By 1860 Japan had already opened her doors to the rest of the world...
...and the first ambassador to Washington had arrived only after a long and perilous voyage by sea.
Ten years later, despite the new rail road from San Francisco...
Ambassador Sakaguchi, Lord of Bizen was to find that besides the peril of the voyage by sea...
...there were further danger to be faced on land, on their way through the West.
Okay, men. All out, take your positions. Come on!
Take it down. Didn't you hear me?
Look at the engine, but don't get dirty.
All right.
Why all the soldiers, Sergeant? Must be somebody pretty important in that car.
Yes, sir. The Ambassador from Japan.
Japanese, how interesting.
God almighty, just you look at that.
All aboard! All aboard! All aboard! All aboard! All aboard!
All aboard! All aboard!
Hold it Link. Now just take off your belt one handed.
Since when you turn bounty hunter, Stone?
Since the price went up on you.
Looks like it worked.
Yeah, you always was stupid.
Now, jump.
What, me?
Scum.
Filth.
Bye, Sheriff.
Right on time. I make this trip once a month.
That wind out there don't blow up a duster.
We'll be in Santa Fe before noon.
Yeah, if the ground don't crack open and swallow us all up.
Do you mind?
Conductor.
Folks, me and my friend is going to put on a little wild west show for you.
Some you might have heard about me. It's called a hold up.
Now, don't get scared or do anything stupid and you'll be all right.
Just relax. And enjoy yourselves.
Keep your seats.
Help me, help me.
Don't anybody move.
Hey there! Get them off. Get them damn muttons off the tracks.
Clear the tracks.
Yes sir.
Corporal, clear the tracks. I told you to do it.
Yes, sir.
All right, get the hell out of my way Hey, did you hear what I said?
Get them off, get them. God damned sheep off the line.
Don't you understand, anything.
I understand, Senor.
Give me that.
Carlos.
Help.
All right, all right.
Adelante, adelante.
Rapido.
Venga, venga.
Hey, wait, wait for us.
Come on, come, come.
Thanks.
You're welcome.
Hold it, stop it.
Now folks, we come to the main attraction.
My assistants are going to take up a collection. Just like they do in church.
All right, all right. I'm getting it out as fast as I can.
That's all we need is a nervous dynamite man.
Sorry Link, I'll watch it.
Okay, everybody out. Let's go.
Get all on the ground.
Hey, you. Come on.
Jump down. Over here.
Open up in there.
That's enough.
All right, you have five seconds to open up that door.
Get a move on, come on, come on, Hunt.
Well, Hunt for God's sake.
Get back.
Murdering bastards.
Amen, brother.
All right, blow it.
Yeah, give me three sticks.
You two better get out.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the end of the line. There's your way back to...
...the US Armies waiting to protect you. So, would you please start walking.
Now.
And four more for me.
How did we do?
About as expected.
Four hundred thousand?
Give or take a dollar.
Quite a haul for you, Link One third.
Yah, not bad for work on the Sabbath, huh?
Now when do we divy up?
Like we said in San Lucas.
Why not now, then we can separate.
Hunt, you've been shaking like a tree full of owls right from the start.
What the hell's the matter with you?
I got a bad feeling.
About what?
Just bad, that's all.
Well look, Hunt, no worry. You'll get your cut. Link will be sure of that.
It ain't him I'm worried about.
Meaning what?
Meaning the both of you shut up.
Gauche, make sure everything's all right outside.
Anything you say, General.
Then I want to check out that private car.
I'm not worried about you, Link, don't get that idea It's Gauche.
What about him?
I don't know.
That's your split, take it and go.
Please Link, don't get sore.
But before you go, if I were you I'd change my clothes your pants are wet.
Alright, you tally.
Listen in there, we got thirty guns out here.
Thirty one.,
And whatever you got in there can't be much. So, open the door.
Maybe he don't speak English.
Well, I sure as hell don't speak Japanese.
Pablo speaks Latin. He used to be a priest.
Si, si.
The hell with it, get Hunt. We'll blow it up.
I am Sakajo Bizen...
...Ambassador to the United States on authority from his Imperial Majesty...
...the Mikado, the Emperor of Japan. I caution you both, I am on my way to Washington.
