04x02 - The Horace Best Story

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This is a wagon train

rolling off the long miles
between Saint Louis and points west.

No one has any idea

what it takes to get one of those things
started on the road.

I don't care how much experience the wagon
masters had or who he's had to help.

No man is ever more alone when he begins
to get ready for each year's journey.

The closest friends he has.

The men who worked shoulder
to shoulder with him during the years

past are suddenly strangers.

Sometimes annoying a stranger in.

All right. What is it?

You know what it is?

It's that time of the year again.

We got things to talk about.

And buy things.

We mean money.

Boys, I'm busy.

I'm perfectly
willing to talk money with you.

But I'll talk when I'm ready.

And not until it takes a lot.

Of capital to set up a wagon train.

I've only known one man in my life
that didn't.

Worry about money.

And at that time, I hadn't met him yet.

It takes away my

song.

It takes a white man to say it's so.

It takes a white man to say

it's word. Now.

One manage three quarters of.

A million updated. In 120. Days.

How many baggage is 17 men?

Charlie, you've been making out
your own supply list for years.

I don't see any reason why you can't solve
this little problem by yourself.

I can.

But you've changed everything this year.

You've got 17 more miles me to feed,

and I don't even know
whether I'm getting paid for or not.

I don't know a cook on
all the whole trail.

It gets less wages than I do.

I know what the other wagon
masters are paying.

You do not?

They don't tell you the truth.

They want
you to be known as an old skinflint.

Skinflint?

Yeah, I've heard you call skinflint
Tightwad and Scrooge

all within a matter of 5 minutes.

What's so funny about that, Mr.

McCullough? Oh, just chill out of there.

He's got a wonderful knack
of putting his finger on thing.

You know, a major speaking for myself.

Always have to lie for you
every time somebody wants to know

how much money I make.

Always triple the price.

You're telling me that

other men in your same job
get three times as much money as you?

Oh, no.

Just twice as much.

But in order to save your face, I figure
I might as well make you look real good.

Oh, well, thanks a lot.

They tell me that a good scout
can just about name his own price.

Do you know what people call
the kind of money you pay me?

sl*ve wages?

Well, I can hardly keep my head up.

Well, I

just.

How much money

is it going to take for you three boys
to be able to hold your heads up again?

Every man has a
right to advance in the world.

And the time comes

when every man feels has gone
as far as he can and the job that he's in.

Are you telling me that you're
not going to go out with me this year?

I'm telling you, I'm looking around.

What about you to go for?

You'd also go to me too. Me too.

Why don't you look around, Major,
and find out

what good experience men are getting.

An hour left if they insult it all.

You do.

Oh, you do, huh?

Well, what kind of a deduction
do I get for all our bellyaching?

You gave me,

you know, a major.

I acted as

wagon master part of the time last year,
and I think I should get

a little extra consideration
for that, too.

Oh, you do, huh?

What about all the free experience
you got on my time?

And as for you, what about all those times
that you went off on your own?

Do I get some kind of an allowance
for that?

No, no.

Maybe I better look around a little.

Why don't you do that, Major?

I'm sure you can pick up
lots of inexperienced men

for very little money.

Listen, you three,

don't you ever get the idea that I can't

manage without any or all of you?

Because for the next few days,
I'm going to do what I've always done,

and I'm sure that will ensure that I do
the same.

That's right, Flint. You're the leader.

You know what you're doing, don't you?

You're leading a mutiny

right now.

I'm going down with the two Seminole

Seminoles. They up here?

Yeah.

Try with them and collect the horses
all your life.

Well,
are you going to look at them for me?

Of course.

Thanks a lot.

I got to go down the trail to.

My data desk.

For $0.02.

I'd give you the whole galgano chip.

Pull it out. It.

I remind you, Behave yourself.

You hear

what I told you
about talking to strangers?

Can you gentlemen tell me where
I might find Major Seth Adams?

Yeah. Right up the end of the stairs.

And last on the left.

Sure do.

Thank you kindly, Michael.

As you know, we draw.

We're like that as greenhorns like that
make the West unsafe.

Yeah. Come on. Where we going?

I'm looking for Major Seth Adams.

You found him.

Mr.. What can I do for you?

Causing Major cause, Major?

Yes, sir.

I'll bet you I'm the last one in the world
you expected to see

walk through that door today.

You call me cousin?

Yeah.

We're keen to come to see Best
as a little boy, Horace

all grown up and pushed out of the nest.

