Original subtitles

You know, Louis, I could use some help.

I earned enough for now, Sam.

Besides, Miss Kitty said expressly

I shouldn't overdo myself.

Well, you're certainly not doing that.

- Louie. - Festus.

- Sam. - Hi, Festus.

Whew!

She's hotter than a jug full of red ants out there, Sam.

Yeah, and it's hot in here, too.

For those of us who are working.

It's kind of a quiet day, nothing much to do and all.

Whose got nothing to do?

Matthew.

He sure don't need me helping him do that.

Well, that makes sense.

'Cause there ain't no deputying to do or nothing like that.

Well, I'll tell you what, Festus.

I've got about thirty cases of whiskey back there that needs moving.

I got to make room for 15 barrels of beer that needs storing.

Now, if you'd like to earn fifty cents or so,

you could go right back there and start in.

I'd like to help you out, Sam, but, uh, I can't.

I thought you were looking for work.

Oh, no. No. No.

See, I got to keep myself ready

in case Matthew needs me to do some deputying.

In case there was to be some trouble breaking out.

Just supposing somebody should ought to come in here to rob you,

wouldn't I look like a ninny back there wrestling around...

Much obliged, Sam.

Of course now, any other time,

I'd be Johnny-on-the-spot and it wouldn't cost you a penny, neither.

I ain't going to charge no friend for helping him out.

No, sirree.

Oh, uh, Louie?

Oh, the world's in a terrible state, Festus.

A terrible state.

Indian wars up north,

Indian wars in the Southwest,

robberies, killings,

all sorts of terrible things.

It just makes a fella glad that he can't read.

- Glad? - There you are,

reading that old newspaper, and all you're doing is a taking on

all the problems and troubles of somebody else,

and then you still got your own to fret on.

Well, I'll tell you, I'm glad I can't read.

I'm just glad.

I see what you mean.

'Course you do.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk.

All that bad, is it?

Frank Reardon.

Frank Reardon? Did he kill another one?

Run him down near Caucus City.

Caucus City.

- That there's in Kansas. - What's in here.

You know, Louie, I'm just glad

that I ain't got him on my heels.

Now, that there would be a real problem.

Amen to that.

The way I figure it, that leaves...

Well, there's just four of them left.

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

What in thunderation's the matter with you?

Giddyap.

Cane, you stay outside and keep a watch.

- You keep watch yourself. - Do like I say.

One day I'm gonna kill him.

That's the worst thing Reardon's done to us.

What?

He got us hating each other's guts.

Put some grub in a sack: bacon, coffee, some beans.

Buy you a drink?

No, thank you.

You get that many offers to be so choosy? Hm?

- Please, let me go. - Just trying to be friendly.

Figured maybe things being all that quiet around here.

Hey, Bradford, leave her be.

Little drink? Little talk, maybe, huh?

Please.

Blast you. That's what got us into this.

It don't blizzard in Kansas summer.

Now, once more, real polite.

It's him. It's Reardon!

I'll cover the back.

Hey, come on. Get up, get up, get up! It's Reardon!

I don't see nothing.

But he was out there.

Then we'll find him.

This time, we'll stand and fight.

Ain't the first time you've said that.

Tried it when they got Marlow and Henry. You run off faster than any of us.

Then stay here.

I'll face him alone.

Reardon?

Reardon, where are you?

I'll fight you, but it wasn't me.

I didn't hurt your squaw.

Maybe.

But you didn't help her, either.

She let you all in from that blizzard, and you sure didn't protect her.

He's over there.

What's the matter? Are you hurt?

Let me take a look. Now, don't be scared.

I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm not one of them.

Let me take a look.

Now, listen, it's nothing.

Don't you worry about it. It's just a scratch.

I'm sorry you got mixed up in this.

Whoa, there. Whoa.

- Doc, you hear... - Get out of my way.

- What's the matter with you? - A bunch of maniacs running around

on the public roadways. They ought to be horsewhipped.

- What are you talking about? - None of your business.

You hear about Frank Reardon?

- What about him? - Well, I was over at the Long Branch

a few minutes ago and I was talking to Festus and Louie,

and they were telling me about Frank Reardon.

- You know him, don't you? - Yes, I know him.

Well, do you know he's in Kansas?

No, I didn't know that.

- Well, it seems a little spooky... - Spooky?

Well, look, Doc, I know there's been all kinds of renegades and killings

in and out of Dodge, but from what I hear, he's a mad dog.

A mad dog? Frank Reardon?

Burke, what in thunder's the matter with you?

