You're traveling through another dimension...
A dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind...
A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination.
That's the signpost up ahead.
Your next stop, the twilight zone.
Whoa!
This is the 11th day of fever, christian, 11 days of fever.
He just can't take much more.
You said that after the third day and the fourth, martha.
He'll take more, just as we all have.
How's the boy, mrs. Horn?
Oh, about the same, thank you, charlie.
You figure that apache country is just due south.
That's what you said we were looking for, isn't it?
That's what we're looking for.
It's, uh, it's this way, chris:
We've been doing a lot of talking...
And a lot of thinking...
And?
We figure we ought to turn back.
Turn back.
Is that what you figure?
Is that what you want?
We're about at the end of our rope.
We're hungry and we're sick.
We figure if we don't do it now, we're gonna die out here.
If you try to go the 1,500 miles back to st. Louis, I'll guarantee you'll leave your bones bleached on some desert...
Or lose your scalps, or freeze in a mountain pass.
What about water? We're almost out of water.
I'll find us water.
I'll get water!
How? With a divining rod?
I don't know, but I'll find water.
And food, and medicine for your own child?
I'll take a look at that rim over there.
Chris, you might...
You might look for some shady spot...
A pretty spot where we might...
We'll not talk about burying our son now!
Not while there's breath in him!
Stay close to the wagons.
Keep them bunched up.
Chris, how far you going?
Just over that rim there about 100 yards.
Maybe there's a stream, or game or something.
You never can tell.
Never can tell, chris.
You hold on. Hold on, all of you.
I'll be right back.
The year is 1847, the place is the territory of new mexico.
The people are a tiny handful of men and women with a dream.
Eleven months ago, they started out from ohio and headed west.
Someone told them about a place called california, about a warm sun and a blue sky, about rich land and fresh air.
And at this moment, almost a year later they've seen nothing but cold, heat, exhaustion, hunger and sickness.
This man's name 1s christian horn.
He has a dying eight year-old son and a heartsick wife.
And he's the only one remaining who has even a fragment of the dream left.
Mr. Chris horn, who is going over the top of a rim to look for water and sustenance...
And in a moment will move... Into the twilight zone.
Martha!
Charlie!
Where'd they go?
What's going on here?
What's going on here?
Howdy.
Did you see it?
See what?
That thing... that monster-like thing that came at me.
Monster?
Yeah, it almost... Almost hit me.
Well, mister, I never saw anything.
If there was anything, it never got to here.
Oh, no, but it was just a... a mile or two down the road.
You mean the truck?
"the truck?" are you all right?
I mean, uh...
How long you been out there in the desert?
Oh, well, almost a year.
That is, almost a year since we left ohio.
One of the wagons was b*rned by the indians and the other two went back.
Yeah, well, uh...
Well, why don't you come on inside for awhile, huh?
Let me take a look at that arm, too.
Yes, the g*n went off...
When that, when that monster came at me.
Yeah, you let mary lou take a look at it.
She used to be a nurse's aide.
Mary lou is my wife.
Come on.
Mary lou!
Mary lou!
Uh... This, uh, fellow sh*t himself in the arm by accident.
You want to take a look at him?
Why, sure.
You sit down over there, mister and I'll get some bandages out.
Yeah, uh, go ahead.
Sit down.
Have a glass of water.
Go ahead.
Obliged.
Well, now, there's an old-timer.
It, uh... Must be a real antique, huh?
It's been used a lot.
Well, it isn't hunting season around here.
What about indians?
Indians?
Well, we don't have any indians.
Well, leastways not hostile ones, huh?
How long have you been here?
Uh... A couple of years.
See, we lived over in phoenix.
Phoenix.
Yeah, phoenix.
You see, uh, mary lou's folks are from there.
And, uh...
First married, I worked for her old man.
And then we, uh, we bought this place here, and, uh, of course, I admit the restaurant isn't doing too good right now, but, uh...
Trucks are beginning to stop now.
This, uh, is a jukebox.
It's a jukebox.
Hey, mister...
Where are you from?
I mean, really.
Where are you from?
From?
Yeah.
I'm from ohio.
Ohio!
I left the wagons on the other side of the rim.
I came to look for water.
Well, there's a natural spring just west of here.
A spring?
Yeah.
And game?
Well, uh...
I guess so.
Here, you... You take two of these and drink some water with them.
What do you have there?
Well, it's penicillin.
It'll keep away any infection.
Where did you get it?
At the drugstore.
You feel all right?
Do you say this is good for a sickness?
Well, sometimes, depending on what it is.
I've got a real sick boy back in the wagon.
You mean, you brought your family with you?
There were three wagons...
And I... I looked around and I...
What is that?
What is that?
It looks just like...
Oh, god in heaven, how could that be?