My safe arrival is guaranteed by your government.
Washington is quite a few hills away I'm coming in.
Look out for these two.
Samurai guards?
In my service.
Well, if you want them to remain in your service...
...better tell them just to keep their hands off those long knives.
Well now, Ambassador, tell you how this works.
You're being a foreigner in a strange land, me and my partner here...
...we look around, take what we want.
You try to stop us, we kill you.
There is no need to be destructive. The money is there.
Ambassador, you're a gentleman, enjoy your stay in our country.
What do I do with these two?
Well, unless you have some special use for men dressed up like women, let them go.
All right.
Sir, it's a gift for the President from my Imperial Majesty the Mikado.
Gold, real gold?
You tell your emperor, I thank him.
Jump.
Link.
Well, makes a good butcher shop.
You.
Are you shouting at me?
I want to know your name.
You're lucky I don't shoot you.
I ask for your name.
In New Orleans I've shot men who didn't like the cards I dealt them.
So why? I'll tell you my name, what good is it to you?
I intend to find you, I intend to see you dead.
I get impression that until today you've never seen a man killed by one of these.
Gun Sword, we all die the same way.
The name is Gauche.
They were like brothers.
That's too bad.
The man who killed him, also tried to kill you.
Yeah, so it seems.
He stole from us. Something very precious.
A gift to your President from my Imperial Majesty.
Too bad.
It is a matter of honor that it be returned to us.
You will lead my Samurai to that man.
Nope. You'll want to kill Gauche on sight...
...but I want that damned Frenchman alive.
At least, until I get my hands on that money.
That will be between you and my Samurai. You will leave immediately.
I guess you didn't hear me, Ambassador.
I'm not dragging some greenhorn around the countryside.
Make no mistake, Karoda is no ordinary man.
I don't care what he is. Look, Ambassador, we don't have horses...
...and Gauche has a two hour head start and he's got 20 mean guns to back him up.
Hell, even if I do catch up with him, the trouble just...
Silence. Each of these dots represent a day.
I have given him seven days to recover the Mikado sword.
In seven days, I will pass here again, the same train.
Suppose he doesn't make it in seven days.
For the disgrace of failure, he will rip his abdomen, kill himself.
So will I. We call it, Harakiri.
Well, that's something I'd like to see.
And he might as well do it now, cause I'm not taking him.
Then, he will cut your head off.
That's something I wouldn't like to see.
Just testing. Yes, sir.
Just what I had in mind.
You get around pretty good in those skirts.
Yes, sir. I'm going to have to try something else.
Wait a minute, now wait a minute.
These tracks are going right around that long bend.
There's no other way out of this canyon, so we can save time by going right over the top.
What the hell, just follow me?
Hell, let's rest?
I think, I got it all figured.
You see, you're a gorilla, and you're as ugly as a buzzard.
Not only that, I think you're as dumb as a backward jackass.
Who is more dumb? Me or the man who let's himself get cheated by friends?
I thought you didn't know the language.
Did I say that?
No, but you never talked.
The jackass has nothing to say.
Well I think I like it better the other way.
Move.
Hurry up.
Like I told you. There they are.
Hell, don't you ever eat?
With the stomach empty, it would be a disgrace to ...hunger.
For you maybe, yes. Not me, I'm a pampered Westerner.
All right. We camp here.
There.
Well now, the way I see it, you're a man of honor. And so am I.
Well, anyhow, let's make a deal.
I promise, I won't try to escape...
...and I'll cooperate all the way in tracking down Gauche.
And all I want from you, you see is your word that you won't kill him on sight.
Cause I figure I need at least a whole day to make him talk.
You will not escape.
Don't you bet on that. You got to sleep sometime.
I already did.
Yeah, when?
While walking.
I don't believe that. But you know...
...all I have to do is waltz you around for about seven days...
...at which time you'll belly stick yourself.
Yes. After doing the same for you.
I can believe that, too.
Give me those.
What?
The boots.
That... that stinks, Expect me to eat this?
Tastes not so bad, pretty good.
God damned mosquitoes, I can't sleep.
There's mosquitoes all over the God damned place.
Wrong, one mosquito.
No mosquito.
Come on, hurry.
They cross down there. And there as well. Many houses.
