"Come on out of there!" "Come on, hurry it up!" "Now hit the road." " Road?" "What road?" " That's for you to worry about." "Well, a man could starve before he ever found a house." "Well, that's something else you can worry about." " Now come on, move along." " Don't do that." "Why, you ...!" "Pull that on me." "Wrong man, kid." " Thanks." " For what?" " I was under the wheel." " You asked for it." "When you throw a punch, don't turn your back." "Say, that's a good-looking saddle you got there." "Huh?" "Single rigging?" "Yep, California style." "Me, I ride a Brazos double." "Double rig's better for roping'." "That's what I do most of, ropin'." " That's why I use a Brazos double rig." " This is a Brazos double rig." " Are you saying I'm a liar?" " You're saying it, kid." "I ain't." "Alright, I was talking big." "I never did rope, I never got the chance." "Always wanted to work cattle, folks wouldn't let me go west." "Went off on your own, huh?" " You work cattle?" " Uh- huh." "Why ain't you on a horse?" "Ever tried riding from Kansas City to Wyoming?" "Ah, good old Kansas City." "Good food, good liquor and good-looking women." " Ever been to Kansas City?" " I was born there." "With all them good-looking women, why did you leave?" "Why did you leave?" " Ran out of money." " You still got your saddle." "Never sell that, kid." "Sitting another man's leather is like wearing another man's boots." "Never sell your saddle." "Come up out of there!" " Come down and get me!" " Or maybe you think I won't?" "All right, bud, just hold your temper." " Have you got the makin's?" " Have I got the what?" "You answered me." "What are we doing now?" "Let's get some sleep, kid." "Look." "Don't call me "kid", my name's Jeff." "All right." "Get some sleep, Jeffrey." "Real pretty name, Jeffrey." "Real pretty." "Wake up, kid." "Time to go." " Thanks for the loan of the coat." " What coat?" "The one you got on." " I woke up last night." " You sure dream pretty dreams." " Hit the dirt, lie prone." " Do what?" "Do like I do." "Now watch me!" " Stay right where you are." " I didn't do nothin'." "Anybody say you did?" "Why don't you lower the hammer?" "We got no guns." "Tom, bring them down here!" " Is that all of them?" " Looks like." "All right, line up here." "Line up." "All right boys, which one of you did it?" "Did what?" " How did you get that?" " At a fight." "Who with?" "With the brakeman." "He wanted to put me off back there." "And so you killed him." "And I collect the reward because I'm the one that turned him out." "Now, ain't you the lucky one." "Never hanged a man as young as you, son, and hoped I'd never have to." " Bring him in." " Now, wait a minute." " I didn't do it." " Who did?" " I don't know." " I do." "They wired ahead about the killing, huh?" "Yup." "They happen to say the brakeman got cut up?" "Come to think of it, they did." "The kid's got no knife." "He threw it away." "You ought to know better." "A knifer never does that." " Ask him." " Why me?" "Cause you did the cutting and I saw it." "So did he." "But he's stupid enough to hang for something another man done." "You had your gun clear of the leather all the time." "Take him to the jailhouse." "And notify the railroad." "We're claiming that hundred dollars reward." "Now, you boys either get jobs or get out of town." "Without my hundred dollars?" "Make it 50 and you got a deal." " The rest goes to the deputies." " Okay." "It takes a day or two to collect." " I wouldn't wait for that 50." " No?" "I'd ride this out of town if I was you." "You ain't me." "Well, I ... guess I gotta thank you again." " For what?" " Well, you kept me from getting hung." "You can get hung any day you want." "As long as you don't stop me from getting my $50." "Now, why don't you do like the man said and ride that train out of town." "Huh?" "Hey, what do you think you're trying to do, breaking up my piano?" "Well, it's worth $50." " It's worth a whole lot more than that." " I was talking about the saddle." "I don't care what you're talking about, just haul that saddle outta here." " Dempsey