02x12 - Last Stage to Salt Flats

[bunniefuu]

It'll be easier
ridin' today, ma'am.

It'll get cooler
once we get out of
the flatlands.

-How much longer
is it gonna be?
-Just a couple of minutes.

-Can I take this for you?
-Yes, thank you very much.

Ready to board,
Mr. Cross.

I'll just help
Miss Branson here first.
Good mornin', Mrs. Branson.

Thanks, but I can
manage by myself.

Now, we've been travelin'
a good many miles together.
It's time we were friends.

Would you excuse me, please?

Went to bed pretty early
last night, didn't you?

Next town,
I gotta stay over
a couple of days.

Why don't you and I
just plan--

Why don't you just
back off, Mr. Cross?

-I don't think
the lady's interested.
-Let's get aboard, folks.

Howdy, ma'am.
You folks headin' east
towards Stevensville?

-That's right.
-Well, I just come that way.

Back there about 10 miles
in those sawtooth mountains,
had a big rock slide.

A bad one.
There ain't gonna be nothin'

but horse and foot travel
through there for quite a while.

-What does that mean?
-We gotta use
the old road, ma'am.

Cuts north through
the black rock.

Put us in Stevensville
nearly a day late.

-Thanks, friend.
-Right.

We'd best get started.

Giddap! Get!

Everything's fine.
They believed everything
I told 'em.

Country like that--
You know what
that's good for?

Nothin'.
That's all-- nothin'.

Dead.
It's all over dead.

Sometimes, I wonder why
I travel these parts.

Why do you travel
these parts, Mr. Cross?

You haven't told us.

I sell death, ma'am.

I travel dead country
to help people get dead.

Simple as that.

I'm a g*n salesman.

Come on.
Just help yourself.

They're not loaded.

Best of the line.
Precision-made, hair trigger.
Guaranteed.

-Guaranteed to do what,
Mr. Cross?
-sh**t straight.

k*ll whatever you sh**t at
if your aim's good.

Look mighty fine hangin'
in that holster of yours.

I carry a g*n
for protection, Mr. Cross.
Mine'll do just fine.

Ain't no g*n ever made wasn't
made to k*ll. Protection's just
a nice way of puttin' it.

-That's your way
of lookin' at it.
-May I see that, please?

That-- That wasn't made
for ladies.

Ladies carry something
lighter.

Smaller, easier--

Now, it's not a good idea
to point a g*n, Mrs. Branson,
if it isn't loaded.

Well, let's just say
it is loaded, Mr. Cross,
right now.

How do you like, uh,
looking death in the face,
Mr. Cross?

-Ma'am--
-You talk about death
real easy.

Almost like it's a joke.
Well, how do you like it?

How do you feel?

-Just a slight pressure
on the trigger.
-Ma'am--

The man who k*lled my husband,
he used one of these g*ns.

You could be the man
who sold it to him.
Don't you find that amusing?

I guess nobody here
needs a new g*n,
I'll just put 'em away.

-I think that'd be
a good idea, Mr. Cross.
-Yeah.

-I'm sorry about your husband.
-It's over.

CROSS:
k*ller. That's what it is.
Just lyin' out there waitin'.

It's sayin',
"Come on.

I ain't gonna hurt you.
Just gonna cook you to death."

[shouts, indistinct]

-What's the trouble?
-No trouble at all.

Don't try it.

Just get out
nice and easy-like.

-We got nothin' you want.
-First, throw down
your g*n belts.

Throw 'em down!

Now, the payroll.

You-- You were
the rider this morning.

Yes, ma'am.
I was the one.

Come on!

All right!
That's enough.

There weren't nobody
gonna get hurt.
You hear? Nobody.

All we wanted was the money.

But you gotta
play it stupid!

Well, you ain't gonna live now,
no, sir.

Roper!

You k*ll him,
we'll have to k*ll 'em all.

You said so yourself.

Let the desert do it.
It's 40 miles either way.

Who's to know?
Who's to say?

Yeah. Yeah.

That's right.
[chuckles]

Who's to say?
[laughing]

That's it!
There's nothing else
in there they can use.

-Well, let's go.
-Give us a chance!

One canteen.
The next stage won't be
through here for three days.

Wrong, friend.
Next stage won't be
through at all.

That rock slide Chaps
told you about this morning--
wasn't any.

Only rock slide
was the one we arranged
right here.

So don't be expectin' anybody
to be comin' along this way.

Nobody has for years.

Have a nice walk.

