01x10 - Hangman's Noose

[bunniefuu]

♪ Champion the wonder horse ♪

♪ Champion the wonder horse ♪

[Champion whinnies]

♪ Like a streak of lightnin'
flashin' cross the sky ♪

♪ Like the swiftest arrow
whizzin' from a bow ♪

♪ Like a mighty cannonball
he seems to fly ♪

♪ You'll hear about
him everywhere you go ♪

♪ The time will come when
everyone will know the name of ♪

♪ Champion the wonder horse ♪

[dramatic music]

[pleasant music]
[cattle mooing]

- How are things going, Idaho?

- Oh just about all
rounded up, Mr. Marlowe.

- You look for strays over
on old man Holt's land?

- According to that sign,
says keep out or get sh*t.

Looks mighty unhealthy
to be looking for strays

on Holt's property.

- That's not his property.

That fence is 50 yards to
my side of the boundary.

If you let that sign stop ya,

I'll be hiring a new foreman.

[ominous music]

[cattle mooing]

[oil burbling]

[eerie music]

- That's oil, all right,

but if you found it on Holt's place,

it'll do us no good.

He'll never sell.

- I thought you being a businessman

buying and selling land,
you might figure some way.

- Not with Trem Holt,

but I'd sure like to own a
ranch with oil like this on it.

- You could buy that ranch
cheap if Trem had an accident.

- But it would have to
look like an accident.

- Hey you, Holt.

My son tells me you took a sh*t at him.

- I didn't try to hit him,

but I will the next time he
comes sh**t' on my place.

- You'd sh**t a man just for trespassin'?

- Yes, and killin' animals on my place.

- You and your animals.

- You tryin' to pick a fight again, Trem?

- No, I'm just protectin' my rights,

and you oughta be doing that.

- What, spend all my time

guarding deer and
jackrabbit on your place?

- I'll take care of that,

but when George Marlowe
pulls down my fence,

you don't arrest him.

- [Sheriff] You see him do it?

- I don't have to, I know it's Marlowe.

And when I find him.

- You take the law into your own hands,

you can swing for it.

- I'll take my chances.

Marlowe fixes that fence, or else.

- That old coot shouldn't
be allowed to pack a g*n.

- You know that feud is bound to end

in sh**ting sooner or later.

We're gonna make it sooner.

- How?

- If Marlowe's found dead,

Trem will swing for m*rder
like the sheriff said.

Especially if Marlowe's
found on Trem's place.

- Yeah, but,

say I could get the
boss to argue with Trem.

sh**t a couple steers,
and say Trem did it.

- And then what?

- Well, Trem would probably sh**t Marlowe.

- Probably isn't good enough.

I wanna make sure I get that oil there.

Now, if you were around when they argue,

you could kinda help Trem out.

[pleasant music]

[Rebel barks]

[Rebel whines]

- Well hello, Rebel old boy.

Ricky comin'?

[pleasant music]

- Mr. Holt, Mr. Holt!

Look, I found this baby rabbit,

and it's too young to
be away from its mother.

So I thought maybe you'd take care of it,

because you know so much about animals.

- Well, Ricky, it ain't that
I know so much about animals.

It's that I like 'em.

- Mr. Holt, you love animals so much,

why don't you like people?

- [Trem] Well, because
you can trust animals.

You can't trust people.

- [Ricky] But you trust me, don't ya?

- [Trem] Oh, of course.

- But all people aren't bad.

If you knew Uncle Sandy better,

you'd like him.

- Yeah, maybe.

I liked a partner I had once.

He skipped out and left me flat broke.

People are just like my partner was,

or like that Marlowe,

trying to push back my rightful boundary.

Better get those little fellas some water.

- All right.

[Rebel whines]
[tender music]

[ominous music]

He's sure thirsty, all right.

Well, I better be getting home now.

- Wait a minute.

Got a little present for ya.

