All language subtitles for The Virginian S08E01 - Long Ride Home

Ho, boy!

Ho!

Ho! Easy now, boy.

You were aiming right
at me. No. No, ma'am.

We wasn't aimin' at that
little bird in your bonnet.

Though it was mighty temptin'.

We was goin'
for the church steeple.

The cross? No!
No, ma'am. The bells.

A bottle of Taos Lightin'
for the first team...

that plays "Yankee Doodle"
on 'em with hot lead.

Where you goin', ma'am?
To the general store.

Would you mind just
slippin' over,

and I'll run you
on around there.

Whoa.

Well, now, aren't you boys
ashamed of yourselves?

Now get your hats off and show
this lovely lady here...

how regretful you are
at almost killin' her.

Come on, Purty.
Get your hat off.

Aw, look at that, ma'am.

Why a preacher himself
would weep...

to see the sight
of such pure repentance.

That's Weasel Willis Burr there.
Met him and his boys the other night.

And a pleasure it was to out-swig
such distinguished gentlemen.

That fella beside him is Purty.

There's Buck and Boom-Boom.

Them's the other team of
sharpshooters I was telling you about.

They chased buffaloes.

Don't tell anybody what they
chase nowadays though, huh?

Oh, and I almost forgot.

The other team of sharpshooters...
that's myself and my sidekick.

I'm Benjamin Franklin Strattan.
You just call me Ben.

Now, my sidekick... hidin' himself in
the doorway... that's James Joseph Horn.

Come on out, James Joseph.

Show your manners.

Oh, you pray for him, ma'am.

Fallen under the evil influence
of Satan himself.

That's me.

♪ Rock about my Sarah Jane ♪

♪ Yankees build boats
for to shoot them rebels ♪

♪ My musket's loaded
and I'm gonna hold her level ♪

♪ Oh, Sarah Jane ♪

♪ There's nothin' to do
but to sit down and sing ♪

♪ And rock about my Sarah Jane ♪

♪ Rock about my Sarah Jane ♪

♪ Oh, rock about my Sarah Jane ♪

That's Holly.
Somebody's with her.

♪ Sarah Jane ♪

♪ Rock about my Sarah Jane ♪♪

Oh, Clay, dear. Wasn't
expecting you till this afternoon.

Well, I guess I didn't dawdle over
the dress goods as much as usual.

And Ben... Mr. Strattan...
Drives a mite faster than I do.

Mr. Strattan, I want you
to meet my husband,

Mr. Clay Grainger.

Clay, this is
Mr. Benjamin Strattan.

How are you? Glad to
make your acquaintance.

If everything that Holly here...
Uh, I mean Mrs. Grainger...

Says about you is gospel, sir,
well, then you must be quite a man.

This hard case back here is
my sidekick, James Joseph Horn.

Say hello to the boss
now. How you doin'?

How are you?

Honey, we almost had a
runaway in Medicine Bow,

and Mr. Strattan
came to my rescue.

I see.

Thank you, dear.

You remember that the almanac said
that we might be in for an early winter,

so I thought you might
like to hire...

a couple of extra hands for the
drive down from the high country.

So you hired 'em?

I said we would ask you.
That's all.

Well, fact is, gentlemen...

Mr. Grainger, if you don't have a job for
us, we understand, and no hard feelings.

If I was in your boots,
I'd be a might leery myself,

puttin' on a couple
of trail bums like us.

No, no, no.
It's not that at all.

It's just... Yeah, I
guess we do look...

something like what the cats
might've drug in.

You put us in a saddle... we get
the job done. And I mean any job.

Well, uh, what I'm trying
to tell you is...

that, uh, my foreman
does most of the hiring.

What do you say, ramrod?

Give you both a week's trial.

If it works out, I can
use you till first snow.

Which way to the bunkhouse?
Now, wait a minute, Ben.

Uh, you sure
you wanna take this job?

Well, I don't know.
How about you, J.J.?

Oh, I don't know.

Think we should give 'em a week's
trial? Oh, by jingoes, why not?

And if they shape up, we'll
just stay on till first snow.

Whoa, ho, ho, ho.

Hey, don't strike matches like
that. You're gonna wake him up.

- Ow!
- Quiet now, will ya?

You're gonna wake him up.
Well, dang it, he's already up.

Not him. Him.

Now shh.

Oh, yeah, you did it. Oh, yeah.

Boy, he's wide awake, and he's
hardly had two winks in the last week.

What is it?

Why, it's a transparent
gossamer-winged butterfly.

Beauty.

Oh. What's that mean? That
means you can scarcely see it.

These bugs are very rare.
They're scarce as hens' teeth.

You see them
little-bitty wings fluttering?

You know, you really have to
open up your eyes to see it right.

I see it fine. Where?

Just open your eyes,
Charlie. See? Right there.

Yeah, I still don't see it. What's
the matter with you, Charlie?

You don't see nothin' that
don't have a tail and four legs...

and got a pair of horns on it.

- What do you do with the little critter?
- We race him.

Race? Yeah. Against my critter.

You joshin' us?
How can you race...

You just let the little critter out, and
the first one flies out the door wins.

Do you know
that the king of Siam...

Butterfly racing
is his second-favorite sport.

- We been racing for most of a month now.
- Yeah, that's right.

And you're ahead 13 to 12, and I
want to tell you today is my lucky day.

- We'll just see about that.
- Yeah, we'll see about that, won't we?

Psst. Come here. He-He
don't know it, but he can't win.

I fed his bug. It's gonna
fly like a lead-bellied buffalo.

But how do you tell the
difference between 'em?

Well, you see right there?

He's got the notch in the wing...
That right wing... mine has.

Are you ready, J.J.?

I'm ready, Big Ben. All
right, on the count of three.

One...

Two...

Three.

