05x30 - His Life in His Hands

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.
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05x30 - His Life in His Hands

Post by bunniefuu »

♪ Wyatt earp, wyatt earp

♪ Brave, courageous and bold

♪ Long live his fame

♪ And long live his glory

♪ And long may

His story be told. ♪

Narrator: wells fargo

Had two undercover agents

In cochise county.

One was j.b. Ayers

Who operated a roadhouse

And outlaw hangout

In charleston.

Marshal earp had the conviction

That the law must protect

Secret agents

From exposure at all costs,

And sometimes found

Himself tangling

With trouble that might

Cost several lives,

Including his own.

( g*nshots )

Throw 'em down.

- He's getting away.

- No, hold it.

Done enough damage.

You shouldn't have

Let him get away.

Two men wounded, mr. Thacker.

Isn't that enough for you?

Wyatt don't like

Ambushes no-how.

That hoodlum will go

Straight to old man clanton.

You got a horse.

You go after him.

We should all

Go after him.

And get bushwhacked

By clanton?

Didn't the wells fargo people

Ever give you

An intelligence test

Before they hired you?

Aw, button up, doc.

Give me a bandana.

We saved a mail

And silver shipment.

Old man clanton will know there

Was a tip-off even if that man

Doesn't make it back.

Well, the main thing is

That old clanton

Won't know whereabouts

The tip come from.

I'm not so sure

About that.

Man:

Dango!

Look out,

That's my shoulder.

It must have been

A tip-off, mr. Clanton.

Earp and his men

Was laying for us

Right where we

Stopped that stage.

Two good boys gone.

Give dango a drink.

Who you reckon

Tipped 'em?

I don't know.

But some of the boys

Was sure having a lot

Of fun last night

Over at that

Ayers roadhouse.

Ayers?

You reckon

It was him?

Eh, couldn't have

Been him, papa.

He gets half his trade

From us.

He probably wouldn't

Have had the nerve.

Maybe not.

I ain't saying it is

Or it ain't him,

All I know is we gotta

Find out for sure.

There's a silver shipment

For benson tomorrow.

I want you and phinn to get

Ayers all to hisself.

Kinda hint to him we're gonna

Knock off that shipment

- And you, phinn!

- Yes sir?

Let ike do the talking!

He's the blabbermouth

Of this outfit.

Ayers might get

Suspicious if it was

You to say anything.

We'll nail him, papa!

You just prove

He sold us out!

I'll do the nailing

Personally.

Well, I sure was sorry

To hear about the boys'

Bad luck.

Wells fargo must have

Had a tip-off, huh?

That's exactly

What papa thinks.

- Any idea who?

- No, I haven't.

But to tell the truth,

Some of the boys

Were talking a little

Too much the other night

And I'm afraid that anybody

Could have heard them.

- Well, we'll even up.

- Sure.

- But not too soon, I hope.

- Why not?

I don't want to tell

Your old man how to run

His business,

But I think he ought

To stay off the benson trail

Until he finds

That undercover man.

- Mr. Ayers, drink?

- Thanks, phinn.

Papa seems to think

It'd be smart maybe

To hit 'em again quick.

Like that silver

Shipment tomorrow.

- Too risky.

- Eh, they couldn't set up

Another bushwhack deal

That fast.

I ain't gonna argue

With your papa, boys.

Wouldn't do no good no-how.

Maybe we'll hit

That silver wagon

And maybe not.

Papa's got it in his head

You know something

About the tip-off.

Look, ike,

Like I told you,

Them boys talked too loud

And too long the other night.

Now I serve all kind

Of people in here.

Even some saddle tramp could

Have blabbered his mouth off

To wells fargo

- For the reward.

- Could have happened that way.

Sure, so for what it's worth,

You advise the old man

To stay off the benson trail

Until it cools off, eh?

Why are you

So interested?

Yeah, why?

Well, after all, I lost

Good customers today.

Besides what would happen

To my business here

If word got out

That there was a wells fargo spy

Operating out of the place?

No, the biggest favor

Your old man can do me

Is to find out who

Tipped off wells fargo.

