Original subtitles

A treaty had been signed with the Mescalero Apaches,

and with the coming of peace to the territory,

Fort Chaplin was being closed down,

and the soldiers were being sent to other points

where there was more need for them.

Within another week, the last handful of troops

under Colonel Howard Meston would be gone.

Until civilian law could fill the void they left,

the territory would be laid wide open,

Fair game for a well-organized band of outlaws.

Wells Fargo had reason to be concerned,

and they'd sent me to confer with Colonel Meston.

Yes, it's a problem, Mr. Hardie,

and it's not one I can do anything about.

I have to go where I'm ordered.

I understand that, Colonel Meston.

And Wells Fargo is used to taking care of its own trouble.

We're just wondering if you might give me some information about these outlaws.

Rumor has it that their leader is an officer

who used to be stationed at this post.

A man named William Rath.

I suppose it was bound to get out.

Then you'd say those rumors were true.

Lieutenant Rath showed greater promise

than any officer that had ever served under me.

It was a real disappointment

to see a man of his quality turn bad.

Could you tell me about it?

There was a payroll for the entire military district,

locked in the office safe overnight.

Rath was officer of the day,

and as my adjutant, he knew the safe's combination.

I guess the temptation was too great.

He took the money.

I don't see how he could possibly think for a minute

that he could get away it without being discovered.

I don't think he did expect to, Hardie.

It's my guess that he was already planning to desert.

He'd put in for a transfer east to be near his wife,

but the request was turned down.

He was angry about that.

I think when Rath saw the money, he lost his head.

No! That is not true.

My husband is no thief.

You never found that money, and you have no proof.

Mrs. Rath, this is Jim Hardie,

special agent for Wells Fargo.

Mrs. Rath came here from Illinois

when she heard about the trouble that her husband was in.

Illinois? That's a long way off.

I've got to find him. Look, don't you see?

Somehow I've got to help him prove that he's innocent.

But you're from Wells Fargo.

You've heard what they said about his joining the outlaws.

Now you're probably against him, too.

No, Ma'am. I'm not against him unless he's guilty.

I was sent here to protect our stages and our wagons.

Someone's been holding them up,

and the reports have it that it could be your husband.

It's a lie. Everyone's lying.

Everyone's against him.

Stage is leaving, Sir.

Very well, Sergeant.

Well, have a good trip, Ma'am.

Thank you.

Yes, a real fine girl that Mrs. Rath,

but I wish she'd never come here.

Is it true what she said,

that you didn't actually find the payroll on her husband?

MESTON: You're thinking I've made a mistake.

No, I have no idea what Lieutenant Rath did with the money

or where he's hiding out now.

We discovered the theft the next morning

when the paymaster checked the strongbox.

Naturally, I put the lieutenant under arrest.

But he managed to knock Sergeant Bergman down

and get to a horse.

How long ago was that?

Oh, a couple of months.

My patrols have had no luck combing the hills for him, and

I've had my own hands full getting ready to vacate this post on schedule.

I see. And what about Mrs. Rath?

There's uh... There's no place here for her.

I persuaded her to go on to the next station.

From there, she can get a stage to take her east.

Well, we'll take good care of her, Colonel

That would be appreciated.

Good day.

Is your name Bergman?

What if it is?

You're the one that let Lieutenant Rath get away.

Yeah, that's right.

He had a wallop like a mule. Took me by surprise

With a horse saddled and no one at the gate to stop him.

Now, wait a minute. Are you saying I arranged for him to escape?

No, you said that. I didn't.

You were eavesdropping on the colonel and me just now.

That's a lie. Is it?

Well, this much I will say.

Bill Rath was a tough man for discipline.

And if he took you out on a mission,

you got the job done, you got back alive.

Sounds like he might have been a good officer.

I got no more use for officers than any other non-com,

but he knew his business.

I'd have got fed up, too, having somebody hog credit

for the work I did and... and kill my transfer.

Are you talking about the colonel?

I've said all I'm going to, mister.

Well, I guess we'll be traveling together.

As far as the next station anyway.

Driver tells me you work for Wells Fargo.

Pierce is my name, George Pierce

My name's Hardie. Nice to know you, sir.

I'm a settler here at the fort.

Does the fort closing down mean

that you'll be going out of business now?

Oh, no. I'm moving my store to a new town

that's building over on the flats.

Believe me, this territory is headed for a real boom

now the Apaches have been tamed.

I hope you're right.

Looks like we're ready to roll.

After you, Sir. Thank you.

A million details to look after in a move like this one,

and now on top of everything else, I have to find out why

a shipment I ordered hasn't reached my new store yet.

If I was in your position, I'd be worried too, Mr. Pierce.

Didn't you hire guards for your shipment?

Why, no.

You don't think those outlaws might have grabbed it off?

