Original subtitles

It's a nice town, Medicine Bow.

Good, decent people.

Of course, it's funny how little we really know about each other.

Take Mel Dover, for instance.

Mel's quiet, but he's friendly and hard-working.

Mr. Dover. Hello, boys.

He has a little farm outside of town...

and spends his spare time doing chores around the church.

I really didn't know much more about him than that...

until the noon stage came in that day.

Got your ears lowered, sonny?

I swear, Clem, you'd think a haircut was like medicine,

the way he carries on in there.

Come along.

That's Mrs. Perry and her boy Joey.

I see them in town once in a while, shopping.

Perrys don't socialize much.

Joey's a nice kid. A little lonely maybe.

The man on the stage touched their lives too.

Did you hear me? I said come along.

I had some errands to do that day. Got into town just before noon.

Hello, Mrs. Perry. Hello.

How's Mr. Perry today?

Just fine, thank you.

Hello, Mrs. Cooper. Hello.

Howdy, Ben. Howdy.

Could you fill this for me, please? Sure thing. Right away.

There's no rush. I've got some things to do in town.

Your wagon out front? Yep.

I'll try to have it loaded by the time you're ready. Thanks a lot.

Laura, you, uh, wanna give me a hand with this?

I can't now, Ben. I'm busy.

We've been doing business with Ben and Laura Cooper for quite a while.

I wondered about them some.

Nice enough couple, but I've always felt there was something uneasy about them,

watchful.

It happened that a lot of people in Medicine Bow

were stirred up when that noon stage drove in...

and word got around who was on it.

Don't be surprised if there's a little action in Medicine Bow today.

That fella that just got off the stage is Frank Hammel.

Excuse me.

What's he want?

Howdy. Howdy, Bart.

What'll it be? I'll take a beer.

I'd like to settle up last month's bill also. Sure thing.

Well, go on. Don't keep it no secret. What are you gonna bet next?

I don't rightly know.

You already won my big cattle ranch, and I'm fresh out of railroads.

Let me see.

I got it. I'll put up my opry house against your silver mine.

Yeah! That sounds fair enough.

Uh, let's see. Your bill comes to eight dollars even.

Well, fine. Who are the two millionaires?

Oh, couple of saddle bums. Rode in about an hour ago looking for work.

Hey, look out.

Sorry, Mr. O'Neill.

What's the hurry, Clem? Just want a fast beer.

Gotta get back out there in a hurry in case he comes out. Who comes out?

The gunman who got off the noon stage.

He's over at the hotel now. Gunman? What gunman?

Hammel. You've heard of Frank Hammel, ain't ya?

What's Frank Hammel doing here?

I don't know, but ol' Frank don't go anyplace without he's got a reason.

Bart, get the sheriff over here.

Get him now.

I don't want scum like that in this town.

Well, that wouldn't do no good, Mr. Morgan.

The sheriff's gone out to the Clayborn ranch. Some kind of ruckus.

It's a four-hour ride out there and back.

Excuse me.

Beer, Bart.

On me, Bart. Thanks.

How are you, Clem? Fine.

You're, uh, sure it was Frank Hammel?

Of course. What other Hammel is there?

Oh, Albert,

what do you suppose a gunman like Frank Hammel is doing in Medicine Bow?

How should I know?

Frank?

Well, I'll be!

What are you doin' here?

Well, I'm the foreman of a ranch near here called Shiloh.

You're looking fine. Just fine.

Well, so are you, Frank. Sit down.

Thanks. Sit down.

Some coffee? Uh, sure.

Miss?

Thank you.

I still can't believe it.

How long has it been?

Oh, 10 years. Something like that.

Ten years.

So you're a foreman now. Mm-hmm.

You've done all right for yourself, haven't you?

Yeah. And you've become... famous.

I didn't go looking for it.

No, that was never your way, Frank.

Someone draws on you...

Doesn't matter why...

And you have to defend yourself.

The next one tries to square things up for the first,

and you have to defend yourself again.

And after that, it just grows.

Doesn't matter where you go.

There's always somebody wantin' to try you.

