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02x08 - The Almost Dead Cowhand

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "The Life & Legend of Wyatt Earp". Aired: September 6, 1955 – June 27, 1961.*
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Series is loosely based on the life of frontier marshal Wyatt Earp.

02x08 - The Almost Dead Cowhand

Post by bunniefuu »

Hey, earp! Wyatt earp!

Come and get me!

Bring your deputies

And all of dodge city!

[g*nsh*t]

sh**ting from there

And trying to starve me out

Won't work!

[Firing]

You'll have to come and get me,

And I ain't gonna

Be taken alive!

What's the matter, earp?

Ya yella?

♪♪ [Humming]

♪ Wyatt earp, wyatt earp ♪

♪ Brave, courageous,

And bold ♪

♪ Long live his fame

And long live his glory ♪

♪ And long may his

Story be told ♪

The life and legend

Of wyatt earp...

Presented by...

Wyatt earp has often

Been charged by his enemies

With hating cowhands

And bearing a grudge

Against them.

Historians of the frontier

Have refuted this accusation,

But it was a serious matter

To marshal earp

In the dodge city of .

Hundreds of cowhands

Made the town

What r.m. Wright,

A local diarist,

Called "the cowboy capital."

Marshal earp

And a handful of deputies

Had a tough job--

Keeping the peace

In dodge city.

This meant daily clashes

With cowhands,

Determined to celebrate

Their brief vacations

From the hard work,

The perils,

And the loneliness

Of cavalry.

[Laughter]

They've taken my last dollar,

And I can't get a job.

Sure, I'll get out of town,

But I'll take

Some of you with me.

Tell the law

I'll be waiting for them

At the santa fe station.

Wyatt, a fool cowhand

Broke loose

In front of the long branch cafe

And wounded two men.

Yeah? Where is he now?

He's hold up

In the santa fe warehouse.

I guess we're gonna

Have to blow him out, marshal.

Maybe.

But wait a minute.

What do you know

About that warehouse?

Oh, wyatt, he's just a punk kid.

A couple of shots

Will blow him out.

Maybe not, hal.

You say he wounded two men?

He fanned his g*n

At a sidewalk crowd,

Wounded two people:

Mr. Todd and mr. Chalmers.

He didn't even know them.

Did you get his name?

Uh, yeah.

Uh, milburn.

Thad milburn, somebody said.

Why?

Do you know him?

Milburn?

Why, that's an alias

Billy the kid uses.

He's older

Than billy the kid.

Come on, pete.

This might be serious.

Anyway, you're not gonna

Blast him out with any shotgun.

That warehouse

Has a heavy door.

The rest of it's

Double timber.

All right.

We'll starve him out

Or use dynamite.

Milburn's on a real rampage.

I'm afraid--

Hal, I'm afraid too.

You and pete go on down there

And try and talk him out.

If he won't come,

Just watch the door.

Get behind some cover

But don't sh**t.

What's the idea, wyatt?

Well, I wanna arrest milburn,

Not k*ll him.

Maybe he's off-balance.

Maybe he had a reason

For what he did.

Anyway, I just want you

To go down there

And watch him

Until I get there.

Yes, sir.

Those cowhands hate us enough

Without using buckshot

On a fool kid.

Hey, marshal.

Hey, did you get

That feller?

No, not yet.

Stole a horse

And run out of town, huh?

No, he's hold up

Down at the santa fe warehouse.

What do you know about him?

Oh, not much.

In fact,

Nothing at all.

You see-- well...

Go on.

Anything will help.

Well, last night,

This cowhand

Turns up at my barn,

And his horse

Was on his last legs.

All right,

All right!

I'm coming,

I'm coming!

What do you want?

I don't like

To disturb you, mister,

But my horse is kind of sick,

And i--

Well, I ain't

No regular horse doctor.

Oh, he don't need nothing

But a good night's rest

And a warm stall.

Well, might have glanders

Or something.

Don't look like

It's nothing contagious.

