"What's wrong, Campbell?" "We have three hours till we stop." "Dunson here says he's leaving the train." " Is that right, Dunson?" "Are you leaving?" " I am." "You can't do that." "You signed on..." "I signed nothing." "If I had, I'd stay." "You'll remember I joined your train after you left St Louis." "Wait." "You know this is Indian country." "You might be walking into trouble." " For two days past we've seen smoke." " Yeah, we know that." "They're around somewhere." "I feel 'em." "The Comanches are welcome to you, but not to your bull and cows." "We need the beginnings of herds in California." "You're right about the beginning of herds, but I'm starting my own herd." "I watched the land south of here since we left the Salt Fork." "It's good land." "Good grass for beef." "So I'm going south where it is." "You're too good a gun for me to let you leave." "Then I'm too good a gun for you to argue with." "If I was you, Colonel, I'd let him be." "He's a set man." "When his mind's made up, even you can't change him." "He'll head south." "Mind he don't stomp on you on the way out." " Are you leaving, too?" " Colonel, me and Dunson..." "Well, it's me and Dunson." " Tell him I wish him luck." " Good luck to you, Colonel." " I decided last night." " I decided, too." "I want to go with you." "No, I'll send for..." "I know you've work to do, Tom, but I want to be part of it." " I love you." "I want to be with you." " Not now." "I'm asking you, Tom." "Please take me with you." " I'm strong." "I can stand anything you can." " It's too much for a woman." "Too much for a woman?" "Put your arms around me, Tom." "Hold me." "Feel me in your arms." "Do I feel weak, Tom?" "I don't, do I?" "Oh, you'll need me." "You'll need a woman." "You need what a woman can give you to do what you have to do." "Oh, listen to me, Tom." "Listen with your head and your heart, too." "The sun only shines half the time, Tom." "The other half is night." "I've made up my mind." "Change your mind, Tom." "Just once in your life change your mind!" "I'll send for you." " Will you come?" " Course I'll come, but you're wrong." "My mother's." "Go, please!" "If you're going to go, please go now." "I want to be with you so much my knees feel like... like they've knives in them." "Bye." "Giddap!" "Whoa!" " What river do you reckon that is?" " The Red River, I think." "If it is, that's Texas on the other side." " Well, how about calling it a day, huh?" " All right." "It's too big for a signal smoke, ain't it?" "Yeah." "It's just about where the wagon train'd be." "Why do Indians always wanna be burning up good wagons?" "Take us hours to get back there." "Yeah." "We should have took her along." "They'll most likely be sending some out after us." "If they do, this is as good a place as any." "Swing the wagon round." "We'll keep the river to our back." "Giddap!" "Tom." "We could have been wrong about that smoke, or she might have got away." "Oh, I wish it." "There they are." "I hope there ain't too many of 'em." "Give me your rifle!" "You all right, Tom?" "I got two more of 'em." "Near as I can figure, there's only one of 'em left." "They got the two cows, but..." "Aw, Tom." "That's too bad." "We should have took..." "That's him." " Answer him." " Huh?" "Answer him." " Let's get outta here." " Yeah, and give them buzzards a chance." "People dying', burnin' the wagons..." "Shootin' and screamin'..." "People dying'..." "Where'd you come from?" "It was all burning'." "Only Indians around." "Just all burning' and smokin'..." "How'd you get away?" " Burnin' everything..." " He's out of his head." "I could see it." "They was burnin' the wagons, people were screamin'..." " I wouldn't do that." " Put that gun down." "Don't do that again!" "All right, sonny." "I was just asking where you came..." "Don't ever trust anybody till you know 'em." "I won't... after this." "Thanks for telling me." "All right." "Now, how'd you get away?" "I was following my cow." "She got away in the brush." "Miles it seemed like." "Up a long hill she went." "And then I heard 'em." "And then I saw 'em." "And I wish I hadn't." "Yeah." "Well, it looks like we'll have to take you along." "Well, are you gonna use it?" "No." "No." "But don't ever try to take it away from me again." "He'll do." "Tie him up short." "Get up on the seat." "Let's go." " We're in Texas!" " It feels good to me!" "This is it." "This is where we start growing good beef." "Sure looks good, Tom." "Worth coming 2,000 miles for." "Everything a man could want - good water and grass, and plenty of it." " Who does it belong to?" " To me." "Some day that'll all be covered with good beef." "And I'll put a mark, a brand on 'em to show they're mine, too." "What kind of a mark?" "I've been thinking about that." "There'll be two lines..." "like this." "Like the banks of a river." "It'll be the Red River brand." "We'll start now." "Get a fire going, Matt." "Heat the iron." "There's the first one." " First Red River D." " You gonna put that on my cow, too?" " Why not?" " She's mine." "I see a D for Dunson, but my name's Matthew." " We'll talk about that later." " I don't see any M on that brand." "I'll put an M on it when you earn it." "That's fair enough." "I'll earn it." "Never like seeing strangers." "Guess it's cos no stranger ever good-news'd me." "Hello." "Saw the smoke of your fire." "Where do you go?" "Nowhere." "On Don Diego's land you are welcome for a night, a week..." " Are you Diego?" " No, senor." "I'm only..." "Where is he?" "At his home across the river, 600km south." " How far is that?" " 400 miles." "That's too much land for one man." "It ain't decent." "Here's all this land aching to be used, and never has been!" "But, senor, it is for Don Diego to do as he chooses." "This land is Don Diego's." " What river were you talking about?" " Rio Grande, but I told you..." "Tell Don Diego, tell him that all the land north of that river is mine." "Tell him to stay off of it." " But the land is his." " Where did he get it?" "Many years ago by grant and patent, inscribed by the King of all the Spain." "You mean he took it from whoever was here before." "Indians maybe." " Maybe so." " Well, I'm taking it away from him." "Others have thought as you, senor." "Others have tried." "You've always been good enough to stop 'em?" " Amigo, it is my work." " Pretty unhealthy job." "Get away, Matt." "I'm sorry for you, senor." "How about you?" "Do you want some of it?" "It is not my land, senor." "I will wait until Don Diego tells me what to do." "All right, go tell him what happened." "Tell him what I said." "Take your friend's horse." "We'll bury him." "Move!" "Matt, I told you to get away." "You might have got hurt." " He went for his gun first, but you knew..." " Next time do what I say." " How'd you know when he would draw?" " By watching' his eyes." " Remember that." " I will." "Get the shovel and my Bible." "I'll read over him." ""We brought nothing into this world, and it's certain we can carry nothing out. "" ""The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away. "" ""Blessed be the name of the Lord." "Amen. "" "Turn 'em loose." " They're gonna get away." " Wherever they go, they'll be on my land." "My land." "We're here and we're gonna stay here." "Give me ten years and I'll have that brand on the gates of the greatest ranch in Texas." "The big house'll be down by the river, and the corrals and the barns behind it." "It'll be a good place to live in." "Ten years and I'll have the Red River D on more cattle than you've seen anywhere." "I'll have that brand on enough beef to... to feed the whole country." "Good beef for hungry people." "Beef to make 'em strong, make 'em grow." "It takes work, and it takes sweat, and it takes time." "Lots of time." "It takes years." "Well, we've had our ten years and more." "Nearer to 15." "We've got the cattle." "Thousands of heads of good beef and, there as they stand, there isn't a head worth a plugged three-cent piece." "Three-cent piece!" "Why, that's more silver money than I've seen since the war." "That's right." "It all happened while you were