Original subtitles

( ominous theme playing )

( horse neighs )

( cocks gun )

There was never but one man

could surprise me with my own calling card.

Jim?

( chuckling )

Hey, did I keep you waiting long, Frank?

Well, I've been occupying the time constructively.

Good to see ya, Jim. What's new?

Oh, the president got two more warnings.

Ah, it's gettin' to be a steady thing, isn't it?

What now?

The state capital and Pinewood.

Why don't you take the state capital?

I'll take Pinewood, huh?

All right.

( ominous theme playing )

See you at the capital.

Right.

MAN: ...spells "prosperity," my friends.

And a new day is dawning for Pinewood.

( cheers and applause )

And so, my friends, in just ten minutes,

the new spur line from Tucson

will make its first stop in our fair city.

With the Tucson and Tucumcari railroad

will come people, and you know what that means.

Folks spell more industry,

and industry means prosperity

beyond your wildest dreams.

( cheering )

Now, ladies and gentlemen, here is our own Zenobia Finch,

with a few verses appropriate to this historic occasion.

WEST: Mr. Mayor.

O, Captain! my Captain!

our fearful trip is done;

The ship has weather'd every rack,

the prize we sought is won...

Now, what's this all about, Mr. West?

Mayor, the government has received a warning

that there's going to be disaster in your town today.

A disaster?

Well, what sort of a disaster?

Well, we don't know, sir.

Who sent the warning?

Well, we don't know that either, sir.

( chuckles )

An anonymous message warning of some unnamed disaster.

Sounds like somebody's idea of a very bad joke.

Sir, the town of Cactus Falls received a similar warning.

They thought it was a-- A bad joke.

The dam just outside of their town collapsed.

It flooded all of Cactus Falls.

Well, a coincidence, no doubt.

( crowd applauds )

My heaven, Zenobia's finished.

Mayor...

Oh, I want to thank you for your concern, Mr. West,

but, uh, I'm sure there's no cause for alarm.

The people of Pinewood

would do nothing to mar this historic occasion.

They realize how important this linkup

with the railroad is.

( train whistle blows )

Oh, my goodness.

That train is nearly at the trestle.

Trestle?

Yes, it's our new trestle, just outside of town.

( quietly ): Trestle...

( whistling )

Thank you.

MAYOR: And now, my fellow citizens...

( raven cawing )

( ominous theme playing )

( cawing )

( cawing )

( whistle blows )

( upbeat Western theme playing )

( ominous theme playing )

( knocking )

MAN: Come in.

Yes, Miss Simms?

This crate was just delivered, professor.

PROFESSOR: Really?

That's odd. There's no return address.

Did the messenger say who sent it?

No, sir.

Hm. Odd.

Thank you, Miss Simms.

( caws )

If you don't need me anymore this evening...

Professor Winkler?

Professor, are you all...

( screams )

Professor, don't!

( screams )

No!

( screams )

Don't, professor!

( screams )

( Simms screaming )

Open up!

Open up in there!

( Simms screaming )

( whistle blowing )

It just doesn't make any sense.

Winkler, Forbes, Pudney.

And you're sure that Forbes is the man

who blew up the dam at Cactus Falls?

I'm positive.

He founded that town, Jim.

He's a former territorial governor.

Now, why in the world would he do a thing like that?

Why would Pudney blow up the trestle,

and why would Winkler destroy his own artworks,

worth a million dollars?

I don't know.

Sure ain't nothin' in those cards to help us, is there?

Hey, Frank, I failed to mention one thing.

Well, don't spare me now.

Ethan Forbes' wife swore she saw a raven

fly into the window of Forbes' study

just before he left to blow up the dam.

Another raven, huh?

What's the answer, Jim?

Frank, I'm not sure I know the question.

( train whistle blowing )

( whistle blowing )

MAN: Pull the curtains first, gentlemen.

Mr. President, sir.

My apology, gentlemen, for dropping in unannounced.

I felt it was best to have complete secrecy.

I don't even want it known I'm not in Washington.

May I present Colonel Chaveros,

special assistant of Ambassador Ramirez of Mexico.

This is James West, Frank Harper.

Colonel.

Mr. President.

Oh, by the way,

Artemus sends his regards to both of you.

