02x25 - Apache Silver

[bunniefuu]

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

♪ He was a bold adventurin' man ♪

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

♪ Battled for right with a powerful hand ♪

♪ His blade was tempered and so was he ♪

♪ Indestructible steel was he

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

♪ He was a fighter

♪ A fearless and mighty adventurin' man ♪

- [Narrator] It so happened that in the summer of 1828

when Jim Bowie came back to San Antonio

from a business trip to Soltillo

the Lipan Apaches were in town

on their semi-annual trading visit.

[pleasant vocal music]

[speaking in foreign language]

- Sombrero.

- No, I need my hat.

[Jim laughs]

- Pistola.

- My pistola?

All right, you got yourself a deal.

- Pan?

Pan?

[birds chirping]

- Where did you get these? [girl whimpers]

Tell me quick, where did you get these, tell me!

- I don't know! - Where did they come from?

You must know, where are they from?

- Hold on, hold on here.

That's no way to treat a little girl.

Muchachita, these friends of yours?

- They frighten me, senor!

- Oh they do, do they?

Well boys, you better move along.

Go on now, go on.

- Big Knife.

Excuse our, Big Knife.

- Yeah.

Well, what's all this about?

What's your name, huh?

- Maria.

- Maria, mine's Jim.

Whatcha doing, Indian trader?

- Si senor, I trade bread.

- Bread?

Oh, yeah.

Mm, smells fresh.

- It was baked only this morning, senor.

- It was huh?

How much?

- One centado, senor.

- One centado, that's nowhere near enough

for a loaf of bread.

How about one peso?

- Gracias!

Here senor. - Oh gracias Maria.

- Maria!

Maria, the Apaches, they have seen these?

- Si, but they did not buy any.

- We must go, hurry!

- No Tomas, I want to play!

Tomas, my bread!

- Hey muchacho, what are you doing here huh?

- Keep away, hombre.

This is with my sister and myself, not with you!

[Maria crying] - Tomas!

[pleasant vocal music]

- Ah Jimmy, amigo!

[pleasant vocal music]

I have been anxious for news of you, senor.

- Well the news is good, Don Juan.

You busy right now?

- No, come I will introduce you.

Chief Xolic, I would like to present

my good friend, Senor Bowie.

- How. - How.

Xolic savvy, Big Knife.

- Me savvy too, Chief Xolic great hunter of Comanche.

- Aye, aye bueno.

k*ll many Comanche.

- The chief and I have been exchanging gifts.

Twice a year he brings to me a silver ingot

and I in return give him a horse.

It is a custom left over from the time when I was alcalde.

The amusing part of the arrangement

is that each of us thinks the other made the better bargain.

- Now that's very funny.

I have one just like that.

Only mine's made of adobe.

You see, they're identical.

The same letters, exactly the same, SS.

Must have been cast in the same mold.

Oh, impossible.

- Where get him, Big Knife?

- From a little girl on the sidewalk.

She was playing shop--

- Oh, just a clever copy Chief Xolic, nothing more.

Now if you will excuse me, matters of business you know?

- A pleasure, Chief Xolic.

Well sir, what was all that about?

- Forget it.

How went matters at Soltillo?

- Look, I come along with a piece of adobe

shaped like a Spanish ingot.

You and Chief Xolic look like you've seen a ghost,

and you ask me to forget it.

- Our friends the Lipan Apaches

act as a buffer between us

and the savage Comanches to the northwest.

I worked hard to establish

this friendship when I was alcalde,

and I am still prepared to sacrifice anything

to maintain that peace, even you my friend.

Is that clear?

- Mm, no sir it's not very clear.

But I guess I'll have to take your word for it.

- Now, tell me.

How go things at Soltillo?

What is the good news?

- Everything went as expected.

The machinery for the textile mill

is on its way from Boston.

It should be here in a few days.

In the meantime, there's nothing left for me to do.

- Oh then I suggest you use the time in acquiring land.

Soon you will be a citizen,

and someday you will marry and establish a home.

- Oh I don't know about that, sir.

I doubt very much that there's a woman

who will want to marry me.

And I never stay put long enough to find out.

Oh, speaking of women.

Got a few little things here.

I thought your wife and daughters might be amused by them.

I'd like to pay my respects before I go on back to the inn.

- Oh I'm sorry, they have already gone

to our summer home at Monclova.

