The Young Riders (1989–1992): Season 1, Episode 9 - A Good Day to Die - full transcript

Matt?

Matt? Matt!

T-They got the pouch, kid.

What happened, Matt?

Snakeman.

It's ok, Matt.
Just s-save your strength.

Snakeman?

Snake... snakeman,

is that what you're
trying to say, Matt?

Now you're tellin' me

this new frenchie
circus guy...
What's his name?



Leotard.

Now, he gets way up high,

and swings from
one bar to another?

Well, hell, that ain't nothin'.

Back in St. Joe,
I seen Jimmy do that
all the time.

Yeah, drinking sarsaparilla.

Like all good pony express boys.

Hey, we got a pack of Indians
headin' this way!

Ran into a sioux war party
out near broken fork just now.

Must have been 20
or more of 'em.

They come ridin' at me
straight out of hell
like a pack of banshees.

He say broken fork?

I pulled arrows
out of these hides,

they're probably ruined
with holes in 'em now,



but at least they saved my life.

Hey, mister,
which way they headed?

West.

That'd put them near
shaunessy's way station.

And that's too close.
We better go
warn the others.

I tell you,
none of us will be safe

as long as them devils
are runnin' around loose.

Treaties don't mean
nothin' to 'em.

We need to clean 'em
all out for good.
That's what we need to do.

♪

Cut it out.

I said cut it out!
What're you doin'?

Preparing to die.

♪

Stop it.

I ain't gonna kill you.

Hear what I said?
I ain't gonna kill you!

No?

Hell, no.

I'll take you to the law,
so they can kill you.

I did nothing.

I suppose you stood around
and watched

while your brothers
butchered these people.

They were my friends.

Where are the others?

I don't know.
I tell you I did nothing.

I was hunting buffalo
when I saw the smoke.

I came to help,
but it was too late.

There ain't buffalo
around here for miles.

I said hunting, not finding.

White man used up
all these buffalo.

Now my people must ride
many days to find meat.

Why'd you come at me
with a knife?

You had a gun.

Stand up.

Who's snakeman?

I don't know.

He's an Indian, ain't he?

You know all white men by name?

You got a smart mouth.

How'd you learn to
speak such good English?

My mother taught me
many tongues.

Forked is only one of them.

I knew you were white.

I'm hunkpapa.

My mother was white.

Then she was a slave.

Until my father
made her his wife.

I have a friend,

a kiowa friend,
whose mother was raped...

By whites.

Where your people go,
nothing remains pure.

What's this?

Looks like an arrow to me.

It's sioux arrow, ain't it?

We have a treaty.

Treaties can be broken.

Anyway, no hunkpapa did this.

Is that so?

Too many arrows.

Hell, any judge would buy that.

Tell you what, though,
hangman's got plenty of rope.

Come on!

This is not right.

Me on foot, you riding.

You could have brought my horse.

If you were my prisoner,

I would treat you
with honor and respect.

If I were your prisoner,
I'd be a scalp on your belt.

A place of honor and respect.

I knew somethin' was wrong.

Kid should've
been back hours ago.

I say we ride out after him.

Now hold your horses, boys.

We ain't goin' nowhere
till we talk it over
with Mr. Spoon.

We got to.
The kid could be in trouble.

Yeah, and he might be
avoiding it.

You ever think of that?

Somebody's got
to warn him, Emma.

Kid can take care of himself.

Not if the sioux
got a hold of him.

And what's your big plan, Jimmy?

You gonna go
ridin' into the war camp
with your guns a-blazin'?

Might as well scalp yourself
and send it to 'em
on a lodge pole.

I ain't gonna sit here
and do nothin', Emma.

I gotta do something.

Me too.

Well, if they're goin',
best have somebody along
knows what they're doin'.

Now, don't you two
go getting no ideas.

We're gonna find Mr. Spoon,
see what this is about.

Indian stuff makes people crazy.

Should be in Sweetwater
by nightfall.