Rae!" " Idonee!" "You're as pretty as an Indian blanket and twice as comfortable." " Especially on a cold night." " Breaking up my piano." "Another stray cat that needs a bowl of milk." " What are you doing here in Wyoming?" " Just drifting through." "Now, just drifting, huh?" "You haven't changed a bit." "Hey, strong man, don't I know you?" "No, but I know you, Moccasin Mary from Tucumcari." "Just a rough exterior with a heart of stone." "Find your own man." "How's about a loan on the saddle?" "$25." "You sure haven't changed." "Here's your end, kid." "Be happy." " Hey, that's hard-earned money!" " Simmer down, honey." " I got $50 coming real quick." " Fifty dollars ..." " You can drink that up in one night." " Well, let's do." " First things come first." " Like what?" "Like soap and water." "You smell like a goat." " You decent?" " That's debatable!" "Hey, thanks for washing my shirt." "How do I look?" "Oh, honey, you look real purdy." "But I can't let you go out of here half naked." " Try this for size." " Hey!" " Where'd you get it?" " A fella left it on account." "On account of what?" "On account of the same reason you left your saddle." "He was hungry." " A bottle of good and two clean glasses." " They gotta be clean?" "Don't try the impossible, Duckbill." " Just set out the whiskey." " Yes, ma'am." "Well, hello, boy." "What brings you into town?" "Just brought in 400 steers for shipment." "Finally got 'em loaded." "Here's your whiskey." "Where's your money?" "Put it on my tab." " All right." " Demps." "Hey, Demps." "I want you to meet Strap Davis, foreman down on the Triangle." "Big spread, used to belong to old man Simpson." "Not anymore, it don't." "Can't you keep shut till I get these men introduced?" "Have a drink, friend." " What kind of a spread you got?" " Oh, round about ten thousand head." "Ten thousand head?" "I thought I was doing good with 800." "You fellas on the Triangle ain't leaving much grass for the rest of us." "It's open range." "Don't blame me." "I ain't blaming you, Strap." "But I am blaming your new owner." "Why don't he come out from the East to look things over ... before he builds up the herd?" "From what I hear, he ain't even seen the Triangle." "He's coming out as soon as we get the ranch house rebuilt." "You know what we're putting in?" "A bathroom ... right in the house." "In the house?" "Inside the house!" "Well, that ain't decent." "Only someone from the East would think of that." "Mighty handy on a rainy night." "What is it?" "Give me a stick and I'll kill it." "He's coming at me!" "Why, it's my old partner, the roping' kid!" "Come on in, kid." "Why, step up, partner, and meet my friends." " You know Idonee." " Hi." " Strap Davis." "And this is..." "Hey, we never did get to know one another." "I'm Dempsey Rae, the Pecos." "They're not worth knowing." "This is Tom Cassidy, owns the Circle C up on River Ray." "I am Mark Toliver." "Ben Johnson and me, we got small outfits over there, too." " Gooder and Jessup." " Good to know all of you." " And like I said, this is the roping' kid." " Hiya, kid." "Here you are, ropin' kid, drink it down." "Sarsaparilla." " Look, I drink whiskey." " Not with me, you don't." " Hallelujah!" " Here, drink this." "You keep away from whiskey and you'll have no regrets in the morning." "Them's words of wisdom." " Demps!" " Yeah?" " Lookee here." " Well, I'll be ..." "Thought I told you to get out of town." " If I don't?" " I'll run you out." "Why, you ..." "Stuff all over my new outfit." "Why, I'll kill you, you dirty ..." "You're mighty anxious with that gun." "Now, I'm going to give you a chance to use it." "Go ahead." "Make your play." "All right, boys, relax, both of you." "You fixing to kill my deputy?" "Sheriff, this man of yours ... is real gun crazy when he faces up to a boy without a gun ... but somehow he ain't so anxious when he meets a man who has one." " She's telling you the truth." " I know, it's a habit of hers." "You get on back to the office, I wanna have a talk with you." "Here's your 50, if you haven't got a job, get out of