Original subtitles

♪♪ [ trumpet ]

Howdy. I'm the Old Ranger,

and Death Valley's my stompin' ground.

Many's the tale of adventure I'm going to tell you about the Death Valley country.

True stories, mind you. I can vouch for that.

My story tonight took place over a hundred years ago,

but it's very timely.

I call it the...

The year is 1849.

From all corners of the earth,

men are heading for California

and the greatest gold rush the world's ever known.

Most of them with just one thought in mind:

to get rich.

Some for the sheer adventure of it.

A few to lose themselves.

But the two men in our story have a still different reason.

A unique one.

It starts in Louisville, Kentucky,

in the home of Dr. Henry Cabell.

The stories they're telling about California

sound like something out of the Arabian Nights.

I heard of one fella,

son of an overseer, a nobody,

picked up 167 ounces of gold in two days.

That's a great deal of gold.

Well, I declare.

Why, it doesn't seem possible.

More than ten pounds of gold in two days?

How much is ten pounds of gold in money?

I don't know. It's past my apprehension.

Zach!

Zeke!

We beg your pardon, Miss Caroline.

Me and Zach didn't mean to confiscate the conversation.

You were saying, Mr. Tyler?

I was saying, with gold that plentiful,

I'll come back at the end of a year with a fortune.

More than I'd make in a lifetime grubbing away in a law office.

In spite of what Miss Cherry says.

I refuse to argue with you, Tyler,

the last even before you leave.

Well, I think it's wonderful.

I only wish Dr. Cabell were a little younger,

or more adventurous, so he could go.

A few of us, my dear sister, are needed at home to grub.

I took permission to bring the "de-ssert" in myself, Miss Caroline.

Something special for Massa Tyler's going away.

Angel food!

Rebbie, you're wonderful.

And I put the candles on to help light your way back to Kentucky.

You almost make me change my mind about going.

[ laughing ] Massa Tyler's got a weakness for angel food

like nothing you ain't never seen.

Wait till you taste it.

It'll be your weakness too.

Rebbie's the best cook in Kentucky. Bar none.

It's good of you to let us have her, Tyler, while you're away.

My pleasure, sir.

And my pleasure, too, Massa Tyler,

giving me a chance to be with my brothers for a spell.

You sure you wouldn't like to sell her to us, Mr. Tyler,

since we already own Zach and Zeke?

TYLER: I'll need her when I get back.

I plan on buying the old Russell place and doing it over.

Have a real establishment.

That is, if, uh, Miss Cherry'd like it.

We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, Tyler.

Might even arrange to buy Zeke and Zach from you, then, Doctor.

You do count on making a fortune in California, don't ya?

Well, here's to your success, sir.

The best time to ask 'em is right after a meal.

Folks always feels good then.

Tomorrow morning, right after breakfast.

Uh, so soon?

The longer we waits, the lesser gold'll be in California.

Makes my mouth dry just to think about it.

The leastest he can say is no.

Will you do the talking, Zeke?

I'll do the broachin', and you back me up.

Yeah. Yeah, I'll back you up. Sure.

And I'll do the prayin'

for you both.

Tyler Preston is a fine, upstanding young man.

Good family, good education, and good habits.

Oh, I agree with you, Annie,

but I want more than that in the man I marry.

I want someone who's sure of himself--

well, who doesn't jump this way and that

every time the wind blows.

Someone who will-- well,

some who will make me excited at the very thought of marrying him.

Excited! Ha!

Marriage is a business, not a fancy dress ball.

I declare!

You younger generation are certainly getting some strange ideas.

Why, in my day, such things were arranged for the children,

and there was no argument.

Now, Caroline, don't get yourself upset.

Times are changing, and I, for one, am in favor of it.

I never did feel that marriage should be put on the same level with raising horses.

Oh, speaking of horses, Zeke, tell Zach

I wanna talk to him about that gray mare.

Zach's already here, sir, waiting to see you.

We both is. Uh...

What I means is, there's something

we wants to talk about, Massa Henry.

Zach!

Zach!

What is it? Something wrong?

What have you two been up to?

We ain't been up to nothing, Miss Caroline.

That is, nothing wrong. No, ma'am. Sure ain't.

Well, speak up, Zeke.

You been mighty kind to us, Massa Henry.

Ain't a better massa in all Kentucky than you is.

And that's the truth. Of all the slaves we know,

there's none better treated than me and Zach.

There sure ain't. But...

But what? We still is slaves.

Of course.

We's owned by someone that can buy us and sell us.

You needn't be afraid.

I'd never sell either of you boys

as long as I can help it.

