03x28 - Fall into Darkness

[bunniefuu]

[ expl*si*n ]

Oh. You see that?

I told you he could do it.

Brother Ben knows
what he's doing

when it comes to powder.

You sure
that hole in the crossing

will stop a stagecoach?

They'll be coming in slow,
one wheel's bound to slide.

It'll stop them.

Way Ben's got that fixed,

they're gonna be
sitting on that strongbox

like, like ducks in a lake.

I thought we agreed
not to use any of that.

If you did your job right,
we won't.

Well, Laird, you don't
have to worry about that.

That don't make no difference.
Ben here ain't no quitter.

Never mind what I am!

Too late
to back out now.

h*!

Mama, you were right.

That is Pa's horse.

Maybe I'm a better tracker
than you thought, hmm?

I'll say.
That's old Danny all right.

But nobody's here.

Well, Ben will be back
for his mount,

you can be sure of that.

Maybe he found work.

The man in Laramie said

he'd been asking for a job
around town.

Well, we just pray
that he did.

Before we do any praying,

we'd better feed
and water this team.

It's a wonder
they made it this far.

I'll see if there's water
in that old well.

Wait, Kathy,
I think I better do that.

That well may be dry.

You start to unhitch.

All right.

We'll probably
be here a spell.

You can rest yourselves now.

Feed and water are coming.

Easy now.

Mama!

Mama!

Mama!

Mama!

I'm going for help, Mama!

Giddyup!

That as fast as
those nags go, Slim?

They can serve you dust
for dinner.

Come on, Jimmy!
Come on, Rusty!

Ha!

Come on!

Come on, boy!

All right, giddyup!
Let's go!

Right around, Slim!

Come on, Rusty,
go, boy!

Ha! Get him!

Those lamp chimneys
in the back,

they'll all be smashed.

Ooh, boy, ooh.

Aw, they beat us.

Couldn't be helped,
Mike.

We got breakables
back there.

Well, I'm sorry
to spoil your fun.

But when heaven does call,

I want to get there
all in one piece.

If there'd been
people in that coach,

they wouldn't have been able
to sit down for a week.

Ah, just a payroll shipment.

And those wheels are gonna be
sh**ting sparks all the way.

Wish I could have been
riding with them.

Whoa!

Stop please, I need help!

h*!

h*!
Stop, mister, please!

Ooh-ooh.

What's the matter?

We've got to hurry,
mister.

The well caved in.

My mother,
she went down with it.

We've got to hurry,
please!

Well, wait, slow down.

We'll help you
but where did all this happen?

At a burnt farm,
up that way.

Sounds like Burnt Ranch.

What were you and your mother
doing out there?

Waiting for Pa.

We've got to hurry,
mister.

Please,
I'll show you the way.

Well, I think
it'd be hard for us

to keep up
with this sprinter,

so you ride in the wagon,
I'll tie him on the side, okay?

Now don't you worry,
dear.

Slim will get us there
just as soon as he can.

That's Mr. Sherman
and this is Mike Williams

and I am Mrs. Cooper.

Hello.

Now you sit over here,
dear.

Make room.

What's your name?

Kathy, ma'am.

Kathy Frances.Oh.

Slim, I think
we've got to forget

about those lamp chimneys
in the back.

All right.
Hang on!

Come on, boy!
Giddyup! Come on!

Hoo!

Hoo!

h*-h*-h*, stop!

Oh!

Get up in there!

Hold it!

No call for that.

Get up there
and get the money.

[ g*nsh*t ]

Now throw it down!

Come on, clear out!

If you want to stay,
it'll be with a slug in you.

[ g*nshots ]

Mrs. Frances?

Mrs. Frances!

Daisy.

Stay back here.

Don't get much closer,

the dirt's falling
in all around the edges.

What do you think
her chances are?

I don't know.

That well is not deep,
probably dry

but the way it was dug
in this loose dirt

makes it kind of tricky.

That's why they shored up
the sides with those boards.

I don't want to give anybody
any false hopes.

What am I gonna tell her?

There must be
something we can do.

Not much alone.

One wrong move
and this whole thing

would cave in
right on top of her.

We're gonna have to stay back
from the edges

and build something
over the top.

Will you go for help?

Of course.Good.

Now you head into town,
get the sheriff

and any other man
you can get to come out here.

