Original subtitles

Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.

♪♪

You have heard the words against Two-Bears.

And you have heard his answers.

It is you, the council,

who must decide where the truth lies.

I do not believe what has been said against my friend.

You have witnessed the decision of the council, Two-Bears.

In three days, you must die.

The council has spoken.

Well, at least one of his old friends stood by him.

Grey Horse and Two-Bears fought together in the war.

Grey Horse was blind to the evidence.

There are too few of the old chiefs left.

You're making a mistake.

I am leader of the council.

I did not decide against him.

You didn't speak for him, either.

It is the law of the Osage.

You have lived among us long enough to know.

I know this:

He did more for the Osage in dealing with the army

than any of the other chiefs.

There are those who would not have dealt as meekly

with the army, Agent Franklin.

Agent Franklin?

Sarah, you shouldn't be here.

You know that.

The council grounds are forbidden to women.

I know my father is innocent.

Do you really think you have to tell me that?

No.

Cannot the white man's law help him?

This is a tribal matter.

There's no place for the white man's law.

It's over, Sarah.

I'm sorry.

Kitty!

Hold it.

Doc?

What are you up to?

Well, I'm gonna do some shopping.

Well, I was on my way down to have a beer with you.

Well, it's gonna take me a little time.

- Oh, well, thunder. - What's the matter?

Nobody's where they ought to be today!

Matt's not in his office. Festus I can't find...

Well, the two of them rode out early this morning.

They're going fishing.

Oh, no, no, they're riding out to the Herkimer place.

Oh, I forgot about it.

Something about some stolen horses?

Yeah, there was some shooting.

I patched up a couple of them last night.

How long you gonna be in there?

- Well, an hour or so. - Oh.

Look, why don't you go on down to the Long Branch

and talk to Sam? He's there.

I don't want to talk to Sam.

Why not?

Well, he's not as pretty as you are.

♪♪

Are you the marshal?

Well, is there anything I can do to help?

You're too young.

Well, I'm not that young.

You are the marshal?

No, I, uh, was just helping out until the marshal gets back.

When will he be back?

Well, I can't tell for sure.

Something wrong?

My father is going to die.

Die?

Unless I get help.

Well, it's not the marshal you'll be needing.

What you need is a...

Oh, Doc, this young lady here needs some help.

Well, you look pretty healthy to me, young lady.

Oh, it's not her, it's her father.

My father is not sick.

Well, you just told me that he was gonna die.

Medicine will not help him.

Well, wait a minute, here.

Your father's gonna die and medicine won't help him?

What's-what's the matter with him?

They're going to kill him.

Who's gonna kill him?

The council.

They say that he killed Samuel Brightwing.

It's not so.

You're Osage, aren't you?

Yes.

Well, I know a lot about your people,

and I'll tell you something.

That council is not gonna kill anybody

without evidence.

They say they found his knife in Samuel's back.

It's not so.

I think maybe we ought to get Matt.

Oh, he couldn't do anything about this.

It's out of his jurisdiction.

Well, the reservation's in the district.

Well, inside or out, Thad, it makes no difference.

They have their laws. It's in the treaty.

In the mission school, we are taught

that the white men's ways are good.

My father did not kill.

Yet you are going to let him die?

Can't we get Matt to do something?

Well, he can't break a treaty.

And that's exactly what he'd be doing if he went out there.

No, I know that this doesn't

seem right or fair to you, miss.

But there's just nothing Matt Dillon

or anybody else can do about this.

Then my father will die for something he did not do.

It isn't right, is it?

No, but my gosh,

they have a right to their laws, and...

well, they have a right to their laws.

That's all there is to it.

Thad, you may cause a lot of trouble.

Soon you will see my father, and you will know

that he couldn't do the thing they say.

Where are they holding him?

"Holding"?

Well, while he's waiting to be killed.

My father is not an animal.

He's not being held.

You mean he's just walking around, free?

Yes.

I don't get it.

There are things that he must accomplish

before he faces the council's decision.

Well, why doesn't he just run away?

My father?

Well, you said he was innocent.

He is.

Well, if he is, and they're gonna kill him...

