Original subtitles

MOSE: Morning, Slim!

Wow. [ chuckles ] What happened to you?

Nothing happened to me.

I got cleaned up for the company meeting in Cheyenne.

Well, I see you got room for me.

Got nothing else but.

Well, thanks, Mike.

MOSE: Morning, Miss Daisy!

Good morning, Mose. Take good care of Slim now.

I sure will, ma'am.

Pretty as he is, I wouldn't think of messing him up.

JESS: So long, pard. Hey, Mose, you let me know

if they'd put him in jail in Cheyenne for being all duded up.

I'll come bail him out.

Don't tell me that they deputized you again.

Yeah. Sheriff called me in a weak moment

when he was taking that prisoner to Cedar Bend.I darn near forget.

Here's a billy-do for you.

Nice looking young lady gave it to me at the depot.

You two stop gossiping and start driving this thing.

What did she look like, Mose?Well, now let me--

Mose!

[ chuckles ]

I reckon you'll have to find out for yourself, Jess.

I've got a restless dude riding with me this morning.

So long.

Hyah!

Hyah! Hai!

What is it?

It's from Francie, from my sister Francie.

But, Jess, you told me...

I know, Daisy.

But it's her handwriting.

Whoever wrote this letter is waiting for me in town.

Daisy...

Francie's been dead for 4 years.

Fred.

Yeah?

Mose said a woman gave him this letter for me.

Have you seen her?

Not in the last few minutes, Jess,

but she's still around here, that's for sure.

Just a good thing you got back.

What do you mean?

Oh, that woman,

she's causing all kinds of trouble.

Trying to get her husband buried in our graveyard.

Her husband?

Yeah.

Ben McKittrick, the gunman.

Some folks is over at Mr. Elbee's

right now arguing with her.

Be there myself only I've got to get this shipment

ready for the next stage.

Thanks, Fred.

I'm sorry, ma'am.

But, why, this could ruin my business.

There are towns that don't care, Mrs. McKittrick.

Why don't you go to them?

I'm still gonna wait.

Jess Harper can't do you any good, lady.

He's working for the people of Laramie.

He feels the same as we do, take my word for him.

I'll do my own talking.

I'm sure glad you got here, Jess.

We got us a real problem.

You got to set this woman straight,

tell her we don't take in gunman dead or alive.

We don't want to be hard, Jess,

but we've got loved ones to think about.

You see, Jess, it's like this...

I thought you were dead.

Jess, I'm so sorry.

I didn't even know

where you were till the other day.

We'll talk it out later.

The important thing is that you're here.

Jess...

I've got to tell you something.

Wait.

This is my sister.

JESS: Francie.

From what I hear...

you don't want her to bury her husband in Laramie,

is that right?

Well, yes, Jess. But...

do you know who her husband is-- uh, uh, was?

I know who he was.

And if my sister married him, he's worth burying here or anyplace else.

Now just a minute, Jess. I can't help but feel sorry for any woman

who's lost her husband, no matter what he was.

But my Jim is in the graveyard

and I don't feel right about having Ben McKittrick

laid to rest nearby.

She's right now, Jess.

And there are lots of folks that feel the same way.

I'm flat against it

and I've got to protect my business.

We'd have folks coming from all over

just to see his headstone,

strangers walking over our own families.

Have you all had your say?

I'm glad I heard it.

I reckon one day you'll be putting me in Boot Hill.

I guess I won't quite make the one here in Laramie.

I've had to use a gun a few times

for the law or otherwise.

Now, Jess, we don't mean you.

What makes me any different than Ben McKittrick?

A man's dead, Mr. Elbee, dead!

And I'm gonna see he gets buried

whether you like it or not.

Jess...

It's all right, Francie.

Move over.

We're going to the sheriff's office,

get this done according to the law.

Now, Jess, don't go doing something

you're gonna be sorry for.

Sheriff Cory--

I'm sorry already.

Sorry you people can go on hating a man who's dead.

Why'd you think I was dead, Jess?

I got a letter from a friend of mine at Galveston.

He said he saw your name in the paper,

was listed among the dead.

Some kind of sickness.

It was diphtheria.

And I wrote the sheriff there three or four times

before I found out that...

all those that had died were buried in the bay.

And I couldn't even go visit your grave.

Jess, I'm so sorry.

I really was sick.

Ben got me out of Galveston...

he nursed me,

took care of me night and day.

I guess I loved him right from the start.

Well, seems to me you got to let your little brother know

what was happening to you.

And just how did you expect me to do that?

That little brother of mine's

been gallivanting all over creation

since he was 16 years old.