We're gonna need heavy timber,
rope, and some tools--

Aren't you going to do
anything, Mr. Sherman?

Listen, Kathy,
you wouldn't want us

to do anything wrong,
would you?

All right,
now if we move too fast,

we might make things worse
than they are.

Mrs. Cooper's gonna go
into town, get us some help.

Hold it right there.

Nobody is going anywhere.

Drop that g*n belt.

Your left hand!

Pa!

What's your kid
doing here, Ben?

I-- I don't know.

You better find out
and quick.

We got no time
to waste on anybody.

Kick that g*n belt
over here.

Jack,
bring those horses in!

Get those other horses
ready to travel.

Ben, what's that kid
doing here?

Have I got a crystal ball
or something?

Give me a chance
to ask her.

Easy does it, Kathy.

Easy does it.

Oh, Pa, I'm so glad
you came back.

Honey, please,
please don't cry.

Please don't,
everything is all right.

But what are
you doing here?

We followed you
to Laramie.

The man at the livery said

you'd been there
looking for work.

Oh, Pa, you got to--

Honey, now hold on.

Why did you come here?

Ma was able to trail you.

She remembered that
one of old Danny's horseshoes

had a nick in it.

She saw his tracks on the road
but then she--

Honey,
why did you leave home?

The sheriff said
we didn't pay our bills.

The sheriff?

So we couldn't live there
anymore.

Oh, I'm too late.

All this for nothing.

No, you're not, Pa.

Mama needs you bad,
she's hurt.

She's hurt?

What do you mean
Mama's hurt?

Where is she?

She's been trying
to tell you.

Your wife went to
get some water.

Top of the well caved in,
took her with it.

Wouldn't get
too close.

The rest could cave
in real easy.

Now what kind of a mess
have you got us into?

Jack, get over here!

I knew I was wrong
letting you in on this.

Your big brother's
dragging his heels again.

I say we should cut loose
from him right now.

Take it easy on him,
Laird.

He hasn't done bad
by us up to now.

Now, Ben,
we got to keep riding.

You don't understand!

She's fallen in that well,
it's Norma!

Well, that's a tough break
for her,

but she's your problem
not mine.

We've wasted enough time
around here as it is.

Now look, I don't care
what kind of a hurry you're in.

There's a woman
hurt down there

and we're gonna need every man
we can get to bring her out.

You talk too much, cowboy.

Maybe a b*llet in the leg
will shut you up.

Ben!Laird!

[ grunting ]

[ g*nsh*t ]

Sorry, mister,
but I can't take a chance.

Now back off, come on.

If you think you're helping
your wife out this way,

you better think again.

All right, Jack, come on,
get over there.

We'll get Norma out,
I'm just making sure of it.

Well, you thickheaded clod,

you're just making sure
the law will catch us,

that's all you're doing!

Ben, when are you gonna
start thinking?

Figure it out, she's probably
not even alive by now.

That's enough of that.

If you had any sense,

you'd let Mrs. Cooper
go into town

and get us some help.

Don't you listen to him.

Look, there'll be
a posse after us

as soon as somebody finds
that coach we knocked over.

They might be on their way
in here right now.

You shut up and let me think!

What stage
are you talking about?

The Laramie run?

Ben, Ben, will you listen to me
just for once?

Now you've been
tied to that woman

and that kid
for just too long.

Now we planned this,
we planned it perfectly.

We got extra horses,
we got g*ns

and we got
a good head start.

We've got the money now,

so come on, Ben,
let's get going!

I want to know what stage
you're talking about.

Go on, tell him,
then he'll be sure to help you.

There was a stage
out on Laramie, mister.

Ben helped us take care
of the guard and the driver.

That's a lie,
you shot him.

I didn't want
any part of that!

Well, either way
he's gonna be sure

that you get nailed for it,
sooner or later.

You better not throw in
with him, Ben.

I'm not throwing in
with anybody!

You can't get her out
alone.

NORMA: Kathy?

Hey, listen.

Kathy!

Help me!

Now do you want to stand here
and argue some more?

Or you want to save her life?

Oh, Pa, I don't care
what you've done.

You've got to get her out.

You've just got to.

Kathy, I swear
I'll do everything I can.

Well, you better
start getting busy.

Dark is setting in,
won't make the job any easier.