My father is a chief of the Osage.

It is Sarah, daughter of Two-Bear.

And a white man.

There's no time to deal with them.

The others are waiting.

We must go.

Been going on for pert near a week now.

Three times they've come.

Why'd you wait so long to tell me about it?

I figured I could handle it by myself.

Yeah, and how many head have you lost handling it by yourself?

Fourteen.

14 head.

You never caught sight of any of them?

Well, me and a couple of the boys

near caught them yesterday.

Run them out towards the barranca country.

Yeah, and you got shot up pretty good

for all your trouble, too, didn't you?

Well, they doubled back and hit us from the top of the bluff.

Meantime, some of the others were back here

helping themselves to more of my horses.

I'd have lost them all if it hadn't been for my foreman Andy.

Do you know where he is right now?

Laying in Dodge with a bullet in his leg,

right betwixt two of your wranglers, that's where he is.

Yeah, and if Doc hadn't come to me,

I still wouldn't know about it.

Oh, yes, you would.

My other two hands quit me.

And seeing as how you couldn't run the spread

and catch horse thieves to boot,

why then, you'd call in Matthew, huh?

It ain't fair stomping on a man

what's lying on his back, Festus.

Aw, foot.

I got what's left of my mares outside in the corral.

And you don't have any idea who's behind it.

No.

I don't run a big outfit, marshal.

I haven't got much of a crew.

Or I didn't have much of a crew.

Well, whoever it is figures that your place is easy pickings.

Well, maybe it ain't much, but I ain't gonna be run off.

I'll tell you that much.

Well, Herk, I'm afraid we can't stay around very long

and give you much help.

I didn't figure you could.

Well, now, look, as long as you can't get any more crew anyway,

why don't you come on into town for a while

till this thing blows over?

Marshal, I've been on this land since before

John Brown was breathing fire.

By Judas, I'll stay... On it or under it.

Uh-oh, Herk, looks like you got visitors.

If they're looking for work, they've sure got jobs.

Well, now, looka there.

Couldn't be better timing.

You know 'em?

Kind of looks like my sorrel

that one fella's riding.

If it is, that's my best brood mare.

Golly Bill, Matthew,

this could be our lucky day.

Well, now, let's just wait and see

what they got on their minds.

Won't be a long wait,

you can bet your Sunday socks on that.

All the hired men have run away.

Only the old man remains.

Good.

But do not forget, you are white men.

You will not take his scalp.

That will come later.

You will only take his horses

and whatever weapons you find.

Then burn the buildings.

Wah Hopeh will protect you.

You all right, Herk?

I'm all right.

Why, there's a Injun,

dressed up like a jayhawker.

Looks like an Osage.

Well, Matthew, I've saw this feller in Dodge a time or two.

You said Osage.

It was Osages tried to trade me

for some guns a few weeks back.

Well, what in the tarnation they want with guns?

They don't have to do no hunting.

They got vittles a-plenty.

Guns in the hands of Indians

only mean one thing.

Yeah, but we ain't had no trouble

with these Osages in 20 years.

Trading for guns and stealing horses,

that's a troublesome pair if I ever heard of one.

Well, how do you figure it, Matthew?

I don't know. I think I'll ride over to the reservation,

see what they've got to say.

You think you can get into town all right,

with your shoulder hurt like that?

Don't you fret none about me.

Festus, why don't you get a wagon

and help get him into town?

Well, Matthew, I was fixing

to go over to the reservation with you.

You're liable to run into a regular hornets' nest.

Well, he's going to have to have help getting into town.

Besides, I'm going to need you in there

to look out for things while I'm gone.

Well, all right,

but you're liable to need some help, you know.

♪♪

This is where my father lives.

You will talk to him?

I'll try.

Please stop them from killing him.

You are the only one who has listened to me.

Even my father's friend, Agent Franklin,

has turned his back on me.

I'll do whatever I can.

Wait here.

I will bring my father to meet you.

This is my father, John-Two-Bears.

This man has come to help, Father.

He is a boy.

He's a friend from Dodge City.

Your daughter told me of the council's verdict.

My daughter was wrong to tell you of anything.