Means, I'm not going to San Lucas.
We cross here, too.
Down there?
It's your idea, so you go first.
I had a dog, his name was green...
...never said much, but he was mighty keen.
Shared my work and he sh...
Son of a bitch.
Damn.
Some day I'm going to catch you without all that hardware.
Some day, you won't need to belly stick yourself, I'll catch you.
Well. My luck's changing.
Make a fist.
Can't you even make a fist?
Hell, you think I'm going to hit a man who can't even make a fist?
You think you can do that again?
Oh, most certainly.
Looks to me like you're getting tired.
I'll tell you what, we'll call it a draw.
Beautiful.
Beautiful?
The horses.
Yes.
Yah, yah, toro, toro.
Five, six, seven. Gauche must have paid them off and gone alone.
What does he say?
He wants the old man to tell him where he's hidden his daughters.
He's not telling.
Brave man.
Stupid man.
Come on, let's get ourselves some horses.
Wait. Wait.
Now we're even. Only I'm a little even more even than you.
All right now, this is a horse. This is the front, this is the back.
And this is where you sit. If you want to go this way, you pull that way...
...if you want to go that way you pull that way, if you want to go straight ahead...
...you kick the horse and hang on. All right?
Thank you.
Horse not so good, I see you took the best one for yourself.
Wait.
Hey, you. Here.
Now where?
I go this way, you got a choice of three other directions.
I go with you.
Not any more you don't, I'm equipt.
I cannot find the man alone. I must succeed.
Karoda, that's your problem.
I'm concerned about a fortune, that money is mine, I stole it.
The money means nothing. This is life and death.
Well, it seems like the only thing we have in common is Gauche.
But I'll bargain with you. You give me your word, you let him live until I find the gold.
You can trail along.
No, he killed the Namaro, he dies the first minute I see him.
You can suite yourself.
Your word you let Gauche live.
No.
All right, I'm going to drown you, you stubborn mule. I'll hold you under until you bust.
Your word.
All right you, pest.
Oh, hell.
Well, if nothing else, I got myself a bath.
You sure are one unreasonable man.
All this hassle over a hunk of metal.
Hell, you know when I catch up with Gauche,
I could buy you another sword, I can buy you fifty swords.
Samurai knife is service. Kodo Bushido says, be strong, have courage...
...sacrifice yourself for your master. My father was a Samurai.
His father, his, his, his. Four hundred years, all died fighting.
There is great honor in my family.
Yeah well, these days, a lot of people have peculiar ideas.
There's no need to strain yourself.
Men needs ideals to live by.
You can't spend ideals.
But now, all is changed.
Japan has big wars, big Lords, has become different country.
Soon a great nation like yours...
...then Samurai life will finish.
All must give up swords. Become farmers, fisherman, become nothing...
...so I must succeed. One last time, my master service.
Well, it just might be.
You understand, if I see you're going to kill Gauche, I've just got to kill you.
I understand you must try.
A lot of Gauche's men here, but no Gauche.
Well, this does it.
I'm not going to keep chasing tracks with the Comanche's on the prowl.
Comanches?
Yeah.
Where are we going?
We're going to San Lucas.
But you said they would not go there.
Well, I figure Gauche will show up there sooner or later.
Why?
For the best of reasons, her name is Christina.
We'll wait a little.
That's very nice, you're mighty generous.
Yeah.
Thank you.
It was lovely.
Thank you very much. I sure like it here.
Good night senorita, good night. I'll be back real soon.
Yes, I do hope...
Real nice place you got here.
Yes.
Yeah. Good night.
Good night, Mr Fring, and do come back.
Madre dios.
Buenos Noches, Pepita.
It's along time from the well.
I know, I know, I know. Say hello to my friend, but very quietly.
Pepita, who's in the building?
Pogo, Carmelita, Maria and a few new girls.
Christina?
Yes.
Is Gauche with her?
Oh no, no, no, he's not here.
Has he been?
Yes. But ten days ago, with you.
What about Mace, Miguel, Hyatt?
Nobody's been here. Not even many customers.
Senorina, My God.
You can relax, Pogo. He's friendly but for now.
But, Senior Link, you are killed.
Oh, who said?
Everybody. The news is all over.
And how was I killed?
