Gunfight at Comanche Creek

Sunrise, June 5th, 1875, 5am.

Comanche Creek, Colorado.

A man named Peters came out of the Comanche Creek Cafe.

He carried two breakfasts - one for a prisoner,

another for the Deputy on duty in the jail.

Breakfast for the prisoner. Mr Peters, he doesn't feel so good.

Let's go. Wait a minute, what is this?

I said let's go. Now!

A prisoner known as Jack Mason had been freed by men

who were complete strangers to him.

The second horse.

Come on, Mason, get aboard.

The Deputy had seen had the young outlaw's face -

it cost him his life.

All right, let's go.

Jack Mason was blamed for the murder. The price on his head was doubled.

9:35am, two weeks later.

A quiet morning in Harmony, Colorado.

Thank you very much, and have a nice day.

Good morning, sir. May I help you? Good morning.

Mason presented a San Francisco bank draft to be cashed.

Turn around.

Where's the payroll?

The payroll! In the strongbox.

Unlock that door. Yes, sir.

Where is it? Down there.

Get down and open that box.

Come on, open the box! Don't shoot, please.

Over there on the floor. Do what the man says!

Now you stay down there till we're out of town. Hear?

H... H-Hel... Help. HELP!

I've been robbed!

ROBBERS!

Jack Mason was the only man identified by the clerk.

The Adams Express Company raised the reward.

Mason was now worth $3,500 dead or alive.

It was time to collect the reward.

Jack Mason was killed in cold blood.

In 1875, Wichita was a bustling frontier town.

The National Detective Agency, a private enterprise,

was created to fight the lawlessness of the West.

Its headquarters were here.

Head of the agency was Michael Bryant.

Mason, the slain man, whose right name was Jack Springer, and Peters

were two of his undercover agents.

We'll get them. We have to.

But I can't risk another man this way, Peters.

We'll try something else.

If I hadn't been bushwhacked, our plan would have worked.

Jack would still be alive.

It wasn't your fault, Bill.

They'd have killed you, too, if you'd have got a look at them.

I know. They're ruthless and smart.

We just have to be smarter.

If necessary, I'll put every man we've got on this case.

A lot of men won't do any good, Chief.

That many people out there - too many strangers show up,

the gang will lay low until they move on.

No, we've got to get one man inside that gang

and this time keep contact with him. I don't know, Bill.

They killed Jack Springer in cold blood - he never had a chance.

Peters is right, Chief.

All right, we'll try it one more time.

But it's got to be the right man.

Somebody's who's smart, tough, never loses his head.

Peters, you and Nielson find Gifford, and bring him here.

Right, Chief.

Bob.

'Find Gifford,' the chief says.

That's fine. It's a big town, where are you gonna look?

If I know Giff, you look where the girls are.

Wait a minute, that's it.

He said something about a date with a redhead.

Well, we're detectives aren't we?

We ought to be able to find a redhead.

Bob, honey, why can't you come see the show tonight?

Well, I told you, I just can't. I've got to get caught up with my work.

See you afterwards, though, right here.

Right here. Right here!

Why can't you do anything I wanna do?

I will, baby. What do you wanna do?

Uh-hu.

Buck, you leave me alone.

Shut your lying face.

I'm gonna give you a good whoopin', you lyin', cheatin' redhead.

Now hold on. There's no call to use vile language.

You get out of here, you sweet smellin' fancy dan.

I'm gonna give her a lickin' she ain't never gonna forget,

so you put your tail between your legs and get out of here.

No.

Then I fail to see why you have any business here.

So why don't you just leave quietly? Just like you came in.

I gave you a chance to get out of here, now I'm gonna kill you.

You get... No!

No! I'm not through with you yet!

Let me go! Buck!

Stay there!

That's our boy.

I thought it was a door and I just walked through it!

Anybody here wanna make anything out of it?

Break it up! Move onto your horse or something.

Hello, Giff. Sorry to interrupt.

That's all right, fellas.

I'd like to have you meet Tina. Miss Tina...

Neville.

That's Mr Peters and Mr Nielson.

Well, you weren't too hard to find.

Eh, that's what I get for being mixed up with a bunch of detectives.

The boss wants to see you, pronto.

You tell him I've still got two days' leave left.

Bob, they killed Jack Springer.

I'll see you later, Tina.

I won't make this an order, Bob. The decision is yours.

No decision to be made, Chief. Jack Springer was a friend of mine.

I know.

It's settled, then.

Now let's go over what we know, or can guess so far.

We're faced with a shrewd, ruthless gang of outlaws.

Their operation is clever and deadly.

They wait until a man with a price on his head is jailed,

then spring him and use him as a front man for a series of holdups,

making sure he's the only one ever recognised.

The reward keeps going up.

When it reaches $3,000 or $4,000, the man's killed.

Somebody's hired to collect the reward.

And we can't touch them, because it's all legal -

the money's his, dead or alive.

Peters will brief you on what he's learned.

Well, the gang has cut itself out of territory right here -

Comanche Creek, Sweetwater, Harmony and Adobe Wells.

This is wild country, sparsely settled.

Not much.

The entire area's policed by only one Marshal -

a man by the name of Shearer.

Seems to know his job, but it's too much for one man.

That's about all I've learned.

I lost track of Springer the day they broke him loose.

We'll plant our agents in the area before Gifford leaves.

Peters will be in charge, he'll have four men. Go ahead, Peters.

We'll get two on at this big cow outfit south of Sweetwater,

another in Harmony, and the fourth can hang out in Adobe Wells.

I'll be a cattle buyer working the entire area. Good.

Be ready to leave when Peters sends the word.

Sir! I haven't forgotten about you, Nielson.

When Gifford goes, you follow him.

No matters what happens, I want you to stay on his tail,

don't ever lose track of him. Yes, sir.

Either Alvin or I will be in this office around the clock.

I want to be kept posted on everything that happens.

That's all for now.

Well, sure.

I uh... would kinda hate to see them get stuck for another reward.

Mm-hm. Well, now that you mention it, so would I.

When the plans and preparations were completed, each agent went his way.

They travelled by train, stage and horseback into northwest Colorado

to take the posts assigned to them, ready to move in as needed.

Finally, Bryant was notified that it was time for Gifford to leave.

All plans were made, and channels of communication had been prepared.

'Wanted - Judd Tanner for train robbery. $1,500 reward.'

Good enough to get you to jail.

Telegram from Peters.

Comanche Creek.

Seems to think that'd be the best spot for me.

We have to start somewhere.

Besides, I think they have the most comfortable jail. I'll let you know.

$800 in $20 gold certificates.

They're part of the loot we recovered

from that express car robbery outside of Joplin.

Circulate a few of those and see what happens.

Gifford left his credentials behind.

Where he was going, he would no longer be a National Agent.

He'd be an outlaw, or a corpse.

Room, mister?

There you are.

Come a long way, huh, Mr...

Mr Gifford?

You don't say where you're from.

A long way.

Are you gonna be here for a spell?

You can take a week out of that.

Well, now, a $20 gold certificate. Well!

9, 10, and 10 makes 20.

Upstairs. The room's upstairs.

Second one on the left.

Could you have someone take care of my horse? It's tied out front.

Yes, sir!

Walder!

Walder!

A $20 gold certificate.

"CAMPTOWN RACES"

OK, Tony?

(And, listen, watch the bill there on the next table, it's no good.)

OK, Miss Abbie. All right?

Thank you.

May I join you?

It looks like you already have.

No, thank you.

You're staying here in the hotel?

Name's Gifford. Bob Gifford.

Well, you might say so.