"Glyn, have a biscuit." "Giddap there!" "Hah!" "Giddap!" "Yah!" "Whoa!" "Whoa!" "Whoa!" "Whoa!" "This is good." "Bring 'em up for a nightcap." "Hello, funny face." "Hey." "Eat a good biscuit." "Mrs. Prentiss made it." "I make better." "I don't know how much better, but I will say they're harder." "We got three hours left in the day." "Why don't we keep on?" "We got water here." "May pay out by night." "Marjie promised to scrub out a shirt for me." "I did not!" "I didn't promise." "I said maybe." "Bring it to the wagon." "I'll scrub it out, but I won't like it." "All right." "Why not?" "Your mother used to scrub ten shirts." "Twenty!" "And pants too." "He hasn't got ten." "Have you?" "No." "One on, one off, one in the wash." "Make your circle right near to the stream there." "Think I'll ride out for a couple of hours." "Might be an easy trail past the hills." "Yah!" "Hah!" "Yah!" "Hah!" "Hah!" "You stole a horse." "Anything to say?" "Cut him loose!" "Drop your guns." "All right, untie him." "Come on over there!" "Move!" "Ah!" "About this horse, I really didn't steal him, if that makes any difference." "It doesn't." "That's what I thought." "Why did you step in?" "Well, I just don't like hangin's." "That's a funny thing." "I don't either." "You ridin' south?" "No, I'm goin' north." "Takin' some folks up in the Columbia River country." "Farmers." "Real nice folks." "Yeah, settlers, huh?" "Is that your trade, a guide?" "No, not exactly." "I've been doin' a lot of things." "I ran into these folks in Missouri." "Thought I might try my hand at farming' or ranching'... if I can find me some cattle." "They make good biscuits, these folks." "You're gonna like 'em." "I didn't catch your name, or did you say it?" "McLyntock." "Glyn McLyntock." "Glyn McLyntock?" "From the Missouri country?" "That's right." "You're gonna go farming'?" "Or ranching', if I can get me some cattle." "Come on, let's get those biscuits." "I thought we're out of Cheyenne country." "What do ya make of that?" "Shoshone." "Real mean when they wanna be." "Lately, they wanna be." "They cut up some trappers last week for their rifles." "Your people got any rifles?" "Mm-hmm." "They know how to use 'em?" "No." "How'd you get out of the Black Hills country and the Big Horn?" "Lucky." "Glyn, you're late!" "You better get some supper before Marjie eats it all." "Got beans, tea and biscuits." "Soft ones this time." "Those biscuits I was telling you about." "I see you found yourself a friend." "I found him hangin' around." "Yeah." "I guess I missed your name, or did you say it?" "Cole." "Emerson Cole." "You'reJeremy Baile." "Glyn told me about you." "Are you, eh... you Emerson Cole of Kansas way?" "Yeah." "Yeah, you're gonna like these biscuits." "Oh, Laura?" "Laura, this is Emerson Cole here." "He's hungry." "Give him something to eat, will ya?" "Say, I was thinking about tomorrow." "We can save a lot of miles if we go straight north." "Now, this place we're headed for, 150 miles east from Portland." "That's right." "That's just over that tall mountain, isn't it?" "That's right, just over." "Well, you say we should go here." "Uh-huh." "I think we should go so." "You could go so, but that mountain there... that tall fella with the white hair, he... he's about two miles high." "Got a lot of hills around him one mile high... so you climb and climb..." "Just one mile?" "Is that too bad?" "It isn't very good when it's straight up." "You got the food to think about." "By the time you get your grounds cleared and houses built, it'd be winter." "If you haven't arranged to have the supplies sent from Portland, what are you gonna eat?" "It was just an idea." "A lot of people had the same idea." "Most of them are still up there under the snow." "Glyn, where you been?" "Up in the hills." "There you are." "You've been eating this food all the way from Missouri?" "Mm-hmm." "Wearin' the same shirt too." "I said I'd scrub it, but I can't with you in it." "Well, I'm not in this one." "Night birds." "I haven't heard them before." "They're sort of a special kind." "They live up in the hills." "Redwing orioles." "Yeah, redwing orioles from Canada." "Yeah, from Canada." "From, uh..." "They're sort of plaintive." "I hope they nest near our farm." "Don't you like them?" "No, no, not for neighbors." "Laura, Mrs. Prentiss got a lot of boiling water." "What about the shirt?" "You're a nuisance." "And I'm sorry for your wife, whoever she's going to be." "What, because I like a clean shirt?" "Get up from there." "I wanna do my chores." "Always point this toward the North Star." "Where is it?" "There we are." "Then come morning, we know where we're going." "Is that the way you travel?" "Always." "But I never pick the same star." "Tomorrow, it might be that big fat one there." "The next day, I might take a fancy to that skinny one there." "I'll tell her." "She's my sister." "Nice girl, that." "Yeah, real nice." "Your girl?" "No." "Yeah, redwing orioles." "Mm-hmm, from Canada, huh?" "How many do you figure?" "Oh, about six or ten." "If they were a big war party, they'd have come barging in before this." "You ever tangle with any?" "Yeah, a time or two." "That was with Martinson up on the Snake." "Injuns!" "Indians!" "Douse your fires!" "Put out the lanterns!" "Take cover!" "All right, Glyn, I'll take care of her." "Come on, get under the wagons!" "Get under the wagons!" "Stop shooting' at moonbeams!" "Hold your fire!" "Hold your fire 'til you can see what you're shootin' at." "Which they won't." "They're using that for cover, beyond the stream." "It