Original subtitles

At least it's quiet out here.

It's quiet in the grave.

Come on, Marilyn.

I'm sorry. I forget that you spend all day long in a graveyard. You and your

Indians.

They're not my Indians. They happen to work at the mine. I don't own them.

No, there isn't very much city as yours.

Or ours.

Furnished apartment and a couple of cars and a chance to take a moonlight ride

out to this godforsaken lake.

I shouldn't have said that.

Not your fault, I guess.

Whose fault would you say it was, then?

We repaired a valve stem today. I just want to check and see if it held, then

go home, okay?

Marilyn, look.

I know it hasn't been what I told you it would be, but I want you to be patient.

Just a little longer

Jim

yeah, what is that?

We're not in the lake

Looks like one of the company boats.

It looks like there's something or somebody in it.

You're right.

The FBI.

A Quinn Martin production.

Starring Ephraim Zimbalist Jr.

Also starring Philip Abbott, William Reynolds, with guest stars

Wayne Rogers, Lou Antonio,

Marge Ducey, Michael Basileon,

Dana Elgar.

Tonight's episode, Superstition Rock.

On the night of April 18th, George Harris, a field representative of the

States Bureau of Indian Affairs, was assaulted near the Superstition Rock

at Bancroft, California.

Mine foreman Jim Wade, who found Harris, told local law enforcement officers

that the assault, which left Harris in a coma and unconscious, was the latest in

a series of accidents, employee injuries, and other troubles that had

the mine, located near the site of an ancient Indian burial ground.

Because Harris had been assaulted in the performance of his official duties, the

Federal Bureau of Investigation moved immediately into the case.

Well, I hate to break up your weekend, Lewis, but I think we ought to get

started on this as soon as possible.

You have any idea why Harris was attacked?

Yes, he called his office yesterday afternoon.

He said he was planning to meet with an informant who claimed to have

information on the person who was responsible for all the problems the

had complained about.

What's his condition now?

He's still critical, unconscious.

Some neurosurgeons are examining brain X -rays right now.

Lee Amboy, the resident agent covering Bancroft, sent in some photos.

I suggest you get out there today, Lewis.

When Tom comes back from Cleveland, I'll send him on immediately.

Why was Harris sent to the mine in the first place?

The request came from some of the younger Indians.

Apparently, when the mining operations, which are on the surface, began, some of

the older members warned the mine owners that it was very close to tribal burial

grounds.

They're afraid that it will be desecrated.

What was the management's reaction to that?

First, they paid very little attention to it.

But then the incidents began.

The accidents at the mine and the processing plant.

As the morale of some of the younger Indian miners began to deteriorate they

in a call for help to the Bureau of Indian Affairs They asked Harris to look

into the problem

Wade and his wife found Harris about 11 .15 p .m. The county ambulance took him

directly to the hospital.

I must have gotten out here about 1 in the morning. He was already in a coma by

then. And Harris was unconscious when Wade found him?

Yes, sir, he was.

I packaged his clothing and sent it on to the Bureau with other evidence we

found. We located his car on a side street in Bancroft. We processed it

thoroughly. There were no latents or anything else about him.

What about the grand fee?

Well, sure, the lake was clean.

Agents spread out and combed the area.

Just off the secondary highway that runs down from the processing plant, we

found traces of blood and some undergrowth.

Well, there were also some tire marks just off the highway. We made plaster

impressions and photographed those and sent them in for comparison along with

the tires from her car.

So, if anything, he's in a deeper coma than before.

I'm afraid his condition will not permit surgery at this time.

Can you tell us anything about the type of weapon that was used?

Flat. Heavy.

No indication it was sharply pointed.

All right, Doctor. You'll let us know if there's any change.

I will.

One way or another.

Calling Doctor.

Doctor.

Inspector Isken.

Mr. Ewing Carter.

Oh, Mr. Carter. How do you do? Mr. Carter is the president of the Bancroft

Savings and Loan, a long -time authority on Indian affairs.

Mr. Erskine, sometimes a man gets to be an authority just by virtue of having

been around a place since the year one.

You know, I just talked to the head nurse.

I understand George is just barely holding his own.

That seems to be the general feeling.

You know, I've always thought of George as a very good friend of mine. I realize

most of our meetings have been on a kind of an official basis, helping to

arrange loans for Indian housing and that kind of thing.

