Original subtitles

Morning.

Hey, hey, hey, mister!

You can't sleep here.

Come on, get up.

Look, I'm sorry, you'll have to move along.

Oh.

Oh, sorry.

I got into town in middle of the night,

couldn't get a room.

Sure, sure.

Looking for some work, just a day or so.

Oh, work, well, why don't you try Hank, down at the stable?

He can always use someone to sweep up.

Ah, stable.

Yeah, thanks.

Say, mister, what town is this?

Well, it's Dodge City.

That so?

Say, old timer, why don't you take this

and go buy yourself a beer?

Ah, thanks, but no, no, no thanks.

Hank around?

Uh, no, he isn't.

Know when he'll be back?

He didn't say.

Adam?

Adam Kimbro?

Matt.

I'm just doing this

to pick up a little stage fare.

I never could learn not to draw to an inside straight.

Course, you'd never gambled that much,

so I don't expect ya ever got yourself in that kind of fix.

Where you headed?

Arkansas City, job waitin' for me there.

Job with a badge?

Well, any other kind worth havin'?

United States Marshal,

I knew you had the makin's.

Had a good teacher, Adam.

Well.

How 'bout stickin' around Dodge a day or two?

Oh, no, I can't do that.

I've got to finish up here and then get movin' on.

Well, look, at least let me loan you some money

for your stage ticket.

I don't like owin'.

You know, I've been ridin' most of the night.

I'm hungry as a bear.

How 'bout comin' over and havin' some breakfast with me?

Well, I'd like to,

but you know how it is when there's a badge waitin'.

I understand.

Well, uh, maybe next time.

What is it, Matt?

Oh, Kitty, you remember hearing me speak of Adam Kimbro?

So many times I can give you chapter and verse.

You started out as his deputy before you were old enough,

because you lied about your age.

You served under him for, um, two years in Moundville,

another year and a half in Coffeyville.

He recommended you for your first full-time sheriff's job.

And pound for pound,

he was the best lawman you've ever known.

Yeah, you've heard me speak of him, all right.

Why is he on your mind, tonight?

He's in Dodge, Kitty,

sweepin' out the stables.

Oh, Matt.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Yeah.

By the looks of him, he's been down a long time, too.

He must be over 60 years old.

Yeah.

I gotta do something for him, Kitty.

I owe that man a lot. I gotta help.

Well, of course you do, because...

Because what?

Well, maybe you can see yourself in him.

I mean, uh, have you ever given any thought

to what you're gonna do

when you hang that badge up for good?

I guess maybe I haven't.

Matt, you've given more than half of your life

to this town and others like it.

What have you got to show for it?

You don't even have $500 in the bank.

You know somethin'?

There's times when a woman

can be too smart for her own good,

even if she is a good cook.

Go on, get outta here, go find him.

You're not gonna be any good to anybody until you do.

Kitty, thanks for the good dinner.

Matt.

I really am sorry about Kimbro.

Adam?

Adam!

And that old drummer was silky smooth,

talk a cow right out of his calf.

And then there was Ledbetter Boys.

They come on in with the tumbleweed and was singin',

laughin', gettin' the whole town tearin' things up,

trouble-like when they got drunk.

Hey!

Ah.

Uh, uh,

Uh.

Missed the stage,

so I figured I'd layover till morning

and, uh, leave tomorrow.

Well, then you'll need a place to stay tonight.

In your jail?

Just a bed.

No, no.

No, I got a room.

So I'll, uh, be going on over there.

Come on, Adam.

There we go.

Oh.

Matthew?

Whew,

that old feller went and got his self good and roostered,

didn't he, Matthew?

Yeah, you know who that is, Festus?

That's Adam Kimbro.

You mean your friend,

that marshal that cleaned up Abilene, way back?

That's the man.

But, you know,

he ain't just sleepin' off a one-night bender, Matthew.

Appears more like a whole string

of 'em tied into one another.

Yeah, I know.

You know, a feller like that don't start backslidin'

for no reason at all, Matthew.

Well, I'm sure he's got a reason.

Say, Festus, maybe I'll make that Beulah run, today.

- Hey, would you tell Newly? - You betcha, Matthew.

Just tell him I wanted to take a ride, or whatever.

All right, I'll do it, Matthew.

Adam.

Adam, wake up.

Got some hot coffee for ya.

That coffee could kill lice.