seems like it." "Keep an eye on 'em, will ya?" "Don't let 'em waste any more lead." "Are you gonna go after 'em?" "That's better than them coming in after us." "No need for you to go out there." "I know it." "I'll move in." "You try and call one up." "Five of'em." "Less one." "Stay here." "I'll send you an oriole." "And one makes five." "You'll do exactly as I say, Jeremy." "You'll drive slowly." "And two hours rest at noon." "What about the Shoshones?" "They might come back." "I doubt it." "Indians or not, I want a smooth road." "No bumps, you understand?" "How's Laura this morning?" "Fair to middlin'." "And I hope to keep her that way." "Morning!" "Good morning." "Say, about that shirt, I'm sorry." "Why?" "It needed scrubbing." "Did you find it?" "Mm-hmm." "Well, thanks!" "That's real nice of you." "What with the excitement and everything, I thought it..." "Uh-oh." "Oop!" "It was in the bucket I used to put out the fire." "I'm afraid it's a little scorched." "Yes, slightly." "You can put out fires with sand too, you know." "Well, Laura, five, six days, we'll be in Portland." "We'll take a nice, easy trail and go slow." "Think you can take it?" "I'll take it." "You're going with us?" "No, I picked out another star last night." "A big fat yellow one hanging over California." "It's all full of gold, and I'm gonna try and find it." "We'll miss you." "Thanks." "Here's a present for you, funny face." "Sorry you're not comin' along." "I'm not much at farming'." "Or ranching' either." "Uh-huh." "Well, I'll be seein' ya." "Yeah." "Wagons, roll!" "Giddap there!" "We'll go slow, Laura, and take it nice and easy." "Giddap there, you!" "Hyah!" "Come on, keep movin'!" "Giddap there!" "Giddap there!" "Keep movin'!" "Hyah!" "Hah!" "Giddap there!" "California's back that way!" "I know!" "Hyah!" "Yah!" "Yah!" "Course, you could swing west along the Columbia River, head down the coast." "That's what I figured." "About this business of ranching', are you sure you're gonna go through with it?" "Very sure." "McLyntock of the border, a rancher." "I don't get it." "Who're you running away from?" "Giddap there!" "Yah!" "A man by the name of Glyn McLyntock." "Well, what happens when he catches up with you?" "I don't think he's going to catch up with me." "He died on the Missouri border." "You're wrong." "He'll catch up with ya one of these days." "Does the old gentleman know about you?" "Nope." "Want me to tell you what'll happen when he finds out?" "Maybe I'd rather wait and find out for myself." "Blow that whistle, Adam." "We got wag..." "We got wagons comin' to town." "Tie her down and let 'er whoop." "Yes, Captain Mello, I got her down." "Got her blowin' fit to bust." "Fit to bust!" "What happened?" "She busted." "We never should've left the Mississippi." "Welcome to Portland." "Glad to see you, sir." "And you, little lady, glad to see you." "Where do you hail from?" "Missouri." "Hear you have some good farming' country upriver." "Greatest country in the world." "It's wide open and yours for the taking." "How much of a drive?" "Two, three weeks, but I can cut that in half for you." "I can take you upriver as far as the rapids in my steamer." "Think you can make it?" "Maybe yes, maybe no, but we can try." "I'm Tom Hendricks." "I own the boat, so if we hit a rock, I'll be the only one to lose." "Well, I'm McLyntock." "This is Cole here." "Jeremy Baile up there." "Jeremy." "My name's Don Grundy." "I run the saloon and the town's only restaurant." "It's good food." "I got me a "Chinee" cook." "Say, do we know each other?" "We do now." "Howdy." "Howdy." "Pick yourself a tree and stop in the shade." "Anyplace suits you suits us." "Make yourselves comfortable." "We need a doctor." "You got one around?" "Trouble?" "We ran into some Shoshones." "Jeremy's daughter caught an arrow." "It's up high, but it's pretty painful." "We'll take care of that in no time at all." "That's my boat, the River Queen." "Old Captain Mello is about the best man in the Oregon Territory... with an arrow wound, when he's sober." "Captain!" "Oh." "Cap'n Mellow!" "Got a job for ya!" "Arrow wound!" "Whereabouts?" "Right up here." "Part of the head's still in it." "If you can point to it, it ain't serious." "Just leave it alone." "It'll fall out by itself in due time." "Adam, what're you doin' to that whistle?" "I just unbusted her." "Never should've left the Mississippi." "About that arrow, just leave it alone!" "It's not me, it's a lady, over there in the first wagon." "Well, take her to the Hendricks place." "I'll get my kit and be along directly." "Adam!" "Yes?" "Fetch me a clean set of cuffs." "You can trust him." "He's all right." "Tell your people to make themselves comfortable." "Tonight we'll have a get-together." "Might have some fiddle music." "We'll give you a real Oregon welcome!" "## You get swingin' with an elbow swing ##" "##Now the opposite gal with a pigeon wing ##" "##Now the same two gents with the same old thing ##" "##Now your own with a left-hand whirl ##" "##Round and round with a pretty little girl ##" "##Swingin'on a corner like swingin'on the gate ##" "Ya-hah!" "Forty-eight hundred." "And two is $5,000." "Made a deal, Mr. Hendricks." "That's right, Jeremy." "That pays for everything." "Captain Mello will take you upriver in the morning." "And our supplies?" "I have them listed here." "Flour, sugar, salt." "Enough to carry you through the winter." "You'll send them to us in the fall?" "The first week of September." "By that time, you'll have your ground cleared and houses built." "And you can scare