PERCY Who?

Tessie Best.

Tessie Claiborne.

It was Percy play right now. Yes.

I got a letter from Mama explaining me.

Mean you had it here someplace?

I don't seem to remember the name
Clayborn.

Well, now I might have confused. You

see, What was Mama's maiden name?

Was it Claiborne,
or was that Pappy Number one?

No, no, Pappy.

Number one was my Pappy. His name was best

as Clay BURNETT.

He could have been Pappy.

Number two or three.

No, no, no, no, no.

Three was Ravenel
and Mama Rolls like that name.

I remember.

Matter of fact, when he married
Pappy number four, his name was Jones,

and she thought
that was kind of a comedown.

So she called herself Mrs. Ravenel Jones.

And then I remember when she married Pappy
lt what she called herself Mrs.

Ravenel Jones. Lightfoot

And one of your pappy's
was named Lightfoot.

Yeah, he is.

He was half Seminole Indian

one. Good.

I left that letter out with even Maude.

Well, who was even more happy?

There were six.

No, no, no.

Even Maude is my mule.

But I'm sure
going to tell Mama about that.

Because if there's anything
Mama admires, it's a good laugh.

Well,
you didn't bring Mama with you, did you?

No. No, You can't drag Mom away from
them magnolias and moonshine.

Now, why can't I think of that name?

It's right on the tip of my tongue.

It could be your.

What took it Took a ticket

with five pappy, a common and a gone.

A boy has got to get a little bit
confused.

Well, you sure got me confused, mister.

If you got five puppies, four of them
have got to be a little bit ill*gal.

You don't understand.

We just had them one at a time.

See why Pappy is never last too long.

Once Mama got him back up
here in the hills.

What did you do?

Talk him to death? No.

You sure have got a good sense of humor.

You're a barrel of laughs.
You know what, Cousin Ranger.

Stop calling me cousin.

Darn it. We couldn't possibly be related.

I don't know the names.
Any of those people you're talking about.

Well, now, I wouldn't

bet my handsome cotton patch on that
because we're related.

All right.

I've got my books
now. Just leave me with you.

Oh, my God. Haunted.

Look, here's
Mama's letter. I knew I had it.

Oh, Bayliss.

Tessie Bayliss had his mother's
maiden name.

Tessie Bayliss.

So I see.

Dear cousin Major,

how are.

All right.

How are you?

I am fine.

I know you must have heard your mama
speak of Mary Andrews.

Mary Andrews was your mother's father's

cousin twice removed.

He married Gerald McVey and Gerald

Mcvey's cousin three times, removed.

Was Hubert Best, my first husband.

And little Horace's father.

Now, then I tell you, ma'am,
or get everything all cleared up here.

You sure did Good.

This here, Mary Andrews.

Now, who did she marry? Gerald McVey.

And who was he?

He was my father's cousin.

Three times removed.

Yeah, but who was Mary Andrews?

Mary Andrews was your mother's brother's
cousin.

Twice removed,

right.

Well,
how did we get back to Gerald McVey then?

Here?

Well,
we got back to him through my father's

great uncle's children's children.

Very well.

How? And tarnation? What I know.

All I know.

All I know is that Mama

figured it all out on the kitchen
table using dried vegetables.

Now, the andrews were the corn,
the McVeighs were the peas.

The best were the grits
and the Adams were the children.

And when Mama got it all figured out,
you were my cousin.

And we had a nice
kettle of beans for supper.

I was sending you
your little cousin Horace.

He's learned all he can in Tennessee,
and it's time he was moving

onward and upward.

I know you'll see that
he gets a good start in life

and makes everybody in Tennessee
very proud of him.

I sure aim to try.

Well, you don't have to cry about it.

Well, it's
the first time I've been out of Tennessee,

and it's a long way from Mama's
Apron String.

Well,

I suppose
the first thing you wants a job, huh?

No, I don't want a job.

I want to be like you cousin said.

Yes, sir.

You're my hero, even if you are a Yankee.

Well, thank you.

Ah, thank you very much.

But I do a job.

I know, but it is a hope.

They do a difference between doing a job
and having a job.

I aim to be a wagon master just like you.

Horace. You work very hard.

And one of these years you might make it.

Well,
I figure there's no time like the present.

The present?

Do you think that just any
ninny can take a wagon train player

across the country to the coast?

No, I don't.

But I drove a team of mules once.

Well, that's not exactly the same.