Even if the decision was unfair?

I've been sentenced according to the laws of my tribe.

And what if the law is unfair?

By what right do you judge what is or is not fair?

I'm not judging.

It must be shown to all who will see.

The council's decision must be obeyed by all the Osage.

Father, please.

Now this thing is done.

Cannot be stopped.

Your daughter doesn't want you to die.

She doesn't believe you killed that man.

My daughter knows I did not kill this man.

And yet, you're going to let them kill you?

There'll be no more talk between us.

You will go now.

I'm sorry.

My father's friend, Grey Horse, did not choose for death.

He believes my father did not kill.

Could he be of some help?

Somebody must.

Very soon, somebody must.

- Howdy. - This is Osage land.

I know it is.

What do you want?

Well, I come to see one of your people.

Who would have dealings with a white man?

His name is Grey Horse.

And I believe he's a friend of Two-Bears.

We know who he is.

Turn back, and you will not be harmed.

I figure on seeing Grey Horse first, then I'll ride on.

You will not interfere in Osage justice.

You haven't the right.

It's not interfering I'm planning on.

I just come out here to see if something can't be done.

Two-Bears will die.

Seems that way.

And you will go.

After I see Grey Horse.

You timed that just right.

Just stand easy, young fella.

- Take off the gun belt. - What?

Don't "what" me. Just do what I said.

You're in trouble, boy.

Would you mind explaining to me

how I can save myself from two Indians

and I be to blame?

You're trespassing on Indian land.

I'm not trespassing.

My name is Elias Franklin.

I'm the Indian agent, and you are trespassing.

Well, Mr. Franklin, I'm not trespassing.

I was brought here by an Indian.

You were what?!

Girl named Sarah came to me,

asked me if I couldn't help her with her father.

Came to you?

Well, she wasn't looking for me.

She was looking for Marshal Dillon.

You work in the marshal's office.

Not exactly.

Did Dillon send you here?

No.

I'm not a lawman.

It's just that the marshal was out of town

and this girl needed help,

so I came out here to see what I could do.

Your "seeing what you could do"

could cause a lot of trouble, do you know that?

I just came out here to talk to a man named Grey Horse.

And you attacked a young buck on the way.

I didn't attack him!

I'm not gonna sit here and argue with you.

Just come along with us now

before this thing gets so far out of hand

that I can't control it.

Control what?

Never mind what! Just come along!

Now you wait a minute!

Now!

♪♪

My debt to you is finished.

It is so.

Two-Bears, what of your daughter?

My daughter?

My trade is good here.

I can provide well for her.

My woman and I have talked.

She could come and live with us.

That is kind of you, old friend.

I've made plans for her.

Good-bye, Two-Bears.

I heard you were arrested.

I'm sorry I caused you trouble.

It wasn't your doing.

If you had not come to help my father,

Agent Franklin would not have arrested you.

I did what I thought was right.

But now you are in here, and I cannot help you.

Look, I told you it wasn't your fault,

and you're not to worry, you hear?

So the council had no choice

but to sentence John to death.

That young friend of yours

I got locked up over there thought he could stop it.

I probably ought to let him stew in jail a while,

but I'm afraid I'm gonna need him.

Come on, I'll have him released.

I still don't understand

what all this has got to do with the stolen horses.

I'm not sure it has anything to do with it, but since you say

those young bucks were trying to trade for guns...

Well, that's what this fella, Herk Crawford, told me.

Well, the past six months or so, there's been a split

between the older people and some of the younger ones,

and the council tried to stop it.

What kind of a split?

Well, you know the pride of these people, marshal.

Somehow, they got all stirred up...

The younger ones, that is...

And the way I hear it, they are looking

for a return to the old ways.

Hm. Some of those old ways can be a little bloody.

I know.

Now, what's John-Two-Bears got to do with it?

Well, he was one of the loudest voices

to speak against them in the council.

He really wanted to set 'em down hard.

Uh-huh. Well, all I really came here for was to find out

about the stolen horses and the gun running.

I'll have the agency police help you if you want.

Well, if I were you, I'd look into this situation

before the army has to handle it.

Oh, there's been peace for 20 years.