up some cattle for us?" "I'm sure I can." "There it is." "There's your arrowhead." "Clean as a whistle." "You let her rest for about a month... and she'll be ready to do the spring plowing'." "A month?" "She's a right nice little lady." "Real "purty" too." "You got a husband picked out for her?" "I'm afraid she'll do her own picking." "Can I see her?" "Oh, for a minute." "She's upstairs in that room beyond the balcony." "A little dampness keeps down the fever, miss." "Take your big clumsy hands away from her." "You'll pat all the brains outta her head." "Don't tell me how to do my patting'." "When I pats, I pats gentle... sort of soft and soothing'- like." "Gonna put her right off to sleep." "Laura, how are you?" "I'm not too bad, thanks to my wonderful doctor." "Can't we take her upriver to our new home?" "No." "Little missy's gonna stay in that bed for a month, maybe longer." "Old Doc Warren's due in Portland next week." "I want him to look over my work." "It might be better if he had a look at her." "A whole month?" "Why not?" "I'll be happy to have her as my guest." "Aunt Tildy'll take care of her as though she were her own daughter." "Go about your business." "What you know about taking care of little girls?" "I been taking care of Captain Mello for 40 years or more." "Go on!" "Go on." "She'll be all right." "I'll take her upriver... when I bring your supplies next September." "Hurts, doesn't it?" "Yes." "You know, sometimes it's good to cry a little." "Sometimes it's good to dance a little too." "It's funny how a man's face will stick in your mind." "I could swear we've met before." "If we did, I'm sure it was a friendly meeting." "Did you say you were from Kansas?" "I didn't say... but I am." "Let's have a little punch before it's all gone." "Marjie, would you care for some?" "I'd love some." "Thank you." "Glyn." "Thank you." "May I buy you gentlemen a drink?" "Well, that's right friendly of you, stranger." "Are you a gambling man?" "I am." "You figure to stay in Portland?" "I do." "Sorry to disappoint you, but Don handles all the gambling in town." "Then perhaps you can accommodate me." "I have time for a few hands of poker." "Oh, Glyn, I think this is our dance." "Oh, oh, excuse me." "But if you're too busy to dance with me now..." "I'd be happy to wait until you're free." "Uh, well, perhaps our friend would like to have my dance." "Marjie, may I present Mr..." " Trey Wilson of San Francisco." " Trey Wilson of San Francisco." "Pleased to make your acquaintance, ma'am." "I'm Marjie Baile." "Shall we dance?" "Uh, later, if you please." "I have some business with these gentlemen." "Well, I hope you lose!" "Now, about those few hands of poker." "If you wish." "Marjie, I didn't mean to be rude over there." "This is my dance though, you know." "Yes, it is." "Well, come on, let's, let's, let's go then." "Right handsome fella there, isn't he?" "I've seen handsomer." "Like me, for instance." "Oh, you're very handsome, in an elderly sort of way." "In an elderly..." "Yeah." "Could I cut in, sir, please?" "How's that?" "Oh!" "Well, if..." "if you insist... young man." "One." "Join me in a drink." "Thank you." "Three." "Now I remember." "There was a killin' in Kansas at the Trail's End Saloon." "You were one of the Missouri border raiders." "I'll take mine from the top." "You got it from the top." "That last one came from the bottom." "It's the deuce of spades." "You're a liar!" "You're real fast with that gun, kid, but you're soft." "Someday it'll kill ya." "You sure the kid was right about that card?" "Yeah." "I knew Grundy." "Is that why you killed him?" "Or was it because he knew you?" "Be careful with those apple trees." "They mustn't get hurt." "Is them apple trees?" "Yes!" "These are plums." "These are pears." "All different." "We'll have the finest fruit in all the world upriver." "Them ain't apple trees." "I seen an apple tree when I was a kid." "It was as big as a house." "All aboard that's comin'aboard!" "Hurry up!" "We're gettin'under way." "Good-bye." "Good-bye, Marjie." "Good-bye." "Good-bye." "Decided to stay in Portland, huh?" "For a while." "Then I thought I'd drift on down to California." "Still following' that star?" "Sometimes it's better than having a man with a star following you." "I'll see ya." "Everybody aboard!" "Haul in the gangplank." "Let's go!" "Hurry it up!" "Don't forget, you're coming up to see me." "If I have time." "Well, it looks like we might have a romance in the making." "Trey's a good boy." "I don't like that man Cole." "Why not?" "I heard Grundy say he was a raider on the Missouri border." "Lots of people used to raid." "Some of them decided to change." "That kind can't change." "When an apple's rotten, there's nothing you can do except throw it away... or it'll spoil the whole barrel." "There's a difference between apples and men." "Stand by to cast off!" "Clear your bow lines!" "Ease off on the stern lines!" "Easy there!" "Clear the bow!" "Cast off all lines!" "Mind if we come up?" "Not at all, if you keep out of the way." "I got enough people up here giving orders to my crew now!" "Half astern!" "Half astern!" "Bye!" "Full astern!" "Full astern!" "Beautiful, aren't they?" "Those are the ones you wanted to drive over in the wagon." "We'd have made it." "Oh, sure." "Of course, this way is easier." "How far upriver can we go?" "Another 40, 50 miles." "Then we come to the rapids?" "No way of getting the boat past, unless you take it apart and carry it." " You sure you don't want me to do that too?" " Never you mind!" "Someday we'll