Original subtitles

Hey, Charlie. Let me help you.

Thanks, Dan.

It's kind of tricky, ain't it?

Why don't you go hitch up the team

and let me finish loading for you?

Well, thanks. I will.

Howdy, Flint.

Howdy, Charlie.

Where's the wagon master?

He's out trying to shoot some turkeys.

The deputy here calls himself Bart Williams.

He's looking for the major.

Do tell! I knew they'd come for him sooner or later.

I don't think he'll find that funny.

BILL: What's the trouble, Flint?

This train's my trouble.

I've been tracking it for a week.

This is pretty rough country

for a man to be traveling alone.

What's your problem?

The law don't cotton to wagon trains

harboring escaped convicts.

What?

Don't play innocent with me.

You've been hiding Duke Le May

for over 1,000 miles.

Are you accusing us of breaking the law?

It's no use, Bill.

I've been trying to explain to the deputy

there's no one named Le May on the train...

You can fuss all you want to,

but I aim to search these here wagons until I find him!

Le May!

Drop it, McCullough.

The rest of you...

Drop 'em!

He's dead.

Dead?

Don't. Don't move.

Don't nobody try nothin'.

You!

Get that horse over here.

Come on, man, move!

You'd better do as he says.

Wait a minute.

You'd better explain yourself, Larsen.

Le May. Duke Le May.

FLINT: Larsen or Le May, whatever you call yourself,

you'd be smart to put that gun down.

Sure I would, sure.

You, stand still!

Hold it, McCullough.

You plan on killing me, too?

I don't plan on killing anyone.

It's a little late, isn't it?

Don't push me, McCullough.

I'm warning you.

You think you're just gonna ride out of here?

I know I will.

How far do you think you're gonna get?

Far enough.

Bill?

You'd better see if the deputy's got some handcuffs.

Thanks, Charlie.

Nothin' to it.

You know, Charlie, I take back

everything I said about you and that bullwhip.

Now maybe I'll get a little more respect around here.

Hey, Flint!

Take a look at this.

What is it?

It's a warrant for the arrest

of Duke Le May, alias Dan Larsen.

Broke out of the Illinois prison three months ago.

In Kansas City he's convicted of robbery.

This goes back to when he was a kid.

He did a man-sized job with that gun of his.

Yeah, you'd better put those on,

and I'll go find the major.

ADAMS: Well, I just can't believe it.

That boy's been on this train all these months,

and he's never been one inch out of line.

That deputy was so quick to use his gun,

I don't know...

Just can't turn your back on a warrant, that's all.

Sure can't, not on this record.

Well, we can't keep him on the train, either.

How far is it to the nearest law?

Fort Hawkins.

Major! Major Adams!

Why, look at this.

You just keep your fingers off of that bird.

I'll be there when he's cooked this time.

What I come to tell you about is Le May.

Folks over there are causing trouble.

What do you mean, trouble?

They're talking about hanging him.

Well, that settles it.

How far is it to Fort Hawkins?

Oh, it's a three-day ride.

That's good. Then you can be back with us

before we hit the high country.

No, not me.

I spent too much time with him.

He has to be taken to the law,

and you're gonna have to do it.

No.

He's been with us 1,000 miles.

Does he seem like a murderer to you?

Always seemed like a nice fella to me.

It doesn't make any difference

what we think about him personally.

This country's run by laws, not by men,

and this man's gotta be taken to the law.

Well, you let Hawkes take him.

I can't let Hawkes take him.

I need Hawkes to help me run this train.

He's got to be taken to the law!

That's the wagon master's problem.

It sure is, and I just solved it.

You're gonna take him.

I signed on to scout, not...

Flint, have I ever done you any favors?

All right.

I sure don't envy old Flint.

I'm not gonna envy you either

if you don't prepare that bird right.

Now, you start picking him.

If you put him in a stew, I'll put you in a stew!

Now, Major... Don't "now, Major" me.

Get outta here!

McCullough, that man drew on me.

You saw it, the major saw it.

Everybody saw it.

I didn't even know he was there.

You knew he was a deputy.

No, I didn't. I swear.

When I turn you in,

I'll have to write up a statement for the authorities.

It'll have both sides.

Yeah.

You know, the civil court there

is gonna give you a fair trial.

They'll hang me.

Maybe.

Drought's generally ruined this land.

Last time I was through here,

this was rich farming country.

Thank you.