Maybe I oughta drench him

With turpentine.

Are you sure

That'll help him?

Well, I ain't making

No promises.

All I know

Is he's ailing,

And a turpentine drench

Might bring him out of it.

Well...

Well, all right.

Mm. That'll be $

For his board

And $ for doctoring him,

In advance.

I'll be back

In about an hour.

Put him in a stall,

But hold off

On that doctoring.

What's the best gambling place

In this town?

Oh, around on front street,

Long branch saloon.

We'll get well, tony,

The both of us.

You just take it easy.

And that's all I know.

Or care.

Say, why ain't you down

At the santa fe

Arresting that rascal?

Shot two men,

Didn't he?

My deputies

Are watching milburn.

And you say that, uh,

You think he went down

To the long branch after

He left here last night, huh?

Well, I ain't

Swearing to it.

Well, I'll go down

And check mr. Beeson

At the long branch.

Thanks.

Hey, milburn,

We're deputy marshals!

Come out of there!

You ain't got a chance!

Come and get me!

I'd like to have

A few words with you,

Mr. Beeson.

Why, sure, wyatt.

That, uh,

Young milburn.

Was he playing fair

In here last night?

That wild cowhand?

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, he was.

What happened?

Just about what

You'd expect, wyatt.

He lost

Or dollars--

All he had.

Then, like most cowhands

That lose all their money...

You dealt from the bottom!

Let me see that box!

You took my last dime!

I'm out of a job!

All right.

All right.

I don't want any trouble.

You get out of my place,

Cowhand, and you stay out.

All I want is my g*n.

Throw it out the door.

Now get out.

Just a stinking cowman,

Marshal.

Ain't you

Got him in jail?

No, not yet.

Your dealer cheat him?

Cheat him?

Certainly not.

You know, you would ask that,

Being a friend of jim kelly.

What's jim kelly

Got to do with it?

Just this, marshal.

That kid left here,

He went right down the street

To jim kelly's place.

Now, if he got cheated

Or bad liquor,

That's where he got it.

Well, I don't think so,

But, uh,

I'll ask mr. Kelly.

[Door closes]

Go, devil,

And come, saint patrick.

A cowhand with g*ns

Running wild,

And you ask questions

About what happened last night.

Is milburn

A cousin of yours?

You know, he might be

My kid brother.

Ah, you poke fun at me

For my soft heart.

Now, look, mr. Kelly,

There's no other way

Of getting milburn

Out of that place

Except to dynamite it

And maybe k*ll him.

Now, you say he pawned

His g*n with you,

And then he won

About $ ?

That's right.

Where'd he go from here?

Well, let's see.

I got it.

He said he was looking

For a job.

Somebody mentioned

That tex davis

Was at the dodge hotel--

Excuse me, mr. Kelly.

Yeah, jack?

Hal sent word

That milburn

Is threatening

To come out

And make a fight of it

With him and pete.

Hal wants to know

What you want to do.

[Sighs]

Well, tell him to wing the kid,

If they have to.

I'll be down

In a few minutes.

Yes, sir.

If you want him just winged,

You better do it yourself.

Pete and hal

Won't take chances.

They'll k*ll him.

No. Not against orders,

They won't.

I'm gonna go try and find

Mr. Tex davis.

Uhh. He's right

Over there.

You know, I don't know

Who to put in jail--

Thad milburn or dodge city.

Lord save all here.

Wyatt's losing his mind.

Howdy, mr. Davis.

Well, howdy, wyatt.

Here. Draw up a chair.

Have something to drink.

Bartender! Hey!

Nothing for me, thanks.

Oh, not even

A glass of milk?

[Laughing]

I just wanted

To ask you a question, sir.

Oh, well, fire away, son.

Fire away.

Did a young fellow

By the name of thad milburn

Ask you for a job last night?

Oh, blasted.

Now you spoiled

My drink.

How's that?

Milburn!

Ornery little

Son of a mule.

I tell you, wyatt,

I should have shot him.

I say,

I just should have

Shot him dead.

