Original subtitles

Be glad to help you home with all that, Mrs. Travis.

It's all right, Noah.

I have to stop at the post office first.

I don't mind waiting.

Not now, Noah!

Thank you.

Let's go, Colby.

Did you need any help with all that, Mr. Eaton?

We'll manage.

Why didn't ya let him help, Pa?

We didn't need any.

Don't ya like him?

Not much.

Not much to like about Noah Beal.

Well sure is trying to make friends with people.

It isn't friends he's trying to make, it's money.

So he can buy himself a bottle.

Noah don't care much about people.

Just whiskey.

Oh and people give him money

for helping carrying their things.

Mostly old ladies.

I'm going in to talk to the marshal.

I want you to stay out here with the wagon.

And if Jess Bradman gets his hands

on that piece of land controlling the water,

my place'll go to dust in less than a year.

Eaton, there's no way for Bradman to file on that land.

These homestead laws aren't there to make

one man rich, ya know.

Oh it'll do it for Bradman, just the same.

He's salting those claims with his own men

or anyone he can find.

He'll pay 'em dirt and the land is his.

Miller, Beaver, Pearson, they're all Bradman men.

They're sitting on claim land right now holding it for him.

What you say may be true.

But the point is there's nothing I can do about it

unless I got proof.

And there's nothing you can do either.

Marshal, I killed a cougar last week.

Not for pleasure, but because he was eating off my stock.

Something that was mine.

Now Marshal, I'll do it again if I have to,

lion or a man.

Let me tell you something.

You kill a cougar your trouble's over.

You kill a man your trouble's just beginning.

Oh here, here.

All right, I'll take it from you now.

I sure wanna thank you for helping me out like this, Colby.

Is there something wrong?

No ma'am.

Colby.

Here.

I didn't have this much in mind, ma'am.

I didn't know you had any amount in mind.

Next time set your price at the beginning.

That way a lady'll know where she stands.

Yes ma'am, I know I should've.

Now you're stuck with what I gave you.

I guess I am.

Thank you Miss Kitty, thanks a whole lot.

How much'd ya get?

A quarter.

That's not so much.

I done better lots of times.

Good for you.

Give it to me.

I said give it to me, boy, do ya hear?

No.

I don't have to, it's mine.

I earned it.

- You stole it. - I did not.

Miss Kitty gave it to me and you know it.

You stole it sure as you took it out of my pocket.

I'm the one

- who works the General Store. - I did not.

Everyone in town knows this is my corner.

My spot and you post on it.

That quarter's mine I want it.

No.

You're stealing, you know that boy,

you can see that, can't ya?

Now I've got as much right to help people as you.

Your name ain't on that store.

- Where is it? - I don't mean

to stand here and argue.

- I like to help people. - Now gimme that quarter.

No just let me, let me alone.

Let loose that money, boy.

I'll call my Pa.

- Let loose of it. - Pa, Pa!

Pa!

Fill it up again, will ya Bull?

When I see some money in front of me.

Ah now, Bull you gotta let me have that bottle.

I were only 20 cents short.

The way you pour drinks in that shot glass

there's no way a man can get his money's worth.

Just one more.

I only want it to start working.

All I need is to feel a little sleepy, that's all.

Fill it up, Bull.

What'll ya give me for it?

What do ya want?

Just to do what you want.

Put ya to sleep.

You willing?

One punch in that ugly face of yours for the drink.

Last chance.

We got a deal or not?

Go ahead, take it.

You can do it.

He won't hurt ya.

Come on, let him hit ya.

What a laugh.

- He won't even stagger ya. - Almost enough money there

for ya to buy a full bottle.

What do ya say?

With the left hand.

One left hand punch for the drink, right?

And all the money on the floor.

Wait, wait!

Wait.

Let me have the drink first.

You'll probably need it more after.

I may be dead after.

Up to your old tricks, Boomer?

We was just funning, Otis.

No harm done.

Don't forget, old man, you owe me one.

Boomer, come here.

Boomer, if I have to come to you

you're going to be in real trouble.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Now, that old man don't owe you a thing.

Right?

- Right. - Ah!

That's better.

Now move.

Gimme a bottle.

You're still 20 cents short.

Aw, not again.

Give him the bottle.

You don't have to do anything for it, Noah.