Think you could eat somethin'?

Seems like we ate just yesterday.

Oh.

Got this gnawin',

belt cinched down to the last hole.

Come on.

There we go.

Sit down, Adam.

There we are.

I could use a drink, Matt.

Here.

Try some more of this.

What happened to you?

Nothin', I'm just on a tear.

Sure, I seen a lot of saloons, a lot of dung heaps.

A few white hairs, folks think you ain't the same man.

Sure, you give up a little somethin'.

Maybe your draw don't bring rain no more, the way it did,

but dammit, when are they gonna see it for what it is?

What you lose in fast, ya gain in savvy.

Should come down to the man.

But, uh, it don't.

Fight off those white hairs, Matt.

Adam, you can do somethin' for me.

What?

I got a job for ya.

No handouts, Matt.

Oh, this is no handout.

I need a man. It'll be about three days work.

Well, I can't.

I got that job waitin'.

Arkansas City?

Yeah.

What about your stage fare?

Guess it's, uh, gone.

Three days work, Adam.

Well, Abilene was a long time ago.

Maybe things have changed.

Maybe you're not able to do the job.

What sort of job?

Well, it's a gold town out here name Beulah.

The job is to bring the gold dust into the Dodge Bank.

It can be risky.

All right.

All right, you got yourself a Deputy.

All right, Adam.

Repeat after me.

I, Adam Kimbro...

I, Adam Kimbro... Solemnly swear

that I will faithfully execute all lawful precepts...

Do solemnly swear

that I will faithfully execute all lawful precepts...

Directed to me by the US Marshal for the District

of Kansas, under the authority of the United States.

Directed by the US Marshal for the District of Kansas,

under the authority of the United States.

Make true returns...

Make true returns and take only lawful fees

and well and truly and without malice

or partiality perform the duties

of the office of Deputy US Marshal during my continuance

in office, so help me God.

Feels good, Matt.

Good place to fill up with water here.

Ah.

Matt, do you remember Jake Summers?

Ha, it'd be hard to forget him?

You recall that night in Round Ridge

when he cut that braid

of hair off of that Chinaman?

Turned out he was only gettin' started.

Every time he come in off the trail,

he used to damn near pull the whole town up by the roots.

Hell with the lid off!

That night he busted up the, oh, what was the name

- of that saloon? - Boneyard.

Yeah, that's it, the Boneyard.

That's about what he turned the town into.

Yeah, well, you were pretty green in those days.

Yeah, scared too.

I don't blame ya.

I was scared myself.

I'd been at it a whole lot longer than you was.

Ah, taking in Jake was just like bustin'

in on a wolf at mealtime.

Ah, Jake and hell-raisers like him,

they sure was bothersome at times,

but, oh, I miss 'em, him and his sort.

Not too many around like him anymore.

Nope.

Wonder whatever happened to him.

Now he's dead.

- That right? - Yeah, about 10 years back.

There was a herd stampede in the middle of the night,

and he tried to turn 'em.

Well, that's the way it oughta be, yeah.

Only way for a man like him to cash in,

under the hoofs!

A man should have a chance to die with his boots on.

Tell be about this Beulah.

Not much to tell, there's one trail in, one trail out.

Leaves us open to ambush.

It's happened.

Matt, why do you risk it with me?

You saw me this mornin',

hand shakin' leaves in a stiff breeze.

What if there's trouble?

If there's trouble, Adam, we'll handle it,

just like we always did.

It's been a while.

It'll come back to ya.

Matt, truth is, I ain't had a job in more than six years,

what'd you call a real job, lawman.

Last I wore a badge was in Missouri.

Town turned me loose.

What for?

Told me I was too old to do the job.

Hm, there must be other towns, other jobs.

Ah, I tried 'em all.

I always got the same answer.

How ya been makin' out?

Just like you saw me yesterday,

sweeping out stables, swampin' up saloons,

anything that paid for that next drink, but, uh,

Matt, Matt, you don't have to worry about me.

I'm not worried, Adam.

We're headed due north.

Go by Deerfield.

Yeah, you used to be sheriff there, didn't you?

Oh, a long time ago, yeah.

It changed.

Jailhouse is over there.

Hmm?

Used to have a room in the Union Hotel.

That's gone.

Folks hurryin'.

It used to be still as quicksand,

ah, at least till the trail drives came through.