Well, maybe that's how the best friendships are formed, through a sense

mutual accomplishment anyway.

I

assume

they're here out of respect for Harrison.

Most of them. They feel he's always tried to help them.

And the others?

Well, they're waiting for him to die.

You see, to them, the mind disturbs sacred ground, the graves of their

ancestors.

And the mine itself is responsible for all the injuries and accidents that

suffered over the past few months.

John Rund?

Inspector Lewis Erskine of the FBI.

How do you do?

I am pleased to meet you, but why do you come?

We're here because Harris is a federal officer, Mr. Rund.

My people have said, if I hold an egg in my hand and

crush the egg, It will look like a crushed egg. But if I leave second egg

on ground and the wind blows so strong that second egg is crushed,

who can tell first egg from second?

Inspector, he believes that Harris' injury is the work of angry spirits

the burial grounds.

Hear the wind blow.

No, please, don't. Don't do it.

No, please.

It wasn't my fault.

Harris, he got there early and surprised me.

Well, that's not what we got to worry about. We got to worry about if he

No, please, don't do it.

That's right, Inspector.

It was my idea to send for Harris. Do you have any idea who might have

Harris? No, and I don't think it was the anger of the spirits either.

The more the incidents go on, the more uncertain the boy's getting.

It's just easier to leave rather than try to find out.

And enough of the young people have left the tribe already.

Why do you stay, Mr. Blackline?

Partly it's because of the job. When Jim Wade made me sub -foreman of the mine,

he didn't forget to put the pay in the envelope, too.

I used to think I'd be moving away, too, but then after Vietnam and...

College, traveling in the States, I realized I had work to do here.

So you came back.

That's right. Yeah!

There you go! Come on, catch it!

Came back for them, too.

I'd like to talk to Jim Wade now.

Okay, if he's not in the plant office, he'll be back here in a minute.

I feel. I didn't know you were here. Well, I was just waiting for Jim. It

that I wrote checks for more money than I have in my account again.

Oh, I'll bet you the FBI men, the local citizenry are all turned on about.

We are with the FBI.

Uh -huh.

Mr. Amboy? Jim?

Inspector Ursa, this is Jim Wade. How do you do, Inspector?

Well, and unless this is really important, I... Well, honey, I just

ask you... Wade?

Yeah, Chris?

No, no, don't send them in. I'm coming up.

What is it, Jim?

Men running out again? As of lunch.

They quit, Bill. They talked it over at lunch and they're through.

Jim, they want to go back in, get paid off.

Take them in. Pay them more.

Now, wait a minute!

You guys hold it.

You walk down the mountain now.

You don't ride in the truck.

That's right.

The company rules say we don't allow children.

To ride in the trucks.

Just the men.

Men. Who work in the mines can do that.

That's right, men.

For 100 years, we give up our lands.

We sat on our reservations.

We made beads and trinkets. And we said there was no work.

Well, now there is work. A job and pay for your work. So you can have pride as

man. And you want to give it up because you're afraid.

Hey, listen.

You come on back up the mountain with me.

I say we're not in the sacred grounds.

I say I don't believe the old men and the old stories.

See if they kill me.

They tell me you were at the plant when Harris came out.

That's right.

What'd he say? Do you remember?

He didn't say much of anything, Inspector.

I only wish I knew who did this.

There's no one you suspect?

No.

See that, Lance?

The markings on the bow?

That was Talking Elk, the last war chief of our tribe.

In 1873, he was tricked into a peace meeting.

Then he was beaten to death.

As you can see, the arrangement of the artifacts in this photograph is pretty

much the same as the painting of what we had here.

The war lance at the right hand, quiver of arrows, food vessels, and personal

effects to the left. You said had here, Mr. Thurman.

That's correct.

You see, the artifacts and the skeleton were stolen from here last March.

Then Lou was right. The originals were on the top of Superstition Rock.

Did you make a report of the theft?

Oh, yes, I did.

Don't worry. I'll call the exact date, but I can look it up for you.

I'll check with the police. May I use the phone, please?

Yes, you can use that one.

Over there.

Thank you.

Yesterday, side of a mountain in Bancroft, California, this arrangement

duplicated almost exactly.

Using the true skeleton of talking elk. That's very strange.

Would you say whoever staged this was extremely well acquainted with Indian

lore?

Possibly an Indian himself.

