Original subtitles

- Thanks, Burke. - It's all right, Miss Kitty.

Was there anything?

No, Beth. No letter.

How about some coffee?

Look, there could be any number of reasons.

He might be sick.

Maybe he decided to stop writing himself.

A letter a week for eight years.

Never once failing to write.

Kitty, I'm scared.

I told you years ago, Beth.

Look, why don't you write one more letter telling him the truth?

Tell him you started writing to him out of sympathy and you didn't have the heart

to stop even after you got married.

Didn't have the heart?

Or didn't have the courage?

Courage?

Something that's hard to admit even to myself.

Being afraid of someone who loved you so much he killed another man over you.

This makes it official, Jaekel.

A full and complete pardon.

Thanks a lot, Warden.

You sure moved things along.

Little enough.

Guard Sneider and I'd be dead if it wasn't for you.

That's all right.

You have any plans?

Yeah. I'm gonna start in where I left off eight years ago

back there in Dodge.

There's a little girl down there.

I'll take her down the church, and...

get married, find myself some farmland, and try to settle down.

Fine.

Wishing you the best.

Thanks a lot, Warden.

Still critical.

May make it if he's not disturbed.

I'd keep that bandage on a few more days, Jaekel.

All right, Doc. Thank you.

You... scum, you.

You scum.

You could have made it with us.

Just didn't see it that way, Dirks.

You're a lousy double-crosser.

We trusted you, Whalen and me.

And then you... Then you killed him...

and you blasted me.

Now, Dirks, you better calm down.

That wound might break open again, you know.

I'm gonna hunt you down, Jaekel.

No matter how long it takes.

Well, Dirks...

there's just no way you're gonna get better

without following the doctor's advice.

Just no way.

Guard, you better help me with Dirks.

That man tried to get out of bed himself.

Hey, maybe you better not move him.

Let's just get the Doc, huh?

Don't think the Doc's gonna help him anymore.

You know, Dirks, half the trouble in this world

comes from having a big mouth.

You, uh, got some whiskey?

Sure.

Is Beth working tonight?

Beth who?

Beth Dorman.

Oh, Beth hasn't worked here in six or seven years.

What?

It's all right, Sam.

I'll handle it.

Hello, Carl.

Come on, let's go talk in my office.

Have a seat, Carl.

What's going on, Miss Russell?

I mean, all I wanna know is where Beth Dorman is.

Sam wasn't lying to you.

Beth doesn't work here.

She hasn't worked here since you went to prison.

They shorten your sentence?

There was a pardon.

They just had some trouble up there, and I helped the warden put it down.

Now wait a minute.

You mean she has been receiving mail from me here

and been sending it to me from here?

I never liked it.

And it's partially my fault for allowing it.

Where does she live now?

She's married, Carl.

She's what?

She's now Mrs. Wilson.

And she has a six-year-old daughter.

Carl, you've got to understand, Beth's intentions were very, very good.

She thought it would help you if she wrote.

And then she couldn't figure out a way to stop.

Even after she got married.

Six-year-old daughter?

That's right.

Let me get this straight, Miss Russell.

She wrote letters from the Long Branch... From here...

And received mine here, right?

I was never sure it was the right thing to do.

There's one thing I'm sure of...

That was the wrong thing to do.

Where does she live now?

Carl, I don't think you ought to see Beth

until you've thought this thing through.

I guess she had her reasons.

I... I know it's always a shock when you...

When you learn there's been changes.

Changes?

I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry.

Thanks for the drink.

Maybe some other time.

Good luck, Carl.

Thank you.

Hey, Mister, you're leavin' your drink.

You know, along this east section here,

there's a windbreak I could cut down,

we'd gain a lot more acreage there.

And that creek water could be put to a lot better use.

Look how it wanders all over the place.

Still quite a price, Norman.

Yeah, well, you know, I think old Singleton would go for,

say, 1,500 down, carry the balance over five years.

If we could fix up the house cheap enough

and you could get a share-farmer tenant in there before summer.

I guess we can't lose.

Well, look how Garden City's growing.

All that river land is bound to hold its value.

Anyway, I'm going out there tonight, Beth.

- I'm gonna take the late train out. - Tonight?

You've had such a long day.

You've heard about the early bird.

I'd be in Garden City and clinchin' that deal by mornin'.

That's my instincts.

Time to be getting your bed clothes on, honey.