Not even to Mr. Tyler, if that's what's worrying you.

Massa Henry, we wants to be free.

We wanna belong to ourselves.

We wanna go where we likes,

stay where we likes,

get married as we like,

have children that's free.

I never heard of such impertinence.

Not impertinence, my dear Caroline,

but a very natural desire.

I sympathize with you boys.

Every man feels the same way, regardless of race or color.

If I could afford it, I'd set you free myself.

But I'm just a hard-working doctor.

Who can't collect his bills.

We ain't asking you to give us our freedom, Massa Henry.

No, sir. We wants to buy it.

Buy it? With what?

With gold.

If Massa Henry'll just, uh, uh, uh--

What's that word?

Uh, uh, uh...

Grubstake.

That's it. If Massa Henry

will just grubstake Zach and me to California,

why, we'll gather enough gold to buy our freedom papers.

That's the most preposterous suggestion I ever heard.

California's a long way off, boys.

Even after you got out there, it would be as easy as you think.

The gold is just laying all over the ground, Massa Tyler say.

Mr. Tyler hopes.

You can't believe all those tales you hear about just picking it up.

We'll dig for it then.

It'll be a lot different than plantation life.

Here, you have warm quarters, plenty to eat.

Out there, you'd have to sleep on the cold ground,

perhaps go hungry.

All them things we can stand, Massa Henry, if we's working for our freedom.

I don't know why you sit there, Henry, and allow them to argue.

The doctor has patients waiting for him.

And there's plenty of work waiting for you in the kitchen, Rebbie.

Tell them the whole idea's impossible, Henry.

Why is it?

[ together ] Massa Henry!

You wouldn't let them go,

our two most valuable slaves?

Of course, there'll have to be details worked out.

Have you lost your senses, Henry Cabell?

Why, these slaves are worth at least $1,200 apiece.

We'll earn it. Just give us our chance.

Very well. I will.

Massa Henry!

The best massa in the whole South.

Praise the Lord!

Father, you're wonderful.

From the sunny South,

the scene now shifts to the gold camp

of Hangtown, California, in the winter of 1849,

the first of California's unusual winters.

[ thunderclap ] For weeks on end, it has rained without letup.

What, with the mud and the freezing cold,

mining has become impossible.

Those who didn't quit camp altogether

try to forget the misery of the weather

in the company of places like the El Dorado.

♪♪ [ piano ] [ chattering ]

[ wind whooshing ]

♪♪ [ continues ]

Hey, shut that door.

We just step inside, sir, to get out of the rain for a minute.

Get over there by that stove.

Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.

[ chattering continues ]

Here. Move up closer.

You're shaking like a pair of dice. Thank you, sir.

And dripping like a couple of watering cans.

Do it always rain like this in California?

I ain't seen the sun since I came here in '48.

We sent out a pair of doves last week to try to locate some dry land.

They ain't never come back.

Drowned, I guess. [ laughter ]

Let's see your papers.

Papers, sir?

Runaway slaves. That's what you are.

[ together ] No, sir. No, sir. No, sir.

You are slaves? Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

And you ain't got any freedom papers? No, sir.

But, uh-- I knew it.

Could tell it just as soon as they walked in here.

It'll go hard for 'em, believe me,

when they're sent back to their owners.

And I'm taking you in right now,

till I get word to the authorities and collect the reward.

Hold it, Pike.

Who are you? Where are you from?

Uh, Louisville, sir. Kentucky.

What's your names?

Zach. Zeke.

Well, which is it?

Zeke. Uh, Zach.

Make up your minds.

My name is Zach.

It's short for Zachariah, sir.

My name is Zeke, short for Ezekiel.

Good old Bible names, huh?

Yes, sir. My mammy,

she open up the Bible every time she have a new child born

and name it from the book she opened up to.

That don't make 'em honest.

Shut up. What are you doing out here in California?

Our massa, Dr. Henry Cabell, send us out

to give us a chance to earn our freedom.

They're lying. No man in his right mind would trust 'em.

BARKEEP: I said, shut up.

Here, sir. This'll explain.

[ paper rustling ]

They're telling the truth.

How much gold you gotta dig?

$1,250 each.

That's what we're worth on the market.

And $500 each the doctor advanced us for traveling money, too, sir.

$3,500, huh?

Yes, sir.

Uh, how long you figure it takes to dig that much gold, boss?

In this weather, there's no use trying to dig any gold.

You'll have to wait for spring.

We ain't got time to wait, sir.

No, sir. We got to get going.

BARKEEP: Well, there's nobody stopping ya,

if you wanted to go out and buck this infernal cold and wet.

But it really ain't worth it, boys.