away, Matt." "More cattle than a man could gather elsewhere in two lifetimes." "And I'm broke." " Unless we move 'em, I'm broke." " Figured that's why you rounded 'em up." "I won't take it haunch-backed like the rest around here." "If there's no market for cattle in Texas, I'll take 'em where there is one, if it means driving 'em 1,000 miles." " Missouri?" " Yeah." "That's what I figured." "Seems you've been doing a lot of figuring." "While you were at it, did you figure out the best way to take 'em?" "Which trail to take?" "Yeah." "San Saba, then Meridian, then along the Brazos." "That's the long way around." " Along the Brazos and up Palo Pinto..." " I said that's the long way." "I know it's the long way, but there's good water all the way up to the Red." " But we could get two extra crossings." " You're not going." " I'm not?" " No, you're not." " How do you know the water's good?" " I led a patrol that way." "Well, you think it's worth..." "What are you mumbling about?" "!" " Where are your store teeth?" " In my pocket." " Well, use 'em." " They whistle." "I use 'em for eating." " Can't understand you." " Everybody else can." "What did you say?" "I said there's a lot of things you don't know about." " What?" " First, about me going on this drive." " It's 1,000 miles to Missouri." " That's right." " You figure I can't ride that far?" " That's it." " I could ride a chuck wagon." " We've already got a cook." "That is right, Mr Dunson." "But might be old Cookie might not like grubbing the trip all that way." "You heard me good that time." "I might be able to persuade him." "Might be the time of year when Cookie would like a change of scenery." "Might be I already persuaded him cos he quit this morning!" "Well, then it might be we could persuade you to drive the chuck wagon." "Might be, Mr Dunson." "Might be." "That's a pretty nice gun you're scratching those matches on." "How is your gun arm?" "Well, I've been using it a lot in the last few years." "Get me my horse, will you, Matt?" "Know the funny thing about guns?" "Draw!" " I haven't heard that in years." " He beat ya!" " You knew it was coming." "He beat ya!" " He sure did." "I'd say he's just a little faster, just a mite faster." "Matt, draw up a map of that country we were talking about and I'll..." "I did." "It's on your desk." "Mite faster about a lot of things." "I'll see you later." "Matt, that's the first time in one year I've seen him grin, excepting the other day when you come home." " Didn't you see anything else?" " Huh?" "That look on his face when he was talking about the cattle?" " He's afraid." " Afraid!" "Why, you're crazy, you're loony..." "Am I?" "Oh, sure, sure, I'm scared too." "But I've been here watchin' and seein' and..." " Seein' what?" " Seein' a man fighting'." "Fightin' with his soul and gut to hang on to this place." "14 years of it and it cost him dear, too." "Cost him a woman." "The only woman he ever wanted." " Yeah." " Yeah, you knew about that." "Cost him the killing of seven men who tried to take the place from him." " But that weren't hard, not that." " No, he knows that kind of fighting." "What else?" "Then come the war while you was away." "He learned a lot of things for hisself." "He learned that a ranch ain't only beef, but it's money." "But the war took all the money out of the South." "He didn't know about money, Matt." "He didn't know what to do." " You mean he doesn't know who to fight?" " Yep." "That's all right." "He's just been waiting for you to head the herd north in a full drive." "It's never been done before." "Nine, ten thousand cattle to Missouri." " We could make it." " We...?" "Well, Matt, I'm glad you come home cos... well..." "I'm glad you come home." "Let him go!" "Hey, Matt!" "It's a Diego." "Let him go." " And another Meeker." " Turn him loose." "Hold it!" "Put a brand on him." " It's a Meeker steer." " I said brand him." "He's wearing a Meeker iron." "I can't see it." " Brand him." " All right, but the next is another Diego." "Brand him." "Put the iron on all of 'em, Teeler." "Anything you see, slap it with a Red River D. Burn it deep." "Why not?" "You're gonna wind up branding every rump in Texas except mine." "Hand me that iron, Teeler." " You don't think I'd do it, do you?" " No, I don't!" "Matt, I'm going to Missouri with every steer, cow and bull I can lay my hands on." "I think Meeker might be real pleased to see our brand on his stock." "That I'll argue with Meeker." "And now might be a good time." "He's even got some people to back him up." "I want to see this." "Howdy, Dunson." "Matt." "I hear you're making a drive, Dunson." "News travels fast." "Yeah, we're going to Missouri." "That's what I heard." "I also heard something else." "Cumberland, a neighbour, drove 3,000 head to the Red River." "When he got across, the Missouri border gangs stole the herd, killed his men." " Hard luck." " You know about it?" "Yeah, I know about Cumberland and a lot of others." " Nobody's gonna take my cattle." " I don't want anybody to take mine either." "I hear some of my brand came this way." " Mind if we look your herd over?" " I do mind." " You'd stop us?" " Yeah, we would." "Can't you hold that horse still?" " Well?" " Shall we look around, Mr Meeker?" "Say, you must be new around here." "I told you we'd stop..." "I heard you!" "Well, Mr Meeker?" " I should introduce you two before..." " Who are you?" "Some call me one thing, some another." " What do they call you most?" " By my name." "Cherry Valance." " Of Valverde?" " Valverde way." " Well, we've heard of you." " Thanks." "They say you're good with a gun." "How good?" " I manage to stay alive." " You've been doing pretty good." " Still want to stop us?" " Yeah." "Well, Mr Meeker, what do you say?" "Well, at one time I would have said yes, but now..." " Look, Tom, everything I've got..." " Yeah, I know." "Me, too." "All right." "We rounded up some of your stock, Diego's, and everybody else's." "And?" "I haven't got the time or inclination to cut 'em out." "So I'll drive 'em to Missouri and give you $2 a head when I get back." " And if you don't get back?" " That's your gamble." "I reckon it is." "Not a bad one either." "All right, suits me." "Mr Meeker, I changed my mind about working with you." "Can you use another hand?" " We're full up." " I'd like to go with you to Missouri." " I told you we were..." " I heard you." "I'd care to go along." "Might find it harder to stay alive on the Missouri border." "Yeah." "I might at that." "Wages are $10 a month." "Triple if the steers bring $15 at the railroad." " We lose the herd, you lose your wages." " Fair enough." "All right, good luck." "Goodbye, Mr Meeker." " Take care of him, Matt." " Sure." "I take it I'm hired." "You're hired." "Brand 'em all, Teeler." "Everything that can walk." "Yes, sir!" "Brand 'em all, boys." "Get going!" "You oughta stay back there." " What for?" " See the shooting." " You reckon they'll fight?" " Not yet." "They'll just paw at each other, find out what they're up against." "Be worth seeing." "Could be." "Let's give 'em a hand over here." "That's a good-looking gun you were about to use." "Can I see it?" "Maybe you'd like to see mine." "Nice." "Awful nice." "There are only two things more beautiful than a good gun." "A Swiss watch or a woman from anywhere." "Ever had a good Swiss watch?" "Go ahead, try it." "Hey, that's very good." "Hey, hey!" "That's good, too." "Go on, keep it going." "Yeah, now I know who you'd be." " You'd be Matthew Garth, wouldn't you?" " That's right." "You're as good as they say you are." "Maybe as good as me." " That puts us two at the head of the list." " I'd leave room for a third." " Yeah?" "Who?" " Dunson." "Is he that good?" " He taught me." " Yeah..." " How we doing?" " What was all that shooting?" "That was two of the best men with a gun anybody ever saw." " Who?" " Matt and Cherry Valance." " From Valverde?" " Yeah." " What happened?" " They was having some fun." "Peculiar kind of fun." "Sizing each other up for the future." "Them two is gonna tangle for certain." "When they do, it won't be pretty cos they got 