03x05 - The Fatal Step

[bunniefuu]

Tad boy.

You look like
you got troubles.

You got to call
this thing off.

I got to do nothing
of the kind.

Things have changed.
The regular guy took sick.

So?

So Jess Harper's taken his place
riding shotgun tomorrow.

I just found out.

You worried about him?

He gave me my job
on the stage line.

Been a good friend,
I don't want him hurt.

And I don't want to miss out
on that $20,000 in cash.

You're gonna have to
do it by yourself.

I can't do that, Tad boy,
and you know it.

Now it's gonna go
just like I planned.

No.

Now you put in that
saw-through pull pin,

stage crashes
and we split $20,000.

Wes--

Time has passed for you
to back out, Tad, way passed.

Morning, Tad.

Hello, Jess.

About ready to roll?

Yeah, I was just changing
one of the tug chains.

It looked worn.

When are you leaving
for St. Louis?

I'll be gone
before you get back.

Couple of weeks' time
you'll be an old married man.

Say, Jess...

Yeah?

About that money

you lent me
for my trip to St. Louis--

I told you to forget it.

That's my
wedding present to you.

I wish it could
have been more.

I guess we're ready to roll.
Here they come.

Hey, Jess, you take care.
You hear?

You bet.

Any trouble comes along,
I'll run the other way.

Yeah, you know
that's not what I mean.

Weather's been dry.

Trails are probably
rutted pretty bad.

Ain't nothing
to worry about

with old Mose
heading up the team.

Maybe so,
but you take care anyway.

Sure.

Well, just climb aboard, folks,
we'll be leaving shortly.

I'll be going.

Got to pack.

Good luck to you, Tad.

Lots of happiness
with your wife.

So long, Jess.

Well, a fine guard
you'd make without a g*n.

Thanks, Mose.

Are they all aboard?

All except you and me.

All right, you first.

If you don't hang together

there's no point
in me trying to drive it.

Yeah, I knew it,
I forgot something.

What's that, Mose?

In my pocket there,
that letter.

It's for Tad.

Postmark's blurred,
I can't read it.

Yeah, I was supposed
to give it to him. Ha!

It's a lucky thing that my head
is tacked on my shoulders

or I'd forget that, too.

It's from St. Louis.

That's a good trick.
How did you know?

Professional secret, Mose.

Well, it could
have been important.

Well, he'll know what's in it
in a few days.

He's going there to marry
the girl that wrote it.

Well, it's a good
straight road, Mose.

You think
you can drive this team?

Ha. [ whooping ]

[ continues whooping ]

Jump, Mose!

What could be easier?

They're not dead?

Well, if they ain't,
we will be,

if we don't
get out of here.

You all right, Mose?

No, I ain't all right.

My arm's busted.

I'm gonna check
on the other passengers.

Just take it easy, sir,
don't try to move.

Better look inside the coach,
mister.

They're hurt pretty bad.

Whoa.

Anybody k*lled?

Don't seem so.
Pretty banged up though.

I'll give you a hand.

Much obliged.

Could you take these people
back to the Sherman ranch?

It's a couple of miles
down the road.

Sure.
I'll fetch the doc, too.

He's just over at the Perkins
place delivering a baby.

Thanks,
we can sure use him.

You want me to take care
of the one in the coach?

Yeah, will you?

Where you going?

Going after those hard cases,
Mose.

You take care of
things around here.

You better let the doc
have a look at you first.

I don't want to chance
losing their trail.

Wind's coming up.

Slim, cloth.

Thanks, Mike.

Here's the water,
Miss Daisy.

Good boy, Mike.

Now will you tear up those
sheets the way I told you to?

Yes, ma'am.

Still unconscious?

Yes.

His father will be here soon.

I wish the doctor
would get here.

He'd be more help.

You didn't leave him
much to do.

You're next, Mose.

Dislocated.

You ready?

Ready as I'll ever be.

It's gonna hurt.

Stop talking, Slim.
Yank.

[ groans ]

[ chuckles ]

Didn't feel a thing.
It's just...

Mike, bring me
some of those strips.

Boy,
Mose sure is tough.

You think so, huh?

Sure do.

Going to sleep
at a time like this.

Where's my boy?

Billy?
Billy, are you all right?

Oh, don't touch him,
Mr. Burch.

Don't tell me what to do.

She's right, don't move him
until I get a look at him.

Oh.

Hi, Sherman.
What happened?

Stage was wrecked.

I know it was wrecked.
I want to know why and how.