I just wanna dress my dolly.

It's getting too late for that. You take your dolly to bed with you.

Come on, Penny. Do as your mother tells you.

Well, I guess I'll start to pack.

Hey, Beth, could you iron me an extra shirt?

I think I'll be hitching up the wagon while you're packing.

If you want to.

Carl.

You used to be more spry getting in here, Beth.

No, Carl, no, wait.

You... You just... You gotta wait and listen.

Carl, you've just gotta listen.

You used to be more smiles than yellin' me to wait.

I... I got... I got so much to explain.

I don't know where to begin.

It's all right.

I talked to Miss Russell.

I didn't know how I'd be telling you.

I got a pretty good idea.

I'm... I'm glad you do, Carl.

I... I'm real glad.

Your Pa dying during my trial.

Me being sent off for more years than you expected.

So you kinda tie down to a man who can run the farm,

right, Beth?

Guessin' that they let you out.

That's right.

I'm a free man now, Beth.

Soon as I get them eight years out of my mind.

I wish you well, Carl. I really do.

We used to talk much straighter than that, Beth.

Straighter?

Now you got a husband in there you didn't want.

Maybe a kid you didn't want, either.

Oh, now, Carl, that just don't happen to be true.

Well, we won't argue on what's passed, Beth.

You're Beth. Me, I'm the guy who was hoot-owlin' you out

for some courtin' at night.

Now, we ain't leavin' that behind.

Now, as long as it takes you to pack your carpetbag,

we'll be back eight years.

But, Carl, I got a family now.

I'm a married woman with a child.

I saw your husband in there, Beth.

Big belly, small head.

Now, you also got a kid.

Now, you can take her with us or leave her.

It's all one and the same with me.

Now, something was said right here in this barn eight years ago.

Carl, you gotta understand, eight years is a long time.

I know how long, Beth.

I sure know that for a fact.

We just can't go back.

We can't?

Do you remember one night in here?

You crying and telling me all about Sy Cord.

How he wouldn't take no for an answer.

Me settling it out in the Dodge street with him?

I didn't think you'd kill him.

But that's all past, Beth.

Past.

Just you and me. That's all that matters now.

But it's not all that matters.

I told you I got a husband, a little girl,

a farm to tend.

No, Beth, it just couldn't change the way you felt.

Just you and me, nobody else in the world.

Now, that's just exactly the way you used to say that, Beth.

But it's different now, Carl. You gotta understand that.

Not with me, Beth, and not with you, either.

Now maybe, Beth, you need some proving too.

Carl, I'm gonna yell out and get Norman in here!

You just do that!

I wanna see that man you've been keeping the truth from all these years.

Eight years of letters to a man in prison.

Carl, please.

What is keeping you, Beth?

Is it the kid?

It's the kid, Beth.

I know it is.

You know, deep down inside, Beth, you and I are just the same.

Just all feelings, Beth.

Now, you just gotta keep on shutting out what's been

like I do when I left the prison, Beth.

I don't have them feelings, Carl.

I was all girl and no sense.

I don't have them feelings no more.

Eight years of letters, all lies!

I'm sorry, Carl.

Sorry?

I can't think of anything else to say.

Only from the time it takes you to walk from here back to that house.

That's as long as you're going to be sorry.

No.

I... I am sorry.

Not sorry enough.

I'm gonna take you with me, Beth.

Whether you like it or not.

I'm gonna take you back to the beginning.

Carl...

I don't love you no more.

Eight years of letters to that prison...

say that you do.

All I'm saying is it can wait.

You can even send a wire to Singleton in the morning

telling him that you're buying.

No, cash in hand, that's the only way old Singleton'll ever do business.

I don't know what you're so nervous about,

bein' left home for a weekend.

I been gone more'n a week plenty of times.

- I'm not nervous. - Huh?

I just don't like to see you ridin' that night train when you're so tired.

Well, you can expect me back maybe...

Maybe Monday mornin'.

Giddup!

Whoa! Whoa!

Well, you know, I could think from now until doomsday,

and I couldn't come up with nary a soul who'd want me killed, Marshal.

You haven't been in any arguments lately,

or been threatened by anybody?

Well, maybe a word now and then with old Woody...

He runs that quarter section up north of me there.

But whereas we ain't exactly friends,

he sure wouldn't have no reason to go gunnin' for me.

