Original subtitles

Hey boys! Bat, v/o: there's a reason

They Called it the wild west.

You saved my life. I want to Give you something.

Carl: from that day forward, George was a man of science.

But we can find the proof if you Actually look for it.

Do you really think that a

Cowboy is going to change our Understanding of human history?

I watched failure take its toll On my friend.

You want it so bad carl?! Here. Take it!

They look at me, they Don't see a scientist.

They barely see a man.

[train whistle]

Bat vo: I was just a young man When I first headed west.

In the years that followed, I Became a cowboy, a gunslinger,

And even Served as sheriff of dodge city

One of the most lawless towns in The country.

My name is bat masterson.

Now I'm a reporter. And I've Come west again

To chronicle the World that I know best,

The american west.

Lure of gold... Land... Destiny...

Flooded the frontier with men Both good and bad.

These are the incredible True tales of the wild west.

♪

♪

Is this it?

That, mr. Masterson, is what's Going to change the world.

Mr. Schwa...

Carl is fine.

You said you were in possession Of a discovery that would um...

"Rewrite the history of the west And man's place in it."

Not very specific.

Well, got me in the door, Though.

But I'm not the Discoverer.

That'd be a friend Of mine.

What's your friend's name?

George mcjunkin.

Archeologist.

Astronomer.

Cowboy.

Quite the Renaissance man.

Why haven't I Heard of him?

That'd be on account of Where he was born.

A farm in midway, Texas.

In slaves' quarters.

♪

I see.

You want to know What's in here?

It's his legacy.

And I wouldn't entrust it To anyone who didn't

Want to get his story Right.

♪

♪

After the civil war,

Freed slaves headed west

Just like everyone else.

♪

Few people know that 25% of Cowboys were black.

George found work as a ranch Hand in new mexico.

♪

[clapping, cheering]

Those cowboys saw george's Qualities right away.

♪ [playing fiddle] ♪

They taught him to read, write,

And play the fiddle.

Man: come on, george. Hey!

♪ [playing fiddle] ♪

[cheering]

[cheering, applause]

Wasn't long before george caught The notice of the ranch owner,

Dr. Owen.

Now I have something else to Discuss, george.

I'm getting a Little long in the tooth.

Now it Hasn't affected my looks none.

But my old bones can't get Knocked around

The way they used to.

George: don't be so hard on Yourself, sir.

You'll be fine.

We got 2000 head of cattle To get to market,

20 men to get The job done and

I'm putting Someone new in charge.

Herb? Or

Are you thinking, Walt prisco?

Now you're the one selling Yourself short.

It's got to be You, george.

This is your job.

Are you sure about this?

That's a lot of cattle To get to market.

You and I both know

Some men won't take too kindly For working for a black men.

Too bad for them.

You already Have the respect of the others.

And they don't give a darn if You're black.

Because they know George mcjunkin

Is the best darn Cowboy in new mexico.

So either them other boys will Fall in line, or

We just won't keep them Around.

I won't let you down Dr. Owen.

I know.

♪

Carl: george's life as a Rancher seemed set...

'till the day he met someone

Who would change it forever.

[fighting]

Get off me!

[gunshot] Hey boys!

It's too darn hot to be working That hard.

Let him be.

Let him be. - okay!

[grunts]

♪

[groans]

George: you alright, sir?

I think so.

[sigh]

Very fine of you to Stop and help like that.

What were they after?

I'm stationed at fort bayard.

They must have figured I have Something valuable.

And I do...

Army payroll in my saddlebag.

You saved my life.

I want to Give you something.

I got no expectation Of reward.

Just doing what any Decent folk would do.

The money I have ain't mine To give. But...

I do have this.

♪

Sir, I can't.

It's yours.

Hopefully maybe you can make Some good come of it.

♪

♪

Carl: that small gesture

Changed george's life.

♪

The telescope spurred His desire

To learn more about The natural world.

♪

From that day forward,

George was a man of science.

Your friend certainly is Impressive.

Which brings usto this.

I'm getting to that.

A few years passed And george took new a post as

Foreman of crowfoot Ranch, near folsom.

Then one night in august,

The heavens opened up.

[heavy thunderstorm]

George, come to the phone.

[heavy thunderstorm]

Sarah is on the phone.

♪

Mcjunkin here.

[heavy thunderstorm]

George, can you hear me?

George: sarah, is that you?

George, the cimarron's flooded.

Get your stock to high ground, Now!

George: that water's gonna hit You first.

You need to get outta There. You hear me?

I can't.

I have to call everyone.

I- I'll be all right.

Sarah there's no time for all That.

You better get yourself to Safety now!

Sarah?

Sarah!

Go gettin' sarah.

Round up the calves, Push them up the hill. Move!

♪

[thunder rolls]

I never seen water Rush up like that.

We lost 18 souls That night.

Sarah?

♪

Who knows how many Lives she saved.

Sun rises, and You pick up the pieces.

George, he went down to the Arroyo to

Survey the damage.

That's where He found them.

♪

♪

♪

♪

[grunts]

♪

[groan]

♪

♪ [wild west chronicles Theme] ♪

♪

Carl: after george found that First bone,

He uncovered even more in The arroyo.

And an unusual artifact.

George believed he had Found something important,

But he had no answers.

Only questions.

♪

[knocking on door]

Carl: george?

What're you still doing home?