We thought it more important
to take care of these people

before going into that.

If you'd taken better care
of the equipment

maybe this thing
wouldn't have happened.

It wasn't the fault
of the equipment.

Where's the driver?

I understand your friend
Harper was riding shotgun.

You understand right.

Driver is in there
unconscious.

It seems running this stage
is a little too much for you.

I can arrange
for a replacement if that's so.

Now, Mr. Burch, I know
you're concerned for your son,

but don't come in--

Now don't you don't me,
Sherman!

As superintendent of this line
I'll tell you what to do.

You'll lower your voice.

There are injured men here

and they're not
the least bit interested

in your acting
like a wild man.

Don't you--

You ease off.

All right then,
tell me what happened.

Stage was wrecked
and robbed.

Robbed?

I don't know how,
but I'll find out.

Well, ask the driver.
Ask your friend Harper.

Where is he?

He isn't here, he's out.

Thought as much.
Chances are he's part of it.

Man with a past like that,

I shouldn't have let him
work here in the first place.

And I wouldn't have
if you hadn't talked me into it.

Mr. Burch!

Listen, right now,
Jess is out after the ones

who took that money.

Probably already
split with them.

Take your hands
off me now!

Superintendent or not,
you listen to me.

Jess was hurt
in that wreck,

but he refused to come inside
and be helped.

He went out in the trail
instead before it got cold.

I've said what I think.

I'll change my opinion when
he comes back with the money.

Until then, I'm holding you
personally responsible.

Well, I sure picked the wrong
time to be out of town.

Sorry, Slim.

Yeah, I was thinking
the same thing.

It seems like everything
is naturally going against us.

Yeah, I know.
Did you find anything?

Yeah, a couple of tracks
heading north.

Jess' tracks following.

Well, that's something,

We'll play the devil
trying to follow him now.

We can make a good try.

It'll be dark before long.

But we can still try.

Slim, we don't even know
who we're looking for.

Yeah.

I was just thinking of Jess.

Oh, I heard what that
Burch said about him.

I sure hope I'm around
when he has to eat those words.

Well, what do we do now?

Well, I'll check
all the ranches on

up through
the Laramie basin,

see if anybody saw
any strangers

or anyone
clearing out in a hurry.

Why don't you head on
back to your place?

I'll let you know
if anything turns up.

I don't know.

Don't worry too much
about Jess.

He'll take care of himself,
all right.

But how do you know
he'll be all right, Slim?

I've known Jess
going on 3 years, Mike.

Never knew him
not to pull through.

I still think it'd be better
if he had some help.

Jess sure wouldn't like
to hear you say that.

Why, he'd think you didn't
have any trust in him.

Slim, it ain't that.

It isn't that, and I need
some help in the kitchen.

Oh, Miss Daisy, have I got
to peel more potatoes?

No!
Apples.

Unless you don't want
any apple pie for dessert.

Pie?

You're right, Slim,
Jess will be all right.

Thanks, Miss Daisy.

You heard what Mike said.
You believe it, too.

Is Mose awake yet?

I heard him stirring
in there a while ago.

Mose.

Come on in.

Whatever the doc gave me
sure put me under.

Feeling better?

Oh, some.

Look what I found
near the wreck.

Pull pin, huh?

Hey, that's been sawed,
almost clean through.

That's how it happened.

That means
it must have been somebody

that was working
for the stage line.

Any ideas who?

Of course not.

Every man knows that
he'd be questioned except...

Except who?

One that couldn't be questioned,
he quit this morning.

Young Tad Kimball.

He left for St. Louis
to get married.

Sure,
he told everybody.

He and Jess
are real good friends.

Jess got him the job
with the line.

Well, he wouldn't...

Say, Slim, maybe that letter
will tell us something.

Now Jess said it was
from Tad's girl in St. Louis.

Well, we've got
no proof still, Mose.

Well, it'd do no harm
if we was to read it.

[ opening letter ]

What's the matter?
Ain't he getting married?

Not in St. Louis.

His girlfriend lives
in Billings, Montana.

Montana?

Well, why for did he say
it was St. Louis then?

So he'd be riding north
through the Laramie basin,

into Casper,
then up to Sheridan

and then into Billings,
Montana.

Well, Wes,
we finally made it.

Yeah.

You wanted
to call it all off.

Two days, be on the trail
to Oregon.

And clean free,
Tad boy,

$10,000 each
and you with a new bride.

Still can't help
thinking about Jess.