They wouldn't make any kind of a move

that would necessitate anything that drastic.

Well, six weeks ago, I wouldn't have figured that they'd

be stealing any horses, either.

Come on.

I will be finished soon, Father.

That is for Spotted Deer.

He has often admired it.

Yes, Father.

We will ride to Grey Horse to talk about you.

May I not stay here?

It would be wrong for you to live alone.

I will be alone, no matter where I live.

Do not say such things.

I think them.

Why may I not say them?

What I am doing is right.

So that the young men will be given an example

of how an Osage should obey the council?

The words of the council are only spoken among the men.

But at night...

the men lie down among their women.

From them I've heard of the would-be warriors.

They must not fight.

They must learn that the council's decision in all things

has to be obeyed.

I am selfish. I only think of my father.

I have no choice.

I wish you had never been a chief.

I wish you had just been one of the many that followed

instead of one of the few that led.

That's not true.

I'm proud of you, father.

But I love you.

And in love there is no room for pride.

You have no choice, and I have no answer.

It's near here where they jumped me.

How much farther is it to where Grey Horse lives?

Well, the way Sarah told me, it's pretty close now.

Afternoon.

This is Osage reservation land.

I know.

Then you are not lost.

No, I'm here to see you, if your name's Grey Horse.

You wear a badge of the white man's law.

I'm a United States marshal from Dodge City.

You are here to see me?

That's right.

I will listen.

I understand you're a friend of a man named John-Two-Bears.

Now, if there's any connection between his sentence for murder

and these stolen horses...

Horses? Stolen?

If you had any influence, we could hold things up

until we've had a chance to investigate.

What have the Osage to do with stolen horses?

Well, one's been killed and two have been wounded so far.

You are sure they were Osage?

The man I found had this on him.

That's Osage medicine, isn't it?

Wah Hopeh.

The war medicine of the Osage

when they were a fighting people.

And I took this one off of a brave

who tried to kill me back there.

Now, if these two are some of the ones

that have been causing trouble on the reservation...

I know of no one causing trouble.

Agent Franklin told us a different story.

It is a tribal thing, to be handled by the council.

It may have to be handled by the army if it gets out of hand.

Now, John-Two-Bears talked in the council meeting

against these two men, and a couple of days later

he was accused of murder.

Something you yourself refused to believe.

The council has decided.

Two-Bears himself has accepted this.

So must we all. There's nothing I can do.

But if there's a chance to save his life?

The white man has laws by which he lives.

Some of them seem strange to us.

But they are the white man's laws.

For him, they are good.

Would you heed an Osage who asked you to change them?

The time grows short, Grey Horse.

Two-Bears.

This man is a marshal of Dodge.

I have heard of Matt Dillon.

I've heard of Two-Bears.

Do you think to bring your law here?

Only long enough to catch some horse thieves.

It would seem they were Osage.

Maybe one of the men you spoke against in your council.

Do you think these horses are stolen? They are not.

They're all I have left.

I bring them to you, old friend.

Sorry to have bothered you.

I'll catch up with you in a minute.

After tomorrow,

my daughter will come to you to be your woman.

Sarah?

Please go now.

But your father just...

There's no point talking about it.

Are you gonna live with Grey Horse?

He's alone.

The day after tomorrow I will be his wife.

Why?

He's my father's friend.

I will do as my father says.

Well, that's as wrong as his being killed.

Grey Horse was a great warrior.

Like my father, he's a chief.

I will be honored if he accepts me.

You know that's not so.

Wait a minute.

If you're so almighty concerned with what's truth

and what's right, then look at me and-and tell me that again.

It is the custom of my people.

Like it's a custom to die for a murder you did not commit?

You can't understand.

Well, then, explain it to me.

Explain it to me the way your father explained

why he's got to die.

You have been my friend.

I'm very grateful.

Good-bye.

No, you don't explain it by avoiding it.

Good-bye, Thad.

And thank you.

Thank you for being my friend.

They're all over the place.

Yeah, they've been following us half the day.

They're just keeping tabs on us.

I haven't seen any signs of 'em.

If we get closer to those horses,

we'll see plenty of sign.