1,000 miles to do it in." " How much flour?" " 28." " Beans?" " 12." " Plenty of sugar?" " Yeah." "You know, Bunk, I always figured Matt was better..." "Say, I could take that personal." "Yeah, and I could take the end of your nose off." "A man your age stealing sugar!" "Get the rest of that stuff." "All right, pop." "Lapping up sugar before we even started." " Hiya, Matt." " Hi." " Your bet, Teeler." " Check." " Kwo?" " Me bet one silver dollar." "One silver dollar?" "Why, that's three days' pay!" "Bet one silver dollar." "Put up or keep face closed." "Keep face closed?" "Why don't you talk English?" " Nah, that's too much for me." " What about you, Groot?" "Whaddya say?" "Look at him." "Anything I hate's a happy Injun." "How's a body to tell when an Injun's running a bluff or not?" " Think he's bluffing?" " Will you call or fold?" "Matt, how about the loan of a silver dollar?" " No." " Why not?" " Is it table stakes?" " Yeah." "Kwo's right." "You bet what's on the table, and that's all." "I got me a good hand and nothing to bet." "What in bag?" "The bag?" "Oh, them's my store teeth." "I couldn't bet them." "Now, look, Kwo, them teeth's worth a heap more than your silver dollar." " Got any more money?" " No." "No more money." "I'll bet a quarter interest in my teeth against your silver dollar." " No." " A half interest?" " Ah!" " You heard him, it's a bet!" "There it is, boys." "Back to back!" "Three men." "Dumb Cherokee betting a silver dollar against half interest in my teeth." "And him with a set fitting to chew the brand off a longhorn." "Wait, Kwo." "You ain't gonna take a man's only set of teeth?" " Uh-huh." " But I gotta use 'em for eatin'." "Come grub, you get 'em." " What are you gonna do with 'em?" " My name now Two-Jaw Kwo." "Two-Jaw Kwo." "That's what I get for playing with an Injun." "I've worn this hat a long time and I'm going to continue to wear it." "If you got any objections, I'd like to hear 'em." " It's your hat, brother." " Wise decision." "Would you be wanting to get up now?" "Well, we start tomorrow." "We're going to Missouri with 10,000 head." "Most of you have come back to Texas from the war." "You came back to nothing." "You found your homes gone and your land stolen by carpetbaggers." "There's no money and no work because there's no market for beef in the South." "But there is in Missouri, so we're going to Missouri." " I hear Cumberland..." " Cumberland didn't make it." "No one else has." "That's the reason I'm here." "I want you to know what you're up against." "You probably already know." "But I wanna make sure you do." "We got a thousand miles to go." "Ten miles a day'll be good." "Fifteen'll be luck." "There'll be dry country, dry wells." "There'll be wind and rain." "There's gonna be Indian territory, how bad I don't know." "In Missouri there'll be border gangs." "It's gonna be a fight all the way, but we'll get there." "Nobody has to come along." "I'll still have a job for you when we get back." "But remember this..." "Every man who signs on for this drive agrees to finish it." "There'll be no quitting along the way, not by me and not by you." "There's no hard feelings if you don't wanna go, but just let me know now." " M-m-m-m..." "Mr Dunson, I..." " It's all right, Dan." "Go ahead." " Mr Dunson, my wife..." " You don't have to explain, Bill." "Thanks." "Good luck." " Go on, Joe, Taylor." " Thank you, Mr Dunson." " It's all right, Dan." "Go ahead." " No, sir." "I-I didn't mean..." " You mean what, Dan?" " I-I-I..." "I just wanted to say I wanna go!" "Fine." "And the rest of ya?" "That means you're all coming along." "Good." "Matt here'll sign you on." "We'll start at sunup." "All right, come on." "Sign your name or make your mark." "Let me sign first, Matt." " Ready, Matthew?" " All ready." "Take 'em to Missouri, Matt." "All right, Kwo." "Let's go to Missouri!" "There they are, Matt." "14 years of hard work." "And they say we can't make the drive." "They could be wrong." "Better be." "Teeler, you and Walt and Sims are on the next watch." " Breakfast at 4.30, Groot." "Trail at 5." " All right, Tom." "Hey, Kwo, when you're finished there, get some..." "What's the matter?" " Grub finish?" " Sure, I ate..." " Give 'em tooth." " Teeth, I told you." " In the morning I'll be using 'em again." " Come morning, you get 'em." "Look, Kwo, this is getting to be plumb crazy." "We been doing this all day!" "By the time we get to Missouri we'll have 'em wore out passing 'em back and forth." "Tell you what I'll do." "I'll give you 100% profit." " I'll give you $2 for your half interest." " Uh!" "Not now!" "When I get it." "When we finish the drive." "I get money, you get 'em tooth." "Teeth, you dumb heathen." "Why do I always have to..." "Oh, what's the use?" "The way we worked it, along the Brazos to Palo Pinto, up to the Red, then north to Sedalia." "You make that drive to Sedalia look very easy." "There are a lot of rough boys on the border." "I just got back from there." "And you wanna stick your nose back in that country?" "Cherry, how come you joined the drive?" "Just a notion I had, and then Matt turned me down." "Made me wanna go." "Besides, I've taken a liking to that gun of his." "Fat chance you got of getting that, bub." "I've been wondering why you turned me down." "You're not afraid of me." "Why?" "Know what happens if this drive doesn't get to market?" "We lose our wages." "What did you see in this state?" "I know." "Cattle running wild, carpetbaggers reaching with both hands, ranchers roasting grain and calling it coffee." "I've seen a man try to swap a steer for half a sack of flour." "I know why you wanna get through." "Maybe I do, too." "Why drive 'em to Missouri?" "Why not head 'em for Kansas?" "Kansas he says." "Fine howdy-ma'am that'd be, when the railroad's in Missouri." " Railroad in Kansas, too." " Where?" "I saw the one in Topeka and there's one in Abilene." "Abilene?" "That's further west." "Did you see it in Abilene?" "I didn't get there." "I met a girl in Kansas City." "She fancied she could sing." "She had other..." " You know, if we head west at the Red..." " We'd save ourselves a heap of..." "We're going to Missouri." "I've seen buyers and cash in Sedalia." "What have you seen in Abilene?" "Not a thing." "Just a girl told me." " A girl with hair..." " Appears to me..." " I didn't ask you, Groot." " No." "No, that's right." "You didn't ask me, Mr Dunson." "We're going to Missouri." "Suppose if I tangled with him, I'd have to take you on, too." "You'll find him a handful by himself." "How much further we going today?" "Oh, about four miles north of here there's a good..." "Hold that horse!" "There's a good stream and bed grounds." "Cinch him up." "That old ankle's sure puffing up." "Yeah." "We're gonna have to paint it tonight." "Keep 'em moving." "It's a good thing we got a big remuda." " He's worn out three, four horses a day." " All the same, I don't like it." "What don't you like?" "Everything's going too good." "We're bound to have trouble." "Oh, Sims, you're always yammering." "Well, I don't like to see things go good or bad." "I like 'em in between." "Groot, what's Dan riding closed wagon for?" " I was wanting to discuss that with you." " What?" " I was wanting to..." " I can't understand you." "Use your teeth!" "Whoa!" "My teeth is just what we was disgusting." "Well, talk on your own time." "Dan should be working." "If you was half-human, you'd give 'em back." "I could use 'em." "They'd keep the dust out of my mouth." "Keep mouth shut, dust not get in." "Bet I ate ten pounds in the last 16 days." "Before this is over I'll probably eat enough land to incorporate me in the Union." "Ow!" "Hey, that hurt!" "Teeth or no teeth, I can still use me a whip." "Keep away from the sugar." "Too late, pop." "I already got me some." "Having a sweet tooth's almost as bad as having a whiskey tongue or liking a lady." "A hundred days." "All I got to worry about is feeding them." "Come on, giddap!" "Hey!" "Hey, Buster!" " How's it down there?" " This water's really fine." "Nice and cool." "Man could take hisself a right good