Drink up.

Would you gentlemen care to have a drink with me?

Be glad to.

And when this bottle runs dry, we'll get another one.

Where are we?

Never mind that.

You passed out on us.

We got a lotta drinking to do.

Aye, I'll be right with ya.

Right there.

Just one little...

Ya stay awake for a couple more minutes

then you can sleep all night long.

I want ya to sign this piece of paper.

Come on.

It's the claim, the land claim.

You're filing on it, remember?

Don't want any land.

It's for Jess Bradman, you know Mr. Bradman, don't ya?

And I don't like him.

Well, how can ya say that

when he's willing to do so much for you?

All you gotta do is sign this piece of paper

and when the time comes he'll give you $100 to buy it.

Now, that's a lotta money.

Don't want any land.

I ain't no farmer.

Well, listen here you old fool, now listen.

Yeah, all ya gotta do is live here

for just a little while.

Not for long.

Mr. Bradman is a real friend.

Look, look what he sent ya.

It's all yours, Noah.

Didn't I tell ya that Bradman was your friend?

That's all yours.

Every bit of it.

And when that's gone we'll get ya some more,

all you can drink.

Now, just sign it.

Hey, old friend, old friend.

Just sign it

and you can drink yourself to sleep every night.

Yeah.

Now you can drink yourself into hell.

Come here, you.

Come here.

Hey.

What do you want?

Don't want nothing.

Whatcha doing?

Worming.

You have to know where to look for 'em.

You want any help?

Not from you.

If my calculations are correct,

they should be right under this rock.

I've looked under plenty rocks.

Ah, but there are rocks and there are rocks.

There ya are.

All you want.

You know I ain't got that quarter with me.

Didn't ask ya for it, did I?

They're real ugly.

Depends on how ya look at 'em.

They look like little old shrunken up snakes

without their skin.

They're pretty special creatures

if ya stop and think about it.

You know how much one of them worms weighs?

Less than 1/2 of 1/2 of 1/2 an ounce.

They do ten times the work 100 men can do in a year at work

in ten hours a day.

Oh yeah, like what kinda work?

Can't tell ya.

Because they don't do nothing more than what I said,

that's why.

No because I can see in your eyes

you think they're ugly and worthless

and your mind ain't open to hearing nothing good about 'em.

Okay, go ahead, tell me.

Well, you know how when the heavy rain comes in

and the wind and the snow and all that.

Turns over the land ya see,

bringing the bottom land up to the top.

And the other way around.

But it takes a long time for that to happen,

maybe 100 years 'fore ya get a good, rich topsoil.

Well now picture in your mind all them worms,

millions of 'em crawling around under the earth.

Crawling and moving all the time.

Each and every one of 'em eatin' his own weight

in leaves and grass and dirt every 24 hours.

Honest?

Honest.

Did ya ever ask yourself what happens to all the soil

they're eatin' and pushin' outta the way?

No, what happens?

Ah well now, they're shifting and shifting,

all the time they're moving.

Rotating it, bringing the bottom up to the top

and doing it a whole lot faster

than all the rain and the wind.

What them millions of worms do in ten years

it takes a whole lot longer for God to do

by sending all the wind and rain he can.

Yeah, but God made the worms.

Sure he did, sure he did.

He's no fool.

He knows how important them worms are.

He sees 'em as working creatures,

not good old slimy snakes without their skin.

Just think what it'll be like without 'em.

There'll be no crops for your father's farm.

No grazing land for the sheep and cattle to eat on.

Not much of anything.

No sir, life'd be awful displeasing

without them little creatures.

I guess if you look hard enough

ya can see there's a place for everything in this world.

Maybe even drunken old men

who try and steal money from boys.

You weren't all wrong.

Like ya said, I did take your place.

Ah you were better than me and I was jealous.

That was more than most of the tips I ever got.

Really?

Sure it was.

Ya live around here?

Yeah, on the farm just over there.

Ah, then we're new neighbors I guess.

My place is right over that away.

Well you must be some farmer.

My Pa, he doesn't know

near as much about the land as you do.

And he's pretty good himself.

You still working the land yet?

No.

Why not?

It takes help and I ain't got any.

There's a lotta tools and supplies

I haven't got 'round to buying yet,

mostly on account of I haven't got the money.