town." " He's got a job." " Where?" "The Triangle?" "Why not?" "Strap is real partial to Texas men." "I'd rather have him with me than against me." "Me, too." "Come on, sheriff, step up and have a drink." "How about you, son, got yourself a job?" "Have I, mister?" "I'm from Texas." " What part of Texas?" " Down the Texas River." "Real pretty country on the Texas River, I've been there." "Now, he's my partner, Strap." "I can't work without him." "Okay, you're on." "$30 a month and found." "Let's all have a drink, everybody!" "Lots of whiskey and sarsaparilla." "Strap, I'm a gray wolf and tonight's my night to howl." "Boy, you'll never get that saddle outta hock ..." "Sarsaparilla!" "Stay away from whiskey, you will have no regrets in the morning." "That's what the man said, and them's words of wisdom." "Don't give me no trouble, Texas." "It was the sarsaparilla that done it." "All these cattle belong to the Triangle?" " All these and 8,000 more just like 'em." " Whew." "Gosh almighty." "Let's go, Demps." "Put 'em in there." "Hey, Demps." "Last night a fella told me I stay away from whiskey ..." "I'll have no regrets in the morning." "Them still words of wisdom, believe me." "Let's eat, I'm hungry." "So is he, and he comes first." "Get over, boy." "Come and get it before I throw it away!" "Say, did Strap say that, er ...?" " It's in the house?" " That's what he said." "Hey, Strap." " When do I get to see it?" " After we eat." "Inside the house!" "I wonder what kind of people live back east." "What, ain't this good enough for you?" "Hammer said he'll look at my pony, I think he dropped a shoe." " A couple of new hands, men." " You'll be sorry!" "You got no manners?" "I ain't took yet." "You could have spoke without hitting." "What do you think you're ...?" "Stand up!" " Why, you little ..." " Nh-nh." "Do that outside." "All right." "Oh no, you don't!" "Eat it or leave it." "Sit down!" " Two dollars says Latigo comes in first." " You got a bet." "Any other big spreads like this around here?" "No." "Cassidy, Toliver, Johnson, you met them last night." "They run a thousand head or less." "They're up north on the Little River." " Real nice country here." " You gonna see more of it tomorrow." "We got a small herd up there." "I want you to drift 'em over toward Blue Lake." "That's two bucks you owe me." "Hey, wrong man, Texas." "About them cattle." "You'll find them scattered all over the low ground." "Tomorrow drift 'em over toward Blue Lake, it's over this way." "We don't want 'em eatin' all of Cassidy's grass." "Cassidy's grass." "I thought this is open range." "It is." "But we like to keep it friendly." "Hey, er ..." "Do we get to see it?" "Come on." "You better stay here." "Uh, uh." "On the paper." "In there." "There's another door there that goes to the bedroom." "That's right handy." "Well ..." "Now you've seen it." "Satisfied?" "Now, I want to see the man that uses it." "Hey, Tex, bring that old gal down here." "Don't run her, Tex!" "Took a lot of good grass to make that beef!" "Mostly, if you let the horse alone, he'll do it right." "Make up your rope, could be you want to use it." "When do I get to use it?" " Soon as we spot a maverick." " A what?" "A maverick." "A calf with no mother." " No brand, neither." " Why not?" "On account he was missed at round-up time ... outgrew his mother and wandered off." "Sorta like you." "That's better." "Hey, there, come on!" "Hey, Demps!" "Cassidy's place, I guess." " Say, maybe we can stop by and eat." " Think they'll feed us?" " Man, am I hungry." " You're the hungriest critter I know!" "Never step down till you're asked." "Howdy." "Driftin' a few toward Blue Lake." " Didn't mean to butt in." " Glad to have you stop by." "Step down and visit." "Hey, Tess!" " That's my kid." " Yeah, real pretty." "Come here and say howdy to the folks." "This here's Dempsey Rae, honey." " How do you do?" " How do you do?" "Say, never seen anyone handle a two-year-old any better." "Thanks." "Usually, I don't work broncs, but we're a little short-handed." "This here's the roping' kid." " I'm Jeff