Hey! There he's going.
He's going right for the door.

Aw, come on, Gimpy.
Aw... Aw, come on, Gimpy.

He landed on your hat. Go!
Go! Look out. He's comin' round.

Where'd he go? Come on, Gimpy!

Go, Gimpy! Gimpy, let's fly!

Where? Where? Where?

It's goin' out the door!
The door!

Glory hallelujah! Did you
see that? Right out the door.

You won again? Now, I'm
really gettin' sick and tired of that.

And just by a hair too.

I don't know how that bug
could fly like that on a full belly.

Butterfly race.

Butterfly race? Mm-hmm.

Well, it, uh, looks more like...

a couple of Brahman bulls
got loose in here.

Butterfly race.

Well, I guess I don't
have to ask who started it.

Well, don't look at me, friend.

I can't help it
if a couple of the boys...

fell head over heels
for a butterfly.

Hey! Who took my guitar?

Oh, was that yours, cowboy?

I moved it over there,
bunk and all.

What the heck is goin'
on? Just a minute.

You know, it's bad enough you makin' fools
out of the crew the first day on the job.

But to come in here rollin' like a
Kansas twister, full of brag and bluster,

movin' somebody else's gear
around... Oh, now hold on, Tramp.

No harm intended. You're gonna
be a lot happier over there, cowboy.

I got your best interests
at heart.

This old boy here, why,
he just snores up a storm.

Have you met my pappy here...
James Joseph Horn? There he is.

And it's the hard life
that he's led...

that makes him look
such a wreck.

Oh, come on. Speak up, pappy.

Yeah, I taught that boy
everything he knows.

Oh, yes, yes. And some things
I shouldn't know.

You, uh, want your bunk
over here?

Well, let's get this place cleaned up.
I don't wanna wait all night for chow.

Don't stretch your luck, friend.

Next time might not be so funny.

Just keep a-smilin', Tramp,
and you'll live a lot longer.

Well, I guess you told him.

Hey, you know, you really
worked that butterfly business good.

Oh, no. Not me, Ben.
You're the best.

No, no. I mean it.

Why, you had me even seein'
them little things after a while too.

Mr. Grainger!

- Morning.
- Looking for me?

Yeah. I just came
from Del Wardlow's.

He wants me to call a special
meeting of the cattlemen's association.

Seems losses are
getting out of hand.

Somebody's helpin' themselves
to a lot of choice beef.

That somebody must have
a sizable herd stashed away,

and there's not too many places
around here...

where you can keep a
mixed-brand herd out of sight.

Could be using a running iron,
changing brands, but I doubt it.

Wardlow's brand's the Box W.

Middleton's lost several head,
and his brand's the Double Cross.

See what you mean. It'd be pretty hard
to change those two to a single brand.

Holly said she saw some
ex-buffalo hunters in town...

with those two
new hands of ours.

One of 'em was Willis Burr.
Did you ever hear of him?

I've heard of him...
Plenty, and none of it good.

He and his men were responsible for
slaughtering half the buffalo in Wyoming.

Shot 'em down as fast as they
could load, stripped the skins...

and then left the carcasses
to rot in the sun.

In a few years' time,
the Arapaho Indians...

were starving for meat,
thanks to Burr.

Yeah. They had
a different name for him.

"The Butcher."
Started me to thinking.

Suppose they're disposing
of that stolen beef fast?

No need to change brands.
No hiding a growing herd.

Something to think about.

Keep an eye out for 'em, huh?

I will.

Whoa. Whoa.

Ho! Whoa. Whoa.
Ho, there. Easy, boy.

Ho.

Here they come. Easy. Don't want
old high pockets to smell anything fishy.

Ho.

Where's our horses? Oh, they're
back at the stables, takin' a siesta.

Change off twice a day
around here.

New mounts are all ready. Oh.

Well, now, I'd say that was
downright, uh, sweet of you boys.

Foreman wants you down
by Bear Creek, Ben.

Anything for
the little old ramrod.

Well, he seems a
bit skittish, don't he?

He'll settle down. Oh,
he'll settle down? Yeah.

You got a good hold on 'im?

You bet. You
hold on to him, now,

'cause these big, dumb animals
scare me sometimes.

Let him go. Hyah!

Stay with that fella!
Stay with him, Ben.

Kinda skittish, huh?

Hold on to him, Ben! Hold on!

What did you fellas
put him on Loco for?

Nobody's ever been able to
sit on him for more than a blink.

- Aw, just a little joke.
- You got him, Ben!

Hang on, Strattan.
You're gettin' him.

Yahoo!

Hang in there, Ben!
Keep his head down.

Yahoo!

Ain't a man alive
can ride like my boy Ben.

- Yahoo!
- You got him, Ben! You got him.

He's tiring. That's the way.

Some joke.

Ho, ho.

- That's pretty fair ridin' for a kid.
- - Thank you, pappy.

You fellas better be careful
of this wild animal here.

I think you got
a sick horse on your hands.

You let him cool down a little
bit... a couple of hours this evening...

- he'll be broke for the range.
- I appreciate that.

You got any more
owl heads like him?

Oh, half dozen. Maybe more.

Well, it seems a shame to let all
that good horseflesh go to waste...

- just because it's gamy.
- You think you can break 'em?

I know we can. If you think
I'm good, you ought to see him.

Right, pappy?
Right as rain, son.

'Course, we have to do that in our
spare time. Cost you a little bonus.

- How does three bucks a head strike you?
- Right between the eyes.

You're all right, ramrod.
Salt of the earth.

We need a wagon up at
the main house right away.

- Will you take care of it, Jim?
- Sure.

The surrey will be fine.
Mr. Grainger's in a hurry.

Cattlemen's meeting
in Medicine Bow.

Shake a leg, pappy.