"He turneth the rivers into a wilderness,

"water springs into dry ground,

a fruitful land into barrenness."

Me and drought are old, old friends.

So's trouble.

Not much sense stopping here.

Nobody been around here in months.

Hadn't we better fill the canteen?

Well, it's probably dry, but...

I guess it won't hurt to check.

You should've shot me.

You'll be sorry you did that

before you get to Fort Hawkins.

McCullough, you're a fool.

I don't know.

You're the one that lost the horse.

Let's move.

All right. Start walking.

I said start walking.

Well, how do you expect me to get to it?

Huh?

Spoon-feeding's just a little out of my line.

If I thought I could trust you, I'd turn you loose.

Trust me.

I'm tired of running.

All right, Le May.

You got a bargain.

Just remember you're free

only as long as you don't try to steal freedom.

How about all those years that were stolen from me?

Trying to tell me they put you in jail

just because your name was Duke Le May?

Almost.

Sometimes I feel that way.

Coffee?

What's the matter, aren't you hungry?

I'm thirsty.

I guess I was born thirsty.

I'll get it.

It's a funny thing.

All day while we was on the move,

I kept thinking back to when I was a kid.

McCullough, you ever have nightmares?

All kids have nightmares.

I still have 'em.

I don't suppose you know what it's like

for a 12-year-old kid to walk ten miles

for a canteen full of water, hmm?

I remember.

The whole world had dried up,

not just our farm, mind you,

but the whole world...

and everything in it had died, bit by bit,

till finally there wasn't

a green, growing thing left on this Earth.

Everything seems worse when you're a kid.

Well, looking back now, sometimes it's...

It's hard to separate what was real

from the dreams.

Sometimes I can see it just as plain...

My old man,

walking that land with his witching stick.

You mean he was a dowser?

He was always sure that tomorrow

would change that stinking dust

into a green valley.

He should've moved.

Oh, he wouldn't give up.

But he lost anyhow.

How do you mean, lost?

Cholera.

Just as we was getting ready to move,

the great epidemic swept through our valley.

I buried the old man in one of his dry wells.

By that time, Mom had it.

Stock was all dead.

So I took a gun,

and I stole a horse, and...

before I got back to the farm,

the law was there.

So I shot a deputy.

Didn't do no good.

Mom was already dead.

I got away.

I been running ever since.

I think the warrant said something about being in prison.

I took an honest job once.

Oh, weren't nothing fancy.

Clerking, but it was a good town,

good people.

And then a hot-shot deputy

decided it was too good for me.

I got ornery.

I'd have been all right, though, but, uh...

he found out about my past.

He got tough. I got tougher.

How much time'd they give you?

The State of Illinois

rewarded me with three long years.

I still owe 'em one, too.

Do me a favor, Le May.

Anytime.

Like what?

Don't make me judge you.

Well, who's asking you to?

All I'm asking is a break.

I don't stand a chance back at Fort Hawkins.

With my record,

they're gonna hang me, guilty or not.

McCullough, don't take me back there.

Don't, please.

I'm begging you.

You made a bargain.

Hey!

Father! Oh, not Old Rock.

You can't do this to Davy.

Sarah, there are some things

that have to be done.

We must not question the will of the Lord.

But Father!

It's almost finished.

Davy, wait a minute.

Just going out and show Old Rock how it looks.

Well, can't I see it first?

Well, sure.

Davy...

Something wrong?

No.

Only...

You know, you're beginning to grow up.

You're practically a man now.

It's about time that you learned that,

well, there are some problems in life

that can only be solved in a way that might seem cruel.

What I'm trying to say is that grownups,

especially men, have to be very strong.

They have to learn how to accept these things,

even though it might seem hard for them.

What things?

Davy, I know how much you love Old Rock.

We all do.

What about Old Rock?

Look, your father...

Davy! Davy!

Davy! Come back!

You're gonna kill Old Rock!

Well, you are, aren't you?

Go back to the house, boy.

I won't go back! You're gonna kill him with that rifle.

Yes, Davy, I am.

I'm sorry, son. It's nothing I want to do.

Then why?

He's an old, tired animal.

He hasn't got much time left no matter what I do.

Then why kill him?

Davy, look around you.

Look at our land.

Look what the drought's done to us.

As long as the good Lord sees fit to withhold rain,

we must do everything to conserve what little water we have left.

The good Lord doesn't mean for you to kill Old Rock.

Davy, the water.