Well, I know, but I'm from Tennessee,
and I catch on real quick.

All pass.

Have you ever been West? No.

But I know where it is,

so that way.

Look, I can find it.

I know. I. Look,

the first time you went to California,
didn't you take out a wagon train?

Yes, but I had been in that part of
the country before, and I wasn't as young

and as green as you are.

Well, now,
maybe I'm not as green as I look.

Remember,
I got some pretty good learning from them

Tennessee preachers and Tennessee peddler.

And besides that,
I had five different families teaching me

five different ways to make a living,
including Pappy Lightfoot.

Now, he could start out of a morning
with a blind lame mule

and wind up at night

with an acre of vine bottomland
and a crop ready to be harvested.

Start now.

Don't you go written up
any worries or any wrinkles about me?

You know, just let me tag along
for a couple of days first.

I'll get the hang of it for us.

Just how much money
you've got to start this business.

Yours $184.65.

A hundred?

Well, that isn't
enough to get you to California alone.

If you're going to set up a wagon train,
you need experienced hands.

And experienced hands cost
you a lot of money.

Well, you can't even get decent help
in Saint Louis anymore.

You're going to get a good wagon
train together.

You got to have a good crew.

And a good crew
is worth their weight in gold. Yep,

No doubt. About it.

A good crew is worth its weight in gold.

Next days, we're busy, as they always are.

People came from the riverboats,
the trains, the stagecoaches,

all kinds of people.

But people who were looking to the West,
we were all over the place.

And wherever we were,
our eyes were closed by watching.

This is without a

doubt, the sorriest looking bunch
that we have come across here.

Well, they might look sorry horse,
but they're strong.

Tennessee Mule Not happened. Stubborn.

You know,
my job is try to get him in a price.

Maybe this might be the trader.

Oh, how much?

Say, Pappy.

Pappy Lightfoot.

Well, shut my mouth
if it ain't little old horse.

Pappy is old little old Lightfoot.

How are you? Happy.

We don't give you up for dead.

Keep your cotton pickin mouth shut
and leave me for dead.

But your mama ain't with
no no momma's back in Tennessee.

Well, that's the heart.

And then the news.

You know,
your mama can be a mighty awesome woman

when she loses
that Tennessee temper to her.

He's right here.

Oh, this is my pappy.

This is Chief Lightfoot.

All right, Chief. Howdy. Happy?

I want to tell you,
you had a nice funeral back home.

It's just a pity
that you couldn't have been there.

Did I have a good turnout?

Oh, mercy.

Yes. And Reverend Oakley
said some of the nicest things about you.

So this one thing was real.

Purdy said he has gone to be
with his ancestors.

Looks like you didn't quite make it,
Chief.

Oh, no, no, I'm right here.

Say, Horace, you.

You inform your mama on me, William.

Oh, no, no.

I won't see Mama
till I get back from California anyway.

Sad that he always told me to say,
Let sleeping dogs lie.

Now, that ain't no
way to talk about your mama.

I wasn't talking about mama.

I was talking about you.

Well, don't
you tell her I'm asleep in that either or.

So I got a lot of things to do.
And you got a lot to talk about.

But I'll see you later about the horse.

Well, look,
I could talk to Papa a little later on.

See, I have to stick with Mr.

Hawks here, like sticking plaster. See,

I'm going west.

Well, I sure don't blame your horse. I.

I've always had kind of a hankering
to go West myself,

feeling about

it. Charlie?

Yeah?

What do you think it costs to feed
one man a day on the trail.

For about a dollar a day?

I guess that is, if you give me anything
halfway decent.

Yeah, well, just.

Just suppose in the round number,
but like, say you got 300 people,

you could feed them a little cheaper,
maybe for like $0.75 a day, couldn't you.

I suppose so,
but that would be like running arrested

and not many wagon train carry
that much help, you know.

Yeah, but just figure this now.

$0.75 a day and 300 people.

That's

that's a tidy little sum.

Yeah.

And you take that tidy

little sum and multiply that by 120 days
it takes to go west.

You've got to

where you got 120 tidy
little sums is what you got.

That's just exactly what you got.

You know,

you know,
things is beginning to simmer down

and make a little sense around here
you are,

Charlie.

You gave me something to think about.

I did.

Ah, you did.

Here's a list of stuff
I want to get to working on Charlie Buck.

Oh, this is Horace. Before

Charlie says you got some new canteens,
I want to look at them right now.

How do you do, Mr. Crook?

