San Antonio

Before 1877, southwest Texas was pouring cattle northward...

...over the newly opened Chisholm Trail.

The Texans of the open range could see wealth and power just ahead.

But this is the year of the great breakup.

The outlaws of the wide open West have learned how easy it is...

...to raid the lonely herds.

In this country, where the ranch houses are 20 miles apart...

...the thieves hit hard and often, stampeding the wild cattle.

Rustlers gather from the length of the frontier for the easy kill...

...and the range is without defense.

Night after night, they drive the cattle off by hundreds that mount into thousands.

And the vast herds are melting away, ruining the men who built Texas.

The outnumbered ranchers have fought back...

...but the savage range war has smashed their leaders...

...and driven them into exile across the Mexican line.

Only a few men like Charlie Bell of San Antonio...

...still keep the banished fighters posted...

...hoping against hope that the great days can be brought back.

Maybe a peace officer.

- I'm Charlie Bell of San Antonio. - You have pass?

The border is closed, seor. Is new order.

Look here, you people.

I can go and wade the river a mile below here without any trouble.

But I don't mean to do anything of the kind.

If you try to cross, there is nothing what we can do but try to stop you.

It is not our fault if your law breaks down so your best men come live with us.

We will have peace in Mexico, even if every day we must fight.

Clay Hardin is in Nuevo Laredo and I mean to see him.

Other men have come after him before. It only means more fight.

I know all that, but I'm Clay Hardin's best friend.

Then you know he is going back to Texas. You can see him then.

If you wanna save his life, you'd better let me see him now.

- Go on in. Thanks.

He is gone. He's not here.

We never heard of him. That horse is the horse of my husband.

Help! Help!

Juan, Jose, Rita, Rosita!

We're attacked. We're stricken.

A bad stranger is upon us.

Looking for someone?

I ought to take that thing and bend it over your head.

Ha, ha. You look like the time you sat on the cactus. How are you?

Ha, ha. What's the matter with these people?

You could've saved yourself a long ride. I wrote you I was coming home.

I guess you wrote other people. Everybody knows you're gonna make a try at it.

They do? Well, why burn up horseflesh coming all this way down here to tell me?

Clay, I rode to tell you not to come. At least not now.

I love you

You're not ready to ride, Clay.

I never see a man shot up so bad as you was.

Be mine

Yahoo!

You think that's why I stayed in Mexico, huh?

Oh, don't go back, Clay. It ain't worth it.

All southwest Texas is busted.

San Antonio is just gonna be another dog town all falling down.

You're sweeter than any wine

That's just why I'm going back.

Now, you listen to me, Clay.

We've counted more than 5000 wanted outlaws loose in Texas.

They got a chain of stock thieves all along the border.

Them fellows can run a herd into Mexico every night.

Mexico can't help it, Charlie.

Us neither. Look at the way we fought them.

You tied into them harder than anybody else. And what did it get us?

Your ranch burned out, your cows run off and yourself all shot to pieces.

Everybody knows who I blame for all that.

Clay, don't you see that's why you'll never get back to San Antonio?

You think Roy Stuart don't know you're after him?

I left Texas to find out something.

I found it. If Roy Stuart thinks I'm coming after him now, he's right.

He's right about something else too.

The only way you'll get to San Antonio alive is to stay away.

- Can you get a bet on that? - Anywhere in Texas.

The gamblers are making book in the streets.

Laredo's practically put up a grandstand and sold seats...

...to see you shot as you cross the line. - Yeah?

Well, cover every cent you can get.

I'll pay it.

Don't run away, honey.

We won't look. Ha. Will we?

Now, listen, things got so bad up there, the governor asked for military aid.

Colonel Johnson's cavalry is policing San Antonio.

And the colonel himself swears he'll outlaw you the day you come back.

Yeah? Charlie?

Roy Stuart has gotta be convicted and hung.

You'll never get him that way, Clay.

I've got him now.

What do you think I've been doing down in Mexico?

We were whipped before because we lacked proof. We don't lack it now.

- Does Stuart know? - Of course he does.

All the more reason it's sure death to cross over.

What do you want me to do? Send somebody else?

All right, Clay. What's the next move?

Cross over into Laredo.

Get me seat on the San Antonio stage.

- In whose name? - In my own name.

- What? - Sure.

Onyx. He looks good.

How come you haven't lost him in a poker game by now?