Every drop of water Old Rock drinks

is that much less for the healthier livestock.

Don't you see, son?

He deprives them of their chance

of living through all this.

What about him? Doesn't he deserve a chance?

The horse is useless.

But he's not!

In times like these, only the strong

deserve to survive.

It's the way of the world.

But Dad... Davy, no more.

Old Rock must be destroyed. I'm sorry.

He'll have no pain, I can promise you that much.

Now, go on back to the house.

You can't! I won't let you kill Old Rock!

Please, mister, don't let him do it, please!

Davy! We don't involve strangers in our problems, Davy.

You must forgive my son.

I've tried to teach him not to beg.

Seems to me you've...

taught him how to fight for what he believes.

That's even more important.

Excuse me.

Here, boy.

Nothing has changed.

We'll take care of it in the morning.

Well, that was a poor greeting. I'm Matthew Sinclair.

Boy is my son David.

Glad to know you.

Le May. Duke Le May.

How may I help you?

Oh. Well, my horse flipped a shoe.

Come on into the shed.

Thanks.

I suppose you're wondering what that was all about.

Oh, I got a pretty fair idea.

It's been an unusually long drought.

We're the last family in the whole area to hold out.

Everybody else pulled up and left.

So I noticed.

Not much more water left in our cistern.

When that goes, we go too.

So you can see it doesn't make much sense

to keep an old horse who's all but lived out his life anyway.

Of course, that's hard

for a boy Davy's age to understand.

It ain't easy to accept death at any age.

You'll find everything here you'll need.

I'll get Davy to help you.

Thank you.

You're the first visitor we've had in a long time.

Oh? Well, being so close to Fort Hawkins,

I'd think you'd have lots of friends.

No, not since the drought got so bad.

It's only been me and Old Rock.

Where's your ma, Davy?

She died when I was born,

but we go up to her grave often.

Sure is beautiful there.

Kind of like this place, don't you?

Well, sure. It's just about

the best ranch in the whole territory...

when there's water.

Davy!

Yeah! Over here!

This is my sister, Sarah.

I haven't done my chores.

Sarah, this is my pal Duke.

We were shoeing Duke's horse.

Hello.

Hello.

Well, uh, I guess it's my fault.

I kept Davy from doing his work.

Davy's pretty good at that.

No, actually, he was a big help,

and I'm mighty grateful to you,

fellow, for everything.

You're not going, are you?

Soon as I finish this, I gotta be on my way.

Why don't you ask him to stay for supper?

Well.

Go on, ask him.

Davy, please!

Don't worry, Duke. She will!

That's some boy.

A lonely boy.

Well, from the way he tells it,

he and that old horse have a pretty good time together.

Oh, Rock does the best he can for him.

You will stay for supper?

Oh, no, ma'am. I'm afraid not.

Davy will be disappointed.

Well, I tell you what.

If you promise to let me break some of them,

I'll even help you with the dishes.

Come on in, Duke.

Well!

Everything looks just fine.

Wait just a minute.

They're clean.

Mine are too.

Well, I guess we'd better sit.

Oh. Allow me, ma'am.

Thank you. You're welcome.

Mr. Le May...

the Lord's table is no place for a weapon.

I'll take it.

All right, Davy boy.

Thank you.

Our Father, we thank thee for this food.

We thank thee for thy blessings this day

and for the health thou hast bestowed upon us.

We beseech thee, Our Father, for an end to our hardships,

but if this is not to be,

we ask for strength and understanding

in the face of our adversity.

Amen.

Amen.

Welcome to our home.

Thank you, sir.

Oh, no. No, thanks.

I'm all through.

Yes, ma'am.

What is it you want?

You needn't be afraid. I want him.

You do this kind of thing real well, McCullough.

You oughta wear a badge.

Explain yourself.

Here's the man with all the answers.

Let him explain.

What's he mean, Duke?

What's he talking about?

It's all right, Mr. Sinclair.

He's got a claim on me.

I don't understand.

Well, Mr. McCullough here is a scout

from a wagon train I've been traveling with.

I broke away from them this morning.

That gun, the horse,

they're his'n.

Go on.

Well, he was taking me to Fort Hawkins.

I guess I'm, uh...

I'm what you might call a fugitive from the law.

What he's trying to say is that I'm taking him in

to stand trial for murder.

He's lying, Duke, isn't he?

Thank you.

All right, McCullough, now you got your belly full.

If we're gonna go, let's get moving.

