Frontier Fugitives (1945)

[bunniefuu]

[ Man muttering]

Well, what are you

trying to do, panhandle?

Don't you get it, Dave?Sorry.

You understand,

don't you, Tex?

Sure. You're giving

an imitation

of a razorback hog

stuck in a barbwire fence.

[Laughing]That ain't it at all.

We're near Indian country,

ain't we?

Well, I'm practicing

talkin' Indian.

Throwing up smoke signals,

practicing sign language.

Oh, we were

only kidding, panhandle.

Understood

every word you said.

Didn't we, Dave?Sure did.

And you're dead right.

We've got to be prepared.

We'll hold

a council of w*r right now.

The first thing we'd

better do is see Allen fain,

the new Indian agent

at bear settlement.

We'll learn more

about the trouble from him.

People find out the three

strangers are lawmen,

we won't find out

nothing from nobody,

especially about who's k*lling

the trappers and Indians.

Panhandle's right again.

If we're going

to solve the mystery,

we've got to work

undercover.

Let's figure it out

while we're riding.

[ g*n clicks ]

[ g*nshots ]

[ g*n clicks ]

[ g*n clicks ]

[ g*nsh*t ]

[ g*nsh*t ]

I'm sorry I hit Fred,

but he shouldn't have

let himself get caught.

Wouldn't do for anybody

working with you

to tell what they know,

would it, donner?

Not if they expect

to stay healthy, sneed.

Drop those g*ns.

Drop those g*ns

on the bunk.

You're under arrest,

stranger.

What are the charges?

m*rder. For sh**ting

that Indian.

Did you

see me sh**t him?

I caught you leaning over him

with your g*ns in your hands,

and that's enough for me.

I didn't mean to bust in

on an argument.

I just wanted

to inquire the way

to bear settlement.

If you can make

a deal there,

maybe he'll let you

ride along.

Oh. You the sheriff?

No, I'm Allen fain,

the new Indian agent.

Uh-huh. Looks like

you captured yourself

a desperate character,

Mr. Fain.

What'd he do?

k*lled that Indian

in cold blood.

He more than likely belongs

to the band of men

that's robbing the trappers

and Indians of their furs.

He doesn't look much

like a k*ller to me.

If he was, he wouldn't

let you capture him.

There's a good reason why

I'm letting him take me in.

He's got me covered.

I see.

I didn't k*ll

that Indian.

And you can do me

a big favor, if you will.

Get word to

chief tall wolf panhandle

that I'm in trouble.

If I run into him.

I'm not going out of

my way to run your errands.

I'm heading

for bear settlement.

Follow the south fork

of the stage road

down through the valley.

Oh, um, you better

keep your eye on him.

Come on, let's go.

[ Horses approaching ]

He's dead.

Did he say anything

before he died?

Yeah. He kept mumbling

something about a wildcat

and his daughter Ellen.

That his daughter Ellen

was a wildcat

or something like that.

Let's go get the sheriff.

I ain't fond of

hanging around a corpse.

I'll take care of

the sheriff. What else?

He said his cabin

was over that Ridge.

Say, maybe his daughter

is a female catamount

and she's in that cabin.

Let's go. I ain't seen

a wild woman for ages.

I'll take care

of the lady.

I thought you was going

to take care of the sheriff.

I'll take care of both.

I've got something much more

important for you to do.

Do you remember

how impressed I was

when I heard you

talking Indian?

Yeah.

Well, that's it.

What?

You're going to be

chief tall wolf.

And I know where there's

an Indian scalp you can wear.

Good.a dead Indian.

Now, wait a minute, Dave.

I don't mind you leaving me here

while you go for the sheriff,

and I don't mind you going

over the Ridge to see the lady,

but if you think I'm going

to be a dead Indian chief,

you've got another think coming.

Not a dead Indian, panhandle.

You'll be very much alive.

[ Laughs ]

Take a look

in that trunk.

There's nothing in there.