He'd sooner shoot you in the back as look at you.

Look, how many has he shot? Eight, nine, ten...

As a peace officer.

I'm talking about since he's been chasing...

Wait a minute, Burke.

Frank Reardon, according to what I hear, has killed three men.

And eyewitnesses say they all drew first.

- You saying that makes it right? - I'm not saying anything of the kind.

I don't condone killing any more than the next one, but it...

- Howdy, Doc. - Oh, hello, Louie.

- Doc, I got to tell you. - Yeah, but Burke beat you to it.

Louie, will you please take care of my rig for me?

- Sure thing. - Thank you.

- How'd he take it? - How'd he take what?

The news of Frank Reardon.

How does he take anything he doesn't like to hear?

I've always found it depends on who tells him.

Look, I don't have to take it from you, too.

Well! I might have known it was you.

You are an absolute and utter walking catastrophe.

Ever since the day you first set foot in this town,

it's been nothing but complete chaos.

There's no place I can get away from you in Dodge City.

There's just no place I can hide.

Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night

can stop these couriers in the swift completion of their appointed rounds.

But Festus Haggen can.

It isn't snowing or raining, Doc.

Oh, for heaven's sake.

Poor old scamp.

The years is sure hunching up on him.

Brains are getting all muddly.

Snow in the middle of August.

All right, boys, back it up here.

What's happened?

Marshal, we got to get out of here.

We'll talk about that later. What happened to him?

Been shot, Matt. Let's get him up to the office.

Festus. Louie. Give me a hand.

- Be careful of that shoulder now... - Watch it.

It was over to Willow Creek.

You ever hear of Frank Reardon, Marshal?

Yeah, I've heard of him. He's a friend of mine.

All right, get your hands up.

All right, on your feet.

Jail's right over that way.

We ain't done nothing.

I'd call drawing a gun on a marshal something.

How, uh... how good a friend is this Reardon?

He's as good a friend as I got.

Let's go.

Well, I can't seem to find anything in the wanted posters on you two.

- You figured there would be? - I was hoping.

I told you, we ain't done nothing the law can hold us for,

including what happened to that squaw that Reardon married.

If there was proof, how come he don't make no charge against us?

The hunt of Frank Reardon.

Next thing you know, they'll be making a song about it.

They made a hero out of a rotten killer, that's what they've done.

They believed his lies and made a hero out of him.

Suppose you tell me the true story?

Well, what's the use? You wouldn't believe me anyhow.

What was it happened at Willow Creek?

Reardon gunned down Keith in cold blood.

I don't believe it.

Yeah, he... he's a friend of yours, you said.

Is that the reason you ain't heading over to Willow Creek to get him?

Look, Marshal, he's gonna be here looking for us.

You got to protect us. That's your job.

You got to keep us here under protective custody.

Don't you worry about that, mister.

You're not going anywhere till I have a chance to talk to Frank.

Well, you'll be all right in a couple of days.

If I'm still alive.

It's not that bad. You're lucky. Went clean through.

- How much do I owe you? - Two dollars.

- There you are, Doc. - Thank you.

So, the story of Frank Reardon's hunt got all the way down here, did it?

There ain't many places it ain't got.

Yeah. Well, I had no part in what started it.

Just lie down there and rest for a minute.

I'm gonna step outside. Festus?

You don't believe me?

Mister, I've known Frank Reardon a good many years.

I just met you.

Appears like Reardon's hunt is pretty near over, don't it?

- Yeah, and of all places, Dodge City. - What do you mean by that?

Well, I was thinking about Matt. Kind of puts him in a bad spot.

Yeah.

- I'll be doggoned. - What's the matter?

Well, that's him. That's Frank Reardon right there.

- Frank, how are you? - Hello, Doc.

Been a long time.

Say hello to Festus Haggen. Festus, this is Frank Reardon.

Mr. Reardon. Howdy.

- How's Matt? - Oh, he's fine. He's just fine.

I'll be looking in on him in a while.

Festus and I were on our way to the Long Branch to have a beer,

- if you... - Later, Doc.

Well, now you know Kitty's gonna be upset if...

Have you seen three men ride into town last hour or so?

Awful lot of men ride in and out of Dodge, Frank.

One of these would have a hole in him.

Figure you're the likely one he'd head for.

You do, huh?

- Well? - Well what?

Got to admire you, Doc...

Poorest liar in all of Kansas.

Never did enough of it to know how.

Go get Matt.

Sorry you did that, Doc.

I was kind of hoping Matt could have been kept out of this.

You know better than that, Frank. This is Matt's territory.