Oh, very bravely, Senior Link.
One hundred soldiers chase you. Bang, bang, bang. You killed ten, twenty.
Fifty maybe.
Easily. Only kill you, because you run out of bullets.
Sounds about right.
Oh, yes.
Pogo, come here. You stay here tonight.
You try to run away or talk to the Sheriff or anybody else, he will cut off your ears.
Comprende?
Oh, si senior. I am your friend, yours too, excellencia.
Okay now, you make sure all the windows and doors are locked.
Then bring some food.
Oh, si senior, pronto, and, and enjoy the hospitality of the Hotel Maxim.
Buenos Noches, Maria.
Buenos Noches, Senior Link.
Senoritas.
Where is Christina?
Upstairs in bed.
Who with?
Oh, why you're crazy, she only sees Gauche.
I know, I know. True love. Like us?
Alright. Anything you say.
Christina.
Yes?
Someone to see you.
Who is it?
Can't you guess?
Thought you'd be happy to see me.
What do you want?
To be near you, what else would a man want?
Oh, that Gauche, he's got a lot of style.
Take your dirty hands off that.
He knows how to treat a lady.
Much younger than me, too.
Better looking and a hell of a lot richer.
Can imagine what you see in him.
When do you expect him?
When he gets here.
And when is that?
When he feels like it.
Oh, that shouldn't be too long then, should it?
If you want to know, it's been ten days. A long time for a man.
Christina, because of my fond memories of you, and because......
...I know you have a fine practical sense, I'll bargain with you.
You help me find where Gauche hid the friends of this big golden eagle...
...and I'll see that you get a hefty share.
I don't know what you're talking about.
My mistake.
And you make plenty of them.
Yep. So it seems.
What are you doing? You bastard, open the door, open the door. Bastard.
Let me go. You dirty son of a bitch, you lousy broken down gun fighter.
Oh, hey, hey. Stop that.
I'll get you. Stop it, stop it. I tell you. There.
Then we left the trail and came straight on here.
I figured Gauche would show up sooner or later.
More tortillas?
No, Maria.
How long do we stay?
Depends, on when old Gauche gets the itch.
Well, I've got it right now.
I'm going to scratch it for you shortly.
Three days to go. I don't have much time.
Maybe you ought to, make the most of what you got.
This is Polkie, smells like horse sweat but it don't taste so bad.
The idea is to drink it right down.
Tastes like horse sweat too, I think.
Come on Maria, give them some more.
Ikodo Boshido has said that.
Man with big stomach is man with small mind.
Oh, is that so?
You have one more.
I intend to.
And one more, Maria.
What's does Ikodo Boshido think on something like that?
Think you can handle it?
Come.
There you are. Enjoy yourself senior and enjoy the hospitality of the, Hotel Maxim.
My name is Maria. My father sold me here last month.
I am sorry, I am not one of great experience, yet. Besides, I am afraid.
No. First you undress me.
Good night girls, see you in the morning.
Good night, madam.
Sleep well.
Guess that's it for the night. Might as well go home to my husband.
Wait a minute. I want to take just a little peek.
You are very beautiful, Senior. Your skin, is almost the same color as mine, see.
I think he was trying to tell me something.
So was I. All evening. Come on, get in there.
Like this, Senior?
Senior, do you want me to go or stay?
Hey, do you always shoot your bed partner in the morning?
Well it depends on how good she was.
Me?
I'll let you live.
Thanks.
Oh, tell them to go back to their wives.
Oh, go away, we're not open yet.
Come back later, fellows It's too early.
We're not here for girls. We want Christina. Go fetch her, Pepi.
Never mind I'll get her, Pogo.
Fix them some breakfast.
Sure. Enjoy the hospitality of the Hotel Maxim.
You stay where you are. Come on Pepe.
When you think you're quite finished.
Here, take this. It's going to be quite cold going over those mountains.
What makes you think I'm going anywhere with you?
Who is it?
Mace, Gauche sent me for you.
Look out, Link's here.
Get back.
Enjoy the hospitality of the Hotel Maxim.
Yes, nice people.
Yes, I think you ought to get Christina ready.
All right.
We'll be traveling soon. You think you can handle it?
Drag her out by the hair if you have to.