Well, there's a few dozen strays down
by Bear Creek just pinin' for you boys.

Have at it.

I'll get him put away.

Uh, Strattan, maybe you can
give me a little help.

Well, that cattlemen's meeting...

Range losses are ridin' high
in this part of the territory,

and we're not even
into winter yet.

That means somebody's doin' the midnight
waltz with some of your strays, huh?

Well, they haven't
really hit us yet.

Not yet.

But those ranchers the other side of
town are beginning to get their dander up.

And you need my help?

I understand that you
tied one on the other night...

with a bunch of
ex-buffalo hunters in town...

just before you came
to work for us.

That's right.

Do you have any idea what
they're doing around here?

Why don't you come right out
and say it, ramrod?

You wanna know if I'm
workin' with 'em, don't you...

If I'm here to run off
some of your strays.

Why don't you come out
and say it straight?

Well, that's not what I said.

Since you brought
it up, fine, I'm askin'.

Well, I'm tellin' you.

If I decide to rustle beef,
you can bet your brand...

I ain't gonna divvy it up with no
sweet-smelling buffalo hunters. No, sir.

That put your mind
at ease, ramrod?

I should have known better
than to ask.

If I knew anything about them
fellas, I'd tell ya, but I don't.

Except I don't trust 'em
no more than I can fly.

And the good Lord cut my wings when I was
five for smoking corn silk in the outhouse.

Thanks.

Whoa.

Well, thank you, son.

I'm supposed to chair the meeting,
so I better be on time for a change.

Now, don't stay too late after.

Just a couple of beers' worth.

Good-bye, Uncle Clay. Bye-bye.

Be careful, dear.

Well, Mr. Horn, how do you
like working at Shiloh by now?

It's fine, ma'am.

Well, I, uh...
I guess I better get back.

Jim... I wonder if you could
do a chore for us.

We're in the midst of baking,
and our woodbox is almost empty.

Yes, I, uh... I guess
the ramrod won't mind.

Good.

I'll, uh... I'll put all the
kindling to one side for you.

Thank you.

Elizabeth, you finish the
icing, and I'll see to the table.

All right.

This is a mighty fine house
you got here.

Thank you.

Yeah, Ben and me, we've... we've
worked ranches over half of creation.

I mean to tell you, Shiloh
puts most of 'em to shame.

I guess you must like
drifting from place to place.

Yeah. It's the only way to live.

Do you think you'll ever see
all there is to see?

Well, I don't guess anybody
really ever does that.

Well, I guess...

Can I give you a hand?

Looks like your arm's
about ready to fall off.

Thank you.

- Am I, uh, doin' this right?
- Oh, it's perfect.

Aunt Holly says that when
people start drifting, they never stop.

That's fine. Thank you.

Oh, it's perfect.

Your aunt's wrong
about Ben and me.

It ain't all like that first
mornin', when she saw us...

a-hootin' and a-hollerin',
and the devil take tomorrow.

We sock away our wages
every chance we get.

We're fixin' to buy us a piece of a valley
one day soon and have our own place.

We're fixin' to breed the best
gallopin' horseflesh you ever saw.

That's wonderful.

Elizabeth, if that cake
tastes as good as it looks,

you're gonna have to do
all the baking from now on.

Jim helped me whip up the icing.

Won't you sit down
and have a piece?

Well, ma'am, the ramrod'll
think I'm lollygagging.

Well, at least you can take
a piece with you.

After all, you had
a hand in the icing.

Well, maybe just
a little-bitty piece.

Well, after we get 'em branded,

we might turn 'em loose
in that basin up there.

Hey! Hold it up there!

They took off in a hurry.
Wonder who they were.

Whoa. Whoa.

Now, there's nothin'
to be scared of.

Why, that's just
a little old blanket.

Why, that's just smooth
and soft as silk.

Thought you boys
would quit come sundown.

Well, there's more than
one way to tamin' a horse now.

Ben... he likes breakin' 'em
hard and fast. He's a twister.

Well, that's all right
with some horses.

But there's others,
like this fella here...

Well, they gotta be coaxed
and gentled into that saddle.

What makes you feel
that way about him?

I don't know. I got a
feeling about him, I guess.

I like the way
he takes to my words.

I seen some horses that'll
blind buck and pile-drive...

if you so much as say hello
to 'em, but not this fella here.

No, sirree.

Why, he's just gonna
stand there...

and take the touch of this blanket
without so much as battin' an eye.

See what I mean?

Where'd you learn so much
about horses? From Ben.

First time I saw him, I was
working in a livery stable.

He came round to break a string
of mustangs for the stable owner.

And never in my life have I seen a
man could stick to a horse like Ben.

High rollers, sun fishers,
weavers...

You name it, he'd break
it pretty as you please.

When did you team up with him?

Right then.

I was just about 13.

See, my ma, she, uh...

She went off
with this fella and...

Left me with the stable owner
as sort of a chore boy.

Oh, my ma was real pretty.
And lively too.

She just couldn't stay put.

'Course, she never had a place
nice as Shiloh to stay put in.

Usually some dark old backroom.

Well, anyway, when Ben
left town, I went after him.

He tried to shoo me away,

but I begged him to teach me
to be a horse-fighter.

Didn't want to spend the rest
of my life cleanin' out stalls.

I guess he took pity on me,
'cause he let me ride with him.

I must have got in his way
something fierce in those days.

You tell me how many places are
looking for a hand with a tag-along kid.

Ben just stuck right with me
and let me ride with him...

till I could be
a real help to him.

Yeah, Ben and me...
We've had us some good times.

By the way,
I owe you some money.

Comes to nine dollars. For what?

- Breakin' three horses.
- Well, there's only two.

This one's not ready yet,
but I'm gettin' him there.

All right.

Comes to six dollars.