And then you run from the first one smack-bang into the next one.

Comes a time...

you get tired of runnin'.

Yeah.

Well, you gonna be in town long?

Oh, just until the stage leaves. Couple hours.

Maybe I oughta tell you... The town knows you're here.

Oh, it's no secret.

No, I don't suppose it is, anywhere you go.

Well,

I'd better be running along.

I've got a lot of errands to do.

I thought about you.

I thought about you many times.

I've thought about you too, Frank.

I owe you a lot.

Well, it's good seeing you.

Good seeing you. So long now.

So long.

Frank still in there?

Yeah. I just talked to him.

You know Frank Hammel?

Used to ride together years ago.

What's he here for? He after somebody here in town?

No, he's just passing through.

Howdy, Judge. Oh, come in, come in, come in.

I've gone over those contracts Mr. Grainger wanted me to look at.

They all seem to be in order. Good.

I got them here some... Oh. Here they are. Thanks.

Uh, what's so interesting over at the hotel?

We've got a celebrity stopping over between stages.

- Oh? Who? - Frank Hammel.

- The gunfighter? - So they say.

But he's never drawn first on anyone in his life, Judge.

It's always been self-defense. Is that so?

How do you know?

Well, I just talked to him.

I used to know him, Judge.

Anyway, he's just passing through.

Thanks for these. You're welcome.

About ready, Ben? Just about.

You, uh, hear about the gunman over at the hotel?

Mm-hmm.

You, uh,

think he's here looking for anybody?

Not likely.

Deal me out, boys.

Look at 'em.

Ain't one of 'em I wouldn't put it past.

Ain't one of 'em wouldn't be happy to see me out of the way.

Nobody begrudges you your success, Albert.

Business is business.

You're a hard man, an ambitious man.

That's why you've risen so fast to the top.

Now, some of us might envy you,

some of us that you've stepped on a little too hard on your way up to the top.

Some people might even dislike you.

But to say that one of us would hire a gunman to kill you...

That's ridiculous, Albert.

Are you callin' me ridiculous, Carl?

No offense intended.

Guess I'll get another bottle.

That's the third silver mine you've lost today.

Just don't you worry about it.

I'll be gettin' 'em back.

Now, look, Albert, if you're that worried,

hire yourself some protection.

The two of them could get the drop on him.

Keep an eye on him till the sheriff gets back.

I'm tellin' ya, lady luck's on my side.

You don't play them cards just right,

you'll be owing me for a...

You two fellas interested in making some money?

You mean, uh, real money?

Real money.

Yeah.

- Hi, Frank. - Hi.

- Nice to see ya. - Yeah.

Frank.

Something I can do for you?

Yes, I'd like to have some candy, something sweet.

That'll do.

No. Don't take anything from him.

Come on.

I'm going down to the saloon for a beer. Would you like to join me?

No, thanks. I've got too much to do.

Thank you.

You, uh, know him?

I used to.

Are you sure he's not here looking for somebody?

He's leaving on the 2:00 stage.

Boys.

Do you know Mr. Dover? Yeah.

He's over there in the church.

I'll have a beer, please.

Don't do it, Bart.

You got anything against a man having a beer, mister?

We don't want your kind around here.

You own this saloon?

That don't make any difference.

You're not welcome anywhere in this town.

You're the owner? Yeah.

Well, then it's up to you, isn't it?

You decide,

and I'll drink my glass of beer and go.

I'm not looking for any trouble.

Look, Mr. Morgan, I don't see no reason why he can't have one beer.

You ain't servin' him, Bart!

Now, you... you!

Get out.

You're the owner. You tell me.

I don't want no trouble around here.

I'd appreciate it if you'd drink that up...

and get on your way.

What do I owe you? No. Just drink it and go.

You hear the man?

You ain't wanted here.

Now you git!

You make me.

What happened?

These two gentlemen, they objected to me having a beer.

They started it. He didn't want no part of it.

He wasn't lookin' for trouble at all.

You hurt bad? Not near as bad as I could have been.

Just kinda nicked me in the arm.

Thanks, mister.

Who put you up to this?

Answer me.

