01x14 - The Deer Hunters

[bunniefuu]

♪ Champion, The Wonder Horse ♪

♪ Champion, The Wonder Horse ♪

♪ Like a streak of lightnin'
flashin' across 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 ♪

[whimsical orchestral music]

- Let's see, the lowest common
denominator would be 17.

Now, you stop trying to tempt me, Rebel.

I can't play till I
get this homework done.

Now, get off my bed!

[Champion whinnying]

And now, here comes Champ.

[whimsical orchestral music]

Swell jump, Champ!

[Champion whinnying]

Oh, I'm glad to see ya, Champ,

but if you and Rebel keep interrupting me,

I'll never finish my work.

[Champion whinnying]

Is something wrong, Champ?

[Champion whinnying]

Looks like it could be important.

Maybe I better find out
and do my arithmetic later.

[Rebel barking]

[Champion whinnying]

Well, what's the matter, Champ?

[dramatic music]

A fawn!

[Rebel barking]

Well, I know you mean well,
Rebel, but you'll just scare it.

Now, get back and stay down.

Must've been snared.

Now, don't you worry.

I'll get you out.

You'll be all right in a minute,

then I'll take you home and doctor you up.

Hold on, keep still.

[hooves thudding]
[wagon rumbling]

- What're you doing with that deer?

- Well, it's not a deer.

It's only a fawn and
somebody's been setting snares.

- Yeah, our snares and traps.

[dramatic music]

- You're the ones.

- Yeah, our traps and our snares.

Look, kid, there's no
law against trapping,

but there's a law against thieving

from other folks traplines.

You was gonna take that fawn.

- But it might've d*ed.

- It's gonna die anyway.

Get it, Bundy, and put it with the rest.

- You can't do that!

- I'd like to know why not?

[Rebel snarling and barking]

[Champion whinnying]

- You better call that dog off,

and that horse too, sonny,
if you wanna keep him alive.

- Down, Rebel, easy, Champ.

Well, look, this little
fawn isn't worth much.

I'll, I'll buy him from you.

- That ain't the point.

You gotta learn to leave
our traplines alone.

Go ahead, Bundy.

[Rebel snarling]

[Champion whinnying]

What's on your mind, stranger?

- So, you're the K*llers.

- K*llers, we're businessmen.

- Businessmen [scoffs]?

You're ruthless K*llers for profit.

- They even wanted to
k*ll this little fawn.

- Well, they're not going to do it.

- No, that's our trap
and it belongs to us.

- Now look, mister, we got a deal

to supply the railroad construction g*ng

with venison and it's plumb legal.

It don't make no difference

how big that deer is or how little.

- Why don't you stop bothering us?

- You're not gonna k*ll that fawn!

[fists thudding]
[dramatic music]

- Now, Rebel!

[Rebel growling and snarling]

Help him, Champ, help!

[Champion whinnying]
[Rebel growling]

That's enough, Rebel.

You can let him up, Champ.

- Now, both of you, get
on your wagon and get out!

[dramatic music]

- What about my r*fle?

- You'll get it back, but not now.

- You ain't seen the last of us.

- [Bundy] Yah, yah!

[dramatic music]

- Gee, mister, I don't
know how to thank you.

- Well, I should really thank you.

You've just help me do my work.

- Your work?

- Yes, I'm Jonah Mattson.

I've come out West to help stop

the wholesale slaughter of wildlife.

- Oh, well, how are you gonna do that?

- Well, eventually to get laws passed,

but right now I'm on my way to see

the superintendent of the
railroad construction g*ng.

- Mr. Craig?

- That's right, I hope to convince him

to stop using venison to feed his crew.

- Oh, well, my Uncle Sandy
will help you, Mr. Mattson.

He always says something should be done

to protect the animals.

He knows Mr. Craig too.

- Fine, I need local support.

Maybe I can go home with
you and meet your uncle.

- Yeah.

- I'd like to take that fawn on my saddle,

but ah, [chuckles].

- Well, just drop it.

Rebel can take care of that.

Come here, Rebel.

Now, pick it up, Rebel.

[dramatic music]

- Maybe your idea for
game preserves is good,

Mr. Mattson, maybe not.

There's nothing I can do about it.

- There's one thing you can do, Craig.

As Mattson says, stop
feeding your men venison.

- Yes, at the rate the deer

are being k*lled off by your hunters,

they'll be exterminated by
the time the line is finished.

- That's not my lookout.

I'm a businessman.

If I can buy deer meat cheaper
than beef, that's what I buy.

- Well, if it ain't our pal.

This crackpot's been trying
to put us out of business.

