Original subtitles

[ theme music playing ]

Got enough sand and grit in my mouth

to start my own desert.

Come on, I'll buy you a drink.

A little later, huh?

Howdy.Howdy.

Send a couple of telegrams.

There you are.

[ telegraph clicking ]

I'll bet a dollar they're wrong.

You heard about the three convicts

went over the wall of the Montana prison last month?

Mm-hmm.

Been keepin' our wires busy ever since.

Ain't a day passes somebody doesn't think they've got 'em spotted.

Willow Bend this time.

One of them is supposed to be hiding in a ravine

west of the town.

Hmm. Sendin' for a cattle buyer, huh?Mm-hmm.

I guess Judge Garth wasn't hit as hard by the blizzards

as most outfits.

He lost plenty.

These are rough times. Four men for every job.

Every freight's loaded with drifters

lookin' for work they ain't gonna find.

That'll be $2.60.

Mm-hmm.

[ telegraph clicking continues ]

[ chuckles ] It's a good thing you didn't take that bet.

Willow Bend talking.

It wasn't one of the outlaws in that ravine after all.

It was a ranch hand sleepin' off a payday drunk.

Heh. A man wakes up lookin' down all those gun barrels,

he might just take the pledge.

[ laughs ]

I know it's way up there.

It's never been this high.

Sure hate to ask you to keep carryin' me like this.

It's not only you. It's pretty near everybody.

Wait a minute.

For your kids.

Say, Ollie, the Banner office is closed up.

You happen to know where Molly went?

Yeah, Jim Peter's place.

She left a couple of hours ago.

I need a bottle of that tonic

the cook's been using.

Ain't you gonna ask me what she's doin' over at Peter's place?

I figured you'd tell me when you get around to it.

Let's see...I need--

Oh, yeah, ten yards of rick-rack.

For Betsy. Blue.

She's makin' some curtains.

Light blue or dark blue?

Oh. Same.

I wouldn't say that's light or dark.

Kind of in the middle.

Well, do the best you can.

The reason Miss Molly's not here is,

Jim Peter's wife had twins last night.

Is that a fact?

First twins in Medicine Bow's history.

She'd be doin' us a kindness if she'd stick to writing

about weddings and births and barn raisings

instead of stirring up trouble.

Trouble?

Oh, don't pay no attention to him.

Closest blue I got.

That ought to do just fine.

Here, this'll pay for the cook's tonic.

Put this on the Judge's bill.

Now, what's this about Molly stirrin' up trouble?

Well, you haven't read this week's paper.

No, I haven't had time.

Here.

The editorial?Right.

"Time for action.

"Murder and robbery have become all too common

"in the past few months.

"For too long, the citizens of Medicine Bow

"and a dozen other towns and settlements

"have been content to wait to the U.S. Marshals

"and the duly elected sheriffs

"to capture the band of outlaws

who came out of the badlands to loot and kill."

It's all true, and it's all been said before.

No, you quit too soon.

Listen here.

"All we get is excuses instead of action.

"Our lawmen tell us there's always more crime

"when things are bad,

"which is small comfort for the people

"who have seen their dear ones shot down

and their life savings vanish."

Now, here's the part I'm talking about.

"Your editor has been told

"it would take an army to hunt down the outlaws

"in their badlands hideout.

"So be it. The Banner has telegraphed

"the President of the United States

"requesting that he send companies or battalions of troops--

"as many as needed--

to hunt down every killer in the badlands."

Seems like a sound notion to me.

All you need to do any job

is enough time and enough men.

I agree.

If they send the troops, which I doubt,

how long do you think it'll take 'em to get here?

Two weeks. It'll take 'em a month.

And what do you think those outlaws will be doing in the meantime?

Well, up to now, they've left Medicine Bow alone.

They hit all around. They haven't come here yet.

Well, that's like drawin' aces every time.

That kind of luck can't last forever, you know.

I gotta go, boys. I'll see you later.

So long.

I still say it's a mistake

for a woman to print a newspaper.