Yeah, you're Francie, all right.

Here I am caught in a cookie jar again.

That's true, you never were much of a hand to write.

Even if you had been, we got out of Galveston so fast

we didn't stop to think about mail or anything else.

We didn't even take our belongings.

How'd you find me now?

I saw Laramie newspaper,

somebody had left in a stagecoach...

and your name and your picture in it.

Oh, yeah, I remember.

They made me put on a white shirt

and a tie for that.

It was another time

I was filling in for the sheriff.

Made me awful proud to see that.

Did you come to Laramie right away?

Yeah, we were...

we're just leaving Leavenworth,

then we changed our plans and came here.

You and McKittrick?

Mm-hmm.

Well, I better get the facts.

Leavenworth, huh?

Yeah, he...

served 3 years there and I waited for him.

Then when he got out,

we bought a wagon, we started west.

I know it's hard to talk about, Francie,

but we got to.

No, I know it.

It's not that, Jess, it's just...

Go on, you were gonna say.

I was gonna say he got sick and died

right outside of Cheyenne.

But don't put that town,

not yet, now that you know the truth.

I can't lie to you, Jess.

I had to lie to those people out there

and I had to do just what I've done

because it's the only thing that's gonna save us.

What's this about, Francie?

Ben's not dead.

He's hurt but he's alive.

He's waiting for me in a trapper's cabin.

He's been shot.

What's in that coffin?

Just some sacks full of sand.

See it's the only way I could do it,

some men are after him

and they won't let him lay down his gun.

They never will until they think

Ben McKittrick is dead.

And you figured by burying that coffin they would?

Was it his idea?

No, it was mine.

He can't even move.

He didn't want me to do it,

but I just couldn't face this for the rest of my life.

I just wanted a grave for him with his name on it

so that Ben McKittrick, the gunman, will be dead

and all this hunting would stop.

I can see now it's...

it's not gonna work.

It's asking too much.

I'll just go back and face it the way he wants me to.

I better get back to him.

Now wait a minute.

If he's hurt, we'll be bring him back here.

If anybody's after him, I'll handle 'em.

No, it's not your problem--

Don't talk like that, Francie, please.

You got as much right to a peaceful life

as anybody does.

So does McKittrick if he squared things.

It just seems to me you went about it the wrong way

even though you thought it was a good idea.

[ knocking on door ]

Excuse me, Jess.

I hated to bother you but...

well, there is something that just has to be said.

Seems to me you and the others

spoke your minds pretty clear.

Yes, and I'm sorry.

We talked it over again

and they all asked me to come over

and tell you that they were just plain wrong.

Now it can't be unsaid

but we would be happy to be of service

to you and your sister and--

and her husband.

Thank you, Mr. Elbee, and the others too.

I was hoping you'd see it that way.

We'll talk about it later, huh?

Anytime, Jess, anytime.

Thank you.

See, they're good people,

but like me they make mistakes sometimes.

I had some pretty crazy ideas myself.

Maybe, maybe not.

Let's just say we did bury that coffin,

and put a marker up with McKittrick's name on it,

what's to stop them from digging it up someday?

I guess I never even thought that far ahead.

Oh, no.

It's those men, Jess, the Keefers.

Know I'm here now.

You stay out of sight.

Let me handle it.

Listen, they're killers, Jess, be careful.

Don't you worry.

Nothing's gonna happen to me

when you and I get a chance to have a nice long talk.

Something I can do for you?

Oh, I reckon so, deputy.

We're looking for a party named Ben McKittrick.

You're a little late.

He's dead.

That's what we heard.

We'll claim the body then, for the bounty.

Well, I don't know.

This poster looks a little old.

If there is a price on his head, his wife gets it.

She brought him in, not you.

Oh?

Did she put that .44 slug in him?

Whole town of Red Rock will bear witness

that we shot it out with McKittrick 4 days ago.

Let me see that, Jess.

Sorry about this, ma'am.

It is an old poster.

Ben went to Leavenworth on that charge.

They changed it to manslaughter at the trial.

We wouldn't know about that.

You can find out about it easy enough, by telegraph.

And you can wait for an answer,

but I doubt if it'll do you any good.

Well, now just a minute there, deputy.

Now could be the lady's right about that bounty,

we don't aim to push for something we ain't entitled to.

That's good, mister.

But...

that brings it down to something a little more personal.

You see our name's Keefer.

I'm Frank.

This is Carl.

That's Will.

There was a nut by the name of Tony.

McKittrick killed him.

So?

So?

Begging your pardon, ma'am.

We just kind of like to view the remains.

You see it'd set us to rest knowing the hunt was finished.

