Original subtitles

Howdy, folks. I'’m the Old Ranger,

with an exciting new story of real life in the Old West.

You'’ve all heard that power corrupts.

Just after the war between the States,

a powerful new weapon, the Henry repeating rifle,

began to make its appearance

among the U.S. forces on the frontier,

guiding the pioneers across the country

in covered wagons such as this.

At first, the Henry repeating rifle was in short supply,

and could be given to only one man in a hundred.

Our story is about how this new power

almost destroyed one of these men,

who was...

Supply wagon'’s in, boys.

Come and get it!

Hey, Larry.

Well, here it is, boys.

The new Henry repeater.

Only one man in a hundred gets them.

MAN 1: Real pretty. MAN 2: Let'’s see it.

Yessiree, boys. It'’s the last word.

You load her on Monday, and she fires till Thursday.

All right, soldier, let'’s have it.

I'’ll take it, quartermaster.Yes, sir.

Who gets the gun, lieutenant, you?

Commandant'’s orders are

till they can supply everyone with '’em,

it'’ll be assigned to the man who can handle it best.

Guess that lets you out, sonny boy.

He said the best man.

We'’ll see.

[gunshots]

That'’s an amazing performance.

All right, men, that finishes it.

I only fired 14 shots, sir. I have one left.

Well, go ahead.

Well, I guess there'’s no doubt who gets the rifle.

They can'’t beat a score like that.

You must'’ve cheated somehow, but you did it.

You'’re one in a hundred.

[ horse snorts ]

I'’m Sam Dorrance.

Got a wagon about 20 miles northeast of here, heading for California.

Couple of women and a little girl aboard.

We could use some military escort.

Only one wagon?

Oh, we branched off from a big train.

Been going it alone since Cimarron Crossing.

But the Indians in this stretch of country

don'’t look none too friendly to us.

We have a peace treaty with them.

How long it'’ll last, nobody knows.

Well, if you could give us an escort,

the women'’d feel a whole lot safer.

We'’re very short-manned right now, Mr--

Brooks, Billings.

Give Mr. Dorrance a military escort as far as Fort Union.

I think you can probably pick up another escort at Union.

Thank you, Colonel, but just the two of '’em?

Your wagon, sir, will be one of the first in the West

to be protected by the new Henry rifle.

A rifle that makes that man practically a whole troop.

Here they are.

It'’s all they could spare at the fort.

Troopers Billings and Brooks.

My name'’s Gaines, and this is my wife, Hannah.

BROOKS: Ma'’am. Oh.

And this is my daughter,

Mrs. Mary Merwin.

And my daughter, Della.

Howdy-do?

Course, they only look like two soldiers,

but this fella'’s really 15.

On account of a special fancy gun he'’s got.

Right, soldier?

We'’ll manage.

Don'’t let it throw you, you still got only one head.

He'’s got the firepower of 15 men...

with his patent popgun, sure.

I'’d like to see him split into three

scoutin'’ parties of five men each.

[ chuckles ] So would I.

It'’s been a long, hot day, honey.

Why don'’t you get a little sleep?

I can'’t sleep.

I know. [ sighs ]

Lucas and me, we couldn'’t sleep

for thinking of our boy.

Even two years after we'’d lost him.

Maybe it'’ll be easier in California.

Being there with your husband'’s folks ought to help.

A little like having him with you again.

I hope I'’m not intruding.

I was just going, Mr. Brooks.

[ coyote barking ]

Goodnight, Mary.

Goodnight, Mr. Brooks.

Goodnight, Mrs. Gaines.

[ coyote barking ]

That coyote seems to bother you somewhat.

It'’s just that it's such a lonesome sound.

I wouldn'’t worry much about it.

[ coyote howling ]You keep stroking that gun

like it was something alive, like something you loved.

Well, it'’s...

Gives a man a strong feeling.

It'’s good.

[ coyote barks ]

Now, that coyote'’s more afraid of you than you are of him.

He won'’t come near us as long as long as that fire'’s going.

[ gunshots firing ]

What was it?What happened?

What'’d you see?Coyote.

A coyote?

You actually mean to say you went after a coyote with that--

Nothing but a coyote, honey.

All that shootin'’ in a row for a moony dog?

Mr. Brooks was just showing me we got nothing to be afraid of.

I didn'’t mean to scare everybody.

Anyhow, you all know now the new gun really works.

Couldn'’t you prove that during the day?

No coyotes.

Yeah. Come on, Hannah.

Better go to bed, Mary.

Goodnight, Mr. Billings.

Mr. Brooks.

You don'’t hear any coyotes now, do ya?

For Pete'’s sake, Larry.

Get back to sleep.

Look, this thing ain'’t no toy.

Don'’t get carried away by it.

I'’m in charge here.

Yes, sir.

[ horse neighs ]

Nothing to worry about, folks.

Young Pima braves out huntin'’ is all.

Larry! No! No! [ gun fires ]

Larry.

You wobble-headed idiot. They weren'’t making any trouble.

They were Indians, weren'’t they?

They were Indians keeping the peace.

You broke it. The fat'’s in the fire now.

