The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp

In 1875, while Wyatt Earp was Marshal of Wichita,

many Indian tribes like the Commanches, the Apaches, and the Sioux,

had refused to make peace with the United States government.

This warfare was to reach its climax a year later,

when the Sioux and their allies massacred General George Custer

and his men in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

But for many months prior to this tragedy,

renegades were selling contraband rifles to the unclassified tribes.

You Marshal Earp?

Yes, sir.

Captain Benteen, the Seventh Cavalry.

What can I do for you, sir?

Here's a message from two Indian friends of yours.

The Indian carrying it was wounded.

Our patrol found him.

Oh, it's for Mr. Brother and Mr. Cousin.

Sit down.

Thank you.

They've been, uh...very good friends.

We feel the same way about them, Mr. Earp.

We've used them as scouts.

Now they've been lost by the Hoss Daggett gang.

If we read the message right.

The Daggetts operate in Oklahoma territory, don't they?

Wasn’t the Army doing something about this?

We've signed peace treaties with the Cheyennes, the Pawnees and the Osage.

Washington doesn't want us to go into Oklahoma territory with troops.

The Indians would resent it.

But it's, uh...all right for me to go in there, huh?

That's why I'm here.

The General wants to deputize you as United States Marshal.

Now you'll need a good posse.

The Daggetts never have less than 50 guns in their outfit.

Now, this is merely an official request, not an order, Mr. Earp.

Not that we feel that you lack the experience.

Captain, when you have friends that are in trouble,

you try and help them.

I'm just wondering...

how I could grab them.

No, we don't know.

Except that it must be a big medicine.

Plus, Daggett isn't holding the brother of Yellow Hand and the cousin of Many Battles

without a very serious reason.

Hoss is liable to get himself scalped.

Well, I'm glad you realize this isn't a new ten-teepee affair, Mr. Earp.

Your friends may have extremely valuable information.

Also, we can't have Yellow Hand and Many Battles on the warpath.

But, uh...as I said,

if you feel that a man with more experience...

No, I'll go.

Uh, you got the paper deputizing me?

Right here.

The government will pay for your posse and all necessary expenses.

Good.

I'll go tonight.

That soon?

Well,

the General's usually right.

He says that when two smart Indians appeal to a white man for help,

they usually pick the best one they know.

Good luck, Mr. Earp.

Thank you, Captain.

Jus' a minute.

Jus' a minute. Bring those back.

Come on, Doc, get out of the way, will ya? It's really heavy.

I know, 'cause it's valuable, too.

Put it down there, Wyatt.

I want to talk to ya.

Oh, now, come on. We've been through this before.

Yeah, I know.

You're a pretty fast talker, Wyatt.

I say, the more I think about your idea, the less I like it.

What's goin' on, Doc?

Moving.

Moving!

No, but I might as well be movin'.

I let this crazy man talk me out of $850

of good, fresh meat.

Well, it sounds like a story here.

Earp?

It's nothing for publication.

It's a government job.

I'm taking this medicine into the Oklahoma territory.

He's not only committing suicide, he admit it.

Come on, let's hear it.

All right, Mr. Brother and Mr. Cousin are in trouble.

Who?

The two Indian friends of mine.

And they got themselves nabbed by the Hoss Daggett gang.

Why all the medicine?

I'm gonna go in there disguised as a patent medicine doctor.

It's the only way I can get in the Daggett camp.

Pretty risky to try and save two Indians.

I not only lose my medicine, but I also lose my

good and former friend, Wyatt Earp.

Oh, don't give me that stuff.

You know this hogwash isn't worth a cent, and you know it.

All the drug houses send him free samples.

Only 5% are free samples.

Besides, who's going to believe you're a doctor?

You know, you look terrible.

I feel terrible.

Oh, stop that.

That's the way you hypnotized me into agreeing to do this thing to the first place.

Don't move!

Friend, this is your lucky day.

Yes, sir. Come in a little closer.

Now this is your lucky day, sir, because I am going to give you absolutely free

one large size bottle of Dr. Liver Moore's kidney remedy.

Oh, now don't thank me, sir. No, sir.

After all, I always say, what's money compared to a happy kidney?

Oh, if I can save you, sir.

Uh, what's the best of it?

If I can save you, I will not have passed this way in vain.

Oh, yeah. If I can save you, I would not have passed this way in vain.

That's good, Wyatt.

Very funny, if it weren't so tragic.

I've written columns about the Daggetts, Wyatt.

They're real bad people.

That's right.

You tell him.

If you must go, take a posse.

Oh, no posse.

What did those Indians ever do to justify your risking your life?

I...tracked Bill and Ben Thompson in Bushwhack, a country near Ellsworth once.

They risked their lives.

I can hire Indians to track anybody anywhere for $5.

I ain't going to let you do it, Wyatt.

There's nothing you can do to stop me.

Sir, I've been deputized United States Marshal and I have the authority to seize any

supplies that I deem necessary for the performance of my duty.

You're going to beat me down with words again, huh?

Look, why don't you just consider it as a loan?

I have to sell any of that stuff to make it look legitimate while you'll be getting all the proceeds.

It is, of course, providing that, uh...as you say, that medicine is harmless.

What? Why, I'll take a jolt out of each and every one of these bottles.

It's 90% grain alcohol.

Get me a spoon.

Never mind. I-I take your word for it.

What's in the other 10%?

Aluminum and quinine.

It won't cure anybody.

But I won't kill 'em, either.

Come on. Let's get on with our loading.

You want to help, Mr. Murdoch?

Wouldn't dare say, "no".

Be care of the way you handle that one.

Full of Laudanum.

La-what?

Laudanum. A sleeping potion.

That and the whole country'll go to sleep.

Well, that's good to know.

Oh, uh...how do I distinguish it?

You distinguish it by the white line on the outside of the box,

and on the inside the bottles are labeled.

That's the post-insomnia remedy.

Well, I can't leave that one behind.

You ain't leavin' anything behind.

still feel bad.

Yes.

Stomach.

Why don't they try some of the whiskey? Too

He's sick.

Mr. Daggett.

You let me go for doctor.

Oh, I've already sent for one.

It's a long trip.

First, you get the miseries, Cousin, and now Brother.

A suspicious man who wasn't your friend might think you were fooling.

No.

True.

Time's awful short.

You're holding up a big deal on them rifles.

Anything wrong with the deal, Cousin?

Him say, go north, talk to Sitting Bull.

Tell Sitting Bull you have many rifles.

Good rifles. Winchesters.

Sitting Bull friend with my cousin, Many Battles.

He is Friend with his brother, Yellow Hand.

But Sitting Bull...

not your friend, Mr. Daggett.

We've been over all that before.

I never cheated Sitting Bull.

If he bought cheap trade guns, it blew up.

He didn't buy them from me.

Sioux people angry.

You cheat them? I pay.

He pay.

I told you, the rifles are good.

You show me rifles, Mr. Daggett

You calling me a liar?

No.

I asked to see rifles, two, three day now I ask.

How do I know you'll go through with your part of the deal?

You might tell the soldiers...

We are two. Long way from our people.

You have many fighter.

We don't want to die.

All right, I'll show you the rifles.

Hey!