It'd be a poor newspaper that was afraid to fight for what's right.

The idea is to have all three glasses right side up

in three turns?

Right. Turnin' two at a time.

Two at a time.

All right.

One, two--

One, two--

That didn't take you long. Go ahead.

Didn't have much to do. Thanks.

Danny, you got some paper and a pencil?

Sure.

One, two, three.

That drink's on me.

I said thanks.

Actually, it's more like a bribe.

In case you got some nice, easy jobs comin' up.

Pick up the telegrams from the morning before you start home.

And give this to Molly, will you?

Why don't you give it to her yourself?

She's out at Peter's place.

Won't be back till after 6:00.

I can tell you what it says right now.

"Dear Molly...

"I'll be around with a fresh shirt,

"fresh haircut, come Saturday night,

to pick you up to the box dinner and the dance."

See that she gets it.

Now try it.

The buckskin that dude's ridin'

is a Box E horse-- a New Mexico brand.

First I've ever seen in these parts.

Molly?

Molly?

You're not gonna help her now, Doc.

That's 500 head.

Not prime, but better than most.

If we get a fair price,

I think we should be in pretty fair shape.

Hmm. We ought to start drifting the main herd

up into the hills, save the valley grass.

I'll get the boys started on it.

Wait a minute. Don't be in such a hurry.

Sit down.

Are you going into town Saturday night?

I'd planned to, yeah.

Well, I'm not surprised.

You have missed a dance or a social

or a box supper since the snow melted.

You know, a married foreman rates a house of his own.

It takes time to build,

so I thought I'd better ask if I should start ordering the material.

Maybe I'd better ask the lady first.

You do that. I expect you'll find

she's already got the furniture

and the curtain material picked out.

[ horses approaching ]

Mark...what's the trouble?

There's no easy way to say it.

Molly's dead.

ABBOTT: The outlaws must've seen the papers

or heard about what she was up to.

Four of them rode into town last night

and emptied their guns into the Banner office.

We followed them as far as we could.

We lost their trail in a gravel wash.

We had to wait till daylight to start out again.

Then we found they'd doubled back.

They must've passed this way about dawn

and headed for the badlands.

We could use some fresh horses and extra rations.

Of course.

Give him a few minutes alone.

There wasn't anything anybody could do for her.

It was all... over so fast.

Two men saw them ride in, but...

nobody was around when it happened.

Not a soul.

And I gotta tell you this.

I was in a poker game.

And I didn't see Molly ride in.

Here's the note.

You, um--

You know how we all feel.

Yeah.

I can understand why you want to go, but--

Remember, this isn't a one-man mission.

You're riding with a posse.

And it's the posse's job to find those man

and bring them back for trial.

Yeah.

You'll sleep better afterwards

if you do it that way.

I'll worry about sleep when we catch up to 'em.

I know you're in no mood to listen,

and I can't blame you.

But no matter what the provocation--

I'll think about it.

Six, seven hours old.

About the time they gained

while we waited for daylight.

Yeah.

Same old story.

They leave a trail a baby could follow

clear up to the edge of the badlands.

Then they just seem to disappear.

[ spits ] Blech!

That bad?

If it didn't pour, I'd call it solid alkali.

We can't go much farther without decent water.

It's better than nothin'.

Couldn't miss one of 'em.

He was a big dude in fancy clothes,

shiny black boots.

Looked like a real dude.

He was riding a buckskin with a Box E brand.

That's a New Mexico brand.

The reason I know-- I'm from New Mexico.

Seein' that brand was like seein' an old friend

from back home.

At least, that's what I thought at the time.

How were the other three dressed?

Like cowhands.

One of them had his hat rolled real tight,

and another one had on a bright green shirt.

And a scar on his face right below the eye.

What about the last one?

I don't remember too much about him.

Best I remember, though,

he had on a buckskin vest,

fancy tassels.

I didn't get a look at his face.

Time to ride.

Brent might've seen something I missed.

Why don't you talk to him?