Frank, I don't know whether those men need killing or not...

They do.

All right, I'll take your word for it.

It's still not your place to do it.

- Whose place is it, Doc? - The law.

Not the way I see it.

Reardon's came in, over at Doc's.

Marshal.

Festus, keep an eye on them, will you?

No need for me to tell you how Matt's gonna stand on this.

I guess I picked the worst place in the world to finally settle it.

- Hello, Frank. - Matt.

Time's been good to you.

- How's Kitty? - She's fine.

Why don't we go on in and say hello to her?

- Maybe later. - She'll be anxious to see you.

Yeah.

I know they're here, Matt.

I figure one of them to be up there.

I got the other two in jail, Frank.

Give them to me.

You know I can't do that.

This is something that's got to be done.

What's got to be done is for you to make some kind of charges, Frank.

No.

All I am, all I ever been, says it's got to be my way.

Where does that leave us?

Doc, you knew Maria.

You understand.

No, Frank. Not this, I don't.

Frank, I want you to get back on that horse,

turn around and ride out of Dodge.

- Do you want to think that over? - No, I don't.

- Matt, I'm faster than you. - You always were.

They're not worth your getting killed for.

Well, now you're talking sense.

Stay out of it, Matt, or I'll gun you. I mean it.

Matt!

Frank, do you have any idea what you're doing?

Now you'd better listen to me,

because I'm gonna say some things that Maria would say if she were here.

But she's not here, Kitty. She's not here because they killed her.

You gonna make it up to her by killing your best friend?

You always did make a kind of sense to me, Kitty.

I can wait for them just as well outside of town.

Get back!

- Hold it. - Don't shoot me.

Drop the gun.

I got him.

Yeah, you got him all right, in the back.

So it's over.

Mister, if he dies, you're gonna hang for this.

A jury hears my story, they'll never hang me.

Get over there.

Put him here on the table, Festus.

- It was him that done it, Matthew? - Yeah, it was, Festus.

- You good for nothing, back-shooting... - Festus, take it easy, now.

I'm bleeding.

Way I feel right now, you're lucky you're alive to do some bleeding.

Festus, get him out of here.

- Go on. Get in there... - Help me, I'm bleeding.

- Just hush up. - Doc, please!

Doc's busy. Hush up, now.

What do you think, Doc?

Well, I don't know anything yet. But I'll try.

I'll do the best I can. You know that.

Yes, sir, so you can face each other in the street again.

So next time it'll be your bullet in him, maybe.

Or maybe his bullet in you.

Oh, yes, you bet. I'll do the best I can.

- Matt. - Hmm?

Doc said he'd let us know as soon as he knew something.

Yeah.

I think now is a good time for another drink on the house.

Sam.

You know, Kitty, I think you came along at about the right time out there.

I think you saved a bad situation.

Oh, I don't think Frank would've gone through with it.

He's a driven man now.

He's just lost all his reason over this thing.

She sure was the prettiest bride I ever saw.

Now, Kitty, nobody really knows what happened to her.

I'm willing to take Frank's word for it.

- Most people are. - Except you.

Well, I can't afford to let him kill three men

just to prove my friendship to him.

How is he, Doc?

That's why I came down here to see you, Matt, I knew you'd be anxious.

I... I don't know.

- You look awful worried. - Well, I am.

Well, is there anybody up there with him?

Oh, yes. Yes, Newly's up there.

Matt, I'm going to turn that Keith over to you in the morning.

All right.

You look tired. Why don't you sit down and have a drink.

No, thanks, Kitty. I'm just gonna run down to Delmonico's and grab a bite.

- I'll see you in the morning. - Thanks, Doc.

All right, here's your vittles.

Come on, take a-hold of them.

Hey, is he dead?

Reardon, is he dead?

No, he ain't dead.

He's hurt bad.

All right, go on, jabber, jabber it up, both of you.

This is celebrating time, Deputy. The end of seven long months of running.

Just don't you go a-dancing on Reardon's grave yet,

'cause he's a long ways from dying.

But you just said he was.

I said he was hurt bad, and he is.

But old Doc ain't got all his licks in yet.

And he's got a heap to say about his dying.

Little time and a little resting.

You don't sound too certain about that, Deputy.

You know, you two mutton heads make me about half sick.

You hear that, Cane? We made it.

Free at last.

Yeah, well, I'll stop worrying when Reardon's buried, not before.

Until he's stretched out, we're gonna be looking back over our shoulder

no matter where we ride to, just like we've been doing

for the last seven months.

Deputy says all he needs is rest and a little time.