All right, the next one will be in the middle. Throw the gun out.
All right.
Now you tell Gauche, the gold and the Japanese sword in exchange for that.
You son of a bitch, Gauche catches you...
That's why you didn't finish me off?
That's right. You tell him tomorrow noon at the old mission.
What about you, any messages you want delivered.
You hear that? She says life won't be worth living until she sees him again.
You think you can remember all that?
Yeah, and I'll remember to tell him to leave you for me.
You do that. Move out.
The mission, how far?
A day's ride over that snow.
You're a disgrace to your mother's rotten pigs.
When Gauche is finished with you, I pray to God that he sends you to hell.
Well that's a very religious girl.
You bastard.
You like this?
Makes me think of Japan.
It must be very beautiful there.
Yes, it is.
This man, Gauche.
What about him?
All I know is he was a gambler in New Orleans...
...and that he deals cards with his left hand, shoots a gun with his left hand.
Le Man Gauche they call him, it's as good a name as any.
But why do you want to kill him?
Not like that, let me have it.
The Japanese, where did you find him?
On the train, when someone killed his friend Guess who?
Gauche will kill you, too.
Well, we'll see about that.
You know, if you have been different to me If you had shown me a little respect.
You mean like the Frenchman?
He cares for me. All you ever cared about is yourself.
Well, that makes you and me the same.
Christina, you're a whore, you've always been one, you'll always be one.
You always did know how to speak to a woman.
My offer still holds You help me with Gauche, you'll get a fair share of the loot.
How much?
Enough to move you away from San Lucas...
...and let you live anywhere you want anywhere else.
But don't you take too long making up your mind...
...because I'm going to change mine pretty soon.
Give me my clothes.
I'll give you your clothes, but first I want your word of honor that you won't kill Gauche on sight.
My clothes.
Your word.
Don't know what the hell that's all about...
...but it sounds like it's coming from the heart.
Well?
Give me five minutes with him.
Not enough.
One hour. Give me one full hour.
I need one full day.
Karoda, I need the time to make Gauche to take me to the cash.
I want to be sure it's there.
No.
All right, you suit yourself.
Turning blue.
Won't be long you won't be nothing but a clump of ice, by nightfall...
...you'll be frozen into the landscape and you'll never avenge your friend or never get your sword.
You're going to end up in Japanese hell, a disgrace to your ancestors.
You have my word, I will not kill the man until you say.
Don't take it so hard, I think you're one hell of a man.
I think you are one son of a bitch.
Senior Gauche. Senior Gauche.
They all meet you Senior, they'll be there tomorrow. By noon.
Hey, what happened to the others?
Where's Mace, where's Pepi?
Gauche, Link's still alive.
Oh, that's too damn bad for him.
He's got one of the Japanese with him. A real tough son of a bitch.
Sure, but they all die the same way.
Okay. I, I didn't want to have to tell you. They got the girl.
Who?
Christina, Miss Christina, I mean.
Hyatt, how is it you're the only one that got away?
Yeah, tell us. Lost your voice?
Hurry, come on.
Okay, okay, take it easy.
Horses.
Hey, the sword.
Don't forget the sword.
The villagers that were here had a choice, run or fight. Looks like they ran.
From what?
Comanches, they came over the mountain, too.
What are we going to do?
Well, the Comanches would have taken what they wanted...
...so I guess this place is as safe as any other.
And if I remember right, you're along ways from being a good cook.
You get busy anyhow.
Why should I, you get busy?
You cook, you eat I cook, you get whipped and go to bed hungry.
The thing I like about you Link, the older you get the sweeter you get, too. Ohhh.
What about a little Pokie, I feel like loosening up a bit.
No. Important day tomorrow. I want a clear head.
Yeah well, that's what I'm about to do. Clear my head.
I will see to the horses.
I can't go back to Pepita's place. I won't I need a chance in life.
I can't go on like this forever.
No, I guess you can't. Dark season gunman.
Always some one new to come along to take our place.
All right then. I'll help you with Gauche.
I thought he cared for you, gave you all sorts of respect.
But he's not you, nobody is. I'll go along with you, anyway you want.
Is that so?
All right. Get your clothes off.
Now I take off yours.
Leave Gauche for you.