All right.

Take your friend across the street to the doctor's and get him patched up.

Then get out of town and keep moving.

Now move.

Hurry up. I'm comin'.

Mr. Morgan,

whatever your idea is of your own importance,

hiring killers makes you an accomplice.

I didn't hire 'em to kill him!

They were only supposed to... To watch him,

to guard him until the sheriff got back!

Ask O'Neill!

Why ask me?

I had nothing to do with it.

Why, you two-faced... Stop it!

I didn't hire these men.

You did.

Come on, Frank.

Deal 'em.

What got into that man? Why would he do a thing like that?

A lot of people around here don't like Morgan. Why?

He's a rough businessman.

A while back, some of the ranchers got together...

and agreed to fix the price on their cattle.

Morgan agreed to it too. Then he turned right around and undercut everybody.

- Nice fella. - Yeah.

And one night, somebody took a shot at Morgan.

He thinks it was a hired gun paid by one of the other ranchers to get rid of him.

He probably thinks you're a hired gun too.

- I don't hire. - I know that.

But what happened in there might happen again.

If I were you, I'd go back to that hotel and

stay out of sight until the stage leaves.

Sorry. I like my freedom as much as any man.

That's reasonable enough, isn't it?

A reasonable man would go back to the hotel,

stay off the streets.

I need a haircut.

Come along.

Wh-What was that shot?

It was a misunderstanding.

Are you sure he's not here looking for somebody?

I won't be sure of anything until that stage leaves and he's on it.

No, Ben! It could be me he's after, Laura.

- Chris might have hired him. - Ben, that was a long time ago.

Chris is far away in St. Louis.

How could he have found out where we are?

I don't know, but I'm not taking any chances.

You're no good with guns, Ben.

It's like I keep saying, Laura.

I'm not much good at anything.

But you're my wife.

It happens I...

I love you.

Chris wants me killed for that, I'm not

gonna run away from it. Not anymore, I'm not.

I'm not worth your risking your life for, Ben.

You're not gonna go on treating me like nothing I think or feel matters.

You should've let me go a long time ago.

Well, there'd be nothing worse for a man to look around an empty house...

and know he wasn't man enough to hold his woman.

Please, Laura.

Leave me a little self-respect.

Ben.

When I told Chris I'd marry him back there in St. Louis,

I thought I'd be the happiest woman in the world.

I would have had fine clothes, a fine house,

and he would have shown me off...

the way he does everything he owns.

It was a stupid, foolish thing,

running off with you instead.

And sometimes I...

I get angry thinking of what I might have had.

But, Ben, I...

I did that foolish, stupid thing...

because I loved you.

And I've been angry at you for making me love you.

Oh, I've hated you, Ben, for that.

But I do love you.

From what you say, Hammel acted in self-defense in that saloon.

There's nothing we could do to hold him.

Even for his own protection... Till the stagecoach leaves?

Why are you so interested in him?

I told you, Judge. I used to know him.

We rode herd together about 10 years back. We were good friends.

- And... I owe him. - What?

Well, he saved my life once.

My horse threw me in a stampede.

I could have been trampled to death.

Frank rode right through that herd and picked me up on the back of his horse.

A man doesn't forget something like that.

Well, I can understand how you want to protect him,

but there's nothing I or anyone else can do.

He hasn't broken any law.

He's got as much right to walk up and down the street as anyone.

And if you're thinking about Morgan, forget it.

Leave him to his own guilty conscience.

Well, there may be more than one guilty conscience in this town, Judge.

That's what worries me.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

Since you first told me who Hammel was,

a question started going through my mind.

What if he's here after someone...

to seek revenge?

On me.

Why on you, Judge?

You know what I'm doing today?

Housecleaning.

I've been taking out files out of this

cabinet that I hadn't thought about in years.

And I was thinking,

maybe years ago you sent someone to his death,

some quick decision you made when you were young,

some decision that cost a life,

and maybe some relative or some friend...

hired Hammel to...

Ah, I'm just an old man,

and old judges suffer from a terrible disease...

Complacent self-righteousness.

Some of the cases I tried when I was young.