Well...

we'll just have to see that he don't get either one.

You look like you put your tongue to some alum, Doc.

Oh, I do, huh?

Well, Frank, I'll tell you.

This wound is not healing fast enough to suit me.

I just don't like the way it looks.

I don't like the way it feels.

No, I guess not. You want some laudanum?

I do not. I've been slowed down enough as it is.

You've been completely stopped for a while.

I'm not stopped until it's over.

Well, I just don't understand you at all, Frank.

Couldn't expect you to, Doc.

All anybody ever saw when they looked at her was an Indian.

A squaw.

But she was my wife.

And they'd well treat her right.

That's why we left Hayes.

She didn't want me fighting on account of her.

Didn't matter to her where we went, just as long as we was together.

Went as far away as we could.

Northern Montana.

Nobody in fifty miles.

We was happy, Doc.

About as happy as human animals can get.

I finally got a few head of beef together and drove 'em into Butte.

Early blizzard hit while I was gone.

Seven of 'em...

freezing, dying from cold...

came by the cabin.

She forgot they'd called her squaw.

Could have kept the door bolted, but she let 'em in.

She fed 'em.

Let 'em warm by our fire.

They paid her back.

They got her so scared that she ran out.

They wouldn't let her back in, Doc, unless she...

I found her when I got back.

And I buried them both.

Both?

She was carrying my baby.

After I get 'em all...

well, they'll have paid some for what they done.

What about the law?

Doc...

if I'd told the law,

what would they have got for running a squaw into the snow?

It's too bad you didn't bother to find out.

You think I'm wrong.

Yes, Frank, I think you're dead wrong.

- You know the Bible, Doc? - I know some.

You got one?

- Never without one. - Get it.

Look up Exodus, Chapter 21, Verse 22.

When you find it, read it to me.

The words are burned into my head, but I'd like to hear them said out loud.

"If men strive together, and hurt a woman with child

so that her fruit depart, and yet no harm follow,

he shall be surely fined

according as the woman's husband shall lay upon him,

and he shall pay as the judges determine."

Go on, Doc.

"But if any harm follow..."

"But if any harm follow,

then thou shalt give life for life,

eye for eye, tooth for tooth,

hand for hand, foot for foot..."

Now, tell me again

that I don't have the right to take their lives.

Frank...

I guess if a man tries hard enough,

he can find ways to justify just about anything he does.

But if you're counting on living as long as I have,

and you really believe in this book...

then I'd suggest you take a good, hard, long look into yourself...

before you try to ease your conscience with this.

It ain't fair putting me in there.

Self-defense, all it was.

Ah, what are you talking about?

Reardon had his back turned to you.

He didn't have his hand no place near his pistol.

How do you figure self-defense?

Well, you know what he was intending to do.

Go on. Just go on, get in there and hush up.

Hey, wait a minute. Open up here. You got no cause to keep us in here.

Well now, the keeping was at your asking.

That was before Keith here put a bullet in Reardon.

Now we're asking out.

Just about the way Matthew had it figured.

Said if you wanted out, you could get out.

But I'll tell you what I'd do if I was you.

I wouldn't just stop at getting out of jail.

I'd get right on out of town. Both of you.

I'm paying high for your head start.

Well, we're much obliged to you for that, Keith, indeed we are.

I gun him, and I'm the only one who tried to help his wife.

Well now, I guess that's just about right, ain't it?

That corner window up there.

Sure pays being a friend of the marshal.

- Yeah. - Get yourself a nice comfortable room.

Well, time we got ourselves throwed out of town.

As long as we don't get ourselves throwed back in jail.

All the Marshal wants is to be rid of us.

Safest thing is to let him think we're gone.

You just leave it to me.

He couldn't tell Matt to stand aside because...

because he shouldn't.

And he couldn't tell Frank to just forget it because he wouldn't.

Can't Frank see it?

She'd be the first one to tell him to stop.

Well, Kitty, a man does something like this for himself.

The more he thinks about it, the more he...

feels he's got to do it, I guess.

Just doesn't make any sense.

Well, let me ask you something. How do you think Matt would feel?

What'd he do if something like that happened to you?

There we go. Doc.

You know, the more I see of those two,

the more I'm beginning to wonder if Frank's that wrong.

Uh, just stopped by to say thanks for your hospitality, Marshal.

Yeah, we're that grateful.

All right, you've had your say, get out.

Oh, we're fixing to do that, all right.

No reason to stay now.

I got to say one thing.

I mean, four men killed... Keith, shot.

Reardon may be dying, and all for what?

