Get away from that gate.
I got a shotgun on you. Get away!
There's no need to be hostile, huh?
Just here to see Senator Buckley.
Come back in the morning.
Those gates don't open after sundown.
We're government agents here on official business.
Now open up this gate.
What's the name?
James West and Artemus Gordon.
Well, nobody said anything about...
I'll have to see some identification.
Just who are you?
I'm Senator Buckley's foreman.
Fletcher, anything wrong?
They claim to be government agents.
They want to see your father.
Show them in.
The senator doesn't allow guns in the house.
Leave them here, please.
If you gentlemen
would make yourselves comfortable in the study,
I'll tell father you're here.
Thank you.
She must have meant he doesn't allow anyone else's guns
in the house.
Now, it looks like they're getting ready
to make a last stand.
Yeah. Against whom, I wonder.
Mr. West, Mr. Gordon.
Surely President Grant didn't send you
all the way to Kansas just to see me.
Oh, no, sir. He was concerned about your welfare.
It's been such a long time
since the president's heard from you.
He's anxious to expedite
your return to Washington, senator.
I won't be able to go for at least a week.
Why is he badgering me?
Because you happen to have a national-defense bill
tied up in your committee, sir.
Oh, yes.
Well, gentlemen, you may tell the president that I-
Senator, you tell the president.
Look, sir, if you're
in some kind of difficulty, we'd be glad to help.
No difficulties.
None whatever.
Fletcher, who did this to you?
It- It...
It...
I-it was-
What's going on here?
And who are you?
My name is James West.
Well, then you're one of the Secret Service people.
That's right.
What did that to him?
I don't know.
Better get some blankets for this man.
Go get some blankets, something to carry him on.
Then, sir, you didn't see it.
No, I just saw a shadow over there.
I wish I'd been here.
This is my brother Benjamin, Mr. West.
I wouldn't have been afraid to take on whatever it was.
You may get that opportunity, sir.
I'm Aaron Buckley. This is my brother Caleb.
Sorry we couldn't have met under happier circumstances.
If we don't get a doctor for this man,
he may not need one.
Yeah, you're quite right. Caleb, you better go-
While you're getting the doctor,
I'm gonna look for that shadow.
I'd rather you didn't.
Well, it could be dangerous, Mr. West.
Uh, I'll have some of the men take a look later.
Mr. Buckley, that's my job.
Caleb, you'd better go for Dr. Liebig.
You shouldn't have let West go.
Suppose he finds what's out there.
I tried to stop him.
You should have given me a sign, Aaron.
I could have stopped him soon enough.
Would you? How?
There are ways.
All right, round up some of the men and go after him.
I won't need any help. Take them, anyway.
You don't know what you might run into out there.
Is he badly hurt?
He's crushed.
Funny, he wasn't beaten, he didn't fall.
He's just literally crushed.
What could do a thing like that, senator?
I have no idea.
How could I know what it was?
What was he guarding you from, senator?
Jim and I noticed it the minute we got here:
armed sentries with dogs, guns everywhere,
the entire place barricaded.
What is it? What's goin' on here, senator?
Fletcher, can you hear me?
Can you hear me?
What is it? What happened out there?
What'd you find?
It...
Mr. Gordon,
could you understand him?
He said he was attacked by...
Attacked by what?
A strange enormous beast
of some kind.
That's ridiculous.
Mr. West.
Mr. West, you're wanted back at the house.
Well, did something else happen?
Not that I've heard.
Well, then there's no hurry.
Oh, yes, there is.
You see, Mr. West,
we're all afraid something might happen to you
alone out here in the dark.
Now that you're all here, I'm sure I'll be all right.
Well, that just all depends.
On what?
On whether you do like I say
and tippytoe back to the house.
You sure you got your orders straight?
Now look here, Mr. West.
What did Aaron tell you to do if I didn't wanna go
back to the house? He didn't say.
I guess he thought we could persuade you.
Bring him.
Where is he? Where did he go?
Here!
Don't try to get up.
You may be seriously injured.
