Yes, sir. That's it. The Overland Mail.
San Francisco to St. Louis in 25 days.
2,700 miles in 25 days and 25 nights-
when the weather and Injuns behave.
A lot farther and longer when they didn't.
People said it couldn't be done.
They laughed, called it theJackass Mail.
But when mail
and passengers and gold...
began coming through
from California day in, day out...
the whole country sat up
and took notice.
San Francisco to St. Louis::
The shortest, fastest, "backbreakingest"ride
you could buy for $200 gold...
meals included.
Yes, sir. That's it.
The Jackass Mail.
This is the relay station
at Rawhide Pass-
one of many strung along
the 2,700-mile route.
Here, while a fresh team
of mules was hitched to the stage...
the driver and passengers
could wash, have some food...
and go on to the next station
many miles away.
Doggone it, Tom.
It ain't been no picnic for me neither.
I'm just gettin' mule skinner wages...
and that don't include no bonus
for learning you the business.
I've knowed your old man
for 40 years.
There weren't nothin'
too tough for him.
That's why when he cracks the whip, men and
mules just lay back their ears and take orders.
Why, if any man was to talk to him
the way I'm talking to you...
he'd poke both fists
right in their whiskers.
Well, can't you even talk back?
Hey.
The trouble with you is
y- you just don't listen.
Here I've been trying for five, six months
to learn you the business...
and you're-you're still
shaving, taking a bath.
Well, it's no wonder them mules
don't take to you kindly.
See here. What's your old man
gonna think of me...
if I send you back lookin'just as much
of a dude as when you first come out here?
Well, doggone it! Can't you say something?
Yeah, Sam. Bugle's blowing.
That's the trouble. You get me so riled up
I can't even attend to business.
Try 'em again, Billy.
Now do it like I learnt ya. Then come out
and help me with them mules.
Ho, ho. Ho.
Hyah! Hyah!
Hyah!
Get! Hyah!
Hyah! Ho!
- Whoa!
- Hello.
You still here in this center
of civilization, Tom?
I won't be much longer, Mr. Scott.
I finally got my pardon.
- So you're going back east, huh?
- Yes, sir.
- When?
- One week.
He hasn't half learned
the business yet.
What's the baby's name, Mrs. Holt?
- Callie.
- Callie? I never heard that name before.
Short for California, Sam.
Born there, wasn't she?
- Placerville.
- In a mining camp?
- That's right.
- Poor little thing.
- That's tough.
- It's tough to be born anywhere.
Little more coffee, Mrs. Holt?
No, thank you. And please stop calling me
Mrs. Holt. I'm "Miss. "
- Miss Holt?
- Yes.
Have a little more coffee,
Mr. Slade?
Coffee? This stuff tastes like burnt corn
boiled in branch water.
Well, could be.
We don't run no fancy hotel here.
You couldn't get it down
with a swig of whiskey.
Back wherever you came from I'll bet you
were glad to get a drink out of a sluice box.
But it didn't cost
$200 in gold, it didn't.
That's the price of the
stage ticket, Mr. Slade.
- The company throws the food in extra.
- You call this food?
Mule boy here seems to like it.
Mule boy doesn't.
But it's eat or starve, so I- I eat.
Just wait till I get back to Missouri.
I'm a-gonna take it up
with the fella and raise hob with him...
whoever's runnin' this here company.
Looks like trouble for old J.C.
J.C. Can take care
of any trouble that comes his way.
- Who's J. C?
- J.C. Owens.
It's his father, superintendent
of the eastern division.
I'll give you his address in St. Joe if
you'll throw in a couple of complaints from me.
- Hyah!
- Well, see you in St. Joe, Mr. Scott!
Hyah!
Whoa!
- You just pull in from the west?
- Half hour ago.
- You didn't by any chance see four men on the road?
- Nope.
- Who you looking for, Lieutenant?
- Fella named Zimmerman.
Rafe Zimmerman?
- Yeah.
- I thought they had him in prison over at Huntsville.
He broke out-
the day before he was due to get hung.
Him and three others.
- You didn't see 'em, did you, Todd?
- No. And I don't want to neither.
Figure they crossed over into Mexico?
No, they're after gold.
Lots of it.
Found that out at La Mesilla,
where they held upJohnny Madden's stage.