Already have.

All right, boys, mount up.

[ coughs ]

Not much muscle left in coffee grounds

that have been used five times over.

Since we hit the badlands,

we've trailed them east, north,

and southwest.

Heh.

They led us in a circle, or near about.

How far do you figure we've come?

80 miles maybe.

More like 100.

No, it's less than that.

Three days in a saddle--

sun up till fall down,

and only 80 miles?

You've got to be wrong.

We lost a lot of time tracking, don't forget.

Those outlaws came into Medicine Bow--

they were fresh and clean.

Clothes were clean and no whiskers.

They hadn't been riding for three days.

Even a rabbit knows better

than to lead the hound straight to his hole.

That's just what I'm gettin' at.

Bad water, short rations.

We go on any longer,

we won't have enough grub to get home on.

Well, I got another hole or two in my belt,

and I drunk bad water before.

We all have.

Yeah, I know that.

It's not just a matter of the food or the drink.

Some of us around here have got women and kids

and stock to worry about.

I know that, too.

What it boils down to is...

how much longer do you figure to go on?

Noon tomorrow.

If we haven't sighted the outlaws...

or found their camp by noon,

we turn back.

ABBOTT: Nothin'.

Not even a dust devil.

Well, this is as far as we go.

All right, boys!

I'm as sorry as you are.

No need to be sorry, Mark.

You tried.

Makes sense-- what Mark said.

I didn't argue with him, did I?

Even if the men wanted to keep on, the horses couldn't.

I know it. But he will.

You're goin' on anyway, huh? Yeah.

Well, let's get goin'.

No.

What do you mean, no?

We're friends, aren't we?

You find that camp, you're gonna need another gun.

How much water you got?

A couple pints.Let's see it.

All right, half a pint.

That's what I thought.

The rest of the men have got even less.

Just enough to get you back to the alkali spring.

I've been saving mine.

How much food you got?

I can get by on rabbit track soup. I did it before.

Food's not too important, but water is.

I got a canteen nearly full.

It'll take one man a long way.

It'll take two men just half as far.

Well, you could--

Nobody I'd rather have along, Steve.

Can't afford a thirsty guy like me, huh?

Be lucky.

I'll try.

STEVE: No easy way to tell you.

Molly's dead.

Stay here.

Whoa.

STRAM: And another one had on a bright green shirt.

And a scar on his face right below the eye.

Drop your gun.

Now your belt.

Listen close, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once.

We're goin' down below.

Walk where I tell you, when I tell you,

or you won't live to get there.

Get back.

Let's go.

Found him up on the ridge.

Who is he?

He didn't say.

Get the saddle bags and blanket roll,

take his horse to the corral.

You want me to unsaddle him?

Yeah. You do that, Moose.

Don't give him too much water.

Not all at once.

Don't worry.

Moose ain't much with people.

But he sure don't make any mistakes with horses.

With your horse that dry, maybe you could use a drink yourself.

What's your name and what are you doin' here?

Stand easy.

Hold it!

Come on. Up.

Where do you come from?

Montana.

Where are you going?

South.

Who's chasin' you?

Nobody.

Not for the last few days.

[ laughs ]

Takes one to smell one.

You're out of Deer Lodge.

That's right.

Name's Harris.

Pete Harris.

Yes, Deer Lodge--

the home of the Iron Hotel.

How'd you get over the wall?

I had some help.

The Montana prison's in Deer Lodge.

They had a breakout about a month ago.

One of the names was Pete Harris.

I don't remember the others.

Fred Troy and Bill Simmons.

What happened to them?

Got split up.

An escaped con, huh?

How much would they pay for your hide?

I didn't stop to ask.

$200 is the Montana price for escaped convicts.

That's on the hoof.

Every one of you here is worth at least twice that.

Dead or alive.

Why'd you come here?

There aren't too many places for a man on the run to go to.

I heard about a bunch of outlaws

workin' out of the badlands and gettin' fat at it.

Thought maybe you could use another hand.