Well, I could help, and I can get some of the tools for you too.

My pa wouldn't mind

- lending 'em to ya. - That's awful nice of ya,

but I ain't no farmer.

You mean you never tried farming?

No and I'm in no mind to start now.

Why not?

It ain't hard.

I watch my pa lots of times and...

Your pa must need ya over at his place,

must be a lotta good help he gets from you.

He don't let me do too much.

He says it's quicker doing it himself

than explaining things to me.

Yeah but I know a lot more than he thinks.

Hey, if you let me work your place with you,

I could be a real help.

I'd work real hard.

Then we could show him.

I could bring him down to your place

and he could see for himself what I could do.

Oh you don't gotta pay me, I'll work for nothing.

Here.

Had it with me all along.

It's yours.

You see, I wanna make it right with you.

You keep it boy.

Then I can work with ya?

Ya gotta get it into your head, I ain't no farmer.

How do ya know if ya ain't never tried?

Don't say ain’t.

You did.

Don't sass me boy.

When you get to my age there's a lotta things you can do

you can't when you're a lot younger.

Yeah, except for work.

Now why don't you go on home, boy.

Go on home.

Hey, Colby!

What are ya doing with the till?

What's this all about?

It was gonna be a surprise.

It is.

What's going on?

Well you remember

I told you about our new neighbor last night?

And all this is for him?

Son, Noah Beal is a drunk, like I told ya.

That's all he is. He's no farmer.

Yeah but he could be.

Colby, Noah Beal just ain't no farmer.

He didn't file on that land to work it.

He's more'n likely holding it for Jess Bradman.

He's not holding it for anybody.

He's a farmer, I know it.

Except he's ashamed to admit he hasn't got the money

to buy tools and things.

Please Pa, believe me.

He'll be a great farmer.

Well, if what you say is true,

we've got nothing to lose.

Be neighborly to help him out.

But if he's there for Bradman,

you'll find that out too.

Thanks, Pa.

Mr. Beal!

Mr. Beal!

Ah, what are you doing here?

Look what I brought.

I thought I told ya I wasn't no farmer.

Well that's what you keep saying.

But I don't believe you.

You know too much about worms and land and growing things.

Well, it's real neighborly of you to bring all that stuff

but you just can't up and start farming.

Ya have to plan and think.

Yeah but we could do it.

I know we could.

Well, I guess it wouldn't do any harm to talk.

Wouldn't do any harm to talk about it.

Maybe we could decide the best way to begin. I mean...

Oh I know one way better than any other.

What's that?

You just start by starting.

Ya know something, son,

they say Rome wasn't built in a day.

But then you weren't the foreman on that job.

We're gonna do it, Mr. Beal.

You just wait and see.

Colby, wait a minute, wait a minute.

This one's been here 100 years, looks like.

Yeah but it's right in the middle of the field.

Precisely.

A man needs a bit of shade to relax in,

where he can sit and watch the seeds sprout.

We'll leave it another 100 years.

It'll be our tree.

Sure it will.

And we'll carve our initials in

when we get the first crop, right?

Right.

Yahoo!

Just think, we'll start planting soon.

Gee I hope the rain's good to us this year.

Last year my pa almost got ruined

because of a flash flood.

What did he do?

He prayed a lot.

Maybe we should do the same before it happens.

God's a long way up there.

He's got so many people trying to talk in his ear.

He may not hear your voice in all that confusion.

Maybe we should try.

I never been on a personal basis with him.

Maybe we should.

Bye, Noah!

See ya at sun-up.

Pa!

Pa!

Pa!

What are you doing?

No boy, no.

Come here.

Come here.

No.

You're lucky, Eaton.

The last time somebody took a swing at Beaver

he got his arm broke in four places.

Now you listen good.

A lotta things happen to farmers.

Sometimes their crops get ruined by stampedes,

their barns burned, sometimes their little boy

who's supposed to come home before dark don't show up.

You get outta here.

You get off my land!

Not for long, Eaton.

This place is gonna belong to Mr. Bradman soon.

One way or the other.

We're either gonna buy you out now

or we're gonna sit and wait

'til that old drunken fool Beal gets his land legal

and then Mr. Bradman dries you up.

Now you think about that real hard.

Beal, Beal.

Noah Beal.