I'm afraid I'll have to admit...

that I was a very, very pompous young man.

Maybe I owe Frank Hammel a "thank you" for forcing me to remind myself of that.

But I'm certainly not gonna pass self-righteous judgment on him now,

especially when he hasn't done anything.

Well, I'm sorry I bothered you, Judge.

Not at all.

- Hi, Billy. - Yes, sir?

That stranger who was here a little while ago...

The one in the barbershop?

Yeah. That's Frank Hammel. Well, he don't look like a killer.

When he talked to you, what did he talk about?

He was asking where he could find Mr. Dover.

Dover?

Yes sir. We told him Mr. Dover was over there, in the church.

Thanks.

I, uh, guess Clem's telling Frank about how he knew Billy the Kid.

Hello, Mel.

Carrying a gun in church?

Something I can do for you?

Just passing by.

It's a nice job you've done here, Mel.

Thanks.

Heard about all the excitement over at the saloon?

No.

There's a gunman in town.

Oh?

Ever heard of Frank Hammel?

No.

That's funny. He's been asking about you.

Me?

What do you mean? Just that.

He knows you're in here.

Is there something between you?

No.

Well,

in that case,

you won't be needing these.

What is it, Mel? Maybe I can help.

Nah.

There isn't any way to help.

When I saw him, my-my first idea was to get away,

but, uh, I'm tired of hiding from him.

Maybe it's best this way.

I did a terrible thing once.

I've got to pay for it.

Well, I don't know what it was you did...

or what's between you and Frank Hammel,

but, whatever it was, you more than made up for it right here in Medicine Bow.

There isn't a man or a woman in this whole town that isn't in your debt.

I tried to make up for it, but, uh, maybe you don't make up for what I did.

You want to talk about it?

Mel.

Nobody else will know.

You have my word.

About, uh, nine or 10 years ago,

I fell in with some men over in Kansas City.

Frank was one of 'em.

All anybody knew about Frank was...

that he'd been riding herd somewhere in Texas.

Yeah, I know. I rode with him.

You know Frank?

I did.

I liked him.

There was this other fella, Joe Bascom.

We, uh... We got to be real good friends.

Just a bunch of men...

falling in together,

riding together between nowhere and nowhere.

And I... I don't know when the idea first came up...

or whose idea it was.

But, uh, one night,

we, uh, started talking about holding up a stagecoach.

I never done anything like that before.

I was scared. I hid it.

I guess we all were scared.

We kept telling each other there wouldn't be any shootin'.

Wouldn't be any need for it.

So we tried it.

Mostly old people was passengers.

It all seemed so... so easy.

Then the driver started shootin' from the top of the stage.

He hit Frank two or three times.

One of us, Dan Wolfe... He must have gone berserk.

He got the driver and the rider. He kept right on shootin'.

The old people...

All those old people.

And somehow we got Frank away.

After we, uh...

We'd gone a safe distance, we stopped.

Joe Bascom and I got sick to our stomachs.

Dan Wolfe and the others, they, uh... they were all for leaving Frank there.

He was dyin' anyway.

I tried to get 'em to take Frank along,

but, uh, the others were against it.

Dan pulled a gun on me...

and made me go with him.

We left Frank there... to die.

Hiya, Gartley.

'Cept it's Dover now, isn't it?

It's been a long time.

It's good to see you again, Mel.

I thought about you all these years.

Wonderin' what you'd been doin'.

Is that... Is that all, Frank?

That all you came for, jus-just to see me?

What else?

We left you to die, Frank.

The others did. You stuck up for me.

They made you leave.

I never forgot that.

Frank...

I...

I thought you came here to...

All these years, ju... just waitin',

afraid to...

Afraid, sooner or later, you'd... you'd come.

And all the time, I... I was wrong.

He's told you?

What happened after you left me?

Huh?

Well, we split up.

Joe Bascom and I rode together, but...

we couldn't shake off how Dan Wolfe shot all those old people.

We burned ourselves up trying to forget.

Denver, Seattle, San Francisco.

Finally, I... I found myself here,

tired, broke.

