Original subtitles

No need for concern, Deputy. They belong to me.

Who are you?

Murdoch, U.S. Marshal. Those are my deputies.

They ain't got no badges on.

Well, if they did, everybody'd know, wouldn't they?

Say, you Lucas Murdoch, the one all them stories is about?

Matt Dillon in here?

Yeah, he's right here in the office.

Matthew, this here's Lucas... Hello, Matt.

By golly.

Lucas Murdoch.

Been a long time, Lucas. How are you?

Older.

What brings you to Dodge?

That's what I wanna discuss with you, Matt.

Festus.

Be outside, Matthew.

The Carver gang.

The Carver gang? Are they operating in these parts?

They're gonna be here in town tonight.

You sure about that?

Yeah, I'm sure about that.

They're gonna rob the freight office.

Matt, I set Dodge up.

I let word out there's gonna be a gold shipment held here in town tonight.

And there will be.

$42,000 right out of the Federal Treasury.

Why wasn't I told about this?

There wasn't time.

Why does it have to be Dodge?

Why couldn't it be some way station?

Well, here in town they'll be penned in like cattle.

Yeah, well, so will the people of Dodge.

We've got a Fourth of July celebration goin' on here tonight.

We got a barn dance, fireworks.

Well, that's all down on River Street.

The gold shipment will be here in the freight office on Front Street.

Carver's going to be expecting a pretty well deserted street when he moves in.

You've got things all figured out, haven't you?

Been chasin' Carver for 17 months.

I lost three good men in the process.

I got him now.

The trap's set, and it's baited.

All I need is your cooperation.

Do I get it?

Doesn't look like I got much choice, does it?

You can be sure he's got a spotter in town

somewhere right now watching.

Are those your boys guarding the strongbox?

Yeah.

They're gonna ride out with the stage.

Word'll get back to Carver it's just a routine gold shipment

held in the safe in your freight office.

Couple of guards.

Dynamite?

The way Carver operates.

Much obliged, fellers.

Well, with your four boys, Newly and Festus, you and I,

that makes eight.

That ought to be enough to give them a pretty good reception.

Well...

more like seven and a half.

What do you mean?

My left eye's gone.

Right eye ain't much good after sundown.

Jimmy Pearce?

Jimmy Pearce.

Yeah, I heard about that, Lucas.

They say you hanged him.

I hung him.

He bushwhacked me.

Put a piece of lead in my temple.

But he made one mistake.

He didn't kill me.

Took me 40 minutes with the blood runnin' in my eyes, but I got him.

And I hung him to the first tree I could find

while he was blubberin' and screamin' for mercy.

Couldn't you have brought him in, Lucas?

I had an execution warrant, Matt.

I had every legal right in the world to do what I did.

And I'll tell you something else... I'd do it again.

A lot of people said I should have brought him in.

Maybe give him some kind of a hearing, formal like.

And a lot of people said I hung him because he put out my eye.

And I never answered none of 'em.

I'm gonna answer you.

I hung him because he was a dirty, rotten scum

that killed seven men and attacked a 14-year-old girl.

And I enjoyed seein' him kickin' at the end of a rope.

Lucas, how many men is Carver gonna have with him?

There was ten in Brownsville, and that was 17 months ago.

You weren't in Brownsville?

No.

But they were tried legally and convicted,

sentenced to hang.

Had the scaffolds built, lemonade stands up and all that.

They killed two guards and busted out.

And that's where you came in?

Yeah.

Government got a little tired of seeing them shoot up the countryside.

Attorney general called me in.

Give me an order to search out and execute.

And that's what I'm doin'. I'm searchin' out and I'm executin'.

There's the order.

What are all these John Does on here?

There's only posters on Carver and four of his men.

Nobody knew who the other five were.

They wouldn't tell the judge nothin', not even their names, so...

he said they might as well hang as John Does

or John Smiths or anything else.

Matt, I'm gonna break one of my most steadfast rules.

You tell me where the best steak in town is, and I'll buy.

Now, the main thing is, I don't want Carver scared off.

There's to be no gunfire till he's in town.

Well, there's more to it than that.

We're not gonna do any shooting unless we're fired at first.

Stay outta sight till sundown,

then take up your positions.

Catrell, you're here.

Reese, here.

Fraker, you're right here.

You're a farmer with a little too much to drink.

Lennox, you're at the livery stable working on that wagon wheel.

