Original subtitles

When daggers are pointed at innocent hearts and muskets are ready to fire.

When tyrants ride high and govern with fear as the forces of evil

conspire. Then from out of the night, my hero must rise. The courage that

even a mask won't disguise.

They turn to the men.

He's the one who strikes back for the poor and oppressed.

A hero.

Papilla, where have you been, huh?

Buenos dias, Senor Alcalde.

You have a very beautiful horse here, sir.

Oh, thank you. I bought her from a passing rider from San Diego. Senor

he made me an offer that I could not resist.

Yes, I see. I'm sorry to disappoint you.

She was taken from my stables last Friday night.

Oh, no, no, no. Impossible.

Miguel knows my horses for ten years. He knows all of my stock.

Besides, look at the De La Vega brand here.

Hastily changed to an M.

Senor, I bought this horse in good faith for 500 pesos.

She's worth twice as much as that, and you know it.

Are you calling me a horse thief?

Senor Alcalde, if a man offers me a horse at half its market price, I would

been more careful.

Miguel, vamonos.

What do you think you're doing?

Don't you doubt?

I'm taking back what's mine.

Señor, you are taking nothing.

The ownership of this horse will be settled in a court of law.

Very good. But not here, not in your court. We'll go before the territorial

judge then.

Father, what's going on?

Jim! Jim,

take the horse to Father Benitez.

Tell him I'll be waiting for a court ruling.

I'm just wondering what Governor O 'Connor will say when he finds out that

famous hotel in Los Angeles is riding around on stolen property.

I'm starving, Diego.

Excuse me, Alejandro.

Si.

Excuse me.

Have we met before?

It's been a long time, Alejandro.

And you do not know who I am?

No.

Well, when I was a little girl, I visited the Rancho de la Vega, and there

boy named Alejandro.

I used to hide in a tree by the river, and he would climb up and try to pull me

down.

Mercerita, Mercedes.

Yes, it is.

Mercedes Henche.

You came back. I said I would.

But I never believed you.

Oh, forgive me.

This is my son, Diego.

Diego, this is La Señorita Mercedes Henche.

How do you do?

Long before I ever met your mother.

This lady was the love of my life.

I just can't believe it.

Mercedes Hensche here.

No, it's Villano.

It has been a long time.

Your husband isn't with you? No, no.

Antonio died in Barcelona last summer.

As a matter of fact, that is why I'm here.

The estate.

I don't know much about these things. I know I should, but I just don't.

Oh, so then you've come back here to live at your father's rancho. No.

I've come back to sell it.

Then I will be done with this place.

I must have been around 15 or 17 at the time.

I practiced night and day. I wanted to be the best swordsman in the whole world

with both hands.

I recall you had other things on your mind at night.

Father, you never told me about that part of your youth.

Well, let's just say that I didn't want to spend the best years of my life

cooped up with books.

I'll get some more coffee, with your permission.

You love your father, don't you?

Yes.

Although there are times when he does his best to make it difficult.

I love it here.

I've always loved it here.

Then I want you to stay.

Forever.

Oh, yes.

Yes, Alain.

Robbie.

Oh, my God.

Oh, if you'll forgive me.

I have to be up early in the morning. You're forgiven, but it's not just you.

Are you coming with me to Santa Paula tomorrow?

Oh, I forgot.

The cattle auction.

Well, why don't you show Mercedes around her ranch show and I'll take care of

the auction myself.

Thank you. Good night, senor.

Buenas noches, Stephen.

Why did I ever need you?

You wanted to travel.

There's a whole world out there, Alejandro, just waiting to be seen.

Do you remember?

Well, was it worth it?

No.

The world was not kind to me.

Well, then that's why you're staying here, where you belong.

We'll turn your rancho into another garden of evil.

I cannot.

I... I haven't enough money to hire men or supplies.

I have enough to pay for one night in the tavern and that is all.

Well, then that's it.

You're going to stay right here in the Hacienda.

The guest quarters, no ifs, ands, and buts. It will be perfectly proper.

I'm a little confused, Mercedes. Why do you want to sell the property so

quickly? Your husband left you with financial problems, yes?

He was a spendthrift and a bully.

He squandered everything we owned.

May God forgive me.

I'm glad he's dead.

Oh, don't. You

belong

here with me.

In my arms.

And so, according to Señorita Victoria, Don Alejandro used to be in love with

the widow Villero. And because she has no money, he's allowing her to stay in

his hacienda.

Gossip! The only cultural pursuit in this town is gossip!

Who's that man?

I don't know.

I can find out. Good idea, Sergeant.