Jimson." " Pleased to meet you." "I'd better get some food on the table." "Make yourself at home, Brick and me will be back directly." "Thank you." " Could be she likes you." " Who likes me?" " Tess." " Aaahh." "Yeah, she got real embarrassed when you caught her in her pants." " She's just a kid." " Oh ..." "Strap tells me you're running high as 15% on your winter loss." " That's heavy, isn't it?" " Too heavy." "What with overgrazing the range, we gotta cut our losses or go broke." "Now, Toliver thinks he's got a way to do it." "How's that?" "Winter feed." "We've got good grass down here in the river bottom that we can cut and stack and feed through the heavy snow." "Ours trying, we're gonna winter-feed 10,000 head." "We ain't got 10,000 head." "And we can cut enough grass for our few." "How you gonna keep the cattles off till you get ready to cut?" "Toliver has got that figured." "In fact, he had the answer with him last night." "Ever see any of this?" "Yes, I've seen it." "Looks like it ought to keep the cattle off the grass, once they tangle with that stuff, they'll learn better." "Yeah, them barbs are sharp, feel 'em." " I have felt it." " What's wrong?" "I don't like it, and I don't like anyone that uses it." "Well, I aim to use it, does that go for me?" "It does." "I can't knock you down 'cause you're in my house." "But I can tell you to leave." "Get out." "Demps!" " Why did you get upset?" " Leave it alone." " Yeah, but those people..." " Leave it alone." "Jeff!" " I'm sorry it went so badly." " So am I." " Why did he act that way about the wire?" " I don't know." "I just don't know." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Hey, Demps, which way we heading?" " Straight north." " How would you know?" "Just pick a star and follow it." "Of course, you gotta be sure it's the right one." "Oh, I guess I'll never learn to pick the right one." "Yes, you will." " Everybody's got a star to follow." " Which one's yours?" "Me?" "Never got around to picking one from the south." "Guess I'm sort of like the cattle, drifting north for the grass." "What makes you drift north?" "Isn't there any more grass in Texas?" "Lots of it, kid." "Tall, sweet and it's real good." "Stretching out from the Pecos to the Sabine." "Then they brought in the wire." "You know, it was all open ranges, far as you can see." "As far as a man could ride a horse or drive cattle, there was nothing to stop you." "Nothing to drag you down." "That's why you came up here?" "Yeah." "Now the wire's catching up with me again." "You know, kid?" "You and I may just wind up in Canada." "Well, I've put the herd up on the lake, like you said ... but have you seen the grass in that section lately?" " No." " It's just about ate off." " Anything wrong?" " Not exactly." " Something more we can do?" " Yeah." "Stick around till the rest of the boys come in." "You're going to meet the new owner." "Oh, he's here, huh?" " Say, did he use it yet?" " I wouldn't know." " Put him up for me, will you?" " Sure, Demps." "Come on." " You're going to a wedding or a funeral?" " Neither." " What you all prettied up for?" " Oh, personal reasons." "Going to the ranch house." "Gotta cook for the boss." "Hey, you got that thing I sent for?" "Huh?" "Oh, inside." "Right by the door." "Real pretty." "Thanks." "Don't you know a man can get himself killed doing that?" "He's telling the truth, kid." "Better wear this." " It's for me?" " Well, it ain't for me." "I got one." "Put it on." "No, you're a lefty, ain't you?" "Oh, thanks." " You shouldn't have done it." " Why not?" "Like Idonee said, a man can't walk around here naked." "Saaayyy!" "Looks pretty good." "Come on." "Let's learn to use it." "Here, load." "All right, kid." "Break it up." "I meant the bottle." "Well, I shot at the bottle." "Look, when you were a kid, I mean, even younger than when you are now ... your mother ever tell you it was rude to point?" "Sure." "Well, when you're using a gun, you're downright rude." "So point." "Point." "Point!" " Get the idea?" " Yay." "Ready?" "Try it on this." "Hey!" "Wait till I get