have a portage past the rapids, and boats on the upper river." "Keep her in closer to the bank!" "Why?" "It's better goin'." "I came this way in a canoe, and we stayed close to the bank." "This ain't no canoe!" "This is it." "This is as far as you can go." "Yeah, I see what you mean." "But the wagons will take us around the rapids." "In a day or two, you'll see some of the finest country..." "God ever put on the face of this planet." "It's what I've always dreamed about, Glyn... a new country where we can make things grow." "We'll find a valley where the earth is rich... where the mountains shelter us from the north winds." "We'll use the trees that nature has given us... cut a clearing in the wilderness." "We'll put in roads... and use the timber to bridge the streams where we have to." "Hah!" "Then we'll build our homes, Glyn,;" "build them strong to stand against the winter snows." "There'll be a meeting house... a church." "We'll have a school." "Then we'll put down seedlings." "There'll be apples, pears." "In a few years, we'll bring fruit to the world... such as the eyes of man has never seen." "All of this is good... but it'll all be for nothing unless we get enough food to carry us through the winter." "I've been watching the snow clouds forming over those mountains." "In a few weeks, we'll be iced in." "It's bad, Glyn, bad." "I'm worried." "Any word from Portland?" "None at all." "Those supplies were supposed to be here in September." "And here it is, the middle of October." "Come to the end of the flour." "Another week, no more bacon and beans." "No more nothin' in two weeks." "I hadn't realized it was that bad." "No use worrying' you men." "You have your work to do." "Captain Mello may be havin' trouble with that steamboat." "Hendricks should've let us know." "We should ride to Portland and find out what's the matter." "I'm worried about Laura." "No word." "Nothin'." "Let's get started tomorrow morning." "Come and get it!" "Come and get it, or I'll feed it to the hogs!" "I wish I had a couple of hogs." "Someday we gotta find a way to get across that mountain." "We could save a week or ten days on a trip to Portland." "Well, if we can't find a way... somebody'll have to come and find us under about ten feet of snow." "This is good country." "Yeah, real good country." "Let's hope we can keep it this way." "Missouri and Kansas was like this when I first saw 'em." "Good, clean." "It was the men who came to steal and kill that changed things." "We mustn't let it happen here." "Where did they come from, these people?" "I don't know, but I don't like it." "Captain Mello?" "Hey, Captain Mello, you aboard?" "Well, hello." "Ain't seen you for months!" "That's the trouble." "Where you been?" "Here, tied to the dock." "Adam, fetch me another bottle of whiskey." "We got company." "I fetched the last bottle we got, and you done drunk it empty." "Never should've left the Mississippi." "I tell you, we never should've left the Mississippi." "Come aboard and I'll send out for refreshments." "What's happened to this town?" "Gold, that's what." "Some fool went in the hills and got some dust." "This town's gone plumb crazy since." "What about our supplies?" "There they are, stacked up on the dock." "Your horses and cattle are over yonder." "Why weren't they sent last month?" "Tom Hendricks' orders." "You better see him about it." "I will see him about it." "You better get up steam." "We need these things." "We're starting right now." "There's no need of bein' disappointed." "Here." "See that price there?" "That's what flour was worth when you bought it last spring." "See this?" "That's how it's climbed ever since." "But it's our flour." "We paid for it." "It was your flour." "You fellas want to make a dollar apiece?" "Uh, five dollars?" "I'll give you ten dollars apiece for one hour's work." "And a bottle of whiskey?" "And a bottle of whiskey." "It's a deal." "Get 'em to get this stuff aboard." "The horses and cattle too." "Is that all right with you?" "If that's the way it's gonna be, deal me in." "Glyn, find out about Laura!" "All right, men, get this..." "All right." "You're a little naked to go callin' on Hendricks." "You ain't wearing' a gun." "Can I get you one?" "No, thanks." "What's the chance of a fella buying' a thousand dollars' worth of blue chips?" "Good to see ya!" "What brought you into town?" "A real tired horse." "Hey, Trey!" "Yeah?" "LetJohn take your hand." "That star of yours brought you a real pot of gold." "It would have if I got here first, but I got here late... so I'm working as Hendricks' pit boss." "It's quite a layout." "Hello, Trey." "Good to see you, sir." "Heard about the gold strike?" "I've heard." "How're the folks?" "How's Jeremy?" "Fine." "Jeremy's fine." "And his daughter, uh..." "what was her name?" "You know very well what her name is." "Name's Marjie." "And she's more beautiful than ever, and she's probably gonna marry... one of those 20 young fellas that proposed to her." "That's fine." "That's fine." "She's a nice girl." "If I were the marrying kind..." "Never mix marriage with gambling." "The percentage is against it." "Let's have a drink." "Whiskey, two." "Glad to see you, Trey." "How's Laura?" "The shoulder, is it all healed up?" "It's fine." "She runs the gold scales for Hendricks." "Fifty-nine ounces, give or take a grain." "Just about the only person in town you can trust." "Well." "$1,240." "How will you have it, credit or coin?" "Just give me a credit slip, miss." "Then you can step out from behind this cage and help me spend