He came walking up to me

And my lady friend

On the porch...

[Laughter]

Excuse me, sir.

Are you mr. Tex davis?

Right, son.

That's my name.

I wanted to know

If you could use

Another hand.

Oh, yeah?

Where you from?

Montana.

What outfit?

Mr. Granville stuart's.

Oh, yeah.

I sure heard about him.

Why'd you quit?

Well, it was

Personal reasons, sir.

[Scoffs]

Personal reasons.

I didn't commit any crime,

Mr. Davis.

Look, son,

What makes you think you can

Ride with a texas outfit?

Look at him.

Spindle-shanked young pup

From the north.

Why, his belly's blue,

And his back is yella.

Stand aside, yank.

Not very good manners.

Oh.

Are you aiming

To teach me?

It might help to pretend

That you're a gentleman.

Oh, no, colonel,

Please!

Let go of my arm!

Don't.

He's drunk.

Yeah,

I should've shot him,

But I turned on my heel,

And I left them both flat.

And it served

That girl right.

You got that crazy kid

In jail?

Oh, you're also of the opinion

That I should put him in jail,

Huh, mr. Davis?

Well, of course I am.

Of course I am.

The idea of him thinking

He can ride

With a texas outfit.

[Chuckles]

Why, sir, in montana,

Do you know that

They're putting up fences?

They're looping

The range with fences!

Oh, that's very sad.

Yeah.

Thank you, mr. Davis.

Oh, that's very sad.

Get your g*ns c*ck,

Johnny law!

Here I come!

Did we hit him any?

Huh?

Did we hit him any?

No. sh**ting and trying

To wing a man is harder

Than trying to k*ll him.

Tell hank

To get the dynamite.

We're gonna need it ready

When wyatt gets here.

Right.

[g*nf*re]

[Knocking on door]

Who is it?

Marshall earp,

Miss ginger.

What do you want?

I'd like to ask you

A few questions

About thad milburn.

Well, all right.

Did you sh**t him?

Is this for

The coroner's inquest?

No. He's still alive.

In jail?

You tell me,

And I'll tell you, mr. Earp.

Otherwise,

No conversation.

That's fair enough.

Now, what I'm

Trying to find out

Is why milburn would sh**t

Into a crowd of innocent

Bystanders this morning.

Does that

Make sense to you?

Sure.

One of the most sensible things

I ever saw a cowhand do

Was what milburn did.

Why do you say that?

Thad wasn't treated very good

In this town, mr. Earp.

I suppose you've talked

To mr. Kelly, mr. Beeson,

And colonel davis.

A mean cowhand

Would've k*lled davis.

Thad had every right

To sh**t him.

The colonel was so drunk

He could hardly stand up,

Much less hit the side of a barn

With a deringer p*stol.

All right.

I've traced milburn

To the point

Where he met you

On the dodge hotel porch.

What happened after that?

You gonna

Quote me around?

Get me in trouble?

No.

But milburn's hold up

At the santa fe warehouse.

He's threatened to sh**t it out

With my deputies.

I gotta know

The truth about him,

And know it quick.

All right.

You get the truth.

Last night,

On the porch...

Ehhh!

Don't be a fool,

Cowhand.

We got

A real tough marshal.

Yeah. Wyatt earp.

What are you doing out

With that old man anyway?

I figured him for $ ,

Maybe ,

But you

Kind of spoiled it.

Are you hard up?

Broke?

Never mind.

Get on your way.

The colonel might come back.

He's sore at you

The same as me.

I'll walk along with you,

Wherever you're going.

No, thanks.

Well, I gotta go

To the livery stable

And look after my horse.

You sure you'll be

All right, miss?

Just look after

Your horse.

Tony's kind of sick.

I wouldn't go rushing off.

Wait. Did you leave him

At ruger's or braun's?

Well, uh, ruger's.

Uh-oh.

I'll walk along with you,

If you don't mind.

I'd be right pleased,

Ma'am.

