Original subtitles

♪ [ trumpet ]

News of a new gold strike spread fast in the early West.

In 1868, new finds were reported

in the White Pine Mountains near Ely, Nevada,

and from all over the country

men came to try for the big bonanza,

men with hopes and dreams of great riches.

And with them came women

who knew that real wealth was a happy home on a...

Thanks for everything, Cal.

It was my pleasure, Martha. I wish I could have done more.

Not been easy for you with Jim away so much.

Well, things are going to be different from now on.

Well, as soon as he gets back, you send him in.

He can start work right away.

Cal, if Jim should come here first, you won't say anything?

Not a word.

I want to tell him myself.

We certainly can use that money,

and the sooner Jim settles down, the better.

Well, he may come back a millionaire.

It's happened, you know.

Oh, I know, but not to Jim.

He just wasn't born lucky,

but then I thought he ought to have his chance to try.

Won't have to wait long to find out.

It's Jim.

MARTHA: Jim!

Martha. Honey.

We did it, Martha. We found it.

You made a strike?

Sure enough did, the real thing.

Look at this.

Oh, it's gold all right.

I know gold when I see it.

You wouldn't believe the mountain of gold

where this came from,

and it's all ours right up to the sky.

Sure enough.

Shouldn't we let Cal see it first?

As soon as Cal confirms what we already know,

I'm going to the claim's office and make things legal.

Then, Martha, you can pack our bags

for London or New York or Paris.

Well, I got it this time, Cal,

10,000 a ton for sure.

That's great, Jim, great.

Where'd you find it?

Over by the mile past where Newton had his claim.

Ike said he always knew

if someone just looked in the right place,

it'd be there, ripe for the taking.

Eh, Jim?

While Cal is looking at the gold,

I think I'll step over here and see some old friends.

It's been pretty dry up there, you know where we've been.

Yeah, sure, go ahead Ike.

Well, there you are-- a fortune right before your eyes.

What do you think, Cal?

Probably a thousand dollars right there.

Sorry to disappoint you, Jim, but um--

What do you mean?

It's not gold.

Wait a minute. Of course it's gold.

Anyone can see that.

Why are you telling me it's not,

so you can keep it for yourself?

Oh, Jim.

I'm sorry, Cal. Ike said--

There's no gold in that area. Ike knows that.

But we spent three weeks

searching over every rock on that hill.

Ike's been in these hills for years,

been over every inch of them many, many times.

It's become a way of life for him.

Find someone with a grubstake,

offer to help.

It's better than asking for a handout.

But I worked so hard for that worthless--

Gold's like anything else.

You want it, you gotta go work for it.

Yeah, sure.

I'm sorry, Martha.

I guess you better not pack our bags after all.

That's all right.

Let's go on home.

You'll feel different after a nice dinner.

Better than you could get in New York, or London, or Paris.

Thanks anyway, Cal.

We'll see you tomorrow, Cal.

I'm sorry things didn't work out better for you.

Nice cooking dinner for two for a change.

Lots of excitement in town this morning.

Oh?

Bank over in Thomasville was robbed.

Posse went out to look up north of there.

Sheriff said he was going to look around here himself.

Didn't seem to think they were headed this way.

They get much?

About $50,000, I think.

That's a lot of money.

Well, I don't suppose we'll see 'em around Ely anyway.

Oh, I don't know about that.

They might come bursting in here any minute, guns ready.

"All right, Jim Otis,

"we know you got 10,000 in gold on you.

Hand it over and nobody'll get hurt."

That's not funny, Martha.

I was just trying to cheer you up.

Don't have to get upset.

You know I spent a lot of time and a lot of money for nothing,

wasted.

Well, I thought you'd be unhappy or mad or something.

No, I'm not mad.

You didn't find a gold mine.

That's not the end of the world.

I don't think you realize what this means.

All the things I planned for you--

beautiful clothes and diamonds and a fine house.

All I want is my husband coming home to me every night

from a plain, ordinary job to a plain, ordinary house.

That's not good enough for you.

Oh, it's good enough for me.

It's not good enough for you.

You're the one who wants the castle in the air.

All I want is a home on a solid foundation.

Cal had some interesting news this morning.

His business is getting so good,

he's going to enlarge the store.

Be too big for him to handle by himself anymore.

Wants you to come work for him.

So that's it?

You want me to be a store keeper?

Oh, Jim, it's not a life sentence.

As a matter of fact, I think it's an excellent chance.

There's a possibility you might some day become a partner,

and it's a lot better than tramping across the desert.

Look, I know what Cal's up to.

He was such a good friend of your father,

he thinks he has to take care of us.

