Original subtitles

♪

We'd better take a look.

Keep 'em here, Charlie.

Anybody in there?

Major?

Yeah, looks like Comanches.

Better take a look inside, Bill.

All right, come on out of there!

♪

All right, come on out of there!

Who in blazes are you, anyhow?

Oh, you Americans.

I thought savages back,

so I...

It was my mistake.

Who are you and what are you doing way out here?

Sakae Ito, Nippon samurai.

Do you understand?

No, I'm afraid I don't understand.

I am sorry.

SETH: Where are you heading fer?

To California. San Francisco.

You mean, you're going to San Francisco all by yourselves?

Mister, I don't know whether you know it or not,

but San Francisco's quite a way... 2,000 miles.

2,000 miles?

Is it far?

Far?

Well, it's a lot farther than you're gonna get by yourselves,

especially with a Comanche war party running around.

What happened to your horses? The Injuns get 'em?

Yes, Indians.

Well, they're Comanche, all right. Train must've scared 'em off.

What kind of foreigner do you figure he is?

I think they're Japanese, Bill.

He said something about "Nippon" and "samurai."

Sakai Ito, Nippon samurai.

I've never heard of either one of 'em.

SETH: Mister, you're not gonna get very far by yourself out here.

Bill, you'd better go get 'em a team.

All right. Be right back.

You'd better come along with us, mister.

To California?

That's right. That's where we're heading... California.

Your names, please.

Adams. Seth Adams.

Ah, so.

Mr. Adams.

Arigato.

Well, if that means "thanks," why,

all I can say is "you're welcome," I guess.

Blane, pull your wagon up. I want to get this one in.

Henry, you hold yours back.

The rest get back to your wagons. We'll be pulling out right away.

It ain't true. It can't be.

You reckon they escaped from the sideshow, Sailor?

No, not hardly. But I do know where they come from.

Hey, Major!

You know what you've got there?

Do you know this fella?

I don't know him personal, but what you got is

a genuine, honest-Injun Japanese from Japan.

How come you know so much about Japan, Blane?

What do you think they call me Sailor for?

I was with Commodore Perry when we opened Japan in 1853.

Commodore Perry? You?

Why, I sure was.

Yep, Yedo Bay, July 1853.

I've seen thousands like these here fellas.

Maybe you can find out for me just what

two Japanese are doing here in the center of Kansas.

Mm, ain't no ordinary Japanese neither, Major.

No, from the cut of his jib, I'd say he was one of those "sam-o-rays."

That's a kind of a soldier-like.

Yes. Nippon samurai.

Yeah, they're funny critters, Major.

Maybe you'd better let me talk to 'em alone huh?

All right, go ahead.

Near as I can figure out, Major,

him and his boss were headed for back East,

when his boss got the fever and died.

Is that right, Ito-san?

Yes. Prince Nara died.

He was cousin of emperor.

So Samurai Ito returns home now.

Yeah, this prince of his was some kind of ambassador, I guess.

You know anything about Japan, Major? Very little.

Well, they don't cotton much to

people either coming there or leaving.

So you can bet that Ito-san here is a pretty big man or

they wouldn't let him out,

not even on an official mission.

How come they was headed west?

Well, Japan's a small country.

If you want to go anywhere, you just head in the right direction and start.

Couple of days, you'll get where you want to go.

Well, Mr. Ito, I guess you're just plain lucky

we happened along.

These Comanches around here would sure like that scalp of yours.

I do not understand. You don't have to.

You just stick with this train, you'll be all right.

Bill, I don't think we're gonna get much further today anyhow,

so we might as well make camp.

Why don't you circle up around that bunch of trees? All right.

Blane, how about you riding herd on these two for a little while?

They've got a lot to learn.

Be glad to, Major.

I didn't know you was so hospitable, Sailor.

That so?

Well, the way you're looking after those two characters,

if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were being friendly.

Danged if it ain't so.

Well, if you'd been around the Far East as much as I have,

you just might be doing the same thing.

I don't get it. You know that black box he's been carrying around?

That ain't his private papers.

These Japanese are what you call Buddhists, Shintoists. So?

I've been to Japan, China, Malaya,

India, Ceylon, all of them strange places,

and all of them got idols, see?

I've even seen idols carved out of solid jewels.