This town's

Kind of lonesome.

I guess he's closed

And gone home.

No. There's a light

On in here.

Maybe he's had

A doctoring.

I asked him to hold off

On the doctoring

Till I got back.

Thad, give me your g*n.

Huh?

Give it to me.

What did you do that for?

I know old man ruger.

Mr. Ruger?

Yeah?

What do you want?

Ehh?

Oh. Oh, you should've

Come back sooner.

I couldn't do nothing

For that horse.

Where is he?

He's in there.

Where'd you pick him up?

Same place you did--

Dodge city.

Oh, I tried to be friendly

And decent.

In a pig's eye

You did.

I asked you

Not to doctor him.

Well, sure,

But the poor critter

Went into a fit.

I dosed him

With heart pills.

It's all I could do.

But he was

Too far gone.

Where's my saddle?

Well, I'm holding it.

Why?

It'll cost me $

To bury that horse.

Have you got it?

You know

What I think, mister?

I think you k*lled tony,

And now you're trying

To hold me up for burying him.

I don't care

What you think.

$ Cash,

Or I keep the saddle.

You horse-k*lling thief!

Stop it, thad.

You haven't got a chance.

You're a cowhand.

Let go of him!

[Grunts]

I'm burying him myself

The first thing at sunup,

And he better be

Just like he is.

You try to skin that horse

To sell his hide,

I'll k*ll you.

Come on, thad.

Was that the last time

You saw milburn?

What do you take me for?

Or him?

Came back here

And had a drink.

Oh, I see.

No, you don't see.

Thad slept on the floor.

He had nightmares.

Mostly about being lost

In a blizzard up north.

Montana.

All right.

It ain't all right.

None of it.

He's a decent, simple kid.

Had to quit riding herd

Up there because he--

He almost

Froze to death once.

Doctor told him

To move south.

All he wanted in this town

Was fair treatment and--

And a chance to do

The only thing

He ever worked at--

Being a cowhand.

Did you give him fair treatment,

Miss ginger?

No.

Come on.

Where's the money you won

At mr. Kelly's place?

I earned it, didn't i?

He would've k*lled--

Come on.

[Sighs]

What time

Did he leave here?

I don't know.

I guess around sunup

To bury his horse.

Hal--

Where's mr. Earp?

I don't know.

Ain't he been down here yet?

No. We ain't got time

To stall around any longer.

He started snapping

At everybody.

Train'll be in at : .

He might even go

sh**ting up the train.

Well, we'll rig the fuse

To the dynamite.

Oh, howdy, marshal.

You tell me the truth.

Hey, who you

Pushing around?

You!

No, now--

Wasn't milburn here

This morning come sunup?

Yes. He come at sunup

To bury that horse.

What happened?

Well, I'd already

"Skunned" the horse.

How come

He didn't skin you?

I didn't let him see me.

I hid up in the loft.

Too bad.

Well, he owed me money.

And he's a thief, besides.

My winchester

And all my cartridges

Are missing from the office.

You're a fine city marshal,

You are,

Rousting an honest

Citizen around

While that no-good cowhand's

On the loose,

Ready to sh**t up the town.

It's a wonder

He didn't sh**t up the town,

Commencing with you.

Is this his saddle?

Yeah.

Well, you just keep it for him,

You understand?

Yeah.

Wyatt! Wyatt.

Have you lost

Your good senses entirely?

No, but I almost lost my temper

With this horse k*ller--

Never mind about him.

You know what

Your deputies are fixing to do?

They're gonna blow up

That kid with dynamite.

No, they won't.

They got their orders.

Orders, is it?

Well, you'd better

Get over to the santa fe

And enforce them.

I found out

All I need to know

About mr. Milburn.

Here. Lend me your hat

And coat, will you?

What?

Just take off the coat.

Milburn's never seen me.

I wanna look like a cattleman.

Why?

Don't ask so many

Questions, mr. Kelly.

I'm going into

The secret service.

We'll keep him

Busy here.