Just how much help
can I expect from you?

All the help you need
to get her out.

Afterwards
it's something else.

That doesn't seem
too important right now.

Well, what's first?

I think we ought to
try to talk to her,

see how she is

and see what we're gonna
have to face down there.

Well, you better do it.

I don't think either one of us
will live very long

if I took my eye off of him.

And if every time
I turn around

I find myself
looking down that g*n barrel,

I'm not gonna get much done!

Mr. Sherman's
gonna help us, Pa.

He wont' hurt us.

Honest he won't.

I think it'd be better off
all the way around

if Mrs. Cooper would take
Kathy and Mike inside.

Kathy, come here.

Mrs. Frances?

Can you hear me,
Mrs. Frances?

Yes.

Can you move at all?

Only a little.

My legs are caught.

There's...

something over me, some...

some boards.

We're going to get you out.

It might take a little time,

we don't want the rest
to cave in on you.

Please hurry.

We will.

We'll do all we can.

Is Kathy all right?

Yes, she's fine.

She brought us out here.

Tell her...

Mrs. Frances?

Mrs. Frances!

She must have
passed out again.

What do we do?

We're gonna have to build
some sort of a platform

back from the edges
and over that shaft.

There might be some
heavy timber left in that barn.

Sherman,
you give the order

and I'll see
they carry them out.

You're a hard man to figure.

Just what do you want most,
your wife or that money?

I want both, Sherman.

If it hadn't been
for she and Kathy,

I wouldn't have gone
after this.

I figured
I owed them something.

They were always
having to do without things.

All the things that a woman
or child should have,

I wasn't able
to give them.

So you're willing to
take something that isn't yours?

Yeah.

You think
it's still worth it?

Yeah.

Kathy, you know what they say
about a watched pot?

Yes, ma'am,
but this one's been boiling.

I've been watching it
all the time.

I've been too scared
to look outside.

Now they're doing
a fine job.

You just leave it to Slim
and your pa.

He's not my pa,
he's my step pa.

He's being going around
with those bad men.

Kathy, sometimes
people do wrong things

just to stay alive
or to protect those they love.

Doesn't make it right
but at least you can understand

why they do it.

But Ma told him to stay away
from Uncle Jack, I heard her.

She said
he wasn't to come back

if he rode off with him again.

Shove it this way.

Look, you better
try to take him soon,

it's the only chance we got.

Well, I can't do it
while he's watching me.

He won't sh**t his own brother,
now get to it.

Ben, you got to
start listening to reason.

The more you talk,
the more time we waste.

Ben, we're wasting time now,
now let's get--

Now you hold it
right there!

Kathy, help me!

[ grunting ]

Ben.

All right,
it's enough of that.

Get up!

Go on, get up,
get over there.

I ought to
k*ll you for this.

You'd probably k*ll
for less.

Norma!Drop him!

Pull that trigger again,

you're liable
to lose the last chance

you've got to
get that payroll.

That money is going to be
just as hard

to get out of there
as that woman.

So you better hang on
to all the help you can get.

Come on, Slim told us
to look for that old pulley.

Why aren't they getting
Mama out?

All they do is fight and talk,
then fight some more.

I don't know.

Grownups are hard
to figure sometimes.

Kathy.

Kathy!

What's the matter?

I thought I heard Mama.

I didn't hear anything.

You'd better
not go over there.

Let me go, she needs me!

You'll just make it worse,
now come on!

Let me go!

I'm sorry,
but you're acting plain silly.

You're right, Mike,

I was, but I don't know
what I'd do

if anything happened to her.

I do.

Huh?

What do you mean?

You'd go on living
and somehow you'd get by too.

What do you know about it?

Enough.

My ma and pa
was k*lled by Indians,

and I saw it happen.

But I'm making it
all right, now.

Golly, I didn't know.

Daisy said
they'd want me to do my best

and I bet you
your mom would too.

She would.

That's just what she'd say.

Then let's quit all this talking
and get back to work.

Them kids are all right
out there,

they're still trying to find
one of the pulleys.

Another one of
Sherman's big ideas.

Now look, they probably
had a pulley up there

in the hay loft,
and if they can find it,

we could sure use it.

Well, you better hope
they find it quick

because you're going down
in that well, Sherman,

one way or another
and sending the money up to us.