How is he bearing up under his Washington assignment, sir?

The question is, how is Washington bearing up?

I hear there's been a steady influx of lovely young ladies

since Artemus has been assigned to us there.

( laughter )

Gentlemen, the colonel will explain to you

the reason for our visit here.

Colonel, tell them.

Señores, what has been happening in your country,

the strange, inexplicable behavior

on the part of such men as Mayor Pudney,

Professor Winkler, and Señor Forbes,

has also been taking place in my country.

Several of my countrymen, men of unimpeachable patriotism,

have engaged in senseless acts of sabotage.

Just as with Pudney, Winkler, and Forbes,

his countrymen have no memory of committing any crimes.

Or any possible explanation of why they committed them.

Well, gentlemen, we might just as well get comfortable.

We've got a lot of talking to do.

Well, gentlemen, I guess that's it.

So we're agreed that someone has found a way to make these men

behave in a manner completely foreign to them.

The thing I do not understand

is why our governments are warned

that a disaster is about to take place.

Well, it appears that they're giving us

a sort of a preview of their power,

a demonstration, so to speak.

Whoever "they" are.

Exactly, Mr. President.

Someone has started a campaign

to sow fear and suspicion

among the people of this country,

and of Mexico, by destroying their confidence

in the leaders of their communities.

What do they want?

I have a feeling we're to find out soon enough.

Well, I've been expecting some demand on me before this.

Jim, Ambassador Ramirez is going to be in Nogales

day after tomorrow.

Now, I want you or Frank...

Both of you, to be there to meet him.

Now, the colonel here will be there too.

I want you to give him all the information that we've got.

I want you to assure him of our complete cooperation

with the Mexican government

in combating this terrible threat.

This-- This insidious power, whatever it is,

whatever its purpose, it's gotta be crushed.

Crushed quickly.

( telegraph typing )

What's wrong?

It's a message for you, sir.

Well, it can't--

That's not possible.

No one knows I'm here.

Someone does now, sir.

What's the message?

It says Wolfville is next.

You check the mayor's office.

I'll get the sheriff. Let's go.

Hey, sheriff!

( clinking )

What do you want, Brass?

How about a little something to eat

out of that $5,000 reward you got for us?

You'll get food when it gets here.

( raven caws )

Hey, Elmo. Look what was sitting on the hitch rail out front.

Ain't that somethin'?

( caws )

And he hopped right up on my arm

like he wanted to come inside all that time.

( cawing )

Friendly critter, ain't he?

I guess I'll finish cleaning up now.

( suspenseful theme playing )

You can go now, Bill.

What are you doing, sheriff?

No. No.

No, sheriff.

No, sheriff. No!

What's he up to?

I don't get it.

Looks like he's letting us go.

Why? I don't know.

But I ain't gonna stick around to argue with him.

Let's get out of here.

( caws )

( caws )

These are the exact same glasses

that Pudney and Forbes wore.

And Professor Winkler.

And now Elmo Stone.

Now, that's just incredible to me.

Elmo Stone is one of the most dedicated lawmen in the West.

Before the war, he brought the law to this territory

almost single-handedly.

He's waking up.

( groans )

Frank. Yeah.

Frank Harper.

That's right, Elmo.

Jim West.

What are you doing here?

It's a long story, Elmo.

I-- I don't understand.

Elmo, just a little while ago,

you tried to release the Brass gang.

Release?

That's right.

They didn't get away.

They're back in your jail right now.

Now, why in the world

would you try to do a thing like that?

Well, I-- I don't know.

I-- I just don't know.

Elmo, we're interested in those spectacles of yours.

How long have you been wearing them?

Well, about, uh-- About a week.

Fellow came through.

He was a traveling eye doctor.

Now, this eye doctor, what was his name?

Um... It was...

Oc-- Occularis.

Dr. Horatio Occularis.

He-- He said he was going through the country

introducing these new kind of spectacles,

and said he'd give me a pair of specs

if I'd wear them for a month and then write him a letter

and tell him whether I liked them or not.

Well, why were you chosen for this free trial?

Well, because I'm the sheriff, I guess.

Because he said he usually went to the town's leading citizen.

Oh, that fits.

Go on, Elmo.

Well, that's about it.

He tested my eyes

and adjusted and fixed the spectacles for me

and left town.