bath." "Matt!" "What's the matter?" " What are you stopping 'em for?" " This water here looks pretty good." " There's water three miles on ahead." " The men are beat." " I think you know how..." " I'll do the thinking." "Keep 'em going." "Hey!" "Buster, we're moving on." "Come on, get going!" "I knowed this was too good to be true!" " We're moving on!" " Why did he want to..." "We're moving on!" "Giddap!" "Groot!" "We'll bed down here!" " Hi, Laredo." "Just get in?" " Yup." "Got any coffee?" " Yeah, I'll get you some." " What did you find?" "Good water ahead for the next three days." "Where's Dunson?" "He and Matt are out with the herd." " Hello, Dan." " Hello, Mr Dunson." " How they doing?" " Kinda... kinda uneasy..." "That coyote ain't helping 'em none." "Whoa, cattle." "Whoa." " Just keep quieting 'em." "They'll be fine." " Sure hope nothing happens." "I... been thinking about the drive and what it means to everybody." " Me, too." "It means... it means that..." " What does it mean, Dan?" "Well, one thing." "When we get there I'll have over $100 coming." "That's more than I ever had before and I-I-I..." " What are you gonna do with it?" " Oh, a whole lot of things." "I'm gonna buy the old Chapman place, then I'm gonna..." "What are you gonna?" "Well, it's my wife." "She... she always wanted a little pair of red shoes." "Kinda figured I'd get 'em for her." "Is that such a fool idea, Mr Dunson?" "It's a good idea, Dan." " I'd do it." " I will!" "# They graze in the cool evening water in the ground..." "Don't make too much noise putting them pans away." "I don't like coyotes." "I had a little roan horse once and they..." "I wish he'd quit a-yowling." "Bothering the cattle, making 'em spooky." "The dust and wind today put 'em on the prod." "Wouldn't take much to stampede the whole outfit." "I was in a stampede once." "Don't want no more." "Nighthawk sneezed, just sneezed, and the whole bunch was off." "They run for six miles 'fore we got 'em headed." "That's when Whizzer White and three other fellas got it." " I remember." " That's right." "You knowed old Whizzer." "Yeah." "No stampedes for me." "I..." "I don't like 'em." "I don't like coyotes." "Use your head, Teeler." "One shot tonight will start the whole herd a-running." "Sure." "I wasn't thinking." "Kinelly!" "Stampede!" "They're heading for camp!" "Head 'em off!" "Ho, cattle." "Ho!" " Round 'em." "Round 'em, Matt!" " Don't let 'em spread!" "Cherry, come here!" " Turn them in." " Over this way, Sims." "Follow where they tear down here!" "Turn 'em back!" "Let 'em down, let 'em down!" "All right, Laredo." "Hold 'em right in there!" "Give 'em a hand back there, will ya?" "They're too tired to run any more." "Have you seen Teeler or Dan Lattimer?" "Teeler's over there on that high ground." "Saw Dan riding among them back near camp." "I just looked." "I didn't see him." " Buster, you seen Lattimer?" " No, not since they started." "Where'd you see him last?" "Sims." "Dan was wearing checkered pants, wasn't he?" "Yeah, and he was riding a little buckskin mare." "I'll stay here till morning." " Did you find him, Tom?" " Yeah." "We'll bury him and I'll read over him in the morning." "And, Matt, about his wife..." "See that she gets full pay for the whole drive just as if he'd finished it." "Sure." "And get her, uh..." "Well, anything else you can think of." "Like a pair of red shoes, maybe." "That's the way he wanted it." ""We brought nothing into this world and it's certain we can carry nothing out. "" ""The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away. "" ""Blessed be the name of the Lord." "Amen. "" "Bunk Kinelly!" "You started all this, didn't you?" "Yeah, I did." "I know it and I'd do anything!" "By tally it's sure we're 300 or 400 head short." " And you killed Dan Lattimer." " Sure, sure I did." "I know that, too." "I know it, I know it and I'd give..." "I'd give my right arm..." "Stealing sugar like a kid!" "Well, they whip kids to teach 'em better!" "They what?" "Laredo, Teeler, tie him to that wagon wheel!" "No, they won't." "Nobody's gonna tie me to no wagon wheel!" " Then take it without a wheel to lean on." " Oh, I was wrong, but no one'll whip me!" " Turn around, Bunk." " Don't do it." " Turn around or you'll get it in the eye!" " Don't do it!" "You'd have shot him right between the eyes." "Just as sure as you're standing there." "Well, you shot him." "You can take care of him." "The rest of you!" "You got a couple of thousand head to round up!" "Get at it!" "Go ahead, say it." "You was wrong, Mr Dunson." "Thanks, Matt." "He..." "He'd have killed me." "Yeah." "You gonna be able to make it home all right?" "It'll be no party, but he'll make it." " Groot'll fix you up with some food." " Sure." "Take along an extra horse, huh?" "This might hurt." "You're fast with that gun, Matt, but your heart's soft." "Too soft." "Might get you hurt some day." "Could be." "I wouldn't count on it." " Beef again?" " I was thinking of sow belly and beans." "Got a mite of that left, but it takes time to cook up a tasty meal." "I can't whip up no pâté foie gras with 30 hungry drivers breathing down my neck." " I could eat something else." " You gotta bed down early, it's beef." " I don't like it myself." " Me neither." " Who asked you?" " I just said the same as you." "Well, you wait till you're as old as me before you talk like me." " What's up with you?" " This tastes awful." "Me and nature done our best." "You can't make burnt grain taste like coffee." "Lousy muck!" "I'd like to tell that Dunson..." "Gimme some coffee." "What was it you wanted to tell Dunson, Teeler?" "Man can't eat this." "After we lost that other grub wagon, we should have turned back." "Well, we didn't turn back and we're not going to." "Even if we had, I couldn't replace what we lost." "I'm broke." "I got nothing to buy it with." "So you're on short rations and bad coffee." "And you're gonna be until we finish the drive, and you're gonna finish it." " Teeler, I like what the man says." " Like it or not, that's it." "Come on and get it, you hungry hounds." "My name's Sutter." "Been riding point for old man Carwood." "Over 2,000 head of..." "My... my neck." "It hurts." "They... they put a rope around it and and then they..." "Food sure looks good." "Haven't had anything in over four days and I..." "I feel like it's... feel like it's..." "Grab him." "Bring him over here." "That's better." "I was nearly all in." " Want to hear about it now?" " Go ahead." "Well, we had nearly 2,000 head of cattle belonging to old man Carwood." "Everything went fine till we crossed the Big Red, and then it happened." "We got as far as the Wichitas when they jumped us." "How many jumped you out?" "Oh, maybe a hundred, I guess." "They stampeded the cattle, then picked us up one by one as we came out." "We didn't have a chance, not a chance." " Why'd they put a rope on you?" " They did worse than that." "They nailed Carwood to a wagon wheel." "He was dead when I got to him." " How'd you get loose?" " Just luck." "Rope was frayed and broke." "We should never have gone that way." "Should have turned north at the Big Red." "Why do you say that?" "A fella named Jesse Chisholm, an Indian trader." "He told me he blazed a trail all through the nations." "Said we could follow it to Kansas." "That way we only have Indians to worry about." " Where in Kansas?" " Abilene." " Said there's a railroad there." " In Abilene?" " That's what Cherry said." " Did he say he saw it?" "Well, I..." "I..." "I can't remember." "No." "Get me a razor." "Wanna come along with us?" " Where to?" "Missouri?" " Yeah." "No, I've had enough." "If you could spare a little food though." "Sure." "I've had enough, too." "We'll finish the drive, Mailer." "And I'll sell my beef in Missouri." " What do we eat?" " Beef." "What do we drink?" "Rainwater if we have to." "Not me." "I'm heading south." "I've had enough, Dunson." "Unless we try for Abilene." "And you, Fernandes?" "Me, I think this way." "If I'm going to die, I go south to die." "At least my people can find my grave and put flowers on it." "There was an agreement