Well, thinking will do
nothing for him now.

It's over.

Hey, you think the money's
all right in that old mine?

If it wasn't, do you think
I'd have hid it there?

Guess I'm a little edgy
being on the run.

Yeah, well, you're not
on the run anymore.

It's a wide open town, boy,
so relax and enjoy it.

Yeah.

Need for a hot bath and get
out of these dirty clothes.

You gonna see
if Francie still works inside?

Why not?

I haven't seen her
in a long time.

We've got a lot of
catching up to do.

Well, you want me check
on the wagon train to Oregon?

I'll do that.
Now don't fret, there's time.

Well, I'm gonna go
over to the post office,

pick up that letter
Mary says is gonna be there.

Yeah, you do that,
bridegroom.

I'll see you in here
about an hour or so.

Right.

Let's see.

I'm sorry, young fellow,
nothing here.

Well, you sure?

Yep.

She said she'd have
a letter waiting.

How's that?

Huh?
You been in Billings long?

Well, 20 odd years I'd say.

You know just about
everybody in town then.

Well, there aren't very
many people I don't know.

You ever heard
of the Andersons?

Sure.

He runs a little place
just outside of town.

Yeah, that's him.

I used to go to school
with their daughter Mary.

Oh, nice girl, Mary.

Oh, yeah.

She's down in Colorado.

She's what?

Yep.

Her pa found out that

she was planning to elope with
some no-good so he took her

to Colorado Springs
for the summer.

[ both grunting ]

[ both laughing ]

Oh, it's good
to have you back, Wes.

You know, I haven't had
a good laugh in a long time.

Well, that's one thing
we always had lots of, Francie.

Lots of laughs.

The least you could
have done was

brought me
a little surprise.

Oh, I got a surprise for you,
honey, but later.

Well, you're gonna buy me
the biggest steak in town.

And the best bottle of wine
we can find.

Now go on, get out of here,
let me take my bath.

It's my room
and listen to him talk.

Um, you want me to get rid
of these dirty things for you?

Yeah.

All except the boots,
just in case the new ones hurts.

I'll get them later.

See you downstairs.

[ sniffs ]

Jess Harper, he's outside.

So?

What can he prove?
He didn't see anything.

Who's Jess Harper?

You go on back to the hotel,
keep out of sight.

Is the law after you, Wes?

Go on, get.

Go the back way.

Nothing for him
to find here except you.

You stay here.

Look, Wes, I don't want to get
in the middle of anything.

Francie honey, now would
I get you in any trouble?

In a word, yes.

It's a long ride
from Laramie.

You talking to me,
mister?

I never saw the lady
in Laramie.

Meaning you did see me.

A little over 2 weeks ago.

Well, now, any reason
I should deny being there?

If you happen to be the man
I'm looking for there would.

And don't you know
who you're looking for?

Where's your partner?

I ride alone, mister.

I saw your horse outside.

I saw it with another one
on the trail north.

Not my horse, you didn't.

Like I said, I ride alone.

You're a liar.

I've ridden too far

and been shot at
too many times to be lied to.

I saw you in Laramie just before
our stage was robbed.

I trail the two that did it
and I find you here.

Now in my book
that adds up.

[ grunts ]

It's been a long,
quiet night, boys,

and I'd like to see it
stay that way.

Well, now
you're not gonna have

any trouble from me,
marshal.

How about you?
What's your problem?

I say this man and his partner
held up a Laramie stage,

took $20,000.

Well, now I come up
from Laramie

to join up with the wagon train
heading for Oregon.

I got exactly
$41 to my name.

You see him
rob the stage?

No,
I couldn't see his face.

But that don't mean
he ain't the one.

Got anybody who can back up
what you're saying?

No.

Well, in that case,
I don't reckon you got any cause

to accuse him or anybody
for that matter.

He's the one and I'm taking him
back to Laramie with me.

Twenty years now, son,
I've been the law around here.

That wouldn't be so
if I let anyone like you

back me down, now,
would it?

Nobody is trying
to back you down, marshal.

Well, that's good.

You make any trouble
and you'll dust a jail bunk

with the seat
of your britches.

You stay clear,
this thing's over.

Have yourself a drink.
Simmer down.

What happened?

Relax, nothing happened.

Well, did Jess see you?

Yeah, yeah, we had
a nice little talk.

You had a what?

Yeah, he's got
his hackles up, all right.

But if you stay out of sight,
well, we're safe enough.

I knew we couldn't
get away with it.

I knew it.