- Don't worry about that.

- We ain't worried about it.

We're plumb sore.

Him and that kid outside
have been robbing our traps

and stole Dodge's r*fle.

- Nobody robbed your traps.

The boy offered to pay ya for the fawn,

and here's your r*fle.

- I'm warning you.

I'm gonna put you and
your kind out of business.

And you're just as bad as they are!

You've got a dollar sign
where your heart ought to be!

- Get out!

[dramatic music]

- I heard it all.

- Reckon we oughta discourage
that tenderfoot good

before he makes any more trouble.

- Right.

- I'll keep in touch with ya, Sandy.

Sorry I blew up at Craig,

but sometimes my temper
gets the best of me.

- Ah, it may wake him up.

You sure you won't change
your mind and stay with us?

- Thanks, I've taken a room in town.

I've talked my idea over
with a newspaper editor,

and he may run some articles on it.

I have to keep after him.

- You oughta get in touch
with Bentley Cameron too.

He's the territorial commissioner.

- Well, he's a friend of
ours and he's a rancher too.

He owns the ranch next to us.

- I heard he's in Washington.

I'll see him as soon as he gets back.

- We'll let you know.

Now, with him on your side,

you can corral all the help you need.

[dramatic music]

- We wanna talk to you.

- Under the circumstances
I have to listen.

- Now, we're warning you.

Get back East and get while
you're still able to travel.

- You're wasting your time and mine.

I'm not gonna stop until
I accomplish my purpose.

[g*n thuds]

[dramatic music]

[g*ns f*ring]

- Say, that came from the
direction Mattson's riding.

You stay here.

[dramatic music]

What happened?

- I ran into my two blaggard friends.

- Surely you're up against
a pretty tough proposition

for a man who doesn't
know much about the West.

- Well, I'm pretty tough myself.

Thanks for helping me.

- You're welcome, you able
to ride home all right?

- I'll make it.

Thanks, Sandy.

[whimsical orchestral music]

- Well, his leg seems to be all right now.

- Yeah.

- You don't sound very happy about it.

- I'm afraid to turn
him lose, Uncle Sandy.

- Well, keep him then.

- Rebel, we just gotta figure a way

to get rid of those deer hunters.

I've got it, come on!

[dramatic music]

[Rebel barking]

You find another one, Rebel?

[Rebel barking]

Aw, good boy, Rebel.

Now, go look for some more.

[dramatic music]

[Rebel barking]

I'll be right there, Rebel.

[dramatic music]

Come on, Champ.

- Well, I don't know.

Everyday it's the same thing.

I wish I could get my hands on

whoever's springing our traps.

- Well, it's bound to
be that Mattson hombre

or that North kid.

- Yeah, only how you gonna prove it?

They never leave any tracks.

- Well, we've gotta do something.

If we don't bring in more venison,

we're gonna lose our contract.

- There's plenty deer in
that next valley over there.

- On the Cameron property?

- What difference does it make?

- Well, he's around the place now.

He just got back from Washington.

- Well, he's so busy, he
won't know what's going on.

We'll set a new trapline over
there and leave these here.

- They'll keep right on
springing these traps.

- That's just what I want them to do.

If they think we're still
trying to trap here,

they won't bother us on Cameron's place.

- You know, it might work.

[dramatic music]

- Jonah Mattson's
campaign deserves support.

Too long have we American's wasted

the natural resources of our country.

Well, you're sure off
to a good start, Jonah.

- Yes, now if I can only
get Mr. Cameron's help.

- Well, he ranches here as
well as being commissioner.

He should be interested.

[knocking on door]

Come in!

- Oh, hiya, Sandy.

Got your message, what's up?

- Well, I asked you over to
meet my friend Jonah Mattson.

Jonah, this is Commissioner Cameron.

- How do you do?

- Delighted, sir.

- Sit down, Ben.

- Ah, yeah, thanks.

- Ben, we'd like you to sponsor a bill

for game reserves in this area.

- I know Mr. Mattson's
activities, of course.

Frankly, I don't feel we need
game sanctuaries, not yet.

We have plenty of game out here.

- But there won't be any if
something isn't done and now.

- I'm sure you exaggerate
the situation, Mr. Mattson.

- [Jonah] And I'm sure you don't realize

the seriousness of it, Mr. Cameron.

- Well, Ben, these railroad hunters

aren't just hunting to live.

They're hunting to make money.

They're k*lling mother animals
and fawns in their traps.

- I don't like traps either, Sandy,

but after all, it's still frontier.

Changes come gradually.