We'll find 'em, ayers.

But mind you, talk about

That silver wagon?

- It's just amongst us three.

- Sure.

- Papa might change his mind.

- Well, I sure hope he does.

After all, you clantons

Are my best friends.

Ayers sent a note.

- Clanton suspects him.

- I told you he would.

Oh. Well, you can't

Help ayers now.

Mr. Thacker,

Let clanton take

That silver wagon tomorrow.

I can't do that.

That's $ , .

A man's life is worth

More than $ , .

Of course it is, but there

Isn't time to explain it

To san francisco

And they didn't want

To hire undercover men

In the first place.

Look how much money

They've saved your company.

How many times have they

Risked their lives?

Look, we're moving that bullion

By the lizard's tooth cutoff.

Now ayers doesn't know that

We've changed our route,

And I'm sure that

Clanton doesn't.

Now this won't get ayers

In any trouble.

But they already

Suspect him.

Well, I'll-- I'll pay

A personal visit

To clanton.

I'll tell him that ayers

Is a tavern owner,

Nothing more.

Oh sure.

Look, he's a brave

And valuable man to both of us.

I'm gonna try

And save him, if I can.

I hope you do.

( Knocks )

It's marshal earp.

Open up.

Step back.

I'm gonna have to arrest you

To make this look good.

Here, put these on.

Let's go.

Lift 'em, all of you.

I've know for a long time

That you work hand-in-glove

With the clantons.

I ain't

With nobody.

- You've got the wrong man.

- You do too much business

With these hoodlums.

I do business

To make a living.

I ain't their keeper.

That's too bad.

Move out.

Move out!

Open the door.

( Murmuring )

Get away

From that window.

Sit down.

Old man clanton ain't

Sure yet, wyatt.

But he's getting

Close to me.

Can't thacker help you?

Well,

It's like I was just

Writing to my wife,

It's too late.

Besides

Where would I go?

No place

That old man clanton

Wouldn't follow me.

As long as he's sure

I'm the tip-off man.

It's a hard thing to say,

But you're probably right.

Look, there's a silver wagon

Leaving the charleston mill

Tomorrow morning.

It's taking the lizard's tooth

Canyon trail.

Clanton wouldn't

Expect that route.

- Not unless you ride

Down there and tell him.

- What?

You must be joking.

I need you, mr. Ayers.

A good undercover man is worth

Times what clanton will

Get in that shipment.

But I couldn't

Double-cross wells fargo.

You might have to, in order

To save your own life.

Besides, this might put you

On the inside with clanton.

We still don't know where

He peddles that silver.

- Well, he cuts it up

And fences it.

- Where?

I don't know.

You've got to prove

To clanton

That you're not a spy

For wells fargo.

So you ride down there and tell

Clanton about the wagon.

You say that you overheard

Thacker and me arguing

About it when you were

In your cell.

It may work,

But wells fargo's liable

To be awful sore about it.

You let 'em--

This time.

Come on.

Wyatt?

I just hope I'm doing

The right thing.

Mr. Ayers, I've worked

For wells fargo now,

Off and on,

For many years.

I'll take

The responsibility.

One thing I don't want

Is you getting k*lled.

You just keep your mouth shut

And let wells fargo jump on me.

When they finally understand,

Well, they won't jump

Too hard.

I'm gonna put you

In a cell for a few hours

Then let you go.

Come on, I'll take

The handcuffs off.

( g*nsh*t )

- What are you doing here?

- I've gotta talk to

Your father.

Well, talk.

He's on the porch.

You're up early.

Wyatt earp arrested me

Last night.

He and thacker

Of wells fargo

Figure I'm a mite

Too friendly with your boys.

What makes them think so?

Just barfly talk,

Mr. Clanton.

But earp heard about

Phinn and ike and me

Being in the back room

After supper.

There's too much talk

Outta your place, ayers.

Well, it ain't coming from me

And I can prove it to you.

He's gonna prove

He ain't a tip-off, boys.

How are you gonna

Do that, ayers?

Well, last night when

I was laying in my cell,

I overheard thacker and earp

Talking about a silver wagon.