And three more when he comes
around to your way of thinking.

I could, uh, add it
to your wages...

and pay you on payday.

Uh, well, no, sir. If you don't
mind, I'll take it right now.

Just feast your eyes, son.

Foreman just give it to me. That's our
bonus for bustin' those two wild ones.

Well, ain't
you gonna jump for joy?

I done all my jumpin'
or buckin'...

or spine-bendin' for one night.

Do you mean to tell me you
let that little old hunk of horse...

take all the ginger outta you?

You're gettin' old, son. Yeah.

I'm gettin' old.

Hey, I'm just joshin' you, Ben.

Oh, I know that. Don't
you pay no mind to me.

And that other pair
we was fightin'...

That'll mean six more dollars
closer to that piece of land.

I mean...
I mean, we're ridin' high.

Oh, boy, it'd be something,
wouldn't it,

if we saved up enough to get us
a real big hunk of land?

You mean like Shiloh?

Well, not that big.

I know we could never save
that much. Yeah, that's right.

Why, we could sock it away
between now and the end of time...

and we wouldn't
have that kind of money.

I know that.

'Course, if you like it here,

well, you could ask the ramrod
to put you on permanent.

- Oh, come on, Ben.
- It's all right by me.

Don't talk like that.
You and me is a team.

The only way I'd ever want to
stay on here is if you wanted to.

Well, don't you hang around by
the neck waiting for me to want to.

Because I'm a trail bum,
and I'm happy to be one.

Well, doggone it, so am I.

You...

Will you tell me what the devil
we're jawin' about?

I mean, if somebody ever
cooped me up in one place...

for more than a season, I just
couldn't ever stand it.

Be like bein' in a pine box.

Might as well be dead.

You got trouble, James Joseph?

This one looks like
he got himself horn-hooked.

Want me to give you a hand?
Aw, the next thing you know,

you'll be tryin' to put my
boots on for me. Get outta here!

Suit yourself.

Hah!

Hold up there, Jim!

Let him go.

No four-legged outlaw's
gonna sass me. I'll run him back.

Let him cool down first.
He's on the prod.

Look, I don't care. Well, I do!

I don't want to see one of
my best riders get busted up.

Well, you and Ben were gonna give
us a week's trial. How are we doin'?

- Not too bad.
- Think you'll stay on for a while?

Well, uh, till the first snow, if
you need us. And then what?

- We'll hit the trail, like always.
- Well, that sounds like you.

You ever think
about your future, Jim?

I don't mean just
next month or next week,

but a year from now, maybe two.

Now, look, ramrod,
we got ourselves a nest egg.

We're savin' up to buy a horse farm.
We ain't just a couple of trail bums.

What I meant was,
I might not want...

to do without you and Ben
when winter comes.

I better haze that critter back
before he gets lost.

♪♪

♪ So don't look for me
in December ♪

♪ I'm not comin' back at all ♪

♪ Well, I'm leavin'
the mines in Virginia ♪

♪ For the gold in the
mountains that calls ♪

♪ So don't look for me
in the springtime ♪

♪ I'm not comin' back at all ♪♪

Hey, kid's all alone.

Oh, he ain't no kid.

He's a big boy now.

Where's your keeper, boy?

Mm-hmm. There he is.

Mr. Strattan himself.

Hey, why don't we sew a pair
of wings on 'em and race 'em?

Yeah, first one back out
the door wins a booby prize.

One-way trip to the
North Pole on a dogsled.

Mister, you're all mouth.

Well, that's better than
bein' all wet, ain't it?

- Stand up, mister.
- Oh, I was just joshin' you, boy.

Hey... Now, hold it.
That's enough.

Hey, Jim, now, if you're
gonna stay on here steady,

you're gonna have to learn
to take a little ribbing.

- We're just one big, happy family.
- Who asked you to butt in?

I think you did.

You bein' top hand
don't mean beans to me.

Now get out of my
way. Hold on now, Jim.

I think I outweigh you a little.

Now, Jim, it was me
they was ridin', not you.

That's right, pappy.

You can't fight your kid's
battles for him all his life.

Why, sure. I'm old enough
to fight my own battles now.

Why I even shaved yesterday.

You're trying to make
a fool out of me too, huh?

Well, what the devil
is eatin' you?

You really mean to start
a two-against-the-house

fandango like Santa Fe in there?

- I'm sorry.
- Yeah, you look it...

Like I was sorry
about the other one.

No, sir. Once a year's enough
for that kind of nonsense.

- Still lickin' my wounds.
- Let's get outta here. Now.

I can see that you're not in the
mood to chew the fat about old times.

I just wanna shake the dust
of this cow patch, Ben.

That all right with you? Sure.

Don't let a little fracas
like that... That ain't why.

I don't give two hoots for that
bunch in there one way or the other.

It's just that...
Well, you know how it is.

A man gets restless stuck in
one place. It's time to move on.

Never thought that I'd be hearin'
you be the first one to want to leave.

Well, let's ask
for our time right now.

Oh, well, one of the first
rules of life...

is that you don't quit a job
before chow time or sack time.

Well, then tonight
is our last night.

Is that what you want?

That's the way I want it.

Hey, old John!

John Douglas!

Hold on there. Hold
on there, Glory, girl.

She's so spooked at
what's snappin' at her tail,

she didn't even
recognize you, Charlie.

- Snappin' at her tail?
- Yeah, winter comin', son. Winter...

Teeth bared like a hungry wolf.

Gold must be thinnin' out.

You never let the snow drive you outta
them rocks for at least another month.

- What brings you down so early?
- Oh, I can smell it.

Yeah, I can see it...

Ready to pounce on any fool
that can't read the warning.

Oh, I don't mean
just an early winter, son.

But a big blow.
A real Injun summer blizzard.