You'll get a fair trial.

You got a better chance
than Matt O'Connell
and the shaunessys did.

What's your name?

Your tongue can't hold it.

Try me.

Pahen mni-ja.

Payim haadya.

Payim ma nija.

Curly to you.

Get to the rocks.

Come on, Katy.

Snakes.

Snakes?

Shoshone hunting party.

Give me a gun.

What?

You can't fight them alone.

Who said anything
about fightin'?

Katy!

What did you say?

That they were cowards.

Are you crazy?

It's a good day to die.

I should have killed you
when I had the chance.

You still can.

Sorry, you don't
get off that easy now.

"Good day to die."

Good day to die
for you, maybe.
What about me, huh?

Do I have a say? No.

Cut the ropes and give me a gun.

No.

You'll kill me.

Then you have nothing to lose.

Shh.

Swear to god
you'll give it back.

Whose god?

All right. I swear.

There's a gun in my saddlebag.

Good shootin'.

Seems today is not
the day after all.

All right, curly, let's have it.

You swore to god.

Yours.

Not mine.

It's Matt O'Connell.

God almighty.

Kid, what kind of trouble
are you in?

Welcome back.

Did you have a nice sleep?

I was asking the gods
for a sign.

What kind of sign?

To show us the way out of here.

I thought today was
a good day to die.

Tomorrow is better.

You think
they'd reconsider killin' us

if you took back
that coward business?

Too late.

But don't worry,
they're a hunting party.

They won't kill us
till they get us
back to their main camp.

They wouldn't want to
spoil the fun
for the rest of the tribe.

That makes me feel
a lot better, thanks.

I gotta hand it to you, curly.
You really got a way
with people.

Yes.

You know her?

White fox woman.

The shoshone stole her
when they raided our camp
2 summers ago.

We grew up together.

She doesn't seem like
a prisoner.

Yes, she's not any more.

Now she's as one of their own.

Were you close?

We were to be married.

I'm sorry.

Why?

Why?

Isn't it hard
seein' her like this?

Hard is being trapped
like an animal.

What is it?

Nothing.

It don't make sense, damn it.

It just don't make sense.

Well, the sioux are
proud people, you know that.

The whites been pushin' 'em
off their lands
for a long time now.

Ike's right.

They wouldn't break
their treaties.

Unless someone pushed 'em.

Mac and bessie shaunessy?

Well, didn't that
Indian agent say

there weren't no reports
of sioux activity in the area?

Yeah, but who's gonna believe
Walker, Emma?

He's on their side.

Well, at least the kid got away.

We don't know that.

Don't know nothin'.
That's the damn problem.

Excuse me.

He'll be all right.

I don't know, buck.
I'm scared.

What if the sioux did get him?

What if he's...

He's fine, Lou.

I know it.

How can you be so sure?

You didn't see
what they did
to the shaunessys.

They're savages.

Because they're murderers,

or because they're Indians?

What are you doing?

A warrior never leaves
his enemy alive.

You could have
tied him up, curly.

You didn't have to kill him.

I bet you could kill anybody
if you had a mind to it.

I'll get the horses.

Isn't she coming?

No, this is her home now.

She says her husband
is a good man.

I don't understand you, curly.

The shoshone are planning
an attack on fort laramie.

You should warn your people.

When?

When the moon is dark.

Let's go.

This is where I leave you.

Hold it, curly.

I still gotta take you in.
I'm sorry.

Don't make me.

I thought you understood.

I don't know anymore.

It's for the law to decide.

If you're innocent,
they'll set you free.

You really believe that?

I have to believe it.

I should have known better
than to trust a white man.

Especially one with principles.

Oh, you just bring 'em
on back tomorrow.

Well, well,
lookie what we got here.

A real live Indian.

Hey, boy, where you goin'
with that Indian?

Or is that a girl
you got underneath
all that pretty curly hair?

I never seen hair like that
on no man before.

Y'all have a nice day.

Kid!