You're kiddin'.

No, I ain't.

No.

Sapphires sometimes. Pearls. Diamonds.

Even if they ain't carved out of jewels, they got jewels stuck in 'em.

You think that's maybe what they got in that box?

Oh, I ain't sayin' it is and I ain't sayin' it ain't.

But I'd sure like to have a look inside.

Yeah, so would I.

I've been thinking.

This here Ito was all-fired anxious to get on to California.

He ain't gonna be happy going slow as slow as the train.

You think maybe he'll take out by himself?

He might, if he thought he'd have company, someone who knows the country.

Like us?

Yeah.

And if we was to borrow that black box of his,

you couldn't hardly call that stealing now, right?

Not then.

You know, I've been thinking too, Sailor.

This is the slowest train I've ever been with.

Maybe we ought to take off by ourselves.

RAKE: That don't sound like a bad idea. It's a good idea.

Carved out of a whole sapphire.

Well, Mr. Ito,

it's a big sky, isn't it?

Mr. Adams.

Yes,

it is a big sky.

Big country.

You got that in your homeland?

No.

Nippon is very small.

Very little country.

But very beautiful.

Well, we have some beauty here too,

especially when we get to the Rocky Mountains.

Mm?

Oh, Mr. Adams,

how long will it be to California?

Well, that's kind of hard to say, Mr. Ito.

Maybe two, three months...

That is, if we don't have any trouble.

So long?

Well, we've got a lot of ground to cover.

So. But we keep moving all the time.

Doesn't pay to loaf around in Comanche country.

Comanche? Savage?

Well, they're just about as savage as they come.

I guess that's another thing you don't have in your country, huh? Indians?

Oh, yes.

We have so-called Ainu.

They have a bear god,

and they fight like bear.

Hmm. Sort of like our Indians over here, huh?

I think so.

Tell me, Mr. Ito,

how come you're in such a hurry to get to California?

Ah.

I have a most important mission.

I am samurai.

Warrior caste. You understand?

A soldier, but different.

I am samurai of Prince Nara.

He is my prince.

Oh, you're sort of a bodyguard for him, huh?

Yes.

Bodyguard.

Bushido says samurai must be loyal

to his master always...

Through life till death.

So, Samurai Ito

return Nippon

to emperor,

telling emperor

that Prince Nara died in this country.

So...

Samurai Ito

join Prince Nara.

Oh. Join him?

You just told me that he was dead.

Yes.

He is dead.

Therefore,

I must, uh,

commit...

hara kiri.

Hara kiri? What's that? What do you mean?

With knife,

you cut through yourself.

O-hiyo, Matsu-san. O-hiyo, Blane-san.

Where's Ito? We want to talk to him.

Ah, Mr. Blane.

Good morning, Revere-san.

Ito, we got more in common than we thought.

Yes? That's right.

You're in a hurry to get to the coast and so are we.

We ain't hankerin' to get snowed in in the mountains.

We've got important business out there.

This train moves so slow it ain't got a chance of getting across before winter.

It is slow.

So we was thinkin' of takin' off by ourselves.

We know a couple of shorter routes anyway.

So you get to California much sooner?

Oh, by a couple of months, we figure, huh?

We thought maybe you'd like to come with us.

You are kind.

Well, you're a visitor in this country. Anything we can do to help.

Yes, I am in hurry.

But Mr. Adams says

Indians are big problem.

Oh, he's just an old woman. A few naked savages ain't no problem.

In Nippon, it can be problem.

Well, I thought you was in a hurry. Of course, if you're afraid...

Don't misunderstand.

No afraid for Ito.

But Ito is a samurai. Must return to Nippon.

Most important.

More important than life,

if... you understand.

We're giving you a chance to get there in a hurry.

Yes. When do you leave?

I don't know. Tonight, maybe tomorrow night.

Oh.

So soon?

Well, Mr. Blane,

I must consider.

Sure, sure, you do that.

But it's probably your only chance.

Come on, Tom.

Too many. We wait.

Bill. Yeah?

You see anything?

Yeah, just like we figured. Comanche?

Yeah, but there are only 10 or 12 of 'em.

I don't know what's the matter with that McCullough,

why he didn't spot 'em and get word back to us.

Well, they probably moved in behind him.