- Well, Johnny drove through here just yesterday.
- That's right.
- Do much damage?
- Plenty. Killed Johnny Madden.
- Johnny Madden killed?
- Johnny?
Yeah. We're here to give you escort...
as far as La Mesilla,
if you're ready to go.
I'm ready to go all right,
but I got a responsibility: My passengers.
- You and little Callie will have to stay here, Miss Holt.
- Why?
- Company rule.
- That's right, ma'am.
Company rule, my foot. I paid my fare. It took
all the money I could scrape up. I won't do it.
I'm sorry. It's a company rule
not to risk the lives of children.
If you're bent on going,
I can't stop you...
but you'll have to leave
the baby behind.
That's one responsibility
I'm not allowed to take.
Leave Callie behind?
Jibber-jabber.
That's up to you, ma'am.
Here, you. Take her things.
- He'll do nothing of the kind. I'm not staying here.
- Go on. Hurry it up.
Afraid you are, ma'am.
Company rules.
Leave these things alone!
You leave me and my things alone!
I'm going in this stagecoach,
and the baby's going with me!
- Stop her, Tom.
- Just try and stop me!
- I said stop her, Tom!
- How?
- Well, grab her. Doggone it. Grab her.
- Let me go!
Take your hands off me!
I've got to get to St. Louis!
- Let me go! I've got to get on that stagecoach.
- Come on. Hurry up.
Take your hands off me!
Let me go!
You fool! You'll make me
lose my job!
- Hurry up, Gil! Get 'em on out!
- Let me go!
I hope you're happy
with what you've done.
- I'm sorry I hurt your arm.
- Thanks for not breaking it.
Don't blame me, ma'am.
I'm only a hired hand here.
You'll only lose one day, ma'am.
You can go in on the stage tomorrow.
Tom, you take her things inside,
and I'll look after the mules.
Take it easy.
That's everything I own.
- What are you doing?
- I'm taking this room.
- I'm sorry. This is mine.
- Not tonight it isn't.
What are you afraid of?
Coyotes?
Yeah. The kind with boots on.
Wait a minute.
Is there someplace around here
I can take a bath?
- Yeah. The pitcher's full.
- I said bath.
Come on.
You see that?
That what?
That "what"that Sam
is pumping water into.
That's a horse trough.
Well, just don't use any soap.
The animals don't like it.
Is that where you take a bath?
- No.
- Don't you ever take a bath?
Now and again,
back in the canyon, a hot spring.
That's more like it.
Mind if I borrow this?
Well, it looks as if you already have.
You sure you know how to use it?
- I've seen them around.
- Well, here.
In that case, you might
just as well take this too.
And you'll find my towel
and my soap in my room.
Have a nice bath.
- Where's she goin'?
- Back in the canyon.
She's doing what you
ought to do once in a while: Take a bath.
Keep dry outside and wet inside.
That's what a man does in this country.
What's that?
You hear anything?
- No, I don't hear anything.
- Where's your gun?
Where do you think? She took it.
Psst.
Now, who can-who can that be?
- What are you gonna do?
- Keep a bead on him till you find out who it is.
- Are you the station keeper?
- No, I just work here.
Where's the boss?
Oh, he's around.
Just the two of you work here?
I guess you're wondering
who I am, huh?
Well, there aren't
many strangers come along.
I've been wondering about you too.
But I guess you're all right.
Deputy Sheriff Miles,
from Huntsville.
Oh.
Owens is my name.
It's all right, Sam.
You can come out now.
I hear they killed
one of my best friends, Johnny Madden.
- That's right.
- Ought to be shot down like a mad dog, that Zimmerman.
Not a doubt about it.
Trooper said he's looking for gold.
Just stand still, Todd.
Get your hands up.
Get over against that wall.
Higher.
Face it.
Now stay that way.
- Hiya, Sheriff Zimmerman.
- Keep 'em covered.
Sure, Zim.
- That everybody, boss? Just them two?
- Don't know for sure.
- By golly, it worked, just like Zim said.
- We could have rode straight in.
- Yancy, take a look around outside.
- Sure.
- Here. Take this.
- You reckon that I'll be needing firearms, boss?
- Take it. Put our horses in the corral and hide the saddles.
- Sure.
Take a look around for guns.
- Gratz.
- Yeah, Zim?