Well, you got all your
beef up there, ain't you?

Yeah, I'm on my way now
to map the herds.

We figure to start movin' 'em
down in a week or so. Oh, no.

Move 'em now, son,
and move 'em faster...

than Moses moved the Israelites.

'Cause it's comin', I'm
tellin' you. Signs all say so.

Why, the air up there
in that canyon...

heavier than a fat man's coffin.

Birds... Birds on the wing
a month 'fore their time.

Why even old Glory here
is kickin' up her heels...

like she couldn't wait
to fly along with 'em.

Now, you got a week...
that is, if you're lucky, son.

Only a day or so if you're not.

And every last one of them
mountain passes will be snowed in.

I appreciate the advice, John.
I'll sure pass it along.

Good. See you in the
spring, son. Come on, Glory.

Good morning. Come on in.

We'd like to see
the ramrod, miss.

I understand he's here
with your uncle.

He's in the study
working on the ledger.

No, we'll just wait out here
if you don't mind, miss.

- There's a fresh pot of coffee.
- We're kind of in a hurry, Elizabeth.

You mind gettin' him?

Yeah, I'll tell him.

You're sure now? Look, how
many times I gotta tell you?

All right, all right.

Ben, Jim, what can I do for you?

Well, we're gonna head on out, so I thought
we'd come by and pick up our time...

and the bonus for them
last two mustangs.

Head on out? Well, why?

Truth is, old Jim
wants to hit the trail.

Howdy.

Charlie said he just
ran into John Douglas.

Swears there's a big storm
brewin'. Might hit any day now.

Well, he could be wrong
about that.

Well, all I know is, he comes
trottin' out of those hills...

just before
the first big snow hits.

He hasn't been wrong once
as far as I can remember.

Well, I'm not gonna risk
three herds of Shiloh beef...

against that kind of record.
Want me to round up the hands?

We'll split 'em up in teams.
Mr. Grainger will have one, I'll take one,

and you'll have one. All right.

Strattan, I'll square with you.

Sometimes takes us
up to three weeks...

to get all our cattle
out of the high country.

This time, we may have
to do it in less than a week.

Could sure use a man
with your skill and experience.

Need you both.

Wish you'd stay on
till after the drive.

That's up to pappy here.

Yeah. Well, all right.

But just till you get your
cows home safe. Hear?

Fair enough.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Come on.

Yeah, ramrod sure believes in
gettin' his money's worth, don't he?

Yeah. Speak of the devil.

Ben, we're about
an hour from sundown.

You wanna ride on ahead
and pick us out a bed ground?

I thought you was fixin' to run
'em all night. Good. Let's go, pappy.

I'll need Jim here.

Trampas's crew could use an
extra hand up on those rocks.

Gotta chase down those strays while
they can still see where they're going.

- I'll meet you at the bed ground, Ben.
- Let's go.

Hey! Keep away from that drop.

Trampas!

Ramrod says you need a hand.

Half a dozen'd be
more like it, but you'll do.

Just try and flank 'em.
Keep 'em away from that ravine.

Trampas, over here!
Charlie's in a bad way!

Hurry up! Over here! Come on!

One of them on-the-prod
critters spooked his horse.

He threw 'im down there.

He's right there on that ledge.

Let's get this rope down to him.

I tried that.
He can't grab hold.

He must've busted
his shoulder or somethin'.

There's only one thing to do.

Here. You lower
me down... I'll do it.

What? Well, as you say, I'm a
fair piece lighter than you anyway.

Shouldn't a-eat
that pie last night.

We got about
an hour left of sun.

If you slip with this
rope... I wanna do it.

How do you know he can
even... Go get a couple of boys.

And some more rope. We'll have to
man two ropes to bring 'em up. Go on.

Charlie! You hold
on now, you hear?

Hold on, Charlie.
We're throwing a rope down there.

Good throw.

Get Jim down there now.

Take it easy, Jim.

Go easy. Steady,
Jim. You all right?

Keep it taut!

You take it easy, Charlie!

Good work, Jim.

You're almost there, Charlie.

Watch your footing. Hold
on, Charlie. Almost got you.

Watch your shoulder. Here we go.

Come on.

Careful.

Well...

You almost became our
first angel with spurs on.

How do you feel?
Oh, not too bad... now.

- I'm sorry I yapped at you down there.
- That's all right.

Kid popped my shoulder back in
as pretty as you please.

Hurt like the dickens.
Sure feels better now.

Well, you think you can ride?

Just give me a boost
up, and I'll be on my way.

Thanks to ol' Jim here.

You boys tuck him in
at night camp.

Harper, see how that
shoulder is in the morning.

Jim and I are gonna comb
the rest of these woods,

see if we haven't left
any orphans out in the cold.

You got rope burn?

Oh, just a mite. Maybe you
ought to go back to camp.

No, it's okay. Well, all right.

Trampas?

The other night when I tried
to pick that fight with you,

I... I know what you done
for me, and, uh...

Well, anyway, I appreciate it.

Well, I, uh... I used to be a
pretty feisty yahoo myself.

So I know how it feels to
be so hoppin' mad inside...

you wanna take a swing
at the whole cockeyed world.

Last time I tried, it was
about, oh, eight years ago...

in a saloon full
of cavalry troopers.

Took me about two fat eyes
and a mouthful of knuckles...

to decide it wasn't too much fun
when... when the world swung back.

Well, how's the old
mountain goat?

You rescuin' any more
stumble-footed cowboys?

Well, how'd you find out?

Ramrod pin any medals
on you yet?

I didn't do nothin' more than
a worm on an end of a hook.

That somehow reminds me
of chow tonight.

You better get yourself
a plate of that wriggly stuff...

before they throw it out
to the birds.

Well, I, uh...
I ate over at Trampas's camp.