Ah, old Woody a bushwhackin' anybody

just don't make no sense at all, Mr. Wilson.

You know, I was thinking that maybe he, uh...

Whoever he was...

Might have mistook me for somebody else.

That's possible.

Anyway, I'll look into it.

Well, whoever he was, he couldn't have been much of a shot.

Shootin' from that close to the road.

Say, Marshal, could we keep this from my wife?

There's no need to worry her when I'm gone.

I'll talk to you when you get back from Garden City.

Thank you, Marshal.

Ol' Norm Wilson is the last feller in the world

you'd expect to get shot at...

Unless somebody's tryin' to get his wagon horse.

Well, there's easier ways to steal a horse

than to ambush a wagon, you know.

What about him having words with old Woody there?

I ain't heard much about no words.

Well, I'm gonna ride out there and have a talk to Woody anyway.

Tell you what I want you to do.

First thing tomorrow mornin', go out and check that east road.

See if you can find any tracks.

I'll do that, Matthew.

All right.

Come on, Skippy.

Here's your breakfast.

Skippy.

Skippy.

Skippy, I fixed your breakfast.

Penny: Hello.

Hello, there.

Your puppy seems to like me.

He's always friendly.

Well, do you mind if I pet him?

He likes that... Having his neck scratched.

You know, when I was a little boy, I had a dog just like him.

What happened to him?

Just got old and died.

I hope Skippy never gets old.

He will.

Then I'd have nobody to play with.

Johnny Anders, he's the boy at the mill.

He chases me away when I try to play with him.

Well, you see, little boys just don't like to play with little girls.

Just can't do the same things.

Can, too. Do lots of things.

Pa says I'm a tomboy.

Little boys can climb.

Big oak back of our house. I can climb all the time.

I just don't know about that.

You see that log there.

Now, a little boy could climb all the way to the end of that.

Now, a little girl just couldn't do that.

If I pretend it's only on the ground, I bet I could do it.

Nope.

I think we just better leave logs to little boys.

See.

I wouldn't go any further... just being a little girl.

See. I did it.

Sure did.

I wouldn't go any further than that.

You could fall off real easy.

Can you swim, Penny?

No, I... You know my name.

If you can't swim, I wouldn't take another step.

The water's real deep.

Well, you got me thinkin' now...

that you're going to the very end.

Penny.

Penny, where are you?

Oh, my God.

Penny!

Don't move, Penny. Don't move.

Hold on tight. Mommy's got you.

I'm getting wet, Mommy. It's cold.

Quite a tomboy there, Mrs. Wilson.

What were you trying to do?

Oh, just get acquainted with your daughter.

Mommy, I'm cold.

You go on up to the house and get your wet things off, honey.

I'll be... I'll be there in a minute.

Come on, Skippy.

You couldn't do such a thing.

Couldn't do what, Beth?

I guess you heard about old big belly

and his troubles on the road last night.

Seems somebody tossed a couple of shots his way.

Oh, he got hurt none. He took the train out the same night.

Now, who would want to do that?

A man you can't like you can't hate, right, Beth?

Please tell me what you want.

You mean for right now, Beth?

For all time, Carl. Please, just to see you leave.

Leave?

Well, I guess we could come to some kind of agreement, Beth.

Anything.

You've got me so scared I can feel it in my stomach.

Now, Beth...

I remember a night, kind of soft breeze, summer.

Your Pa had left on a trip.

When I come that night, I didn't know he had left.

You had put candles on the table.

Fixed something we never did get to eat.

Some of that elderberry wine your Pa fixed.

You ever think of that, too, Beth?

Now, Beth...

I'll wait till the moon is up, you hear?

Now, you wear something real pretty, Beth.

Well, I agree with you on Woody's temper, Matt,

but I just don't think he'd lie to you.

Well, no, no, he seemed sincere enough.

Beer, please, Sam.

On that new line of credit you've established here, is it?

Oh, don't start your hoorahin', Doc.

I been a ridin' all day out on that blamed prairie.

You didn't find anything?

Oh, I found a little track or two, Matthew,

along the road, but they all went right smack into the creek.

I'll tell you, that feller's slicker than a schoolboy's sleeve.

That is the most amazing thing I've ever seen.

He don't even swallow.

Well, the trick is, Doc, that you don't take nary a breath.

Oh, that's it, huh?

Oh, I can prove it to you, you wanna buy me another beer.