That says "september, 1961" when it's...
1847!
Who are you?
Who are you and where am I?
Where is this place?
Where am I?
Thank you.
Come again.
Well, doc, what do you think?
If you had some bourbon, mary lou, I'd prefer that at the moment, but...
Coffee'll do for second best.
Having coffee, huh?
Did you take a look at him, doc?
I did, indeed.
Malnutrition, that's his major problem although he's not a bad specimen of a man, I'll say that.
You were right, joe, he's an interesting customer.
Must have been the heat, huh?
Or something.
Well, I mean, doc, he's just not rational.
Now, I'm not a psychiatrist, joe.
I'm just an old-fashioned g.p.
But freud himself would have something to gnaw on here.
Oh, he happens to seem very rational.
Oh, doc, come on!
He can trace his imaginary life a whole lot clearer than any of us can our own.
His seeming recall is amazing.
But what does that mean?
And one other thing.
A little parenthetic aside, let's call it.
The fillings in his teeth...
There are two of them.
No modern-day dentist ever drilled them.
And you saw his g*n, joe.
Sure, but it's an antique.
An antique that isn't more than a year old!
A 100 year-old g*n, joe, and you said yourself it looked like it was manufactured less than a year ago.
Okay, now doc, you're not trying to tell us...
I'm not trying to tell you anything.
That is, I'm not trying to make a point.
All I'm giving you is the benefit of some observation.
He's suffering a delusion of some kind but it's a delusion of the purest form.
The way he describes those wagons, his wife, the other people, his son.
He said his son was sick.
Yes, he told me his boy was dying.
And from the way he described the symptoms I'd call it pneumonia.
Well, I sure don't understand it.
I don't either.
So, doc...
What are we gonna do with him?
I want the sheriff's office, please.
Precisely what I'm doing now.
I'm getting the authorities in here to take care of him.
Hello, is the sheriff there?
Oh, well, that's even better.
Can you radio to him to get over to joe's diner as fast as he can?
There's a man here needs looking after.
My son.
I read this in the book.
The encyclopedia.
"horn, christian, junior, m.d.
"famous for his early work in childhood diseases
"pioneer in vaccine research.
"born: Meladin, ohio, 1839.
d*ed: Santa barbara, california, 1914."
That's my son, that's chris.
I may be crazy, or the world may be turned upside down but I know that I've been put here for a reason.
A reason.
Thank you.
You've been kind and gracious and I appreciate it...
And I've got to get back.
Horn, we want to help you but help means rest and medical attention.
I've sent for the authorities.
Come over here and sit down.
Authorities... I have no idea who they may be but I have not the time to wait and find out.
Horn, please!
Martha.
Did you forget something, christian?
Where did you go?
Where did we go?
What do you mean, chris?
Where could we have gone?
Well... All... All this time.
All what time?
Chris, honey, you just left a few seconds ago.
What did you forget?
What's that?
Here. Give him two of these tablets.
I think it may save his life.
Short trip, chris.
Nothing much on the other side, was there?
You'd be surprised, charlie.
There's a whole lot on the other side of that rim.
For there'll be highways and many new things...
A whole new land.
And you know what, charlie?
It was people like us.
We made it happen.
I wouldn't worry none, joe. He can't get far.
We'll be finding him soon.
Okay. Thanks, sheriff.
Joe, what happened?
Mary lou... this is horn's r*fle.
Why...?
I picked it up just where he dropped it, and look at it. Just look at it.
It looks like it's been lying out in the desert for 100 years.
Yeah.
Hey, joe.
Who was he? Where did he come from?
I think he went back to... wherever it was he did come from...
Because, when we got to the top of the hill, he'd... just disappeared.
To where, joe?
All right, boys, there's water up ahead, and we're going to california.
And my son has got a whole lot to accomplish there.
A whole lot.
Giddyap!
Mr. Christian horn...
One of the hearty breed of men who headed west during a time when there were no concrete highways or the solace of civilization.
Mr. Christian horn, family and party heading west after a brief detour... To the twilight zone.
Rod serling, creator of the twilight zone, will tell you about next week's story, after this word from our alternate sponsor.
And now, mr. Serling.
We've told some oddball stories in the twilight zone but none of them any more weird than next week's tale.
Four men plan a heist having to do with the theft of a million dollars worth of gold bullion.
At which point according to plan, they take a brief vacation from reality and they spend it in a cave in the twilight zone.
You may not understand it but I have a feeling that once you turn it on, you won't be turning it off.
Next week on the twilight zone, the rip van winkle caper.
Here's an item we forgot.
You see this?
It holds a promise for anyone who smokes.
It's oasis.
And as its name implies, it promises you the most refreshing, the softest taste of all.
Try oasis. I think you'll like it.