made when you signed on." "You agreed to finish this drive." "I'm gonna hold you to it." "How?" " I don't wanna have to kill you, Mailer." " With what?" "All right, anybody else?" "Say it now cos I don't wanna ever hear it again." "I don't like quitters, especially when they can't finish what they start." "Go on!" "Speak up." "Say it and you can join your friends here!" " All I want is..." "Where are you going?" " I'm gonna sit down." "Well, you got work to do." "Watch it!" "I was just getting myself a drink of water." "I'm just listening." "Well... there's quitters to be buried." "I'll read over 'em in the morning." "Plantin' and readin', planting' and readin'." "Fill a man full of lead, stick him in the ground and then read words at him." "Why, when you've killed a man, why try to read the Lord in as a partner on the job?" "Well?" " You didn't have to do that." " You joined in." " You were wrong." " Then why didn't..." "Don't tell me what to think!" "I'll take orders about work, but not about what to think." " You think I'm to blame?" " Just as sure as you're sitting there." " And so?" " So I'll take your orders." " Got you in the leg, huh?" " Yeah." " It ain't bad." " No, it went clean through." "Ain't as bad as it should be." "You too?" "What have you got to say?" "Nothing." "If I did, you wouldn't listen to it." " You find 'em?" " No." "They're gone all right." "Well, that's a pretty howdy-do." "You oughta..." "No, I better tell him myself." "Tom." "Tom." "Oh, hold it!" "Teeler, Laredo and Bill Kelsey are gone." " What?" " They up and left." " How do you know?" " I went to wake 'em." "They wasn't there." " When did they go?" " During the night." "They was on second guard." "It could have happened any time." "Anybody know about Teeler, Kelsey or Laredo?" "There's no doubt." "I checked the wagon." "We're shy some cartridges and flour." " How many cartridges?" " This side of 100." " Flour?" " One sack." "Sneaking, yellow..." "Well, I'm not gonna..." "Matt, get..." "No." "Cherry, get mounted and take Grant and Bill..." "Grant'll be enough." "They'll probably head straight south." "Find 'em." "Bring 'em back." " Supposing they won't come?" " Bring 'em!" "We'll catch up with you." "From now on this outfit's gonna move." "Get 'em going." "Matt!" "Keep your point moving." "The drag's catching up." "Sure." "Red River ahead!" "Hey, it's the Red River!" "Red River ahead!" "Red River ahead!" " Well, here's your Red." " It's quite a river." "We sure had a lot smaller herd the last time we crossed." "One bull and a cow." "This looks like as good a place as any." "This'll take us the rest of today." "Why not cross fresh tomorrow?" "We'll put 'em across now." " We've got a tired bunch behind us." " Tired men don't run away." "We can't keep 'em wore out the rest of the drive!" "We can keep 'em wore out until Cherry gets back." "Then nobody'll wanna run." " Mark for us, Leather!" " Sure enough." "Quicksand out in here!" "Mark this!" "More of it in here!" "Mark that from the stump to the tree." "From the stump to the tree." " How is it up there, Matt?" " Firm all the way." "All right." "Bring 'em on in, but keep 'em downstream!" "Bring 'em on, boys." "Matt!" "Watch for strays." "Right." "Come on, cattle!" "Get in, cattle!" "Come on, cattle!" "Come on." "Get goin' now." "Yah, cattle!" "Go!" "Come on, cattle." "Hey-yah!" "Get over there!" "Get up there!" "Hey-yah!" "Break up that line!" "Head downstream!" "Keep 'em comin'!" "Bedroll's right down there, Tom." " Have some coffee, Tom." " Picked up a few..." " Hi, Matt." " Hi." "We just picked up a few strays downstream." "All told, we've lost 30 to 40 head." "Better than 9,000 head across in less than four hours." "That's awful good, Tom." "Boys did all right." " Yeah." " Why don't you tell 'em so, Tom?" "That's their job." "They're awful tired." "Then we won't have to count noses in the morning." "That leg bothering you?" "Yeah." "I hooked it on a horn." "It's opened it up a little." " Let me look." " No!" "Wait till morning." "You need sleep, Tom." "Need it bad." "Some nights ago we lost three men." "I haven't slept since and we haven't lost any more." "We're not gonna lose any tonight, nor from now on." "Why'd we have to cross today?" "Wouldn't tomorrow have been just as good?" "Dunson's orders." "Ask him." "We could have waited till morning instead of finishing after dark." "It don't make sense." "We got a long way to go yet." "Ah, he's getting worse every day." "Sometimes I think he's going plumb out of his head." "Why tell me?" "If you feel that way, what do you tell me for?" "I..." "I'm sorry, I..." "Here." "You know, Matt, things ain't right." "It's him." "He's gotta sleep, and if he don't, something'll happen." "Why, all the sleep he's had in the last three nights wouldn't fill... a mouse's ear." "He won't sleep until..." "Yeah." "When do you expect Cherry back?" "If he comes." "Tomorrow sometime." "Looks like Cherry!" "Get down off them horses." "I don't favour looking up to the likes of you." "That's better." "You should be crawling." "Cherry, I sent you after three of them." "You brought back two." "Bill Kelsey figured he'd fight." "Made a good one of it for a while." "Hm." "Laredo, Teeler, you signed on for the drive." "You signed on to finish it." " That's right." "We did." " You stole flour and cartridges." "Besides being deserters, you're common thieves." " The law might see it different..." " I'm the law!" "You're a thief!" "You too, Teeler." "Anything more?" "I know what you're gonna do, but first I wanna say something." " Go ahead." " You're crazy." "You been drinking, you ain't been sleeping and you're close to crazy." " You through?" " No." "You want to get this herd to market." "So do all of us." "There's a good way to Abilene, but you won't listen." "No, you wanna drive 'em to Missouri with everything against you." "I ain't through." "This herd don't belong to you." "It belongs to every poor cattleman in the whole wide state." "I shouldn't have run away." "I should have stayed and put a bullet in you!" "I signed up, but you ain't the man I signed up with!" " You finished?" " Yeah." "You can get your Bible and read over us after you shoot us." "I'm gonna hang you." "No." "No, you're not." " What?" " You're not going to hang them." "Who'll stop me?" "I will." "Give me that gun!" "Somebody give me..." "I'll kill him." "Let me go!" "He was gonna kill me!" "Give me a chance!" "Teeler!" "Turn him loose." "Cherry, give me that gun." "Here's what you've been crying for." "All right, use it!" "Go on, you got what you wanted." "What are you waiting for?" "If you don't want to live, all you have to do is..." "You're a lucky man, Teeler." "That's how close it came." "Matt, we're getting as crazy as he is." "Keep it." "You want to finish the drive?" " Where we going?" " Abilene." " Who's heading it?" " I am." "What about Dunson?" "He stays here." "We're taking the herd." " That's good enough for me." " I'm with you, Matt." "I'll go along." "Groot?" "How about you?" "You was wrong, Mr Dunson." "I been with you a lot of years." "And up till now, right or wrong, I always done like you said." "Got to be kind of a habit, I guess, cos that's why I'm staying with you." "Go on with 'em." "Thanks." "Thanks for making it easy on me." " All right, men." "I'll be coming with you." " Throw 'em on the trail." "Start driving!" "Buster!" "You wait here till I get back." "You come looking for me, Mr Dunson, I'll be in Abilene." "All right, Groot." "Get going." "If there's a... chance, we'll get your herd there." "Cherry was right." "You're soft." "You should have let him kill me cos I'm gonna kill you." "I'll catch up with you." "I don't know when, but I'll catch up." "Every time you turn around, expect to see me." "Cos one time you'll turn around and I'll be there." "I'm gonna kill you, Matt." " It's only me." " Oh, I thought..." "I was scared it was..." " Yeah." "Got some coffee?" " Yeah." "I'm an idiot." "Been jumping at every sound I hear." "He wouldn't be coming back yet, would he?" "I don't know." "You know, Matt?" "I been figuring." "He'd