Original subtitles

FLINT: A year ago,

this had been a bad stretch for the wagon train.

Oh, I had managed to find a couple of waterholes

and a few patches of cheat grass for the cattle,

but it had been rough goin',

and that had been a wet year.

This one was a dry year.

In two days, I hadn't seen a living thing...

not an animal or a bird, not even a lizard.

I could have been scouting' a country for the dead.

Ugh! Ugh! Water! Ugh!

Water! Water!

Hey.

Howdy, McCullough.

Glad to meet you, McCullough.

All right, McCullough, start draggin' that horse.

Git!

Hey, boys, look what I got.

Now, he ain't the prettiest desert varmint I ever seen,

but it's been a dry summer, ain't it?

What'll we do, skin him out for wolf bait?

Nah, better let him keep his hide,

least until after he's finished scoutin' for us.

I know you. You're name is Phelan.

That's right.

I used to be with the wagon train last year.

Till that blue-nosed Major Adams

dropped me off in the middle of nowhere.

We didn't strand you.

We threw you out for bein' a thief.

And you know something, McCullough?

I still am.

Didn't I just steal me a scout?

Nice horse, huh, Bruto?

Leave him alone, you big brute.

Go get him, Bruto!

Go get him!

Don't let him do that to you!

Go ahead, crush him! Go ahead!

Bruto...

Bruto!

Bruto.

Don't hurt this man. He means no harm.

This will not do, Mr. Phelan.

Mr. McCullough is our guest. Help him to the wagon.

Well, well, Mr. McCullough,

I'm afraid we got off to a very bad start.

It's entirely my fault.

I should have been here to welcome you personally,

but you know what happened?

I fell asleep in my wagon.

You feel any better now?

Yeah, I'm fine.

What set him off?

You mean this?

You happened to touch on his most sensitive point.

You see, his name "Bruto" in Spanish

is the equivalent for the Latin "Brutus,"

not "brute" like you thought.

Now, you know that Brutus was a man

whose political conscience got him into a violent end,

and in some respects, Brutus' career parallels his,

not that he killed Caesar, but he spoke out very loudly

against the foreign intruder Emperor Maximilian.

Eventually, he became a source of irritation in his native Mexico.

They removed the source... His tongue.

May I suggest that, when you address him in the future,

you're a little bit more cautious.

What do you plan for my future?

Nothing special, except that I hope your stay will be very long.

What do you say, gentlemen?

Yeah, it might be kinda nice havin' a new face around here...

Even his.

You the leader of this gang?

I'm the leader of this expedition.

You call this an expedition?

Yes, it's an expedition... for immortality.

Immortality?

My immortality...

and I hope you'll help me to achieve it.

And how am I supposed to help you live forever?

Forever.

Yes, sir, forever.

Right now, why don't you rest up.

You have nothing else to do before supper.

Oh, Mr. Phelan...

Mr. Phelan, will you keep our guest company until supper?

And may I assure you, you are a most welcome guest.

I think the word you mean is "prisoner."

That's a nasty word.

I would never use it.

Will you join us, Mr. McCullough?

The Professor seems to have taken quite a shine to you.

Professor?

Professor of what?

Maybe he's a professor of kidnapping stupid scouts.

Why does he want a scout?

Look, you got a belly full of grub.

Why don't you just lay down there and grab yourself a snooze.

What's the matter with him?

What do you mean?

A while ago when he tried to get up, he almost didn't make it.

He's fat. Maybe he's sick.

Look, he ain't sick enough so he can't take care of you,

and he's well enough to lead us to the g...

Gold?

You're wastin' your time, Phelan.

There's no gold in this desert.

What are you talking about?! Are you mad?! Let me loose!

I didn't take it! Let me loose!

You stole our water!

Keep quiet, both of you!

How can a man think with that noise around here?

My canteen's gone!

The last time I seen this little runt,

he was hangin' around my gear.

I wasn't. I wasn't near it.

You know how he's been complainin' all along 'bout how thirsty he was.

Just figures he took it.

He's lyin'! I never did!

Now, you know how precious water is around here.

Why don't you give him back his canteen.

I ain't got it.

He's lyin' just so he can get part of my ration.

So I'm a liar, am I? You called me a liar.

Now, that ain't very respectful, boy.

Appears I gotta learn you a little respect.

Don't lay your hands on me, Jupe.

I'll kill you, so help me.

You can't do it, boy.

Before you can get a second shot out of that thumb-buster,

I'll be on you with the meat-axe.

You know, actually, there has been a little bad blood

between the two of them from the very start.

I wonder if maybe it would be better

to let them settle it right here and now.

I can split you wide open from your hair

right down to your wishbone,

with one good swipe.

Whoop!

What's the matter with your trigger finger, boy?