clear!" "No, no." "This time from the draw." "I'll call it." "Go!" " Oh, I'm sorry." " Don't be, that's a good, fast draw." "Let's try it again, and this time slow down." "Now, watch me, look." "As the gun clears the leather, you thumb back the hammer and point." " Get it?" " Uh-huh." "Do it." "This time you gonna hit that can plumb center." "Ten dollars says he doesn't." "Say." " I can use that." " What did you say?" "I can use that ten dollars." "Start shooting, kid." " You've just lost ten dollars." " From where I see it, it's worth it." "Do you shoot as cleverly as you talk?" "Better." "Then why not win back your ten?" "Okay, boys, whoa." "Settle down, you boys, settle down." "Keep away!" "I can handle them." "Whoa, boys, settle down there." "Not bad with horses." "I'm not bad with anything." "Say, who are you?" "I'm Reed Bowman and you're impolite." "You're the owner!" "Now I know why Strap said he never seen you use it." "Use what?" "If you're looking over the ranch, I'll drive you." "I've already looked it over." "And what I've seen, I don't like." "Including you." "That's a lot of woman, wouldn't you say?" "I was taught not to say about women." "What's the matter with you?" "You didn't have to make such a fool out of me in front of her." "Nobody can make a fool out of you, kid." "You got to do that yourself." "Why don't you give that gun a chance to cool off and you do the same, huh?" " Fancy Joe Toole." " How are you, Joe?" " Little Waco." " Pleasure, ma'am." " From Waco?" " Yes, ma'am." " Baldy Lewis." " Baldy." "That's my top hand, Latigo." " Pleased to meet you, Latigo." " Howdy, ma'am." " Dempsey Rae." " We know each other." " Do we?" " The Texas Kid." "How do you do, Texas?" " Chuck King." " Chuck." " Hammer, my blacksmith." " Glad to meet you, ma'am." "Nice to know you." "The rest of the men are out on the range." "They're riding the line camp, I figured you wouldn't want to call them in." "No, not if they're busy." "I've only one thing to say." "I bought this ranch to make money ..." "I pay good wages but I expect good work." "Any questions?" "You gonna be a working boss, or absentee?" "Say that again." "All over Wyoming and Montana we got absentee owners." "Folks what live in the East but make their money in the West." "I was wondering which one you're gonna be." "Well, stop wondering, I'll be here." "And there may be times when you wish I weren't." "Well, I guess that's about all." "Strap, you're to have dinner with me tonight." "I have some things to talk over." "And you too, Latigo." "Thank you, ma'am." "Anybody else?" "No." "How does it feel to be put in your place?" "I wouldn't know." "Why don't you try putting me there?" "Now you're in your place." "I'm gonna keep you there." "Oh, you're asking for it." "Say, pardon, ma'am, didn't mean to block you." "See what I mean, kid?" "Never turn your back." "You're short of one man for dinner." "Well, in that case, be my guest." " Some wine?" " Why not?" "I can't get whiskey." " Strap?" " Thank you, no." "To the new boss, the Triangle and the cows." " All ten thousand of 'em." " Fifteen thousand." "The count was ten." "If you paid for more, you got cheated." "I didn't." "There's a new herd coming up from Texas." "They should be here within a month." "That's a lot of beef." "How much'd they charge you for it?" "The price was right." "I know cattle." "Then you know you're bringing in too many." "The grass won't hold 'em." "There's enough grass in Wyoming to hold a million head, perhaps more." "True, but it ain't all yours." " I'm afraid he's right." " Why be afraid?" "It's open range." "Yeah, but who's gonna tell Cassidy and the other owners?" " Aren't you?" " They're friends of mine, ma'am." "I got no quarrel with them." "Neither have I, as long as they let me alone." "Yeah, but you ain't leaving them alone." "Ten thousand head on the range now and five more coming in?" "It just ain't right." "Suppose you let me worry about that." "Shall we go to the living room?" "But where you gonna find the men to work these cattle?" "You gonna worry about that, too?" " We'll