01x03 - A Mouthful of Dust

[bunniefuu]

♪ Tan da-dan ta da ♪ ♪ By the lazy lagoon ♪

"By the lazy lagoon?" Are you crazy?

It doesn't even make sense.

It don't suppose to make sense.

- That's poetry-- - Oh, poetry. Ha-ha.

Hey..

Hey, where are we anyway?

Almost home, brother.

All along the range.

[sighing] Home.

Almost home.

What happened to that beautiful idea you have

about stoppin' someplace at midnight, huh?

Well, I got a thinkin' about that little bride of mine.

All alone in that drafty house.

Mm-hm-hm.

[both laughing]

[engine revving]

[dramatic music]

That's Carl Pike's wagon, isn't it?

Hey, Joe..

[music continues]

Not Indian.

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[grunting]

No. Joe, Joe..

Joey..

[grunting]

Joey, come on.

[grunting]

No..

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[theme music]

[male narrator] "The FBI."

[music continues]

A QM Production.

Starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

Also starring Philip Abbott.

Stephen Brooks.

Lynn Loring.

With guest stars Robert Blake.

Alejandro Rey.

R.G. Armstrong.

Tonight's episode

"A Mouthful Of Dust."

[instrumental music]

[clearing throat]

So, and so..

I'll tell you one thing, Lewis.

Both these specimens were written by the same man.

- Wagner? - 'No question.'

- How 'bout the paper? - Uh, American made.

Very familiar watermark.

But the, uh..

...letter was mailed from Brazil.

No question about that either.

Cancellation ink, everything checks out.

What's he wanted for?

Uh, unlawful fight to avoid prosecution, embezzlement.

I think you're gonna have a little trouble

getting him out of Brazil.

Yeah, if he's in Brazil.

Sends the letter to his brother, the brother turns it over to us.

[scoffs] Very cooperative.

Yeah, like, shining a flashlight

down a dark alley, isn't it, Vic?

That's where the eye goes

whether there's anything there or not.

[telephone ringing]

Quinlan.

Inspector Erskine? He's right here, right now.

San Lucas, New Mexico. The resident agent.

Erskine. Who's this?

Oh, Dennis. How are you?

Just fine, sir, fine.

Um, I have a little problem, inspector

and I, tell you the truth I'd appreciate your help.

sh**t.

Well..

...a man named Pike was k*lled

on the Apache reservation this morning.

Now, everything we found

points to a simple case of manslaughter.

Pike had a mile long arrest record of as*ault

peeping Tom the whole bit.

Anyway, he apparently tried to attack

an Indian woman in her own home.

He-he must've know the husband was away working in Albuquerque.

But the husband came back.

What kind of statement did the husband make?

That's my problem.

He won't say anything except that he has to talk to you.

- Why me? - Captain! Captain!

This is Cloud, Private Cloud.

Company C Korea!

- Did you hear that, sir? - Put him on.

Well, I told him. I said, "You can't disturb.."

What'd you say, sir?

Put him on. I know who he is.

Yes, sir.

He wants to talk to you.

Captain, this is Private Cloud.

- You remember me? - Sure, I remember, Cloud.

- How are you? - Fine.

What's happening out there?

Well, I like to explain to you.

These policemen have been trying to make me talk.

And I keep telling them

they don't have the right to do that.

Now-now listen, Cloud.

Special Agents aren't policemen.

They're-they're investigators.

All they wanna do is find out

what went on so they can give the facts

to the United States Attorney.

You think, captain, I-I have to tell them everything?

- That's right. - But I, I did tell everything.

The whole truth.

The time I was caught behind the lines, remember?

And they said I was a deserter!

Well, the charge was dropped, wasn't it?

Yeah, it was dropped.

But you remember why?

Because you argued with the judge

until you were blue in the face!

[sighing]

Listen, why don't we do this?

I have to make a speech in Denver on the 19th.

Suppose I see you on my way home?

Captain, if you say it's okay..

...it's okay.

I-I-I will see you around the 20th.

I'll be there.

Problems?

I hope not.

Oh, inspector..

...you were right about the material

in the folds of the Wagner letter.

A botanist confirms that it's bark.

Oh. Can he identify the tree?

Yes, sir. Lawson cypress.

Good. Good.

[instrumental music]

Who's Cloud, Lou? Friend?

Yeah, I, I knew him in the army.

A good man.

Well, thanks, Vic, send a copy of the report

over to Jim, will you?

I'll see ya later.

- 'Heavy day?' - Lunch with Barbara.

Why don't you join us? We'll be at the Sorrento.

Oh, sorry, can't. Take a raincheck though.

Oh, say, give that beautiful daughter of yours

a big kiss for me.

[instrumental music]

For crying out loud

i-isn't that the assistant director?

Um-hm.

[indistinct chatter]

- Hello, Barbara. - Hello, Mr. Ward.