Or a visitor to this museum?

Very possibly.

You have a guest book for visitors, don't you? Yes, we've kept one for

It's in the outer display room. I'll get it for you.

Yes, here it is.

The theft took place on March 18th.

A report was filed, but the case is still unsolved.

Did this staged incident have any particular goal or effect?

Yes, sir.

It closed the mine.

This was a definite date to shoot, Jim. You were a little bit late. What

happened? Well, I happened to have taken my wife shopping. Then I went and had

my car greased and lubed. Besides, I don't have to answer to you anyway.

You're a little touchy today, aren't you?

Well, I'm not Arlen Parent, you know. I'm not one of your errand boys.

You know, Parent was a little upset over the beating you gave him.

Yeah? Well, I was a little upset over what you and he did to Harris, too.

Pull.

That's ten out of ten for me.

Terrific.

I had nothing to do with that, Jim.

I dropped him off a half a mile from the mine and a half an hour before he was

supposed to meet Harris.

Yeah, well, he said Harris was waiting for him. You know what that means?

was there an hour ahead of time and probably saw him, so he couldn't pull

one of his little accidents.

Parent stupidly then flagged him.

Oh.

Yeah, Parent bungled it all right, but as it happens, it worked out to our

advantage anyway.

It scared the Indians into pulling out, and the mine is closed.

And I imagine your bosses back east are getting just a little bit tired of all

the expenditures.

Pretty soon I'm going to take back what should have been mine rightfully all

along anyway.

By the way, what did Marilyn buy?

I don't see that that's any of your business.

No?

That's money you might have given me, isn't it? Or do I imagine all those IOUs

in my safety deposit box?

You're going to get your money, so don't worry about it, huh?

I know I'm going to get my money.

When I own that mine, I'm going to use the profits to spread all over this

valley. You're going to share in that.

You'll have money, and then you'll pay me back.

You'd just love to turn that gun on me, wouldn't you?

I wouldn't do any good, though, would I?

No, Marilyn would leave you for sure then, wouldn't she?

Paul.

Harris' activities during the day, we learned he had a phone call while he was

having lunch with Ewing Carter.

I think this may have even the so -called informant set him up.

Well, that fits, Lewis.

Harris called his office to inform them of the prospective meeting about 2 .15.

Well, he made two visits to the plant, the first to find out why a valve

standard developed a leak, and the second much later to meet the informant.

I have the results now from the lab on those tire impressions Amboy forwarded.

They're identical.

Harris' car was apparently parked just above the processing plant.

And the blood type also matches Harris'. Well, Arthur, it's pretty clear how it

happened. The next question is why.

Must have known something.

Or at least been close to something.

It might be a good idea to have a talk with the owners.

That's Trans -Eastern Corporation with home offices in Boston.

I'll follow up on that.

Is the mine definitely closed now? Wade thinks he can reopen tomorrow with a

pickup crew of non -Indians.

I see.

Has Tom arrived yet?

We're expecting him any minute.

I'll be in touch, Arthur.

If anybody checks, the records at the county work farm will show that you did

days for vagrancy and petty theft.

In case anyone should ask, what did I steal?

Case of whiskey and three cartons of cigarettes seems to me like we were

lenient with you Now we drop you off with a ticket to the state line Suppose

should catch it in well, we always need help at the county farm

Any fellas from around here?

No.

Hi. I'm sorry I'm late.

Could you give me a hand with these packages?

Here.

Uh -huh.

Hold it.

Okay.

Oh, I'll take that. Thank you. I'll be just a minute.

I just fell in love with this, and I hope they got the alterations right.

Pretty?

I imagine you heard about the remains of Talking Elk being found up at the mine

yesterday. Oh, sure. All the Indians ran away.

Can't really say that I blame them, though.

You'd seen Talking Elk before, hadn't you? Under different conditions.

Yep. San Francisco Museum.

Do you really like it?

It's very attractive.

Oh, yeah, I'll be the rage of the supermarket in this. Saturday night when

everybody shows up to watch everybody else buy garden hose.

I'm sorry, where were we?

The museum.

Oh. Was your husband there with you?

Mm -hmm.

I remember because he forgot his camera in the display room.

And when the director handed me the book, I signed it.

What do you think of my portrait?

You know, this was done when we were living in Santa Barbara.

Jim was doing very, very well there.

Then he lost his job and, well, we ended up out here.