It's James West. Are you a doctor?
That's right.
There's someone that needs you
at the Buckley manor worse than I do.
Ja, so I understand.
You can ride back with us, Mr. West.
Thank you.
Was he ever conscious?
Barely.
Just long enough to say he'd been attacked
by some strange enormous beast.
Unlike any beast I've ever seen in Kansas.
Well, then it had to be a man, Jim.
No. Whatever it was, it wasn't a man.
It wasn't human.
Not man or beast? What does that leave?
Artie, I don't know.
All I know is Fletcher hit it.
I followed it up to the hills and the ruins
and lost the tracks.
Oh. We can pick that up tomorrow morning.
Not if the Buckley family has anything to do about it.
Listen, I don't get that.
What do you think they have to hide?
I have no id-
What happened to this man?
Oh, uh, he thought he was
attacked by some enormous beast.
So does Mr. West.
Oh, that is delirium.
More than a possibility.
Anyway, doctor, we'd like to ask this man some questions
as soon as you think it's advisable.
You may ask any questions you like,
but there will be no answers.
He is dead.
His injuries were massive.
Nothing could have saved him.
Uh, from the color of the eyes,
I'd say that he had a ruptured spleen, doctor.
Oh, doctor, I'm sorry. I didn't introduce you to my associate.
This is Artemus Gordon. This is Sigmund Von Liebig.
Your servant, sir.
Liebig?
Don't I know that name?
I can see no reason why you should.
Gentlemen.
Sigmund Von Liebig?
What about him?
I-I know that name from somewhere.
I just can't think of where.
Well, Artie, when you remember, why don't you let me know, hm?
Let's go see the senator.
Liebig.
Dr. Liebig just told me.
Poor Fletcher.
Where's your father?
In the study with Dr. Lieb-
Oh. Oh, but I'm a terrible hostess.
Here you've had a long cold trip,
and I haven't- No, thanks, Miss Buckley.
We'd like to see your father.
Let me show you to your rooms.
No, thank you. A hot meal?
Miss Buckley, it sounds like you're trying
to keep us from him.
Those were my orders.
He and the boys are in family caucus.
Let me show you to your rooms.
Yes, gentlemen?
Oh, we'd like to talk to your father.
That's out of the question.
I'm sorry, Mr. West.
My father's not a young man.
Fletcher's death was a great shock to him.
He is to talk to no one till morning.
Oh, will he be any better in the morning?
We'll have to wait and see.
And now if you'll excuse us.
We're gonna have to find out what's goin' on in there.
You know that.
Mm-hm. We're gonna have to do it another way.
We're all yours now, Miss Buckley.
Oh, thank you.
Um, look, how come you aren't in there?
Aren't you family?
I'm adopted,
and a ward hasn't much status in this family.
Oh, the boys are rather clannish, huh?
No more than you'd expect of triplets.
Triplets?
I didn't think they resembled one another that much.
Must have been very useful to the senator
for political reasons, though, huh?
Where's that lead?
Why do you ask?
Well, you see, I- I walk in my sleep.
He knows that very well.
I wouldn't wanna get into the wrong room.
That is the wrong room.
It was the boys' nursery.
No one goes in there.
No one.
Well, of course, Miss Buckley.
Thank you very much for telling us.
Naomi.
Naomi. "My sweetness."
That's what "Naomi" means in Hebrew. You know that?.
Really? Mm-hm.
What does Artemus mean?
It means, uh, "He who wastes little time."
This is your room, gentlemen.
Whenever you're ready, come downstairs,
and I'll have a hot meal for you.
Oh, I don't think I should, no.
Every time I eat late, I walk in my sleep.
Why don't you go ahead, Jim?
Uh, shall we, Miss Buckley?
Well, have you seen enough?
If you didn't believe it before,
what happened here tonight
ought to convince all of you.
I just can't believe-
We were all together, all together tonight.
And but for the grace of Fletcher being out there,
we'd have all been wiped out to the last Buckley.
The last known one, anyhow.