We didn't get any money from that stagecoach.

I looked around. I thought to myself,

someplace you gotta start a new life.

Someplace you gotta begin again.

This might as well be the place.

I started again.

I've heard how you spent a lot of time...

helping folks out,

fixing up the church and all.

I've known about you being in Medicine Bow for a long time.

Oh.

I'm glad for you, Mel.

Mm-hmm.

What happened with Joe Bascom?

Well, I don't know.

- You never kept in touch? - No.

No, uh, I haven't heard of Joe in eight years now.

Last I heard, he was in Denver.

He's probably moved on by now.

Probably.

Well,

good-bye, Dover.

Good luck.

Bye, Frank.

Mel, I want you to tell me the truth.

Is this, uh, Joe Bascom here in town?

I don't know where Joe is.

Mmm.

Well, if you're trying to protect him by lying, it may not work.

Frank said he'd known you were here in Medicine Bow for some time.

If Bascom is here using another name,

he'll probably find him sooner or later.

I don't know where Joe is.

I don't believe you.

You think what you like.

All right, Mel.

Judge, if I tell you that Frank Hammel...

was once involved in a stage holdup and was never prosecuted,

can you sign an arrest order on him?

Well, of course. Why didn't you tell me that before?

Well, because I didn't know before. Somebody tell you?

Yes, sir. Who?

Can't tell you that.

Then I can't sign the arrest order.

Judge, I think Frank Hammel is here in town looking for a man named Joe Bascom.

I think he means to kill him.

Do you know anybody by that name around here? No, sir.

And I don't think anyone else does.

But I've got a hunch Bascom is living here under a different name,

and I think Hammel knows that.

This court doesn't go around arresting people on hunches.

Judge, Hammel's got to be stopped.

Well, then stop him!

You can.

You bring me the person who told you he was involved in the holdup,

let me talk to him, and I'll sign an order in one minute.

All right then.

If this Joe Bascom is murdered and you knew

something all along that might have prevented it...

I'm sorry. I gave my word.

All right.

Then I hope you're wrong, for your sake.

I hope Hammel is just stopping off between stages.

Beer, Bart.

Any of you men ever heard the name Joe Bascom before?

Is he the man Hammel's after?

I think so.

He's probably using another name now.

Probably got here about eight, nine years ago.

You've been here about eight years, haven't you, Albert?

I've had about enough of you, O'Neill.

There's nothing in my past that worries me.

What'd he look like?

About 40,

blond, tall, ruthless,

willing to walk all over people to get his way.

Shut up!

Now, hold it, Morgan.

It's not the past that concerns me. It's the present.

Men like O'Neill there...

and everyone in this room.

There isn't a man here I haven't beat hands down in every business deal I've ever made.

And you hate me for that, don't you?

There isn't a man here that wouldn't like to see me dead and buried.

Maybe.

But you'll never know when it's gonna come, will you, Albert?

Every time a Frank Hammel passes through town,

you're going to die all over again.

Let's get some fresh air.

Don't worry, Morgan.

Relax. You're not the man Frank's after.

Howdy, Frank.

It was nice seeing Gartley... I mean, Dover again.

He's done all right for himself, hasn't he?

Yes, he has.

I'm glad. I like him.

You lied to me, didn't you, Frank?

What would I lie to you about?

You're here looking for a man named Joe Bascom, aren't you?

If I was looking for anybody,

would I be sitting in this rocker waiting for the stage to leave?

You... You haven't changed.

Always did take a lot of time puzzling things out.

Mind working all the time.

You're still the same.

But you're not.

After Bascom and the others left you at that holdup, something happened to you.

I almost died.

Took a lot of time mending.

I still got a piece of lead in me somewhere.

But I've never drawn on a man first.

I told you that.

You don't have to. You're too fast.

But you've tracked every one of those men down, haven't you?

How do you get 'em to draw on you first, Frank?

Threaten to expose them, goad 'em into it? Is that it?

I told you when that stagecoach leaves that I was gonna be on it.

Now I'm gonna take me a little walk.

Where? Just a walk.

And I don't like all the questions, friend.