- Golly, it's Champ!

Thanks, Mr. Holt.

- I thought you'd like it.
- I certainly do.

And I'll come back tomorrow.

We're going home now, Rebel.

Goodbye, Mr. Holt.
- So long, Ricky.

- And thanks again.
- You're welcome.

- It's you Champ, you see?

[ominous music]

- That's far enough, Marlowe.

- Holt, I'm warning you.

- You're warning me?

I oughta plug you right now
for tearing down my fence.

- Your fence?
- Yeah.

- On my side of the boundary.

And I found two of my
steers sh*t dead behind it.

- Well, I didn't do it,

but if I'd have seen 'em I
would, now get outta here!

- [George] You don't scare me none.

- Well, I never sh*t an unarmed man,

but if you ain't riding away from me

by the time I count three,

I'm liable to.

[g*n fires]
[dramatic music]

- It's loaded and it smells
like it ain't been fired.

- That proves that I didn't sh**t him.

- No, no Trem.

You had plenty of time to
clean and reload the r*fle.

- Sure he did.

Boss told me he was coming here

after he found those steers sh*t.

But I didn't worry about him
'til his horse come home alone.

- I tell ya, I didn't do it.

The sh*t come from outside.

- Well, I'm not the judge or the jury,

but you were feuding with Marlowe

and threatened him.

His body being found outside your house,

who'll believe that?

- And who else would have a reason?

- Yeah, Trem, I'm holdin'
you for Marlowe's m*rder.

[somber music]

- You better finish your milk, Ricky.

- I just know he didn't
do it, Uncle Sandy.

- Well the evidence is
awful strong against him.

- But if he'd have done
it, he'd have said so.

He's honest.

You just don't know Mr. Holt like I do.

- Nobody does.

That's part of the trouble, Ricky.

He went out of his way to make enemies.

He hasn't got a friend in the
world to stand up for him.

- Well he's got me.

- I know that, but there's
not much a boy can do.

I still think you oughta finish your milk.

- [Spencer] Hi, Idaho.

We leave it to the law,
he's liable to go free.

- How do you figure that, Spencer?

- Ain't ya heard yet?

Trem's got himself a lawyer.

- Who?
- McGregor.

Smartest one in the territory.

Could even prove that
Cain didn't k*ll Abel.

- Everybody knows Trem did it.

- Yeah, but there ain't no witnesses.

- Yeah, that does make a difference.

- Like I was tellin' ya,

we gotta do something about this lawyer.

- Hey warden, what do ya think?

- I know, I heard.

We can't let that case go to trial, Idaho.

I just got a report from the oil company.

[Idaho whistles]

Looks like the oil on Trem's
land is worth millions.

Company wants more samples.

- Yeah, but if McGregor gets Trem off--

- Even if he doesn't,

Trem only gets a prison sentence, we lose.

- What do we do?

- Well, like Spencer said,
we can't leave it to the law.

The way folks feel, it
shouldn't be too tough

to get rid of Trem before the trial.

- Except there's the sheriff.

- Don't worry about him.

He's got no more love for
Trem than the rest of 'em.

- That's right.

- Well it's up to you now.

They're riled up, but
they're not riled up enough.

- They will be.

[dramatic music]

[people chattering]

- Oh Bill, you locking up this early?

- Gotta get moving, Sandy.

There's trouble coming.

- What, on account of Trem?

- That's right.

- You might need help.

- I can't handle the job
alone, I'll turn in my badge.

[people chattering]

All right, hold it.

Anything I can do for you?

- Yeah, you can take a walk

and save the territory some money.

- You've got the wrong idea
of my job, ain't ya, Spencer?

It's enforcing the law, not cuttin' costs.

- You know Trem Holt k*lled Marlowe.

What's the difference how he pays for it?

- [Bill] Doesn't matter what I think.

Trem's got the same rights
under the law as you have.

- You ain't got a chance, sheriff.