Hey, kid!

Am I glad to see you.
You all right?

Seems these folks
heard about the shaunessys.

Yeah, when you didn't
show up back there,
we went out lookin' for you.

You saw Matt?

He do it?

I found him there.
That's all I know.

String him up!

I say we get
the hangman right now!

Yeah, get some rope!

He ain't no good.

You ought to teach your boy
not to be throwin' rocks,
ma'am.

Or folks here will think
you ain't a good Christian.

He's a bad man.

Let me through.
Let me through, damn it!

What are you waitin' for?
Indian lover!

Next person who
throws somethin's

gonna get locked up, with him.

Go on about your business.

Did he have somethin' to do
with the shaunessy killin's?

I found him there.

You look like hell, kid.

You ought to
get back to Emma's
and look after yourself.

Sam, I promised him
he'd get a fair trial.

Oh, he'll get one.

He'd better.

He saved my life.

He also said the shoshone
are planning an attack
on fort laramie.

You might want to send word.

That true?

Damn it, boy,
I asked you a question.

Would you believe my answer?

I'd believe him, if I were you.

You got something'
I can clean off with?

Take care of that
thick head of yours, curly.

I'll be back to see you later.

Come on out here.

Yeah, why don't you just
bring him out here?

We'll take care of him.

We know what to do
with his kind.

Don't you worry none
about justice bein' served,

'cause I got me a rope,
got justice written
all over it.

We know what to do with him.

What are you wastin' time for?

We're gonna hang that Indian.

We're gonna see to it
the Indian hangs.

Kid!

Lord, am I happy to see you.

Me too.

What about me?

I'll tell the others
you're back,

scalp and all.

You all right?

You look terrible.

I'm fine, really.

I was kind of worried.

I thought
I'd never see you again.

Lou.

Kid,

we just about gave up on you.

You all right, kid?

What the hell happened?

We were just gonna divvy up
on your worldly goods.

I guess you all know

what happened
out at the shaunessys'.

Well, I found
a sioux brave out there

and brought him in.

In between,
we ran into some shoshone,

which is why I look like this.

Emma, I can sure use
a hot bath and a meal.

Cain.

Oh, hey, Walker.

I've come to see the prisoner.

He's over there.

My name's Walker.

I'm the Indian agent
for this territory.

I know you.

You're tatanka yotanka's
half brother.

Brother.

Of course.

Unlike the hunkpapa,

I'm afraid I still see men
in terms of color.

Red, white, yellow.

Please accept my apologies.

Did you kill those people, son?

No.

Do you know who did?

Those were hunkpapa arrows,
you know.

Well, I'm gonna do my best
to get you out of here.

Is there anything
you can tell me
that might help your case?

No.

I see. Well, in the meantime,

I'll have someone
notify your family

that you're all right.

Least I can do.

Ride smart, ike.

See any trouble out there?

No. Why?

Uh, just wonderin'.

Emma, could I have
a little more bacon?

Mmm-hmm.

Why don't you just
give him the whole pig?

And you never found out
nothin' else about
this snakeman fellow?

Nope.

I was hungry.

We couldn't tell.

So what are you
gonna do about curly?

If you could take
a look at the shaunessys,

could you tell
what tribe did it?

Mmm-hmm.

Then that's where we're going.

Let's go.

Kid, keep your eye
on buck's back.

Could be trouble.

Buck ain't sioux, he's kiowa.

Well, times like this,
some folks don't see
different shades of red.

You ready, buck?

Yep.

Emma, I know I said

I'd re-shoe lightning
today, but...

Yeah?

Well, I'd kind of
like to go in town

and tell curly
that the kid's
tryin' to help him.

Well, all right.

But that horse got
to be shod this week.

I promise.

I'll go with you, Lou.

I want to see
this light-haired Indian
for myself.

There was over 100 apaches
in that one.

And they butchered them all,
and scalped them, every one.

You think the apaches were bad?

You know what sioux do
to white women?