Got buck fever?

Ooh.

Ooh!

Come with me, sir. I'd like to talk to you.

I can't think of anything more humiliating

than a man being deprived of his pants.

If somebody did that to me, I'd...

They used to do it to me at the university.

Maybe I have no sense of humor, but I find it unfunny.

Drafty, too.

Should we have some privacy, sir?

Despicable people.

Despicable, but I can't do without them.

However, I kept my promise.

Bruto did cook you a good meal, didn't he?

Won't you be comfortable.

I don't think you're interested in my comfort.

Phelan called you a professor.

Professor of what?

Oh, that's just a courtesy title these imbeciles gave me.

My name is Alexander Portlass.

Well, you know what my name is,

and you know that I've got a job to do.

Now, why are you keeping me here?

I know, I know,

but I have a more important job for you...

Much more important.

And just what might that be?

I'll tell you,

but won't you first join me in a drink.

Thank you.

J...

U-P-E.

Now that might just be Jupe's, might it?

I wonder how it got there.

I haven't got the faintest idea.

I don't believe you.

It might have cost that kid his life, you know.

Yeah, that would have been sad...

from one point of view.

From another point of view,

it might have been very advantageous

'cause, you see, since you joined the expedition,

there's one more mouth to feed, one more thirst to quench.

Not having foreseen that necessity,

I've only provisioned the expedition for five.

Now I have a problem.

There's one too many.

Professor, there's an obvious solution to your problem...

You just give me back my horse.

I told you, I have a very important job for you.

What is it?

You mind helping me?

An Oregon boot.

One of your expedition a convict?

All four of 'em.

Careful, careful.

You realize you are now holding my life in your hands?

I've never seen Indian writing like this. It's very old.

Pueblo?

No, no, no, you're very right.

It's very old, but, however, when you say "Pueblo,"

you are about 3,000 miles off because it's Aztec.

Aztec?

You believe in the legend of Montezuma's treasure?

Believe it? I'm convinced of it.

And you think these figures are gonna show you where it is?

How did you know?

That's exactly what it does.

And that's why you want me.

I'd like you to help me

to interpret some of these obscurities.

Oh, well, sure, and then after we find this,

we can run down to Florida

and look for the Fountain of Youth

and then look for the Seven Cities of Gold.

No, no, no, that's nonsense.

I grant you, those things are fairy tales.

However, when it comes to the treasure of Montezuma,

that's an entirely different matter.

Listen to this carefully.

"Despair, ye Sons of Heaven,

"the dreadful prophecies have been fulfilled.

"The hordes of the enemy are in the East.

"Their voice is the voice of thunder,

and they will kill with manmade lightning."

The thunder and lightning, of course,

refers to the cannons of Cortez.

You realize that this records

the beginning of the Spanish Conquest.

What if it's just a history?

What makes you think it'll take you to the treasure?

I shall try to interpret it for you in my own words.

The Aztecs were terrified,

not only on account of Cortez's soldiers and cannons,

but also because the coming of the Conquistadores

seemed to be the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy.

News of the Spaniards' approach turned Montezuma's capital

into a city of horror.

They offered great human sacrifice

to delay the invaders' advance,

and then when none of that availed,

Montezuma ordered his most trusted officer

to transport his personal treasure

to a hiding place in the distant north.

What if the tablet's a forgery?

No, no, there's no possibility. It's been authenticated.

I shall tell you presently where I got it.

Shall I continue?

I don't know that I have any choice.

Thank you.

This is an account of that officer's journey,

and with it, I was able to trace his route

to this general region.

The treasure of Montezuma

is probably out there in this desert,

probably...

probably only a few miles from here.

What a beautiful night.

It's all right, Mr. Phelan. You may relax your gun.

Why don't you go and get some sleep.

You want this?

No, I think you're interested enough not to leave us now.

Good night, Mr. Phelan. Sleep well.

Are you good at riddles, Mr. McCullough?

Not particularly.

'Cause, you see, up to here,

the tablet describes the journey very well

up to the extremities of this desert,

but then it becomes increasingly confusing,

like this...

"Four suns have died

since we came to this place of the Water Ghosts."

Does that mean anything to you? Water Ghosts?

Water Ghosts? It's a mirage.

The desert's full of 'em.

Of course. Of course.

I always knew if we pooled our force together,

we would succeed.

And this... "Last night,

we slept surrounded by the glowing torches."

Now, I appreciate the poetry of these words,

but their sense escapes me.

Glowing torch?

There's a spiny cactus called an Ocotillo.

When it blooms, the flowers are brilliant red.

You might think of that as a glowing torch.

Yes, and where would you find that?

All over the desert.

Well, then it wouldn't be any clue, would it?

Well, you'd have to find a clump of them.