Thacker's sending

That wagon right by the cutoff

At lizard's tooth.

Earp called him a fool.

Earp wanted to have it sent

By the regular trail

That goes to benson

With a posse.

Just as soon as earp

Let me loose,

Why, I grabbed my horse

And run down here just

To tell you about it.

All right,

Take him.

What's the idea?

We'll find out whether you're

Telling the truth or not.

It won't take long.

Meantime you stay in the

Bunkhouse under guard.

- But I'm your friend,

Mr. Clanton.

- Maybe.

Maybe not.

Lock him up.

Tell soto to watch him.

- ( g*nsh*t )

- All right!

Ha!

( Chattering )

( Straining )

All right,

Hurry it up.

Yeah, they're

Pretty heavy.

One more--

Oh, we've got two more

We've gotta get.

Wait a minute.

Right here.

- That'll do it.

- Get out of the wagon.

All right, now head back

To charleston.

- Don't turn around!

- Giddyup.

Guess we were wrong

About ayers, papa.

Mm-hmm.

Always thought he'd make

A good man for us.

You know, wyatt,

This business of being a spy

Takes considerable

Courage.

It sure does.

Here,

I'll say it does.

You know, it'd fidget me

Plumb sick

Not ever knowing

From day to day

Whether I was gonna

Get found out.

I should think

It would--

Risking your life

Guarding somebody else's

Gold and silver,

Not even daring to show

A g*n in your hand.

Say, wyatt,

When an undercover

Man is k*lled,

Does the company pay

For the funeral?

Well, secretly yes.

Well, that's some

Consolation.

Would they bury

Roscoe?

Ask mr. Thacker

About that.

Howdy, thacker.

We were just talking

About you.

Wyatt, old man clanton

Robbed

That ore shipment through

Lizard's tooth canyon.

- Anybody hurt?

- No, but that's not the point!

You and I were

The only ones supposed

To know about it.

Yes, and I didn't tell

The clantons.

I know that.

I did.

You tipped 'em.

You did!

That's right.

Not directly.

I told your undercover man

To pass the word.

Old man clanton was

Getting too close to him.

- Excellent strategy.

- Probably saved that

Poor fella's life.

How on earth am I

Going to explain this

To san francisco?

Now you tell me, wyatt,

How am I going to report

That a united states marshal

Leaked the information?

Write 'em a letter.

Wells fargo made

A good investment.

- Investment!

- That's right.

Your man just might

Find out where clanton

Fences that silver.

Oh, he might?

Where?

Now, thacker, where's

Your sporting blood?

- Bah!

- Don't go getting

Tough with wyatt.

You keep out of this!

Would wells fargo

Bury my mule roscoe

If he was to get k*lled

On one of these here

Secret deals?

I'm putting it to you plain:

Would they?

No, they wouldn't!

I'd better cool off before

I talk any more about this.

But you're in serious

Trouble, wyatt.

Serious trouble.

Where's ayers now?

I hope he joined up

With the clantons.

What if he didn't fool

Them people?

Then we'll find out

And find out fast.

We'll head

For charleston first.

How about thacker?

I think he'll stall

For a day or two.

This isn't the kind of a deal

You can put in a coded telegram.

What's the matter?

You got the silver,

Didn't you?

- Papa ain't satisfied.

- And we ain't either.

All that you told us

Is true enough,

But earp could be

Using you for a spy,

- Just the same.

- He arrested me last night

And I can

Prove it to you.

We already checked

On that, ayers.

But you ain't done nothing

To hang your britches

In the sling.

How do you mean?

What do you

Want me to do?

I'm a-studying that

Right now.

( Chuckles )

- It's silver, ain't it?

- Mm-hmm.

We just love them

Big ingots from the mill.

Smelt down the chunks

To make it look like

Small miners purified them

Out in camp kettles.

Know anybody would be

A good steady market?

I could pass some for you.

I'm always buying liquor

And supplies, mr. Clanton.

How much

Could you take?

- A month?

- Chicken feed.

I got , in silver

Hid out right now.

Well, maybe I could find

A bigger buyer for you.

But no taking it

Across the border.