You fool, he outsmarted you, you'll never get that money.
Don't move, I'll kill you. I swear I'll kill you!
That's Christina for you. Never know which gun she's going to reach for.
Shit.
You all right?
Yeah. No hurry. She's headed in the right direction.
Christina.
Gauche. Gauche.
Christina. Come back. Christina.
We must move out.
What the hell are you talking about, and leave her with those...
All right, let's go.
Take your hands off me. Leave me, leave me, let me go.
Leave me, leave me. Get off. Oh, God, help.
No, no, I can't. Oh. No, help, help.
No, no, no, no, no, no. Help. Help, no, no. Help me, help.
That's wet rawhide. While it's drying, she'll slowly be choked to death.
Get back.
Thanks.
Oh no, that band is so tight you just might cut her throat.
You all right?
Well, you cost us about two hours already, let's get out of here.
My God.
Comanches, again?
Yeah, they get around.
So damned many tracks around here...
...you can't tell who's come or gone.
But, who's hidden over there waiting for us to show?
I go first.
No, I'll go with her, you hang back until I call you in.
Sure, wish you could use one of these.
No need.
Yes, there's a need. Maybe some day I'll teach you.
When your swords hanging in the White House and I'm so rich, it's disgusting.
Well, if old Gauche is in there, you're going to find out right now how much he loves you.
Well, I guess we just wait.
What for?
Throw it, Link.
You... What's your name?
Karoda Juri.
Well Karoda, looks like you found me. You still intend to see me dead?
It's possible.
Just because I'm the nervous type... The knives, put them out of reach.
Check under his robe.
Madre mia, look at this arsenal.
Gauche. They saved my life. I tried to escape but the Comanches caught me, and..
Oh yeah? Thanks, Link. What can I do for you?
Well, you can give my friend here his sword...
...tell me where the gold is hid, and then you can take a high dive in a low well.
Yeah. That's what I thought. Hyatt wants you for himself. You got a preference?
Please, you can't let him do it, you can't. Please, Gauche!
Hyatt.
Come on, Link. You're coming with me.
Give me the sword.
Boss, boss. The sword. He wants the sword.
What the hell, give him the God damned thing.
Thank you.
You all right?
Don't worry.
Well, I figure they'll either burn us out or wait us out.
What did you do with your horses?
Hid on the way up in the cane brake.
Well now, that wasn't very damned smart.
They won't do anybody good except the Comanches.
What do you suggest?
Gauche, I suggest you stay alive, I don't care how you do it, but you stay alive.
Unless of course, you want to tell me right now where you hid the gold.
Well, when the time comes, I'm going to have to beat it out of you, and that's all right, too.
What do you think?
Yeah.
Hey, over here.
Hyatt's dead, so is Shadow.
Yeah, the next thing that they'll do is set fire to this cane.
You think you can chop a fire break?
Yeah.
Get back.
Link.
Help.
Well Link, I'm still alive. Let's get back to business.
Kill him.
No, no. Link, you're not going to shoot me.
Cause if you kill me, you'll never find the money.
I know you too well, Link. A quarter of a million dollars to be shared between you and me...
...you don't throw away that sort of money. You're too clever for that.
Tell you what, the money, you can have the lot. The whole quarter...
No, Gauche. You keep it.
You bastard, you stupid bastard.
She say it. Stupid. No need to do that.
You're wrong, great need.
The sword. All for nothing.
Wrong again, because I'm going to see that that sword gets safely back.
That's stupid. Bad. You close to border. They catch you, hang you.
Listen, you believe that, you believe anything.
You do this for me? You take it back?
Sure Hell, I ain't got nothing else to do.
All right.
Here, I'll do it, I'll do it.
What?
So, everything is good.
Yeah, that, that's right.
You'll never find the money, Link.
Oh, I know you, you'll keep on looking.
But it won't do you any good.
There is no one alive who knows where Gauche hid it.
Except...
I've heard him talking, once about something...
...and he stopped to pick up something.
Something in small bags that clinked.
If you want, we could team up together.
Well... It's an idea.
Then you'll take me with you?
Sure.
Oh good. That's wonderful.
But only as far as San Lucas.
Oh, you bastard.
Now that's the Christina I'll always like to remember.