Make it look good.

O'Brien, you block off this end of town.

Hagen will patrol the streets.

Matt, you'll be in the freight office with me.

Newly?

As close as I can figure, the whole town's down there watching the fireworks.

What do you think?

Makes a feller feel a little squeamy, don't it?

Festus?

Murdoch.

Hope they wait for Carver.

Hyah! Hyah!

Get up, there! Hyah! Hyah!

Move it! Hyah! Hyah!

Get outta here! Come on, come on. Move it!

Get up there!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! Come on!

Wait a minute now.

You... You can't be drivin' no herd of cattle down Front Street.

That there's against the law.

Stay away from my mustang, Festus.

He's mean.

He'll kick, bite, scratch, stab you with his tail.

Now, that's what I wanna talk to you about.

You been a ridin' him awful hard today.

We better get him down to the livery stable,

and get him some oats and some water. Want to?

I can't, Deputy Festus. I can't.

My mom said... I have to stay here...

Fairchild.

Gatlin.

Catrell.

Hold it right there.

What's your name?

- Well, it ain't Carver. - Lock him up.

All right, get him away, boys.

The rest of you, get mounted.

You heard Matthew. Get your horses.

We're not gonna get very far at night, but neither are they.

You comin'?

No. I'll get some answers out of this one.

All right.

Get him, Matt. Get me Carver.

Doc, will you get him outta here?

Get outta here, Murdoch.

Don't do nothin' fancy, Doc. Just patch him up.

John Doe there's gonna hang tomorrow anyway.

Mr. Carver.

Braly's hurt bad. I don't think he's gonna make it much farther.

We're leavin' a trail a blind hog can follow.

I think we ought to split up, Amos.

Leave him, Scott.

Leave him?

You wanna stay with him?

Well... I don't wanna leave him.

We'll meet at Cole Station in three days.

I'll hole up at Elm Mills.

See you day after tomorrow.

Scott.

I'll wait just three days.

We're gonna make it, ain't we?

Come on, you ain't dead yet.

Come on.

Scott... I gotta get a doctor.

You gotta get me to a doctor, Scott.

Help me. I'm not gonna make it.

Over there in the barn.

This is Matt Dillon, United States Marshal.

Give yourselves up. You haven't got a chance.

Give up, Scotty. Give up.

I'm comin' out, Marshal.

Throw your guns down.

Let's get him.

I got a friend in here, Marshal.

Hurt pretty bad.

The only reason I give myself up.

What's your name?

How long you been ridin' with Carver?

You're gonna be better off talkin' to me, son.

Now why is that, Marshal?

'Cause maybe you look too young

to have your name on an execution warrant that's two years old.

Yeah, we heard about them John Does of Murdoch's.

Oh, well, that name's as good as any.

This here boy up here's hurt pretty bad, Matthew.

Well, let's get him down out there then. Boys, give him a hand.

Festus: All right, come on. Help me get him up.

Here, hold this rope down there and tie it.

Clem, take hold of that horse there, will you?

Burke, you get this here one up to the Doc, will you?

Festus, where's the Marshal?

Well, he's still out a-trackin' them other birds.

Onliest reason I've came back's to bring that bleedin' youngun.

All right, get down off of your horse.

You folks go on about your business.

Go on. Go on. Get on out.

Well, we got two of 'em.

Matthew and them others still out lookin' for Carver and that other'n.

Lock him up.

Now what's that there supposed to mean?

I mean, what is it betwixt both of you fellers?

Don't you see the resemblance, Deputy?

Lucas Murdoch is my daddy.

Newly, take him in and lock him up, will you?

Yes, sir. Come on in here.

Matt.

Lucas.

Getting some hot water.

Well, we got Townsend.

Good.

Not Carver, huh?

No, he got away from us. We lost his trail.

That man's got nine lives.

One of these days I'm gonna catch him.

When I do, I'm gonna hang him

from the highest scaffold this country's ever seen.

Lucas...

you know... a long time ago, when I was a kid,

I used to read about you.

The greatest lawman the West had ever seen.

I always figured, if I ever put on a badge,

I'd like to wear it like Lucas Murdoch did.

Meaning?

Something's gone wrong.

Somewhere down the line, you...

You've lost the difference between justice and vengeance.

Vengeance?

Well, use any words you like.