May I help you, senor?

A room.

Of course.

Buenas tardes.

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sergeant Jaime Mendoza of the Royal

And you are?

Just passing through.

Well, if that is the case, there is the matter of our local traveler's tax.

It is not much, senor, just two pesos, but it does help.

I don't like soldiers.

I don't like taxes.

And I don't like you.

Put down the bottle.

Put it down.

Where's your name, senor?

Viero.

Antonio Viero.

Viero?

Do not by any chance relate it to senora Mercedes Viero?

I am her husband.

He is not. She is a widow.

Do I look dead, amigo?

Lancers! Chill.

Are you okay, Mendoza?

I think so.

I think it's time you and I had a little talk. This is difficult for me to say,

but I think your wife is in love with another man.

There it is.

Father's property.

It's worse than I had imagined. Look at the hacienda.

It used to be so beautiful.

Mercedita, you're looking at the wrong thing.

The land is the treasure.

If you work at it, this sword will pay you back a hundredfold.

You used to be the one who shied away from responsibility.

That's true.

Married a woman I loved very much. She gave me a son.

And then Papa died.

And then responsibility crept up on me like a tiger stalking its prey.

But I've grown to love this land.

And now with you here, my life is going to be very complete.

Alejandro, I feel so guilty.

Why?

I've misled you.

That's not true. I want you to be my wife. It is.

My husband is not dead.

What?

Mercedes?

I thought you said... See?

See, he is dead. In my heart.

I thought Antonio was like you.

Brave and strong and tender.

They treated me like a slave.

Inside a year, he had spent my entire dowry.

When I found out he had no money of his own, he had wasted it all.

That is when he began to hurt me.

What kind of a man is this?

The kind of man who will kill me if he finds me. That is why you are staying

right here, where you are and where you belong.

You don't understand. He is not like any other man. He is a monster.

That is why I didn't want to tell you. I didn't want to get you involved.

Mercelita, I am involved.

He knows about this property.

He will come here. I know it. Let him come.

The pity of it is, no matter how much we care, no matter how much we sacrifice

for them, women are still basically fickle creatures.

Where is Mercedes?

Oh, bad news.

When you were arrested, I took it upon myself to ride personally to the De La

Vega hacienda to tell your wife what had happened.

She refused to come back with me.

I asked De La Vega if he would pay your fine.

He laughed in my face.

He said it would be better for everybody if you just stayed where you were.

And your wife agreed with him.

When did I get my hands on her?

Well, you can't blame her, really.

After all, Don Alejandro is such a wealthy man. And as you said yourself,

prospects are less than promising.

They cannot buy my wife.

I'm afraid he can do exactly what he wants to do. After all, he is there with

her. And you are in jail.

I will kill him!

The back, amigo.

Why are we letting him escape?

Well, it's strictly a temporary measure, I assure you, Sergeant.

Well, we should follow him.

Relax. I know exactly where he's heading.

You should hear Diego plays. Much more accomplished than I.

I say this.

We both know that you have to find your husband and talk to him and reason with

him.

I don't know what you're asking.

If you don't at least make the effort, I'm afraid you'll never be happy.

You may be right.

The property is yours now.

Make it bloom for me.

It's your fault.

I have no quarrel with you.

Unfortunately, senor, I have one with you.

in the jail, Antonio.

Your wife heard

your trust and you repaid her with your suspicion and your brutality.

Share your grief.

More than you can ever know, senor.

Oh, so.

I've lost her once again.

Only this time forever.

What happened here?

Mercedes Henscher was killed by the bullet the arrow meant for me.

The last wish was that this land would bloom and prosper.

I'm donating her land.

Mercedita, I'm giving your property away to the people of Los Angeles so that

everyone can enjoy it and share in your dream.

Oh, gracias, Victoria.

Thank you for coming.

I didn't know the Senora, but I just wanted to be here for you.

If you didn't have the presence of mind to come after me, there'd be two graves

on this hill.

Buenos dias, Sergeant.

Buenos dias.

The Alcalde asked me to bring back your horse. He says it's yours.

He doesn't want the 500 pesos.

Really?

That's remarkable.

I suppose he didn't want to explain himself to the governor, right?

Oh, I don't know, Don Alejandro. I think he felt a little guilty.

Of what, Sergeant?

Ah, who knows?

Buenas tardes.

Adios.

Typical of the Soto, Adiego.

Heaven forbid that he'd come to me face to face and admit that he was wrong.

This was a big step for our Alcalde, Father.

Well, perhaps the Alcalde is human after all.

All any of us poor humans can do is try to forgive and forget.