All my years,

I never figured
burying a man
was such a simple thing.

Hillock that way.

Mitchell Mire that way.

Which is it gonna be?

Neither as far
as I can see.

This heat
and no water--

The best of us
wouldn't last a day,
especially him.

You know this country.
Isn't there water anyplace?

I'm just
a stage driver, ma'am.
I follow the roads.

-Once, there were no roads.
-What's that supposed to mean?

[sighs]
They tell me that

death always knocks twice.

Perhaps--

Perhaps that is why
I've been travelin' through
this country all these years

without realizin' it
until just now.

He's won,
or will win

just like before.

Make sense, Cross.

There are what, now,
seven this time?

Before, there was 30.

Three of 'em lived.
I was one of 'em.

I thought I was
fortunate at the time.

I should've known.

You mean you were out here
like this once before
and lived?

How?

Those mountains.

It was a small wagon train,
and the water was low.

There's supposed to be a pass
through those mountains

and a spring.

But our scout,
he guessed wrong.

And he led them
to the wrong pass,
and there was no water.

No spring.

Over on the other side
there's another place.

-A mining town
called Salt Flats.
-I've heard of it.

I made it there
with the two of them.

We got the water
and brought it back.

Water's no good
for 27 dead people.

If there was a spring,
could you find
the right way this time?

Ma'am, them mountains
he's ravin' about

are further away than
we've come on the stage.

He's right.

You'd never make it.

You--

Unless, uh--

Unless what?

Well, there was a place.
I remember it was
almost dried up then,

but it was the last place
we got water--

Ah!

Where was it, Cross?

I don't know!

Back there somewheres.
Excuse me.

You know,
those men were no fools.

They wouldn't make it
out there either without
any water to water those horses.

Maybe. Maybe
if we followed 'em--

There are
plenty of tracks.

Just a minute.

Do you have ammunition
for these?

Not a whole lot of 'em
to waste, is there?

I hope you don't need
no target practice.

You'll never make it
with or without those b*ll*ts.

Excuse me.

Mr. Cross--

Now, you let me
live my own life--

what's left of it--
my own way.

I ain't goin' with you.

You go follow those tracks,
ma'am, give you something
to do before you--

I got something to do.

You drunk.
You no-good, rotten drunk.

Let him alone.
He'll come when he's ready.

-What about Bert?
-We can make a travois
out of that carpet.

Let's get started.

[gasping]

Oh!

Please, I--
I need to rest.

VICTORIA:
Jarrod, Heath!

Here, this-- this is better
than nothin'.

Leave her alone.

-It's the worst thing.
-I'm sorry. I should've known.

It's just that
I'm so thirsty.

[coughing]

He's gonna die.
Why not here?
He's only holdin' us up.

Heath.

You lead.
It's my turn
on the travois.

All right?

Thank you.

[wind howling]

Sandstorm!
Better take cover!

[rattler rattling]

[g*nsh*t]

Thank you.

Oh.
No, please.

It ain't bad.
Honest.

Some people say
it tastes like chicken.

It's, uh--
It's still a snake.

You'd better.

-I think I'd be ill.
-You'll be ill if you don't.

Please, ma'am.

Yeah.

I'll see if
I can get some down Bert.

[grunts]
Oh.

Bert?

I-I remember when
I was a little girl,
my father used to say,

"Take what you can get
and be thankful for it."

Are you thankful?

How far along are you?

Four months.

I wish I could
do or say something
that would help you.

Losing a husband at a time
when you need him the most, it--

There's nothing to say,
Mrs. Barkley.

My husband was k*lled
three years ago.

Oh.

He's bleedin' again.

No, thank you.
I've had mine.

You go on and take it.

You gotta think
about your little one.

Well?

No more tracks to follow.

They blew away
in the storm.

There's some meat
on there for you.

He's burning up.

What about it, Cross?
You got any ideas?

Why me?
I told you from the start--

You told us there was
a water hole out here somewhere.

That was 10 years ago.

[sighs]

CROSS:
Every day, that desert changes.

Sand where there wasn't any.

A rock that used to be
a landmark-- gone.

What do you want from me?

[chuckles]

He could've died
back there at the stagecoach,

or he could do it right here,

or he could go on out there
and do it there.

What difference
would it make to me?

What's the matter with you?
Are you afraid to try?
Nobody's gonna--

You leave me alone!
Do you hear me?

Leave me alone!

[howling]

[moaning]

-[howling continues]
-[gasps]

That ain't nothin'.