Well, for one thing, I don't accept charity,

and for another thing, if I'd wanted to be a storekeeper,

I could have stayed back east.

Now, listen, Jim--

You listen to me, Martha.

I came out here to find gold,

and I'm going to find it,

and it won't be in Cal Stearns' store.

And what are you going to use for money?

It may be of some interest to you

that the rent is due here the first of the week

and we don't have the money to pay it.

It's not much.

It's all I have left.

We had an agreement, remember?

I remember.

I've lived up to my part.

When we were married,

we agreed it was worth a three month try

to come all the way out here.

All those stories back home

about people becoming millionaires overnight.

I almost believed it.

That's the difference, Martha.

You almost believed it.

I did believe it, and I still believe it.

I know with a little more time I can make a strike.

But the three months are over.

It's time for you to live up to your part and settle down.

We can't live like this forever.

You know, Ely may be a good place for gold mining...

but it's a terrible place for a honeymoon.

Are you going down to see Cal this morning?

Not just yet, I...

I been thinking about what you said.

The three months.

It's not quite over yet.

Well, it's over tomorrow.

Today and tomorrow. Two more days.

Will you give me that?

I don't see any point in it, Jim.

Two more days, then two days after that and--

No, just two days,

and if I don't find anything,

I promise I'll take the job with Cal.

There isn't any money left.

I don't see how you can take Old Ike along.

I'm not going to take Ike.

The only reason I took him before

was because he knew the territory.

But I know it well enough myself now.

All right, Jim, I'll give you the two days.

But if you're not back tomorrow night,

I'm going to borrow the money from Cal and...

I'm going back home.

But honey, you can't...

When you find your pot of gold, Jim, you can send for me.

I'll be back.

Be careful.

See you tomorrow night.

[ door closes ]

You go around that way.

We don't know how many they are,

so shoot first and ask questions later.

MAN: Stop right there.

Not one move.

Stand up and turn around.

Where's your friends?

What friends?

Don't play stupid with me.

The posse.There's no posse. I'm alone.

They're probably up there right now.

I'm going to ask you once more.

Where's the posse?

Look, I'm alone.

I'm prospecting.

Pretty good prospecting. $50,000 worth.

We can't waste any more time. He may be telling the truth.

Get the money. We'll go as far as we can tonight.

We can use the extra horse.

We may use him.

Get rid of him.

We wasted three hours covering our trail already.

Just a little insurance.

Posse won't be so anxious to shoot us if he's the target.

Get the horses.

Look, I won't tell anyone I saw you.

That's right, you won't.

You're riding with us, prospector,

until we got no more use for you.

Let's go.

Let me get my canteen.

CAL: Afternoon, Martha.

Where's Jim?

I expected he'd be in to see me before now.

He's gone again.

Didn't you tell him about coming to work in the store?

He's just not ready to settle down.

Oh, it's not that we don't appreciate it--

I tried to make him understand...

I guess it's my fault.

What about your agreement?

You said these three months were over.

Well they're not actually over until tomorrow,

and Jim insisted on having his last two days.

Well, don't you worry,

I don't think he's going to accomplish much in two days.

Oh, I know that, but he left anyway,

and I just said to him that if he wasn't back on time,

I was going to go home.

I don't want you to do anything hasty, Martha,

anything that you'd regret.

I've thought it all out.

That's one thing about being alone,

plenty of time to think.

I'd like to help if I can.

There is one thing you could do, I don't like to ask but,

if you could lend me the money for my fare,

I'll send it to you as soon as I can.

There's no problem about that.

I wish you'd think it over again some more before you decide.

Stop in and see me tomorrow.

All right, but my mind is made up.

We'll stop here for the night.

Get down and sit by that tree.

We may need you a while longer, so don't make us any trouble.

He's trouble enough already.

Don't start a fire.

You want to get the posse on us?

I think we lost them.

We won't take any chances.

If we start tomorrow,

at dawn we'll be there by tomorrow night.

What about him? He's slowing us down.

I'll take care of him when I'm sure we've lost them.

Look, I don't care who you are or what you've done,

and I'll forget about it just like it never happened.

I gotta get home.

My wife.

Not a chance.

Look, you got the money. I don't care about that.

First prospector I met don't care about money.

Prospectors got to protect their claim.

That's what we're doing.

Took months to plan this job.

It was perfect until you came along,

and it's going to finish perfect.

I gotta get me some sleep.

Go ahead. I'll take watch.

You better get some sleep,

and if you're thinking about trying anything,

think of those two dead men at the Thomasville bank.

Let's go.

It's off that way, Sid.

[ punches ]

SHERIFF: Hold it!

Tie him up, Sid.

Get him over there and mount him.

You're a lucky man, Jim.