All right, Todd, Owens, turn around.
- Listen, Zimmerman.
- I'll do the talking!
I gotta say something!
Now, I want answers,
and I want 'em right.
What time's the next stage due here?
- One from the east.
- What time?
- Tonight.
- What time?
About sundown.
What about the next stage
from the west?
- That's tomorrow.
- What time?
Usually early mornin'.
That right?
I ask you, is that right?
- Yeah.
- Know how much gold it's carrying?
- No.
- You?
None. That shipment
went through today.
You-
I don't like to be lied to.
The westbound stage
is due here at 8:00 tonight.
The California stage
comes through tomorrow noon...
and it's carrying close to
$100,000 in gold bars...
consigned by the Crocker Mining Company
in Sacramento...
to the government mint
in Wall Street, New York.
You both knew it becauseJohnny Madden
told you so yesterday.
'Tain't so, Zimmerman.
Hey, Zim! Look!
You want to take me out
to a barn dance?
- Where did you get those things?
- In there.
- Where is she?
- Look, Zimmerman-
- Your wife?
- No.
So she's yours.
Where is she?
Where is she, Owens?
- Where's your wife?
- I haven't got a wife.
Look at the mules.
He won't hand us no more lies.
Where was you, Zim?
Using my head.
You ran out and left Owens.
Where is he?
You want I, uh, should
take care of him too?
If you had half a brain,
you'd know we need Owens.
Sounds just like a baby crying.
I'm a ringtail monkey if it don't.
Look. Look.
It-It is a baby.
Those are the men
the troopers were looking for.
- Why did they lock me in here?
- They think you're my wife.
- Your wife?
- That's right.
- What gave them that idea?
- I don't know. I didn't say it. It was their idea.
- Did you tell 'em different?
- They didn't give me a chance.
- Well, don't do it then.
- Why?
Well, it might save
your skin and your baby's.
- How?
- I don't know, but as long as they've made a mistake...
we might as well go along with it.
- Whose skin are you trying to save? Ours or yours?
- Well, mine too.
Now listen here, Miss Holt or Mrs. Holt
or whatever your name is...
those killers are after gold-
gold that's coming through tomorrow
on the stage from California.
I don't know what's in their crazy heads
or what their scheme is...
but killing me right away isn't part of it,
or they'd have done that by now.
What's all this got to do with
your telling them I'm your wife?
I told you I didn't tell 'em.
They just put two and two together.
Simple as that, huh?
You're not getting me mixed up in this.
I'm going out there and tell them
I'm just a passenger on this line.
They can rob all
the stagecoaches they want to...
but I'll do nothing to get
Callie and me killed.
Now you listen to me.
Your only chance of staying alive
at least as long as I do...
is to let 'em keep on thinking
that you're my wife.
They need me.
The gold they want
is on the eastbound stage...
but it doesn't come
through here until tomorrow.
There's a westbound stage
that goes through here tonight.
Sam's dead. They've got to
keep me here alive.
Now you and the baby
can stay alive just as long as I do.
That's all I've gotta say,
and you can do what you like.
- Where'd you get this?
- Why do you think Todd was running for the stable?
That's where Zim find it, by golly.
Old sowbelly sure could have
picked us off with this.
Give it to Gratz. He won't leave it lying
around where Owens can get his hands on it.
Meanin' you can't count on me?
Now let's get this straight.
I didn't pick any of you for this.
You just happened to be there
when I made my break.
All right. You're here.
And that's my bad luck.
By golly, Zim, I don't do nothing.
Aw, it's not you he's shootin'at.
You, Gratz-You're nothing but a-
a big dumb coot that does anything he says.
And you, Yancy-
You're a one-horse horse thief.
It's me he's gripin' at.
The first thing to do
is to get rid ofTodd's body.
Take care of it, Tevis.
- You, Yancy. Give him a hand.
- Sure.
Come on, bean belly.
All right. Come out.
Gratz!
- You must forgive him. He's just a big dumb animal.
- Yeah, by golly.
What kind of an animal are you,
letting them shoot down an unarmed man?
Kill or be killed.
He was heading for that rifle.
- Where's your gun?
- My what?
- Your revolver. You know what I'm talking about.
- Can't you see he hasn't any?
Where's your revolver?
