder.

And some ladies' garters.

Finished with that, sheriff?

Just got to put in the nails.

Fire!

Come on, you yeller-belly,
chicken-liver polecats!

Come on!

Trayne, what the devil
are you doing in here?

You think I really believed

you were going to meet
me next week, Cassidy?

Oh, come now. Get out of here.

Leave me to do what
needs to be done.

If the proper records
are not destroyed,

some clever snoop
will get wise to it.

Wise to you, Cassidy.

All right, all right, to me.

Now, look, Trayne, we agreed...

Yes, yes, yes, yes, we agreed,

but I've been thinking
it's a little uneven.

The way it works
out, I take all the risk.

Let's not forget who's
been emptying that vault

the past six months.

Except the way you've set it up,

it's Mike Trayne taking
his well-publicized revenge

by burning the town and
this bank to the ground.

Nobody ever knows that
the bank's ever been robbed,

and the benevolent Mayor Cassidy

comes out clean as a whistle.

We haven't time to argue.

Cassidy,

I've made other arrangements.

What do you mean?

Well, it's not very complicated.

I've decided to keep it
all for myself, Cassidy.

I'm not going to give you any.

Prison has made
you loco, Trayne.

Is it here?

Let's find out.

Where has he kept the money?

The store.

I heard he had a
secret safe there.

Come on.

Mike, look.

If they burn that
store, we'll never find it.

Come on. We'll
go around the back.

Aagh!

Now,

where?

I think he has a wall safe.

Mike. Mike, are you all right?

There it is.

Thousands.

Get something to put it in.

Get ready to fire, sheriff.

Mike, hurry, before
they set fire to this place.

What's your hurry, Sally?

You're not going anyplace.

What are you talking about?

I've, uh,

decided I'm going
to leave here alone.

What about me?

You.

You'd have been very happy
to see me blown to pieces

by that rigged mirror.

Mike, you're... You're wrong.

I mean, I-I didn't know.

Sally.

You wanted Cassidy
and me to kill each other

so you could have
it all to yourself, hm?

Oh, Mike.

You know, there was a time you
preferred me instead of money.

Mm.

It's, uh,

been a long three years

for both of us.

It won't be prison
this time, Trayne.

I saw Cassidy,

and I saw your
trademark on his skull.

Do you always dissolve
partnerships that way?

You know, I thought
that you and I

were going to have
a basic disagreement

sooner or later, West.

That's it, Trayne.

How are things in the street?

They're very quiet now.

That's what he was after, huh?

That's part of
what he was after.

Hello, sheriff.

I'm afraid we're leaving you

with something of
a mess out there,

but the townspeople
should be coming back soon.

I'm glad I didn't
leave when they did.

Maybe you can
live with them now.

And myself.

Good luck.

Thank you, Mr. Gordon.
And thank you, Mr. West.

Sheriff.

Yeah?

Watch the starches.

You know, whoever said
there was honor among thieves

had obviously never
been to New Athens.

You know, Artie, their
particular kind of breed

left two of them dead and
Sally in prison for 10 years.

Yeah. Listen to
this, will you, Jim?

You just convinced me.

I should've suspected
Sally from the beginning.

What do you mean?

Well, anyone that would
hire you to play a piano

had to have a mean
streak clear through.

Oh, that's very funny.
That's very funny.