Horace Best.

I'm the major's cousin.

Oh, you're. You're the major's cousin.

Oh, yeah.

I can see the resemblance again.

It only takes a minute, but I see it.

Any cousin of the majors
is a cousin of mine.

Well, that might be nice.

You certainly have a fine
little establishment here.

Cousin,

I, uh.

I may be

doing a little business with you myself.

When? These days.

Oh, well, delighted, cousin.

Best you'll be doing business with the
most honest grocery man in Saint Louis.

And you're a crook.

Well, that's my name, not my profession.

No, I know how much Josh you, Mr. Crook.

Adding that you're going
about a dozen of these things for me.

You got that many? Had I retired?

Well,
I'm going to have to go with the major.

Mr. Crooked can't get along without.

Yes, I see the resemblance.

I made of a major,
especially special ammunition.

I asked you to get your radio order,
and I want about three more.

Where are you, Ben?

You almost lost me.
I was worried about you.

Otto, this is Horace Best.

This is Otto Costello.

Probably one of the best gunsmith

in this part of the country
and the best marksman.

Howdy.

Howdy, Major.

With me in the majors.

Cousins.

If I had this, was told I could cook
inside the wagons on rainy night,

and you'd have all the comforts of home.

Charlie, a wagon and a team

can just haul so much,
and they've got to haul it.

He's not offered it.

Look, I don't understand
all I know about that.

Why can't they haul a few comforts?

Why do people have to be cold
and uncomfortable?

Gas cars are going west.

Horace.

The wagon trail West is the way it is.

And until the railroads are finished,
nobody's going to change it.

Somebody is going to change it. Cousin
Seth.

Maybe not me, but someday
somebody is going to come along

and do something
to make that rail more comfortable.

Tonic One thing about your work,

I'll see you tomorrow out of.

The eye, maybe giving you
a little of my business one of these days.

Mr. Atherton.

It will be my pleasure.

We know

your cousin. Good Westbury.

He's going to the finest wagon
builders in this country.

I've been doing business with him
for years.

If he came to.

Oh, no. Everybody just calls him.

All I'm asking.

You ask me, How are you? Fine,
thank you. Major Adams.

The Major Adams is here.

Well, you know where to find me.

Oh, Mrs.

Gillespie, this is Horace Beck.

How do you, ma'am?

Why? What happened to your hair?

Oh, that's my SMI.

My Seminole clip made.

It hadn't gone out this far yet.

I'm a pioneer. Oh,

I have an immediate cousin, ma'am.

You are. I'm helping him.

Oh, well, I have my husband
who wanted me to come along.

Now, this is Horace Beth, Major
Adams cousin.

I do.

Nice to meet you, young fella.

You helping the major? Yeah.

I'm a try out on a wagon. Coming.

I've been thinking about it all winter.

I figure this one. Might hold up
better. Than one. I want you to.

See how he joins in.

Have you ever seen the running game
A wagon before you, huh?

No, I was just checking the bottom here.

Well, take a good look around.

You'll never see a better run
and get a mind.

Well, actually,
I was really more interested in the top.

Excellent place to start of God.

Wagon begins. Well, running. Good.

Go running. There's no good.

The top ain't going any place.

Yes, sir.

I've been building wagons
for over 30 years.

My wagons and. Door.

I, I say my wagons.

And do

you know Pappy Claiborne

once told me about Feller
who built a better mousetrap,

and the whole world
beat a path to his door.

You mind going into the mousetrap?

Burgers

made?

Maybe I am.

Right.

There's a bunk.

And your tools.

Here's your water rack right there.

Right, Right.

Johnny and Major signed up


Did he say anything about our rate?

No review? No.

I want to be sending my car.

I look right here is a little rack
where you put the little stove

that you've been a hankering for.

By golly,
that's great. Yeah, right over here.

Here's some tables and benches.

You know, they they slide up and down on
pulleys like I do it just like the bunk.

That's what I call driving first class.

One of them will go with four.

Well, behind them, we got little beams.

That's where you keep the victuals.

There is nothing. A sensible.

Tell you what I'm going to do.

I think I'll mosey over there
to see Cousin Gillispie and see

if he's not a hankering to build a wagon
just like this.

Gillespie won't do it cause.

He only built one kind of wagon.

It major tried for years to change it,
but he can't do well now.

I always say you never find out nothing.

Why not ask?

And that's what I always say.

Or you really figuring
on going west. This you.