Father, we can't just sit here and wait.
I just can't believe-
We'll all be slaughtered. You don't want that, do you?
No.
No, Aaron, of course I don't.
Then give us your permission
to stop it.
I'm so weary. I-
I have to think.
Give me a little time.
Time is running out, Father,
for all of us.
What do you want to do?
It's kill...
or be killed.
There has to be another way.
What do you suggest? Negotiations?
Sweet reason? A peace treaty?
Look, you can't reason with- With that thing.
There's gonna be a bloodbath. Now what are you gonna do?
Why do you ask me?
You've already made up your mind.
All you want now is for me to sanction it.
Well, that I refuse to do.
I'm going to bed now.
I think the old man has lost his grip.
It's up to us now.
You mean it's up to me.
You keep assuring us
you're not afraid of...it.
I'm afraid of nothing.
Then kill it.
Once it's done,
the Buckley secret is safe again.
I wonder. There'll be an investigation.
No one will talk. There must be records somewhere.
None that I know of. In the church.
Of course.
The history of the Buckley family
for the past 200 years
is in the church records.
Then we'll destroy them.
Benjamin?
All right. In the morning.
Not in the morning. Tonight, Benjamin.
You'll go to the church right now.
Please, I'd like to take this up to Mr. Gordon.
I'm sure he's famished. If Mr. Gordon were hungry,
he'd come down and get something to eat.
Thank you.
Jim.
You didn't get that walking in your sleep.
No, no. I- I just woke up.
There was something I had to tell you.
Artie, what is it?
I can't remember.
It was something-
Wait a minute, somebody went out.
The senator. No, no, no.
Uh, somebody...
Benjamin.
Benjamin went out.
I must have been hit even harder than I thought.
Records.
That's what it was.
They sent him for some records.
Where?
Who did they send?
They sent Benjamin.
Uh...
I-
I-I can't seem to remember. I don't know.
Dimas?
No. No, Dimas. No!
Um, A-Artie,
I think that's enough to think on.
Now, uh, where did he go?
I don't know. Must be somewhere where they keep the records.
Listen.
What's that?
Church bells.
Why would they be ringing the church bells at midnight?
Church.
That's where they sent him, Jim,
is to the church.
Church!
Oh!
West, you can't go out there!
Have the men get the rest of the shotguns.
I must protest
this desecration.
Who are you?
I'm Reverend Hastings.
I was awakened by somebody ringing my church bell.
Good heavens. What happened to that man? Who is it?
It's Benjamin Buckley, and he was crushed to death
just like the Buckley caretaker.
God have mercy on us.
Did you see it?
See what?
Over there, by the edge of the woods.
It looked like a...
Well, reverend, what did you see?
Well, now, that's impossible.
It must have been the lightning,
or perhaps my mind is playing tricks.
Reverend, what was it?
Well, it looked like a-
Now, please don't scoff,
but it looked like a giant ape.
It's always cold in this house.
Yeah.
Everything quiet for a change?
Well, the senator's sleeping. I can't vouch for the others.
You know, Artie, we can't leave here
until we square this thing away.
Well, of course not,
since Senator Buckley wouldn't be any good to anyone
in Washington, anyway, not in this condition.
You get anything out of him?
No, he wouldn't tell me a thing.
He obviously wants to take the Buckley secret
to the grave with him, and he probably might.
Listen,
about this big, giant ape of yours-
Artie, I wasn't the only one to see the ape.
Reverend Hastings saw it too, you know.
Well, I was just doing a little bit of research, that's all.
You remember my telling you that the name "Liebig"
had a familiar ring to it?
Stain's International Biographies.
Right. Listen to this.
"Von Liebig, Sigmund Gerhard Maria.
"Born 1809, Schweinfurt, Germany.
"Educated at the University of Heidelberg.
"Lectured for three years at the University of Zurich.
Now, get this:
"Well-known naturalist,
"anthropologist, and the author of
"On the Nature of the Ape and His Environment
and The Journal of Ape Culture."
Is that all, Artie?