Look, I'll do that for you.
You... You must be tuckered out.

You go ahead and turn
in. Oh, we got first guard.

Well, I'll do that alone.
You go ahead and get some sleep.

Hey.

You can't work all night.
Why don't you turn in?

Well, we got the
horse guard anyhow.

Oh, no. Uh, Harper and
Jean will do it tonight.

You two hit the sack. For
some reason, I don't feel tired.

Now, don't rub it in just 'cause
you got a few years on us.

You'll be sound asleep as soon
as your head hits that blanket.

I'll see you then.
Good night, Jim.

Hey, Ben.

You comin'? I'll
be over there later.

Boy, I don't know about you,

but these last few days
have sure tired me out.

What do you mean? These
boys do all the work for us.

You've done a pretty fair job
of raising that boy.

Yeah, well, you've done a pretty
fair job of gettin' him to work for you.

You got the touch, ramrod. You
know what makes the boy tick.

Say, uh, Ben,
I wanted to thank you.

For the last couple of days, you've worked
as hard as any two men on this drive.

Yep, yep, yep.

Cussin' you pretty good
under my breath all the time too.

Well, what I meant was you've sure
earned the right to stay on at Shiloh...

as long as you want.

Jim told me
about your nest egg...

and that horse ranch
you have in mind.

The land around Medicine Bow is as
good as you'll find over the next hill...

or the hill after that.

Why hit the trail again? Could
be you've found a home right here.

Well, I don't want
no home, ramrod.

I had that one time there...
Pretty wife, baby.

Then some jackass declared war,

and I kissed my wife,
winked at the baby...

and went off to become a hero.

And then when I got back, there
weren't no baby, no wife, no nothin'.

Some of them said it
was a band of maraudin'

army deserters
that burned 'em out.

Others said it was Kiowas.

Some said they was dead for
sure. Others didn't really know.

I'm sorry.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

You know, ramrod,
that boy... he's all I got.

Now, I'm man enough to know that
sometime it's gonna come to an end.

But not now, not here.

I need that boy.

That boy needs me
for another year, maybe two.

Then he can go his own way.

He won't walk in nobody's shadow
because he's gonna be a man.

And as for needin'
a home, ramrod,

a man finds his own home
in himself.

See, Jim's gonna
find that out too.

You know, ramrod,
the time is gonna come...

Maybe a little sooner
than you'll like...

But Jim and I are gonna hit
the trail again together...

because that's the only place
you breathe free,

where you're really alive.

No tomorrows. No yesterdays.

Just today.

That's good enough for any man.

Hey, come on. Come on, pappy.

Shake your stumps. Ben,
what the devil are you doing that...

Come on now. We're gonna
go out and have a high old time.

Are you crazy?
Get away. Let me sleep.

Now come on, James Joseph.

We ain't busted loose
in a month of Sundays.

Well, we could be in Medicine Bow
and back before them knot-heads roll over.

Oh, Ben.

You ain't gonna give me all that
hogwash about duty, are you?

That'll be the day.

No, doggone, I just can't hardly
keep my eyes open. That's all.

What do you say?

I'm game for whatever
you got in mind, son.

Always have been.
Always will be, right?

Right as red-eye
on the Fourth of July.

Come on.

♪♪

♪♪

All right, everybody
out of their coffins!

Old Beelzebub is here,
the old devil himself...

Benjamin Franklin Satan III!

Ah, it's good to see you. Better
known as the barmaid's joy,

comforter of lonely
old widows...

and scourge of the cancan.

Ooh-wee! Ooh-wee! Ha-ha!

Whee! Ha!

Come on, all you...

Come on, all you
ghosts and goblins!

Come on now. Up and at 'em!

Time to do the fandango
on the gravestones...

of all the drummers and undertakers
and preachers and shopkeepers!

The best you got
for the best that there is.

Sweetheart, darlin' you. Mmm!

Ah, yah, yah, yah!

Terry, put that in
tumblers, will you, please?

I got to light a burnin' fire in
my stomach here... Ooh, yeah.

To wash away the taste
of that cowboy swill.

Hey, come on! Drinks
on me! Everybody get up!

Hey!

And the finest sidekick
any man could ever wanna have...

The only 19-year-old granddaddy
in captivity, James Joseph himself.

Yes. Take a bow. That's
enough. Don't wanna spoil him.

Had a hard enough time getting
him to eat his hash this morning.

Sweetheart.

Ahh.

Ah!

Willie, my boy.

Are you hiding over there, maybe...
you and your Sunday school class, huh?

Just look at 'em. Now, you know
they've been up to somethin'.

What is it, Willie, now that you and
your boys have put all the buffalo to rest?

I know.
You're here in Medicine Bow...

for the mineral water
for your rheumatiz, right?

No, huh? I know. Maybe it's a
little hanky-panky up in the hills.

A little moonlight roundup
to ease the cares of old age.

And you, my Hibernian miser,

I can hear your heart going
pitty-pat worryin' about...

who's gonna pay for all that lovely
watered-down red-eye. Ooh! Look at that!

Whee!

There's enough in here...

to float us all to heaven
on a river of whiskey.

There. That ought to hold you
for a couple of weeks.

Say, that's enough to hire a preacher
and make an honest woman out of me.

And who wants to make
an honest woman out of you?

Mmm! Whoo!

All right, come on now,
everybody, drink up here!

There's more over here
where this come from.

Here. No, Ben. No.

Come on now. No.

Come on, Ben.
Let's get out of here.

Hey, Millie, cut another
filly from the herd, will ya?

Unless he's lost
his taste for that too.

Nah, I didn't mean
that last, Jim.

That wind was blowin' up cold
'fore we ever got here.

Now, it could mean
the start of that storm.

Mm-hmm.