The blossoms only show themselves in the Spring.

Oh.

Well, this I don't understand at all.

"A sandstorm of great violence arose.

"We finally found shelter from it

in the embrace of the Wailing Dead Man."

Does that mean something to you?

Wailing Dead Man?

No.

Seek refuge from a sandstorm in a canyon.

A coyote wailing to an Indian

might be thought of as a Wailing Dead Man.

There's a canyon about 15 miles southwest of here.

The Indians call it Coyote Canyon.

Fifteen miles from here.

Well, then our search is drawing to an end

because within the embrace of these hills

must be the treasure of Montezuma,

of that I'm certain.

And after that...

After that comes the Alexander Portlass Room

in the British Museum.

The what?

My room.

My immortality.

And in that room, there will be Aztec treasures

such as the world has never seen before.

What's that got to do with the British Museum?

I used to work there for many years.

It was the happiest time of my life.

It was there where I got the tablet.

Of course, I was surrounded by disbelievers,

and then I took ill.

What kind of an illness?

Oh, just a minor ailment,

and then I found the money to finance my own expedition...

A real treasure... a Cellini Cup.

To be frank with you, I stole it from the museum,

and I sold it for a great amount of money.

And that's why you want your fortune...

To get back at the disbelievers.

Yes.

The Alexander Portlass Room.

Think of it, that we are that close.

Kinda figured you'd pass this way, McCullough.

All right, McCullough, mount up.

Hot, isn't it?

Do you have a nice, cool drink of water?

You like playing tricks with canteens, don't you, Mr. Portlass?

Oh, I have any number of tricks.

Just about to show you another one.

Get it.

Get down and join us, McCullough.

I said get down.

I'll take care of this.

Tighten up the boot.

I have no objection to hurting him.

Maybe the pain will remind him not to escape.

Mr. McCullough...

Now we are going to Coyote Canyon,

which you were kind enough to point out for me last night,

and if we don't find what I am looking for,

you have my solemn pledge

that I am going to kill you myself.

Whoa.

How much further, sir?

If you look hard, you can see the buttes.

Seem very near.

Would you mind very much driving for me, Mr. McCullough?

Are you askin' me?

He's tellin' you.

Go on, get down.

If you don't rest these horses, they're never gonna make it.

We should be pressing on,

but I suppose everybody wants to get fed.

Let's make a stop, gentlemen.

Let go!

The men are thirsty.

How much water shall I give 'em?

Are we low?

Over half a barrel,

but I don't know how long it'll have to last.

What's your advice?

If it was up to me, I'd say let 'em all die of thirst.

But a half a cup ought to keep them goin' to sundown.

All right.

Where'd you pick up these buzzards?

I think by that comparison,

you do a great injustice to the buzzards.

After all, the birds clear up carrion,

my associates create it.

Where did I pick them up?

Well, Latigo, he was a candidate for a hanging.

So I misdirected the posse.

I see.

You're not only a thief, but you aid and abet fugitives.

I needed him, that's all.

Now, Phelan and Jupe,

they set upon me one night in El Paso.

They beat me up and robbed me.

They were apprehended.

Then the next morning, I put up the bail,

and that's how I persuaded them to join me.

What about your tongueless friend?

Oh, he came with the horses.

The man who sold me the horses threw him in for an extra $20.

He's very much like a horse himself.

He's strong and dumb

and willing to labor at anything...

with occasional fits of temper, as you had occasion to notice.

I really like Bruto.

I hope at the end, he'll go fast without suffering.

What about the others?

You don't really care how they go, do you?

Just as long as they go.

They're dregs. You said it yourself.

They're human beings.

Of no consequence.

There are four of them.

How do you plan to knock 'em off?

Who said anything about knocking them off?

It figures.

If you want the whole treasure for the Alexander Portlass Room,

there's gonna be nothing left for them.

And what about me?

Do you plan to get rid of me personally the way you threatened?

No, you're intelligent, and you're useful.

I wouldn't know how to get out of this wilderness by myself.

Do you realize, sir, that I'm in your hands?

Maybe more than you know.

Suppose I tell them that you're dying?

We're all dying... all of us.

Every day, the calendar is our executioner.

That's very philosophical. That's not what I mean.

Suppose I tell them that you've got creeping paralysis?

What do you mean?

I mean, we had a man on the wagon train

who lost the use of his arms and his legs the same way you are.

By the time we got to Sacramento,

the only thing he could move were his eyes.

I'm not on the edge of paralysis.

You fall down, you can't get up.

You can't even hold on to the reins.

I'm just more clumsy than others, that's all.

Why did you lose your job at the museum, Mr. Portlass?

Wasn't it because you were dropping too many valuable things?

We have rested long enough. Let's be off, gentlemen.

Will you help me, please?