Just why does it
have to be Slim?

I'll tell you why, lady,
because I said so.

I beg your pardon.

I shouldn't have expected
an intelligent answer from you.

Tell you what, grandma,

you can go down in his place,
how's that?

Any place would be preferable
to staying here with you.

Save your breath, Daisy.

He doesn't understand
anything

except what comes out
of that g*n barrel.

You want some of it?

Just keep talking.

That g*n is not going to do you
any more good now.

The fact is you're not
any better off than I am.

What are you getting at?

I'll lay it out plain
and simple.

As long as I'm the one
that's going down that hole,

I'm the one to say
who's coming out first.

And that's going to be
the woman.

Is that right now?

Well, then maybe I'll have to
pick somebody else.

Laird. Laird, listen to me,
what difference does it make?

All we want to do is
get our horses

and get out of here
before the law gets here

and it's a sure thing
that Ben ain't gonna leave

before he helps his wife.

Why don't you quit
trying to feed a dead horse?

What he's done
cancels him out for good.

We need Ben.
We got to have him.

Forget it!
That's the way it's gonna be.

As soon as
she finishes patching them up,

bring him out.

If you slip up once more,

you and me ain't gonna
have much to talk about.

Let's go, Sherman.

Slim, will you see
about Mike and Kathy?

I'll send them in,
Daisy.

Ben,

Ben, you got to
go with us.

You don't want to hang around
here with Norma and that kid,

they're only going to be
a weight around your neck.

You've been trying to
break Norma and me up

ever since we got married,
haven't you?

Oh, no, Ben,
that ain't right.

I always did that
for your own good.

Ben, don't you remember
how it used to be,

you and me riding together?

Well, that's when things
were right.

Oh, were they?

Seems to me
I was looking after you so much,

I never had much time
for myself.

Well, I've changed, Ben,

I've changed a lot.

You've got Laird,
you don't need me.

I need you, Ben,
he's a hard man.

I don't trust him and you know
as well as I do,

I can't handle him.

Is that why you got me
into this?

So I could stand up
to him for you?

Now that ain't fair, Ben.

You needed money,
you knew that.

I was just trying to help.

There, that's all that
I can do for you, Mr. Frances.

I'd go easy on that arm
if I were you.

The b*llet tore
those muscles pretty badly.

Yes, ma'am, thank you.

Mr. Frances.

Yes, ma'am?

There are
a lot of other things

that can hold you back
even worse than an injured arm.

Pretty hard
to win your own battles.

Yes, ma'am.

I'm afraid you're right.

Thank you.

Ben.

Well, hello, kitten.

You sure got a dirty face.

Well, Ben, I--

[ door closes ]

That's the best piece of rope
we got?

It's all that I can find
anywhere near long enough.

I reckon
it will get Sherman down there

and bring the money out
and that's all I want out of it.

What about the woman?
Norma?

I thought
you didn't care for her.

Well, I don't but we just
can't leave her down there.

Can't we?

You get our horses ready
and scatter the rest,

I'll handle things here.

We're losing daylight,
hurry it up.

Ben.

How did you end up
riding with them?

Well, that's a long story,
Sherman,

and everything
seemed to go wrong.

No rain,
no water in our ranch,

stock took sick,
loans came due,

no food, no money,
I spent everything

I'd saved trying to keep
that fool brother of mine

out of trouble.

What kind of trouble
was he in?

Oh, gambling, debts, women,
too much liquor.

I bailed him out of jail
more than once.

Outfit him,
tried to get him straight,

and all of a sudden I had
too much trouble of my own.

At least I thought I did.

So he just talked you
into the easy way out, huh?

Yeah, I should've known
that it wouldn't work.

I'd give anything

if I could trade places
with her down there.

All right, hold it,
hold it.

That's it.

All right, come on.

All right.

Be ready to pull up
the money.

Keep your eye on that
Mrs. Cooper and the kids.

All right.

What about it, Sherman?

How is she?

Can you move your legs?

Ugh.

You're all right.
Take it easy.

Sherman,
you all right?

Yeah, Ben,
I'm all right.

She's dazed
but conscious.

I got the winch off of her.

Is she hurt bad?

Don't bother with her,
Sherman.

Send up the money first.

You wouldn't want anything
to happen

to Mrs. Cooper now,
would you?