You wanna go, you go ahead.
Nobody's stoppin' you.

Ben...

I'll go when I'm goldurn ready.

Hey, Jim, I want you
to meet Dorie.

This is sweet Dorie from
Pike. Well, hello, Jim.

Well, where you going,
honey? She ain't gonna bite you.

Well, I, uh... I never
thought I'd see the day...

when an old bear like Ben
Strattan would let a kid...

lead him around by the nose.

Now, you just forget the kid,

'cause we got a real
sweet deal workin'...

I... I think might be
to your liking.

Got a deal, huh? Uh-huh.

Sweet deal.

Well, I gotta get back now.

Went into town and tied one on.

So what do you think of that?

Just don't say one word
against Ben, hear? Not one word.

He's got a right to cut
loose when he wants to.

Shiloh don't own a man
24 hours a day body and soul.

Just so's we do our work by day,

it's nobody's business
what we do at night.

We're sidekicks
and always will be.

Ben and me,

Where he goes, I go.

That's the way it's gotta be.

And we don't need you, ramrod.
You need us.

Just as soon as we put in
our month of sweat,

we'll grab that pay
and hit the trail.

No regrets.

Hey. What do you know, cowpoke?

Hmm.

Oh, what... You're
just in Millie's room.

It's all right now.

Everything's gonna be all right.

No, no. No, no. Don't do that.

Just lie back
and have happy dreams.

Millie will see
that nobody touches you again.

Ooh.

- Hold it.
- Where is it?

Oh, honey, I'd never
take any money from you.

Boy, I ought to be hung
for meanness.

Nobody's gonna hang you
while Millie's around.

I'm afraid I wouldn't be
any good to you, little lady.

I got a date with some
sweet-smellin' buffalo hunters.

Where's their camp?
Oh, Ben, you can't do that.

Please, Mil, where is
it? I don't know exactly.

But... Well, sometimes
I... I heard them jabberin'...

about some Indian
burial mountains... maybe.

Yeah. Oh, honey.

There are better things
in life than that.

Yeah, I know, but man
is a foolish animal.

Takes him forever to learn
that. And by then, it's too late.

Ben.

You get some sleep,
Florence Nightingale.

All right, get off that horse.

Come on! Move!

You got to be made
of India rubber, boy.

When we said bye-bye last night,

you looked more like one of them carcasses
we got hangin' from the rack over there.

Now, what can we do for you,
uh, Mr. Strattan?

A side of beef?

Or, uh, a jug of Medicine Bow
mineral water for your miseries?

Well, I want my nest egg back.

Oh.

You hear that, boys?
He wants his nest egg back.

You can't lick us, boy.

So why not join us?

Just look around. Did you
ever see a sweeter set-up?

Nobody'd ever find us here.

And it's a lot slicker and safer than
tryin' to move 'em out on the hoof.

The only trouble is
time's runnin' out on us.

Purty just come back.
He says it's already

beginning to snow up
there in the mountains.

Now, what we need is a
quick killin' to beat that storm.

And you, you just might be
the rouser to show us the way.

Now, it'd be easy as pie for you to
cut half a hundred strays off fringe...

of one of them
Shiloh herds up there.

And you just drive 'em on down here,
and my butcher boys will go to work.

And by nightfall,

we'll have the wagon loaded
with hides and carcasses,

and we'll be on our way,
with the snow to cover our trail.

So... how's that sound,
Mr. Strattan?

One chance for you to
get your nest egg back...

and a lot more besides.

Buck.

His gun.

Ho!

Jim, a bunch of them critters
ran off into the woods.

Give us a hand. Right!

Hah!

Ceece.

He's over by
the tongue of the wagon.

Why'd you do it, Ben...
Just to tick me off?

Even if you wanna go out
and drink all night,

at least you could've come
back first thing this morning.

We needed you, Ben.

They had a job to do.
You had a duty to come back.

That's right... a duty.

Well, don't just sit there noddin'
your head. Say hogwash or somethin'.

No. No. You go ahead and you
tell me off good, 'cause I deserve it.

Don't just keep agreeing with...

No, you're, uh...

You're right... every word of it.

Well, the truth is
that I wish that, uh...

Well, I wish I did
come home with you last night.

But I didn't, and, uh...

I gotta ride out of here, Jim.

Only this time, I ain't comin'
back. I want you to come with me.

Now, if we don't hit
the trail now,

and I mean right now, we're gonna
be snowed in here for the winter.

And a winter in a place like Shiloh,
why, it would just drive me batty.

- Ben, we never tried.
- Well, I want you to go ahead now.

You get back to the ranch,
and you pack our things now.

I'll settle up with the
foreman, and then

there's one other little
score I gotta settle,

and, uh... and I'll meet you
down at Medicine Bow, huh?

We'll... head for the
sunnier climes, huh?

I can't go with you, Ben.

I gotta stay here and finish
this job. I can't leave it half done.

I'm needed here.
And I gave 'em my word.

And my word means as much as
my life. Isn't that what you taught me?

But look, soon as them cattle
are safe down in the valley,

why, I'll quit
and I'll come after you.

I'll meet you there...
Somewhere, anywhere you want.

I wish you'd change your mind
and stay on here with me.

We could work side by side
just like we always have.

Let's go, men.
Cows are getting lonely again.

Been talkin' your ear off.

I... I guess your stew's cold.

Oh.

Oh, that don't matter.

You go ahead and finish up.
I'll be with the cows.

Pleased you came back, Ben.

Thank you.

Hyah! Hah! I spotted him
about a half a mile up the hill.

That saddle tramp
done it all right.

He cut out the nicest little
herd for us you ever did see.

Yeah, he drove 'em right... right out
of that snow into our ever-lovin' arms.

But there's a chill in the air.
That storm's gonna be right on us.