Because I don't gamble the way you do.

Oh.

- Hi, boys. - Hi, Charlie.

He wouldn't be here if Clay Hardin didn't aim to go through.

There'll be a fight if he tries to.

- You gonna put into it? - Not me. But there's plenty as will.

Three-to-one, gents, 3-to-1 Clay Hardin never sets foot in San Antonio.

Place your bets with Honest Jay Witherspoon.

Never run out on a bet yet.

Or at least, with two exceptions, it was never proved.

- Three-to-one Clay never makes it. - Why should Clay come back?

His cattle is scattered from Stinkwater to breakfast.

- Half his friends is dead, other is foolish. - It's worse than you say.

But here's 100 that says he will be back.

Another 100 says it will be the best thing that happened to Texas.

Thank you, Mr. Streeter, I can use this. Any more bets?

Three-to-one. Three-to-one.

Ain't that Lafe McWilliams? Had all them gunfights in San Antone?

Sure is, brother.

Five-to-one. Make it 8-to-1.

Clay Hardin never makes San Antonio.

Get your money here, boys. It's 8-to-1 here.

I got the signal. Clay Hardin has left Nuevo.

- He may be over the Texas line by now. - Well?

They lost him, he just disappeared. We should've rode the river like the others.

Clay can't ride the brush 150 miles.

- There must be lead in him yet. - That's right.

Even if he tried it, the lookouts would get him easy.

They can see a rider 20 miles as he comes through.

The Monterey coach is coming up. Do you suppose he'd be fool enough...?

No.

Wait. That ain't the Monterey coach.

That's old Jaime Rosas driving. That's a charter coach from below.

How do you do? How do you do?

- Oh, sit down. Ha-ha-ha!

I don't sit down. Don't argue with me.

- Always the opposite. - Oh.

One side. One side or a horn knocked off. Scatter, you slickers.

No, no, no, go leave, please. She don't see somebody now.

Nobody is talking to her without they don't see her first.

Now, wait a minute, my fat-headed friend.

Don't you ever take off your hat?

Of course not. He needs it to shade his eyes.

Go keep an eye on Charlie Bell.

Real desperate character you got there riding with the driver.

That's my desperate manager.

See, I'm looking for a gentleman.

We haven't seen one in a year.

I'm sorry, ladies. This is for your own protection.

Clay Hardin's on the loose, and he's a dangerous outlaw.

He's liable to smuggle himself through here.

Do you want to look under the pillows?

- Here. - Hold on, will you?

No, no, no, inside is not. You must be stay out.

What's that? You are stealing, I hope.

You right away steal those back.

Such thing begins, I don't know. Please, make more careless.

If I break that, you sue me.

Ah, shut up!

Oh, sit down.

Come here.

Well, what do you want?

Charlie Bell bought a seat on the San Antonio stage for Clay Hardin.

- Are you sure? - Yeah, I saw him do it myself.

Don't worry. I'll take care of that.

You'd better do something.

This stage never runs without a shotgun guard, you know that.

Clay's name is down and the company's gotta take him.

I don't gotta ride shotgun.

There's enough graveyard bait in the strongbox without Clay.

And I've got kids to support.

I didn't think them things was jackrabbits.

Maybe you wanna holler for the Army.

- The company reserves the right... - I'll ride shotgun myself.

There's my bond. San Antonio stage, get aboard.

It will roll without me.

I'm too young and good-looking for a one-way trip.

I can't do nothing. I just work here.

Even money, gents. Even money against Clay Hardin, and lucky to get it.

I don't see him. What's the matter, is he afraid to show?

Maybe he invisible-ized himself.

Clay ain't here. He's changed his mind.

That's what he wants us to think.

He's circled the town already. The stage will pick him up.

We might outrun the stage and wait at Cotulla.

Get into that coach.

You can get Clay easy when he comes out of the brush.

I'll tail the stage, and as you fire, I'll get Charlie Bell.

- What about my saddle? - Move, or you won't need it anymore.

Here she rips.

Anybody change their mind?

- I'm going along. I'll settle my ticket later. - Right.

- Go ahead, Charlie. - Hyah, hyah, hyah!

Whoa!

Yippee! Yippee!

Well, hello.

Move over, honey.

Now, now, after all, Don Quickshot, the show doesn't start till after supper.

Oh, we're gonna have supper too?

Would you like to land on your head or get out peaceably?