- Gradually, if you don't know
how fast wildlife in America

is being destroyed, sir, you are blind.

[Ben scoffs]

- Jonah, Ben, just a minute.

- I'm sorry, Sandy, I have
more important things to do

than argue with a fanatic.

- I'll show you.

I'll force you to take action.

I'll carry my fight to the people.

I'll get up a petition.

- I wish you luck.

[dramatic music]

- Uncle Sandy, what did Mr. Cameron say?

What're you gonna do, Mr. Mattson?

- Just what I said.

I'll get public opinion in back of me.

[triumphant music]

- Hold up there.

We've been looking for you, Mattson.

Hear you've been getting
a petition signed.

What's the matter, don't
you want our names?

- How many names have
you got on that thing?

- Enough to force Cameron to take action

and to put you two out of business.

- Hey, you have been busy.

- Give me that!

- Get moving, Mattson, afoot.

The way you cover ground,

you don't need a horse
to get a petition signed.

- You heard him, b*at it!

[g*ns f*ring]

Maybe we should've finished him off.

- What for, cause too much of a ruckus.

By the time he gets
another petition signed,

that construction team will
be out of the territory.

[men whistling]

[dramatic music]

[knocking on door]

- Oh, hello, Mr. Cameron.

- Hiya, Ricky.

- [Sandy] Hello, Ben.

- Hello, Sandy.

- Would you like a cup of coffee?

- Don't mind if I do, black.

- Fine, Ricky, sit down, Ben.

- Thanks, Sandy, you
losing any stock lately?

- No, not that I know of, why?

- I'm missing some yearlings.

The strange part of it is the rustlers

are butchering them right on my own land.

[chuckles] Thanks, Rick.

You know, I found some bloodstains,

and some bones, and some hides buried.

- I'll bet ya those deer hunters

set another trapline over there.

- What makes you say that?

- Well, you see, Uncle Sandy,

they haven't been catching
much in the old ones,

'cause Rebel's been
smelling the traps out,

and I've been springing them.

- Well, that was wrong, Ricky.

- But isn't it wrong for those
men to catch baby animals,

and let them suffer till they're found?

- You know, Ben, Ricky might be right

about those deer hunters at that.

Maybe they have been taking
some of your young stock

and passing the meat of as venison.

- Why, they wouldn't dare!

But still, I'm missing those yearlings.

- If we could find the
trapline, we'd have proof.

- I'll ride back to your spread with you.

- Fine.

- Could Rebel and I come along?

- Sure, I don't see why not.

- I'll get Champ to catch up with ya.

[dramatic music]

[Jonah screaming]

[dramatic music]

- Help, help!

- Wagon tracks, Ricky, and they're fresh.

- Dodge and Bundy drive a wagon.

- Then we're on the right trail.

- Rebel, go back and find Uncle Sandy.

[dramatic music]

- Get me out of this.

- [chuckles] Well, can
you think of any reason

why we should help him, Bundy?

- [chuckles] Not while he's
fooling with our traps.

[men laughing]

[dramatic music]

[Rebel barking]

- What is it, Rebel?

Did you find something?

[Rebel barking]

[dramatic music]

[Jonah groaning]

- [Jonah] If you leave
me here, it'll be m*rder.

- [Bundy] We ain't responsible
if you've had an accident.

[men laughing]

- I've seen enough to be convinced.

You stay here.

[dramatic music]

Stop where you are!

You're under arrest for
setting traps on private land

and k*lling my stock.

- Well now, just a minute, Commissioner.

You've got to hear our side of the story.

- You're not only rustlers,

you're murderers prepared to let

that man stay there and die.

[fist thuds]

[dramatic music]

- [Ricky] Get in there, Champ!

[Champion whinnying]

[dramatic music]

[Champion whinnying]

That's enough, Champ!

[dramatic music]

- Good boy, Champ, keep an eye on him.

- Come on, Rebel.

Hold him, Rebel, go on.

- Please accept my apology,
Mr. Mattson, I was wrong.

- Are you all right, Jonah?

- Am I all right?

If it weren't for this thing,

I'd say I never felt better in my life.

Game Refuge, no hunting or
sh**ting under penalty of law.

- Well, Ben, it certainly
didn't take you long

once you made up your mind.

- Thank you, Commissioner.

- Well, until I saw you on that trap,

I didn't realize how cruel it was

to let anything suffer and die that way.

[whimsical orchestral music]

- There he goes!

You're gonna be safe now, bye!

♪ Champion, The Wonder Horse ♪

♪ Champion, The Wonder Horse ♪

♪ Like a streak of lightnin'
flashin' across 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 ♪