All I know is that since you came to town,

there's been an awful lot of talk about hangin'

and very little about justice or due process of law.

Tell it all.

All right.

You've got an execution order there for ten men.

Signed by the Attorney General of the United States.

Search out and execute.

Yeah.

And that's fine, all except for one thing.

You don't know which ten men to execute.

Still harpin' on those John Does, aren't you?

Matt, a John Doe warrant is nothin' new.

You've seen a dozen of 'em.

You know outlaws don't give their names. They protect their families.

What's the difference the name you put on a certificate if you hang a man?

Well, if you don't know the difference, you shouldn't be wearin' that badge.

Now, those five John Does who were on that execution order

could be in Mexico by now. They could be dead.

There's no way in the world that you can tell me

that the men we've got locked up down there

are the same John Does that were gonna he executed in Brownsville.

And I say it doesn't make any difference.

They're all scum.

They rode in here to steal gold.

They found out it was a trap, and they tried to kill to save their own skin.

Yeah, but they didn't kill.

And they didn't steal.

And you can't execute a man for intent.

Now, there's no way that you can hang those five men down there

before the unknown ones have had a fair trial.

You're wrong.

Am I?

All right, let me ask you somethin'.

Suppose Carver had ridden with 15 men.

Now, you've got execution orders for 10.

How are you gonna decide which five men you're not gonna hang?

I'm not gonna argue with you about what might have happened.

Seven men rode into this town.

Two of 'em are dead.

Four of 'em are in custody.

And we can't hang one without hangin' all of 'em.

Why not?

One of 'em's my son.

That's right. My son.

Now, how's it gonna look to the world,

your impartial justice and your due process,

if I suddenly say I can't hang any of you

'cause one of 'em's my son?

I'm sorry, Lucas.

I didn't know you had a son.

Mm.

His mother died. I raised him myself.

Didn't do very good. He turned out bad, Matt.

I was always off chasin' bad-bellies,

and I guess I should have been spending time with him.

I tried to make him toe the line.

Wait a minute.

Now just forget for a second that he's your son.

Now, that boy's only about 18.

Nineteen in September.

All right, 19.

Now, those two boys that we picked up today,

they couldn't have ridden with Carver at Brownsville.

Why, that was two years ago.

You don't think he'd have let boys that young ride with him, do you?

You can't hang those boys. The chances are they're innocent.

What am I gonna do, Matt?

God sakes, what am I gonna do?

Nothing.

You're gonna do nothin' till I get back.

I'm going out after Carver, and when I bring him back,

we're gonna figure a way out of this.

All right, Lucas?

Come on out. I wanna talk to you.

- We got nothin' to talk about. - Get out, or I'll drag you out.

Don't you tell him nothin'. You hear?

You open your mouth, boy, I'll kill you myself.

Big man, Murdoch. You're a big man, ain't you?

Very refined friends you got.

That's right. Friends.

How'd you happen to get mixed up with Carver?

I got you to thank for that.

Oh, your eye still bother you? Hmm?

Carver.

Don't tell me you forgot already.

Meant so little to you, huh?

Forgot what?

My 13th birthday.

No, you didn't forget. Come on.

I was over at Clem Rogers'. They had me a cake.

You don't remember 'cause you weren't there.

You never showed up.

You were always too busy.

I tell you the part you do remember.

On the way home, I stole a watermelon from old man Prather's patch.

And like a fool I took it home and I ate it

and then you caught me just like you always did

whenever I did anything wrong.

Maybe not often enough.

Now, what are you talkin' about?

Three days in a stinkin' jail cell

to learn a lesson about stealin' a watermelon.

Well, I learned a lesson, all right.

I sure did.

Boy, I'm askin' you about Carver.

Wanna know how come you joined up with him and when.

Now, the when, that's important.

You ride with Carver, you give no answers to the law.

Why would you ride with Carver?

Maybe 'cause when I talk he listens.

Now, you give me a plain, simple answer.

How come you joined up with Carver?

'Cause he's a man. That's why.

I'd really like to see you and him face to face.

That'd really be somethin'.

Tell me where he is, boy.

I'm tryin' not to hang you.

Well, don't do me any favors.

Now, boy, let me help you.

I'd like that.

By sellin' out the closest thing to a father I ever had?

I'm your father.

Oh, sure.

Sure. From the day I was born,

I don't think I saw you more than three months.