You sneak around back

And plant the dynamite.

Dig it in good

So the whole place

Will blow.

Well, maybe we

Oughta wait a minute.

Wyatt gave us strict orders--

I'll take the blame.

We haven't got time.

That train will be here

In about five minutes.

Go on.

Hey, milburn,

We've waited long enough!

Come on out

Or get blown out!

You can't bluff me,

Johnny law!

It ain't no bluff, kid.

We got sticks of dynamite

Planted in the back!

I think you're a liar,

But I'm coming out!

It's cold in here!

Maybe you can warm me up!

[Hoofbeats approaching]

Hold it!

Hey!

Hey, you in there!

Hey, cowhand!

What do you want?

Well, I'd like to have

A few words with ya.

And you johnny laws--

You hold your fire.

I'm looking

For a good cowhand.

Hank!

Hank, hold your fire!

Don't light anything!

Uh, sonny, now,

You be kind of easy

On that trigger, huh?

I'm looking for a hand,

But I don't aim

To get myself k*lled

Trying to hire none.

This better not

Be a trick, mister.

Well, it ain't no trick.

Just--

Just open up the door.

Close the door.

How come those deputies

Listen to you?

They claim they got this place

Mined with dynamite.

Now, you know,

I wouldn't put it past them.

There's just no end

To the dirty tricks

That dodge city play

On a cowhand.

Who told you so much?

Well, I'm kind of an old--

Stand back.

I'm kind of an old settler

In these parts.

I've been here

About four months now.

Settler? Thought you said

You were a cattleman.

Who are you?

What's your name?

Wyatt earp.

[c*ck g*n]

It is a trick.

Turn around.

No g*ns.

I don't get it.

You must have

Sense enough to know

I can hold you as a hostage.

You sure can, mr. Milburn.

But after

What mr. Beeson,

Davis, ruger,

And that girl did to you,

I couldn't blame you a bit

If you shot me in the back.

Turn around, mr. Earp.

How you know what's happened

To me in this town?

Well, i, uh, kind of made it

My business to find out.

Why would you go

To all that trouble for me?

I'm nothing but a cowhand.

You know, you look all right,

But you better have the doc

See that leg.

Maybe I'm stupid,

But I sure don't

Understand any of this.

Well, mr. Milburn,

I'm of the opinion

That a cowhand is a human being.

I'm kind of fond

Of my own horse too.

I could've busted

Mr. Ruger's head

After I saw

What he did to your tony.

Thanks.

Oh, I almost forgot.

I, uh, got the money

That ginger rolled you for.

I still don't trust you,

Mr. Earp.

You're going out of here,

In front of me.

That'd be a good idea.

You ready to go?

Oh, you, uh,

Better bring that winchester.

Might come in handy.

Mr. Milburn,

I told ruger to give you

Back your saddle.

You can buy yourself a horse

And ride out of town.

Sure, and have

A posse after me?

No posse.

What's the catch?

You wounded two men

Under extreme provocation.

But if you stand trial,

I promise to get you off

On a suspended sentence.

Now, if you don't believe that,

You can take it on the run.

[Hal]

Do like the marshal says,

Cowhand.

If it wasn't for him,

You wouldn't be living now.

I had the match lit, kid.

All right, mr. Earp.

I stand trial.

Take him over

To doc mccarty's.

Marshal.

You know, you committed

A mighty serious crime.

Oh? How's that?

That coat, that hat.

You've been impersonating

A texan.

[Laughing]

♪♪ [Vocalizing]

♪ Well, he cleaned up

The country ♪

♪ The old wild west country ♪

♪ He made law

And order prevail ♪

♪ And none can deny it ♪

♪ The legend of wyatt ♪

♪ Forever will live

On the trail ♪

♪ Wyatt earp,

Wyatt earp ♪

♪ Brave, courageous

And bold ♪

♪ Long live his fame

And long live his glory ♪

♪ And long may

His story be told ♪

♪ Long may his story ♪

♪ Be ♪

♪ Told ♪