You'll be lucky if you take out an ounce a day.

Yeah. And what's a measly ounce of gold?

That one fewer link, boss, in the chain what holds us.

And so, all during that miserable winter of 1849,

while the other men of Hangtown loafed around the saloons

and gambling joints, spending their money and cursing the weather,

Zeke and Zach worked

in the freezing mud of the creek beds,

picking out their ounce or two of gold each day.

And each night in their little shack,

they carefully added it to their slowly

but steadily growing savings.

A-A-A-Achoo!

Be careful, Zach.

You wanna blow out these scrapings all over the cabin?

Sorry, Zeke. Old chilblains in my feet

is creeping up to my head.

There.

Getting heavy. You think we oughta have Mr. Purdy,

the bartender, to weigh it up for us again?

We don't needs to. We weight it ourselves.

[ clangs ] What are you talking about?

We ain't got no gold scales. Couldn't read 'em if we did have.

That's what you think.

Mr. Purdy weigh this up the other day.

Even folks that can't read can read this.

Now, you put the gold on that end.

Now, I put the rock on this end.

Mr. Purdy say when the gold balances the rock,

we got $3,500 worth.

Well, I'll be doggone!

Now put these on.

Add a little more.

This one on.

Put this-- There!

We only need that much more gold, and we's free men.

Free men!

Them is the sweetest-sounding words I ever heard.

[ laughing ]

It makes me feel so revitalized,

I forgets all about my old chilbain feet

and my aching back. [ chuckles ]

"Also, the weather here has been very severe this winter,

"and mining activity is practically at a standstill

"until spring comes.

"So you can see, Cherry, that there's a great deal more

"to acquiring a fortune in gold

"than the stories would lead you to believe,

"and that law practice in Louisville

"looks better to me with each passing day.

"If things don't give more promise in the Hangtown District,

"you may have a chance to say, 'I told you so,'

"before very long.

Respectfully, Tyler."

He don't say nothing about meeting up with Zeke and Zach.

California's a big country, Rebbie.

Poor Zeke and Zach.

I can see 'em now, cold and stiff with freezing.

Oh, woe is me!

Oh, hush up, Rebbie.

If they haven't sense enough to get in out of the cold,

then they oughta freeze.

Now you get back to the kitchen.

Oh, me, oh, my!

Poor Zeke and Zach!

Poor Zeke and Zach! [ crying ]

Poor Dr. Cabell.

Alive or frozen,

we'll never see those two slaves again

or the money for their freedom.

♪♪ [ piano ]

You in or out, mister?

[ wind whooshing ]

Hello, boys. How's the gold mining?

It's mighty tough, Mr. Purdy, but we's persistin'.

Would you mind if we stand here for a spell?

Gets pretty lonesome sitting in that old cabin every night.

Help yourselves. Stay as long as you like.

Thank you, sir.

Whipsawed again!

Zach, look who there.

Massa Tyler!

Confound my luck, anyway!

[ chattering ]

Howdy, Massa Tyler.

Zach. Zeke.

Gosh, Massa Tyler,

it sure is good to see a face around here we know.

It's good to see you boys too.

Miss Cherry wrote me you'd come west,

and I wondered where you wound up.

ZEKE: We wound up right here in Hangtown, Massa Tyler.

Ain't been no place else.

But we gettin' ready to go home now, though.

Oh, I don't blame you.

This weather's enough to discourage anybody.

Oh, we ain't discouraged, Massa Tyler. We's joyful.

ZACH: Yes, sir.

We got more than $3,000 saved up,

according to our calculation.

TYLER: 3,000? ZEKE: Yes, sir.

You mean you've worked in this cold and rain?

Every day.

Well, I must say, you deserve plenty of credit.

Uh, who's taking care of it for ya, the bartender?

No, sir. We's taking care of it ourselves.

ZACH: We got it hid in a safe place.

Well, seeing you're on the chips,

how about a little loan?

Loan?

Not all of it. Say, just a thousand.

See, I've had a streak of bad luck tonight,

but I've got a feeling it's due for a change.

I's sorry, Massa Tyler, but this here's our freedom gold.

But I'll give it back to you. It's just a loan.

We is sorry, sir.

What are you trying to do?

Set yourselves up to be as good or better than I am?

No, sir. Well, then, do as I say!

We's worked and froze for this gold, Massa Tyler,

and we gotta have it to make us free.

So you refuse.

Wait till Dr. Cabell hears about this.

I doubt very much if he'll sell you your freedom then.

[ door slams ] Come on. Let's go back to the cabin.

I don't feel lonely no more.