There's too many of us.

- If you make me sh**t,
there'll be six less of ya.

[g*n fires]

Now I've got five slugs left

and I don't wanna use 'em.

But I will, on anyone who
ain't outta here in 30 seconds.

That goes for all of you.

Spencer, Jones, Idaho, Sandy North.

I'm starting the count now.

- Trem's gonna hang yet, sheriff.

- You ain't hanging him.

[people chattering]

- I heard all that.

You expect me to thank you for
protecting me you're wrong.

You were just protecting your job.

[hooves clopping]

[Rebel growling]

- Sheriff.

- Things are gettin' worse in town, Sandy.

They're organizing a
mob to att*ck the jail.

- And to protect his job,
he sneaked me out here.

- Now wait a minute, Holt.

Bill, why'd you call my name
today in the crowd in town?

- I had a hunch I might need some help.

I didn't want to get
them suspicious of you.

- He says I can trust you, North.

You're to hide me out 'til
I can get a fair trial.

I wouldn't trust you no more
than I would anybody else.

- Mr. Holt!

I couldn't help hearing.

You can have this back.

If you can't trust Uncle Sandy,

you can't trust me.

- [Trem] I do trust you boy, but--

- You said all people
were bad, they aren't!

[somber music]

- I'll do whatever Ricky says.

- Stay here, if Sandy will let ya.

Don't try to escape.

- [Sandy] You can stay here, Holt,

so long as Ricky will vouch for ya.

- I will, Uncle Sandy.

- Thank you, Ricky.

- If Mr. Holt gives his word,

you won't need those handcuffs, sheriff.

[tender music]

- You believe I didn't
do it, don't ya Ricky?

- I know you wouldn't lie, Mr. Holt.

Who do you think did it?

- I don't know.

But the sh*t come from
outside of my house.

- Maybe there's a r*fle shell somewhere.

Maybe Champ and Rebel and I can find it.

- Maybe you can find a
needle in a haystack,

if there is one.

- Find one like this, Rebel.

Like this!

Find, find.

There's just gotta be one around

if someone else fired that sh*t.

- What's the oil company
want more samples for?

- Well, they just wanna run another test.

But this sure is high quality right now.

- Yeah, nothing will do us much good

if we don't find out where
the sheriff hid Trem.

- Well, the trial doesn't
come up for another week yet.

We'll find him.

[oil splashing]

- Doggone it, hang the luck!

My best pair of boots.

- Well they're not worth a
hoot now, soaked with oil.

Let's get rid of 'em.

- But I paid $20 for 'em.

- I don't care what you
paid, get rid of 'em.

- I'll wait 'til I get back to the ranch.

- Oh sure, and have every puncher asking

where you got the oil.

- Yeah, they'll also ask
why I come in barefooted.

- No you won't.

You can slip in the back of my office

and I'll get you another pair.

- Good idea.

- All right, let's bury those.

Find some rocks, and get rid of 'em.

[Ricky sighs]

- I guess it's not much use.

[Champion whinnies]

Just like the sheriff said it wouldn't be.

[dramatic music]

Somebody's burying something.

[hooves clopping]

Get over there Rebel, get over there!

[hooves clopping]

[Rebel barks]

I can do it faster, Rebel.

- The North kid.

- Looks like he's diggin' up my boots.

- Boots.

And covered with oil.

Rebel, we've gotta get these

to Uncle Sandy and the sheriff.

Come on, boy.

- If he shows anybody those boots--

- He ain't goin' to.

- Wait a minute, sh**t him
and we're really in trouble.

- Don't I know it, but
if he gets on that horse

we'll never catch him.

- So I spook up the horse,
and he don't get on.

- Fine, go ahead.

[g*n fires]
[Champion whinnies]

[Rebel whining]

[ominous music]

Looks like he won't bother
us for quite a spell.

- No, I got a hunch he's
gonna be a big help to us.