They won't hit the train, but Lord help us if somebody falls out.

I was thinking the same thing. An old friend of yours is leading them.

Who's that?

Old Sharp Knife himself. Sharp Knife?

Oh, that's just fine. Hmm.

You'd better pass the word back: Nobody falls out of line

for any reason whatsoever.

All right.

Gol' darn that McCullough.

I don't know why he doesn't check in with us once in a while.

Sharp Knife ain't no dummy, Major. He won't hit the train.

I'd just as soon have a pack of wolves following us as him.

I'd rather. Let's go.

What'd I tell you about them foreigners?

I told you they had some kind of idol in that box. Sure looks that way.

Heard about this Hindu idol once.

Had a ruby big as your head right between its eyes.

It don't have to be that big to satisfy me.

One fist-sized would be just fine. Only I didn't see it.

Oh, it's there. Don't worry.

See the way he was burning that incense? You hear that gong?

Oh, we'll get it.

Ito and me, we're old tomadachis now.

We pull out, he'll come along. Ain't we near Fort Platte?

Yeah, we ought to hit the Fort Platte trail tomorrow or the next day. Why?

That shoots off north from here.

Be our best bet for high-tailing.

Only... Only what?

Only if there's Comanches out there like they say. I don't know.

Look, you don't get nothing without some kind of risk.

Besides, there's four of us.

I'm all for hitting the Fort Platte trail.

Trouble with you is you spent too long in the water.

Not long enough in Injun country. Maybe.

But I don't figure Injuns to be no worse than Malay river pirates.

Besides, I guess I'd run more than Comanches

to get a look in that chest of his.

We'll talk to him tomorrow, hmm? Come on.

Well, I'll be dogged.

How are you? Hi.

Good morning. Good morning.

That's quite a toad-stabber you've got there.

Yes. Samurai sword. Very good sword.

Don't you people in Japan have any guns?

Oh, yes. We have cannon.

Big cannon.

What you call, uh, musket.

Ah. But...

this is samurai's gun.

I myself, I like the real gun.

Gives you that safe feeling.

Safe feeling.

Don't that beat all?

Mr. Ito, sure too bad there ain't somebody here to work out with you.

Samurai works every day.

Yes. Sword,

archery like Indian, wrestle.

You like rasslin'? Yes.

That's great. Hawks here was the best in the company. Wasn't you?

Oh. Mr. Hawks wrestle?

Well, I used to be a pretty fair freestyle man.

Good. Let us wrestle.

Mr. Ito, I think I'm a little big for you.

Oh, go on. The exercise will do you good.

Take off some of that blubber too.

Charlie, we don't have any time for wrestling now.

Oh, Ito soft.

Ito need wrestling.

Go on, Bill. Show 'em how those recruits

got scared of you when you was a sergeant.

Well, maybe a couple of fast falls, huh?

Good.

Wait a minute. Got to take them spurs off.

I don't want you to get hurt, Mr. Ito.

Take it easy on him.

Hold him, huh?

Come on, Bill.

Get a hold of him. Come on.

Get him.

Bill, you're doing something wrong. Yeah.

Come on, get in there. Come on.

Come on. Come on.

Bill, you're still doing something wrong.

I know I am! Get out of here!

Come on, Bill. You've got him.

You can do it. Get a hold of him.

Come on, rassle. Come on, rassle.

You and your big ideas.

Uh-oh. Oh.

Don't you two think you're a little bit old

for playing these kind of games?

Major, if you think this is a game, you can play it yourself next time.

Mr. Hawks... not hurt?

Nah.

Nippon samurai does not fall like you.

They'd better not, or you'll have a big samurai turnover.

If you little boys don't mind, would you go on

and pass the word that we're about to move?

With pleasure. Oh, Mr. Hawks,

we wrestle again, huh?

Yeah, sure, but next time with Mr. Wooster here.

He's more your size, Mr. Ito.

Oh, no. Oh, no.

Mr. Hawks nice man.

Yeah.

You know, Mr. Ito, I've been thinking a little bit

about something you said to me the other night. Huh?

You told me that when you go back to Japan

that they're gonna force you to kill yourself because that prince

died in this country.

Is that right?

Oh, no, Mr. Adams.

Ito is a samurai.