Just some old coyote
listenin' to hisself.

Mm-hmm.

I was, uh--

I was havin' a dream
that comes back
from time to time.

Oh.

We had a ranch.

Oh, nothing much, you know.
Just, uh--

Just some cattle
and, uh, a few crops,

but-- but it was home.

I was happy
until it stopped
being a home.

Ma'am?

To a woman, her home
is where her man is.

And he was always there

workin' and plannin'.

"Someday," he'd say.

"Someday."

Well, it didn't happen,
so there's no sense
talkin' about it.

He must've cared
an awful lot.

I don't remember
what he looks like.
Can hardly remember.

Well, they say
that sometimes happens.
No kids around to remind you.

You see him in their eyes,
the way they look.

-I know what you're thinkin'.
Go ahead and think it.
-No, ma'am, I wasn't thinkin'--

Honestly.

A woman alone has gotta
make out the best way she can.

I'm not sayin'
I did anything right.

I guess I was--
I was lost.

Do you know
what I mean?

Oh, no, you don't.

[sighs]

I knew a man.

He seemed so different
than the rest.

He said he wanted
to marry me.

It was like gettin' born
all over again.

Someone to share
plans with.

A good life
to look forward to.

But then he left.

And I waited until
I knew it was no use.

I've got a sister
who lives in Stevensville.

Well, at least
she used to live there.

[chuckles]
I got no other place
to go to.

[sighs]
I'm just sure
she's still there.

[shivering]

[wind howling]

There's water.

There's water some--
somewhere close.

Water.

Water.

Water.

We won't be needing that
anymore, Charlie.

-Here, you rest a while.
-No, I'm all right.

-Come on.
-I'll be fine.
I will, honest.

We're all tired.
We all need a rest.

Cross, what do you think?

We headed right?

I think so.
If I didn't,
I'd have told ya.

[horse snorts]

[whispering]
Jarrod!

Jarrod! Charlie!

-JARROD: Is that real?
-HEATH: Sure looks like it.

Maybe somebody's
got a ride.

Let's get around him.

[whinnies]

[whinnying]

Charlie! Charlie.

Charlie, shh.
Now, be still.

-That should be clean
and sterilized and-- Oh.
-Shh.

-Charlie, just lie still now.
-Here.

-Lie still.
-I almost had it.

-It'll be all right.
-[muttering]

Thank you.
There, Charlie.

-[groans]
-There.

[yells]

What-- What are you
tryin' to do, woman,
burn a hole in my head?

No, I'm not.
But just hold still, Charlie.
Let me tend to you.

-Now, hush. Come on.
-Oh, that--

-Just hold still.
-That mean, stupid, ornery,

no-account critter!

What was he doin'
out here anyhow?

What was that horse
doin' out here?

I've never seen a horse
stay around anyplace

without any--
without any water.

Why didn't I see that?
It's Finger Rock.

The wagon train, it-it--

We were comin'
from the southeast,
not this way.

You see, this way,
it looks different.

That's why I didn't see it.
That's why I didn't
make it out.

That-That there's
the water hole!

-Water?
-Come on, Charlie.

Get up, Charlie.

-Hey!
-No!

That's not fit!

[laughing]

Now--

Now maybe you'll
join me in a drink, huh?

Now maybe you'll
have one on me.

Come on. Drink up.
Enjoy yourselves.

It's all you got.
Ain't nothin' else.

No?

Ah!

Just a sip.

[chuckles]

That's the first time--

That's the first time
I ever wanted to kiss
a runaway horse.

Well, that's the last of it.

We got all that was left.

Cross.

When we get
to those mountains,

which way do we start up?

Come on, Cross.
You found this place.

[sighs]
What was it you said?

Ten years ago,
that scout that was leadin'
your wagon train,

he made a mistake.

-That's right.
-Led you up into
the wrong pass.

No spring, no water.

All those people died

except you.

You and two others.

You made it out.

Found the right pass,
found the spring.

Made it across
to Salt Flats

to get help.

Only when you got back,
it was too late.

You got that all wrong.
We never found that spring.

JARROD:
You mean you were able
to get across that desert,

all that heat,
with no water?

How?
You must've had water.

No, we did not.
Where would we get water?

There was nothin' between
this place and Salt Flats
except that spring.

Which you didn't find.

-But you found Finger Rock.
-What are you sayin'?

You have a strange hatred
for this desert, Mr. Cross.

That bottle you've hidden behind
all these years--

Bad memories? Nightmares?