Well, Sam had it. You took it away from him.
Don't you remember?
- Where's his gun?
- He sent it to Tucson to have it fixed.
What was wrong with it?
The firing pin was broken.
That's a rotten thing to do.
Tevis.
Put that body on a pack mule.
Tevis has no respect for the dead.
And he just loves the living.
Why don't you let us bury him?
We won't run away.
We'd hate to get shot in the back.
Go ahead, if it'll make you
feel any better.
Wait a minute.
I'll get the baby.
She's all right
where she is, Mrs. Owens.
If you want to go with your husband, go,
but the baby stays here.
Go with 'em.
Tell Tevis to let 'em bury him.
- Yeah, Zim.
- Stay close.
Yeah, Zim.
All right.
Back to the station.
Well, maybe they want
to say some words.
Well, let 'em get it over with.
You take that shovel and get goin'.
- Well, it ain't fit to walk away-
- I said get goin'.
Well, go on.
Go on. Say the words.
May the Lord grant you
everlasting rest and peace.
Come on. What are you doing?
Preaching a sermon?
Where's my pistol?
It must be behind the water trough.
Just a minute.
Now I want the next stage
to come through and no questions asked.
- But they'll want to know where Sam is, won't they?
- And you'll tell 'em.
Gone to Tucson, Fort Yuma.
Make up your own story.
But make it good,
so nobody gets suspicious.
Remember, Owens.
You have two good reasons to be careful.
Company rules.
If they hadn't forced me to stay here,
I'd be on my way to myjob...
and we'd be safe.
Yeah, well...
looks like we've both missed
being on the right stage.
Where were you bound for?
I was taking Callie to her father's folks
in Independence.
- Where is her father?
- He was killed in Gold Run three months ago.
Her mother too.
Callie isn't my baby.
Her motherJeannie was my sister.
Oh.
Well, what happened?
We used to sing and dance
on the Mississippi riverboats.
Jeannie fell in love with a gambler.
He got the gold fever.
You know, wanted to go out west.
She wouldn't go without me.
So we went.
From mining camp to mining camp.
Jeannie was pretty.
Johnny, her husband, was...
hot-tempered and jealous.
Every time a man so much
as gaveJeannie a smile there'd be a brawl.
One night a drunken
claim jumper took a fancy to her...
and when the shooting
was over I was alone...
with Callie.
I kept on working.
Saved up enough money
to get us back east.
And-
And you end up in this mess.
If I could get my hands on that pistol.
I was... just watching Owens
like you told me to.
Keep away from her.
Oh, I- I ain't been
cured of women yet.
Ain't had your medicine, Zim.
Now let's get one thing straight.
Owens'll take orders from us
just as long as he thinks...
that's the only way
he'll save his wife and kid.
You start anything, and the whole thing
blows up in our faces.
Where did you get that coat?
Oh, oh. Well, I got-
It's just a coat-
He took it from that
fancy-pants passenger.
- He took a whole carpetbag full.
- Take it off!
- Ah, well, it's kind of pretty-
- Take it off and bury it.
- Bury it?
- Yes, bury it. Get it all out of sight.
Don't you realize there's a whole stagecoach
full of people coming through here soon?
- Can't you get that through your simple heads?
- I'm sorry, boss.
- L- I "misfigured" it.
- Well, bury it.
Take it off. Bury it.
Dig a hole, and I'll bury-
I'll bury everything that-
What happens? A pity to take
a pretty coat out and bury it.
I wish I'd have stayed in jail.
- The clock's stopped.
- Usually does if you don't wind it.
What time is it by your watch?
I could tell you if I had it.
Yancy.
- Yeah, boss?
- What time is it by his watch?
Well, let's see now.
Uh-
Just, uh, 9:00. Straight up.
Have you got any idea
what's holding up that stagecoach?
- No.
- Well, does it often come in so late?
Sometimes.
Sometimes they don't get in at all.
Well, what do you mean by that?
Johnny Madden's stage never got in, did it?
Boss! Boss, look. She
likes it. She's singin'.
Mrs. Owens, put your baby to bed.
She sure sings pretty, ma'am.
I'll call you when the stage comes.
- Have you thought of something?
- Yes.
Here. Try to get this
to the stagecoach driver.
But be careful.
Don't take any chances.