Well, towns have a way of changin'.

Tear down the old, hammer up the new.

Charlie Booker, town drunk,

used to pick him off the street, every night.

Let him sleep it off.

Ah, I wonder whatever happened to him.

There was a old man, uh, Greely, Greely,

who owned the saloon.

Ah, probably both of 'em dead or gone.

Nothing's the same, nothin'.

Let's get some supplies here.

I'll just take a look around.

Mary?

Mary?

Mary Bentley?

Adam, Adam Kimbro.

- Adam. - Yeah.

Well, have I changed that much?

Well, I think we both have.

- I can't believe it's you. - Yeah.

Oh, all and every bit.

It's been so long, Adam.

Well, we're ridin' in.

I just kept lookin' for a face, and then I saw you,

and I couldn't believe you were still here.

I mean, the town we knew has...

- Changed. - Yeah.

But you haven't.

Oh, oh!

I mean, you're still a lawman.

I knew you'd never quit.

Saw the church on the edge of town, ridin' in.

Started me to recollectin'.

I never forgot you.

Kept wondering how you were, what you were doing.

Same.

Wasn't, wasn't a day...

I've got to be movin', Mary.

I'm gonna be comin' back

- by this way. - Mother!

I just would enjoy...

- Mother. - Oh, uh, huh?

You're late.

You promised to get me a dress.

I'm sorry, dear.

- I ran into someone. - Wow.

Children, this is Mr. Adam Kimbro.

We were once very good friends.

This is my daughter Melody and my son John.

You Adam Kimbro, the marshal?

Ah, that's right, well, just a Deputy Marshal now.

You heard of me?

Yes, sir, lots of times.

You used to be famous.

Oh, John, mind your manners.

Oh, well, he doesn't mean anything by that, Mary.

That was a long time ago.

How old are you, boy?

Fourteen, sir.

Fourteen, yeah.

That'd make you about 16.

Next month.

You...

you're the mirror of what your ma was.

Why, thank you.

Don't seem possible.

You gonna stay long in Deerfield, Mr. Kimbro.

- Oh. - Now, Melody,

stop pesterin' the marshal.

Now why don't you run down to the sweet shop

and wait for me there?

- Will you be long, Mother? - Only a minute.

All right.

Nice meeting you, Mr. Kimbro.

Yeah.

I meant to tell you, Adam, my name isn't Bentley.

It's Simms.

Well, I shoulda asked ya right off if you was married.

You, you was always pretty.

Oh, they're fine kids.

Those are fine kids.

I hoped you come back.

I waited.

Did you wait long?

A long time.

And then I got married to a good man, fine father.

Oh, you wouldn'ta picked anyone who wouldn't be, Mary.

Should I have kept on waiting?

No, but I shoulda come back.

Well...

things don't ever turn out the way we want 'em.

No, they sure don't, Mary.

Bye, Adam.

I wish you a lotta luck.

Somebody I used to know.

Adam?

Thinkin' about how you shoulda done things different?

I guess I figured as far as Mary was concerned,

no such thing as time.

I thought she'd look the same,

like her youngin'.

You see her?

Whew, she was a real beauty.

That's the way I remember her,

young, slim, pretty,

skin smoother than fresh cream.

All those years, I carried a certain memory of her.

Seein' her today...

hate to lose memories,

especially them, uh, them good ones.

Well, no reason to lose it, hang on.

Ah, she's got little more spread to her than I remember,

a few wrinkles, gray hairs.

Like the rest of us.

Course, I've had mine quite a spell.

Fine figure of a woman, uh,

not, not so what you call pretty anymore,

but comfortable, you know,

a nice, comfortable woman.

You got you a woman, Matt?

Yeah, silly question, of course you have.

Mary, uh, Mary and me,

we used to talk some 'bout marryin' and settlin' down,

but, uh, I was a lawman.

I didn't wanna be leavin' no widow and kids.

She was happy just being my woman.

But after a time, she wanted more than that, a home, kids...

me, all and every bit of me.

But there wasn't room enough for a badge and that too,

leastwise not then.

A town up in Montana needed tamin'.

They offered me the job.

Turned it down twice.

Then the governor himself come down there

and talked to me, asked me to take it,

said I was the only man who could do the job.

So... I left.

Happened again, I bet you wouldn't do it any different.

She could've been my wife, Matt.