be a fool to come alone and then again he might." " Yeah." " Yeah." "Most likely he'll ride back and get men and cartridges." " You took all of his before we left..." " Uh-huh." "Let me see now..." "Nearest place is San Felipe." "With that bad leg he'll have to take it easy." "Take him at least four days." "He'll pick up men and start after us." "That's four more, that's eight days." "Then, at our rate, it's eight days to the river." "Nearer ten." "I been figuring some myself." "Four more... eight." "16 and eight, that's 22 days altogether." "And we been gone four days." "Four from 22 is, uh..." "That's 18 days from now." "He couldn't get back quicker than that, could he?" "If that's the way he does it, that's figuring pretty fine." "Men are figuring pretty fine, too." "Snarling and snapping and jumping at their own shadows." "What do you think'll happen when he does come back, Matt?" "Yeah, I been wondering, too." "The way he looked when we left him." "It all happened so fast." "I hadn't..." "I hadn't started out..." "We couldn't let him hang Teeler and Laredo." "You sure he'd have done it?" "I don't know." "He was wrong." "Hope I'm right." "Hope there's a railroad in Abilene." "Hey, Matt, come here!" "Matt, look at this." " About a day ago." " Not over a day as I make it." "Whoa!" "Kwo?" "Comanche." " You sure?" " Comanche arrow." "That's trouble." "Tracks lead north." "Well, do we go on?" "Which would you rather have?" "What's behind... or what might be ahead?" " Cherry." " Yeah?" "You and Buster, go on ahead about ten, 12 miles." "Enough to give warning." "Get Groot to give you food." "Take your rifles." "Teeler, see the rest of the men have theirs." "Buster." "You oughta get yourself some sleep, Matt." "Yeah, I'd like to." "When do you expect to hear from Cherry and Buster?" "How much grub did they take?" "Only enough for three days." "Gun, gun, gun, gun!" " My gun." "Where's my gun?" " Teeler." "Teeler, wake up!" "You were having a nightmare." "You all right?" "I was dreaming." "I thought he was following us." "Forget it." "Try and get back to sleep." "How can a man sleep with Indians out ahead and him behind us?" "He won't reach us for two weeks." "How do you know?" "I don't." "We'll start an hour earlier in the morning." "It's funny." "Funny what the night does to a man." "They're all right during the day." "During the day they can see." "It's Buster!" "Yah!" "Women!" "Women and coffee, I tell you!" " I seen 'em!" " You foolin' us?" "No, I ain't, I tell you!" "I had pie and biscuits and beans and coffee!" "And a bottle of whiskey." " Where was this, Buster?" " About 15, 18 miles north of here." "A whole wagon train of 'em heading for Nevada!" " No fooling?" " Oh, I ain't fooling." "I seen 'em." "They belong to the Donegal." "He sent back to New Orleans for his whole outfit." " They got a long bar and dice tables..." " That's for me!" " Dancing girls..." " Me, too!" "Hold it!" "Buster, uh, you say about 15 miles away?" "Maybe a little more." "Yeah, about a two-day drive." "Well, who's going to stay behind and drive the herd?" "Nobody." "I don't blame you." "We're going together and taking the herd with us." " That's fair." " Two days, we'll all have coffee." "Hey, you might tell the rest of the men." "Maybe they'd like to hear." "Buster, where's Cherry?" "Cherry?" "Oh, well, he figured there was no need in the two of us coming..." " Yeah." " One was..." " Was she pretty?" " Aw, Matt." " Remember that little filly I used to own?" " That's what I figured." "Come on." "I ain't never seen such a bunch of men in all my born days." "Everybody wants to ride point so's he'll get in sooner." "Bet nobody's in the drag!" "I..." " What's the matter?" " I thought I heard something." " Hi, Buster." " Hi." " How much further to your coffee?" " Oh, it ain't so far." "Any of that water left?" "Cherry and me rode over this part at night." "I'd say it was nearer than further." "What's he want?" "I don't know." " Let's find out." " Hey!" "Giddap a-now!" "Giddap!" "Hey!" "Giddap!" "Hey, Matt, I hear gunfire." " Where?" " Seems like from over that next ridge." " Hey, I hear gunfire from up ahead!" " Yeah, I know, Laredo." " What do they always yell for?" " I don't know." " I make it a few past a hundred." " That's my count." "We're gonna need the rest of the men." " Laredo." " Yup?" "While you get the men, the four of us will go on in." "What about the cattle?" "Herd'll go sage-belly." "It'll take us days to gather 'em." "Yeah, I know, all for saving a bunch of gamblers and women." "Laredo, when you get the men, split 'em up." "Half go in from over there, half from behind the knoll." "As you go in, we'll come out from the wagons and meet you." "You got that?" "Yup." "And don't leave any of them alive, or they'll come back and hit the herd." "Well, Buster." "Want some more coffee?" "All ready?" "Don't shoot until you have to." " Matt!" "Over here!" " Spread out!" "Yell when you see them coming!" "Glad you got here." "They hit us about an hour ago!" " The others coming?" " Yeah." "Won't take long." "They're coming..." "Coming in from both sides of that slope." "We're going out when they get here." "Tell 'em, will you?" "Sure." "Some extra guns and a rifle." "Help yourself." "You're shooting high." "Aim lower!" "You're standing in a lot of mud." "A water barrel got hit." " You're still shooting high." " I probably am." "I'm no good!" "Stop wasting powder." "Load for me." "Keep down!" "What are you mad about?" "I asked you why you're angry." "Is it because... .. because... some of your men might..." "might get hurt?" " Killed maybe?" " Why don't you stop talking and load..." "That's fine." " Thought I told you to stay down." " You did." " Why didn't you?" " Cos I got up." "Not so bad." "Hold still." " All right, it's free." " Here they come, Matt!" "You'll have to wait." "Ma'am, over here." "Watch her." "See she doesn't move till I get back." "Thanks." "Leave the cloth, will you?" "Gonna have to cut your dress away." " That shouldn't bother you." " It doesn't." "I asked you before why you were so mad." "Is it... is it because your cattle, the cattle Cherry told me about, might run off?" "Or maybe... maybe you don't like the idea of helping..." " helping a bunch of..." " Bunch of what?" "Yeah, that's what I thought you thought." " This is gonna hurt." " Yeah, it'll hurt you more than it does me." " No, this'll hurt you." " Aaah..." "You were right." "It did." "Sometimes there's poison." "It's... it's too bad to... to put you to so much trouble." "I..." " Here." "Hold this." " You got..." "Got blood on your cheek." " Is it gonna make you faint?" " I hope not." "At least..." "At least not until I've done something I've been wanting to do." " Well, I saw the slap." " Come on, lift her up." " What happened?" " She's gonna be all right." " Where does she belong?" " Over here." "Were any of your men hurt, Cherry?" "Not enough to count." "We were lucky." "We were..." "I said we were lucky." "Oh, I'm sorry, Cherry." "I was just..." "I know." "There's no use looking, Melay." "He won't be coming." "I didn't really think he would." "I just..." "Where is he?" "Out with the herd." "Watching." " What's his name, Cherry?" " Matthew Garth." "Matthew Garth." " Shoulder hurt much?" " A little." "I made a mess of things, didn't I?" "I don't know." "I wasn't there." "What happened?" "Took one look at me and made up his mind I was one of a bunch of..." "One look, that's all he took." "Got mad." " Wasn't any excuse, I just..." " Yeah." "Tell me why he did that, Cherry." "Well, there's a lot to it." "I don't know the whole..." "Hey, Groot!" "Come here." " This is Miss Melay." " Howdy, ma'am." "He's Groot." "He knows more about Matt than anyone." "She'd like to know about him." " Just what did you want to know?" " Anything you can tell me, Groot." "Why?" "See, I met Matt today just after he rode in." "We didn't get along very well and..." "I want to find out why." "See, he thought I was one of the..." "Hold it... right there." "It's all right, Buster." "It's me." "Matt." "I thought it was..." "Look at