There's only one man can give you the answer on that.

He isn't here now.

Clean socks.

Now, how'd a man on the run

ever get clean socks?

Clotheslines in every town, friend.

A man walks out the big front gate,

they give him $5 and a new suit.

But when you go over the wall, you go with your pockets empty.

You got a fine horse, a good saddle,

carbine, six-gun.

Three boxes of shells.

I've been on the road four weeks.

I met people here and there.

You're here and there pretty good, friend.

How'd you find us?

I went lookin' for you, and kept on lookin'.

I was out of water and about to give up

when I spotted some cottonwood sprouts

on the other side of the hill.

Knew there had to be water around here somewhere.

Underground water.

None over on my side of the hill,

so I figured it had to be over here.

If you're wondering why I didn't speak right up--

a man likes to be sure.

He's right. We ain't very friendly

till we know who we're talkin' to.

I could use some more of that water.

Try some stew. At least it's filling.

Eat hearty.

We may be goin' out when the boss gets here.

Where do you want these?

Other side of the tent.

You're a handy man to have around.

That's what happens when you're behind the wall.

Nothin' seems like hard work.

Well, I wouldn't know about that.

You never made the rock pile? Nope.

Boss comin' in!

Well, you'll know where you stand pretty soon now.

They got you workin' for your keep, huh?

After Deer Lodge, it's all downhill.

Well, I'll put in a good word for you with the Colonel.

Colonel?Calhoun.

He's the boss of this outfit.

He listens to me a lot.

Much obliged.

The other fella may be faster with a gun,

but I got it up here. Calhoun knows that.

Harris.

Harris!

You deaf or something?

Just busy. Why?

A friend of yours just rode in with the boss.

Didn't know I had a friend in this part of the world.

Who is it?

Guy you went over the wall with.

Him and the boss want to say hello.

Sure.

Pour yourself a cup. Me, too.

Didn't have to mark the calendar in that prison.

They gave you a new scar for every day you were there.

They tell me it's one of the worst.

The guards got their exercise by beating you.

The food?

Fed their hounds better than they did us.

I'll take a bullet before I go back there.

Pete Harris!

Never thought I'd see you again.

I thought they cut you down at White River Crossing.

I was-- I was lucky.

We'd have never made it over the wall without old Pete.

He'll do to take along any time, any place.

My name's Calhoun.

How'd you find this place?

It wasn't easy.

Took a long time and a fair amount of luck.

Your luck started when you weren't shot after you found it.

Well, I'm here.

Why?

I was hoping I could ride with you.

No, I'm sorry. With Troy here,

I've got all the men I can use.

You can stay till it's safe for you to ride out.

Well, I won't get too far without my gun.

You can have that back when you leave.

All right.

You're sure you can't use another man?

No, I like to keep my crew small,

just enough to do the job.

Makes the shares bigger.

By the way, what happened to the third man?

What was his name?

Simmons.Simmons.

Oh, yeah. Bill Simmons. What happened to him?

We got split up

after that trouble Troy mentioned.

The three of us went three different ways.

I haven't seen Bill since. Have you, Fred?

No. Lucky any of us got out of there.

I like to have lucky men riding with me, Troy.

Some of us make our own luck, you know.

Troy here is a specialist. What's your specialty?

Stayin' alive.

See you later, Harris.

Good enough.

Glad you made it, boy.

That Moose is a wonder.

He can ruin the best piece of meat a man ever saw.

Maybe you'd better have a little bite of the fool killer.

It'll make anything taste good.

Heh.

Drink up, pass it around.

Been a long time.

Thanks, boss.

CALHOUN: Professor?

I was just, uh... testing my willpower.

Moose?

How many jobs have you ridden on?

Uh...

Eleven.

[ laughs ] That's right, eleven.

Your numbering's gettin' better, Moose.

Most of us have been together for about a year now.

11 jobs.

Some of them good, some of them fair.

We haven't lost a man yet.

I promised you that military methods--

thorough reconnaissance, careful planning,

attention to detail-- would pay off.