W-what kind of a test did he give ya?

Well, he put some drops in them

and then had me look into this-- This machine.

It was kind of like a magic lantern.

I-I seen one in Kansas City, in a penny arcade one time.

You know, a little black box that you look into,

and you crank the handle, and the pictures move.

Uh-huh. That's a kinetoscope.

Now, did this Dr. Occularis say where he was going

after he left Wolfville?

No, no, but he did ask me if I knew anybody

in any of the towns around

that might be willing to take him up on his offer.

You know, like a mayor or a judge or a sheriff.

So I gave him Hiram's name.

Well, who's Hiram?

That's Hiram Sneed. It's my brother-in-law.

He's mayor of San Pablo.

San Pablo?

Yeah, just this side of the border.

Do you know it?

Heh. Well enough.

Sat in on a stud poker game there one time

that ran on for three straight days.

Best I could do was break even.

( laughs )

Well, sounds like maybe I ought to, uh,

ride on down there and meet this Mayor Sneed, huh?

I'll join you there as soon as possible.

As soon as I finish my business here, Frank.

All right.

I'll wait in San Pablo till I hear from you, Jim.

Bye, Frank.

Elmo, take care of yourself.

All right.

MAN: Hey, sheriff!

What kind of a jailbird do you call this?

( laughter )

All right. What's this all about?

( crows ) A raven.

That's the one that Billy brought in last night.

( cawing )

Billy found him out on the hitching post outside

and said he acted real tame-like.

Maybe he belongs to somebody.

He does, to Dr. Occularis.

I think he expected it'd return to him

after it served its purpose.

You mean he was trained, like a-- Like a homing pigeon?

That's what I mean exactly.

( cawing )

( ominous theme playing )

( cawing )

Get on your feet.

Wha--? Who are you?

I said get on your feet.

What's the meaning of this?

Unhand me, you ruffian!

Come on, Occularis.

Occularis?

You can read, can't you?

And who, may I ask, are you?

And by what right do you come into this camp,

manhandling me in this manner?

Ow!

Now, don't move.

No! Let go!

What do we have here?

I don't know anything about all this, honest!

Calm down.

Honest, I don't know anything about all this.

If you've got some problem with him,

don't mix me up in it.

I got plenty of troubles of my own.

Who is she?

I have no idea.

That's right. He doesn't.

I just hid in the wagon to get a ride.

You just got in the wagon for a ride?

Well, I didn't have much choice.

There I was, in Burrow Flats, broke...

it didn't look like there was much future there for me,

so when he came through--

Well, any place is better than Burrow Flats.

What's your name?

Laurette.

What's yours?

All right, Laurette. Get on the wagon.

We'll take you to Wolfville.

( Spanish music playing )

Occularis, you say?

Dr. Horatio Occularis?

That's right, Mr. Sneed.

Does that name mean anything to you?

Yeah. Yeah, it sure does, Mr. Harper.

Well, what?

Well, I got it right here.

Now, just hold on, now.

What is it that you got?

I got a letter. He sent me a letter.

Well, maybe you could just tell me

what was in the letter.

What? Oh, well, let's see now.

As I remember, he said he would be here on the 15th.

I remember the date,

'cause it was just two days before our big fiesta.

Fifteenth? Why, that's today.

Why, sure it is.

I sure hope he shows up.

He promised me a free pair of glasses.

He'll be here, Mr. Mayor.

Are you sure?

I'd hate to miss out on those glasses.

I'd be willing to bet on it.

Why don't you wait here.

I see you caught up with him, Jim.

No, sheriff. Surely you've mistaken me for someone else.

No, no, you're the one.

I protest.

I've never seen you before in my life.

Oh, come on, I--

( gun cocks )

WEST: It's not gonna do you any good.

On the contrary, I expect it to do me a great deal of good.

( gun fires )

What--? What happened?

His gun was rigged to fire backward.

Fire backwards?

Sheriff, he didn't have this gun on him

when I captured him.

I frisked him.

Well, then how--? How did he--?

The girl.

ELMO: What girl?

Looks like I'm gonna have to find out.

( ominous theme playing )

( knocking )

MAN: Come in, come in.

I'm addressing Mayor Sneed, I presume.

Yeah, that's me, all right.