I'll tell you when we're leaving.

You can't take him tonight.

No reason why you can't pick up in the morning.

You're welcome to bed down in the barn.

Thanks. I am a little footsore.

Sit down.

Don't get yourself worked up, McCullough.

Any objections to my helping with the dishes?

Well, if you'd just tell me

what I can do to help you...

I don't need your help.

I may not be all you thought I was,

but being here ain't just my idea.

How could you do all those things?

Why did you lie?

When the only truths a man has are ugly ones,

he's gotta lie,

just so's he can live with hisself.

But what about that man?

The man who died?

Well, whatever happens to me,

it's gonna be twice as bad after knowing you.

Oh, why did you come here?

Why?

You ever think about sinking a well?

We never had any need to sink a well before.

Up till the last few years,

we could always store enough water in our cistern

to tide us over.

I see.

Sometimes it almost seems as if the Lord had forsaken us.

You ever have a dowser look over your place?

A dowser?

Mm-hmm.

What's them?

Charlatans.

That means pretending to be something that you're not.

Oh, I don't know, Davy.

I don't know, you might call them

people with a gift.

They say that dowsers can find water

just by holding a forked stick in their hands.

That's what they say.

You ever see anyone do it?

Well, Mr. McCullough, there are those who believe

more than what the eyes can see.

Well, take this farm.

What makes you think that there mightn't be water

underneath this place,

plenty of water just waiting to be found?

If God had intended us

to discover water from above the ground,

He would've provided

some simple and natural means for doing so.

He did, Mr. Sinclair.

"For in the wilderness shall waters break out

"and streams in the desert.

"And the parched ground shall become a pool,

and the thirsty land, springs of water."

You're a dowser!

Davy, Mr. Le May's a lot of things.

But he is. You are a dowser, aren't you?

You're doing fine.

I suppose if the boy had a broken arm,

then you'd be a bone doctor.

What's he mean?

I mean he's a charlatan.

But he spoke the words of the Lord.

He certainly did, but speaking them,

I don't think that's quite enough.

It's living by them that counts.

McCullough, please.

You remember the last time you said please to me?

You're not gonna fool these people

as long as I'm around.

Can't you see what he's trying to do?

He's using you.

He'd pretend to be anything

as long as it helped Duke Le May.

But what if he could find water for us?

Well, Davy, I think that's what I'd call a miracle.

Go on upstairs to bed, Davy.

But Dad... Now.

I'll bring you some blankets.

Thank you.

Well, you've finally got me locked up, McCullough.

You oughta sleep real good.

I will.

You know, one thing kind of interests me about you.

How is it you can quote the Bible so well?

My old man.

He was just like Sinclair.

That's kind of hard to believe.

I mean, you'd think he'd done a better job with you.

You gonna start preaching at me, too?

No. It's a little out of my line.

Like spoon-feeding.

But somebody ought to get to you.

You couldn't keep your bargain with me.

You got these people to believe in you.

Feed 'em a lot of nonsense about finding water,

get their hopes all up,

and use the Bible to back up your lies.

There's no excuse for it.

Best excuse in the world.

My neck.

McCullough.

Yeah?

You dead sure I'm lying about the water?

I'm only sure about one thing, Le May.

Next time I lock you up, it'll be at Fort Hawkins.

"For in the wilderness shall waters break out,

"and streams in the desert.

"And the parched ground shall become a pool,

and the thirsty land, springs of water."

Here's your tea, Father.

Thank you.

That man.

He has a name.

More than one, from what we've been told.

It would be foolish to believe

a man like that.

He says what he must,

and that is not always the truth.

I know.

I'd rather you didn't see Mr. Le May in the morning.

Is that the way the Bible says to treat a sinner?

Or does it speak of forgiveness?

You care for him?

But you're too young, girl, much too young.

Too young to feel affection?

You know nothing of such things.

And whose fault is that?

Here, it's all I could bring tonight.

There's not very much left.

This morning I know how it must've sounded,

but Dad didn't really mean

all those things he said.

He's just worried

'cause the water's almost all gone.

He really doesn't want to do it.

I know it!

I was hoping that maybe

Mr. Le May'd help us.

He helped us once before.

Remember?

Then it could be like it used to,

the green grass and shade trees.

I bet he would find water if they'd only give him a chance.

No one's ever gonna hurt you, Rock.

No one! I won't let them.

Good night.

Thanks, Sarah.

