Original subtitles

♪♪ [ trumpet ]

Wherever you look in the West, there'’s history and mystery.

For example, the disappearance of $62,000

in gold coins back in 1884.

It was the heaviest load of loot that outlaws

ever hauled away from a train holdup in Arizona territory.

But for all the efforts of the posse,

it alluded them like smoke...

Ho!

Hi.

You fellas kind of took me by surprise.

Sure is good to see people again, though.

I'’ve been out here on my lonesome for so long,

I took to talking to coyotes just for company.

I, uh, I never been prospecting before and, uh,

if I never go again, it'’ll be too soon.

I bet there'’s not a dime'’s worth of gold

within 100 miles of here.

You just didn'’t look in the right place.

You mean you fellas made a strike?

We made a real big strike.

Hey, now, what--

Now, look, look, fellas, I don'’t have anything you want.

Sure you have.

You got these.

Move that box over to the burro.

"U.S. Mint, San Francisco."

Oh, no, I don'’t want any part of this.

Want to try for twice?

See what I mean?

Hey, Sam, help the man.

[ gunshot ]

See any sign?

No, but they'’re usually real careful right at first.

All right, boys, let'’s lay out a spell.

They'’ve already got a big lead on us.

It'’ll shorten down.

What if it don'’t?

Well then, maybe the folks will say

it'’s time to hire a new Sheriff.

One that'’s young, full of beans and vinegar.

Hey!

We could just as well ride straight into Tucson from here.

Be there by sundown.

We'’ll play it my way.

Who says, besides you?

Oh, he'’s the big trail boss.

That was our deal.

Sure was,

and you done fine.

Only Sam there, he'’s been thinking

about all that whiskey in Tucson

And me, I'’ve been thinking, too.

You'’re kind of outvoted, Ed.

Move him, Sam.

Hi-ya, hi-ya!

This isn'’t what we're after.

Read it for me.

Read what? Some desert rat prospector

got this far and gave up?

Well, now, let'’s see.

A man on foot leading two burros coming up down yonder.

Stopped right here, dropped his pack.

Now, what stopped him?

Three horses and a rider looking for somebody to meet,

and they met.

$20 gold piece.

Looks like somebody was so rich,

they was careless with their small change.

They headed North.

Let'’s go.Hold it.

We'’ll cut across.Cut across to where?

Between them and Tucson.

Who told you they'’ll head for Tucson?

Well, now, if you were as rich as they are,

where would you head for?

Let'’s go.

You just couldn'’t wait to get to Tucson.

Take a look.

Hold it.

You see them?

It'’s all right,

as long as they don'’t see us.

Let'’s get.

It'’s probably them.

We better go take a closer look.

We won'’t be in any rush about it.

They picked up our trail. They'’re right behind us.

Move them out.

Hi-ya! Hi-ya!

If we can'’t outrun them, we'’ll out fox them.

Unload them and bring them inside.

Hey, hey!

You let out a yell and you'’re dead.

[ horse whinnies ]

Sam, you stay here.

Where'’d you get that?

Back yonder.

I guess people used to hide out here before and build fires

and then pile up the wood they didn'’t use.

Shut up.

It shows.

What shows?

You'’re as scared as I am.

[ gunshot ]

They must have caught our horses

and the burros round the bend.

I saw them coming.

And you started throwing lead.

Here we are, boys. Come and get it.

We'’re got. Sam didn'’t do it.

You'’re the one running us into this rabbit hole.

What do you want?

I want to stay alive, the same as you.

Listen, you don'’t need me, let me go.

I'’ll go tell the posse that,

if they won'’t shoot you, you'’ll give up.

I got a better idea.

You find us a back way out of here.

I never been in a cave before in my life.

A man could get lost, never see daylight again.

Like you said, we don'’t need you.

You'’re going to do the looking, now get.

Put them back, Bill.

I was counting them.

Sure, count a few each time, stash away a little,

and maybe that friend of yours will find that backdoor

you got him looking for.

First thing, me and Sam know you'’re long gone...

with our money.

Well, you two might as well just go ahead

and kill each other off, get it over with.