Well, I said I was.

Yeah, but you're not in business.

I don't make no, never mind with me
when I go

I go like a buzzard with his tail
wound up and I'm gone

and here I go.

Not fooling around with no country
bumpkin, No.

It's like a cunning little doll house
on wheels.

The whole house
all go less than a doll house.

I like the way you've planned
your stories space.

You know, storage
space is very important to a woman.

I know.

My mama was a woman.

Across from the Rockies of a dollhouse.

Have you ever noticed it?

All wagons seem to be built
according to the way that men want them.

Exactly.

And what do men know about housekeeping?

What the women know about wagons?

It isn't easy to get a woman to go with.

You've no idea
how many men have to cancel their orders

because their wives back out
at the last minute.

Would take months
to build a wagon like that.

He's got over 100 wagons ready to go now.

Were you thinking of making any changes

in the and again, no, no mercy. No.

It would be a sacrilege to tamper
with a gillispie bottom.

Could your tops be put on our bottoms?

Mrs. Gillespie,
you are an absolute genius.

Why, of course they could, Mrs. Gillespie.

Now, don't tell me.

Don't tell me.
I know what you're thinking.

I know you're thinking.

Let's get a lot of carpenters together

and we'll get some of them
cutting out the sides

and some of them cutting our table.

That's right.

And another group
to fit them in the wagon.

Oh, Mrs.

Gillespie, I want to tell you,
you have made me see the light

will put on for shifts,
and we'll work around the clock.

Keep your hands off my wagons.

My wagons have been the most
famous in the West for years.

Well,

I guess
I'll just have to make other arrangements.

I guess the Gillespie wagons
won't be the most famous

when these new ones start rolling.

Well, don't try to persuade him, ma'am,
just to give me a little bit of advice.

Would you recommend it, Mr.

Barnes, as a wagon maker?

Well, he's a builder.

Could never get across
the plains on a blind wagon.

How about Mr. Cartwright?

He's a builder, too, and.

Can't cut one of the Cartwrights
bottom from a.

Trouble.

I guess maybe I'd better go see Mr.

Graham. Perhaps you should.

Cousin Gillespie
isn't as young as he used to be.

But neither is Graham.

I was younger than him to start with.

Perhaps it's time
someone else took over the wagon industry.

I ain't exactly in my grave yet.

You talk to Mr. Graham.

I'm sure he'll find your ideas
very exciting.

Graham bails his wagons
out of kindling wood.

What are you trying. To do
to this poor little country boy?

How much money

do you have to tie up in this wagon?

Well, ma'am, you see, I wasn't exactly
figuring on paying you folks any money.

I always figure it on you, paying me,
paying you for my design, Of course.

Well, now I've heard everything.

Your design is worth money.

How much do you want?

Well, ma'am,
you see, your cousin Gillespie

has always been sort of a hero of mine,
and I thought it'd be awful nice

if we, as partners say
I would furnish the design.

He would build the wagons
and we sell them.

And any profit we make, we split 5050.

Oh oh.

That's an excellent proposition.

Thank you, ma'am.

Now, shake
hands with your new partner now.

And then we charge a dollar
and a half a day for it's grown up,

and I figure there's
a tidy profit in that.

And you and me split that 5050.

You're never going to

get anybody to lay out all that money
just for meals.

Now, I've been doing a little checking

on what it costs to join a wagon train.

Our, you know, cousin Seth
Price is as cheap as anybody's, right?

Yes. If you're going to whittle at none.

Well, I ain't figuring on whittling.

I'm chopping up.

I ain't charging no fee at all.

No fee.

You're out of business before you get in.

No, You see, I'm not about to skin myself,

because if I did
that, Tennessee would secede from me.

The way I figure, I'm
going to take 50% of the profits

from each special feature
that I'm offering.

No fee to join the train.

No fee, no food, buy no food.

And three square meals a day.

There's no other train to compete with it.

You welcome to Horse Enterprises
grows and grows

and there's an honest dollar in this
for both of you.

Right.

And I told them that every one of them
who buys their arms and ammunition from

you get the course
for a special cut rate of $5.

Now then, if they have their own g*n
and just buy the ammunition

from you, then the price is $10.

However, if they don't buy either one
from you, then we sell them a flat 50.

Now that them,

that seems a little high.

I know, but we want to make darn sure
they do buy their ammunition from us.

Are you have.

I didn't come over to argue with you.

I come over to do you a favor
and take that string of skinny

horses off of your hands.