It's good of you to spare it.

You've been very kind to us.

You ready, Le May?

Where's Davy?

The boy's upstairs. He won't come down.

McCullough, could we say good-bye to him?

No!

Sorry. Sooner we get out of here,

the better for everybody.

Let's go, Le May.

I want him to stay.

I'm sorry, Davy. I can't do that.

You never want to aim a gun at a man

unless you intend to use it.

Davy, give me the gun.

Give it to me, Davy.

Thanks.

He's going to stay.

What's the stick called, Duke?

It's a dowsing rod.

When we're over water,

it points downward.

What makes it work?

I don't know.

It's like people, I guess.

Sometimes they do funny things

and there's no accounting for it.

Mr. McCullough, try to understand.

We've had to watch our crops dry up,

everything we've worked for go to ruin.

Now Davy.

Old Rock's not just a tired old horse to him.

He's his friend.

Old Rock's the only companion Davy's ever had.

I understand all of that.

I just think you've put your trust in the wrong man.

Possibly. But Davy's got to have his chance...

and so do I.

Seems to me you've covered every foot of this ground.

What's the matter, Matthew?

Losing your faith?

You could've missed some spots.

Fair is fair, Davy.

If he could really find water,

he'd have found it by now.

Duke!

You're doing that yourself.

No.

I swear.

Look.

Look.

Here's where we dig.

Looks to me like you drug this out as long as you could.

I was ready to quit.

A while ago, you thought I was God-sent.

Change your mind?

"As clouds and wind without rain,

"so is he that boasteth himself of his gifts...

falsely."

Do we dig or don't we?

We dig.

Why did you do that?

I just wanted you to see how the two looked together.

Pretty clever fellow, Le May.

Gets your father to believe in him,

puts a gun in Davy's hands,

and turns you against everything

you've ever been taught, all in one day.

Why don't they get back!

What makes you think they're coming back?

I mean, it figures.

A 50-year old man,

a 12-year-old boy, and Duke Le May.

Well, I know he's a criminal,

but he wouldn't hurt them.

Why not?

What does he have to lose?

Please help us.

How far down do you think we have to go?

The stick says where,

not how deep.

According to that, we'd have to dig

all the way to China to prove you a liar.

Mister, you interest me.

You want water so bad you can taste it,

yet you'd rather be right about me

than find it.

It's hard to believe any good could come

from somebody who's done what you've done.

Or that a righteous man like yourself could do wrong?

The law must judge you, not I.

And that's all you've been doing since McCullough turned up here.

Well, mister, I've been judging you, too.

You ain't nothing but a self-righteous hypocrite.

I've been getting that

from you kind of people all my life.

Hold it, Le May!

Here, McCullough, take this liar out of here.

He's only been leading me on.

When'd you decide that?

What do you mean?

I mean he hasn't changed much since this morning.

Now, wait a minute, McCullough.

You know what he is.

You told us so yourself!

I told you he'd make a fool out of you,

and it seems to me that he has.

I don't know what you're talking about.

You were willing to walk out of your house

and have your daughter hold a gun on me

so he could come dig for his water.

Now, wait a minute!

No, you wait a minute.

As long as you thought you could get

what you wanted from Le May,

you were willing to turn your back

on every principle you supposedly believe in,

including your family.

He's right what he called you, whatever he is.

You're a hypocrite.

Take this man and get out of here, both of you.

Get off my land!

We intend to.

Davy.

Come on, Le May.

McCullough, there's water here!

I know it!

Come on, Le May.

Davy, no!

Davy!

Run! Run, come on!

Run! Take Rock! Run!

Go on!

No!

Davy!

Davy, boy.

No!

Just grazed his shoulder.

Oh, thank God.

Why don't you run, Duke?

Davy, I'm through running.

Right here.

Duke, can you forgive me?

There's someone else that must forgive me first.

How?

An accident.

A miracle.

Hey, look.

Mr. Le May...

I don't know how to thank you

for all you've done for us.

I think you've done more than just give us a future.

You've helped open my heart.

Bye.

Good-bye, sir.

Bye. Good-bye.

LE MAY: Davy boy, I was afraid

we weren't gonna be able to say good-bye.

I got a long walk ahead of me.

Oh, no, you don't.

Oh, no, Davy, I can't.

I don't know when I'd be able to bring him back.

Maybe he'll bring you back.

McCullough?

Strange things happen.

Maybe he will.

Let's go.