The money, Sherman,
and be quick about it.

You've got 1 minute
and that's all.

Laird, that Cooper woman,
she's gone,

took those kids with her.

Told you watch her.
Go find them.

I did watch her.

They must've gone out
into the woods somewhere,

no telling
where they are now.

Keep your voice down,
you want him to hear you?

SLIM: Too late.

I heard all I needed to.

I'm sorry to disappoint you,
the woman's coming up first.

All right, Sherman,
we'll bring the woman out,

but you tie that money on
with her.

If you don't, she'll never
make it out of there.

I don't understand.

Isn't Ben up there?

He's up there all right,
with two other fellas.

His brother?

That's right.

Ben's in trouble,
isn't he?

Let's just worry about
your trouble, Mrs. Frances.

We've got to get you
out of here.

It's all right,
it's working.

They're getting
your mother out.

What about Slim?

We can help him most
by staying right here.

[ horse neighing ]

You're safe now, Norma.

Laird, don't you think
we ought to start riding?

Yeah, just as soon as
I make sure

there's nobody left
to tag along.

Laird.

Laird, you can't do that.

He's already trapped down there,
you can't sh**t him.

Then you're trouble, Ben.

You never could do
what you had to.

Jack!

Jack,
you got to stop him!

He won't stop me,
he's not man enough.

Jack!

Makes you proud,
huh, Ben?

If you want to stay,
I can arrange it.

No, but--

Mount up.

Slim wouldn't ride off,
it must be the others.

You're right, Mike.

Slim may need us.

And Mama too.

Yes, now remember,
you stay behind me.

Don't come out on the clearing
until I call you, understand?

Yes.

Sherman,
Sherman, they've gone.

Ben.

Can you give me a rope?

I can try.

Tie it off!

All right, Sherman!

Oh, Slim, you're safe.

Thank heaven,
I was so scared.

You weren't the only one
scared, Daisy.

I had some worries myself.

Laird do that?

Yeah.

His wife needs
looking after, too, Daisy.

I'll go get Mike
and Kathy first.

I won't forget
what you did, Ben.

[ door opens ]

I found it in the brush
where Ben pitched it.

Wouldn't be any point in me
going after them without it.

Do you have to?

Nothing for me to do here,

we can't move them
with only one horse.

The posse will help you
when they show up.

It's getting light outside,
the trail will be fresh.

They couldn't have gone far
in the dark.

If you do find those men,
don't take any chances.

They've run out of chances,
Daisy, far as I'm concerned.

[ groans ]

Well, he hasn't missed
anyone now, has he?

Never mind, that'll keep.

My brother.

Is Ben all right?

Yeah.

Why did Laird do this?

I wanted to get my share
of the money before,

before we went
through that swamp.

He gave it to me,
right in the back.

The Washakie Swamp?

Yeah.

He figures
you couldn't track him

very well through there.

Do you know that swamp?

Well, I ought to.

I pulled more stock out of there
than I can count.

[ groans ]

I'll send someone back for you
as soon as I can.

Don't bother about me.

You just get Laird.

[ groans ]

All right, hold it,
Laird.

Right there!

Now drop that iron
real easy.

You're going back
to face a judge and a jury,

and I wouldn't mind at all
saving them

the time and the trouble.

Sherman, you've got more lives
than a polecat.

Look, you and me,
we-- we could do all right!

How about half of this loot
for a start?

Half of nothing
but trouble.

And maybe a slug from Jack's g*n
you got stuck in your belt.

That's right.

Drop that one, too,
twice as easy.

All right, Sherman.

We'll do it your way.

[ g*nshots ]

[ quicksand gurgling ]

Sherman, help me!

I don't know how I'll
ever be able to thank you

for putting us up
until I was able to travel.

I do.

You can write to us
and let us know

how you and Kathy
are getting on in the east.

And Ben will be out
before you know it.

Again thanks to you.

It was your speaking for him
that got him a light sentence.

I think
there's a lot of worth in Ben.

We all do.

Kathy, you take good care
of your mother.

Yes, ma'am.

And you come back
and see us, you hear?

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Goodbye, Kathy.

Well, up we go!

Let her roll.

Hey, Daisy,

you think soap's gonna
take that off?

I don't know, Slim.

I've heard of kisses
that just stayed on forever.

[ chuckles ]