me." "Fog's got me jumpy." "Wish it'd rain." "He wouldn't pick you off in the fog, Buster." "Oh, I..." "I know it." "Well, I ain't seen a thing till you come by." "I'll be back at midnight." "Get Groot to fix you some food." "We're starting in the morning." "That's the story." "Now you know more about him." "Yeah." " What would you do if you were me?" " If I was you?" "Now, ain't that just like a woman?" "I ain't you." "How far would you get with a puss like mine?" "I'd like to talk to him, if he'll talk to me." "We won't be here but a few more hours." "Morning at the latest we'll be gone." "I know that." "I..." "I still want to talk to him." " That's the way you want it, huh?" " That's the way I want it." "All right." "I'll go see where he's at." "Matthew?" "Matthew Garth!" "Over here." "Groot said I'd find you here." "I..." "I want to talk to you." "Is... is it all right?" "I wanted to..." "You're shaking." " You thought I was Dunson." " Yeah." " Hey, how did you know..." " I know about it." "Groot told me." "It's funny." "I didn't imagine you being scared." "It doesn't seem to fit." " It fits." " I guess it does." "It makes things clear." "It helps." " Helps what?" " I know how you feel." "I'm scared, too." "That's why I'm talking, because it's the best thing to do when you feel that way." "No, it is." "I talk to myself even if I have to sit in front of a mirror and talk." " I can see myself..." " You don't have to do that." "You can talk to me." "I'm right here and if it'd help..." "Oh, please." "You can tell me to mind my own business." "If it would help any, you can hit me, like I did you, right across the mouth." "But it'd be good for you to talk and I'd like to talk to you..." "Please." "I'd really like to talk to you." "I'd like it better than talking to a mirror." "I wanna know more about him." "Why does he think that way?" "Because he got to a place where..." "See, he'd taken empty land used for nothing." "Made it the biggest ranch in the state of Texas." "Fought to keep it." "Flat-nosed bull and one cow, that's all he started with." " And, well..." " Well, what?" "After he'd gotten what he'd been after for so long, it wasn't worth anything." "Wasn't worth having." "So he started this drive." "Everyone said "You can't make it." "You'll never get there. "" "He was the only one who believed we could." "He had to believe." "So he started thinking one way - his way." "He told men what to do and made 'em do it." "Otherwise we wouldn't have got as far as we did." "He started for Missouri and all he knew was we had to get there." "I took his herd away from him." "You love him, don't you?" "He must love you." "That wouldn't be hard." "Did you like that?" "I've always been kinda slow in making up my mind." "Maybe I can help." "I don't need any more help, but will you do that again?" "Hm, that was sure good." "Yeah." "Anybody can fix good victuals if they have something to cook." " I'm so hungry I could eat anything." " Why don't you eat?" "Kwo's gathering wood." "Sent him out before I thought about eating." " Hi, Cherry." " Hi." "It's raining hard." "The river's rising." "If it gets worse, we'll have a bad time crossing." " Don't want to get stuck on this side." " Somebody oughta tell Matt." "He's..." "I'll tell him." "Hey, Matt, Cherry just said it's raining hard..." "Yeah." "I heard it." "I was figuring that way myself." "We're leaving now." "Let's get started." "We're crossing tonight." "Cherry, take the point." "Buster, start on the flats." "Get going, Groot." "Anything else?" "We can't take her with us, can we?" "Well, we could, uh..." "What?" "No." "No, I don't suppose we could." "Where you been?" "Took you long enough!" "Now we're moving and I ain't had nothing to eat!" "Come on, start packing." " Be anything else, ma'am?" " Thank you, Andy." "That's all." "Hey, we've got visitors." " Hiya, stranger!" "Where you from?" " Texas." " What can we do for ya?" " A trail herd came through here." "Right." " When?" " Over a week ago." "They helped us fight the Indians." "Been patching up our wounded before leaving." " How far ahead are they?" " They're gone eight days now." "Nine tomorrow." "We're about ready to eat, mister." "You and your men can split around." "We'll feed you." " Well, thanks." "I..." " I'll take care of Mr Dunson." "You two boys come with me." "How did you know my name?" "We can talk about that later." "Sit down." "I believe it's your beef we're eating." " Who told you that?" " The man you promised to kill." " Did he tell you that, too?" " You're tired, aren't you?" "Tired, hungry, and just a little bit irritable." "You'll feel better after you eat." "We'll talk then." "How'd you get that away from him?" "I stole it." "So you stole that bracelet." " How did you get it?" " Would you really like to know?" " How did you get it?" " I got it in the rain!" "Eight days ago." "Before he took your herd across that river and left." "I'm wondering whether to believe you." " I don't care if you do or not." " I believe that." " Wanna hear more?" " Go ahead." "It was raining." "If it hadn't rained, I wouldn't be here talking to you." "He wouldn't be where you could find him to kill him." " You still intend to kill him?" " Nothing you can say or do..." "I didn't say anything." "I'll get you another drink." "So he went off and left you." "I didn't give him that much credit." " You in love with him?" " I thought you'd ask that." "Can a woman love a man who leaves her?" "Well, she..." "She shouldn't." "I wanted to go with him, but he had to get your cattle to market." "Said I wasn't strong enough to go." "Nothing I could do or say would make him change his mind." "But I wanted to go with him." "I wanted him so much that..." "That you felt..." "like you had knives sticking in you." "How did you know that?" "I suppose other people have felt that way before." "They have." " Now will you tell me something?" " What?" " Why do you wanna kill him?" " Because he's a thief." " You think he thinks that?" " He should!" "I picked him up in the brush leading a cow." "That's 14 years ago." "Taught him all I could." "He knew what I was planning." "Saw what I was building." "He knew that some day it'd all be his." "His land, his cattle, the whole thing." "Even talked of a woman, as men'll talk." "A strong woman who could bear him sons." "A woman like you." "Why did you want him to have a son?" "Because I'd built something, built it with my own hands, and I can't live for ever." "Can't live to see it grow." "Thought I had a son." "But I haven't." " And I want one." " I'm sorry for you, Mr Dunson." "Very sorry." " Stand up!" "Stand up and turn around." " Don't tell me what to do!" "I'll..." "All right." "Well, Miss..." " I don't even know your name." " Melay." "Tess Melay." "Well, Miss Melay, what would you say if... if I offered you half of everything I own for a son?" " Your son?" " You can have a son?" "It's all that matters." "By Dunson, out of Melay." " Half of everything you've got." " That's right." "I'll have your son, Mr Dunson, if you'll stop now." "Stop now and go back where you came from." "Yeah, I thought so." "When did you..." " Did you really hurt that arm?" " I hurt it." "It's almost well." "You can take that gun out of the sling now." "Wouldn't have done you any good." " When did you fall in love with him?" " I fell in..." "It was..." "It was under a wagon, six inches in mud." " When did..." "When did you..." " What?" " When did you fall in love with her?" " Who?" "The girl you told me about." "The one you left." " I told you?" "Did he tell you..." " No, you told me." "You knew how I felt when he left me." "She must have felt the same way when you left her." "That's right, isn't it?" "Or can't you remember?" "I can remember." "Oh, I..." "I hope so because... because I want you to think about her while I ask you something." " I want you to think hard." " What?" " I wanna go on with you." " That won't do any good." " Nothing you can say or do..." " I know that, but I wanna go with you." "Please." " All right." " Thanks." "Thanks a lot." " Why don't you use it?" " Hm?" "Oh, you