He's Bradman just like them two are.

Lock, stock and barrel.

That old drunk's as much a part of this

as Bradman and all the rest of 'em.

Do you understand?

Do you understand what he is now?

Colby, what you doing here this time of night?

Are you working for Jess Bradman?

Are you?

Everything we've been working for, is it for him?

Is it?

Colby is not that easy to answer.

It is, either yes or no.

Well it started out that way.

There's no use denying it.

But, things have changed, Colby.

You gotta believe that.

I don't want to give the land over to Bradman.

Yeah, but ya have to because you promised him, didn't you?

Didn't you?

Yeah.

Everything's been for nothing.

All the planning and dreaming we did.

- All for nothing. - Colby.

It's been a lie, all of it.

You're nothing more than what my pa said you were.

Nothing but an old drunk.

You're a liar.

Colby, please.

- Colby. - Here.

It's yours.

Belongs to ya.

I don't want any part of it.

I hate you!

I hate you.

Colby!

Colby!

Colby Eaton!

Hey, Beal.

I wanna talk to the boy.

Beal, you're trespassing.

Now your and my quarrel is one thing.

But you keep Colby out of it.

Colby show yourself, boy.

I got something to tell ya.

I'm my own man, Colby.

Not Bradman's

- or anybody else. - Whatever you got to say

he doesn't wanna hear.

Now get!

Didn't lie to ya, boy.

I'm going through with everything I promised.

Get out!

I want ya to be with me.

- Half as equal. - You get outta here.

Go on, get outta here old drunk.

I'm giving ya half the place, Colby.

Now you stay outta here.

Colby!

Do ya hear me?

Give it another chance, please.

Without you it don't mean nothing.

Colby, please!

Bradman.

Afternoon, Marshal.

I saw Eaton this morning.

He told me about your boys paying him a visit.

I went out to see him.

Talk about some business Mr. Bradman had in mind.

He come at me with a rifle.

Some people shouldn't be allowed to own a gun, Marshal.

Too short tempered.

Of course if Eaton's been telling you another story,

well I think Miller's word is just as good as his, isn't it?

Not in my book it isn't.

But, unfortunately, in court it'll be a different thing.

Now I'll tell ya one thing

I've been hearing some talk about you that I don't like.

What kind of talk?

About salting those homestead claims, for one thing.

Look, Marshal, a few of my friends

might be homesteading until they own the land.

And when they do and they wanna sell to me,

that's their right.

There's no law says a man can't do what he wants

with something that's his.

Yeah, but there's a law against collusion and conspiracy.

Now if I can find one man

that'll say he acted in your interest

in taking up those claims, I'll be coming for you.

Stop!

No, stop, please.

Noah.

It's our tree.

There ya are.

Colby.

Get up on that seat and get on outta here.

What's wrong, Pa?

Do what I tell ya. Get up there.

Now you got the last out of us Eatons you're gonna get.

Got cooly labor outta my boy,

you're using my equipment to plow this ground

for Jess Bradman.

For me and Colby, not for Bradman.

Oh you're Bradman's man, all right.

From the whiskey in the belly to the lies in your mouth.

That's not true.

I just came up from the creek.

They're damming it up.

They said the new owner of the land told 'em to do it.

That's you. Now Bradman's doing that.

And you're letting him 'cause you work for him.

I didn't tell no one they could damn up any creek.

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

Look at him, Colby.

Look at him squirming like a snake

trying to make ya think it's night when it's day.

I don't wanna see ya no more, Beal.

Now you keep away from my boy or I'll kill ya.

Come on, let's get on outta here.

Come on.

Wait.

Listen, I don't know anything about it.

I'll tear down that dam, I swear it.

Colby, please.

I swear it.

Stop that.

Get outta there.

You've got no right to put up that dam.

I didn't say ya could.

You old fool.

- Get rid of it. - Come on.

Hey why don't you breathe on it.

That'll tear it down.

Come on ya fool.

I tell ya it's a good thing ya come by.

We could never a got it built without ya.

You aren't even drunk.

Hey, get the bottle.

I didn't say.

You're supposed to be a drinking...

Oh you're supposed to be a drinking man.

I like ya better when you're drunk.

- Otis. - All right.

Put it there.

Just a second.

You do the pouring and I'll do the holding.