What your price

will now,

I've been asking $40 a head for them.

And I know.

I know you've been asking $40 a head.

What do you take him?

What are you offering?

I'm offering $10 to him. $10?

I had.

Oh, now, Pappy, you know darn
well that's $9 more than

they're worth.

I'll take $35.

I had bourbon.

$30. That's rock bottom and dirt cheap.



Well, I'll tell you what I'll do.

I'll give you $11

and drop.

All right. $12.

All right.

If you're that hard up. Well, if

Pappy

remember now, he's
supposed to be a Southern gentleman.



Take it or leave.

Show it.

This ain't no fun doing business
with kinfolk.

You're right, Pappy.

No, the best thing you can do
is sell them horses to some stranger

that you're never going to see again
in your whole life.

Hold on. Hold on just a minute.

Our little ole Lightfoot.

Yeah, I'll tell you what I'm going to do.

Your old pappy is just going to go

into partnership with you.

Oh, I don't know about that now.

I don't know if I can afford
to be partners with you, Pappy.

You see what I'll do?

And I'll just go to work

and get all the horses and mules,
and then you can take them,

sell them for whatever you can get,
and we'll split the profit.



That's really made with other merchants.

Oh, you know about that, too?

You bet. Your little old bean patch.

I do see.

I am a member of the Merchants
Association.

Remember?

As usual,
I was busy with a lot of problems.

After all, running a wagon train
isn't just running a country box social.

I forgot about horrors for a few days.

I even forgot to offer the boys
a $20 raise.

I decided on giving them

because it turned out that's the one thing
I shouldn't have forgot.

That cotton pickin old skinflint.

He ain't even offered a raise.

I think he. Wanted to quit.

Now, Charlie,
if Cousin Seth doesn't want to hire you,

I got a little proposition for him.

Lots of money.

Kept an opera horse.
I don't know you. That kind of money.

Well, I am now a corporation.

I am a parent corporation
called Horace Best Enterprises.

I am half of eight baby corporations.

And if Cousin Seth doesn't want you,
Horace Best Enterprises

sure does.

Horace, you're not serious.

Well,
I certainly am. You just say the word.

Now, put it in writing, Mr.

McCall, because, after all,
you are my hero,

sire,
that you're the best scout in the business

you put in with me,
and half of whatever I make is yours.

Well, I'll have to talk it

over with Major Adams first
before I can give you a final answer.

Oh, I want you to talk to the Major.

By all means.

After all,
your first obligation is to Cousin Sam.

But, I mean, if it doesn't work out,
then I would appreciate

you considering my offer.

I will.

I'll give you a $20 raise,
and you can take it or leave it.

I'll leave it. And I'm leaving you, too.

All right.

I'll give you a $40.

I'm not interested in any more, Bo.

We will offer.

Just what kind of money would it take, Mr.

Wooster, to get you interested?

Give twice what I got last year.

And also what Helper Malone.

I'm not interested. You're not? No.

Major, I'm going to have to.

You know.

Tommy,
I will not be backed into any corner.

Going. Going.

Major. You're going to miss me.

You won't have anybody.

Typical guy going wrong.

Well,

that's what
I want, Major, and I think I'm worth it.

Bellamy, ask yourself,

why do you fellows try
to put me out of business?

Well,
you know, I'm not getting any younger,

and I'd like to make a little money
before I become an old man. Oh.

You're one of the best friends I've got.

Well, if I'm one of your best friends,
you want to see me get ahead, don't you?

Yes, but not to the point
where I have to go broke to do it.

Now, get out of here. Goodbye.

I don't want a salary.

I want a percentage of the profits.

You are out of your cotton pickin.

Say 25%.

Some scabs are asking for 50.

Listen,
I built this business up from nothing.

I took the risks.

I am entitled to the profit.

And you can take a look in that bank book
and you'll find out

they're not very much. Well, I'm.

I'm willing to share.

There is no look,
if you have a bad. Oh 25.

No, no, no.

Well, that sounds pretty definite.

Golly, if I have to get this action
on the road by myself, I'll do it.

Good luck,

cousin.

They're very busy around here, aren't you?

Yeah.

You know, I guess we are going to need
about six more wagons.

And I told you.

Could I get them about, say,
two weeks from Monday?

But this year, maybe

not this year.

Come to think of it,
I guess not next year either.

I'm working
exclusively for one company now

with anybody. Tell

if you mean to tell me

that you not sure
that you can fill all my orders?