- Hello there, Rhodes. - Good afternoon, sir.

Switchboard told me your father was here.

Oh, yes, he oughta be along any minute.

We've been expecting him.

- I'll bet you have. - Hi, daddy.

Hello, Lewis.

May I speak to you two for just a minute?

This won't take long.

We'll be right back.

I don't wanna pressure you, gentlemen

but will someone please tell me why Nicholas Wagner

is still a fugitive after seven months?

I just had a very stimulating talk with the director.

What, are we draggin' our feet here a little bit Lewis or what?

- If he's still in Brazil-- - He's not in Brazil.

He's somewhere along the California-Oregon border.

Probably around Eureka.

He may be working in a lumber camp.

What'd he do, send a telegram?

No, he sent a letter to Brazil.

And he had someone in Brazil

mail it to his brother in New York.

And we found find some minute wood particles in it.

Lawson cypress, Port Orford cedar.

Now, the only place it grows

is in North-Western California

and South-Western Oregon.

Nobody likes a show off, Lewis.

Rhodes, you fly to the coast this afternoon.

Yes, sir.

And I want you here to coordinate this.

Yeah. But, Art, I'm, I'm, uh, scheduled

to make a speech in Denver tomorrow night.

Well, cancel it.

Let the SAC handle it.

- Yeah, but you see-- - What's more important?

Delivering a speech or picking up Nick Wagner?

[instrumental music]

- Another redskin bit the dust. - Huh?

Nothing.

[instrumental music]

I'm not arguing with you, counselor

I'm just asking you to make a statement.

Alright, Crowley. I will speed it up.

About time you got here.

Where have you been?

Mr. Cloud, you aren't my only client.

I'm the only client you've got

that matters to me, mister!

Where did you find him?

He was in the county courthouse.

Now, just steady down, Joe.

Hey, mister.

Come on.

Alright, Mr. Cloud.

What's on your mind?

What do you think's on my mind?

I tell you to get me out of here.

And instead they're sending me to Santa Fe!

Mr. Cloud..

...don't you listen to anything I say, huh?

You're a federal prisoner.

That means you've got to be tried by a federal judge.

'Now, the federal judge is in Santa Fe.'

Tried for what?

I didn't do anything!

Don't you listen to anything I say?

Cloud!

You k*lled a man.

Now, you already said that.

A man? Pike?

[scoffs]

I wrung a chicken's neck.

Man.

How is Annie?

She's fine, Joe.

They're gonna bring her home from the hospital tomorrow.

She's has her ribs taped, okay.

Okay, let's go.

Hold it..

Wh-why don't you write a petition or something?

Tell them I, I take back everything I said.

Maybe I said too much.

I, I want to wait for, Mr. Erskine.

He'll know what to do. He's my friend.

He will talk to them.

[instrumental music]

What's wrong?

You listen to me, Joe.

Mr. Erskine called.

He's not coming.

- You are kidding. - 'No.'

Oh, wow.

He, he's a busy man or somethin', huh?

[sighing]

Isn't it true..

...everybody's busy.

[instrumental music]

- This our boy, sheriff? - Yeah.

Sign both these copies, will you, Gene?

TV said it'd be 104 by noon.

We're liable to have a sandstorm the way it looks.

Yeah, crazy weather, ain't it?

Like something wild got loose.

- Well, thank you, marshal. - Hey.

Will you loosen it for me?

It's gotta be a long ride.

- The double lock goes next. - Yeah, I know, I know.

[instrumental music]

'Halt!'

Halt! Halt!

'Halt!'

Run, Joe!

Run, run!

[car honking]

Get out!

[tires screeching]

[g*nshots]

[instrumental music]

You mean there's no trace of him?

What about the car?

We found that this morning

in a canyon 60 miles west of town.

Is he armed?

Well, just with that cuff.

Well, that brings up another problem.

The marshal he hit's in a pretty bad way.

Fractured skull.

The people around here are getting scared.

And they're mad.

We may get a little vigilante activity.

Alright, if there's a flight over

I'll be there tonight.

- Lewis? - That Indian I told you about.

- Well, I gathered that-- - One..

[telephone buzzing]

Could it wait, Thelma?

One Indian, unarmed..

He's the fox and the hounds are after him.

Lewis.

The director gives you a good deal of autonomy

because you deliver and because he trusts you.

Now, you've got more important things

on your docket then..

Then what?

The man has got some rights, Art.

And among them is the right to be brought to trial alive!

Let Dennison handle it.

Where do we stand if he's lynched?

Let Dennison handle it.

I want Nick Wagner

and I want you on this case

until it's completed.

Thelma, get me Mr. Rhodes in Eureka.

Well, that's why I rang you, sir.

Mr. Rhodes called.

Uh, he wanted you to know they've captured Wagner.