Do you know what the average annual income of some of the people in Santa

Barbara is?

Oh.

Forget about it.

Anyway, I started the fight.

I had it coming.

You did?

That's right.

Why?

Because I was ashamed.

Ashamed of them. Ashamed of myself.

But Indians don't apologize. They can fight, but they don't apologize.

I made fun of them this morning, Inspector. I call them cowards, my own

I'm just afraid of something they don't understand.

Well, I wouldn't feel too bad, Bill.

After all, you can't change that overnight, you know.

I'm not talking about them now.

Look, I'm an educated man, right?

High school.

Two years of college, I'm a war veteran.

They went into that mine because I made fun of them.

But after we found Talking Elk, when they gave up and nobody had to go back

on that mountain, I was glad.

Because by then, you see, I was afraid, too.

You boys met County here?

Yeah.

Forget that County stuff. My name's Glenn.

I'm sorry. I didn't know you were so sensitive.

Of course, all these good old boys here have seen the sheriff drop you off in

front of the bus stop, so you ain't about to keep it a secret.

Come on. Give the guy a break, will you, Arlen?

We all do a little farming for the sheriff every now and then.

Now, where are you from originally, Glenn?

Yeah, where are you from originally, County?

No, I don't have time for vacations.

Hey, Arlen, you was down in San Francisco just a while back, wasn't you?

Eat and let's get back to work, huh?

I heard that Harris was operated on.

Yeah, I just talked to the hospital.

We may be able to see him tomorrow.

That's good.

Things are not so good at the mine.

Huh? Work is stumbling to a halt.

But all the new workers are convinced that Wade is a good boss.

Tough but fair, and they're concerned about his job.

Well, he'd better be concerned. His wife buys clothes as if she didn't want

anyone else to get any.

I found out that Parent was in San Francisco.

It was confirmed by one of the miners at lunch.

And later on, I was able to pin it down to mid -March, which would put Parent in

the city at the time of the theft at the museum.

Wade could have given him photographs and instructions of exactly what to

Well, it's worked.

As a result of what's been going on here, Trans -Eastern has indicated they

be willing to sell.

Has there been any offers?

Yeah, just one.

From a Wall Street law firm acting for a company called Vantage Construction and

Quarrying.

It's a one -man corporation.

And you know who the one man is?

Who?

Ewing Carter.

Carter's been out here for 35 years. Why would he wait till now?

We learned this land was up for public sale in 1960, and Carter made a bid on

it. Shortly afterwards, he suffered bad financial reverses and had to sell out

to Trans -Eastern at a big loss.

So now he figures he's going to take back what he thinks belongs to him.

And the irony is, he may not have to pay much more for it than Trans -Eastern

did.

And Harris must have been on the verge of exposing the whole scheme.

I dropped by the county recorder's office a little while ago.

He remembers him coming in last week.

Well, let's hope he's well enough to tell you so himself tomorrow.

Well, I'd better be getting back.

Watch yourself, Tom.

Always.

Unit 5 to Unit 1.

1, go ahead.

Parent just entered Carter's house at 315 Chalon Road.

Right, Tom. Continues surveillance.

10 -4.

Can't you understand?

If that Harris guy opens his mouth, I'm on my way to the federal penitentiary.

No, Alan, I think the government is going to give the state first crack at

Attempted murder carries a much heavier penalty.

I don't think that's funny.

But seeing as how you've got such a sense of humor, you can just figure on

and Wade sitting on my lap wherever I go.

Oh, yes. What is the expression? You're going to blow the whistle on everybody?

Well, I don't want to, but... Arlen, how can I help us all?

Help you, help me, and help Jim.

Now, that is what I've tried to do right along, isn't it?

I had $30 ,000 cash money. I could try to go so far they'd never find me. I

could leave right now.

Arlen, I haven't got $30 ,000 cash here in my house.

But you could get it.

In the morning.

Now, you go on to work just as if nothing had happened.

What do you mean, supposing that guy... Supposing he takes a turn for the worse

and dies before noon.

Are you going to be able to explain what you were doing catching a plane without

him saying a word?

the 14th annual Golden Dawn Race.

The race draws dozens of millionaire sportsmen, both for the excitement of

race and the fun -filled social events that precede and follow.

Hello. Jim?

There's an old saying.

Situations grown desperate are by desperate appliances relieved.