Maybe you'd show up every now and then and take a strap to me.

Looks like not often enough.

I used to be scared to death every time you came home.

Then I'd think to myself.

The great Lucas Murdoch.

Name in the papers. Picture in the papers.

But somehow it was never him facin' the outlaw he was sent to get.

A dozen deputies doin' his work for him.

You were never a father to me. But that's all right.

You were never a man, either.

Where's Carver?

A one-track mind.

Feel like provin' yourself?

All right.

I might be persuaded to lead you to him.

But just you.

None of your deputies, no posses trailin' behind you.

Didn't think you would.

It ain't in the book.

Come on outta there and close the door.

Get your hat.

No luck, huh, Matthew?

No.

Well, maybe Murdoch will come up with somethin'.

Murdoch? What do you mean?

Burke told me him and his boy rode outta town.

They did? Got any idea where they headed?

Said he was goin' after Carver.

Saddle me another horse, will you?

You betcha.

Townsend.

Wanna talk to you.

Sit down.

Cup of coffee?

Got a little somethin' to sweeten this up with?

You know that whiskey sure smooths out the chicory.

I learned that from a refined lady down in Memphis.

Didn't know you knew any refined ladies.

Oh, I knowed one or two in my time, Dillon.

Uh, in between jails, that is.

You must work fast, huh?

Fact is, seems like your jail's the only one

that's gonna be able to hold me out my time.

Townsend. I wanna know where Carver is.

Doggone it, Dillon.

You went ahead and spoiled the whole doggone thing.

Here I thought you brought me in here for a little social get-together.

I'll make a deal with you.

I might've known any time a lawman would pour some whiskey

into a cup with some coffee, got something in mind.

Stay where you are.

I don't usually let any man talk to me that way.

Gun on his hip or no.

Sit down.

I'm just gonna let you get away with this.

Just 'cause we're such good friends.

I wanna know two things:

where Carver is, and the names of those John Does.

What's in it for me?

Nothing. You're gonna hang anyway.

That's sure grabbin' the pig where it's short, isn't it?

You've got nothin' more to lose, Townsend.

Exceptin' my neck.

Here's the deal.

Carver for those two boys that weren't in Brownsville.

You're gonna let them go and keep me?

No, I'm not gonna let them go.

They're gonna have to stand trial right here in Dodge

for trying to rob the freight office.

But they won't hang.

And I will?

That's the deal.

Sure ain't much of a deal, is it?

Townsend, have you ever done one decent thing in your life?

Tell me somethin'.

You a little bit scared?

Of what?

Well, Amos Carver's younger than you.

He's got both his eyes.

Ain't been softened up by city livin'.

What'd you do with the Carver gang?

You, uh...

rub down their horses, polish their boots,

run their errands?

Why does he keep you around?

I ride with him.

I just wondered why he kept you around.

I don't serve nobody.

Did you ever kill a man?

Did you ever even hold a gun on a man?

No, that's right.

You just hold the horses.

Hey, he's gonna kill you.

Yeah?

Cole Station's right ahead.

What are you doin'?

Let's go back.

Gonna be busy for a while.

You be here when I get back.

Hey, you don't have to prove nothin' to me, old man.

Not anymore.

Hey.

Pa.

I'm headin' out.

Pa.

Mr. Carver.

Chargin' you a dollar for the shirts.

They're mighty pretty, Ruth. Much obliged.

Dollar, maybe, for the wine,

and dollar and a half for the grub.

Reckon that makes it about 3.50.

There's ten dollars.

Ten dollars?

Just in case you forgot something.

You're under arrest, Carver.

I'd just be careful with that gun, Murdoch.

The eyes you've got, you might hit this young lady here.

In that case, you oughta move out of the shadow there,

so I can see you.

Well, now, if we're gonna take a ride,

I gotta saddle up.

That's right.

Miss, saddle up his horse.

Move.

Whoa, boy. Whoa.

Whoa.

Whoa. Whoa, boy.

Told you to stay where you were.

Let him go, Pa. I told you you don't have to prove anything.

- I'm not proving anything. - Then why are you doing it?

It's my job.

Scott.

- You all right, Lucas? - I've walked away with worse.

- Scott? - I'm all right.

Pa.

Take a tight hold on that, boy.

It'll slow down the bleedin'.

Scott, I'm gonna have to take you back to stand trial.

I know, Pa.

That's the way it should be.