I don't think so, sir.

You see, I'm afraid you're going to find
that there is a whole new era of wagon

train travel. Since went. Overnight.

You see, there's newer thinking,
and if you'll forgive me, said

younger thinking.

Younger think.

But are not you?
You're an intelligent man.

So are you.

He's your nephew. He is not my nephew.

You can be proud of him. He's
a chip off the old block.

Not a chip off
this block. He's a block head.

That's what he is.

And I am beginning to think that there's
a lot of other blockheads around this

place. Do

If your.

Wagon is a sack and it won't make

it better.

Buying the brand kind designed by a.

Horse that you see in your green
travel can be sweet

and just feast your eyes equipment wise,
this wagon.

Can be filled

with a morning sun,
leaving the fellow in the west.

And you'll hear him.

Say, Go, Wesley Morris, back.

Engine Lobster's engine start.

You've got the chief.

He feels he's got good
deals on his used horses, loved.

The morning sun.

We have a little in the way
and you'll hear him say Go west.

With all respect.

Here comes Charlie.

Good old Charlie.

Captain of the Sioux.

He cooks the food to feed his brood.

His mother of the group

The Morning Sun.

He leaves to settle in the west.

And every day
you hear him say, Go west with Horace.

All that

time is that Bill Hawkins
muscle every end in k*ll them through.

We know that Bill's a good man.

Enough in.

The morning, firmly.

In the saddle, in a way.

And every day you'll hear him. Say,
Go west.

With Horace.

When a handsome fella knows this.

Way about when he rides by the ladies,
he's such a darn good.

Scout.

The morning sun leaves the
the in the wind.

And every day you'll hear.

Him say, Go. West.

Morris West and go away.

You'll be.

Very close.

To Sir

P. For me.

Why should I be peeved?

Cause you just.

You just tied all the Gillespie wagons
and over

half the food supply that
there is in the Saint Louis and my crew.

Why should I be
peeved at you? Or as. Well?

I didn't really think you would be here.

Too big a man for that.

You couldn't do anything small.

Well, I have to hand it to you.

You pulled it off.

I didn't think you could,
but you pulled it off.

You know what?

I haven't dipped into my $185 yet either.

I got that to fall back on in
case of an emergency.

Worse, You better hang on to that money,
because I'm liable to have to borrow

a couple of dollars from you or.

You know that anything I have,
if you need it, you just say the word.

You're my hero.

I mean that.

By golly, I really think you do mean.

And of course I do.

You know, every time I come to a puzzle,

I'd say to myself, Now,
what would Cousin Seth do?

And that's exactly what I'd done.

Horace, you didn't do a single
solitary thing the way I would do it.

Why, I sure did.

I sure did.

I did everything just exactly the way
you would have done it.

Except I threw in a little

Tennessee train.

I'm sure glad you're not mad at me
and said.

Well, Irish,
you just build a better mousetrap.

I got to give you credit for it,
that's all there is to it.

You know what?

I signed close to 100 wagons tonight.

Did any wagon, Sir,

you've got a pretty long road home.

You better do a good job of it. Yes, sir.

This is 100 wagons.

It means that you've accepted the
responsibility for better than 300 lives.

And you better not let them down either.

I'll do my best.

That's all any man can ask of you.

You know, so many times

the best is just not good enough.

When you think of all the people,



when cholera hit your camp
without you knowing it's coming.

And in that Indian w*r

party, as it comes down off the high hill

is screams winter.

The night arrows set fire to it.

You say,

Well, I did my best.

That's what you said
all those firemen did.

I did my best,

you know,

And your heart begins
to falter a little bit

and you begin to wonder

all those people

looking to you dependent on your judgment,

but willing to follow you
into the wilderness.

Then you come to the mountains. Vast

mountains are usually covered

with rock and shale
and their wagon wheels.

They slip and slide back
and they break your wagon itself.

It lurches backwards in the horse colors,

cut into the bleeding
shoulders of your horses.

It's bare and hillsides very.

You knew it was going to be grass.

Wouldn't the grass

and you come on a dry creek bed

were you was sure
there was going to be water.

There isn't any water.

You people are thirsty.

And those moments of decision or rush,

those are the tough moments.

You have to decide
whether to cross the river at night

or whether you're going to wait till dawn,

whether you want to take
the uncharted shortcut

or you're going to take the Long Mountain
Trail safe

and all the time.