A squaw.

Get out of Dodge.

Well, I sure hope that this settles it.

Well, I wish it did too, Kitty.

I'm afraid this thing isn't gonna be settled...

till either they're dead or Frank is.

See you tomorrow, Newly.

Reardon.

Reardon?

Reardon.

It's me, Cane.

I got Lloyd here with me.

I sure wish Keith could be here, too.

He can't though, 'cause the marshal's still got him locked up.

Yeah, I wanted him to tell you,

he sure had an eye for that squaw of yours.

That gets to you, doesn't it?

You ain't heard it all, though.

Come on down here, we'll fill you in on everything.

Reardon, come on.

You want us? We're waiting for you.

Hey. Hold up, there!

Mr. Reardon? What the tarnation are you...

- Where are they? - You hadn't ought to be out of bed.

- Where are they? - Where's who?

Cane and Lloyd.

- Cane and Lloyd? - Cane and Lloyd. I saw them.

Look at you. You're bleeding like a stuck hog.

Keep away from me.

You couldn't have saw 'em, Mr. Reardon, 'cause Matthew, he run 'em out of...

- You was dreamin'. - They were outside my window.

I'm telling you, you was dreamin'. Here, let me help you.

He sure is making it easy for us, isn't he?

Reardon!

Matthew?

He thinks he's seen them two yahoos, Cane and Lloyd,

out in back of the Dodge House.

Well, I'll tell you something,

he's not the kind of a man that sees something that isn't there.

Yeah, but he's bleeding awful bad, Matthew.

I mean, real bad.

All right. Get a hold of Doc, right away.

He thinks that he seen them out in back of the Dodge House.

Frank?

The exertion could kill him.

Well, he was a-certain, I'll guarantee you that.

Matthew's probably found them by now.

Matthew?

Oh, Matthew.

Find anything?

There's a couple of horses over here, but I don't see anybody around.

Let's try this way.

He's almost out on his feet.

Didn't I say it? Running will kill him for sure.

- What if it don't? - How much can he take?

Let's get him into the barn.

Reardon.

Come on.

Matt.

It's blood.

The only thing missing is the details.

You want us to fill you in a little?

You know, you was right.

You've been right all along, about us, I mean.

It was all of us in on it.

All except Keith.

He wanted to help her.

I could hear her scratching out there.

He's the one that wanted to open the door, but I wouldn't let him.

You got back shot by the only man who didn't name her squaw.

It's over, Reardon. You hear me?

It's over.

All right, hold it right there. Don't move.

- We ain't done nothing, Marshal. - He come gunning for us.

Matt...

They just told me.

All of them, except Keith.

Yeah, I know. Festus, get them out of here.

It's over.

Yeah, Frank, it's all over.

Well, how's he doing, Doc? His heart still beating?

- Oh, fine. He's gonna be all right. - Good.

I've been telling you myself for a week now that I was all right.

Yeah, by golly you have, Frank.

What are you going to do about that Keith fella, Matt?

Well, if you're not gonna prefer any charges against him,

there's nothing I can do but turn him loose.

I'm just glad I didn't kill him.

What now, Frank?

Oh, another day or two here,

then maybe I'll grab a shave, head back to Montana.

Got a little piece of land up there, Doc.

Had ideas of doing something with it a while back.

Figure maybe I've put it off long enough now.

- That sounds good. - Good hunting up there.

Good fishing, too.

Maybe you and Doc will come up and give it a try, Matt.

Say, you mention fishing to me, Frank, and it's just like

pointing a thirsty horse towards the watering trough, I'll tell you that.

Just don't say anything about this to Festus,

and I'll be up there just the very first chance...

Don't say nothing to Festus about what?

- Matthew, what... - Well, Festus, I'll tell you.

Frank, I just remembered a few things I got to do.

I'll look in on you later.

Well what... don't say nothing to me about what?

- You were eavesdropping. - I wasn't dropping nothing.

And don't go changing...

Mr. Reardon, I don't know what this old pill-pushing fake's

been telling you, but let me tell you...

We was just talking about hunting and fishing up at my place.

- Fishing? - Yeah, well I...

Oh, and you was going to keep it a secret.

Well, it's not very polite for you...

You wasn't going to tell me at all, was you?

Well, why don't you just go ahead on up there.

It'll be good for me to get a rest

from your a-ragging and a-chewing and a-picking at me.

Just go on up yonder, stay as long as you want.

In the first place, you don't know nothing about fishing.

Who's gonna dig your worms for you? Who's gonna catch your grasshoppers?