Oh, I'll buy you a lot of beers if you promise not to breathe.

- I'll see you later. - Oh.

All right, Doc.

Well, it's sure got me stumped.

What has?

Well, Norman Wilson.

Last night he was shot at on his way into town.

Norman Wilson?

Yeah. He wasn't hurt, though.

Fact, he went on, took the train to Garden City.

Do you mean Beth was left there alone?

Well, yeah, why?

Carl Jaekel. He's back.

You mean he got out of prison?

Pardoned.

Somethin' about him helping the warden in a prison escape.

Matt, Jaekel was here last night.

It's just possible he headed straight for the Wilson farm.

I better get out there.

Matt, there's something else you ought to know. Uh...

Howdy. Can I have a whiskey, please?

- Good afternoon, Marshal. - Jaekel.

Do you mind telling me where you're staying in town?

I'm not staying in town, Marshal.

Where are you staying?

Well, under no roof right now.

All I want to see is some stars over my head.

That doesn't answer my question.

Well, I'm just camping out.

Looking at some land I might be interested in.

Were you out near the Wilson farm last night?

Yeah. Dropped in there for a few minutes.

Very discreetly, you know. I talked to Mrs. Wilson in the barn.

I just didn't want to upset her husband about the letter business, you know.

Maybe Miss Russell talked to you about that.

How'd you get back to town from there?

East road, I think.

Right where Norman Wilson was shot at.

Hope he didn't get hurt any.

I mean, are you thinking that I did that, or what?

Possible you'd have reason to, isn't it?

Well, I think it's just as possible that I don't, Marshal.

What are your plans now?

Well, as I said, I'm just gonna look around for some land

and hope to settle in Dodge, if you don't mind.

Where you settle is your own business.

You don't know how that makes me feel, Marshal.

Finally do what I want to do, without anyone interfering.

See you later.

Who was that, Matthew?

That's Carl Jaekel.

What's this about some letters, Kitty?

Well, this is something I should've told you about a long time ago.

Well, there's been eight years of letters

between Beth Wilson and Carl Jaekel...

while he was in prison.

Eight years of letters?

Festus, you and Newly better take turns watching the Wilson farm.

Get right out there, Matthew.

Keep a special eye out for Jaekel.

You betcha.

Well, Kitty, maybe you... maybe you better just tell me the whole story.

Nobody minds his own business.

Nobody.

Hush, Skippy.

Yes, indeed.

Just like old times, isn't it, Beth?

Hush, Skippy.

You look mighty pretty.

Oh.

You even smell like you used to, Beth.

Made some chicken and dumpling stew.

- Good. - I have to tend to it.

Big belly doesn't mind leaving you alone like this at night, does he?

Only left last night. No reason to hurry back.

Well, I sure wouldn't be looking at it that way.

No, sir.

I'd be coming back lickety-split to loving arms.

Beth, you never did say why you married him.

Well...

he was, um... he was kind to me.

Pa died.

I felt alone.

I guess that was just it.

You sure sold out cheap, Beth.

The marshal talked to me today.

I told him that I might be settling around Dodge.

But you're not.

I sure wish you would stop looking at me so scared

every time I open my mouth, Beth.

You're not staying, Carl.

No, I'm not.

I figure on pulling up stakes tonight.

I guess I got a right to be scared of you.

I mean...

I guess I always been scared of you, Carl.

You mean, even during our courting days?

Maybe.

Now that's very peculiar, Beth.

How can a girl be scared

and so warm and cuddly at the same time, as you were?

Maybe I wasn't very bright.

I just don't know.

You know what I think, Beth?

I think you like being scared.

I think you like your man to be a little dangerous, don't you?

Remember when I killed Sy Cord?

Probably made you shiver.

But I'm sure it gave you a kind of a warm feeling at the same time,

didn't it, Beth?

Oh, no, that isn't so. It never was.

Sure takes after you, Beth.

Things you used to do on a dare.

Remember Rock Creek?

When you had nothing to swim with.

Jumped right in with your dress on.

So of course naturally we had to get it dry...

before you could get back home.

I don't like to be reminded, Carl.

Yeah?

Well, now, Beth, nothing bad happened.

I dried that old dress for you.

Even kept a proper distance from the bush you were behind.

Used to keep thinking back, though...

maybe you didn't want any distance kept.

I was a very foolish girl then, Carl.

I don't think we should talk about it.

I think we can sit down.