They'll be watching us every minute, and they'll
shoot down everyone if anything goes wrong.
I'll try to get one to him too.
Keep your ear at the door.
What's that?
Ah, keep your pants on, Yancy.
It's just a lucky old coyote
singin' to his sweetheart.
She comin', I think. Listen.
Yeah, by golly.
That's it.
- That's it all right. You know what to do.
- Yeah, Zim.
- Tevis-
- Don't worry about me.
- Yancy.
- Sure, sure. I know, boss.
All right. Come on out.
Both of you.
Yancy.
- What's he going to do?
- He'll look after the baby.
Now go with them.
- Tevis.
- Now wait a minute, Zimmerman.
She'll be all right, just as long
as you don't make any mistakes.
- Why can't I stay here with my husband?
- Because I don't want you here.
He don't trust no woman, girlie.
Go on, Mrs. Owens.
Go ahead.
Gratz.
Now remember. All Gratz and Tevis
have to hear is one shot.
Now grab that lantern
and look alive.
Come on.
Get your hands off that.
I thought you wanted that stagecoach
to go through with no questions asked.
- Well, they won't even come in if they don't hear me blow this.
- All right. Go ahead.
But they better come in.
Hyah! Hyah!
Hyah!
Now-
Now, kiddie, everything's all right.
Your mama's just-just gone for a walk.
Your Uncle Yancy'll take care of ya.
Go to sleep now.
That's right. Go to sleep.
And when you grow up, kiddie...
never, never, never...
steal a horse.
I think that'll fit me all right.
Get it on there.
We'll see.
That's the prettiest shoe I...
ever did see.
I'll make it. I'll make it stick.
Confounded thing. I'll get it.
Uh, Gratz...
you, uh, stay back where
you can see Zim's signal.
Whoa. Whoa.
Hyah!
Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!
Hyah! Hyah!
Hyah! Hyah!
- Whoa!
- Howdy, Tom.
- Hiya, Tex. Hiya, Luke.
- Howdy, Tom.
Where's Sam?
- Uh, Tucson.
- Tucson?
Yeah, he
- he had to go have his tooth pulled. Face swelled clear out to here.
Kind of unusual, ain't it? Old Sam leaving
you here alone with them outlaws on the loose?
He's not exactly alone.
Ah. I guess I better
introduce myself.
Deputy Sheriff Miles.
Huntsville.
Oh. I thought it was kind of funny that old
Sam would go off and leave Tom here alone.
- You know, shorthanded.
- No sign of them outlaws yet?
Nope. Say, you're kind of
late tonight, aren't ya?
Yeah. They made us wait
up at La Mesilla till Gil Scott drove in.
Just wanted to make sure
we wouldn't run into no trouble.
Want me to give you a hand
with the team, Tom?
No, I'll help him.
Ah, much obliged. Say, your face
looks kind of familiar, Sheriff.
It does to a lot of people.
Say, you'd better go on inside. Tom's
got bacon, beans and coffee on the stove.
Oh, good. Good. Come on, Luke.
Come on, folks. Let's eat.
- Good. I'm ready for it.
- I hope the coffee is better here...
than it was that
last place we stopped.
Certainly glad to get in here.
All right. Go ahead.
Whoa!
All right.
Ha! Ho! Hyah.
That's it.
Hyah.
All right.
Yeah.
Do you know how long it's been
since I seen a pretty face, girlie?
Two years.
Two long years.
That jug they had me in
up in Huntsville...
didn't have no window.
I could hear the laughing and the...
music from the dance hall
across the street.
Oncet I even got a whiff
of perfumey...
like yours.
But I couldn't see.
No, sir.
Not for two long years.
Say, Tom, I keep thinkin' it's a funny
thing Sam would go off and leave you alone.
Couldn't you yank
that tooth for him?
- Well, Luke- - I told Todd I'd
stick here until he got back.
I could use some more coffee, Tom.
Sort of left Tom here
in your custody, huh, Sheriff?
Yeah. That's about the size of it.
Thanks, Tom.
You sure I ain't seen ya
someplace before, Sheriff?
- Ever been to Huntsville?
- Nope.
Not inside.
I hear it's a pretty tough place.
Not tough enough to hold
that fella Zimmerman.
- You know him, Sheriff? - I was in
Huntsville the same time he was- outside.
