The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp

As the gypsies have roamed daily in lands through the ages,

so they ventured early to our Western frontier,

for the West was horse country,

and the gypsies were horse traders

and sometimes horse thieves.

The day came when Wyatt Earp had to decide which.

I don't come all the way to town unless it's important.

You know that, Bud.

Another good horse disappeared last night.

It belonged to George Irons here.

Tell him what happened, George.

I sent the horse into town

after supper with my wrangler Casey.

He stopped to light a cigar,

and a man wearing a mask clubbed him.

When I come to, the horse was gone.

That's the seventh good animal that's been stole this fall.

Now, George and I called you men together

to decide what we're gonna do about it.

What about the law, Bud?

We're paying this Marshal Earp pretty good.

This marshal ain't located one of your stolen horses.

When there wasn't any law at all in this country,

we knew how to handle horse thieving.

And I'm one who ain't forgotten.

Do you have any idea who's responsible?

Sure. Casey found this at the West Fork last night.

That's the mask the rustler wore.

It's a cheap bandana dyed black.

I dipped it in some boiling water

and soaked some of the dye out.

Here, take a look at it.

Purple and green around the edges.

Now, where do you see folks wearin'

purple and green around here?

Those gypsy women out at Cassan's Camp.

Seems like we ought to go out to Cassan's Camp and have a look around, don't it?

If George Irons' horse is out there,

we might just knot this around some gypsy's neck.

That ought to take care of horse rustling around Wichita for a while.

That was our idea in calling these men together, wasn't it, George?

That was our idea.

All right. Let's go out to the corral and get our horses.

Morning, Mr. Irons, Mr. Creel.

Morning, boy.

Morning, Marshal.

You riding out somewhere?

Is that any of your business, Earp?

I hope it isn't.

Well, it ain't, so get off my corral gate.

Now look, I know where you're headed and why you're headed there.

I'm gonna ask you to cool off and think it over.

You aiming to stop us?

Yep.

You hired out to handle horse thieving,

among other things around Wichita.

You haven't done it.

So?

So maybe we can handle it better.

Like stringing up a gypsy?

Yeah...

Yeah, if he's the one that slugged Casey

and stole George Irons' horse last night.

Well, that would be murder, Mr. Creel,

the way you're gonna go about it.

Even if we can prove he stole my horse?

Well, you prove it to me, and I'll put him in jail.

Then you gotta prove it to the judge.

That's the law.

And this is my corral,

and we're coming in to get our horses.

I shouldn't wonder you could do it, there's enough of you.

But how many will there be

when you get on the other side of this gate?

You can't bluff me, Earp.

I'm not trying to bluff you, Mr. Creel.

I'm just asking you to stop and think

whether any horse you ever rode

is worth a hole in your shirt.

Or one in yours, Mr. Irons.

Your family can get along a lot better without that horse

than it can without you.

Are we gonna let him buffalo us?

Mr. Casey, you want to be the first one through the gate?

I ain't gonna let no young squirt back me down.

Put up that gun. Give me an even draw.

All right.

Go ahead.

Take him over to Doc Fabrique's office.

I'm gonna ride out to the gypsy camp

and see if they got any strange horses in their string.

All right, Marshal.

We'll try it your way

just once more.

I'd advise you to get rid of those guns.

They're a heavy drag on the ribs.

Cheffo.

Hello, Marshal.

Morning, Cassan, Anna.

Good morning, Mr. Earp.

Would you like some coffee?

Didn't come for coffee, thanks.

I'd like to talk.

It's not very much like the old buffalo hunting days, is it?

Not much.

Married life kinda settles a man.

Did you come here to talk to me about married life?

No. As a matter of fact, I'm...

I'm in a little trouble.

I hope I can help you as you have often helped me.

I think you can.

How?

Well, by answering some questions.

Another horse was stolen last night,

right on the edge of town.

I know. A roan off of George Irons' ranch.

How do you know about it?

We have ways of knowing things.

There is no roan horse on this ranch.

You can look around if you like.

No, I've already looked.

Cassan, what do you, uh...

What do you know about these wagon families living on your land?

You know I don't discuss the affairs of my people.

They're not really your people.

Since you married a wife from Ohio and homesteaded this land,

you haven't been riding with the wagons.

I respect their customs.

Well, we've got an old custom

in this part of the country

for horse stealing called hanging.

I don't respect it.

But if the rustling keeps up, I, uh,

don't know what I can do about it.

We did not steal that horse last night.

What about the other six horses that disappeared lately?

No.

Do you give me your word as a friend or a gypsy?

A friend.

All right.

But the ranchers think differently.

The found this mask on the West Fork Road last night

near where the horse was stolen.

Gypsies don't need masks to steal horses.

That proves we did not do it.

It's an old trick, Marshal.

Someone tried to throw suspicion on us.

Suspicion, my eye.

They can use this as evidence against you.

You would have had a gang of visitors

carrying guns and ropes if I hadn't stopped them.

In a gypsy camp,

every gun in every wagon is loaded.

Cassan, whether you're my friend or not,

you don't want to pitch battle against the ranchers.

They'd kill half your people.

I thank you for preventing it.

Look, will you help me find out what's happening to these horses?

No. I don't dare.

I'll back you up. I'll make you my special deputy.

Don't you understand?

The law is an enemy that hounded the gypsies in every land.

I cannot work with the law. It is forbidden.

You mean your own people would dry-gulch you?

Take your choice.

Here he comes.

All right, Marshal, did you turn up my horse?

Cassan said he didn't steal any horses.

We know all about you and Cassan, Earp.

He's an honest man,

You back the gypsies,

and we go on losing horses.

Is that it?

No. But since we don't know where to go to find the rustlers,

maybe we can bring the rustlers to us.

Try staking out a couple of good animals.

Decoys, eh?

That's right.

Close by town where I can keep my eye on them.

It might work.

Nothing else has.

Mr. Irons, will you lend me a couple of your horses for the job?

Why two and why mine?

Because you raise the best stock in Kansas,

and because we gotta stake out something

the rustlers can't resist stealing.

And the marshal's office is going to be watching them?

Yep.

Then you better use somebody else's horses.

Hold it.

I don't think you meant that, did you?

I don't think you meant that I'm in on any deal that

might lose you your horses.

I don't recall saying you were in on it, Earp.

But I do know valuable stocks been disappearing

right under your nose.

Make you feel any better if I

appoint you Special Deputy for the job?

I've got a ranch to run, Earp.

What about your wrangler, Casey?