And it has.

But everything that has happened up to now

has been training for what's gonna happen next.

We just finished another reconnaissance.

We've got a big job ahead of us.

The biggest yet.

And this'll be our last job.

After this one, we scatter--

each man with enough gold

to take him wherever he wants to go.

Like, uh... Kansas City?

Oh, we might even go further than that, Professor.

Like Paris or London or Madrid, huh?

I understand they have some very fine wines in Madrid, Professor.

Very cheap, too.

What kind of a job is gonna get us that kind of money?

A very simple job.

Washington is sending gold into the territory

to bolster the banks, make it easy for cattle men to get along.

The gold shipment is coming by rail

on a regular passenger run.

There'll be troops with a big shipment like that.

That's right, two carloads.

A full company of infantry.

How are we gonna handle a company of infantry?

That train crosses seven bridges in the area I scouted.

Four of those bridges are 100 feet high

and over 300 feet long.

Mr. Troy over here is gonna blow one of them up.

How can you separate the car carrying the gold

from the rest of the train?

We can't, Professor.

You're gonna put the whole train

into one of them canyons?

Exactly.

Soldiers get paid to take chances.

But there'll be women, kids.

One of the first rules of war, Professor,

is don't let the need to inflict casualties

stand in the way of a successful operation.

100 feet.

Those cars will be smashed to kindling.

I don't like it.

You rob a bank, all you have chasing you

is a sheriff and some men he rounds up for a posse.

But this one--

we'll have the Army and the U.S. Marshals after us.

By the time they find this camp, we'll be long gone.

Soldiers don't scare me none.

They'll run out of water and quit just like the posses.

The U.S. Marshals won't quit.

I forgot, you had a little experience with them, haven't you?

Only one. But he was more than enough.

I robbed a post office when I was 18.

The Marshal chased me all through Texas

and halfway to Canada.

It took him three years,

but he caught up with me.

You don't have to go on this one, Professor.

Oh, I'll go.

I was just pointing out

it might be tougher than you thought.

In other words, you don't like my plan.

I--I like it fine.

Just fine.

Peters, Wilson--

You and Saunders ride out of here in the morning with the dynamite.

I'll give you a map later to show you where to catch it.

Close enough to the area so we won't have to waste time gettin' to it.

That's all you need to know for now.

Moose, how is that lousy meat coming?

Good, boss. If you like it burned.

I'll lend you a hand.

Good.

You're not Pete Harris.

That makes us even. You're not Fred Troy.

I came within an inch of saying

I'd never seen you before in my life.

Why didn't you?

'Cause I remembered hearing about a fool cowhand

who didn't turn back with Abbott's posse.

My saying I knew you ties us together.

You make one mistake, you can get us both killed.

Somebody's behind us.

Yeah.

Remember Lefty Parker

and how bad he wanted to come with us?

That was funny.

Yeah, I felt sorry for him.

But...just couldn't take him along.

Too risky. He was so scared,

his hands would've been shaking so bad,

he couldn't hold on to the rope.

Whitey wanted to go with us, too.

He's gone.

Who was it?I don't know.

Well, you know how I got here.

What's your story?

Fred Troy was killed at White River.

Kept it a secret so I could assume his identity.

I contacted Calhoun through an informer.

You a U.S. Marshal?

Yeah.

I get paid for doing this.

What are you getting out of it

besides a chance to be shot in the back?

Four of this bunch killed a friend of mine.

All your friends mean that much to you?

This one did.

You're going to talk to Calhoun in the morning.

You tell him you figure it's safe to be heading south.

After what I've heard?

No chance of him lettin' me go, and you know it.

You forget-- you're a wanted man running for the border.

You're not gonna be talkin' to any law.

I've got unfinished business here.

That more important than those 200 people on that train?

I'll take care of your unfinished business.

You warn the Marshal's office, the railroad,

and head back here with a posse.

Well...

Still testing your willpower?

This is the first drink I've had since--

I believe you.