What can I do for ya?

Dr. Occularis. Dr. Horatio Occularis.

I wrote you a letter from Wolfville a few days ago.

I trust you received it.

Yeah, uh, I got it, all right.

It's around here somewhere.

Anyway... Excellent.

Then you know the purpose for which I'm here.

Uh, yeah.

Ya-- You want to give me a pair of new glasses...free.

Now, your letter said "free," right?

Exactly, your honor. Without charge or obligation.

All I ask is that you try them for 30 days,

and then drop me a line letting me know,

frankly and honestly, how you like them.

A letter which you will permit me to use as a testimonial

when I make the new lens available on the open market.

Is that agreeable to you?

Yeah.

Never passed up an offer like that.

You sure? There's no strings, now?

( laughs )

Absolutely free.

Now, if you will permit me, Mr. Mayor,

I will get the equipment that I need for the examination.

Uh...doctor!

It won't hurt, will it?

The examination?

( chuckles )

My dear sir, you won't know anything is happening.

How nice.

( ominous theme playing )

There we are.

( chuckles )

Now, if you'll just step over to the table.

Mayor Sneed?

Now, if you'll just look into the kinetoscope

and turn the handle as rapidly as you can.

Like this?

Very good.

Faster, Mayor Sneed.

Faster.

Excellent.

Well, look at that, would ya.

I never.

That's lovely.

You may stop now, your honor.

Mayor Sneed?

Mayor Sneed.

Your honor.

Mayor Sneed.

What?

You may stop now.

Oh.

About those glasses I promised you.

Oh, yes, my free glasses.

Oh, not now.

But I think you will find an occasion to use them.

I don't know how I'll ever thank you, doctor.

I just don't know how.

Oh, you'll find a way, Mr. Mayor.

I know you will.

Mm.

Hi, Frank.

Hey, Jim.

I just talked to Mayor Sneed.

Oh, well, then he told you

that I had a visit from Dr. Occularis.

You had a visit from another Occularis.

The one that conditioned Sheriff Stone is dead.

Dead?

You mean there's more than one of those guys?

There may be several,

but we'll know the answer to that when we talk to your man.

Well, that's gonna be a little hard to do, Jim.

He's left.

Left?

You mean you didn't arrest him?

Well, why should I?

He hadn't done anything unlawful.

Hey, you know,

I never thought I'd have so much trouble

getting Hiram Sneed's ring off my finger.

Well...

Frank, we've gotta find him and bring him back here.

( cawing )

I'm going to kill you, Mr. West.

Now, Frank...

Frank, put that gun down.

Who is Frank?

Why do you call me that?

My name is Sneed. Hiram Sneed.

I forgot. Of course, Mr. Sneed.

You were told to kill me by Dr.--

By Dr. Occularis.

Occularis?

Did he say anything about...

About Frank Harper?

Frank Harper?

Yep, yep. Supposed to kill him too.

Why don't you, uh, kill him first?

Got to kill Frank Harper.

WEST: Feeling better, Frank?

Oh, a little better, I think.

Till I remember how close I come to killing you, Jim.

You know, I-I still can't--

( groans )

I still can't quite understand

how Occularis could have gotten me under his control

without my being aware of it.

Well, we know these glasses have something to do with it.

And his eye drops, and the-- The kinetoscope.

And then the appearance of the raven,

it seems to trigger off the desired reaction

in a person who's been conditioned.

There's a brilliant mind behind this,

but, uh, I'm sure it's not those eye doctors

that call themselves "Occularis." It's--

FRANK: What's the matter, Jim?

Laurette.

Hey, Jim.

( woman laughing )

Hm. Well, for goodness sake, look who's here.

I bet you wondered where I ran off to.

I'd like to speak to this lady alone, please.

Go on. Go on.

Come sit down.

You've got some explaining to do.

Why don't you buy me a drink,

and I'll tell you the whole story.

Because I'm not thirsty.

Oh, I guess you're angry

'cause I didn't wait for you in Wolfville.

That's right.

Well, you know, a funny thing happened there.

I was sitting on the wagon, waiting for you,

and I didn't know how long you'd be,

and along came this fellow headed for San Pablo.

He was awfully nice, and when he offered me a ride--

Well, I never cared much for Wolfville, anyway.