Well, I'd be glad
to get some firsthand information.
Mr. Fickert's with
the New York Herald.
Oh, yes. Horace Greeley's newspaper.
I haven't seen one in a long time.
I'm making this trip
to write up the Overland Mail.
I'm almost sorry we didn't meet up with
that gang you're after. Make good copy.
- Please don't say such things.
- Oh, don't get nervous, Mama.
Sheriff sitting just here with us.
This Zimmerman.
Cold proposition, isn't he?
- A pretty tough huckleberry.
- What's he look like?
Oh, he's about my height.
Maybe a little more, a little less.
Smooth-shaven, straight nose...
hair and eyes about my color.
I heard he came from
a pretty high-tone family.
Was goin'big guns in the bankin'business
till he met that woman.
- That so?
- Well, it's been rumored that way.
Oh, it's the truth.
She was a Creole gal from New Orleans...
and a plenty good looker.
Her name was, uh- was, uh-
- What was her name?
- What business you traveling for, Mr. Chickering?
Colt's.
Hartford, Connecticut.
- Oh.
- Just one more question.
- What crime were they going to hang Zimmerman for?
- Murder.
He killed this Creole gal
'cause she was...
double-dealing him
for some other young bucko.
Killed him too.
Shot 'em both dead.
That right, Sheriff?
Well, from what he told me,
they had it comin' to 'em.
You almost sound
as if you admired him.
Never underestimate
your enemy, Mr. Fickert.
- It's a good way to keep alive.
- Very interesting. Do you mind if I quote you?
No. Not at all.
Just so you spell my name right.
I hear Colt's getting out
some new army models.
- That's what I'm taking to California.
- Uh, Sheriff Miles.
M- I-L-E-S.
Ben Miles.
Slickest line of guns
you ever seed, Sheriff.
- Uh, show 'em to him, Mr. Chickering.
- Be glad to.
Fine.
Oh, Tom. Want to have a look at a hometown
newspaper? Ain't but 12 days old.
Thanks.
- What do you think?
- Well, it's way ahead of anything I've ever handled.
Good balance.
Yes. Nice, smooth action.
You wouldn't want to
sell this one, would ya?
I should say not. They're my samples.
May I see that, Sheriff?
Oh, that's mighty slick.
- Was it the outlaws?
- No, no.
- I reckon it was just a coyote run through the corral.
- Ah.
Well, folks, time we got to movin' again.
Sheriff, did you have my revolver?
Why, I gave it to Davis.
Didn't I lay it on the table?
Well, I- I don't see it.
Here it is, right where Mr. Davis left it.
- Thank you, Sheriff.
- Come on, folks.
Get your gear together.
We got a long ride ahead.
- Well, nice to have seen you, Sheriff.
- Thanks. Same to you.
Stage is waiting, Tom.
Hyah! Hyah!
What kind of a fool do you think I am?
Trying to swipe that salesman's gun.
I don't want to have to kill you,
unless you make me do it.
Everything all right, Zim?
By golly, I want drink.
Where's my- my wife?
- She coming with Tevis.
- Tev-
- You can't leave her- - Tevis knows
better than to lay a hand on her.
Now get in there.
- Vinnie!
- Tom!
Tom! Tom!
Oh!
- Oh, Tom.
- Take 'em inside.
Yeah, Zim.
- Yancy, go with 'em.
- Be glad to, boss.
Spit cat, ain't she?
Uh, I lost my gun.
Here it is.
Yeah.
- Want to bust my hand?
- Get up.
Now look.
Don't get any wrong ideas.
I warned you, Tevis.
I'Il- I'll kill you for this.
Get up.
You wouldn't kick me
if I- if I had my gun.
You'd like me to reach for it,
wouldn't ya?
Well, I don't know. I had it,
and somehow or other it fell out.
But you still have yours,
haven't you?
L-
Yes. I better get rid of it.
Good.
Do you think they'll
let us go tomorrow morning...
after the stagecoach gets here?
Not a chance.
They know that we saw them kill Sam.
We'll have to get out
before it comes in.
Yancy, you'll stand watch
till midnight.
- Yancy.
- Yeah. I heard ya. I heard ya. Sure.
- Gratz, you'll take the second watch.
- Yeah, Zim.
Tevis will relieve you at 4:00.