Frank.

Now, what do you think you're gonna do with that?

You're coming over to the jail with me... the back way.

You're gonna wait there for the stage.

Well, I don't mind.

Turn around, start moving.

In there, Frank.

First cell, Frank.

Drop your gun belt.

Move over against that post.

Give me some room.

A little more.

Hey!

Anybody out there?

Anybody out on the street!

Is anybody there?

Where you goin', Frank?

I'm lookin' for Dover. He was in the church.

Yeah, he rode away a little while ago.

Any idea where he went? Home, I guess.

Wouldn't happen to know where he lives, would ya?

Sure do. About five miles out of town. Same road the stage come on.

Little farm house painted red.

You can't miss it. Thanks.

Uh, are you goin' to see Dover about something special, Frank?

No, nothing special.

Something personal.

Ah. Sure never thought I'd live to see the day...

when I'd be walkin' along beside Frank Hammel for all the world to see.

Look at 'em. Their eyes are buggin'.

Why is he going into the stable?

I don't know.

Maybe he's going away.

- I'll find out. - No, don't!

Don't take the chance, Ben. Stay away from him.

Let me out of here right now!

Anybody on the street!

Let me out of here right now!

Where'd he say he was going, Clem?

Why, he asked where Dover's farm was and rented a horse.

I told you I wasn't after you, Gartley!

Gartley! Gartley?

Come here, son.

Look, this man's been hurt.

You live around here?

You think we could fetch him help? Yes, sir.

Let's go.

What are you doing around here? Just playing.

Finding things. Like what?

Lizards, toads, butterflies.

I found a rattlesnake once, but it was dead.

What happened to you, Mel?

I was riding to warn Bascom.

Frank followed me.

I didn't believe him before.

I thought he was... I thought he was after me.

I... I tried to stop him.

Mel, who is Joe Bascom?

Perry.

Bascom's Joe Perry.

- Will you be all right? - Yeah.

If I can catch up my horse.

Mom. What are you doing here?

What do you want?

Mr. Dover's up by Three Falls. He's hurt. There's nobody here can help.

Is anybody close?

Dover's got some men at his place. It's the next farm over.

Want me to show him, Ma? No, you stay here, Joey.

Which way?

There, about a mile.

You call your son Joey.

Is that after his pa? Yes.

You wouldn't happen to know of a man named Bascom, would you?

No.

He came here with Dover about eight years ago.

You must be mistaken.

My husband came here with Dover.

I never heard either of 'em speak of Bascom.

Is your husband around, ma'am?

He's in the house.

Would you ask him to step outside, please? I'd like to speak with him.

My husband has nothin' to do with you.

Just tell him Frank Hammel is here.

He'll come out.

You know my husband?

I believe I do, ma'am.

What do you want to see him about?

Well, that's personal.

You get away from here.

He wants to see my husband.

Stay out here, Mrs. Perry. There's nothing to worry about.

Joe was a decent, hard-working man, Frank,

doing a fine job on his farm here.

Couple years ago, a horse threw him and broke his back.

He's been like this ever since.

The years...

The years of hunting,

the years of waiting,

the years of dreaming of the moment when...

all this hate could explode...

A waste.

I'll drop by later in the week with the newspapers, Joe.

Why did you want to see my husband?

Where did you know him?

Well, years ago, when I was hurt,

your husband... who called himself Joe Bascom...

He took care of me and nursed me back to health.

I never had a chance to thank him.

You were a friend of my husband?

No. He was just a man who stooped down to help another man.

If I was a boy who had a father like Joe Perry,

I'd be mighty proud.

Good-bye.

Well, it's almost time.

Yeah.

I'll buy.

Well, what are you gonna do now?

I don't know.

It's ended.

It's over.

And after 10 years, there's nothing else to do.

No place to go.

Bye, Frank. Been a real pleasure, yes, sir.

Clem, I got a present for you.

Y-Your gun?

Frank Hammel's gun?

It's yours.

It's mine. He give it to me.

Frank Hammel's gun!

Look! He give it to me!

It's mine!

Frank Hammel's gun.

Ho!