I'll make you a bet.

What's that?

I'll bet they're wearing those Wah Hopeh whatchamacallits.

And another thing...

If we find the ones who stole the horses,

we'll find the ones who made it look like

Sarah's father killed that man.

Better get some sleep, Thad.

We'll start out soon as it's light.

Well, I hope we find them in time.

They have not found the horses.

And they must not.

It would be very simple to kill them.

They sleep like old women.

To kill them would only bring in other whites.

The time is not yet ready.

But if they come upon the horses...

In that event, we have no choice.

But only in that event.

Soon we will be strong enough.

Soon we will have enough horses and guns to give our braves.

And the cry of Wah Hopeh will fill the land.

I swear to you and the others,

one day soon the white man will be driven

from the land of the Osage.

Any sign of horses?

Nothing.

Well, if they're around here, we'll find 'em somewhere.

Did you see any of those bucks that were following us?

No, just once or twice.

Who are they?

That's Franklin's Indian police.

Oh. Well, I hope they've had better luck than we have.

Yeah. Let's try up here toward the rocks.

♪♪

I am ready.

When the shadow no longer touches the stones,

it is the time.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

Look out behind you, Thad!

That was good shooting, Thad. Thanks.

Those horses must be around here someplace,

if they're showing themselves like that.

There's a couple of dozen of 'em in this canyon right below us.

We were told to bring help if you need it.

As a matter of fact, I can use some.

There are a couple of dozen horses over here

you can take back to the agency for me.

Keep them covered, Thad.

Come on.

♪♪

♪♪

Who are you?

I'm a United States Marshal.

You have no right here.

Would you rather have the army?

What does this mean?

You want to tell him, Grey Horse?

Tell him what?

This man's a horse thief.

What's he doing wearing that?

Wah Hopeh.

Indian war medicine taken from Osage horse thieves?

We found 'em up a box canyon near here, well hidden.

That is your horse, isn't it?

We found him among the stolen horses.

Then it was taken from me.

Or maybe you just added him to your remuda.

Why should I do a thing like that?

Well, the men that are following your Wah Hopeh

are gonna need all the horses they can get, aren't they?

I know nothing of the followers of Wah Hopeh.

What about that cache of rifles we found up the canyon?

I know nothing of them!

That's not what he told us.

Grey Horse is a great leader

who will bring back the Osage to their place of honor.

It was he who killed the one who would not join us.

He took the knife of John-Two-Bears

and killed Samuel Brightwing

because Two-Bears spoke against the greatness

that was to be ours again!

It was Grey Horse who gave us the medicine

of the great Wah Hopeh!

We are to be punished,

we will accept it proudly and honorably,

like the great Osage warriors that we are!

The Osage have no need for warriors.

We are at peace.

The old days are past.

Only a fool would relive them over again.

We will handle this matter ourselves.

The council will meet tomorrow to decide.

And the guilty ones shall be punished.

All right, fair enough.

Well, Eli, that, uh, worked out better than I'd hoped for.

I want to thank you, Marshal.

Could have gotten pretty messy if we'd had to call the army in.

Well, we have Thad here to thank for that.

Me?

Well, it sure wasn't any of my doing.

Course, if things had've worked out differently,

we might have had the whole Osage nation down on our necks.

That's right.

Instead of having just a few hotheaded young bucks,

we might have had a thousand of 'em.

Now, wait a minute...

I guess we can consider ourselves pretty lucky at that.

Better get mounted, Thad.

We got a lot of riding to do.

There are a lot of people indebted to you, Thad.

Thank you, Mr. Franklin.

Would you mind if maybe I come out here sometime?

Whatever for?

Well, it all depends on Sarah.

Anytime, Thad.

Anytime at all.

Thank you very much.

- Thad... - Hello, Sarah.

I want to thank you for my father and for me.

Thank you very much.

Well, that sounds kind of final.

I will not see you again.

Why? Are-are you going someplace?

No.

Well, now, I just talked to Mr. Franklin,

and he said it was all right if I come out here again.

Oh, please do.

I'd like that very much.

Bye, Sarah.

Good-bye.