find the men when we need them." " Where?" "Then why not hire the men to bring the cattle up from Texas?" "That seems like a good idea." "Well, that depends on the men." "There are two kinds that drive the trail." "Them that knows cows and them that knows trouble." "He means men that are handy with a gun." "I know what he means." "It might not be a bad idea to have a few of those around." "Not while I'm foreman." "We'll see about that later." "Thank you, madam." "Good night." "It doesn't look like Strap is going to be quite strong enough ... for my type of operation." "Just what is your type of operation?" "Before winter I intend to have 30,000 head on the grass." "This is open range and I'm going to make the most of it while it lasts." "At that rate it won't last long." "Two, maybe three years, and the grass will be gone." "So will I." "Well ..." "Like you say, it's open range, and I suppose ... if a man's smart, he gets in, gets what he wants and ... gets out in a hurry." "Only this time it happens to be a woman." "I know." "How much do you want to take over?" " As foreman?" " Yes." " Not interested." " Why not?" " Cause it means trouble." " Trouble?" "Sure, Cassidy, Toliver and the others, they're not gonna take this lying down." "You keep crowding and sooner or late, they'll fight." " And if they do?" " Well, they ain't gonna fight with me." "Why not?" "Because I'm not interested in fighting." "Not at thirty a month." " Suppose we make it fifty?" " Nh-nh." "Sixty?" "Nope." " I'm gonna need you, Dempsey." " Are you?" "What do you want?" " Thank you." " Well, it's ..." "It's nothing." "I wouldn't say that." " To my new foreman." " Well, wait a minute." "A lot of ways of taking a man's job." "This is not one of them." "What shall I call you, then?" "Well, let's say I'm, er ... top hand." " What'd you write?" " A nice figure." "Not the one I want." "I don't believe in overpaying help." "I'll have a lot of trouble with you." "You're so right." "Let me have that branding iron." " Slap it on." " Who, me?" "Sure." "It's time you learned how to brand a maverick." "Say, that's real pretty." "About another ten years, you'll be a top hand." "Ten years?" "After an expert job like that?" "Come on, go on." "Wanna try it once for a dollar?" " You call it." " Okay." "Now!" "You're gonna win my whole month's pay." "Listen, for what you're learning, you're buying it cheap." "This time next month, you'll be helping me sell my saddle." "Is this what you're trying to do?" "Yeah!" "Well, how about this?" "Holy smoke!" "Or would you rather do this?" " Aw, Demps, when do I learn that?" " You don't." "That's all a lot of hogwash, kid." "Look, know this." "Twirling a gun never saved a man's life." "There's only one thing you gotta learn." "Get it out fast." "And then put it away slow." "Get what I mean, kid?" "Hey!" "All right, all right." "Let's go to work, children." " The herd's in." " Good." " Where about?" " Over on the flats." "And Demps, all 5,000 of them are strung out from here to Texas." "Come, my lady." "There they be!" "Who brought them in?" " Steve Miles, from the Sabine." " Steve Miles?" "Yeah, you know him?" "Yeah, I know him." "Who's he got with him?" "Well, there's Tom Quitman, Concho Perez." "He's got Yaqui Neal and Mogollon riding point, but I ..." "I don't know the others." " You will." " Yeah?" "Hey, the boss lady gets around." "Miss Bowman?" "This is Steve Miles, the trail boss." " How do you do?" " Says he'll need some cash for his men." "All right." "Strap talked to you about working at the Triangle?" " Nope." " Why not?" "Well, I just don't think Steve's such a good hand with cattle." "Well, he managed to bring these up from Texas, didn't he?" "Come on in to the ranch, we'll talk it over." "What about my men?" "You think they'd mind waiting for you in town?" "That's it, boys!" "Head for town!" "Is there any other orders or shall I put the herd up on Blue Lake?" "What about Little River?" "I thought I told you to put some over there." "Why, Dempsey Rae." "Howdy, Steve." "Did Texas get too small for