That's what I love
about Sweetwater.

Folks are so sweet.

Curly,

we're friends of the kid's.

I'm Lou, and this is Jimmy.

He wanted us to
look in on you,
see if you're ok.

Well, are you?

I thought the kid said
you were white.

Hunkpapa.

So you do talk.

When a Wolverine is caught
in a white man's trap,

he chews off his leg
to get free.

He does not talk about it.

The kid's tryin' to find
somethin' that'll clear you.

He should have
looked in his heart.

It's hunkpapa, all right.

Show me where you found Matthew.

He was right there.

Looks to be about 6 riders.

Was it the sioux?

No.

Shoshone?

Not shoshone either.

What tribe was it?

Yours.

Mine?

White men.

That horseshoe Mark there?

Indian ponies ain't shod.

They tried to cover up
the hooves with rawhide.

I've seen that before.

Why?

Why does anyone do something
and try to make it
look like someone else?

We better tell Sam,

before that mob
gets to curly. Come on.

♪

What I believe in
is doin' what's right.

Man steals your horse,
you just shoot him,

'cause that's
the right thing to do!

Yes, it is.

It ain't written down nowhere.

And you don't go
to prison for it

'cause it is
the right thing to do!

Mac shaunessy was a good man.

Then a band of them
black-hearted, bloodthirsty,
thievin' Indians

just one minute, one minute.

Rode into his station

and massacred his whole family.

Stole everything that they could

and tore up what
they couldn't pack.

And they got one of them now,
right there
over in that jail.

And they say
he's got to have a trial.

Now I ask you,

what good is a trial
gonna do Mac shaunessy?

Is a trial gonna breathe life
back into his dead wife?

No!

I say that Indian's got to hang.

That's what I say.

Will, you get out of there

and let a man have
a piece of that action.

All right, son.

Now you get ready to
fire your best shot.

Game's over.

Let me just finish this one.

I think I just saw snakeman.

Where?

Are you sure?

All right.

That wasn't
a half bad effort, son.

You folks remember
what I tell you now.

Like the good book says,

"an eye for an eye
and a tooth for a tooth."

Yeah.

The rifles from shaunessy's.

You lost,

or just unlucky?

One more time.

Who sent you?

I told you before, we got lost.

What are they doin' here?

My guess is they followed you.

Why?

I wanted to buy my mother
a fur for her birthday.

Man who don't want to talk
doesn't need a tongue,
now, does he?

Wait.

Gallagher killed the shaunessys.

I don't know what
the kid's talkin' about.

Me neither.

From what I hear,
the sioux were responsible

for that unfortunate incident.

In fact,
one of them is in jail now,

even as we speak.

Who knows you're here?

Marshal Cain, teaspoon, Cody,
they're right behind us.

The kid's lyin', he's lyin'!

Well, I'll find out the truth.

And that's a promise.

Either way,
I'm afraid you'll be meeting

the same fate as the shaunessys.

Why are you stirrin' up
trouble for the Indians?

See,
the Indians don't appreciate
the real value of things.

Like land, for instance.

You'll find
that throughout history

people that don't appreciate
what they've got,

usually lose it.

If the sioux were to break
the treaty because,

let's say,
the chief's half brother

were to die unjustly
at the white man's hands.

Its terms would no longer apply.

And then those of us

who do appreciate
the real value of things,

stand to benefit.

Mr. Gallagher,
I'd like a word with you.

Need I remind you

you've done quite well
for yourself?

After you trade those rifles
to the shoshone,

you'll possess
a veritable fortune in fur.

Make sure the Indian hangs.
Today.

Stew?

It ain't half bad.

Hey.

Hey, the stew ain't half bad.

Sam!

You gotta let curly go,
he didn't do it!

Well, that's for
a trial to decide.

There ain't gonna be no trial!

Hey, Cain!

Cain, bring that Indian out now,

or we're gonna
come in and get him!

Key's in the middle drawer.