People are always getting

Caught at that border.

All right, I'll take

A chance on you for .

I don't think I've got

That much on me right now.

- You'll get it.

- Yes sir.

Earp, holliday and gibbs.

Why didn't

They stop ayers?

Maybe because he's

In cahoots with them

And not us.

He shook us off.

He must be being

Followed.

We'd better tell papa.

( Clicks tongue )

Ha!

Look up there.

Ike and phinn clanton.

I made a fool mistake!

How's that?

In order to make it look good,

I should have stopped ayers

And searched him.

Old man clanton will be

Wondering why I didn't.

Can we do something

To fix it?

We can ride into charleston

And arrest ayers again.

That's not enough to fool

Clanton now, wyatt.

No, you're right.

It'll take more than that.

Tell you what,

I got something

That might work.

Look, when I go

Into the roadhouse...

Get in there.

Move over there.

We blundered on the trail.

Ike and phinn were watching.

It was my fault, wyatt.

I didn't think I could

Stand a search.

Here's part

Of the old man's haul.

He's got a cache

Of it somewhere.

I had to promise

To fence it for him.

There's only one way

To get you in the clear

With clanton.

In order to prove

That we're not in cahoots,

You're gonna have

To sh**t me.

- sh**t you?

- That's right.

When I take you outside,

As we come off the steps,

You hit me in the stomach.

Take my g*n, sh**t me.

I've got it loaded with blanks.

I've got it fixed with holliday

And gibbs to make it look real.

- But, wyatt--

- Look, it's the only thing

We can do.

Now let's go.

Get back.

( Murmuring )

Go on.

Get outta my way!

He got earp.

Stand back there,

You murdering scum!

Get back!

How is he, doc?

Is he hit bad?

Pretty bad, gibbs.

We'll have to take that wagon

And get him to the hospital.

Any of you

Know who done this?

Well, we'll find out.

You're wasting time, gibbs.

The idea is to get that wagon

And we'll take him

To the hospital.

We'll get the one

Who did it later.

Get back inside there.

All of you!

Take this.

- Can you handle him?

- Yeah.

Easy, boy.

Ho.

Mr. Clanton,

Mr. Clanton!

- Ayers sh*t earp, mr. Clanton.

- k*ll him?

Earp wasn't dead when

Holliday and gibbs started

For the hospital.

- But he was hit real bad.

- I told you ayers was

All right.

Go find me

Ed and charlie monroe.

I want to see 'em quick.

- What for?

- If he didn't k*ll earp,

We gotta finish the job.

Can't let him get well

And arrest ayers for this.

No sir, ayers is a good man.

We gotta help him, boys.

Look, papa, let ike

And I go into town.

We'll do it.

Hush up!

I don't want no clantons

In this.

Ed and charlie monroe ain't

Known in tombstone.

Ain't even known

They work for me.

- But, papa--

- Go find 'em.

Hey, doc.

Relax, will you?

Nobody's gonna

Come for me tonight.

Why don't you go to bed

And get some rest?

I know clanton.

He'll want to make sure

You're dead.

And tonight.

I've got this, haven't i?

Yeah, but you don't

sh**t to k*ll.

A brain sh*t is the treatment

Of choice in a corner like this.

You ask dr. Goodfellow.

He'll tell you the same.

( Chuckles )

Dr. Goodfellow won't

Like anything I do.

Hmm.

I guess he wouldn't.

He don't like the idea

Of you taking up a bed

With a make-believe wound.

Nothing's gonna happen.

You take a nap.

- There's the hospital tent.

- Well, let's go.

Naw, we're not gonna

Go in the front door

And have some nurse

Yelling her head off.

We'll mosey around first.

You think that's earp?

He's a big man

With dark hair.

Clanton said we might have

To make a guess at it.

I think it's earp.

Hey!

Two men dead.

That sums it up admirably

And succinctly.

How long do you have

To stay in here, deacon?

( Sighs )

Doctor says one week in order

To make this look real.

All this to save

An undercover man

For wells fargo.

And what would

You have done?

Save him, naturally.

Good night, sir.

♪ 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. ♪
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