I know why you left.

Well, I just told you why.

But I'm glad you followed me anyway.

What about the trick gun you slipped to Dr. Occularis?

Trick gun? Dr. Occularis?

What are you talking about?

Murder.

Murder?

Me?

Come on. Let's go.

You're not arresting me?

I'm not inviting you to dance.

No, you're not, are you?

( clicks )

( raven caws )

Permit me to introduce myself, Mr. West.

I'm Professor Thaddeus Toombs.

Sit down, Mr. West.

Suit yourself.

It may interest you to know that you're the first outsider

that has ever visited the headquarters of Raven.

Raven, Mr. West, is an organization

composed of scientists like myself,

men possessed of learning and talents undreamed of by...

lesser mortals, shall we say?

Men dedicated to freeing the world

from the ignorant masses

and their vain and small-minded leaders.

We shall, when we come to power,

rule the earth and its inhabitants scientifically.

Our organization is called Raven, Mr. West,

out of a mutual admiration for that much-maligned bird.

I will detain you no longer.

You've been brought here for one purpose:

to carry a message to President Grant.

You will tell President Grant

there is no defense against Raven.

Tell him we demand unconditional surrender!

Jim. Jim, wake up.

Hey, Jim.

Hey, Frank.

What in the world happened to you?

This lady friend of mine, she, uh...

She drugged me.

Drugged you? Why?

She wanted to show me something.

There was this, uh... This large room,

and there was this man with a large head,

sitting on, uh, sort of a stage,

and then, uh, three other men walked in,

and one of them said his name was, uh, "Toombs."

Toombs?

Yeah. Professor Thaddeus Toombs,

and that he, uh...

He belonged to this organization called the "Raven,"

and they had a message for-- For our president.

Well, go on.

That's all I can remember.

Then I-- I must have passed out.

Look, Jim, there must be more to it than that.

Yeah, there was more.

Yeah, now I remember. Those--

Those dots and those lines,

the same geometric figure.

W-when I came to in the room, Frank,

there was this-- This kinetoscope.

You think they used that on you while you were unconscious?

They must have.

They must have conditioned me,

just like they did you and all the others.

I'm a walking time bomb for the Raven to use

whenever he thinks it's necessary.

Now, look, Jim,

they must have got you from here to that--

To that room somehow.

Why don't you look around the saloon, here,

and, uh, I'll go pick up our gear at the hotel, all right?

All right, Frank.

( Spanish music playing )

( music stops )

These piñatas must have worked

by some kind of a preset trigger mechanism.

We'll never know for sure.

Yeah, I guess you're right, Frank.

Why don't you go see Ramirez in Nogales.

Raven's headquarters is somewhere here in San Pablo,

or close by, and I'm gonna find it.

Well, I guess it makes sense for one of us to stay but, uh...

But you're worried about me, eh, Frank?

Well, aren't you a little worried about yourself, Jim?

Yeah, I was.

Was?

Frank, we're both forgetting one thing.

If Raven had conditioned me,

he would have given me the glasses.

That's right. He didn't, did he?

So I'm not a walking time bomb.

Well, that's, uh-- That's quite a relief.

Yeah. Frank, you've got a long ride ahead of you.

You don't wanna keep the ambassador waiting.

Why don't you get it on?

Okay, Jim. Good luck.

Good luck to you, Frank.

Hey, Frank. Yeah?

Why don't you keep Ramirez with you until I get there?

Sure.

I understand.

Oh, pardon me, sir.

( suspenseful theme playing )

( door closes )

MAN: Why have you left your posts?

There's supposed to be someone on guard in this corridor

at all times.

Oh, I have to go to my meeting with Toombs.

TOOMBS: Now, let me hear reports on Philadelphia.

I am not interested in Philadelphia, professor.

Tell me about Nogales.

TOOMBS: Ah, yes, Nogales.

I am pleased to announce

that I've heard from our colleague in Nogales

within the hour.

Well, well. Well, what does he say?

That Ambassador Ramirez has arrived in that city,

and that all is proceeding according to plan.

I can say with complete confidence

that due to our operative in that city,

by this time tomorrow night,

the republic of Mexico will be ripe for the plucking.

( ominous theme playing )

( upbeat Western theme playing )