It's just that you're no good to me anymore...

'cause that won't be your last.

It will.

I give you my word.

I just felt like a...

little nip.

You just felt like a little nip

because you're scared of this job.

The scareder you get, the more you'll drink.

And that poses a little problem for me.

Please.

Please give me another chance.

When I put that bottle

where you could get your hands on it,

you had your other chance.

[ gunshot ]

Come on in.

Good morning.Morning.

What can I do for you?

Well, I wanted to say thanks

for the grub and the water.

Guess it's time I was movin' on.

What's your hurry?

I got friends down in Juarez.

As long as I can't hook up with your outfit--

You're in luck.

Just so happens I have an opening.

The Professor had an accident last night.

He, uh...he got drunk and shot himself.

After this job, you won't have to hide out

in places like Juarez.

Good enough.

Could use my gun back.

You'll have it when you need it.

All right.

Got a bum shoe?

I think he's got something under it.

Seems to be favoring this leg.

Didn't work.

Calhoun cut me in on the deal instead.

He say why?

Seems the Professor had a little accident last night.

He needs another man.

I talked with Calhoun for two days

on the way here about the prison.

What I didn't know, I made up.

If you're gonna be around,

you'd better have the same answers.

Then you'd better start filling me in.

Warden's name is McCall.

The Chief Guard is Kirk.

Bull-whip Kirk, they called him.

We broke out on the night of the 27th.

Here he comes.

Yeah, Moose is not the best cook in the world,

but it beats anything we had at Deer Lodge.

CALHOUN: What's that about Deer Lodge?

I just said the grub beats Deer Lodge.

That's for sure.

About the best you can say for it.

It won't be much longer now.

Movin' out?Pretty soon.

I was busy when we talked

just a few minutes ago, Harris, but I got to thinking--

I like to know more about the men who ride with me.

I found out something about you on the way out here.

Outside of the fact that Troy thinks you're pretty good,

you're just a name to me.

Mm-hmm. What do you want to know?

A man doesn't just become an outlaw for no reason.

I'm always curious about how it first got started.

A rancher went broke

owing me six months' pay.

Four days later,

I saw him driving down the road...

diamond rings on his fingers.

Brand-new buggy.

Matched pair of buckskins.

So you killed him, huh?

As it turned out,

the diamonds were glass, the rig was rented.

He was putting up a front. Trying to get a loan.

Hmm.

That's when you met Troy here--

after they caught you and put you in prison.

Mm-hmm.

Troy was telling me something about Deer Lodge.

That McGregor-- he must've been a mean one, huh?

You must mean McCall-- Warden McCall.

That's right--McCall.

Yeah.

If he died in all the different ways the men prayed he would,

he would've been a thousand years gettin' it done.

He wasn't as bad as Kirk.

That's Kirk--

Bull-whip Kirk-- Chief Guard.

Kind of living for the day I meet him again.

Outside the wall.

Seems to me your problem is a quick temper

and a quick gun.

I never thought about it as being a problem.

Oh, it is.

It's a problem.

Otherwise, you wouldn't be here.

Take a look around you. Each one of them

has something that meant he couldn't live by the rules.

What would you say about O'Dell over there?

I don't know. What about him?

He's easy. He started stealing

because he was too lazy to do an honest day's work.

Moose here's just stupid.

Give him a pat on the head and a place to sleep,

and he'll do anything you tell him to do.

If he doesn't have somebody to tell him, he's lost.

What about Horn?

He looks just plain mean to me.

You're right about him. He is just plain mean.

Horn was raised an outlaw.

His daddy and his granddaddy were both hung.

Denver's troubles all come in skirts.

The Professor's all come in--

I beg your pardon. Came in bottles.

The Professor used to fancy himself a gambler,

till he got drunk one night and tried to cheat.

Then he took a bullet in the wrist,

and that ended his gambling career.

As for the rest of 'em--

What about you, Calhoun?

What did you say?

You like to know something about the men you ride with.

So do I.