I'll remind you of that
when we get to Oregon.

Now
you just stay in here.

Harper will get tired
and move on.

Well, then you don't know
Jess very well.

He's gonna dog us and--

He doesn't know me.

I guess
you don't know me either.

Now I'm telling you
to forget about it.

He can't prove a thing.

I'm not gonna stand here
holding your hand.

Francie
is waiting for me.

Now lock the door.

I'll be back.

And quit worrying.

[ knock on door ]

MAN: Porter, sir,
turn your bed down?

Never mind.

I'll do it myself.

MAN: Goodnight, sir.

They paid in advance?

Of course.

For their kind
it's the only safe way.

It's kind of an expense
for them staying here.

There are cheaper places
they could have picked.

Well, did they have
any traveling bags with them?

Nothing but bedrolls.

No haversacks,
nothing like that?

Did they put anything
in the hotel safe, any package?

No.

[ footsteps approaching ]

Freeze.

Jess?

You.

Yeah, me and Wes.

Why?

You've been lying to me
right from the start.

There wasn't gonna be
a wedding,

there's not even a girl.

You set me up
for this whole thing.

No, no, Jess,
you got it all wrong.

There was a girl,
right here in Billings.

There was gonna be
a wedding.

But no more.

You're so right, no more.

Now wait a minute, Jess,
please.

Please listen.

There's a reason.

All my life when--

whenever I touched something,
it just turned to sand.

Now Mary was the best thing
that ever happened to me...

or almost happened to me.

But here, here folk said
I wasn't good enough for her.

And you set out to prove
they were right.

I set out to make enough
to get us a start

away from this town.

How?

By working.

I took everything
I made just to--

just to get by.

So you took
the easy way out.

Believe me, Jess,
it certainly wasn't easy.

That was the first time
in my life

I ever raised my hand
against another man.

And the second time was
when you took a shot at me.

You didn't stop your partner
from doing it.

Mary's pa took her away
someplace.

It ain't never
gonna be for us two.

The money, money don't mean
nothing to me now.

It means something to the folks
you stole it from.

I know.

If you take it back
to Laramie,

you don't need to take us, too,
do you?

Look, Jess, a deal.

I'll tell you
where the money is,

and you forget about
me and Wes, all right?

Four people were hurt
in that stage wreck.

One of them
was just a boy.

Just a boy, Tad!

Now I'll make you a deal.

Take me to where that money is
and I won't pull this trigger.

All right.
I'll take you.

[ knocks on door ]

My friend, how long ago
did he go out?

I haven't seen your friend
since he retired, sir.

Well,
he's not in his room.

May well be
if you say so,

but I haven't seen him
since he went upstairs.

You know,
I'm almost glad you found us.

Is that right?

I've been a lot of things,

but a thief,
I just wasn't cut out to be.

You'll have a hard time
convincing the jury of that.

You better watch those timbers,
they're all rotten.

Don't brush against them
when you go in.

Wes!

[ horses neighing ]

You hit bad?

You know, I said I was going out
at the end of a rope.

What you just did, Tad...

You reckon it'd carry
any weight with the jury?

Wes picked a bad partner
right from the start.

How far in
did you hide it?

It's over there.

Watch out
you don't touch these uprights.

It's stuffed down there
between those rocks.

It's all there,
all but $100.

Let's get out of here.

I'm afraid
it's not gonna be that easy.

You can put that g*n away,
marshal.

This man will back up
everything I said.

That's right, marshal.
I--

Toss that money over here.

Now wait a minute,
marshal.

I said throw it over here.

That's fine.

Now your g*n.

Uh-uh.
Left hand, nice and slow.

Now what?

Don't ask any questions.

Are you suddenly
jumping the fence, marshal,

or do you still think
I'm lying?

I hadn't planned it this way
when I followed you from town.

You think talking is gonna
change what you're doing?

Twenty years
I've worn this badge,

and near gone broke
doing it.

It ain't nailed
to your vest.

It's a habit, son.

You starting a new habit?

No need to.

This will keep me
for the rest of my life.

All of a sudden
I don't think I'm all that bad.

You figure you can
get away with this?

I found this one and his partner
and I'll find you.

I'm afraid not.

Things have gone too far
to change now.

Marshal Fletcher?

Yeah.

Been waiting to see you.

My name's Slim Sherman.

What can I do for you?

Looking for a friend of mine,
Jess Harper.

Jess Harper...

afraid I can't help you.

He was tracking two men
that robbed the Laramie stage.