Put up your hands.

All right, reach!

[ Fighting sounds ]

Whoa.

Hold it.

I thought you was on your way

to bear settlement.

Well, I am.This is not the road

to the settlement.

I got lost on the way

and stopped to ask directions.

Every time you stop,

you start something.

You had better be cellmates

until I can check up on you.

I guess it was my fault

he got in the fight.

Thought he was one

of mert donner's men.

Who is mert donner?

I haven't any proof,

but I think he was after

my father's cache

of furs, and i--

go ahead and talk, miss.

This is Mr. Fain,

the new Indian agent.

I'm Tex Haines.

He thinks I belong

to donner's g*ng,

but he's wrong.

I have no idea

who this is.

Hello. I'm Dave Wyatt,

but that's not half as important

as who is the young lady?

I'm Ellen Williams.

This is my father's cabin.

What makes you think

those men

were trying to steal

your father's furs?

My father

thought they were.

That's why I left

to their hiding place.

Maybe they were

trying to steal them.

When I came in,

they were searching the cabin.

Don't you think you should

offer the young lady

your protection?That's right.

Maybe you'd better ride

to the settlement with US

until we can

locate your father.

Oh, miss Williams,

I saw your father

on the way down here.

Maybe we'd better ride

to town in that direction.

I'll explain to you

what happened.

[ Door closes ]

You bungled.

Two men I never saw

in these parts before.

They almost caught Sam

and Higgins.

Mert here

tried to sh**t them,

but he needs the sights

on his r*fle fixed.

Out with it.

What happened?

I tried to hit

one of those hombres,

but I-I shot Sam.

What happened to Higgins?

I don't know.

[ Footsteps ]

I'm Allen fain,

the new Indian agent.

I'd like to examine some

of the markings on your furs.

Go ahead. You'll find

everything in order.

Higgins is dead.

In a shack on stony creek.

I'm more interested in what

happened to them strangers.

I've got those two in jail.

The one named Tex I can hold

for the k*lling of Higgins,

but I'm not so sure

about the other.

What do you know about

that deaf old sheriff?

He ain't the sheriff.

Sheriff's been out

of town for a week.

That's old man Wilson.

Sheriff left him here

to look after things.

Just to look

after things, huh?

[ Laughs ]

♪ I broke your heart, dear

♪ I was untrue

♪ and now I've lost you

♪ what can I do?

♪ Take my hand, dear

♪ though we did try

♪ too late to worry

♪ too blue to cry

♪ we made our vows, dear

♪ to never part

♪ we laughed,

we loved then ♪

♪ we crossed our hearts

♪ I was unfaithful

♪ so here am I

♪ too late to worry

♪ too blue to cry

♪ I've played around, dear

♪ I had my way

♪ but now I find, dear

♪ I've had to pay

♪ I'll always love you

♪ as days go by

♪ too late to worry

♪ too blue to cry

♪ up on my pillow

♪ last night I lay

♪ I dreamed of bygones

♪ and I did pray

♪ but it's all over

♪ we've said good-bye

♪ too late to worry

♪ too blue to cry

Hey, Wilson,

here's your g*n.

Yeah, it sure was fun.

I didn't say "fun."

I said "g*n."

You ever see one

like that before?

Why, sure, of course.

Just exactly like my g*n.

[ Muttering ]

Hand me that g*n!

Hold this g*n a minute.

Give me that other g*n

back here!

Why, of all the rapscallions

I ever saw.

[ Laughing ]

Me big Indian chief.

Make powwow.

Oh, a thief, huh?

No, no.

Chief powwow.

Oh, chief powwow.

How.

How. How come

you got him in jail?

No moratorium.

That's Latin.

Chief went to law school.

It means "release

the prisoner." That's me.

How about me?

You keep quiet.

Hey, do you realize

that he k*lled an Indian?

A brother of yours?

Don't got brother.

Me chief.

What'd you say?Him chief!

Oh, yes, chief.