You take curly out
the back way to Emma's.

Give us the Indian, Cain.

We want shaunessy's murderer.

No one's getting anyone.

The Indian's
gettin' a fair trial
and that's the end of it.

Why don't you all just
settle down and go on home?

But one way or the other,
that Indian's
gonna hang tonight.

Yeah, yeah!

Are we gonna let
this Indian lover

stop us from
seein' justice served?

No, no!

Well, if it's a war
you want, Gallagher,

you got it.

Buck, go get the horses.

Indian agent Walker.
He did this.

Why?

He wants our land.
Not the first time.

Did you tell anyone?

Didn't know who to trust.

I'm sorry, curly.
I should have believed you.

Let's move.

Hey, they're gettin' away!

What's the count?

Damn! We're short.

Well, you must have
made a mistake.

Now I want you
to count 'em all again.

The shoshone will be here soon.

Jimmy, I almost got
my hands freed.

See what you can do
with the ropes.

The ropes, Jimmy, the ropes.

I'm sorry, Lou.

When it comes to women,
my hands just got
a mind of their own.

There.

Can I have some water?

Shows you what teamwork'll do.

I'm sorry.

Don't worry about it.

No one'll believe 'em anyway.

Besides,
my business will be over

before those two
can cause any more trouble.

All right, boys, it's ok!

It's Lou and Jimmy.
Come on out!

Where the hell you been?

The old scotsman's place,
near conger's bend.

It's Gallagher's now.

Yeah, he's snakeman
and he's working for Walker

who wants that treaty broken
with the sioux

so he can steal their land.

How'd you get him out?

He made bail.

Walker's got the rifles
that were taken
from the shaunessys.

Did you see the pouch?

No. But I know it's there.

Walker and Gallagher
are tradin' them rifles
to the shoshone for furs.

When?

The soldiers at fort laramie
will be badly outgunned.

Well, then we gotta
stop that trade.

Emma, get Sam.
Tell him to get
as many men as he can

and get them up
to the scotsman's.

We'll meet him there.

Be careful.

Take one of the horses,

ride it out to your camp.

Send it back when it's safe.

Well?

You're free.
Go on, get out of here.

A hunkpapa would not deprive
his brother revenge.

Fine.

Get your fool head shot off.
See if I care.

We ride in the mornin'.

It is a good day to die.

I love this guy's attitude.

All right, we better get goin'.

We wouldn't want to
keep the chief waitin'.

Fire!

They got Gallagher!

Kid!

Drop it!

The kid dies.

Shoot him, kid!

Curly, no!

He dies now!

If you kill him now,
no one will know
what he did to your people.

It'll happen again.

It will happen again anyway.

I can't promise you
that it won't.

But I swear it will stop him
from carryin' out his plan.

When you say you swear,

whose god do you swear to?
Yours or mine?

Both.

You can't prove a thing.

Better get
a good lawyer, Walker.

You're gonna need it.

Move!

I must return now
to my people and my destiny.

What destiny?

Well, my brother,
tatanka yotanka, has taught me

that the great spirit
has written in the stars
a path for each of us.

It's a path
we are bound by
the heavens to follow

so the gods' dreams for us
may be fulfilled.

I learned of my destiny
in the last moon
of the leaves falling.

I had a dream of a man
with yellow hair

who brings a terrible storm
into the sacred circle
of the earth.

With my brothers
of the hunkpapa,

I will help steal his thunder
and defeat him,

but he will rise again
and have many sons.

I don't understand
that last part.

I must dream some more.

I'm gonna miss you.

Let us sit.

Now we are as brothers.

May our gods smile upon you

until we meet again, my brother.

You, too.

Panee ni-ja.

Pahen mni-me-ja.

Pahen yun-yum-mni-ja.

Curly to you.

Curly,

have a good destiny.

I had no idea
his brother was
tatanka yotanka.

You know him?

I know of him. Don't you?

Who is he?

Great chief and
medicine man, sitting bull.