Oh, him.

Eh, he likes to handle
things himself, doesn't he?

Well, then he was here?

Yeah, he got into a fight with
one of them down at the saloon.

I offered to help him,

but he was afraid
that if I made an arrest,

he wouldn't find the money.

Where is he now?

He's on his way back to Laramie
with the two of them

and the money.

He caught them?

Yeah.

It's funny
I didn't see him on the trail.

Well, there are
two or three trails

back into Wyoming territory
from here.

Yeah, I know.

Well, I'll be heading
back that way

as soon I get
something to eat.

Thanks, marshal.

Oh,
where is a good place to eat?

Saloon's as good as any.

Much obliged.

This digging ain't doing
my insides any good.

Rest a while then.

Do you think
it's any use, Jess?

More use than sitting back,
waiting to die.

Well, I've learned
to stay out of any fights

that happen around here.

That's a good policy,
sometimes.

Yeah,
they break up my place,

but they
don't break me up.

Doesn't look like my friend
caused much damage.

Oh, no, it was
mostly conversation.

Marshal Fletcher stopped it.
He was gonna
run your friend in.

I thought he offered
to help him.

He offered him a cell
in the jail house.

You know,
this isn't the first time that

Francie caused a fight
around here.

Ah, but she's worth it.

Now who's Francie?

She's the one
they were fighting about.

Suppose
I could talk to her?

Well, I don't see why not.

Room is upstairs,
second on the left.

Thanks.

You bet.

Well, the bartender said

he thought they were
fighting over you.

The only thing Wes Darrin
ever fought over was money.

And then, only if he had
the upper hand.

And Marshal Fletcher did
threaten to throw Jess in jail?

He warned your friend
not to make any trouble.

He said there was no proof
Wes robbed that stage.

What if I told you
he did?

I'd half believe it.

I guess I should have known

his story of hitting it
in mining was a lie.

But people like me,
we want to believe even a lie.

Where's Wes now?

He's left town
like all the other times,

left leaving me nothing
but a lie.

I take that back.

This time he left me
a sweat-stained shirt,

a pair of trail-dirty pants
and some clay-caked boots.

Have a good meal,
Sherman?

Fine, marshal,
just fine, thanks.

Well, I guess you'll be heading
back to Laramie, huh?

Yeah, I might be able to
catch up with Jess on the trail.

May be a good idea.
Might use some help.

It could be he might.

Thanks again, marshal.

Part of my job.

What can I do for you,
young fella?

Answer a question for me.

Couldn't be a register
or claim.

Mining's pretty slow
around here now.

Can you tell me where the red
clay on that boot comes from

just by looking at it?

Only one place in these parts.

And where is that?

Son, you won't find
nothing out there.

That area was
the first to peter out

more than 5 years ago.

They only dug one shaft.

Can you tell me where it is?

About an hour's ride
south of town,

close to a mile east
of the main trail,

right along the ridge.

The section...

Hey, you left your boot.

[ thud ]

Jess!

Jess, you in there?
Can you hear me?

Slim!

Slim, is that you?

Slim!

Slim.

How come you always
wind up in a hole somewhere?

Gotta do something
to make you look good.

You're a long way from out.

Slim, look out!

You all right, Slim?

Yeah, Jess, I'm fine.

Lucky thing you saw him.

Yeah.

There wouldn't have been any
second chance, not with him.

First time I've ever
shot at a badge in my life.

I hope it's the last.

But how long
did they keep you in jail?

Too long, Mike.

Just a couple of hours.
Seemed like days though.

You see, we had to convince
the folks in Billings

that we didn't
wound the marshal

just because
we didn't like him.

It took some doing,
believe me.

I don't think
we could have done it

without
Tad Kimball's help.

Yeah, that's right.

And he made a full confession.

The townspeople
believed him.

If they hadn't, they'd have had
quite a necktie party.

A necktie party?

You mean everybody
was gonna get all dressed up?

How come?

Not exactly, Mike.
You see, a necktie--

Uh, that is what you meant,
wasn't it?

You don't have any objection
to wearing a necktie, do you?

Oh, uh, no, Miss Daisy.

Fact is, I got one around here
someplace myself.

Uh, you see, Mike,
those folks up in Montana,

they dress up more than we do
down here in Wyoming.

Maybe they wanted
to celebrate

'cause you straightened
everything out.

I'm sure that's right.

Necktie party.

Where'd you ever pick up
a crazy expression like that?

From you. Where else?