Me say Indian...

[ Incoherent ]

You're right. I've got to

release the prisoner.

On what grounds?

Yeah, yeah,

on what grounds?

Ugh. Umpum! Umpum!

There you are.

Couldn't ask for better grounds.

Best argument I ever heard

in favor

of releasing a prisoner.

The sheriff

would want me to.

Hey, chief, I got

mixed up in this

with your friend there.

How about getting me out?

If he's a friend of yours,

we'd better help him.

Me don't know him.

I thought you was going

to see the sheriff.

I rode over to whitlock

to see the circuit judge

about my father's affairs.

He gave me this paper

and said it would get

Mr. Wyatt out of jail.

I sort of felt responsible

for your being here.

Well, I'm glad

somebody's interested

in getting me

out of jail.

It's in order,

all right.

You've got

to stick around

until the judge

can hold a trial.

I'll be very much around

when the judge holds a trial!

Say, Mr. Wyatt,

I'd like to see you

over at the hotel.

Oh. I think maybe we'd

better take these two along.

All right.

I can't understand

why my father

didn't leave

some kind of message.

He was always so careful

about that sort of thing.

From the looks

of that cabin,

I don't think

he had time to do anything

except to

put up a battle.

No, he wouldn't hide

that cache of furs

without leaving me some

word where to find it.

You see, my father

had permission

to trade

on the reservation.

He brought

the Indians medicine,

and they all liked him

and saved him their best furs.

He was always trying to

do something to help people.

I thought maybe if I could

find that cache of furs

that I could go on

with the work he'd started.

Well, we aren't

leaving this territory

until whoever

k*lled your father

is brought to justice.

You can depend on that,

miss Williams.You sure can.

Oh, he isn't

a real Indian.

No, he's a pal of mine.

Panhandle Perkins.

We're rangers.

Right now we're

working with Tex,

helping out

with his trouble.

Wait till I get

this regalia off

and you can see

what I really look like

and thank me in person.

Wait a minute, panhandle.

You've shown up

on the settlement

as chief tall wolf.

You can't change now.

The only chance

you have of finding out

any information is going

around as an Indian.

Well, miss Williams,

we'll let you know

the minute

we get track of anything.

Are you staying here

at the hotel?

Yes, for a while.

Do you mind

if I search that cabin?

I'll bet I can find

that message.

I certainly

appreciate your help

and thank you a lot.

Say, Tex,

what was the idea

of letting that Indian agent

put you in jail?

Because the man that

calls himself fain

isn't the Indian agent.

What's that?

I know Allen fain.

This man is an imposter.

And you think something

happened to the real agent.

I don't like to think so,

but looks that way.

We can't make a move

to arrest the man

who calls himself fain

without proof.

It looks

mighty hopeless to me.

Dead Indians

that ain't Indians,

an Indian agent that

ain't an Indian agent,

and somebody

k*lling off people,

and we haven't

the smokiest idea who it is.

At least we know why

we were sent into the territory.

Ordinarily it would be

up to the Indian agent

to do the investigating,

but he's disappeared.

I'll see if I can

pick up his trail.

Panhandle, that was

a good idea of yours

about searching

the Williams cabin.

Dave, you, uh,

sort of hang around town.

Miss Williams

may need help.

Oh, he always gets

to be ladies' man.

Ah, that is because

I'm smart.

Move, Indian,

and pronto.

Ugh.

It's about time

you two got here.

Why? What are you

all head up about?

An Indian chief got

Tex Haines out of jail,

and then that Williams girl

got a legal paper

that took

that other one out.

Come here.

Gar, take a look.

That must be

your Indian chief.

I never saw him

around here before.

Sneed, go fix yourself up

in one of those Indian getups.

Trail him and see

what you can learn.

How.

How.

How, how.

How, how. How!

How, how, how, how! Ugh!

Ugh!

Wassum.

Wassum why.

Wassum there.

Wassum...there.

Ohh!