He said to tell you that Wagner was

right where you said he'd be.

Maybe you'd better get Rhodes anyway, Thelma.

Yes, sir.

And I suppose you'll want him to meet you

in San Lucas?

[instrumental music]

You know, you're a good man, Art.

I'll, um, I'll try to remember you in my prayers.

You say that but you never do it.

Good luck, Lou. Heh-heh.

[instrumental music]

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[c*ck crowing]

[sheep bleating]

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[sheep bleating]

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[hens clucking]

[sheep bleating]

[hens clucking]

[sheep bleating]

[hens clucking]

[sheep bleating]

[horse neighing]

[music continues]

[horse neighing]

Don't make a sound.

- Anybody in the house? - Just me.

- Any food? - In the newspaper.

[grunting]

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[engine revving]

Oh, by the way, uh..

...Crowley has given us a search party.

Men who really know this country.

Is that the sheriff Cloud got away from?

First prisoner he ever lost.

Crowley's a good man.

Fine man.

But he's gonna bring Cloud back

if he has to bring him back slung over a horse.

It's a point of honor now.

[engine revving]

Inspector Erskine, I'm Crowley.

Sheriff. This is my partner, Jim Rhodes.

How do you do, sir?

Well, we got a couple extra horses.

You can pick whichever one you want.

No highways back where we're goin'.

You mean, you have a pretty good idea where Cloud is, do you?

I've got a couple of ideas.

- We'll take him. - Um-hm.

Alive, of course.

Mr. Erskine, can I ask you a question?

How come the FBI decided

to send their chief investigator on a case this small?

Well, sheriff, I might say that the FBI doesn't

consider it a small case.

Also, I have to tell you that

Cloud happens to be a friend of mine.

- Oh.. - I knew him in Korea.

He was a good soldier.

Good k*ller, sir?

He k*lled because he was ordered to.

Not because he wanted to.

There's a difference, sheriff.

Nobody ordered him to hit that marshal over the head.

The man's liable to die.

And if he dies, Cloud ought to be brought

to trial for m*rder alive.

Oughtn't he, sheriff?

Yes, sir. No doubt about that.

Well, shall we get started?

Do we have a minute? I'd, uh..

...like to talk to his brother.

I don't think Pete'll see ya.

He's getting ready to burn the house.

- To do what? - It's an Apache custom.

If someone dies in your Hogan you burn it down.

- Can we go in? - Yes, sir.

[instrumental music]

[door creaking]

[singing in foreign language]

Mr. Cloud?

This is Inspector Erskine and Special Agent Rhodes.

You finally made it, huh?

What did you bother for?

Don't you know that sometimes it's better

never than late, Mr. Erskine.

Well, I tried to get here sooner.

Look at that!

That's Joe's wife.

I bet you never saw an Indian woman cry before, did you?

It's funny.

Carl Pike half k*lled her

but she didn't cry.

They must have hurt her bad in the hospital

but she didn't cry.

They put her husband in the jailhouse

for trying to save her life but she didn't cry.

But let the medicine man burn down

this lousy, miserable hole of a house

and she comes apart.

Well, she's young yet.

She will get over it.

She will find another man

and have too many children

and most of them will die.

She'll move to another house and another one, another one.

It's just that this was the first house.

Her honeymoon palace.

You know where Joe is, Mr. Cloud?

You want me to flush him out for you?

Mister, if they cut your wrists

gall would flow out, not blood.

He's my brother.

I'm not gonna help you k*ll him.

I want you to help me save him.

Okay, maybe I could whistle him out of

whatever cave he's hiding in.

But there's one thing I couldn't do, mister.

And that's watch those men out there

k*ll my brother

when he reached out to take my hand.

If you whistle him out

I give you my word of honor he won't be shot.

Alright, now, you tell me.

What is a white man's word of honor supposed to mean

to an Apache?

Pete, please help them.

Annie, go back to grandma's house and stay there.

You don't wanna see this place burn down.

Mrs. Cloud.

By tomorrow, there may be a lot of the wrong people

looking for your husband.

We've got to get there first.

Annie, you can't trust this man

any more than we can trust the others.

Pete, please.

Go to grandma's house.

For Joe?

Go on. Go on.

- 'Will you?' - Yes, alright, go.

Alright, well, um..

I'll need a helicopter to spot for us.

- Check it out. - Yes, sir.

I'll get the walkie-talkies.

[indistinct singing]

Mr. Erskine.

If this is just another white man's treaty to be broken..

...you remember..

Joe is my brother.

[indistinct singing]

Inspector, I just got a call from town.

Joe Cloud beat and robbed a shepherd

south of the reservation.

He stole a knife, a g*n, and a horse.

He's armed and headed this way.

I told my men to sh**t to k*ll.

'Okay, mount up!'