Wagonload of supplies is pretty tempting.

Mr. Hardie, I owe you an apology.

There was no call for me to behave the way I did.

Don't worry about it.

Can I ask you a question, Mrs. Rath?

How long have you been married?

Almost three years.

We've always been apart what with the fighting going on.

That's why we were so hoping

that Bill would get his transfer.

I see.

And then instead to learn that he was...

I hope you're not going to be disappointed in him.

Of course, I'm right.

Bill could not have done the things they say.

Keep quiet.

What is it?

Pull 'em up! Whoa.

We're stopping.

Let's have that gun, mister.

Hardie?!

When'd you get out of Yuma Prison, Crocker?

Get over there.

Drop it over. Don't try to hand it to me

Drop it.

Captain, this is Jim Hardie, top gun for Wells Fargo.

You better play it safe and put a slug in him.

I put him in Yuma State Prison for three years.

That's why he wants to kill me.

Hold him. I'll decide later.

Bill, it's true. Everything I refused to believe about you,

it's all true.

Ellen, please. No, don't touch me.

I'm sorry, Ellen, but we can't wait all day.

All right, get out.

Anything I've got, you're welcome, Rath. Just don't shoot me.

You like having your wife see you like this,

as a common road agent?

You shut up.

All right, get in the coach.

Now, what about you?

What happens if I let you go?

That's your problem.

I told you, Captain. Let me plug him.

No, no! You can't!

Bring him along.

Get ready to ride.

Whoa.

Who's on guard here? Show yourself!

Come on in, Captain. Everything's clear.

Why didn't you challenge us?

I could see who you were.

You'll get the whole camp wiped out this way.

I gave you a password. After this, use it.

All right.

All right, what?

All right, sir.

Let's go. Ho.

Ellen, please talk to me.

I can't.

I don't know what to say.

I don't know what to believe anymore,

seeing what's become of you, how you've changed.

One thing you can believe,

one thing that hasn't changed,

I'm still your husband, I still love you.

You've got to love me.

You can't turn against me now.

Whose bedroll is this?

Mine, Captain.

Clean up this camp.

You'd all live like pigs if I'd let you.

Do something about it.

Those two called you captain.

Did you give yourself a promotion?

Cut this man loose.

I gave you an order.

That's one I'm not taking.

You handle things high-handed around here,

but bringing that Wells Fargo man here

is a threat to all of us.

Is that how you all feel?

Get one thing straight.

Nobody tells me what to do.

Here's my authority.

Who wants to challenge it?

I'm willing to take your word, Hardie.

Promise to behave, and I'll free your hands.

I'd thank you for freeing my hands,

but I can't make you any promises.

Hand me your knife.

I said to hand it over.

Just don't step out of line.

Here, take it away.

She won't eat, huh?

Why did I take her off that stage?

Why didn't I let her go on back where she belongs?

Out of my life.

Better that she forget me

than to have seen me like this.

She's just lost her whole world.

You don't get over that in a minute.

I'll say one thing for you, Rath.

For a small outfit,

you've shown where discipline can pay off.

You've got 'em working like a Cavalry unit.

Quit needling me, Hardie.

When I think of all I've lost,

what I traded, for this.

Was your choice, your trade.

Oh. So you believe that charge the colonel's pinned on me.

Are you saying you didn't take the payroll?

Of course, I didn't.

Even if I'd been tempted,

I'm not a fool.

Was you that left it unguarded.

I did,

for about ten minutes.

I had to break up a fight out behind the stable.

You know how it is with a bunch of soldiers on pay night.

That would've given someone time to get in and unlock it.

They knew the combination.

Only one other man did know it.

The colonel.

Oh, I've had plenty of time to figure out what he's done to me.

As long as he sits in that stockade,

I can't reach him.

But next week, they close it down.

Then he's got to come out in the open.

Then we'll see about getting the truth out of him.

Who goes there? You got to give the password!

Something's up.

Mr. Hardie, what is it?

I don't know.

Can't tell from here.

Who are you punishing, Mrs. Rath?

Him or yourself?

I don't know what to do.

I... I don't even know what to feel.

He isn't the man I thought I loved.

He's an outlaw, a thief.

He's a man in trouble.

You maybe able to help him.

Get ready to ride.

I'm getting my chance sooner than I hoped.

One of my men just brought word from the fort.

The colonel's found out about the stage hold-up.

He's out with all his men, hunting for me.

What are you gonna do about it?

I'm gonna let him find me.

Got a surprise planned for the colonel,

but there's no time to lose.

Column of twos.

Forward, ho!

What are you thinking?

I'm thinking I can get up there without been seen.

No, you're not going to do it.

You're not going after Bill.

Please, whatever he is, whatever he's done,

I'm not going to let you do it.