Ah! Cham-cham.

Aah!

Aah!

Aah!

[ Whooping ]

[ Whooping ]

You smokum

peace pipe?

Yeah. You smokum?

Good.

Now.

Ugh. Me smokum.

Good.

You started pipe.

You smokum. Hai.

[ Grunts ]

Good.

You smokum.

[ Opens door ]

[ Laughing ]

[ Laughing ]

[ Groaning ]

What's the matter

with you?

Why didn't you use

the back entrance?

What's the matter

with your idea?

I trailed him

to Williams' cabin.

Well, what'd you

find out?

If that chief powwow

is an Indian,

I'm a mackerel.

He's a white man?Trying to play

our game.

I think Tex Haines

and Dave Wyatt

are working with him.

If they think they're going

to get Williams first,

they got

another think coming.

If we expect to get him,

we got some thinking to do.

Well, if we

don't find him,

there's plenty more

in this territory.

Come on, let's get

in the back room.

Wassum fur.

We met before.

That's right.

The Williams ranch.Right again.

What makes you

so curious, stranger?

I always get curious when

somebody takes a shot at me.

Why, I thought

you was a fur thief.

Well, that's a funny thing.

I thought you were.

I'm not, so what are you

gonna do about it?

At the moment, nothing.

But don't sh**t at me again.

On your way to the Indian

reservation, Mr. Fain?

Yes. I was going out there

to do a little checking out.

I just come from there.And?

Everything checks

about the way I figure it.

How would you

figure it, Mr. Fain?

Well, I don't know

what you're talking about.

You don't?

I'm talking about this hat.

I got it from the Indians.

It has an "a.F."

Marked in it.

You wouldn't be knowing

who it belongs to, would you?

No. No, I wouldn't.

Well, maybe I can

refreshen your memory.

This hat has

a b*llet hole in the back.

The Indians found the owner

in the bottom of a canyon

and held a ceremony

over him.

You wouldn't like

to see the place

where he's buried,

would you?

This fur's also

stamped with an "a.F."

And the papers the man

was carrying on him

identified him as--

You didn't

let me finish.

As I was sayin',

the papers in the man's

pocket identified him

as Allen fain.

Now I'm going to let

the sheriff figure out

how Mr. Fain can be

both dead and alive.

Get moving.

Hey, gar, come here.

Take a look

up the street.

Wilson, I demand

to be released.

This man has

no right to hold me.

Every citizen

has a right

to make an arrest

if he wants to.

Oh, you're right.

And I'm here to see

that any man

Tex arrests

stays in jail.

A ranger, huh?

It ain't

the first time, fain.

All right, Wilson,

lock him up.

And we'll talk about

the case Tex has against him.

They must be lawmen.

That was fain's hat

Tex was carrying.

Williams must

have told his daughter

where his fur cache

is hidden.

What good'll

that do US?

Might do US

a lot of good.

Panhandle, you say

Williams kept talking

about a wildcat?

Yeah, but the mountains

are full of 'em.

Tex, is there any place

around here called wildcat?

Well, there's a lot

of wildcat mines.

[ Snaps fingers ]

I saw a wildcat head

out at the Williams cabin.

That's the one

panhandle was wearing.

Where is it now?It's still on my head.

No, it ain't, either.

I wonder what happened to it.

Ugh.

Me come for girl.

Chief many wampa's

at cabin.

Message from father.

You mean there's

an Indian chief at my cabin

with a message

from my father?

Big chief no wait long.

Horse.

Now, wait a minute.

I've gotta backtrack.

I had that thing on

out at the Williams cabin.

Let me think now.

I've got it!

That Indian

from the trading post,

he had it on.

Hey, that Indian, the one

I met at the Williams cabin,

he just rode out of town

with miss Williams.

Take the shortcut!

Take the shortcut!

Let's separate and see

if we can pick up a trail.

Put this wildcat

in the back room.

Let go of me!

Shut up

and get in there.