mean..." "Would there be any use going if I did?" "We'll start early." "I'll be ready." "I been thinking that Abilene just ain't." "We probably missed it." "We'll probably keep going clear to Canada." "We'll be driving the herd up and down icebergs yet." "We'll find it." "If we do, it'll be tough if the railroad ain't there." " It's gotta be there." " But if it ain't?" " We'll keep driving till we find it." " Or until Dunson finds us." "Hey, hold it a minute." "What was that?" " You hear something?" " No." "I did." "It was nothing I ever heard before." "Hey, they're yelling down on the point." "We made it!" "Whoo-hoo!" " Hi!" " Howdy!" "Hello, there." "Howdy!" " We're looking for Abilene." " I sure am glad to see you!" "I sure am!" " Do you go to Abilene?" " You're a sight to behold!" "If you'll tell us where Abilene is, we'll get out your way." "Mister, let me set here and feast my eyes." "If you knew how much we been waiting for cattle and how welcome you are, you can sit on them tracks for ever!" " All we want to do is get to Abilene." " Don't rush me, mister." "But if you want to get there, you can take the short cut there about 12 miles." " Or follow the track." "It's longer." " We'll take the short cut." "I'll wait all day here for you to cross!" "Take your time!" " Can you blow the whistle once more?" " Sure can!" "Just look at that!" "They even smell good." " Well, there she is, Matt." " Yeah." "There was times I thought we was never gonna make it." "Hey, it looks like they're as glad to see us as we are them." "Howdy-do!" " Welcome to Abilene." "Who's in charge?" " I am." " My name's Melville." " Garth." "Matthew Garth." "We're sure glad to see you, Mr Garth." "And that goes for all of us." "Man, man, don't stop 'em." "Keep 'em coming." "Keep 'em coming." "Everything's ready for you." " Engineer told us you were coming." " Oh, he gave us a fine welcome." " What's the best way to the stockyard?" " Drive 'em through town." "They're not house-broken!" "That's all right." "We been waiting a long time for this." "You just drive them straight down that main street and let the folks see 'em." " We'd like to ride along with you." " Sure." "Come on." "Keep 'em coming!" "It's a great sight, Mr Garth." "I don't believe you realise what a great sight it is." " Cherry, hold 'em there!" " I'd like to have a business talk with you." " Can these boys handle things?" " They been doing it for over 1,000 miles." "Oh, Pete!" "You stay here." "Anything those boys want out there, you give it to 'em." "Buster." "Buster." " Cherry, watch things, will you?" " Sure." "Come in, boys." "What's the matter?" "The roof is funny." "We haven't been under one in three months." "Sit down." "Let's talk a little business." " Mr Garth, I'm..." "What is your first name?" " Matthew." "Matt, I'm the Greenwood Trading Company of Illinois." " I'd like to buy your beef." " That's why we came." "How many you got?" "I don't know exactly." "We started out with... well over 9,000." " Man alive!" " We've lost 600 or 700 on the way." "We won't have 'em all in till eight or nine o'clock tonight." "We haven't got enough corrals." "We could leave them in the streets." "They're tired." "They should stay put." "That'd be all right." "What's your price?" "Well, uh..." "I'm kinda new at this." " Would you make me an offer?" " All right. $20." "You..." "A head?" "$20 a head!" "Well, uh..." "Oh, how can a man deal with someone who's done what you've done?" "I'll give you top price that anyone else offers for a lot of 500 and I'll take the whole herd." "Looks like you're gonna buy yourself a lot of beef." "If that engineer was here, I'd get him to blow his whistle again!" "I'll draw up a contract and have it ready for you tonight." "Buster and I will find out what you're gonna have to pay." "Be back in two hours." "You, uh, need anything else?" "You need some cash?" "I sure could use some." "I'd like to pay off the men." " All right." "It'll be ready for you tonight." " All right." "Thanks, Mr Melville." " So long." " So long." "They crossed here, all right." "Not over four or five hours ahead." "Here you are, Matt." "You'll have to sign this." "Here's a cheque to Thomas Dunson for $50,000." "Rest'll be paid when the tally's finished at $21 a head." "I've taken a credit here for the money you wanted to pay off your men." "I suppose..." "I suppose they'll be celebrating." " They've got a right to." " Of course they have." "There's three times in a man's life when he has a right to yell at the moon." "When he marries, when his children come, and... and when he finishes a job he had to be crazy to start." " When do you expect to be leaving, Matt?" " I don't exactly know." "You're gonna wait for Dunson, huh?" "I've been talking to some of your men." "Isn't that cheque and the fact that you got here going to make any difference?" " I don't think so, Mr Melville." " I suppose I'm crazy, but..." " You want me to run away?" " No." "Of course not." "Couldn't... couldn't I talk to him?" "I'd still have to talk to him after that." "Good night, Mr Melville." " Get a good night's sleep." " Yeah." "I could use some." "Good night." " Evening, Mr Melville." " Evening." "Well..." " Work's not done yet, huh?" " No, sir." "Well, you fellas see you get her done." "I like that boy, too." "I'll buy the drinks when it's over." "He's... he's... he's camped two or three miles outside of town." "He says he'll be here just after sunup." "He says he's going to kill you." "What's the matter?" "Is something..." "Oh, I must look like I'm in mourning." "I didn't mean it that way or I wouldn't have..." "No, no, Matthew." "I know you've only a few hours, but listen for just a minute, then I won't talk about it any more." "Just a minute." " He hasn't changed his mind, Matthew." " I didn't think he would." "We saw the railroad." "I thought it might make a difference, but it didn't." "He's like something you can't move." "Even I've gotten to believe it's got to happen, your meeting." "I was gonna ask you to run, but..." "No, I'm not." "It wouldn't do any good." "You're too much like him." "Oh, stop me, Matthew." "Stop me..." "God bless you, Matthew." " Morning." " Morning." "Got a match, Walt?" "I told you all where you stand in this." "See that you remember it." "Hey!" "He's got plenty with him." " How many?" " Ten or 12." " I'll be telling Matt." " Right." "He's coming in now." "Got about ten with him." "You know that young man isn't going to use his gun, don't you?" "Yeah." "But I haven't any such notion." "Mr Dunson." "Mr Dunson." "I'll say it just one more time!" "Go on, draw." "I said draw!" "Then I'll make you." "You're soft." "Won't anything make a man out of you?" "You once told me never to take your gun away from you!" "You yellow-bellied, chicken-livered..." "All right." "For 14 years I've been scared, but it's gonna be all right." "Get up." "Come on, get up!" "Stop it!" "Stop it!" "Stop making a holy..." "Stop it, I said." "I'm mad!" "Good and mad!" "And who wouldn't be?" "You, Dunson." "Pretending you're gonna kill him!" "It's the last thing you'd..." "Stay still!" "And you, Matthew Garth!" "Getting your face all beat up and all bloody." "You oughta see how silly you look!" "Like..." "like something the cat dragged..." "Stay still!" "What a fool I've been!" "Expecting trouble for days when anybody would know you two love each other!" "Took somebody else to shoot you, he wouldn't!" "Are you hurt?" " No, just nicked the fat..." " Then stay still!" "No, don't." "I changed my mind." "Go ahead." "Beat each other crazy." "Maybe it'll put some sense in you." "Go ahead!" "Do it!" "Use this." "No, you can't, it's his." "You'd better marry that girl, Matt." "Yeah, I think I'd..." "When are you going to stop telling people what to do?" "Right now." "At least as soon as..." " When?" " As soon as I tell you one thing more." "What?" "When we get back to the ranch, I want you to change the brand." "It'll be like this." "Red River D." "And we'll add an M to it." "You don't mind that, do you?" "No." "You've earned it." "Visiontext subtitles:" "Natasha Cohn"