- Oh, that's a pity.

I'll miss 'em.

- I miss them too.

Would you join me for dinner?

- Well I was hoping you'd ask me.

- I shall expect you then at 9:30.

- All right, I'll be here.

- Senor Bowie.

It is important you come with me, at once.

- Well I have a dinner engagement, senora,

which is also kind of important.

- This morning, you bought a loaf of bread made from adobe.

- That's right.

- Did you note its shape?

- Yes I did.

- It was not shaped by hand.

It was molded in this.

[pleasant vocal music]

Will you come with me now, senor?

- All right.

[knocking]

[speaks foreign language]

- It is Mama, Tomas.

Open.

[speaks foreign language]

- I am Tomas Gonzalez.

[speaks foreign language]

- Here Tomas, do not keep the old one waiting.

- This way, senor. - Huh?

- Say a rosary, Mama.

It will help.

- I will.

- Senor Bowie, my grandfather Don Ramon Gonzalez.

- Senor.

- The door, Tomas.

This is not for the ears of women.

Be seated, senor.

- Oh thank you.

I hope you'll make this brief, sir.

I have an important engagement with Don Juan de Veramendi.

- That friendship happens to be

one of the reasons you're here, senor Bowie.

The other happens to be your heroic reputation.

- Huh?

- You are said to be much man,

a proven bravo of many fights.

Is this true?

- Look sir, I didn't come here to answer personal questions.

If you'll excuse me--

- Stay where you are.

Beneath my hand lies the key

to the greatest fortune in Mexico,

perhaps in all the world.

The lost treasure of the San Saba.

Does that mean anything to you?

- Well I've heard about it, I mean the legend.

- Legend?

This is reality.

SS, San Saba.

Silver ingots cast from such a mold,

stacked in quantities this room could never contain

and the vein, two veras wide.

How deep, there is no telling.

- You've seen this?

- With these eyes, senor.

Less than a year ago, myself and my son,

the father of that boy.

- The Lipan Apache k*lled my father--

- Silence.

I myself carry the head of an arrow here,

crawling toward my heart.

My death is near.

Through the innocent play of a child,

the Apaches have found me out.

They will soon be here to k*ll me,

and to take the map.

- Well if things are as serious as you say they are,

maybe you ought to have the protection of the authorities.

- And be questioned about this map?

See my family cheated out of this treasure?

No, senor.

Far better the Apaches k*ll me, than keep their treasure.

- Are you offering me a share in this enterprise?

- Half, senor.

An equal share with the family of my son.

- You mean, you trust me?

- You will do this thing?

- Maybe. - Oh no senor, please god.

No more Apache.

- Out of here, woman. - Mama please.

- Give it to me!

I must take it back.

It will k*ll you, like it k*lled my husband!

- Out of here woman. - Do not touch it!

- Wait a minute.

Senora, calm yourself.

What is it you want to tell me?

Yes?

- No.

It is too late.

I see it there, behind your eyes,

crawling around.

- Go away, senor.

Forget what you've heard here tonight.

I've done you a great wrong.

I ask you forgiveness.

- You told me too much already.

Now what else is there about this map that I ought to know?

- She worked in the archives of the government at Soltillo.

It was she who discovered the dusty old map,

lost in the files, unknown even to the officials.

I threatened to break up her engagement to my son

unless she stole it for me.

It is like the cucaracha that creeps into your ear,

and crawls into your brain,

and crawls around and round and never lets you rest.

Suddenly you feel you want to tear off

the top of your skull with your fingers,

and dig him out, you cannot.

That is how it has been with me, senor,

and how I must not let it be with you.

- I'm not superstitious, old one.

What has been your misfortune,

may very well turn out to be my good fortune.

I would like to make the search.

- Swear, Senor Bowie.

Swear on the skull of my beloved son that you will search,

that you will share equally

with the wife of my son and her children.

Swear, senor.

- I so swear.

- It is done.

[pleasant vocal music]

Go now.

I am tired.

[pleasant vocal music]

- [Jim] Just this side of the Rio San Saba.

I can make it in about a week.

- 10 days. - All right then, 10 days.

Anyway I'll be back in about three weeks from the outside.

Meantime, you can have everything organized here.

But remember, the fewer the better.

The less people we'll have to share with.

Something wrong, senor?

- There's a great deal wrong, my son.

- Do you doubt the map?