I don't think that girl

knows where the furs are.

I'm not so sure about it.

With a little

stronger persuasion,

she'll tell US

where they are.

Store's closed.

Yeah, I know.

I want to look

at your guitars.

I'd like to get one

for a friend of mine.

[ Plays out-of-tune strings ]

[ Plays strings in tune ]

This one seems

to be pretty good.

I'd like your advice.

See how it sounds

with my voice.

[ Tunes guitar ]

♪ I'll wait for you, dear

♪ throughout the years

♪ I'll be your only

♪ I'll share your tears

♪ I'll be your sunshine

♪ when day is through

♪ just say you love me

♪ I'll wait for you

♪ I'll keep on waitin'

♪ though it's in vain

♪ I understand, dear

♪ you're not to blame

♪ whatever happens

♪ I know you're true

♪ throughout my life, dear

♪ I'll wait for you

♪ when day is ending

♪ the moon is high

♪ I watch true lovers

♪ go passin' by

♪ it all reminds me

♪ of days we knew

♪ if you'll come back, dear

♪ I'll wait for you

that guitar fits

your voice mighty fine.

You want it?

No, I don't believe so.

I don't think my friend

would like it.

Tone level

ain't too good.

These the only two

you got?

That's all.

I'll come back

when you get some more.

Tex!

Hold it.

[ Pounds on door ]

Throw your g*ns

behind the counter.

You open the door and let

that girl out of there.

Hurry up!

Hold it. Get up.

Get that key

out of his pocket, Dave.

Ellen's in that room.

All right, you two,

you're on your way to jail.

Out that door.

Come to me, kitty.

Come on, kitty.

Sneed: Put that down!

Put it down.

Uh-huh.

So, you want

to be tough, huh?

Wait a minute.

You can't jump a king

with a man.

Why, you sidewinder,

I'm jumping a king with a king.

Sneed: You're jumping,

but not with a king.

Your horses

are at the stable.

I found something

worth a fortune.

Grab your g*ns.

All right, get in there.

Hey! You spoiled

a good move!

What is it, panhandle?

What happened?

The message,

it was in there.

Message? What message?

I got hit on the head

and I can't remember.

Come on, think hard.

What was it?

Oh, it was a message

from your father.

Yes, panhandle.

What did it say?

I can't remember.

Come on, panhandle,

think.

Wilson doesn't know anything.

He's locked up.

I guess we'll let him

sit that way for a while.

What's the matter

with panhandle?

He found out something

about Ellen's father

and he can't remember

what it is.

Come on, Ellen, you'd better

wait in the hotel.

Hotel.

That's it--a hotel.

Do you know anything

about an old hotel

at the humber

gold camp?

It's about the only building

left in the old mining town.

That's where

your dad hid the furs.

Do those men

know about it?Yeah.

I know where

it is, Dave.

You stay here

with miss Ellen, panhandle.

Mert, you and gar

see what's upstairs.

The back room is

just loaded with furs.

Well, get 'em out.

Throw 'em down here.

Get this.

Must have taken Williams

years to collect these furs.

These are the best

I've ever seen.

There must be

a fortune here.

Shh. Sounds like

somebody's outside.

Awful quiet in there.

You think

they spotted US?

I'm afraid so.

[ g*nsh*t ]

[ g*n clicks ]

All right,

come on out of there.

One moment,

my little Indian friend.

You have reached

the end of the trail.

Get back in there.

In you go, my Indian friend.

In you go.

Tex, what happened?

It's all right, Ellen.

We got 'em all

and what they came after--

your father's furs.

♪ Though it's in vain

♪ I understand, dear

♪ you're not to blame

♪ whatever happens

♪ I know you're true

♪ throughout my life, dear

♪ I'll wait for you

♪ when day is ending

♪ the moon is high

♪ I watch true lovers

♪ go passing by

♪ it all reminds me

♪ of days we knew

♪ if you'll come back, dear

♪ I'll wait for you