Sure.

Went through all of your letters last night, Beth.

Saved every one of them.

I even got a couple of them with me.

I just figured you might be interested in reading 'em.

Right here.

Take the first one there. You might wanna read that one.

Now, the date on that letter is mighty interesting.

Considering the age of your daughter and the...

length of time you've been married, Beth.

Read it to me.

Carl, don't.

Read it, Beth.

What's the first word, Beth?

"Darling."

Darling.

Well, I couldn't change the way I was writin' to you.

That's right.

Now, the way I figure it, Beth,

is that you couldn't have written that

more than one or two days

either side of the honeymoon you had with big belly.

I'm real interested when you wrote that, Beth.

Exact day it was.

I don't remember.

Well, then read it. Might jog your memory, Beth.

Carl.

Read it!

"As I write this letter...

my thoughts are always with you."

"And of course I miss you.

So it's a question you needn't ask.

I miss those nights we had together.

Especially...

when the day was gone, and the land was still."

You were close to being a poet then, Beth.

Here, I want to read the second one.

Dated about the time your daughter was being born, Beth.

Carl, do we have to go on with this?

Go on!

Of course it starts with "darling."

Just skip down to the bottom of the first page.

It says, "I'll always love you."

Now, Beth, I think you owe another letter.

Carl, please stop playing games with me.

You just get a piece of paper and a pencil.

Get it.

Now, let's be more formal this time.

Let's use "Dear."

"Norman."

"Dear Norman."

Or maybe "Dear Mr. Wilson," Beth.

Or would you prefer "Dear Mr. Big Belly"?

Now write.

"Dear Mr. Wilson."

"This letter may come as a shock to you."

"As a shock to you," Beth.

"But I have decided...

that the last eight years of my life have been a total waste."

Write, Beth.

"So, my loving husband...

loving to the degree that eight years is a long time...

to be listening to your snoring."

Now that there's one kind of answer, Beth.

But you better not miss.

Hit a real vital part, you hear.

And you pray I die quick.

Because if I don't, Beth...

well, let's just say I got one minute to live.

Just one minute.

Now, where would I start, Beth?

Just one minute.

Huh?

Now back to writing the letter, Beth.

- May not believe in what you're gonna... - No, no, no, Carl, please.

Carl, no! It's just no use!

Oh!

Penny...

Penny, sit up, hon.

Where are we going, Mommy?

There's a storm coming, honey.

Come on, let's go.

Where are we going, Mommy?

The old Hill mine. We'll be safe from the storm there.

Come on.

Mommy, somebody's living here.

Marshal.

Festus is missing. So is Beth Wilson and her daughter.

Looks to me like there's some blood in the farmhouse.

Get Sam and Burke and some of the others.

We'll get up a search party. I'll meet you out at the farm.

Better be careful where you walk, Beth.

Lot of crawling things back there.

Lot of bad things happen to girls in the dark.

You're quite a gal, Beth.

Always gives a fella a good chase.

Mommy, a man's calling.

I know, honey.

Now, Penny, that man... We're playing a game.

- Game? - Hide and seek.

Now you remember that, don't you?

- We have to hide? - Yes, you get in here.

It's a good place for you.

But in order to win the game, you've got to be absolutely still.

Not make a sound.

Can you do that?

I think so.

Remember, not a peep.

Now it ain't gonna be all that bad, Beth.

Considering my forgiving nature.

All that energy going to waste.

You wanna give it up?

Wanna talk?

Now, there's no way out, Beth.

All them tunnels you've chosen lead right back to the same place.

Ain't gonna chase you throughout all of 'em.

You got a tired man on your hands.

Besides, this tunnel is just about to come down on you.

Carl: Ain't no way out but by old Carl here.

Well, I guess you made up your mind, Beth.

Be a lot cozier here than back there.

You've even got your kid there with you.

Sounded like it come from underground.

The old Hill mine.

Now, Beth, you better come out, or I'm gonna shoot your friend.

I'm coming, Carl.

I think that your nose got too long for you.

Oh!

Matt: Jaekel.

Mrs. Wilson, where's your daughter?

She's hid. I'll go get her.

Festus, how you feel?

Aside of a sore noggin', I'm all right, Matthew.

Penny?

Oh. Ooh.

The storm was thundering.

I was scared.

Oh, I know, honey.

Did we win the game, Mommy?

Yes, baby.

We won the game.