it." "That'll be enough of that." "He'll help you spend your money." "Looks like you got yourself a reputation." "Some folks think I'm almost as fast as that raider from Missouri." "Um, what was his name?" "McLyntock?" "Friend of yours, honey." "Oh." "Laura." "Hello." "I'll be right with you." "Bradley, take the scales for a moment." "How's everybody upriver?" "We've been worried about you." "Haven't we, Cole?" "We're all pretty well." "I was just tellin' Trey about Marjie." "She's all up to her neck in romance." "Mrs. Prentiss, she's playin' schoolteacher." "Your dad, he's been wonderin' what kept you in Portland so long." "So have I." "Well, I... tell him that I..." "Tell him you like it in Portland." "Laura doesn't think farming would be much fun." "Frankly, I don't blame her." "Uh-huh." "That mean you're not goin' upriver?" "No, Glyn." "I like it here." "It's exciting." "We've had such a wonderful time that I guess you'll have to tell Dad I'm staying here." "I think maybe you better tell him yourself." "He's at the dock with Captain Mello." "You might just as well, honey." "You're gonna have to tell him sometime." "I asked you if she was your girl." "That's right, you did." "Hope you don't mind." "I don't." "Where do I find Hendricks?" "Never mind." "I'll show ya." "Maybe you'd better get back to your work." "Maybe I'd better." "It'll run you $850." "I'll take it in cash." "Those prices are out of line." "Take it or leave it." "Tomorrow it'll cost 1,000." "And next week, you won't get it at any price." "This is the last load going upriver this winter." "We'll take it, but it's robbery." "Come on." "Hello, McLyntock." "How goes things at the settlement?" "Oh, not bad." "Kinda short on food." "Wonderin' why our supplies haven't been sent upriver." "Had trouble getting it from San Francisco." "Soon as they come in, I'll ship 'em to you." "Uh-huh." "When'll that be?" "Two or three weeks." "A month at the most." "There's a lot of ice along the riverbank." "Couple more weeks, it might be frozen solid." "Don't worry." "If it freezes, I'll pack your supplies up." "What if we get snow?" "Don't argue with me!" "If you're not satisfied with your deal, I'll give you back your money." "I want those supplies waitin' on the dock!" "That's our food." "Send it upriver." "Don't tell me what to do!" "I can get 50 times what you paid for that food." "It's gold." "Do you understand?" "Gold." "Here's your money." "Gimme that receipt!" "Now looka here." "You made a deal, you're gonna stick to it!" "There's 100 people depending'on that food to see them through the winter." "What do you expect 'em to do?" "Starve while you feed a bunch of crazy miners?" "That's your problem." "I know..." "You're the feller I'm lookin' fer." "Do you need more men to load that steamer?" "You got the wrong fella." "You hired Shorty and Red and Long Tom, all them others, and I can do more work than 'em." "Are you talkin' about the River Queen?" "She's being loaded?" "Yeah." "Sure, with all them cattle and boxes and barrels." "I wanna make $10 and a bottle..." "Wait a minute." "You're not goin' anywhere!" "Behind you!" "Havin' a little trouble?" "A little." "Come on, out of the way!" "Should've hit him in the shoulder, kid." "Now what?" "I'm goin' down to the docks." "You wanna come along?" "Yeah." "Have we got any choice?" "Pick them up on the street!" "Pick up a lantern!" "Get on your horses!" "All right, pull up the gangplank here!" "Cast off your lines!" "We can't leave for another half hour!" "That's what you think." "Get inside, quick." "Stand by to repel borders!" "Adam, full speed astern!" "Do you hear me?" "Adam, full speed astern!" "Full speed astern!" "You sure you wanna come along?" "This is a fine time to ask." "Stop wastin' lead!" "We'll ride to the rapids and pick them up when they come in." "I sure wanna thank you, Captain Mello." "What for?" "For gettin' us out of trouble." "Trouble?" "That wasn't trouble." "Things like that used to happen down on the Mississippi every day." "Ain't that so, Adam?" "Yes, but we was younger then." "It just requires a little bit of thinkin'." "Then you better start thinkin', Captain." "Hendricks and his men are headed for the rapids along the riverbank." "Think we can beat 'em to it?" "Not a chance." "They'll be there three, four hours before we are." "Any ideas, Glyn?" "I got a few." "Oh, uh..." "thanks for your gun." "Think you can get along without it?" "I'll get along." "Didn't Laura talk to you when she got down to the boat?" "She didn't tell me about him." "I guess she figured Cole'd make her a good husband." "Maybe she's right." "She's not right." "His kind never change." "I hope you're wrong, Jeremy." "I sure hope you're wrong." "Cap'n Mello." "Yeah?" "Can you pull her over to the bank?" "I could, but we're 20 odd miles below the rapids yet." "I know." "Just get her over there." "Adam!" "Put her over to shore." "Easy does it." "We don't wanna get hung up." "What happens when we reach the shore?" "We unload." "Then what?" "Remember talkin' about findin' a road across the mountain?" "Well, we're gonna try and find one." "Miss Laura, here's one of Cap'n Mello's coats and caps... so you can..." "have a whole outfit." "Fine, Adam." "Thank you." "Mm-hmm." "Down, easy." "Hold it, hold it." "Easy, easy." "Come on, you." "Come on, give him a hand here!" "Help him hitch the horses up!" "Come on!" "Watch it." "Here we are." "Hey!" "That's quite an outfit." "Where'd it come from?" "Adam and I did some exploring." "Found a bit here and there." "Do you approve?" "Very