Now you can understand a thing like that,

now can't you, deputy?

I reckon.

But I also know, to view the remains,

you have to have the next of kin's permission.

No.

You got your answer.

Come on, Francie.

I don't like it.

She's got the law on her side.

Yeah.

And it's three of us.

Let's find out what they're hiding.

We will.

We'll let them make the move first.

That deputy...

he's running kind of scared.

Why don't we set a spell, hmm?

Looks like they're gonna try and wait us out.

Why don't you just let me try and get out of town

without them seeing me?

Oh, they'd just trail you wherever you went.

I think there's a better way.

How?

We're gonna bury Ben McKittrick,

out in the country somewhere

under a nice big tree.

They'd still follow us.

Mm-mmm.

Not if they're in jail, they won't.

Mr. Keefer,

Mrs. McKittrick and I are gonna bury her husband

outside of town, it'll be better that way.

Folks around here got a bad feeling

about having a gunman buried in their graveyard.

Well, maybe we'll just ride along

and help you and the little lady out.

Seeing a reason why we shouldn't, deputy?

Don't try it!

Get their guns, Ed.

Oh, you won't be riding with us,

'cause you're gonna be sitting in jail, inside.

On what charge?

Suspicion.

Of what?

You name it. Murder maybe.

Four of you gunned McKittrick,

murder's a good possibility.

Now wait a minute.

Sheriff at Red Rock will tell you what happened.

If and when he does, I'll turn you loose.

Inside.

Move!

You know, you and me's got something to settle, deputy.

I'll be glad to accommodate you,

but don't count on the same kind of head start.

Listen, you--

Save it, Will.

You're making trouble for yourself, deputy.

Kind you might not get over it.

How long you figure you can keep us in here?

Depends on what the sheriff

in Red Rock says in his telegram.

When he gonna send it?

When the telegraph operator gets back from supper.

Oh, when that will be?

Hard to tell.

He eats a lot.

Thanks.

You better get some rest.

Oh, I wouldn't sleep.

The cabin's not very far from here.

How bad is he hurt?

He's lost quite a bit of blood.

It's hard to tell with Ben, he doesn't complain very much.

That bullet...

hit him in the side right on the ribs

and went clear through.

All he said was he was lucky

they didn't stop to take time to aim.

A wound like that can flatten a man good.

He must be pretty strong.

He is.

I think you're gonna like him.

[ horse neighing ]

Behind the wagon and stay down.

Oh...

Francie?

Ben.

Ben.

Is this Jess?

Yeah.

Glad to know you.

Get him.

Why didn't you stay put?

I was worried about you, honey.

Bad idea...

I should never have let you do it.

You sure got a stubborn sister.

We got to get you to a doctor fast.

Ah, I just don't want to move fast

anywhere for a while.

All the men ride quick now.

You two get me buried all right?

What's the matter, honey?

It'll keep.

No, it won't.

Jess?

The Keefers showed up,

they want to look in your coffin.

It's all right!

I've got them in jail.

Makes no difference, Jess.

They get out.

Keefers don't think any more killing

than some folks do eating.

I'll worry about them tomorrow, right now--

No, it's my problem, I got...

We got to get him to the ranch.

Help me get him in the wagon.

Francie.

It's all right, Ben.

Just get some rest now.

Thanks, doc.

I'll see you when you get back.

Jess.

Morning, Ed.

Prisoners give you any trouble last night?

No.

I got supper for them from the diner.

They sure eat a lot.

I put the bill on the sheriff's desk.

All right, thanks.

Hey, a couple of telegrams came in for you.

Yeah?

One from Fort Leavenworth,

says McKittrick served his time all right,

ain't wanted anywhere as far as they know.

What about the sheriff in Red Rock?

What did he say?

No, the Keefers ain't wanted either.

Guess that gunfight was a fair one.

Yeah, I'll bet it was, four against one.

Remind me never to go to Red Rock.

Jess, they ain't leaving town until they--

Yeah, I know they're not, Ed.

Just let me handle it my way, huh?

Thanks for your help.

Outside.

You can load your guns on your way out of town.

We got no hard feelings about you locking us up, deputy.

Chow was good.

Lunch was comfortable.

I'm real glad.

Now do you mind telling us where you buried Ben McKittrick?

Yeah, I mind.

I don't figure it's any of your business

where my deceased relatives are buried.

Oh.

His widow is my sister.

Well, that's too bad.

Of course, that don't change things none.

We won't believe McKittrick's dead

till we see his body.

And we won't be leaving town

till you tell us where to find it.

See you around, deputy.

Yeah, I know, but how long do you say it would take?