You watch what you say to me.
Do you hear?

Who are you, Mr. Cross?

A g*n salesman?

I suppose so.

A drunk?
That's obvious.

Where do you get off
talking to me like that?

Ten years ago, that was
something different,
wasn't it, Cross?

You were
something different.

You were the one
who made that mistake,

led those people
up in the mountain to die!

-No! No!
-You were the guide
for that wagon train!

All right.

[sighs]
I was that scout.

I was that scout!

Those people that
I was leadin', they was all
in a hurry to get to Oregon.

I pleaded with 'em.
I said, "Go slow.

Go 'round about
along the Sierras.
There's plenty of water there."

They wouldn't listen to me.
No, sir.
"Through here. It's fastest."

Well, they was payin' me,
they said, see?
If I didn't do it,

they'd hire somebody else.

I got 'em this far.

[scoffs]
Wasn't any more water there

when we got here
than when we found it just now.

I didn't know those hills.

I-- I'd heard of a pass
and a spring.

I had to get 'em out of here.
I had to guess.

It was our only chance.

Well, I guessed wrong.

When we got there,
there was no spring.

No water.

When we took their water,
I figured

if I could make it
to Salt Flats, I could
bring back plenty of water.

-I figured--
-What did you say?

You took their water?

Those other two men,

they forced me to
with a g*n.

You see, I was their guide.
I was their scout.
They needed me.

And they threatened
to k*ll me if I didn't.

I told 'em that--

that there was only
one canteen full of water
in that whole wagon train.

"Half," I said.
"Just leave 'em half."

They took the whole thing.

Took all of it.
Left 'em there to die.

That was 10 years ago.

I never talked about it,

never mentioned it before.

Wanna know why?

Look at you.
Look at your faces.

That's why.

I should've let
those men k*ll me.

Okay, Cross,
you were wrong once.

Do you think you can
get it right this time?

No. Nobody gonna
make me guess wrong again.

We're not making you,
we're asking you. Try.

Just try!

[groans]

What's the matter?

I made
the same mistake again.

It's the wrong pass.

Twenty-seven people
are buried up there.

[sighs]
We're never gonna make it
any other way.

It's too late.

It'll be dark soon.
We keep goin' when it's cooler,

maybe we'll get over.

Ain't nothin'
on the other side.

Salt Flats is easy


There's nothing here.

[exhales, coughs]

Cross, how far now?

Well...

half a mile,
maybe we'll be over by then.

Then after that,


Rest, Mother.

Just rest.

-It's cooler.
-Yeah.

Gets that way most places,
I reckon--

[sighs]
...when night comes,

like my place after sundown.

Crickets kickin' up a storm.

Frogs down by the stream
croakin' away.

Big oak trees.

I even got grass.

Everybody has to have
a place to look back on--

to call home.

It's a need.

I'd, uh--

I'd like you to think
about my place.

Well, I--

Well, thank you very much,
Charlie.

I'd like to do that.
Thank you.

I think it's time
we went on.

Looks like a fire up there.

Could be wild Shoshones.

Maybe they're friendly.

If they're not,
better act like you got more
than one b*llet in that g*n.

-Charlie, you stay here
with the women.
-Cross, we may need you.

Let's go.

[horse whinnies]

Looks like they've been
traveling slow,

enjoyin' themselves.

Let's fan out,
try to get the drop on 'em.

Cross, you stay here.

Hey.
Hey, wake up.

[c*ck p*stol]

Drop it!

He won't be headin'
for Salt Flats.

And like the man said,

there won't be
anybody comin' by.

-I'll go get the others.
-[laughing]

You know, Mrs. Barkley,
you never did say why
you were traveling out here.

Oh, well, Jarrod had
some legal business
in Stevensville,

and Heath wanted to look
at a new strain of cattle
that's being bred there.

I had some friends there,
and-- I don't know.

I guess--

I guess you could say
I was on a holiday.

We'd better be goin'.

You know, I-- I still can't
figure how-- how I could've
missed it before.

What month did you
come through here, Cross?

It was about
the middle of August.

This is the end of June.
Summer's just really
starting to boil.

By August, every spring
in these hills will be dry.
You didn't make a mistake,

and you didn't guess wrong.

You brought those people
to the right place.

You gotta figure nature,
Mr. Cross,

whether it comes natural,
like that desert, or--

or human like us.

Either way, it can bust up
a person pretty bad,

or give 'em a new life.

Don't question it this time.