Can I fill this?
Yeah. Go ahead.
Get your water over there.
I want drinking water.
Can't you pour it in?
Gratz, you-
- you better get some sleep.
- Yeah, Zim.
Make me bury my coat.
Boss! Boss! It's following me!
- Boss!
- Tom!
It's after me, boss! There's a great big
mountain lion out there. It's- It's-
- Gratz, take his-
- I ain't gonna stay out there alone.
- Take his place.
- Yeah, Zim.
Well, there was.
There was a great big lion out there.
Go to bed.
- Sure.
- You better turn in too.
It's your turn next.
Oh, it was cold out there too, boss.
It was-
You made me bury my coat, and it was cold.
There was a lion out there,
too, I think.
I seen it, and it was-
it was following me right up to the house.
It's all right.
- What's the matter?
- The coyotes stopped howling. They help to cover the noise.
I have to feed the stock.
Gratz.
Go with him.
Ah, no pitchfork.
Use your hands.
What you got?
It fell out of my pocket.
Aw, it didn't fell.
What you got?
- I tell you, it fell out of my pocket.
- What is it?
- Well, it's a letter from my father.
- Put that down.
Back up. Move away.
By golly, pretty small letter.
- Where you go?
- Gonna water the stock.
They got enough water.
We go back.
- Did you get it?
- Shh, shh.
- Did you get the gun?
- No.
I didn't have time.
I had one piece of luck though.
You stay here.
- Yancy.
- Yeah, boss?
Get up on that water tower
and watch the road.
- Boss, I-I-I just got my beans.
- Come on. Come on.
Well-
Get up and watch. Always me.
Come on.
Can't even eat.
- What is it?
- It's the knife. It slipped out.
Oh.
It's right in the path.
They're bound to see it
if they go around that way.
- I've gotta take the baby out.
- Where?
Where do you think?
Just out for a walk, Gratzie.
Then take one.
Hey. Hey, look what the kid found.
Busted.
Busted, kid.
Wanna see me do a trick? Huh?
I love kids.
Hey, wanna see me do it again?
Come on.
You know what Zim say.
Come on.
Come on.
Tom! Tom, they must have heard it.
Well?
You might tell your wife it's not easy
to hear through that door. I tried it.
So have we.
Stagecoach will be here
in less than a hour if it's on time.
Come on.
Let's saddle up the horses.
Ow!
Here.
Use this.
Not in front of the house.
Back of the house.
Yeah, Zim.
Here. Let me.
You better get back to the door.
No more, Gratz.
You've had enough.
Now look, I wanna-
Look, I wanna go over everything
for the last time.
We can't depend on Yancy.
I'm gonna leave him where he is.
And the-Are you listening, Tevis?
Oh.
- Oh.
- What is it?
The knife- I broke the knife.
I was afraid
that was gonna happen...
sooner or later.
I can't budge it.
Come on, Vinnie.
See if you can squeeze through there now.
Wait a minute.
All right.
Get your shoulder down
a little bit. That's right.
Go on.
- Huh?
- I can't.
Oh.
Why do you get yourself
all worked up?
We've done everything we can.
Digging our hands raw
like a couple of rats.
Letting him step all over us,
ordering us around.
"Mrs. Owens, go along
with Tevis and Gratz. "
"No. The baby stays here. "
"Get a move on.
Put the baby to bed. "
"Owens, get out the team.
Follow him, Tevis. "
"Gratz, keep an eye on him. "
"Where are you going, Mrs. Owens?"
"Do this. Do that. "
And we did it.
Well, what else could we do?
You can't argue with a gun.
- And where did it get us?
- Well, we're still alive, aren't we?
Yes, we're still alive. And you know
what's gonna happen just as well as I do.
Well, sure I do. Any minute now they're
gonna take me out there to harness that team.
I'm their bait for a fine
ambush- a turkey shoot.
Sure, I know what's gonna happen.
Now what do you want me to do about it?
Say, "I'm sorry, Mr. Zimmerman.
I'm not working today"?
Not me.
Sure, I took orders.
Sure, I let him walk all over me.
Sure, I rode along.
And why?
'Cause I was scared- scared stiff.
I'm just like you, sister.
I want to live.
I want to live just as long as I can.
Well, all right.
Up to now we've been mister and missus,
and she's been our kid.