Don't worry. About the time we put
the cleavers to 'em, we'll be long gone.

Now you hurry on back there and
help him funnel 'em through the draw...

so's we can brain 'em
one by one.

Let's go, boys! Get ready. Hah!

You look long enough,
you'll find 'em.

Why, Strattan... the easy
money or just pure spite?

For Jim.

For Jim? How do you think
he's gonna feel when he...

His high-steppin' mama up
and left him cold when he was 14.

He never had a father.
He deserves more out of life.

All right, but this is no way to
do it. Save your breath, ramrod.

Ain't nobody gonna
stop me nohow. I'm gonna

use your Shiloh cows
to get my nest egg back.

- I owe him that much before I ride out.
- Shiloh cows? What do you mean?

How else am I gonna fight them
butchers down there in that draw?

They nailed my hide to the
wall pretty good the other night.

Now it's my turn. I'm gonna
stampede them cows down there.

Ought to even up the odds
a little bit.

You're a fool to try
something like that.

And I'm an even bigger fool
to wanna try to help you.

What's going on up there?

It's a stampede!

- Hah! Get on!
- Hah! Hah!

Hey! Save the wagon!

Hah!

Move!

Hah! Hah! Hah!

Hyah!

Hoo-hoo.

Well, I never seen nothin'
like that in all my born days.

What's that called?
Why, I don't know.

But Aunt Holly spent the best
part of the morning making it.

Now, look, I can't eat nothin' so
grand and mysterious as this...

unless I know what it's called.

I call that
the Strattan Surprise.

And that is made
with green apples,

johnnycake crumbs, lemon rind,

a splash of our best
Kentucky sour mash...

with a heart
of brown sugar and honey...

and crushed pecans
hidden underneath that crust.

Holly Grainger,

you sure know
how to spoil a man.

Why, it's just a crime and a shame
what I've been missin' all these years.

His Majesty, the cowboy.

Clay! Dear.

Elizabeth. You're back
sooner than we thought.

Well, I told you your husband was
gonna catch us one of these days.

Virginian said you'd be out of
commission for, uh... for maybe a week.

Looks to me like you've settled
down for the winter. Yeah.

- How is that leg?
- Oh, it's fine. Fine.

Never mind about that.
How's that drive going?

Ah, I brought
my last few down just now.

The Virginian and Trampas are
bringing their stragglers along,

not more than
a half an hour out.

What about them ones
I lost in the stampede?

They showed up later
down by the creek.

We may have lost a few.

Well, you take them
out of my pay.

Oh, no. We ought to pay you.

Got word the sheriff picked up
Burr and one of his boys last night.

Anyway, the Virginian said he hadn't had
so much fun since the circus came to town.

Well, if you ladies would be
kind enough to turn your backs,

I'm gonna shake a leg.
But the doctor said...

You don't want them other
cowpokes to see me like this, do you?

Here. I'll never
hear the end of it.

Here. Let me give
you a hand. Oh!

No, that's fine. That's fine. Just as
long as I can use it to get to my horse.

Why aren't you up there in bed?

No need for you to go back
to work yet. Enjoy some rest.

Well, I'm ridin' out, ramrod.

Well, didn't Mr. Grainger tell
you? He did, and I appreciate it.

But I can't.

Well, we want you
to stay on, Ben.

Top hand like you is worth
his weight in gold. Yeah.

Or whiskey, huh?

No. I'm a... trail bum,
and I like it that way.

Hey, Ben!

Hang on a second. I'll be right
there soon as I take care of my horse.

You bet, pappy!

Be darned if I haven't spawned a
red-white-and-blue responsible citizen.

Devil will never forgive me.

Listen. Uh, you give this
to him, will ya?

Not right now,
but someday when he needs it.

You know, like when he has
his girl and starts his own family.

You wouldn't ride out of here
without him, now, would you?

Well, he's...
got a home here now.

Even I know that. Aw, Ben.

No, he don't need me no more.
He can stand alone, and...

it's just that, uh...

It's just that that time come a
little sooner than I expected.

Aren't you even
gonna say good-bye?

No, I can't.

Not to Jim.
Not straight-out cold.

Jim!

Maybe not good-bye,
but you owe him something.

How's your leg, Ben? The
foreman here told us about it.

Just fine. Fine. How are you?

I couldn't be better.

Yeah, I know you. You come back
bone-tired after a long day there,

and you're gonna sleep
for a couple of weeks,

and suddenly you're all
finished and you're full of ginger,

and you turn cartwheels
going into chow.

How'd you guess?

Hey, did you tell him about
that yearling I rescued?

Oh, I was just fixin' to.

You know that tricky way you
taught me how to side-wind a horse...

down a steep ravine?

Well, I saw this yearling, and...

Will you look at me...
bragging like I was a little kid.

I was just doing my job, Ben.

Yeah.

You know, speaking about jobs,

uh, a real prime one come up
for me down San Antone way.

Uh... Uh, head buster on
a horse ranch, you know.

But, uh, there's
just one problem there.

They don't have no, uh, spot
for a young hand like yourself.

Leastwise, not now they don't.

So, uh, I was figurin'...

that maybe you could stay on
here at Shiloh for a little bit.

And I can get on down there
and get something lined up.

Then I'd... I'd send for you.

Yeah. Sure.

If it's all right
with the foreman.

We'll be needing you, Jim.

Well...

Well, you're not gonna go now.

Well, I told 'em I'd get down
there as soon as I could.

And I give 'em my word, and...

Well, don't you
look so worried now.

I'm gonna get
my three squares every day.

I'll wash behind my ears.
I promise.

Ben, uh,
you take care now, hear?

Yeah.

Well, you do the same thing,
huh? I'll be seeing you.

Come on.

Ben.

- Good luck.
- Same to you, ramrod.

Hyah!