Carl, come here a minute.

They're looking for you Up at the ranch.

What do you make of these?

[footsteps]

Looks like buffalo bones.

Yeah,

But not the kind you Thinking.

They found the first One in kentucky.

Figured it Weighed near two tons.

That's a whole lot of steak.

Never saw one that big.

No one has.

No one living.

♪

Bison antiquus.

Lived nearly 10,000 Years ago.

Yeah, I think that's What we got here.

♪

I also found this.

♪

What is it?

George: I don't think It's natural.

Looks manmade to me.

Could be as Old as these bones.

How can you tell that?

Just a feeling.

But I've got to find someone Who can say for sure.

♪

♪

♪

Carl: have a look.

Bat: oh, wow!

♪

[laughs in wonder]

Oh, I'll be.

Carl: heard you hunted Your share of buffalo.

If they'd been this size, I wouldn't have bothered.

♪

Why has no one Heard about this?

It's not for lack Of trying, mr. Masterson.

Believe me.

♪

George sent letters just about Every museum

And university in the country.

He described how Vast and rich the site was

In bones and artifacts.

That it merited a proper dig

Led by professionals.

If they bothered with an answer,

♪

It was always the same.

♪

They had no interest in Examining the site.

♪

[bangs table]

♪

[bangs table]

[papers fluttering]

♪

After years of trying,

George finally got Some good news.

[door creaks open]

A letter came george.

It's from the

Colorado museum of Natural history.

♪

Well?

♪

It's from harold cook,

Curator Of paleontology.

He's coming Here to folsom.

♪ [wild west chronicles theme] ♪

Carl: when harold cook made the Trip to folsom

And inspected the dig site,

George thought this was the Chance he'd been looking for.

George: so, mr. Cook, What'd you find?

Some bone fragments, Not unlike yours.

So you figure you want To bring in a full crew?

Start a proper dig?

[stuttering] Mr. Cook.

You've made an interesting Paleontological find.

Interesting...

But hardly groundbreaking.

Now, hold on a minute.

George, show Him what else you found.

Look... I also found this with The bones.

Way I see it, it's Got to be some kind of tool.

Weather can sink modern tools to Lower depths.

There's no proof The two are linked.

But we can find the proof If you actually look for it.

We?

♪

If this is manmade,

Then that means there Was people here

Long before anyone Ever thought.

Mr. Mcjunkin,

Man was in north America 3000 years ago.

You would have us believe He was hunting bison

Ten millennia ago? In the last ice age?

Look. I know it's A big change. But...

Do you really think that a

A cowboy

Is going to change our Understanding of human history?

♪

You know what, you're right.

I ain't got no degree, Mr. Cook.

But I'm a man of science.

I do the work. I get my hands dirty.

You just stand there and look, But you don't even see.

You don't even do nothing. Carl: george.

Get off me carl.

♪

♪

Carl: the years passed by...

George never found anyone that Was interested in his findings.

I watched failure take its toll On my friend.

♪

George you home?

George...

The heck you up to?

Clearing house.

Way past due.

George, what are you really Doing here?

I'm gonna throw 'em In the river.

Back where they belong.

You gone crazy?

Why would you do A fool thing like that?

I was a fool for Digging them up

In the first place.

Let me pass.

Can't let you do that.

Get out of my way, carl. - george.

- carl, move! - george!

All right, you want it so bad?

You want it so bad, carl?

Here. Take it!

All yours.

♪

♪

How many times have I heard the Story about this thing?

♪

Showed you a bigger world.

♪

Now it's up to you to show the World what you found.

♪

It ain't up to me, carl.

It never was.

They look at me, they Don't see a scientist.

They barely see a man.

♪

♪ [wild west chronicles theme] ♪

[birds chirping]

Carl: not a bad spot.

George: I reckon I won't Be crawling down there no more.

What's this is all about george?

What's changed?

Spent so much time worrying On those bones,

Stopped looking after my own.

♪

I ain't got much longer, carl.

I can feel it.

♪

You wanted to prove yourself.

While you had time.

It's bigger than me, carl.

There Was people here.

Where no one Never saw none before.

They lived here.

Died here.

I wanted to tell the world, "See them.

And don't ever forget,

They was here."

♪

You know, I've been thinking.

Could write some Letters of my own.

♪

Figured you wasn't ready to Part with this just yet.

♪

And here we are.

But you know we're not a Scientific journal.

You know a good story When you hear one.

If you and george want Validation,

I can't give It to you.

Well you chuck a small stone Down a mountainside,

Picks up speed,

Kicks up plenty bigger Rocks and soon enough...

You want me to start An avalanche.

♪

♪

♪

I want the world to know What george mcjunkin did.

♪

Let's make 'em see.

Carl schwacheim continued George mcjunkin's work

Making significant Discoveries during

Scientific excavations of the Folsom site.

Sadly, it was years After george had passed in 1922.

In 2019, george mcjunkin was Inducted into

The hall of great westerners

At the national Cowboy and heritage museum.

♪

Pack those up huh?

Gentle now...

Gentle. - yes, sir.

Carl: over here!

♪

See there?

The spear tip's in the bone.

♪

He was here!

Ancient man hunted here 10,000 years ago.

You've done it Mr. Schwacheim!

No,

He did it.

George was right.

I dare say he was.

♪

Smile for the camera now.

♪

[camera flash]

♪