Sure glad you came along, Sheriff.

Been trailing them since yesterday.

Don't have to worry about that one anymore.

How'd you find these two?

Well I found their gold mine, and then they found me.

Always did have a good nose for gold.

Oh, uh, the money's all in the bag there, Sheriff.

Oh, good. The bank will be glad to have it back.

Gonna ride back with us, Jim?

No, thanks, Sheriff.

I got some unfinished business

to take care of before I go back.

Find any more goldmines like this one, you'll be rich.

See you back in town.

Thanks again, Sheriff.

Hello, Martha. You feeling better today?

Fine. But I haven't changed my mind.

There's a stage leaving at 10 o'clock in the morning

and I'm going to be on it.

That is, if you'll still lend me the fare.

Well, I wish you'd reconsider.

Think it over a little longer

and talk it over with Jim when he gets back.

That would just mean putting things off.

Somehow he has to find out

it doesn't take a goldmine to make me happy.

Maybe you're right

but I sure will be sorry to see you go.

Well, Mrs. Otis.

Didn't expect to see the wife of the hero.

Congratulations.

What for? What's happened?

Jim caught the bank robbers, even killed one of them.

Jim did that?

Just a minute, Sheriff. Jim caught the robbers?

Where is he? Is he all right?

Oh, he's fine.

It was a good thing for him we got there when we did, though.

One more killing wouldn't make any difference to those two.

Did he go on home?

No. But don't worry about him.

He's all right.

He just said he had some unfinished business

to tend to first.

Thank you, Sheriff.

I'll be ready to leave at nine,

if you could come over and help me with my bags,

it would be one more thing I'd be grateful for.

I'll be there.

Bye, Mrs. Otis.

[ knocking ]

Come in, Cal.

Morning, Martha.

Be ready in just a minute.

Well, there's no rush. There's plenty of time.

I guess that's everything.

Here, let me help you.

Sure you won't stay over a little longer, Martha?

Everything may work out just fine

if you just give it a chance.

No, it wouldn't be any different.

I don't know what's going to become of Jim, though.

Cal, maybe when he comes back, you could talk to him?

I'll do my best.

IKE: Mrs. Otis. Mrs. Otis.

It's Old Ike!What's wrong with him?

Mrs. Otis.What's the matter, Ike?

Mrs. Otis, you better come down

and see what your husband's doing.

What's he doing?

I don't know what he's doing.

I never saw anybody do anything like it.

He's gone plumb crazy.

Stop jabbering, Ike, and tell us what happened.

I tell you, that tenderfoot's been in the sun too long.

The heat's got him. That's what.

What is it exactly that you saw?

That fella's standing there

breaking up rocks and piling them in rows.

He's what?

You better hurry up before it's too late.

Well what did Jim tell you he was doing?

He didn't tell me nothing,

he said he was too busy for talking.

Where is he?

Out in the south road about four miles.

I don't understand.

I tell you, he's been in the sun too long.

That poor fella standing there singing and stacking up rocks.

Let's go take a look. Come on now, Ike.

We better hurry up. We can't lose any time.

There he is, just like I told you. Still there, poor fella.

IKE: Hey, Jim!

Cal, he is breaking rocks.

Well, that's what I said.

Cut some sort of shape.

Jim, what is it? Are you all right?

I'm glad you stayed, Martha.

Sheriff told us about what happened.

I was so worried about you.

Well, I wanted to come home last night,

but I couldn't stop working.

Working on what?

What is all this?

Well, it's our house.

Don't it look like a house?

Looks like a house almost.

Well, of all things,

house built of rocks.

JIM: Yes, sir.

Martha said she always wanted a home

built on a solid foundation,

and that's the most solid thing I can think of-- solid rock.

Plumb crazy.

This is the way the rooms are going to be.

If you don't like it, you better tell me right now.

Come on.Aren't you forgetting something?

Yeah, almost.

Bride's supposed to be carried

over the threshold of a first home.

Now this is going to be the living room right here,

and that's going to be a fireplace right over there.

You'll have a big window right here,

and this is going to be the kitchen.

What you doing? What'd you find?

It's gold. Gold, ain't it?Hey, Jim?

I'm sorry to spoil your plans but--

It's gold right here.

What?

It's not gold.

I told you there was no gold around here.

It's argentite.What's that?

Silver sulfate. High grade, too.

Silver! Silver!

You found silver.

You mean, I made a strike?

Sure enough.

There goes my house again.

The walls of the Otis house held $75,000 worth of ore.

And on their home site,

the town of Hamilton, Nevada rose overnight,

one of the richest silver camps in the West.

Next week, another true story from our Western past.

See you then.

♪ [ trumpet ]