You were right. There's almost no time left.

There's time to get to the wagon train.

If you look for a doctor, you might have a chance.

No, that's nonsense.

It's only my dream that keeps me alive.

I won't help you with that.

You won't? Phelan!

Phelan, put him on a horse and watch him!

If he tries to escape you, shoot him!

Latigo, you drive the wagon.

The dead man wails against the moon.

Gentlemen, we'll camp here for tonight.

Latigo, go get some wood. We'll need a great fire.

You hear the coyotes?

They're greeting our coming.

That's a good omen.

The Indians believe they howl because somebody's gonna die.

Tomorrow will be my day of triumph.

It's a pretty big canyon.

How you gonna know where to look?

"The heart of the dead man."

I'm quoting from the tablet.

Now, where would you look for the heart of the canyon?

Well, you ought to be able to figure that out for yourself.

I would use force only with great reluctance.

I'd much rather be peaceful.

They say the same thing about a rattlesnake.

That's a good simile.

You should keep it in mind.

Now tell me you ain't stealin' water, you thievin' little runt!

I caught him stealin' water.

I told you he's the one that stole my canteen.

I should have killed him then.

Well, this time I ain't foolin'.

Latigo!

Where did you get that axe?

Jupe! Jupe, stop that!

A war axe.

This is an ancient war axe.

It's Aztec.

Where did you find it, Latigo?

Around the bend a little ways.

Get a torch. Quick.

Latigo, show me the way.

See? We must be close here.

Thank you, Latigo.

Phelan, give me that torch.

That's more gold than I dreamed existed.

Yes, it was ordained.

I shall have my room.

Get the tools, gentlemen.

It'll be safer to wait until daylight.

Sandstone's pretty tricky.

I have no time, Mr. McCullough.

Bring the tools.

I can't believe that it's this easy.

Huh?

I can't believe that they drag a treasure 3,000 miles

and then just throw a little dirt over it.

And these carvings, it tells you right where to look.

Oh, undoubtedly, he will demand a human sacrifice.

Who?

The War God of the Aztecs.

Before he extended his favors,

he always demanded a human sacrifice,

and always he makes his own choice.

I'm going through, Phelan.

Get out of the way, Latigo! Get out of the way!

Aah!

There's your sacrifice.

Yes, he was elected.

Gentlemen, it's safe to continue now.

No further demands will be made of us.

Look, this is the legendary throne of Montezuma!

Off these gold plates he used to dine and feast!

And this is the famous sun calendar of the Aztecs!

Careful, Bruto.

We all better be careful. This is sandstone.

You never know what might bring it down on us.

Look.

This is beyond all my expectations.

I told you.

It's the greatest find the world has ever known!

Hey, Bruto!

Come on out here! Come on out here!

He wants to kill us like he did Jupe and Latigo!

He wants to keep all that stuff for himself!

You don't have to worry about that, Bruto.

Hey, Bruto, didn't you hear McCullough talkin' to him about that?

I didn't fry in the desert so we could give that stuff to a museum!

Come on out, Bruto!

Phelan!

Phelan, you don't have to be afraid of that.

'Cause he's dyin'? I heard that, too.

But so will you, McCullough.

Maybe he'll have two more seconds.

All right, McCullough, stay in there if you want to.

We'll be out here... where the water is.

You got any more slugs for this?

Have you got any more slugs for this?

There's a whole box in the wagon.

I suppose the key to this thing in the wagon, too?

The key. Here.

Here's your key.

Agua.

Thanks, Bruto.

Ahh.

Hey, McCullough...

Hey, little fat man...

How'd you like a long, refreshing drink?

We got almost half a barrel. You can have all you want.

I'd give all the gold in this room for a loaded rifle.

What...

Isn't that beautiful work?

The blade is made of flint.

Think of that civilization when they had no iron and steel.

And that bow... Isn't it beautiful?

And I found the golden arrow

that must have belonged to Montezuma himself.

It bears the royal seal.

One arrow, a bow without a string...

That's not a very good chance.

I can't get close enough to take a shot.

I'm goin' out, Professor.

It's not much of a chance,

but it's the only one we've got.

I welcome you, sir.

You're the first visitor to the Alexander Portlass Room

at the British Museum.

May I point out to you that you are now looking at

the finest single collection of pre-Columbian art

in the whole world.

I'll quote you from Montezuma's tablet.

"If any of the moon-skinned gods of light

"should happen upon this room,

it shall be his forevermore."

You hear the prophecy?

Forevermore.

Bruto, stop waterin' the horses.

That stupid... Bruto, don't water all the horses!

We only need two.

Put it down! Put it down!

You stupid brute!

Ugh.

It's all yours now...

just as you wanted it...

The Alexander Portlass Room.

It's all yours.