much." "Especially the cap." "Come on." "Let her down easy." "Yah!" "Yah!" "Yee!" "Yee!" "Well, I guess that does it." "I figure you owe us another ten dollars, maybe 20." "And the bottle of whiskey." "Ain't that right, Shorty?" "And the bottle of whiskey." "Yeah, that's what we figure." "You'll get paid when we reach the settlement." "Know how to drive a four-up?" "We ain't going over no mountain." "And I ain't driving' no team." "You wanted to get to the gold?" "Not over that mountain." "When we get a grubstake, we're going to the diggings, but not with you." "All right, I'll tell ya what I'll do." "You boys help us get these supplies over to the settlement..." "I'll see to it that each of you gets a grubstake worth two, three, $400." "Enough food to send you through the winter." "And if we say no?" "He broke me pipe." "He broke it again." "The law won't let you get away with this." "What law?" "It's a deal." "We get you to the settlement, you grubstake all of us." "Uh-huh." "All right, now, let's get 'em rollin'." "Come on!" "Looks like you're gettin' ready to shove off." "Best of luck to you." "I hope you make it before the snow comes." "How does a man say thank you when he owes so much to a friend?" "You don't owe me anything, Jeremy." "It's been a pleasure to work alongside nice people." "There's a hundred people over beyond those mountains;" "a hundred people who'd have never gotten through the winter without this food." "Let me thank you for them." "Didn't do a thing." "Didn't do a thing!" "Adam!" "Come here and say good-bye to these nice people." "Good-bye." "Good-bye, Adam, and Godspeed wherever you're headed for." "He will, but where are we headed for?" "Back down to Portland, then maybe we'll just keep on goin'." "But where, for instance?" "Well." "We never shoulda left the Mississippi." "Maybe we'll go back to it." "It may take you a while to find it." "Oh, we got time." "We got all the time in the world, ain't we, Cap'n?" "All the time in the world, Adam." "We'll just head back to Natchez and Mobile..." "New Orleans and..." "Think you can handle 'em?" "We may lose a few, but we'll try." "All right, let's roll 'em out." "Come on." "Roll!" "Yii!" "Come on!" "Get on there!" "Yah!" "Yah!" "Yah!" "Hah!" "Yah!" "Yah!" "Yah!" "Get up there!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "Get up there!" "Yah!" "Get up there, boy!" "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" "Ho!" "Ho!" "Ho." "Well, you can get out and stretch if you like." "I'd like." "Pick 'em up, Jeremy!" "Roll 'em along." "They're tired and so are we." "Do you mind?" "Yeah." "You've been pushing hard since early morning." "How long you keeping on?" "Just as long as we got daylight." "Now send 'em along!" "Come on." "Come on." "Send 'em along!" "Keep movin'!" "When do we noon?" "We don't." "Why not?" "I'm hungry." "You want Hendricks and his men to sit down and eat with you?" "Go on now!" "I thought we left 'em at the river." "We did, but he's right." "As soon as Hendricks finds where we cut away from the river, he'll be tailing' us." "Then what?" "Well, I don't know." "But I'm gonna find out." "Looks like we're runnin' from Hendricks." "Looks like." "What happens when he catches up with us?" "Could be we see a good fight." "You gonna be in it?" "Aren't you?" "Not me." "I ain't gonna fight my way over these mountains... bringin' food to a lot of settlers just for a grubstake." "Same here." "Only we aren't gonna bring this food to the settlement." "When do we take over?" "I'll let you know." "Pass the word along to the others." "Tell them to keep their mouths shut." "Where do you figure to put down for tonight?" "There's a flat piece of ground by the stream." "It might do." "Any news?" "Yeah, all bad." "Hendricks and his men are climbing the second rise beyond the stream." "How many has he got?" "Thirty or 40." "I didn't wait to count 'em." "How much time we have?" "Two hours, tops." "Then they'll be in amongst us." "Uh-huh." "There's a little box canyon off to the left." "Waterfall at the far end." "Take the cattle up there and meet me back at the wagons." "All right, make your circle there by the falls, Jeremy." "Yah!" "Yah!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "Bring your teams in and unhook 'em." "Get up there!" "Make a wide space between the wagon." "Say, you're in trouble." "Two or three men on that ledge can cut the wagon crew to pieces." "I don't mind fighting Hendricks, but why give him all the odds?" "Cole's right, Glyn." "A couple of men on that ledge and we wouldn't have a prayer." "Yeah, that's what I figured." "Well, let's get some fire started and see what we can do about some coffee." "There's what we're after." "Spread out and attack!" "All right, let's get out of here!" "Let's go!" "All right, they've had it." "Let 'em go." "Why?" "Why?" "Well, if you don't know, I can't tell you." "It's too bad." "He seemed like a real nice fella." "He was..." "until they found gold." "Whoa!" "Whoa!" "Whoa!" "Hey, hey!" "Down, boy!" "Go on!" "It looks like we got company." "Real glad to see ya." "Thought Hendricks never would get that food through to us." "Another week and the snow'd have blocked the trail." "The crowd at the gold camp will be real glad to see you." "We're not going to the gold camp." "That ain't our food?" "Afraid not." "There's a settlement around river." "We're headed that way." "What happened to our food?" "Yeah, Hendricks promised to have it at the camp this week." "We paid him ten times what it was worth." "Hendricks is dead." "What about us?" "We