- I only pray for the courage to resist

this enormous temptation.

- All right, I'll go alone.

The Mexicans will take no risk,

the Apaches will blame only me--

- There will be no search.

I will not permit it.

- Look sir, I gave my word.

I made a vow to Gonzalez.

- This is no longer Spanish treasure,

nor is it government treasure,

nor Gonzalez, nor yours, nor mine.

Ownership has passed to the Lipan Apaches.

It is theirs.

I will not take the responsibility

for the hostilities that surely will follow.

Am I understood?

- Forgive me, your excellency.

Thieves have m*rder*d an elderly man in Calle Vieta.

His name was Ramon Gonzalez.

[somber vocal music]

- A few bruises, that's all.

Not enough to have k*lled him.

- Perhaps his heart, he was old and wounded.

[speaks foreign language]

- You have it with you, senor?

- No senora.

- Their abuelo was m*rder*d because of it.

You will be m*rder*d too.

Return it to the alcalde.

He will return it to the archives.

Give it to Tomas, he will take it to him.

- Where is Tomas?

[speaks foreign language]

- He, he went for help.

Did he not come back?

Oh Tomas.

Tomas! - No no no, wait.

- But they have him, senor.

They will k*ll him too.

- [Maria] Tomas, Tomas!

- Don't worry about Tomas, we'll find him.

[dramatic vocal music]

Xolic.

If you move, you die.

- Xolic die?

Boy die.

- Boy, you mean Tomas, you have him?

- Si.

- Where, your camp?

- Xolic take Big Knife, show him boy.

My knife.

- You take me to the boy first.

- You one good fighter, Big Knife.

You like me.

- Let's go Xolic, which way?

[somber vocal music]

- Now, come see boy.

[speaks foreign language]

- [Tomas] Leave me alone!

Leave me alone!

[dramatic vocal music]

[speaks foreign language]

- All right.

How about you boy?

- I did not tell them what they want to know, senor.

- What do they wanna know?

- Old man have map, show way to Lipan silver.

Lipan Apaches look for old man long time.

- The medicine man, he k*lled my grandfather, Senor Bowie.

- No, Three Hands not k*ll old man.

Heart stop, but old man not have map.

Old man make talk with Big Knife.

Big Knife have map.

- It is a secret senor, do not tell them!

- Map Big Knife?

Boy live.

No map, boy die.

- Say nothing senor, nothing!

- I've given the map to

Don Juan de Veramendi, Xolic's friend.

- You would betray us, senor?

- Look boy, I'm not gonna bargain with your life.

Xolic, take me to Don Juan.

He will see that I speak the truth.

[somber vocal music]

- This is the property of the government, Xolic.

The Chief Xamenco.

- Lipan Apache no more come trade,

or make peace with Comanche.

Make w*r on white people.

- You would turn against us because of this?

- Si.

- No!

You have burned the map, Apache.

But it is here in our heads and you cannot burn that away.

- Map in head like picture in water

when wind comes up.

Xolic go in peace now.

Come back six moons, make more trade.

- Go in peace, Xolic. - Senor.

Big Knife come ride with Xolic someday,

hunt buffalo, k*ll many Comanche yes?

- Maybe.

- Remember the words of the abuelo, Senor Bowie.

About the cucaracha.

- I'll remember.

- [Mama] My boy!

[speaks foreign language]

- Do not cry, Mama.

There is nothing more to fear, come.

- Give me some paper.

I want to write this map down while I still remember it.

See, Rio de la Saba.



Arroyo de la Plata, 18 miles north.

No, no wait a minute it was eight miles north.

Yeah.

- It is no use, my son.

Map in head is like picture in water when wind come up.

- No no, I think I can get it.

See eight miles north from the Arroyo de la Plata...

- That's how it started, Jim Bowie's search

for the lost San Saba mine.

It's somewhere about here,

between the Rio San Saba and the Rio Llano.

Go ahead, look for it.

Thousands have, thousands will.

Word of caution though, don't forget the old Spanish saying

about the cucaracha.

Treasure hunting is like an insect.

It creeps in your ear, gnaws into your brain,

and crawls around and around and it drives you mad.

So, if you decide to go search for it as Jim Bowie did,

don't say I didn't warn you.

♪ Jim Bowie Jim Bowie

♪ He was a fighter a fearless and mighty adventurin' man ♪