When prince dies,

Ito must die willingly.

And you really intend to kill yourself?

This is Nippon custom. Well, it's a mighty strange custom.

You do not understand?

You can bet your boots I don't understand.

Oh, custom different,

but man no different.

American, Nippon.

Ito Nippon samurai.

Mr. Adams American samurai.

American samurai...

have truth, have honor.

Have honesty. Have courage to die in battle.

To die for the country.

Isn't that the truth?

Well, I suppose so, in a way, yes.

So customs different,

but men no different.

Well, you'd better get your things loaded, Mr. Ito. We're gonna get moving.

Oh, uh, Mr. Adams,

Mr. Blane asked me to go with him to California.

It much quicker,

he said. He what?!

Yes.

He said Indian no trouble.

He can shoot.

But this train go too slow.

The snow may come

before our wagons get to California.

Oh, so he's gonna leave the train, huh?

Yeah, leave the train.

We'll see about that.

No good to leave?

Listen, Mr. Ito,

there's a Comanche war party waiting out there for stragglers.

I don't give a gol' darn what Blane does, but you listen to me.

You stay with this train.

Blane! Oh, hello, Major.

What's this I hear about you leaving the train?

I guess that's my business, ain't it?

It might be, if you kept it to yourself.

What do you mean?

Trying to talk those two Japanese into going with you, that's what I mean.

Ain't nothing that says we can't take off for Fort Platte,

and if he wants to come along, that's his business.

I don't know what your game is, but you ought to have better sense.

You leave this train, and that scalp of yours

will be hanging from some Comanche ridgepole.

What's a couple of Injuns?

You do whatever you want to, you and your pals,

but Ito's not going with you, you understand that?

I'll leave it up to him. I'll leave it up to me.

He's never had any experience handling people like you, but I have.

All right, Major. You tell him anything you want.

But he's in a mighty big hurry to get to California.

If we pull out and he comes along,

there really ain't much you can do about it, is there?

I think there is.

It's a couple of thousand miles straight ahead.

Such a long distance.

Ain't so long if you hustle.

We're fixing to shove off tonight. Tonight?

Hit Fort Platte in two or three days.

Be easy going then.

Sorry. I am not going with you.

What do you mean?

I must not take chances.

What do you mean? There ain't gonna be no chances.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

But Mr. Adams said

Indians are a great danger.

Adams.

Listen, don't listen to Adams. Ain't I your friend?

I want to help you get back to Japan.

I understand.

I am grateful to you, but...

I thought you Japanese were fighters. I never thought you'd be cowards.

Cowards?

Scared. Afraid.

Letting a few scurvy Comanches scare you off.

Do you think I am coward?

Well, I'm sorry.

The whole time I thought you were serious about getting back to the coast.

I am not going with you.

You know, I was wrong about Japan.

I thought all you samurais were brave men, but I guess you ain't.

I speak no more.

Okay, Grandma,

stick close to Mother Adams, where you'll be safe.

Well? He ain't comin'. Adams got to him.

I thought you said he'd do what you told him.

He would've, if Adams kept his trap shut.

I might have known you'd botch it.

All right, so he won't leave the train. That don't mean nothin'.

Yeah? We get that box tonight and get out of here.

Just like that? There's only two of them.

They ain't big enough to give us trouble. Yeah, but Adams might.

Sure. But Adams has got to catch us first, and we ain't gonna be easy to catch.

We'll leave the wagon here.

We'll take just enough gear to get us on to Fort Platte.

Now, us and that black box of his... what do you say?

All right, let's go. All right.

Wait a minute. What for?

Good evening, Matsu-san.

Get rid of him. Meet you back at the horse.

Matsu?

Matsu?

Matsu!

Matsu!

Matsu!

Mr. Blane! Mr...

Matsu?

Matsu?

Matsu?

Matsu?

Matsu.

Matsu!

Mats...

Matsu!

Matsu!

Hey, hold it there!

Major! Major Adams!

What is it, Bill? It was one of those Japanese.

He came in and jumped on a horse and got off before I could hardly see him.

Was it Ito? I couldn't tell which one it was in the dark.

Ito?

Major, Blane's gone and so are the rest of 'em.

Looks like they all took off in a hurry too.

You and Hawks get mounted up and bring my horse. We've got some chasing to do.