you?" "Hey, Dempsey, ride back to the ranch with Miles and me." "You and Texas take a few hundred." "When you get your tally, drift them north along the Little River." "Hey, wait a minute." "Cassidy has been saving that grass along the river." "Thinking on using it this winter." "You gonna crowd 'em?" "I'm gonna do what I was told." "Like to have you do the same thing." " Let's don't have any trouble." " Trouble?" "I don't want any trouble." "Come on, Texas, let's cut 'em out." "Hey, Tex, there's a loose one, I'm goin' after it!" "Go get her, Waco, show 'em who's boss!" "Texas, come here!" "Quick, quick!" "Come on, baby." "Let's go." "Texas, come and help me!" " Come over here!" " Take it easy, Waco!" "My foot." "It's in the stirrup." "Get me outta here." " What happened, Waco?" " I don't know." "I rode into it, I didn't see it." " I didn't even know it was there." " Well, it won't be there much longer." "Come on!" "Come on!" "Leave it alone." "Take off your gun belt." "Drop it!" "Now step down." "This is my wire, son." "And I want you to leave it alone." "We're saving this grass for our winter feed." "We don't want our own cattle on it and we don't want the Triangle cattle on it." "Now, is that understood?" "You heard what the man said." "Answer." "Dad, dad!" "." "Little Waco has been hurt!" "Come here, quick!" "He could've put that between your eyes, son." "Take his gun." "See what's wrong!" "Now step up, you." "Your man got hung up on our wire." "His back would need some work." "Here, let me have that boy." "Step down, son." "I got just the thing to fix them cuts." "Who are you?" "I'm Bill Cassidy, ma'am." "I want you to know we're sorry about Little Waco." "And there's something else we want you to know." "It might be a good idea to keep your cows away from Little River." " Why?" " Because we're stringing wire." "From Mint Canyon down across the river bed." "We figure to hold that grass and keep it for winter feed." "Do you own that ground?" "No, but we got there first." " Is that the law?" " We figure it is." " In other words, it's your law." " We don't aim to be unfriendly, ma'am." "But with you bringing in the big herd, we've got to do something about our few." " That's why we're fencing that grass." " Government grass, huh?" "Call it that if you want, but we're going to use it." "So am I, Mr. Cassidy." "We'll see about that, Miss Bowman." "Here!" "You got a wolf cub on your hands, better teach him some manners." "Let me have my gun!" " Put up your horse!" " Give me that gun!" "I said put up your horse." "Jeff, what happened at Cassidy's?" "Tell me!" "I don't like wire." "I don't like anybody that uses it." "I've heard that before." "Haven't you?" "You've got some men waiting in town." "Take 'em their money." "I usually take my orders from a foreman." "You just took one from your foreman." "Strap is through as of today." "He sent a boy on a man's job." "I want to talk to you later." "Looks like Dempsey got real soft." "You and your men have three days to get drunk and sober up ... then report back to the ranch ready for work." " So how's the back?" " Oh, I'm gonna be all right, Demps." "Cookie smeared me with some of that magic grease ... and the cuts closed up so fast, they almost caught his finger." "Hey, Texas, why don't you let Cookie smear you with some of his magic grease?" "Kid?" "Let me have a look at that arm." "Thought I was only supposed to drink sarsaparilla." "It's not for drinking." "At least not for you." "She thinks I'm a boy." "I'll catch up with that guy, and when I do, I'll kill him!" "Shut up!" "Well, that's easy for you to say!" "It's not your arm, you don't know how it feels!" "I know how it feels." "And I'll tell you something else I know." "It's about a kid with a gun who was with me ... the first time I met up with barb wire." "He was just about your age when he got himself killed!" "He looked a lot like you, too." "Except his tooth was broken off, right here." "I was teaching him to twirl a gun ... the barrel came around and hit him right across the mouth." "I laughed at him and he took