- Help?

- Yeah, he and Trem were
pretty good pals, weren't they?

- Only human around here

Trem treated as good as he did animals.

- So, if you were the sheriff and looking

for a hiding place for Trem,
where would you take him?

- Never thought of that.

- Neither did I, 'til just now.

You know, running into him

might have been a good break for us.

Let's go down and scout
around the North place.

- After we pick up a pair of boots for me.

I'm not cut out for barefoot.

- All right this time

let's get rid of the old ones for good.

[somber music]

[Champion whinnies]

- Champ!

[Champion whinnies]

[knocking]
- Come in.

Oh hi, Bill.

- Got new problems, Sandy.

- What now?

- Trem's lawyer just got to town.

- He did, well why didn't
you bring him out here?

- Town's watching him
like cats with a mouse.

I'd have been followed.

If I take him back to jail.

- Well that's exactly
what you're gonna do.

- Now, if you ain't the
orneriest old galoot.

- Well I've got a right to see my lawyer

and it's up to you to see that I get it.

[suspenseful music]

[Rebel barks]

- That's Rebel.

When he barks like that,
something's usually wrong.

- Think there's something
the matter with Ricky?

- That's the only reason
he'd act like this.

- I'll go with you.

Give me your word you'll stay here?

- Where would I go?

[Rebel barks]

- There's the sheriff.

- Looks like we hit pay dirt.

- All right Rebel, come on, let's go.

[Rebel barks]

- Dog must be takin' 'em to the kid.

- Yeah, giving us a chance
to play our hunch about Trem.

Let's mask up.

[suspenseful music]

[g*n fires]

[dramatic music]

[g*n fires]

[g*n fires]

[intense music]

- Say sheriff, we oughta stop
and let Ricky rest a minute.

- I thought I could make
it home on Champ all right,

but all of a sudden I got weak

and slid right down off his back.

- You'll be all right.

All you've got's a pretty
good bump on the head.

Too bad you didn't see who
fired those sh*ts at ya.

- It was too sudden, and I was too scared.

Rebel and Champ must have seen who it was.

- Afraid their testimony
won't stand up in court.

Ricky, are you sure it
was oil on those boots?

- Yes, thick black oil.

Just look at my hands.

I guess we can start again.

[dramatic music]

- It's Idaho, probably on his way to town

to stir up trouble about that lawyer.

[Rebel barks]

- When he gets excited like that.

[Champion whinnies]

- What's the matter with them?

- Their testimony may
not stand up in court,

but it's worth looking into.

[dramatic music]

Hey Idaho!

Idaho!

[hooves clopping]

[intense music]

[g*n fires]

[g*ns f*ring]

What were you running from, Idaho?

I just wanted to ask you a question.

- That horse and the dog
looked like they were after me.

- Could be, let's go back

and let the sheriff ask the questions.

- Well, from what they say
the oil that Idaho and Ward

discovered on your spread

is gonna make you a rich man, Trem.

- Probably twice as ornery as ever.

- Not me.

You fellas got some of the poison outta me

I've been stowin' up for so long,

saving me the way you did.

- Don't forget the animals, Mr. Holt.

If it hadn't been for Rebel and Champ,

Idaho might have gotten away.

- Oh, I won't forget the animals, Ricky.

But from now on, I'm gonna be friends

with the two-legged critters

the same as the four-legged ones.

[Ricky laughs]

[triumphant music]

[Champion whinnies]

♪ Champion the wonder horse ♪

♪ Champion the wonder horse ♪

♪ Like a streak of lightning
flashin' cross the sky ♪

♪ Like the swiftest arrow
whizzin' from a bow ♪

♪ Like a mighty cannonball
he seems to fly ♪

♪ You'll hear about
him everywhere you go ♪

♪ The time will come when
everyone will know the name of ♪

♪ Champion the wonder horse ♪

♪ Champion the wonder horse ♪