Well, I wouldn't know about that, see? I guess I could check it out. We've got

to tie it off, Jim.

Parent just left here.

He threatened us both.

Yeah? Well, so?

Well, Parent's death has got to look like an accident.

A mine accident that he bungled in staging.

Well, I don't want to hear any more of that. See, I'm hanging up rings.

Jim?

Are you there?

Yeah.

Now, the only name that Harris can give is Parents.

Jim, we are one accident away from a million dollars.

And a good part of that for you.

Now, wait a minute. You're talking about a human life.

Well, yes, that's what it comes down to sometimes, doesn't it?

Now, Arlen is the first man up on the mountain, isn't he?

He checks every vehicle and signs the county safety compliance report. So

be along then, right?

I can't do it.

Of course you can, Jim.

We haven't any choice.

years ago.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the day.

What did you do that for, right in the middle of the race?

I'll buy you a yacht, Marilyn. You can be in the next one.

Jim, what is the matter with you?

You're leaving me, aren't you?

Where are you going?

I am not leaving you, Jim.

Don't lie to me, Marilyn. I saw your bags packed.

I'm going to San Francisco for the weekend to visit my sister. Now, I told

that days ago.

That's right, you did.

I forgot.

Look, Marilyn.

You gotta give me a little more time.

I know how you hate it here, but you gotta be patient.

I need you.

Jim, what is wrong?

Hold me, Marilyn.

Nothing's wrong.

Everything's gonna be fine as long as you stay with me.

Everything's going to be fine.

You're going to have everything you ever wanted.

It was all in parent, Inspector.

Was he alone?

Yes, and on foot.

Somebody must have dropped him off on the highway.

You did talk to him before the attack?

That's right.

He was surprised, shook, because I wasn't supposed to be there before he

arrived. When I asked who sent him out, he swung on me with a wrench.

But you must have been on to something else, something that prompted the

I learned that Carter made a bid on the mine once before.

I got a hunch, not enough to take to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, but I

happened to be talking to one of his bookkeepers.

He mentioned this company in Los Angeles.

Vantage Construction and Quaring?

That's right.

You were on the same trail as I was, huh?

That makes me feel good.

Did you mention this to Carter?

Yes.

And he said it was a tax shelter.

And that didn't sound right.

Then Carter invited me to lunch and Aaron knew where we were going.

All right, George, that's all we need for now. Your parents are outside.

They've had quite a wait.

Thanks, Inspector.

Tell the U .S. Attorney what we've got and ask for a warrant on our own parent.

Didn't expect to see you here this morning.

Morning, Arlen.

Larkin.

Dwight.

Carter called me earlier this morning.

He's got what you want. You go in there at noon, he'll give it to you.

You two finally looking to reason, huh?

You mind giving me a lift up to my rig? Yeah, sure. Why not?

I saw Larkin moving. He must be all right.

Can you hear me down there?

You got to get me up out of here.

Do something. Don't just let me die. Why are you trying to kill me?

He would have killed us both.

Him and Carter, they're in it together.

All right, you can tell me about it later.

Let's get you out of here.

It's okay, Tom.

Can you move?

Yeah.

You're my parent.

You tried to kill me.

You and Carter.

Harlan Parent, we have a warrant for your arrest.

Charging you with the assault of George Harris.

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against

You have the right to an attorney, if you wish. It was him and Carter. I don't

care.

Jim, is that true?

Is it true?

Yeah, it's true.

Why?

Not for me.

It doesn't much matter anymore, does it?

I'm ready to tell you whatever you want to know.

You can come with us now.

Okay, your turn now, Inspector!

Keep it moving there.

Hi.

How's it going?

We're just about ready to leave.

Well,

congratulations, Inspector. I understand that Carter was arrested, too.

Yes, and what's this I hear about a promotion around here?

That's right.

Transition sent me a wire this morning.

Form another superstition to rock mine. That's not bad, huh?

Not bad at all.

I even got your old job back for you, Mr. Colby.

Well, thank you. I, uh...

I managed to land something with the government, but I appreciate the

Well, we got a plane to catch.

Good luck, Bill. You're in charge now.

Arlen Parent pleaded guilty in federal court to assault on a federal officer.

James Wade and Ewing Carter were convicted in state court of attempted

George Harris recovered from his injuries and returned to duty with the

of Indian Affairs.