I figured it was a good bargain
for both of us.
But from here on out
maybe you can do better on your own.
Well, what can you lose?
Maybe you better
tell Zimmerman who you are.
All right, Owens.
Just a minute, Zimmerman.
I've got something
I want to tell you. She and-
No, Tom. No.
It was a good bargain.
It's still a good bargain.
Come on, Owens. Kiss her
and get it over with.
I'll get the baby.
Tom! Tom!
Open the door!
- Get in this doorway.
- Open the door!
And don't leave it.
- Gratz, get up there with Yancy.
- Yeah, Zim.
The stage ought to show up
any minute now.
- Keep out of sight.
- Yeah, Zim.
Now before you start, Owens,
take a look over there.
Take a good look.
He'll watch every move you make.
And if you want to see
your wife and child again...
don't make any mistakes.
Now get going.
What kind of a man
are you, Zimmerman?
Anybody can see
that you're educated...
that you've had a good background.
Oh, I can understand the crazy thinking of
a road agent or a trigger-happy renegade...
but how a man could
leave a woman and baby...
alone with an animal like that,
I- I just don't understand it.
Do as you're told
and nobody will get hurt.
You expect me to believe that?
You have no choice.
Look, let 'em go now, hide out.
Then I'll play your game
with you to the hilt.
You can have my word on it.
I swear it.
When you get a little older and some
of the green wears off of you...
you'll learn never to trust
anyone with anything.
Now get going.
And don't worry too much
about what kind of a man I am.
Just keep your mind
on your wife and your kid.
Now come on. Let's go.
Callie?
Callie!
Callie!
Callie, come back here!
Callie!
Callie, come back here!
Callie! Callie!
Callie!
Open the door!
Open the door!
Shut up in there.
Shut up.
Open the door!
Shut up.
- Open the door!
- Shut up!
Shut up!
Tom!
Shut up!
Shut up!
Shut up!
Tevis!
Have you gone completely loco?
Now wait a minute, Zim.
You don't know what happened.
Don't shoot.
She-She went haywire.
I couldn't let her run out, could I?
Honest.
It ain't my fault, Zim.
I've been wrong.
I admit it.
But from here on
I'm takin' your orders.
Take her in there.
Come on.
Now lock that door.
You killed Zim!
What for you kill Zim?
I'm boss now! From here on
I'm runnin' this show! You hear me?
Yancy!
Yancy! Keep your gun on him, Yancy!
Where are you, you yellow-bellied
horse thief? Yancy, can you hear me?
Callie!
Stick your head out! It'll cool you off!
You ain't no shot either, Owens!
Missed me a mile!
What's the matter, Owens?
You losin' your nerve or you
runnin' out of ammunition?
I got enough.
I got enough to hold you there
until the stage comes.
What's the matter, Tevis?
You running out of brave talk?
You hear that, Tevis?
I'm satisfiied to sit it out with you.
Callie!
Blow that thing again.
I don't think we'll have to sit it out.
Look at the gate!
Tevis!
Thought you had me, didn't you, Owens?
Tevis! Tevis!
Throw down that gun!
Walk towards me with your hands up!
Callie!
Stand up and throw down your gun...
or my next shot won't miss her!
That sounded like shootin' to me.
Hyah! Hyah!
Hyah!
You got three seconds!
One! Two!
Ha! Drop that gun!
That's right!
Just keep a-comin'!
That's nice!
That's real nice!
Just keep a-comin'!
Let me see how much guts you got.
Keep a-comin'.
Keep a-comin'.
Don't yellow it now!
It ain't but a short piece
to where you're goin'.
Hyah! Hyah!
Hyah! Hyah!
Hyah! Hyah!
Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!
Whoa!
What's been goin' on here, Tom?
Tom, that pot walloper up there came runnin'
toward us with this shoe in his hand.
He says it belongs to you.
Does it?
He's an honest man, Jake.
It does.
Will you tell me what in Jerusalem
you've been doin' here?
Learnin' the business, Jim.
Just learnin' the business.
Yes, sir. That's it.
The Jackass Mail-
the shortest, fastest, "backbreakingest"ride
you could buy for $200 gold...
meals included.
San Francisco to St. Louis
in 25 days and 25 nights.
Yes, sir, the Jackass Mail.