[instrumental music]

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[instrumental music]

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[helicopter whirring]

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[horses trotting]

Hold it!

Well..

No water.

Has he been this way?

No.

That's fine. Just fine.

Do you know what we're after, Apache?

'We're chasing Joe Cloud, not a wild goose.'

I know better than you what we're chasing.

If you don't like where I'm leading you

why don't you follow somebody else?

Sheriff, why don't we take a break?

'It's been a long day, we're all tired and..'

[scoffs] My eastern spine wasn't built for a horse anyway.

Dismount! Five minutes.

[instrumental music]

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He thinks I'm after his brother because he's got a red skin.

'Do you think that?'

No.

I'm a lawman here, Mr. Erskine.

It's not an easy job.

Man learns to use a g*n before he leaves grammar school.

'He gets a big jump on the law and the first thing you know'

he's his own law.

I'll quit before I see that happen.

Whether he's red, white, black, green, or purple.

Now, I know what they mean by the hinges of hell.

Yeah, and it'll get hotter before it gets cooler.

It'll be like a wind blowin' off a hot furnace.

Ain't no wet spring, creek

or waterhole within a 100 miles.

That's what's gonna beat Joe Cloud.

No matter where he is.

You don't think he's around here then?

His brother's leadin' us, inspector.

No, I don't think he's around here.

[dramatic music]

[music continues]

Joe's?

Hm.

His horse is going slow.

Almost done.

My brother is not far from here.

You make a good tracker, Pete.

Yeah, it's like bein' a good hangman.

Look, you're doing the best thing

you could for your brother.

I don't know.

You find him, and we bring him in safe.

Now, you heard the promise.

It's funny.

You keep wanting to trust people..

...no matter what they do you wanna trust them.

- 'You can trust Erskine.' - Why?

- He's here. - I ask the same question, why?

This is not a w*r. It's one Indian alone in the desert.

[helicopter whirring]

[instrumental music]

Unit 2 to ground.

- I've spotted him. - Where are you?

[male #1] 'Straight north from your present location.'

'There's an arroyo on the left about two miles.'

'He's headed right into it.'

We've spotted him boys. Mount up!

[instrumental music]

[horses trotting]

[helicopter whirring]

[g*nshots]

[grunting]

[music continues]

[helicopter whirring]

[helicopter whirring]

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We're headin' to the wash. We got him trapped.

[music continues]

[helicopter whirring]

Crowley. Crowley!

You don't need that g*n.

He's not goin' anywhere.

All you have to do is take him.

You boys stay here and fan out along the wash

in case he doubles back.

He won't sh**t.

[instrumental music]

[helicopter whirring]

[music continues]

[helicopter whirring]

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[helicopter whirring]

Joe.

[breathing heavily]

Aah!

[dramatic music]

[music continues]

[helicopter whirring]

Huh. Now, there's a man.

Where's he headed for?

Hatchet Creek.

It's probably dry too.

We'll go around the bird will keep him in sight.

- Coming? - No.

It's over now, Mr. Erskine.

The sheriff said it, he's a man.

He won't quit now.

He will go on fighting like a man

and he will die like a man without me

to call him back.

- Pete. - No!

I won't do it now even if I could.

You go to him.

You find the words.

You tell him.

[music continues]

[helicopter whirring]

[helicopter whirring]

Ah.

[helicopter whirring]

[panting]

[helicopter whirring]

[helicopter whirring]

Put that thing down in the wash over there.

Quick.

[helicopter whirring]

I'll help you bring him up.

Wait.

Cloud. Give me one minute!

[panting]

Wait..

[instrumental music]

Well, Cloud..

...you suppose the..

...only time we're gonna get together

is when there's a w*r on?

This one is rougher than Korea.

Private Cloud against the world, right?

I'll tell you something

nobody's got it made.

Everybody fights.

You, your wife

Crowley, your brother, me.

It's just that..

...each person..

...fights i-in a little different terrain.

Joe..

...you've lost a skirmish.

But as long as a man fights..

...he can't lose the w*r.

Can he?

I'm not here to spin you fairy tales.

You're gonna go to prison.

'But it won't be as rough as what you've come through.'

And it won't last forever.

You'll have a wife to come back to.

And a, a new house to build.

So, don't quit now, Joe.

'Don't finish this on your stomach in the dust.'

Now, give me the knife.

[music continues]

We'll get you back to town.

I imagine you wanna clean up before Annie sees you.

[chuckles] You look terrible.

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[instrumental music]

And what did he say when he heard the sentence?

Nothing. He knew it was fair.

He could've got life if either of the men he hit had died.

Well, I got an appointment with the director.

See you back at the office, Jim.

Alright.

- Bye, sweetheart. - Bye-bye, daddy.

He's quite a man.

Yes, yes, he is.

I meant Joe Cloud.

Yeah..

...he's quite a man too.

[theme music]

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