Is that all? What more do you need?
I mean, the man's an authority on apes.
He's probably conducted experiments with them.
He might even have one around right now.
Artie, I had a hunch
there was an ape around here somewhere.
Good logic.
The question is, what's it got to do with the Buckleys?
I'm going over to talk to this man.
Hey, Artie,
he won't talk to you.
Of course he won't talk to me,
but he might talk to another anthropologist.
Like Dr. Marvin Gentry.
"Dr. Marvin Gentry,
Anthropological Museum, St. Louis."
Quite right.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, I know your museum,
but I have never heard of you.
Oh, but we've heard of you, doctor.
Oh, yes, indeed.
Y-your fame is widespread
all up and down the length and breadth
of St. Louis.
As a matter of fact, the library has-
Has two copies of your book.
Ja. Which book?
On the Nature of Ape and His Environment, of course.
Masterly thesis, sir. Just masterly.
Nonsense. It is nothing but the maunderings of youth.
Oh, no. No, not at all.
It is full of errors, a discredited series.
I prefer to drop the subject.
You can't mean you've abandoned your experiments with the apes?
Certainly. I-I am now
simply a country doctor.
Oh, no.
It's not only a great blow to the world of anthropology,
but it completely knocks over my theory.
You see, I was certain-
I am sorry, Dr. Gentry, but I no longer have any-
I no longer have any interest in the subject.
I am sorry. I do not wish to be uncivil, Dr. Gentry,
but I have a very busy morning.
Naturally, I'd be delighted to stay
and help you with your work.
Ja? Well, I have to attend a funeral this morning.
If that is to your taste, by all means, come along.
Oh, good heavens, no.
Uh, not even f-f-for science.
No. No, uh, thank you, doctor.
Good day to you, doctor.
Why don't you go in there and sit down and rest?
You'll be all right.
I'll go with you, Naomi.
"Felis magna dentata.
One million B.C."
You can get a stiff neck staring around like that.
Oh, hello.
I'm frightfully sorry.
I didn't know there was anybody home.
G-Gentry is the name. Dr. Marvin Gentry,
St. Louis Anthropological-
Uh, Dr. Liebig has
quite a remarkable little museum here, doesn't he?
I've been writing it up for our, uh, germinal-
Journal. Heh-heh.
Uh, I'd very much like to mention you, uh,
but how do you spell your name?
The doctor allows nobody here.
Yes, I- I know, I know. So he told me.
I thought it was most, uh, kind of him
to have given me the run of the place.
Well...Ahem.
I've had my run,
so why don't I just run along here?
That's a-
That's a very interesting head,
uh, you have there on that skeleton, you know.
You, uh, turn the head, and it, uh-
Well, you probably know about that, don't you? Heh-heh.
What's that, another gadget?
What happens when you twist that?
I see. It comes out of the wall.
Uh, look, old boy, can't we, uh, please
just talk this over man to men?
Uh, keep away from me.
Can't we talk this over, please? Just-
You come one step closer,
and I'll misspell your name.
Though I walked through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil for thou art with me.
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Earth to earth, ashes to ashes,
dust to dust...
Liebig's been here for 20 minutes.
Yeah, I know, I've been conducting
a sort of an interview with his assistant.
As a result, I can tell you categorically,
there may be no apes in Kansas, but there sure is a person
who looks an awful lot like one.
Who?
Liebig's assistant.
I tell you, Jim, that's the biggest meanest hulk
since the woolly mammoth.
Where'd you meet this monster?
He came up out of the cellar through a trick door
in Liebig's office.
Mister,
my friend's gone away.
Naomi? She was with you. Where'd she go?
She went away with a big monkey.
A-? With a what?
They went into the woods.
I wanted to come to,
but I couldn't keep up.
Now- Now, just a minute, dear.
Don't you really mean a very large man?
No. He was a monkey with long fur and big teeth.
He picked Naomi up and gave her a ride.
Uh, Artie, does that sound like Liebig's assistant to you?
No, it doesn't. It sounds like a giant ape.