[ door opens ]

I sure hope Massa Tyler don't get more drunk.

Mr. Pike! What are you doing with our gold?

Zach! Why, you low-down white trash,

you gimme my gold!

I'm gonna have the law on you!

[ shouting ]

You gimme that now!

Here. What you need is a drink.

No, thank you, sir. Liquor's against our religion.

[ door opens ]

Did you catch him? No. By the time we got to his cabin,

he'd packed his stuff and skipped.

He's halfway across the mountains by now.

Too bad, boys.

Looks like your gold's gone for good.

TYLER: It's all my fault.

I had no right to ask you for it, especially in public.

If we'd have had any sense, we'd have kept our mouths shut about having it.

Well, the weather'll be getting better pretty soon.

Won't take you as long to dig that much again.

No, sir. We's through digging.

We interpolates it's the Lord's way of telling us to go back to massa

and be content with being slaves.

We ain't got the sense it takes to be free.

All you have to do is stay out here.

No, sir.

We gives Mass Henry our promise, and we keeps it.

We wants to thank you gentlemen for trying to help us.

Can you imagine going back to be slaves again?

Darned if I would, promise or no promise.

If I hadn't gambled away my money, I'd make it up to them.

That gold ring you're wearing would help,

if you care to contribute.

Anything anybody gives would help.

$3,500 ain't much.

I've seen $3,500 worth of booze

go down your throats in one night.

$3,500 change hands in a game of stud.

$3,500 is just $3,500 to most folks.

But to Zeke and Zach,

it's the difference between being slaves and going free.

So step up, boys, and shell out.

I'll start off with $200

and free drinks to everybody who contributes.

Gabby, go out and round up the rest of the boys.

Come on, fellas! Let's make him pour drinks till he's out!

[ cheering ]

Come on, boys!

Zeke...

what do you figure we done

to bring down this catasrophe on our head like this?

Now, don't you go question the ways of the Lord.

He know what He's doing.

Folks get just what they deserves anyway.

I suppose you're right.

But I sort of feel this time,

He's heaped it on kind of heavy.

[ door opens ]

Boys, we've got a little something here for ya.

ZEKE: For us, boss? Yep.

On behalf of the El Dorado saloon and its customers.

This? For us?

Yep. And there's more than enough there to make up for what you lost.

White folks do this for us.

It was a white man robbed you, wasn't it?

MAN: Nah, he was yella.

Now you can go home and buy your freedom.

Freedom.

You hear that, Zeke?

Freedom.

ZACH: Boss, we're practically on our way.

No, we ain't. We's gonna send this home

and stay right here and scratch up enough

to pay back every gentleman who contributed.

TYLER: That isn't necessary, Zeke.

We were all happy to give.

We don't doubt that, sir.

But it'd make us happy to show our appreciation by paying it back.

When you leaving for home, Massa Tyler?

As soon as I can scrape together enough money.

Would you mind toting this home to Massa Henry for us?

Me?

Of course there's Wells Fargo,

but Wells Fargo is a stranger to us.

And you our folks.

Well, Caroline, you see, you were wrong.

I was right about one thing:

You'll never see those two slaves again.

Hmph!

What Miss Caroline mean, Massa Tyler?

Ain't Zeke and Zach coming home?

I'm afraid not, Rebbie.

They feel they made a lot of friends out there,

and, well, they might stay for good.

Oh.

Well, I guess it's their right now that they's free.

Maybe they'll earn enough to buy your freedom, Rebbie.

Oh, wouldn't that be something?

Do you think they could, Massa Tyler?

Oh, undoubtedly.

But that won't be necessary, Rebbie.

I'm giving you your freedom.

Now. You is?

Oh, Tyler. On one condition.

That you go out and join your brothers in California.

Oh, Massa Tyler! And cook for those miners.

They could stand some real good Southern home cooking.

They've earned it.

Oh, praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

♪ Glory, glory, hallelujah

♪ Glory, glory, hallelujah

♪ Glory, glory, hallelujah

♪ His truth is marching on

[ chorus ] ♪ Glory, glory, hallelujah

It's not worth very much, but it's all I had to put in.

If you'll excuse me, I have some patients to call on.

♪ Glory, glory, hallelujah

Well, go ahead and say it:

"I told you so."

I don't think I will.

Oh, but you were right about my making the trip.

No. I was wrong.

I never would've married the man who went to California, Tyler,

but I'd be proud to marry the man who came back.

♪ Glory, glory, hallelujah

Cherry.

Tyler.

Yes, every man has a right to be free.

And if he's willing to work for it,

he'll get his freedom somehow.

♪♪ [ trumpet ]