If you little people
are looking at you with

your people or your people,

oh, finally, you have to make a decision,

move on and

right at that minute horse,

you pray that
almighty God is close to your heart.

And when you make that decision,

I hope I don't.

Wake up with heart.

I can't work on what I know how to sleep.

Oh, we can't find him. Not late.

Oh, don't bother me about it.

Running about. And John, 27. Don't know.

I went by the police station.

They were starting to drag the river.

Would you to mind taking this conversation
over to the office

of the Best enterprises?

That's where you work
now, isn't it, Sheriff?

It's got a Pontiac searching a ravine.

Oh, go on, get out of here. The map.

There's a lot of sh**ting last night,
Major.

You were not, were you three?

Oh, yeah, sure, Sure, I was.

All right. What do you think?

I'm out of my head?

Well, I've been foul play somewhere.

Listen, it's a little bit early
for me to appreciate jokes.

This is the only morning
I've got a chance to sleep.

Yeah. Now leave me alone. He's
not in the ravine.

Somebody better do something.

Horace's headquarters. It jammed.

What people want to say. Now
get over there and keep them.

Don't let anybody get away.

Gentlemen, this is not the horse.

Best enterprise business.

And if you don't mind, the Seth
Adams Enterprises

would like to sleep a little longer,

which is probably exactly what the first
best enterprise is doing right now.

Now, we checked his room, Major.

He hasn't been there all night.

This is your gentleman's problem.

Well, we must lose
sight of the fact that he is your cousin.

And he disappeared.

And you were the last one. To see him
alive.

Now, just a girl, Don. Minute.

Don't get the idea
that we are accusing your major, but

it does look a little strange.

You and him being rivals and him coming
to see you and never being seen again.

He may still be up here.

Yeah.

Stuffed under something.

Oh, that's just about enough of this.

Now, let's not lose our temper.

Keep your eye on Ted Brock.

He mind?

What time was it that Horace
came to see you last night, dear?

How would I know I was asleep.

Well, what time was it when he left?

Well, if I didn't know what time he came,
how would I know what time he left?

You went to sleep when he left for you?

I have no idea what time he arrived.

I have no idea of what time he left.

And I have no idea what time it is now.

Ten after six. Put that down.

What have you did with my little light?

But he's gone. Oh, put that thing down.

Let go. Call the sheriff.

Oh, I. Wouldn't look for any help there.

Measure the sheriff is part of the best
enterprises.

To our old John Houlihan.

The best wagon train is policed
by the best Houlihan police.

I go to his farewell address
right here in my hand.

Well, don't just stand there.

Read it to us.

Dear Pappy, one and all.

After talking to Major Adams,

I have decided to dissolve
the horse based enterprise.

I don't want no race.

I'm ruined.

All right, now, gentlemen.

Let's talk

very, very little, All right?

An awful lot is wrong.

But I don't care.

I sing a happy song.

It takes a happy man to say

already.

Glad I had a horse.

And you're going in the wrong direction.

West is that way.

My cousin Seth.

And see what you told me.

That I would have to stand
at the crossroads and decide

whether to take the Uncharted shortcut
or the Long Mountain Trail and all.

And people standing around there
just waiting and watching.

Well, right then and there.

I know
that's the barking up the wrong beanpole.

I could sit there for a year just upon

look and grow a long white beard
instead of

sitting there
watching and waiting and wondering

and never find out the answer till after
he's dead.

Cousin said, I got things to do.

I just don't have time to sit around
and wait.

But, Horace,
you were the one that wanted to go west.

Remember?

I wanted to build a wagon train.

And then I got so wound up a building,

then I just plumb forgot
where it was supposed to go.

Then when you told me about an Indian Air
flaming engine

and the dried up water horse, and I know

I never want to go west.

I want to go east.

Horace, you listen to me.

You got over a hundred wagons out there.

Wait and go west with Horace Best,
you said.

Now, by golly, you're going to go.

Will you just listen to me for a minute,
Cousin Seth, you have been my hero

since I was knee
high to Abby's bottom. Now,

tell you what I'm willing to do

for Horace.

You're like your cousin.

You know, for one awful moment there, I.

Thought I had figured everything
all wrong,

and I really was going to have to go out
west.

You know,
I didn't come out of the hills to get in.

They do. In the sagebrush.

All I wanted was to make an honest dollar
and be partners with Cousin Sam.

And it took a heap of doing.

But in the end, everything worked out

just fine. You.