I heard a lot of big talk and big plans.

I also heard better from men doing life behind the wall.

Now, you--

You speak your mind right out, don't you, boy?

Mm-hmm.

[ laughs ]

Well, all right. What do you want to know?

You said everyone here had a problem of some kind.

You didn't tell us what yours was.

My problem wasn't mine, it was the Army's.

Would it surprise you to know that I was a colonel

commanding a full battalion in the field?

No, not a bit.

How did a colonel's command dwindle

to a handful of misfits?

I'll tell you how.

Because the Army is run by stupid, incompetent men.

Men who don't realize that the commanding officer in the field

must maintain discipline, no matter--

At least my 15 years in the service weren't wasted.

I'm simply applying the experience to another field.

From what I hear, you've done all right.

That's right, I have.

See you later, gentlemen.

Don't push him too hard.

He's like a clock that's been wound too much.

The spring might snap.

I figure the Army knew what it was doing

when it got rid of him.

I seen you talkin' to Troy and Harris.

Yeah?

The funny thing about Troy--

he's wearing Texas boots.

I keep wondering how he got Texas boots in Montana.

Probably the same way you got that horse you ride--

from somebody else.

Tell the men I want to see them after chow,

go over the final plans.

Thorough reconnaissance, careful planning,

meticulous attention to detail.

We have all the facts we need now

except the date the gold shipment moves by rail.

I expect the word on that at almost any moment.

Then we can get down to individual assignments.

Denver, Harris--

9 1/2 miles east of Dennison,

the rails move through a cut in the rock here.

Just beyond that cut here

is the longest bridge and the deepest canyon in the whole area.

You two will be concerned with the telegraph wire.

Won't take two of us to cut that wire.

You climb the pole, cut the wire, and call it good.

That's just exactly the kind of thing

that puts people like you in jail.

How would you handle it?

Oh, I'd, uh...

cut it eight or ten times, I guess.

That's just more of the same.

Cutting it won't be enough.

I want at least a quarter mile of that wire

stripped from the poles, rolled and hidden.

The repair crews won't have anywhere near that much wire.

They'll have to go back for more,

and that'll give us the extra time we need.

You should start pulling the wire

a half hour before the train is due.

You should be finished by the time it reaches the rock cut.

Moose, O'Dell--

you'll perform the same function at the other end of the bridge.

Troy, you'll find the dynamite cached near the bridge.

You'll mine it at both ends.

It will go off when the train is in the middle.

As soon as that happens, I want both wire teams

to move in from opposite sides of the canyon with rifles.

They'll see that no survivors from the train wreck--

if there are any-- get out of the canyon.

You'll maintain your positions and your covering fire

until my party has cleaned out the baggage car

and we're at least a half mile away from the train wreck.

Is that understood?

All right. I'm gonna lose a map on the tracks

that shows the location of a hideout

about 40 miles from this camp.

An extra precaution, buying time I don't think we'll need.

Any questions?

Are we coming back here after the job's finished?

Mm-hmm. We'll have to pick up supplies

and divide the gold before we split up.

Now I'm gonna show you your exact positions.

I want each man to know exactly what he's going to do.

Once we get started, there'll be no time to ask questions.

Troy, you've blown safes.

You think you'll have any trouble with a bridge?

No, just more of the same.

How long do you think it'll take you to plant the charges?

It's hard to say.Roughly.

Two, maybe three hours.

It's be easier to say if I knew how it was put together.

You think you ought to go ahead and scout it?

Might not be a bad idea.

All right, you'll leave in the morning.

Horn will see that you have arms, ammunition, and supplies.

How about Harris going with me, in case we run into trouble?

We work well together.

No. One man could be a drifter looking for a job and a handout.

Two men might draw attention.

Anything you say.

I'd like to study this for a minute.

Yeah, sure thing.

You in the habit of wearing jewelry?

What?

Those holes in your vest--

they look like they were put in there by a pin.

Don't think I've ever seen anything like that before.