That's no way to help him.

Whether he's been wronged or not, I couldn't say for sure.

But I know if he does what he's thinking about doing now,

he'll make the biggest mistake he's ever made in his life.

You're gonna have to trust me for just a little while.

Who else can I trust?

You won't be sorry.

Please, let me go with you. I can ride.

I can't very well leave you here.

If I make it, I'll holler back to you.

You bring the horses up as fast as you can.

All right.

Hyah! Get up now!

Aah!

Yi! Right here!

Looks like the trail's run out, Colonel.

You and half the men scout in that direction.

I'll take the hill.

Is that wise, Colonel, splitting up?

We're few enough as it is.

You have your orders, Sergeant.

Yes, sir. Corporal!

You and the last three men stay with me.

Ho!

Corporal?

You take the men and ride on.

But, Sergeant, the colonel said that...

I don't care what the colonel said.

I'm disobeying orders.

He's going to blunder into something sure,

and I mean to keep an eye on him.

Well, you outrank me.

Looking for me, Colonel?

You're surrounded.

Tell your men to throw down their guns.

Drop 'em.

Now dismount.

Dismount.

Yah.

So these are the scum you run with now.

Watch who you're callin' scum, mister.

Stay out of this, Crocker. I'll handle it.

I wouldn't let myself believe it.

I wouldn't admit that an officer that had served under me

could come to this.

Better to be an outlaw and no pretense about it

than a lying snake who happens to wear a colonel's uniform.

I've lived for this moment.

Thought about nothing else since you framed me

and robbed me of my career.

Framed you?

You deny it?

I won't listen to such nonsense.

I did nothing to you.

No, nothing,

except steal that payroll from your own safe

and see that the blame was put on me.

Are you serious?

I'm beginning to think you are.

I think that you really believe this.

Give me a reason I shouldn't.

Lieutenant, I swear on my honor as a soldier,

I know nothing of what happened to that money.

I'm beginning to think that you don't, either.

I told you so at the time.

That's right, you did.

But who besides one of us could have stolen it?

That I don't know.

If you're willing, though,

together we can work this out.

Come back to the fort, Lieutenant.

You mean surrender?

It's up to you.

I don't know of any other way.

This is no kind of life for you.

Come in, and between the two of us,

we'll find out what's at the bottom of this mess.

Put up your guns.

I said put them up!

Captain, you ain't listening to him!

Don't be a fool.

He's just trying to save his own neck.

You hear me, Captain?

Shut up. I'm thinking.

While you're at it, think about your wife.

She's a fine girl, Lieutenant.

Think about what she'd want you to do

under these circumstances.

All right, Colonel.

Maybe I'm a fool,

but I'm sick of the life I've been leading.

I'll go back with you.

I'll take my chances.

We got something to say about that.

You've got nothing to say.

You didn't like the way I ran this outfit, Crocker.

You should be happy to get rid of me.

Yeah, we let you go, and the next thing you know,

you'll be leading the Army in here to clean us out.

Throw down your gun.

Tell your men to do the same, or you'll be next.

Throw down your guns.

Next time, you'll know not to turn your back.

Have your men pick up the guns, Colonel.

Bill, we heard it all.

Go back and clear yourself.

You understand, there's no assurance

I can prove I didn't take that payroll?

You will. Somehow you will.

We heard gunshots, Colonel.

Thought we'd better ride over and have a look.

Where's Sergeant Bergman?

Isn't he with you, sir?

He left us a half an hour ago,

said he was coming to join you.

We've seen no sign of him.

I'll leave this up to you, Colonel.

I'm going to go back to the fort.

Yah!

All right, Pierce,

you won't need that gun.

Drop it.

Wasn't there enough profit in that store of yours

that you had to resort to killing?

I don't like killing, Hardie,

but he wanted it all, all to himself.

It isn't fair.

I was the one who worked the whole thing out.

I was the one that got the fight started

to give Bergman a chance to open the safe.

I didn't think Bergman knew the combination to the safe.

I got it for him by watching the colonel

put my account books away,

but Bergman had to go and hide the money

and keep my share from me.

Well, I've settled with him.

We'll hold you here until the authorities can settle with you.

Move.

Mr. Rath, this is my last official report from Fort Chapman.

I've explained completely all the circumstances of your case

and your voluntary surrender.

I don't know what higher authorities will decide to do.

I understand, sir.

I'm afraid Wells Fargo is to be considered.

I'll put in the best word that I can,

but their stages have been held up,

and there's a lot of money that'll never be recovered.

Do you mean...

Will he have to go to prison?

I've made mistakes,

and I've done things I knew were wrong.

I'm ready to take my medicine.

It's time for retreat, Mr. Hardie,

the end of a fighting Army post.

I'd like you to join us.

Thank you. I will.