This is far enough. I don't know.

There ain't no sense killing the horses.

Nobody's gonna follow us any further.

I want to get a look at that box. Guess you're right.

Hurry up, Sailor. I'm trying.

Let me at it!

What kind of a jewel is that?

Where's all them sapphires you talked about? Wait a minute.

All these Oriental mucky-mucks got some kind of jewels on 'em.

Now, let's break it open.

I always had you figured for a blowhard.

I tell you, they got 'em. Wait, maybe it's in the jar.

In a perfume bottle?

Powdered diamonds, huh? You and your big talk!

Ashes! Nothing but ashes! Somebody's coming.

Well, if it ain't our little Japanese friend.

You have my jar.

Give it back to me.

Sure, I'll give it to you.

Now... you will die.

Put down that sword.

You take one step, and I'll kill you.

I warned you.

Not white man.

Nippon samurai.

You knife...

fight guns them, huh?

Bert, what are they gonna do?

Take. Take!

Now no have guns. Have tomahawk.

Now you fight. Arigato.

No!

You can't do that, Ito. That's inhuman!

Ito-san, tell him.

You can't do this. We never hurt you.

Get on your feet, Blane!

We was just fooling. We never meant to keep it.

Honest, we was.

You brave man with gun.

Now you be brave man with tomahawk, huh?

Get up, you stinkin' coward! No!

Come on, get up. Quit crawlin'.

Blane, fight.

No!

Shut up! He's only one man!

Are you ready?

We're ready.

Looks like their trail goes right up this gully.

It sure doesn't look good.

I don't like it.

You boys stay here. I'll go ahead and scout 'em out a little bit,

and when I wave, you come on up. All right.

Ito!

Ha.

Major Adams,

the leader of the white wagons.

Soon.

Ito, what happened?

I am disgraced.

I do what I must do.

Did you just cut these men down?

What are you, a savage?

They have tomahawk, have chance.

Maybe more chance than they gave him.

Perhaps Ito savage.

But he does not steal.

He does not lie.

He does not kill unarmed man.

Is it savage?

Then Ito savage, like him.

Knife much good.

Him much brave man.

Him use knife much good.

Maybe Sharp Knife,

he use knife much good.

Just a minute, Sharp Knife.

You want tomahawk, you take tomahawk.

Oh, please.

Mr. Adams my friend.

Mr. Indian,

he's my friend.

This is...

Prince Nara.

He is lost.

Do you understand?

Prince Nara...

is lost.

He will...

n-not be

with noble ancestor.

He... He...

He is lost.

Alone in America.

So...

noble Samurai Ito...

stays with him.

I live...

like samurai.

I die like samurai.

What mean him?

He's gonna kill himself.

Hara kiri... That's what they call it.

Why this?

He small man, great brave.

He's great brave all right, Chief. That's why, I guess.

With knife? Here?

That's right.

Why you do this?

Honor over samurai.

Him your friend?

Yes. He was with our wagon train.

Where he go?

He goes to his own country... Japan.

Where this?

Over many waters, big waters. His own land.

Japan.

Major Adams, you tell Japan

this man great brave.

This man Comanche brave.

Comanche spirits welcome this man.

Does that mean you're letting us go?

Spirits here now.

All dead brave come now.

Him, Great Spirit...

take him.

Him have four dogs for next world.

Comanche know when spirits come.

No killing now.

You go.

Major, we'd best get out of here while we can.

Just a minute, Bill.

Ito, I still don't understand why you've got to do this.

Mr. Adams,

Ito grateful for your kindness.

But be more kind to me.

Please leave.

Please.

Perhaps Indian understand Ito

much more than you could.

I think...

Ito and Indian are more alike.

Let's get out of here.

What'd he do it for, Major?

I don't know, Bill.

I guess some people have got different ideas

about what's right and what's wrong, and honor too, maybe.

If Ito hadn't been the kind of a man he was,

the three of us would probably been roasting on that slow fire back there.

The Indians liked him, Major. They let him go free.

Well, Charlie,

maybe old Sharp Knife knew him a little bit better than we did.

Maybe he knew that there was only one way Ito could go

to get his self free:

that's the way he took.

Mighty funny. No, Charlie.

It's not funny.

It's not funny at all.