Those kids could've been my kids.

Looks like he had another man's gold in his poke.

All the mines!

That be them.

Must be somethin' special, Pa,

the marshal himself comin'.

Hadn't counted on that.

When do we take 'em, Pa?

Do nothin' around here,

unless you got a hankerin' to end up like your cousin Lenny.

Hey, Pa, when you figure they're gonna cut him down?

He's up there servin' a lesson, little brother,

not to steal another man's poke.

Moss, what you think we're doin'?

That'd be enough.

I'm sorry, Pa, but he's family

and just leavin' him hangin' there like that...

Well, we should see that he gets buried and read over.

I wouldn't fret on your cousin not gettin' read over.

Why, I prayed him into heaven.

Yes, sir!

I went into the church tent, left my last $2

and told the Lord what a fine man your cousin was.

You tell the Lord he was a theivin' snake belly?

Why, he'd shoot his ma in her sleep for a gold-piece.

No, no, no, I didn't tell Him that.

Somewheres along the trail, we're gonna be waitin' for ya, big man,

for you and that old mossback you're ridin' with.

What are we waitin' for, Pa?

We go trail 'em now, they'll know it.

We wait a spell.

Then we move out, real quiet.

Doc!

- Evenin', Doc. - Oh, hey, Festus.

About done makin' your rounds, are you?

Yeah, thank heavens, I'm tired.

I've had a busy day.

Oh, I got me a longer night.

I got a telegraph from Matthew sayin'

that he might not even be in before tomorrow, late.

Oh, well, that's just fine.

That'll give you a chance to make another day's pay,

and that way, you can square up on some of your bills.

Wait a minute, I don't owe nary a soul

in this here whole town.

Well, now just a minute.

I've always considered myself a soul in this here town.

Doc, are you tellin' me you think I owe you money?

You're gettin' pretty close to what I mean.

All right, you old scutter,

I ain't got no crystal ball, you know.

Why don't you send me a bill,

let me know what I owe you from?

No, I wouldn't do that.

No, that'd put too much of a strain on your eyes

and your brain and everything...

All right, just hold on, smart alec.

That there remark didn't go over my head, neither.

Now I can read a couple of little old figures

or a couple of little old words

- on a piece of paper. - Oh, you can?

We'll just see about it, right now.

What does it say on that badge?

Exactly what does it say on that?

Well, it says I am a deputy United States Marshal.

That's what it says.

It says, exactly, I am a deputy United States Marshal?

Well... - Well? - Nobody

but a old quack-quack'd ask such a thing as that anyhow.

- You didn't... - I've got work to do.

- You... - I don't know about you.

Well, you...

You been a lawman 20 years,

think you'll ever see the kind of money that stands for?

I doubt it.

That ever get to you?

Get to you?

Not then.

It does now.

Ah, it crosses my mind, every now and again,

that a man could buy himself a nice, warm corner someplace

and not fret about the days ahead.

You ever think about ten years from now?

Oh, some.

What you gonna do?

Give into them gray hairs and just walk away from it?

Ah, won't know that till the time comes?

Peaceful.

Friend of mine up in Montana's got a place right on the river.

Imagine fishin' off your own front porch.

Wouldn't take much.

Whatever it takes, it's out of the reach of a lawman.

Of course, them heel rats we're packin' this gold for,

they'll end up grass-bellied and pallin' in velvet.

Well, they earned it.

Just our job to transport it.

Our job, yeah.

Recollect eight, 10 years back,

I rode shotgun for some railroad money.

I got bushwhacked, took a bullet, nudged my liver.

Oh, I protected the money.

All I got from the railroad was thanks.

Turned me over to some sagebrush sawbones

that mined that bullet out with a paring knife.

How many bullets they dug outta you?

A few.

Yeah, I can tell.

I've seen ya favorin' that leg there.

Oh, you cover it up pretty good,

but, ah, it shows now and again.

Yeah, same with me.

Ooh!

Winter's come, this leg here stiffens up like a board.

This shoulder gives me plain hell,

every time I reach for anything higher

than the neck of a bottle.

And I still got a bullet buried somewhere under my hide

that just plain torments me anytime.

Well, that's part of the job, the way I figure it.

Yeah, what we are is damned fools,

come right down to it.

Adam, you know, I remember something you told me one time.

You'd been shot in the back by Charlie Johnson.