Well, there's no way of telling that, Ben.

It just depends on how fast you heal.

Well, in that case I...

Oh...

You keep that up

and it's gonna take you twice as long to get up.

I'm worried about your brother, Francie.

Those Keefers, they--

Don't worry about Jess, Mr. McKittrick.

He can take care of himself pretty good.

I'm sure about that, Mike, but...

Well Francie, if they find out where I am,

they're likely to come here.

There's you, Mike, Mrs. Cooper.

I talked to the doctor

and nobody's going to tell 'em where you are.

Now you just get some rest.

I'm gonna fix you something to eat.

Come on.

You see?

Lock's busted.

Look here.

Here, look at this.

Did you ever see such a mess?

Eh, kerosene all over it, it's ruined,

it's a complete loss.

When did this happen, Mr. Jones?

Well, some time today.

It wasn't like this, this morning.

Jess.

Better come over to the livery.

Somebody stole a saddle and some gear.

I'll be back as soon as I can.

You know for a small town,

this place sure does keep that deputy busy.

You really think this is gonna do it, pal?

I think you'll get the idea.

We'll bee-sting him into making the move.

Uh...

you, gentlemen, mind if I ask you something?

You go right ahead.

How long are you planning to stay?

Well, now how do you figure that's any business of yours?

CARL: Easy now, Will.

Man wants answers, not questions.

I guess no secret

we're trying to get some information.

Plan to stay here till we get it.

There's another saloon right across the street, you know?

It's a nice, clean place.

We like it here.

What the man is trying to say is,

Will, is he thinks we're bad for business.

Is that right?

That's right.

Huh.

Why is that?

Well, now you men figure on getting

into a gun fight sooner or later.

At least that's what everybody thinks.

And they just want to be somewhere else

when it happens.

Far as I know, the only shots been fired

since we come here was by that deputy.

In fact, well, we don't mean anybody any harm whatever.

Of course now...

self-defense is something else again.

I mean, if we get shot at.

We're just liable to start shooting back.

Yeah.

You know, we're getting low on money.

We might have to go back to work.

Nah.

Another day or two,

they'll be taking up a collection for us.

How much do you suppose

we ought to collect to leave this town?

I ain't leaving till I see McKittrick dead.

Will boy, what happened to your sense of humor?

It won't be long now, Will.

That deputy is getting pretty close to the edge.

Another push or two and we go right on over.

You know...

he sure does have a dirty mirror in this whiskey mill.

I swear, Jess, I don't know how it happened.

I went back to the barn where I keep the hearse

to polish up the brass and there she was,

red paint on her from one end to the other!

I got a rag and I started wiping it off

and before I knew that I was...

well, look.

I can see, Mr. Elbee.

Was your barn locked?

Oh, yes.

Why, that's a valuable piece of equipment.

The lock was smashed.

You should see her.

Now what if I get a hurry-up call for a funeral?

Can you imagine it?

A red hearse.

JESS: No, sir, I can't.

Why don't we face up to it?

I'll give you odds,

it's those three in my saloon right now.

Sure, it's them.

They stole my saddle

and that gear just to spite you, Jess.

Who else would have ruined by grain shed?

They didn't steal anything.

No, just plain vandalism.

Jess, I hope you have in your mind

to do something about this.

I'd like to, Mr. Elbee.

Can you identify them

as the ones that broke into your barn?

Well, no, but who else could have done it?

What about you, Ed?

Did you see 'em steal your saddle?

Well, of course not, they're too smart.

I suppose you didn't see anything either.

Well, no, but... but I still think they did it.

Well, thinking isn't enough to lock 'em up on.

Well, then, just get 'em out of my saloon.

Are they makin' trouble?

Well, it's a good a name for as anything I can think of.

Hasn't been a customer near since they sat down.

As long as they pay,

there is nothing I can do about it.

Now listen all of you.

If you can get a witness to make a positive identification,

I'll lock 'em up.

Otherwise?

Otherwise nothing.

Jess, you know you can do this town a big favor.

Up to now we've all been hurt a little

and business is bad.

But it could get worse, a lot worse.

We're not trying to force you into anything, Jess.

We just want a peaceful town.

The women folks won't let the kids out on the street.

Listen, Jess, why don't you show 'em

what they want to see and then they'll go?

[ cocking gun ]

Let's go.

This was on the barn.

The place is a mess.

You let me know if you see 'em.

"Gone to stretch our legs.

Tell the deputy we'll be back.

Signed, the Keefers."

Well, we ought to get a little action

for too long now.

Buy you boys a drink?

MOSE: Jess.

Hey, Jess.