[ chuckles ] Well, this will put it out.

Leave it to you to start another.

Watch it, Billings.

You watch it. You'’re the one who'’s causing all the trouble.

Shut up!

I told you before, I'’m in charge here.

You or that gun?

Hot soup.

Thanks.

Mary.

There'’s no danger.

I was just thinking about that young man you shot.

I thought they were attacking the wagon.

Suppose they'’d been hostile.

Suppose they'’d...

they'’d hurt you, or Della?

Suppose you'’d given him the benefit of the doubt

just a few seconds more.

But no, the gun wouldn'’t wait.

Coyotes aren'’t big enough game.

Mary--Well, you'’re the man with the gun

and that'’s what guns are for, to kill.

I'’m a widow whose husband was killed in battle.

And I can'’t be as calm about it as you, Mr. Brooks.

[ shouting ]

[ gunshots firing ]

[ shouting continues ]

[ gunshots continue ]

[ speaking native language ]

That oughta convince '’em.

[ Billings groaning ]

[ groans ]

Della, get some water.

It'’s pretty bad.

Well, can'’t we go back, he'’s got to have a doctor.

It'’s just as far back as it is ahead and just as rough.

We gotta keep going.

DELLA: Mr. Larry. Mama.

MARY: Looks like those Indians didn'’t leave us very much, doesn'’t it?

Now we got sarsaparilla,

cider and lukewarm water.

Lukewarm water, please.

Thank you.

Ya just kind of nurse it along, honey.

You sip it, it'’ll last longer that way.

How bad is it, Mr. Gaines?

Well, if it don'’t get any worse, well--

Now, Brooks out there went scouting

for fresh water a little while ago.

Didn'’t find nothin'.

For Billings?

His fever'’s running high.

I'’ll go out again at our next stop.

More, more.

It'’s so hot.

Let'’s go home, please.

Please, Mama.

I'’m so thirsty.

I wish it'’d rain.

Mary.

Yes, Pa?

Are you all right?

Yes, Pa, I'’m all right.

That'’s my girl.

LARRY: You shouldn'’t do that.

You have to keep up your strength, too.

Please.

Give it to Billings.

That won'’t do no good. They'’re all loose.

Whole wheel'’s liable to cave in any minute now.

You mean we'’re stuck?

I mean just that.

Got to have water for them wheels, any kind of water.

We can'’t move out of this spot, we'’re done for.

Well...

Sam and I will have a look around.

You stand watch.

I'’ll go along with ya.

I said you stay here with the women.

I wish you'’d say something.

Talking makes you dryer.

I know the others hate me for what I did.

But don'’t you feel that way, Mary, please.

I'’m past feeling anything but thirst.

You can have my ration.

Go away.

Go away, please. Leave me alone.

Leave me alone.

[ Mary sobbing ]

What happened to the other horse?

He killed himself with water, poor devil.

What?

Oh, we found water, all right.

A whole spring of it.

Alkaline water. Poison.

Headed right for the water and started drinking

before we could stop him.

It was horrible.

All I could do not to fall on my belly

and soak up whole gallons of the rotten stuff.

Did I hear you say water?Alkaline.

HANNAH: Water? [ whispering ] Water?

GAINES: There'’s water and there'’s plenty of it.

SAM: Less than a mile from here. Due west.

[ wind gusting ]

Water, darling.

They found water, I heard them say so.

Mama'’s gonna get you some.

So her baby won'’t be thirsty anymore.

You mean... even one drop?

Don'’t you dare.

Yeah, that'’s better.

This way, we'’ll be able to...

go back the waterhole and soak all the wheels.

How far is it?

You see that dark patch of mesquite?

Mary!

Mary!

Mary! Come back!

She can'’t hear you.

She'’s heading right for that water.

She must be out of her mind.

Mary!

It'’s no use. You couldn't reach her in time.

Isn'’t there anyway to stop her?

Yes.

This gun of yours.

It'’s the only thing on earth that can do it now.

You got to keep her from reaching that poison water.

Just wing her. Just enough to stop her.

I can'’t.You'’ve got no choice, son.

You'’re the one that can do the shooting.

And you'’ve got the rifle.

I might kill her.

You better not.

It'’s up to you, son. Nobody else.

You'’ve got to do it.

[ gunfire ]

Please. I'’ll bring her in.

She'’s alive. Thank God.

Get her some water.There'’s not a drop left.

We come to ask, why you attack our brothers in the East?

Pimas are not at war with the white man.

Why do you break this treaty?

Why do you shoot?

I'’m the one who did it.

Me, no one else.

I did wrong.

Punish me, but don'’t punish these people.

They had nothing to do with it.

Do you understand?

It'’s my fault these folks are dying of thirst.

Take us to where there'’s water,

and you can do whatever you like with me.

Vengeance only call for more vengeance.

We come in peace.

You are very brave man.

We take you to water.[ sighs ]

Well, here it is.

One of the original Henry rifles,

that went on to become the famous Winchester rifle.

Now, properly used, it has served this country well.

And to this day, the Winchester

rimfire ammunition has the letter "H" on it.

In tribute to this great Henry rifle

and the man who invented it.