can't get through the winter without grub." "I'm sorry." "Like to give you some, but we barely got enough to carry us 'til spring." "What'll we do?" "Looks like you fellas have to spend the winter in Portland." "Winter in Portland?" "Do you know what that means in money?" "We could take a million dollars in gold outta those hills before spring." "We're not gonna shut down!" "I'll tell you what we'll do." "For that grub, we'll give you ten times what it cost if you bring it into the digging's." "Ten times?" "I'll guarantee you'll get a $100,000 for what you've got in those wagons." "Hey, that's a lot of money." "Yeah, that's a lot of money." "I'm afraid our food is not for sale." "Why not?" "Because it's more important than money." "It means a new life for a hundred people." "I don't suppose you can understand me, but I can't take money for people's lives." "You're sure you won't change your mind?" "I'm afraid not." "I'll talk to you later." "Roll 'em out!" "Follow me downhill." "We'll go up the next gully." "Yah!" "Yah!" "Who-o-oa!" "Untie your spare wheel." "I'll get the other wagons up to a flat spot and we'll help you." "Roll 'em up around the lead wagon!" "'Round here." "Come on!" "Get up there!" "Yah!" "Yah!" "Get this tongue right under the axle." "There we go." "Son, give me a hand with the wheel." "Now bear down on it." "You got it clear?" "All right." "A little up!" "Up she goes." "Little higher." "Little higher." "Little more." "Higher." "Higher." "Higher." "About an inch." "Little more!" "More!" "Let go." "We'll get all three of'em." "Now!" "Jeremy." "Why, you..." "Hold it, McLyntock." "We're taking over." "We're going to the gold camp with this food." "Glyn!" "Glyn!" "Stay where you are, boys." "Everything's gonna be real nice." "All right, get up!" "All of you." "Come on!" "Help with this wagon!" "Come on!" "Trey, get that wheel offJeremy." "Hurry up!" "Come on!" "Hey, get in there!" "All right, now, lift it up." "More." "More." "Get it up." "More." "Is he clear?" "Yeah." "Thanks." "Forget it." "How does it look?" "Be in the snow in the morning." "Another day, we'll reach the summit." "How's your father feeling?" "Oh, he's asleep." "Glyn, he still doesn't trust Cole." "It's an old-fashioned idea of his." "He believes once a man has gone wrong, that's the end." "And you don't agree." "No." "Any man can make a mistake." "He can make lots of mistakes." "But when he meets a woman and falls in love with her..." "Yeah, I see what you mean." "And..." "And you do believe it?" "That men can change?" "Some men?" "Yes, I believe it." "I've told it toJeremy." "Thanks, Glyn." "Good night." "How's the old man?" "He's sleepin'." "He's a tough old bird." "He sure is." "He's, uh..." "He's a little worried about you, Cole." "Now that you and Laura are gonna get married." "You are getting married?" "Yeah, it looks that way." "What's the old man worried about?" "He knows who you are." "Or maybe I should say, he knows who you were." "Does he know who you were?" "No." "What happens when he finds out?" "Maybe by that time he'll find out I'm right." "You're not right!" "They won't let you change." "That's why you're a fool to lug all this food to the settlement." "After you get it there, what happens?" "They pay you off with a big "thank you."" "Later they find out that you're the McLyntock that used to raid along the Missouri border... and then they kick you out." "Maybe." "Then why not take this stuff to the gold camp?" "What would you rather have, $100,000 or a "thank you" somebody'll take back." "Could be they won't take it back." "If they don't, I figure that's worth more than $100,000." "Mmm, maybe." "Then again, maybe not." "Well, any way you look at it, it's strictly a gamble." "See you in the morning." "Yah!" "Yah!" "All right, get the cattle up ahead to break trail." "When this happen?" "He was born a few days ago." "When we hit timberline, he started to have a little trouble." "Put him on one of the wagons when you bring the herd up." "When do we noon?" "Soon as we hit the ridge." "Come on." "That's it." "Come on." "Which way do we go from here?" "Off to the left there." "Four or five more days at the most, we'll be at the settlement." "It's right across the river." "Isn't that the gold camp?" "That's right." "Closer." "We can make it in two days." "We're goin' to the settlement." "Cole, stop them!" "Stop them." "Let him go." "Step back." "Get out of the way." "Drop it!" "Ain't you workin' with us?" "No." "You're workin' with me." "What happens to him?" "We'll give him enough food to get to Portland." "I say we get rid ofhim right now!" "Get back in your wagons." "All of you!" "Sorry you had to see that, Laura." "I'm not." "It gave me a chance to see you... for the first time." "You didn't like it, huh?" "I hated it!" "It won't look so bad for the payoff." "$100,000 is a lot of money." "And I like a woman who's not afraid to kill." "Come on." "Roll 'em out..." "to the gold camp!" "You couldn't take it, huh?" "If I don't go?" "You'll go." "If you'll hurry, you'll make it before it snows." "You know, Red was right." "You should've used the gun." "Yeah." "I figure we're even." "Maybe I'm one up on you." "I'll be seeing you, Glyn." "You'll be seein'me." "You'll be seein' me." "Every time you bed down for the night, you'll look into the darkness, wonder if I'm there." "And some night I will be." "You'll be seein' me." "Get up there!" "Come on!" "I thought for just a while I'd lost my daughter." "I haven't." "But we've failed, Laura." "All those people I brought across the country... their money is gone." "All their work for nothin'." "All for nothin'!" "What is it, girl?" "L..." "I thought I saw him." "Glyn?" "Yeah." "Even if he does follow us, what can he do?" "I don't know, but I do know that he'll follow us." "He won't stop trying." "Not while he lives." "Yah!