Kung Fu

Well, they're out there somewhere. And l want them found.

What am l paying you for?

You can't find a man, woman and boy out there on foot.

What am l supposed to do?

Go out there like l used to in the old days and find them myself?

We've got all the men on the road.

Now, what good's that gonna do?

You could have a thousand men on the road.

What do you think, they're traveling in style, by stagecoach?

Get off the road. I want a 360-degree search.

North, east, south, west. Every direction.

They're heading for Danny Caine's hideout.

I don't want them to get there. You get that boy for me.

I'll find out where Danny Caine is from him.

- What about the Chinaman? - Yeah.

That's the danger.

They've gone.

We're safe.

Only for the moment.

We must leave this trail...

...and go deeper into the wilderness.

- Where? - We'll help you.

You find him, you come to me. I make my move then.

I've got $ 1 0,000.

Ten thousand dollars for that boy in front of me.

And that Chinaman dead.

Your tread must be light and sure...

...as though your path were upon rice paper.

It is said a Shaolin priest can walk through walls.

Looked for, he cannot be seen. Listened for, he cannot be heard.

Touched, he cannot be felt. This rice paper is the test.

Fragile as the wings of the dragonfly, clinging as the cocoon of the silkworm.

When you can walk its length and leave no trace...

...you will have learned.

- This is too hard for you? - No.

- l'll manage. - Good for you, Mother.

Oh, that's a word l've wanted to hear for a long time.

We'll take care of you, Mother.

How far is it to the town? To Orion?

lt is...

...several days across the mountains.

From the road...

...it would be much quicker.

- But we have to keep off the roads. - And away from...

...carriages and horses and beds to sleep in and food.

The land will give us food.

l've only seen miles and miles of brush...

...and rocks and weeds.

You must see through my eyes. Here...

...are berries.

You should pick some to take them with us.

l will.

You're very much like Danny.

The good part of him.

Tell me about him.

Ask Zeke. He's the authority on Danny Caine.

After all, l only had Danny for half a year. Zeke's had him for a lifetime.

Tell me.

l don't know what to say, really.

When l'm with my father, everything's really exciting.

And when l'm not, things are bad.

Sometimes l have to stay with other people like Mr. Corbino...

...and l really don't like that.

That's Danny.

Always on top of the mountain or flat on his back.

- Never any in-between. - Well, who wants to be in-between?

lf you wanna live, you have to take chances.

Sometimes you lose and you have to fight your way back up.

He was the most exciting, most handsome, most...

...forbidding man that any young girl ever saw.

But he had more downs than ups.

And how did you like the safe in-between?

- l never found it. - You see.

Zeke, don't be angry with me.

l'm sorry.

Well, l...

l guess we didn't tell you much about Danny.

But you have.

When we find my father...

...are you going to live with us and be my mother?

l hope so, Zeke.

Kwai Chang, l must rest.

ls she all right?

She has fainted from the heat.

And we're all thirsty.

l'll climb up that hill and see if l can see a stream or waterhole.

l feel like a millstone around your neck.

You need food and water...

...and a place to rest.

And you'll find them.

And you'll get us to Orion too.

Hey, there's an old way station over there.

Maybe we can get some help.

Help me.

l'm all right. l can walk.

l don't... l don't wanna be a burden to you.

You are no burden.

Anybody home?

Who are you?

We need help.

Oh, my goodness.

Come in. Come in.

l'm afraid this place ain't quite what she used to be.

- Can we have some water? - Yeah, right there in the bucket, boy.

Thank you.

Oh, l didn't mean to blow you folks' heads off.

l just didn't hear no horses coming. That's how l know l'm gonna have company here.

l got my ears tuned to hear horses two miles away.

Well, we came on foot.

- Over them mountains? - Yep, right over the top.

- Why you didn't take the road? - Well, we...

Never mind why. l'll just mind my own business.

l've seen enough travelers in my day come and go out of here...

...to know enough to mind my own business.

We need food.

We have money.

Well...

...now, there we got a problem.

You see, one reason l come tearing out of here with that gun ready...

...is l thought you might be lnjuns.

Nobody else comes up here real quiet-like on foot but lnjuns.

There have been hunting parties around all week.

l've been scared to go out and shoot myself any meat.

And the stage only comes through here every month.

- You have no food? - Precious little.

l can work for it. You should see me cut wood--

You could cut me 1 0 winters' wood...

...and l couldn't make no food appear out of nowhere.

- How do you manage for yourself? - Oh, me.

l wouldn't know no other life. l run this station for 25 years.

Of course, at first, it was a prime station, let me tell you.

The stagecoaches ran every day, mine wagons and peddlers.

This place was full of new people every day.

We served food, ran a bar...

...kept five pairs of horses ready in the pen out there.

And then, the mines played out...

...towns up there, dead.

Still, it ain't all bad.

And how often do l get to help out people anymore?

That's what l always liked to do, help out folks in the road.

l was known for that, l was.

- Thank you. - You just hold on.

Come on. Here you are.

lt's all l've got.

- But you're welcome to it. - Thank you.

Here's for your water, you can fill it up outside.

l'm gonna fix you a hot meal before you go.

Now, that's the least l can do.

This is mighty good, sir. l never had squirrel stew before.

lt's the last meat l got.

ln payment.

This is...

...much, much too fine for what l gave you.

No. You've been very kind to us.

Please let me pay you.

You can use the money from the necklace to fix up your place here.

You're real high class.

But l don't need this to remember the prettiest lady that ever sat at my table.

Sure nice having you folks.

l don't suppose you'll ever be coming back this way, though.

Who can say?

- Well, goodbye, Mr. Stanford. Thank you. - Goodbye.

- Goodbye, young fella. - Thanks a lot, Mr. Stanford.

You take care of the horses.

- Howdy. Glad to see you. - You got any whiskey, old man?

l work for Mr. Vincent Corbino.

And we're looking for some people.

Three of them.

There's two males and a female.

The woman, she's about 30 years old and blond.

Good-looking, but a lady.

And one of the males is a boy.

A youngster, about 1 5 years old.

And the third one, he's easy. He's a Chinaman. You seen them?

Not me. No, sir. l don't hardly see nobody anymore.

Well, l just got one thing to say to you, Mr...?

- Stanford. - Stanford.

Ten thousand dollars.

Ten thousand dollars for the three of them.

Now, if you know Mr. Vince Corbino, you know that's just like money in the bank.

- Are you gonna kill them? - Well, what's that to you, Mr. Stanford?

Well, it's... lt's just that...

...blood money-- -Well, now with $ 1 0,000...

...a person could buy hisself an entire new life.

Wipe out anything that ever happened...

...for $ 1 0,000.

Well, l got to be riding on.

Who knows, the next farmhouse l stop at, or maybe the next stagecoach stop...

...there'll be somebody there that's seen them people...

...and they'll go to bed tonight...

...a rich man.

Are you gonna...? Are you gonna kill them?

Well, of course we ain't gonna kill them.

Then l saw them.

They was here yesterday.

l know the way they went.

l'll tell you what to do. Get this place cleaned up for an important visitor.

And l'll be back here tomorrow with Mr. Corbino.

- And...? - And your money.

Your 2 and l'll raise you 1 more.