Big Jake

---

Genteel civilization had come

to England, the continent

and the eastern United States.

New York

rivaled London and Paris

as one of the great metropolises

of the world.

Albert Einstein had expounded

his theory of relativity

back in 1905, and science

had brought us the wonders

of the modern world.

Culture and refinement

had arrived

on the east coast of America.

Caruso was singing Pagliacci

at the Met.

Arturo Toscanini was conducting.

The Barrymores were performing

and a Ziegfeld girl

was the rage.

of the 46 United States

was not so refined.

The surviving Indian warriors

were now being rounded up

by the U.S. Army.

In Washington,

William Howard Taft...

was President

and life was comfortable.

In other parts of the country,

men were fighting each other

and the elements.

In the New York

department stores

a lady could buy maxis

and boots and live in style.

Out west,

they didn't think about style,

just living.

Eastern empire builders

had secured their fortunes...

the Morgans,

Vanderbilts, Carnegies.

There were empires

in the west, too,

such as

the great McCandles Ranch.

But these huge ranches

were held together

only by having

enough men and guns.

Notre Dame teams

were playing football

with end Knute Rockne

catching a forward pass.

In the Arizona Territory

another team,

the Arizona Rangers

were busy just trying

to keep the peace.

Anna Pavlova, prima ballerina

of the Russian ballet,

was dancing Swan Lake.

The dance hall girl in the

Klondike gold rush saloon

was somewhat different.

By 1909, still photographs

had come to life.

Motion pictures had been born

with The Great Train Robbery.

While that make-believe drama

was on the movie screens

nine men crossed the Rio Bravo

into Texas.

The turbulent years

between the Civil War

and the turn of the century

brought out the best

in some people

but in others,

it brought out the worst.

Example:
O'Brien,

a half-breed Apache

born of a Chiricahua mother

and Irish father.

A professional gunfighter...

one of the last of his kind.

Pop Dawson...

rode with the James boys

in Kansas and Missouri.

Said to have murdered

more than a dozen men...

one for as little

as seven dollars.

Trooper... name unknown.

A back-shooter.

Considered a coward.

Reputed to have been

a cavalry soldier

sometime in the past

but not to the personal

knowledge of his confederates.

William Fain,

younger of the Fain brothers.

Favors a shotgun... a Greener...

for its bloody killing effect

at short range.

James William Duffy.

At age 14, killed his first man

who was an admirer

of his prostitute mother.

Dead shot with a rifle.

William Devries... young Billy.

Not quite 21.

This raid was thought

to have been

his first outlaw act.

Walt Devries, his older brother

by 20 years.

He looks

more like an Iowa farmer

than a professional killer.

John Goodfellow...

may be the worst of them.

An indiscriminate killer.

Women, children,

no consequence at all.

Prefers to work close.

Favors a razor-edged machete.

John Fain... sometimes peace

officer and bounty hunter.

Served with distinction during

the Spanish-American War.

Professional soldier

thereafter.

Now between wars.

Currently banks,

trains, killings

and responsible for organizing

the infamous McCandles Raid.

Morning, Pancho.

Good morning.

Child, you need some air.

Time to get up, Mr. Jeff.

Delilah, I'm naked.

I seen you naked

the day you was born

and many times

thereafter.

Riders coming.

Is you getting up?

Yes, ma'am.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

Grab his head,

grab his head!

Come on, now, hold him,

hold him, hold him.

Hold him, hold him,

hold him.

Chico!

That boy.

Chico!

Chico!

Hey, hey, come on!

Now, I know you'd like

to see Mr. Stubby

ride that bronc again

but go fetch me them eggs

like I asked you to.

Go ahead, now.

Hurry up.

Huh...

Strangers coming.

Mr. Jeff will be

a little late.

You make sure you have

a half a dozen or so

fresh eggs for

him, Moses Brown.

I've already

done that, woman.

For Miss Martha.

I'll take care

of that, boy.

Yes, ma'am.

Why, this is ridiculous.

Breakfast, Miss Martha,

nice and hot.

Thank you, Delilah.

But it's hot.

Just a minute, Delilah.

Bert, this is nineteen

hundred and nine.

There... There just

can't be rustlers.

Can be, Miss McCandles.

I'm 42 years old, and I fought

in the Lincoln County War.

It's just not

that long ago that...

Why, it's just 15 years ago,

himself, Mr. McCandles hung...

Your breakfast is

getting cold, Miss Martha.

Some lovely flowers in

the garden, Delilah.

I wonder would you ask

Maria to cut them for me?

Yes'm.

You were saying, Bert?

I'm just saying, Miss McCandles

we're close enough to that

Mexican border to...

Spit.

Yes, ma'am, that close.

And we're losing

a lot of cattle.

Let me think about it.

All right, ma'am.

Oh, Bert?

There are some men

riding in.

We could use

some short help,

if you like

the look of them.

Yes, ma'am.

Hyah!

Whoa, whoa.

- Whoa...

- Try him again.

A ranch sure is

a deserted-looking place

during a roundup.

Can I help you men?

We heard

you was hiring.

Was.

But you're late.

Too late?

Afraid so.

Now, this place surely

does bespeak

of a great deal of money,

don't it?

Anything else I can do for you?

Trouble with money, though,

is that there's always somebody

wants to take it away from you.

I said is there anything else

I can do for you, mister?

Still, that's the only problem

with it,

and ain't that

the awful bloody truth?

Billy, you stay close

to me, you hear? Real close.

No!

Run, Little Jake.

Run.

Mrs. McCandles,

you want that

kid alive?

Don't you be a damn fool.

Hey, sonny.

- Hey, Trooper.

- Yeah!

Hyah!

Hey, O'Brien!

The boy!

Why, you mangy little...

Breed!

He's no good to us dead.

I can wait.

Fain,

I don't like

the name "Breed."

I'll try and remember that.

Give me that!

Come here, you little...

All right.

Put me down!

Come on,

put me down!

Hyah!

- Hyah!

- Hyah!

Get the doctor,

then find my sons.

And himself, your husband?

I have no husband.

Come on!

Hyah!

Take him to my bed.

Please, be careful with him.

Old Mexico!

There ain't nothing

they can do to us here.

The Mexicans can.

Jeffrey McCandles,

can you hear me?

This fool doctor says

you're going to die

but I say you are not.

I taught you better manners

than to make a liar out of your

mother, Jeffrey McCandles.

He's just sleeping,

Martha.

I know that.

Delilah, there's a big

red strongbox in the attic

I want it.

Yes'm.

We're seeking permission

from the Mexican government

at the highest possible levels,

Mrs. McCandles.

When we receive

that permission,

we are prepared

to enter Mexico

with howsoever many troops

as are acceptable

to the Mexican government

and to deliver

the ransom

wherever and

to whomever directed.

I am told that there

is $1 million in that box.

Buck,

what about you?

Speaking for the Rangers

or for myself?

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