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "Keep moving!" "We've got another two hours yet!" "I got a dry axle." "Well, pull out of line and grease it." "Wullie!" "Pull around Red and keep moving!" "Yah!" "Comes a day I square things with that guy." "For what?" "Pulling me off McLyntock." "I should've killed him." "Next time I see him, I will." "That might be sooner than you think." "Take a look up the trail." "McLyntock!" "Is he crazy?" "I wouldn't know." "Drive slow." "Where you goin'?" "After McLyntock." "Well, you better watch out." "He's fast." "Yes..." "but he has no gun." "There's a good trail ahead all the way." "Hold it, Cole!" "You got the jumps?" "Yeah... seems like." "Who's ridin' herd?" "They're all right." "Soon as I get some coffee, I'll go back." "You and Red, ride herd for a while." "Red ain't here." "Where is he?" "Where's Red?" "He went back up the trail." "Why?" "McLyntock was followin'." "Red took a gun and went after him." "I drove slow, I waited, but he didn't come..." "Get those wagons rollin'!" "What's all the excitement?" "He's only one man." "Get on those wagons, I tell ya." "I ain't rollin' no wagons..." "Get those wagons rollin'!" "Trey, what's happened to him?" "I don't know." "I don't know, but I don't like it." "Roll 'em out!" "Turn back!" "Where'd he get the gun?" "I'll give you three guesses." "He's up on the ledge." "He almost shot my head off." "He was aimin' at me." "Glyn!" "He's got a gun." "Don't be a fool!" "He could've knocked you out of the saddle if he wanted." "Turn back!" "Turn your teams and get 'em rolling." "Where do we go now?" "There's another trail about a mile back." "Turn off toward the river... and circle the canyon." "On account of one man?" "If you're afraid ofhim, I'm not." "How 'bout you, Lock?" "It's all right with me." "You can do it, Lock." "Get him in the back." "Give us about an hour." "We'll take care of him." "Suit yourselves." "How long have they been gone?" "A little over an hour." "I thought they'd have him by now." "What's worryin' you?" "I heard those two work good at night." "I've seen him work at night." "Wullie's smart." "He'll play it safe, catch him when he's sleepin'." "That was Wullie." "He got him." "That wasn't a six-gun." "It was a rifle." "Wullie didn't have no rifle." "Neither did Lock." "That was a rifle too." "You satisfied?" "The trail's a mile back." "Start rolling'!" "Going around the canyon won't do any good." "As soon as Glyn finds another spot, he'll stop us." "Without a horse?" "It's a good trick if he can do it." "We'll have to travel fast." "Long Tom, take the last wagon." "Leave your horse tied off." "Drive the lead wagon." "I'll ride herd." "I think it would be better for you in the front seat." "What's the matter, afraid?" "Yes!" "So am I." "Watch your drivin'." "Watch the road!" "I just wanted to be sure she was all right." "I wouldn't want her to get hurt." "She's doin' fine." "Whoa!" "It'll be easy going after we make the bend in the river." "How far to the gold camp?" "Oh, two hours at the most if we can..." "How'd he get here?" "Jeremy." "Come down here." "Trey's horse was tied to the tailgate." "Did you cut it loose?" "Yes." "Stop it, Cole, or I'll kill you!" "I told you you were too soft." "I should've killed you." "Come on!" "Use your rifles!" "Cover me when I ride through!" "Where're you goin'?" "To the gold camp." "Let's see what he can do against a dozen hungry miners." "Suppose they don't wanna help us." "Yeah, they'll help us." "When I tell 'em we got enough food to last through the winter." "All right, cover me!" "For the first time in my life..." "I want to see a man killed." "Well, he made it." "Yeah, he made it." "What about McLyntock?" "Maybe we killed him." "No, you didn't." "Drop 'em!" "Let 'em go." "All right, now pick up those rifles." "We may need them." "All right, Glyn." "I knew you'd get here." "I'm here." "Now let's get across the river." "Are you able to drive?" "I'll drive." "I'll drive one too." "You think you can handle a four-up?" "I can try." "All right!" "Come on, Trey." "Let's get the cattle." "Put 'em in, Jeremy." "Keep 'em movin'!" "Laura, keep up close to the lead wagon." "Come on!" "Get up there!" "Ho!" "Can you make it?" "Yes!" "All right, come on!" "Come on!" "Giddap!" "Get up there, you!" "Come on, boys!" "Come on, boys!" "Get over there!" "Come on, horses!" "Just go on!" "Move!" "Come on!" "Get up there, you!" "All right." "Hold on, Laura!" "Come on!" "Ho!" "Giddap!" "Come on!" "Get out of there!" "Let's get out of here!" "I'm sorry, Glyn." "Did the rope burn your neck?" "No, you didn't do that, Trey." "That's been there for quite a while." "Since you were a raider on the Missouri-Kansas border?" "And some vigilantes tried to hang a gunman." "Just one of those rotten apples?" "I was wrong." "There is a difference between apples and men." "Really, there is." "Jeremy!" "Good man, Jeremy!" "I knew you'd do it!" "You're talkin' to the wrong man." "See the fellow in the third wagon." "Whoa!" "Then you did come up to see me." "Just for a visit." "I had nothing else to do." "Oh." "Hey, wait a minute!" "Marjie!" "Marjie, my darling." "Good boy, Trey." "Get out of here, you two." "Go on." "Whoa." "Whoa!" "Glyn." "Thank you." "Hah!" "Come on!"