You haven't seen many sheriffs.

The one I stole this from was just my size.

Fit me better than the prison clothes I was wearing.

I often wished I could've seen his face

when he woke up and found it gone. Heh.

Stealing from a sheriff. That's pretty good.

All right, that's all.

Close one.Yeah.

Think you got everything covered,

then you find out you're not as smart as you thought you were.

Good luck, tomorrow.

I've used up a lot of it already.

Well, what's troubling you?

You buy his story?

I don't know.

If he's lying, Harris is in it, too.

Or he could've been planning it in the prison and fooled Harris.

Why take chances? We can do the job without them.

Oh, no.

No, he's on the level.

I need a man who can handle explosives.

I can use Harris, too.

If he's not, we'll find out.

When?Tomorrow.

You can unsaddle.

The boss changed his mind about sending you on ahead.

He said last night--

That was last night.

Stick around.

So, you accepted Troy as a convicted bank robber

because he was locked in the cell next to yours.

Seemed like a good enough reason.

It never occurred to you he might be a Marshal

planted in the prison?

No.

Did you tell him?I told him.

How'd he react?

He didn't like it.

If he is what he says he is,

he has no reason to want anything

except to follow orders and get rich.

On the other hand, if he's a Marshal,

he naturally wants to inform the sheriffs, the railroad, and the Army.

Let Mr. Troy show us just exactly what he is.

There's a horse loose down the valley,

near the trail going out.

He's not only loose, but he's saddled

and he's ready to ride.

I'll arrange to send Troy down there on an errand.

You'll be in the rocks above him.

If he tries to ride out, you shoot him.

Who are you testing?

Me or Troy?

[ laughs ]

Three shells, huh?

For a good shot, that's more than enough.

Take him down the trail.

After all, Harris...

if Troy is a Marshal,

he's fooled you, too.

Right here.

Just keep your eye on that horse.

You can load the rifle now.

Here he comes.

If he tries to ride out, you kill him.

If you don't, I kill you.

I didn't hear Calhoun say anything about that.

You're hearing me.

You runnin' things now?

This part of it. Just keep watching.

Get ready. Here he goes.

That satisfy you?

Just wait till he passes the trail.

You hope he'll make a break, don't you?

Can I stop watching him now?

Give me that rifle.

You're a hard loser, Horn.

Found him down at the other end.

All right, hold it.

I'm Ben Dixon. Calhoun's expecting me.

I know it. You carrying a gun?

No.

Go ahead.

Rider comin'!

Man comin' in!

Who's that?

That's the man I've been waitin' for.

He's gonna tell me what train that gold shipment's on.

Hello, Dixon.

Some place you got here.

Almost rode right by it.

You got the word?

That's why I'm here.

What's he doing here?

Why? You know him?

I ought to.

He sent me to jail five years ago.

Moose, grab him!

Harris?

Wait here. He can't get far on foot.

Harris is on the other side! Come on!

[ gunshots ]

Fan out.

[ gunshot ]

Whew.

[ gunshot ]

Just you and me now, Calhoun.

Why don't you give up?

Who are you? What do you want from me?

Remember the newspaper office in Medicine Bow?

The one you shot up?Yeah.

There was a woman inside.

Now, I didn't know about that.

I swear I didn't.

No. You didn't wait to find out.

You just blasted away.

You're the last one left, Calhoun.

Come out with your hands up and I'll take you back.

Maybe you could convince a jury it was all a big mistake.

Why don't you just come on down here and...

get me, boy?

I might just do that.

[ clicking ]

[ laughs ]

Well, now, it sounds like you spoke a little too soon, doesn't it?

All right, I'm--

I'm gonna teach you a little lesson before I kill you.

You're gonna feel every bullet,

one at a time.

And I'm not gonna kill you until the last one.

You're gonna have time to feel sorry...

for every breath you ever drew, boy.

Right here!

The men who killed Molly are dead.

I told the sheriff where to round up the rest of the outlaws.

Any questions?

No.

Just glad you're back.