Got any messages for Miss Daisy?

Jess!

Well, what happened to you?

I fell down, Mose.

Fell down what, Pikes Peak?

Very funny, Mose.

Very funny.

Maybe it was them three Keefer brothers, huh?

I said I fell down.

Ain't you got a stage going out this morning?

Yeah.

I stopped to find out

if you had any messages for Miss Daisy.

Or for Slim, he got back from his trip.

No.

You sure about that, huh?

Sure, I'm sure.

Mose, do me a favor?

Sure.

Don't say anything about me falling down.

I get enough kidding as it is about having two left feet.

Whatever you say, Jess.

Where are they?

I don't know, but they said they'd be back, Jess.

They still in town?

I don't think so.

Any of you know where they are?

They left a message.

They said they weren't gonna have anything to do with you

'cause they didn't want to have to shoot you.

Go on.

Well, they said that you could leave the information

they wanted with me, or with anybody else here.

They'd pick it up when they come back

and be on their way.

When do you expect them back?

They said around 12:00.

Thanks.

Jess.

There's three of them.

Ed's right.

You loan me a gun

and I'll stand up with you if you want.

Only, well, you better take me up on it quick

before my knees start buckling.

Thank you, Mr. Elbee.

I appreciate that very much.

But I can't let you do it.

Jess, we were hoping you'd see things our way

and do what those gunmen want you to do but...

well, since you got personal reasons

for not doing it,

we want you to know, we're on your side anyway.

This whole town knows you too much

for everybody to go hide when you got trouble.

Yeah.

Tell us what you want us to do, Jess,

and we'll do our...

or we'll try anyway.

I'm mighty grateful to you all.

Hearing that makes me feel about 9 feet tall.

Big enough to take care of the Keefers anyway.

But I want you to stay out of it.

This is my personal problem, not yours.

It's not the law's problem either.

Mose, you're driving so fast.

You're here half an hour early.

Something the matter?

Slim didn't get back on the west-bound

this morning by any chance, did he?

No, he didn't.

DAISY: What is it?

Mose, tell us.

Well, Jess gave me strict orders not to say.

He got banged up last night.

Oh, he said he fell down.

Didn't look like that to me.

Is he hurt bad?

Mose, tell us everything you know.

Well, yesterday there was all kinds of trouble in town.

Folks thought that the Keefers was behind it.

Now as per Jess...

You reckon the Keefers beat up on Jess?

Who are you, mister?

My name is Ben McKittrick.

And I'd be obliged if you'd answer my question.

Well, I think so, yeah.

He wasn't shot though as far as I could see.

Jess worked over good.

The Keefers had been wondering all along

if you was really dead.

I guess they had reason to.

Looks that way, doesn't it?

Yeah.

Ben?

Ben, you're not healed yet.

Look, if...

if Jess gets killed on my account,

do you think I could live with myself or with you?

I don't know what to think.

I'll be in much better shape if I ride to town a buckboard.

You start getting it ready

and I'll be right out to help you.

I'll drive you.

No!Yes.

Francie!

Don't you worry about Jess, son.

He's not gonna be in this thing long.

[ windows rattling ]

Anything doing out there?

Yeah, he's still sitting on that saloon porch.

He's the only one in sight.

All right, take your spots.

All right.

[ wagon approaching ]

That's McKittrick coming down the street!

Ben. Look out!

[ gunshots ]

Well, it's sure not easy to leave.

You don't have to, Ben.

Plenty of farmland around here

for you and Francie to settle in.

Yeah, I know, but...

Francie's got her heart set on the West Coast, and I do too.

I think it's better for both of us

to get as far away from my troubles as we can.

Up to you.

You could still do what the people around here want you to--

change your name, we'll put up a headstone.

Outside of a few people who wouldn't say anything, nobody'd know.

Well, it sure was nice of 'em to offer.

But I'm Ben McKittrick and I'm gonna stay that way.

Trouble comes, I'll meet on its own terms.

You know something, Jess?

I think you'd do the same thing in my place.

Thank you, Daisy.

Slim.

Bye-bye, Mike.

Bye, Francie.Bye, Francie.

You probably won't ever write, but would you come and see us?

Well, now I don't know.

This place might fall apart without me here to run it.

Francie, you can have him anytime you want him.

Now too soon?

No, I think I'm gonna wait

and he can come visit his nephew,

maybe even his niece.

I'll tell you one thing,

if you're gonna make me an uncle,

you're not gonna do it by standing around here.

Let's go, Ben.

So long, Jess.

So long, Ben.

Let's go.

ANNOUNCER: Produced in association

with the NBC Television Network.