There must be some trail to follow.
Keep an eye on the senator, huh?
Right.
Men! Men, we don't know what's out there,
but we do know it's deadly.
It's killed two people already, and nobody-
Nobody here's safe
as long as that beast is roaming this countryside!
Kill it! Shoot it on sight!
Come on! I want to kill it!
All right! Let's go!
That's a lynch mob out there.
All they'll do is stumble around in the dark
shooting up livestock.
You've got to stop them, senator.
What can I do?
Tell me who's trying to kill the Buckleys.
It's too late. Nothing can be done now.
Nothing can be done by that mob,
but Jim and I might stop this thing.
West? Yes.
For all we know, he's dead too.
Why did you come?
It was my plan that the Buckleys would try and save her.
Naomi, you were bait
to lure the Buckleys here. Why?
So I could kill them all.
Now I'll have to go to them.
Tonight, the job will be finished.
W-why do you wanna kill the-?
The whole Buckley family?
You'll have time to figure that out for yourself.
I don't think you can get out of here,
but if you do, he'll kill you.
He does anything I tell him.
You've got to stop him!
Senator, who was Dimas Buckley?
Where did you hear that name?
It touched a nerve, didn't it?
Aaron sent Benjamin to the church last night
in order to destroy some records,
but I think he overlooked yours right here in the family Bible.
Is this your secret, senator?
"Born to Martha Elizabeth and Seth Buckley,
"January 20th, 1845,
"Sons Benjamin,
Aaron, Caleb...
and Dimas."
Not triplets.
Quadruplets.
I half expected as much last night
when I was in that nursery.
I saw three cribs, three bureaus,
three sets of everything,
and the faded-out line of a fourth on the wallpaper.
It belonged to Dimas, didn't it?
Yes.
Where is he?
He died.
When?
It's all there in the records.
If you go to the cemetery, you'll find the grave.
Who signed his death certificate?
I did,
Mr. Gordon.
Dr. Liebig.
Yes, I was expecting you to show up,
perhaps with your ape.
Ah, but I told you.
That there are no apes in Kansas?
Yes, I know you did.
Unfortunately, one has been seen in broad daylight.
Now, as an authority on apes...
How would you explain that,
doctor?
Mmm. Yeah.
I am beginning to see.
Very well, Mr. Gentry
or Mr. Whatever-Your-Name-Is.
You are right.
Say nothing more, Liebig.
It is too late for evasiveness.
Ja, there is an ape.
I raised it from a little baby,
and I trained it to prove my thesis,
that given the same environment as man,
an ape can attain
the same degree of human development.
Not a very successful experiment, was it?
No.
No, I must admit that
I can no longer control Johann.
It's no use.
Stay calm and we'll get out.
I just about got this lock picked.
Even if you do get out, he'll kill us!
When I walk across this cage,
you open up the cage door.
Cover me for a minute so the ape can't see me.
Stay there.
All right, cross over.
You gave Liebig one of your sons
for an experiment?
Not for that reason.
You see, Dimas was different.
Within several months of his birth,
you could tell that he-
Well, he was different from his brothers.
I- I thought maybe Liebig could help him.
And a son like that would be a liability to a politician,
wouldn't it, senator?
That had no bearing on the decision.
Didn't it?
Then why a fake death certificate?
Why a tombstone over an empty grave?
Now you know the Buckley secret.
All right, the important thing is does Dimas?
Yes, he discovered who he was, and he demanded his birthright.
How could I acknowledge him now?
Don't you see?
He's set out to take it all:
the name, the lands,
the fortune.
All he has to do is wipe out the last of the Buckleys,
and he's got Johann to blame for it.
No, I can't! I can't!
Get up!
Aaron?
I didn't hear you come back. I-
Jim, we heard something up there.
It's not the ape.
He's on the loose, and he's outside, Artie.
Take those people in the study and guard them.
Right, while you check that.
Yeah.
Johann!
Men, over here!
It's over here!
My son.
Dimas...
my son.
What did I do to him?
What did I do?