Ah, drink it good.

Good for ya.

Now you hold that bottle, now you drink that bottle.

Drink it.

There ya go.

Now you finish that bottle.

Don't want no young kid in my life, no sir.

Trouble is all it brings is more trouble.

Don't pay.

Mind your own business.

Go your own way.

That's what's getting me...

You heard what your pa said

about not wanting ya on this place any more.

Well get off it.

Hear me boy, get off my land.

It ain't yours.

Not yet.

Not until tomorrow when it becomes legal.

My pa told me so.

Anyways, I heard what ya said at the house the other day.

About how half this land is mine.

We're partners.

Even.

That's what ya said.

All I'm doing is planting my half.

You're working for nothing.

All this belongs to Bradman, all of it.

And me, ya pa was right about me.

I'm not a farmer.

Yes you are.

Nuh uh, I'm a drunk.

Plain and simple, that's all.

I make a living running messages,

carrying packages for old ladies

and stealing what I can wherever I can.

And that's all.

That's all!

That's all, Colby, let's go.

Colby.

I still don't believe it.

Noah Beal, selling whiskey instead of buying it.

But if somebody gives it to ya

ya got a right to sell it, right, boy?

Right.

Right boy, come on.

You get enough?

More than enough.

We can use the rest of the money

to buy some extra seed.

All right Colby.

Come on!

The shovel!

Come on, Colby!

Get down!

Yeeha!

Yippee!

Colby I don't want ya coming over here tomorrow.

Why not?

We're partners.

I wanna face Bradman with ya.

You're the junior partner and you'll do like I say.

It was me made the deal with him

and it's me has to do the tellin'.

Well supposing it gets,

well supposing he doesn't like it and gets angry.

Well he sure won't like it.

And he sure will get angry.

But I'll just have to get a little angrier, won't I?

You take care of yourself, Noah.

Got to.

Can't let anything happen to me now

and let my partner do all the work.

No, no, no.

Remember Colby, don't come to the place.

I'll let you know what happens.

It's one thing to stop being a drunk.

And another to get a man's heart started in the morning.

Especially this kinda morning.

Didn't ever think that would happen, now did ya Noah Beal?

Noah, you in there Noah?

Come on in.

Well, ready to talk business, Noah?

I'm sorry, Mr. Bradman, but I can't sign that.

I saw the plowing when I rode in.

You did a lotta work around the place.

Suppose I should take that into mind.

I'll add another 50 to sweeten the pot.

I'm keeping the land, Mr. Bradman.

You'll sign Noah or... Or what, Mr. Bradman?

You'll kill me?

Well now you see, I wrote out a will last night.

It's not much but it's enough

to see the land it turned over to a friend of mine,

Colby Eaton his name is.

That'll tickle you some now, wouldn't it?

You'll sign old man.

You'll beg me to let ya sign.

See to it.

You're gonna sign that, Noah.

Make it easy on yourself.

I need this land, damn you.

What is it you want?

More money?

I'll give ya 200.

Three.

I'll give ya another spread.

No, ya won't.

It's this land I want.

You see I got a partner

and he likes it here.

Pick him up, pick him up.

- Hold it right there. - Miller.

Miller, unbuckle your gun belt and put it on the table.

Or use it.

You too.

I wouldn't do it, Marshal.

They tried to make me sign over the land but I wouldn't.

It belongs to me and Colby.

Bradman, I told you all I needed was one man.

And I think I've found him.

I'd like to thank ya, Marshal,

for coming along like ya did.

Accidental-like.

The only thanks I need is your signature

on this complaint right here against Bradman.

I feel kinda funny testifying against him in court.

I mean I'll do it, Marshal.

But sitting on that land for him

was the best thing ever happened to me.

I don't know, I get an idea the best things

are yet to happen.

Thank you, Marshal.

Come on, Colby.

Noah, Noah I need some help carrying these packages home.

Oh!

Noah Beal!

Are you gonna stand there with that boy

laughing like a fool?

Or are you gonna help me with these packages

and earn some money?

You know Colby, a quarter would buy us a good file

to sharpen the plow.

What if she only gives us a dime?

We'll have to get one that ain't so good.

Good day to ya, Mrs. Travis.

A pleasant day it is.

Let me and my partner help ya with the packages.