While we were waitin' out in the doctor's office,

it was you that said to me, "That's part of the job.

"If you're not willing to accept it, why, get out."

Oh, I was right then.

I ain't changed my ideas none.

I always been ready to die in a harness,

but they took the harness away from me, Matt.

They got rid of me.

And in the whole wide world,

there ain't nothin' else I know how to do.

Nothin'.

Come to the quick of it, neither do you.

Four.

That's the way I'd make it out.

Now that's interestin'.

Sounds like two of 'em broke away.

The only way to get rich is to take.

Now you get that backbone up straight,

and you'll do fine.

All right, Pa.

Now nice and slow and easy,

and you let me do the talkin', ya hear?

Come on!

Howdy!

Me and my boy here smelled your campfire, way back.

We figured wherever there was a campfire,

there'd be a pot of hot coffee

to take the chill out of the bones.

What ya doin' out here, this late?

Oh, we're ridin' to Purdyville,

sorta got lost in the pitch black and all.

Purdyville's straight ahead, about 20 miles.

We're lookin' for work.

Know if we can find any around here?

What's your business?

We've been droving.

Like the marshal says,

Purdyville's straight ahead.

Oh, a lawman, huh?

Are you lookin' for someone?

Down!

Get out of here!

Just like the old times, Matt.

You sure you didn't plan it this way.

No, afraid you'll have to earn your $2, today, Adam.

Ah, they'll come back.

You seen 'em, just a notch or two above wolves.

Come on out, you snake-bellied, lily-livered,

back-shootin' coyotes!

We're waitin' for ya!

That old boy's back there,

and they're shootin' at us, too!

You hurt bad, Pa?

No, no, just a little piece of flesh.

I can spare it.

We're lucky none of us got killed.

Pa, let's go home.

Home?

I thought you boys was gonna nail him.

What happened?

He moved just as I was startin' to shoot, Pa.

Near got your pa killed.

Without me, you'd be runnin' around like strays.

Now we'll move tomorrow morning,

and we'll run him to the ground.

They ain't gonna make much time with that pack mule.

Was you my deputy when I was chasing

that renegade breed up the Cedar Mountains?

That was me.

Remember he stuck a knife in that whisky peddler,

clean up to the trademark.

Yeah, I remember.

Yeah.

Trailin' him reminds me of this.

That breed was still as a sleepin' snake.

That'll be them comin' now, Matt.

Adam, I didn't mean for it to turn out like this.

A man sticks on the badge, he knows the risk.

Listen, we can wrap 'em up, right here.

No, I don't want to do it that way.

I want to stay here and hold them off.

I want you to ride on.

Me?

I want you to get this gold into Dodge.

Matt, I'm old, but I can still do the job.

If I didn't think that, I wouldn't trust you with the gold.

Now get goin', Adam.

There's no time.

I'll see ya in Dodge.

All right, you men, throw your guns down!

You're loco, lawman!

We know you're up there alone.

There's four of us.

They'll have to scape you up with a hoe!

He shot my hand.

We got to finish him off

and get after that old man with the gold.

Pa, look!

Doesn't matter now.

Adam, what are you doing back here?

I wouldn'ta missed this for the world.

This is the way it should be.

Where's the gold?

Up there, under a big balanced rock.

They'll never find it if they do get us.

I told you to get that gold back to Dodge.

Sure, you did.

Then you got yourself pinned down here, boy.

I wasn't about to let you go it alone.

As long as you're here, work yourself around

to the left and see if you can flank 'em.

Flank 'em?

Coyotes like this?

There ain't but one way to handle them, Matthew.

That's the way we used to do it.

Head on!

Come on out, you egg-suckin' pigs!

We're gonna give you 10 seconds

to throw them guns down here

and give yourselves up!

Oh, what's gonna happen, old man?

We're gonna shoot your tails off!

Come on, Matt.

Let's flush 'em out.

Adam, get back!

Pa, they're crazy, both of 'em!

Hold your fire!

Please, I quit!

All right, throw your guns out and get your hands in the air.

Pa.

Told you they'd have to give it up, Matt.

Just like old times.

No, now this is one they can't fix.

Funny, the way things work out.

More years ago than I like to remember,

green, young kid comes to see me,

all knees and elbows.

Near to booted him in the britches

and sent him on home, but, you know,

I'm glad now I didn't.

So am I.