There'’s only one way out of here,

and that'’s out front.

Where they'’re waiting for you

and for me

'’cause they don't know the difference between us.

You fixed that.

Get up.

I said, "get up."

Go ahead and shoot.

Look, I told you, I don'’t know any...

...way out.

Smoke. Smoke goes up the chimney.

Hold it.

Just hold it.

Hey, ease down you two.

Come on, now.

Oh, no, no. I thought for a minute...

Thought what?

Well, the smoke rises like up a chimney, but...

nobody could fit in there.

Like you said, you'’re the one we could spare.

What? Now, wait.

What about it?

Can we get through?

Well, there'’s room enough for a man, but not for that stuff.

How much time you figure we got?

About an hour before daylight.

That'’s plenty of time.

We'’ll go in slow and easy.

I'’ve got $62,000 worth of questions

I want to ask them skyhoots,

and I want them alive and able to answer.

They may shoot once and quit.

Then again, they may not.

Either way, there'’s no rush.

I never saw a dead hero yet that was happy about it.

Does that make sense to you?

You'’re the boss.

For a while, anyhow.

You men stay here.Come on.

[ guns cock ]

Hold it!

They were coming out at us.

One man. He wasn'’t even throwing lead.

Seems like to me I said slow and easy.

Now listen--No, you listen to me!

Slow and easy. Come on.

You men in there, come on out.

Guns down and hands high.

Come out, now.

You forget fast, boy.

Slow and easy.

So they got away while we just waited.

How did they get away?

How do we know they even did?

They could be way back up in there.

You ride into town, get some people.

Ropes, lanterns, anything. Come on.

Howdy.

You got me, Sheriff. [ hiccups ]

Now, what did I do?

Well, that depends on where you been.

In town.

Tucson?

Nah, too many people.

I do my drinking in Wilcox.

I'’d still be there if it wasn't for them young skyhoots.

What skyhoots?

Three of them.

Meanest pups I ever saw.

Walked in hurrahing and raising Cain

just like they owned the place.

Run me out. I wasn'’t even half drunk. Yet.

All right, Old Timer. Move along.

You still want them burros?

Leave them be. Let'’s go.

[ gunshots ]

Six horses. Six.

Now, you get them, and you get them quick.

But I told you, I run a store. I don'’t sell horses.

I said get them.

But...

Hey!

Scare you, Sam?

I thought you were all through being scared?

A rich man like you.

Now, they'’re scared.

But they got a right to be.

Set them up.

One for him, and one for him.

I'’ve had all that I want.

Me, too. We ought to be moving on.

Before the big bad Sheriff comes?

You. You got such big round eyes.

You fill them with this, huh?

[ laughs ]

Yeah, that'’s what the Sheriff'’s looking for.

Buried way, way deep in a big old hole in the ground.

Shut up.

I didn'’t hear you.

I said, "shut up!"

Now I heard you.

I was tired of hearing you way back.

Hey!

Stay out of it, Sam.[ hoof beats approaching ]

Listen. Listen.

Watch that door.

That all they had on them, Sheriff? $400?

That'’s right.Out of 62,000?

What become of the rest of it?

We might know if one of them could still talk.

Well, they won'’t be holding up any more trains.

Excuse me, I got a customer.

Don'’t feel bad about it, Sheriff.

You done what had to be done.

It'’s the only way to handle that kind.

Stop them while they'’re young.

Now, hold on there.

You can'’t just walk into my place of business

and help yourself.

This ought to cover what I owe.

Where'’d you get this?

Found it.

People don'’t go around losing $20 gold pieces.

Some people do.

Sheriff?

Yeah?Didn'’t you say you thought there were four,

but it turned out only three?

Yeah, that'’s what I said.

Look at this.

Young drifter just handed it to me.

Claimed he found it.

He'’s right over there.

$62,000 went into Colossal Cave

near old Tucson, Arizona in 1884.

The cave is a major tourist attraction now.

For all we know, the gold may still be there

in one of its unexplored caverns.

Perhaps one day, someone will find it,

solve this haunting mystery of the old West.

Be with us next week for another true story

from Western history.

♪♪