a punch at me." "He could punch good, too." "Sit down." " He was your brother, huh?" " Yeah." "You know, we had a big spread in Texas." "It was all open range." "Then they brought in the wire." "When the wire comes in, there's fightin' and killin'." "But this time we're going away." "You get the war bags packed." "But leave my clean shirt out." "I'll collect our wages and ... we'll have a big night in town and drift north in the morning." "Get it, kid?" "Oh, one thing more." "Next time you hit me, use your fist." "No man ever slaps me." " Anybody home?" " Who is it?" " Me, Dempsey!" " Come in!" " Where are you?" " In here!" "I'll be with you in just a minute." "If you're embarrassed, you can wait in the other room." "If I'm not?" "It's still a good idea." "Go on, make yourself comfortable." "I won't be long." "Help yourself." "Thanks." "Later, perhaps." " It's quite a bathtub you got there." " You're welcome to use it anytime." "Well, it better be quick, I'm quittin'." " Quitting?" " Yeah." "Why?" "Is it because you're afraid of Cassidy?" "Yeah, I'm afraid." " Of what?" " Of Cassidy." "Come on now, you know that's a lie." "But you are afraid of something." "Yeah." "I'm afraid of you." "Now, can I have my wages?" "If that's the way you feel about it, how much do you have coming to you?" "Why don't you look in the book?" "I don't have to look in the book." "I can still remember what you wrote." "Well?" "So you came here to collect." "Just how far would you go to keep a foreman?" "Well, I might even marry him." "Oh, slap the Triangle iron on his rump." "By the way, when you see Strap ... will you tell him he's no longer foreman?" " I'm not gonna do that." " Why?" " Cause I won't be seeing him." " Of course you will." "You'll be putting the herd down on Little River and when you ..." "Nh-nh." "Well, I thought we agreed that you ..." "You agreed that I was going to put your cattle onto Cassidy's grass." "All I agreed to do was let you make a fool of yourself." "How low can a man get?" "I wouldn't know about a man." "But I've just seen how low a woman will go to get what she wants." "Now, you don't look good." " And you're leaving?" " Yeah." "Taking the kid with me, too." "You know, Steve Miles is your kind of man." "You pay him the right wages and he'll do your killing." "Speaking of wages, you still haven't collected yours." "Haven't I?" "Hm." "Tex!" "Hey, Tex!" "Tex?" "Hey, where's Texas?" "Well, he's been in and outta here a couple of times." "Wonder where he can be?" "Maybe he got tired of waiting for you and rode into town." "Yeah, maybe he did." "Well, take care of yourself, Little Waco." "Yeah, same to you, Demps." " Keep out of the wire!" " Good riding!" "So long, boss!" "Let's dance, Dempsey." " I'm the happiest man in town." " What are you so happy about?" " On account that I'm leaving tonight." " And who's gonna pay for the whiskey?" "Oh, set him up, Duckbill." "He's leaving without a saddle." "Uh oh." "New girl in town." " That must be the one." " Who?" "That Triangle gal." "What would you like to drink?" "I'll get it for you." "Anything you do." " Tex, why'd you bring her here?" " Any reason why I shouldn't?" "All right." "Take her a drink and let's get out of here." "I've waited for you, now you can wait for me." " Learns fast, huh?" " Two whiskeys." "You know we don't serve ladies in here." "Duckbill, gimme that again?" "You know what I mean." " Not them kind of ladies." " What kind of ladies?" "And don't you give me no trouble." "What was it you wanted?" " One whiskey and a sarsaparilla." " I said two whiskeys!" " Water on the side." " Where am I supposed to get the water?" "Water!" "Duckbill, you get the water down on Little River, they got plenty." "Don't send Dempsey." "He's scared of wire." "What did you say, pigface?" "I said you're afraid of wire." "You're leaving tonight, remember?" "She's right." "I don't want to fight you." "I was under the prairie moon" "Whistling a lonesome tune" "When my roving eye came to sight her" "And my heart grew lighter and lighter" "And the moon grew brighter and brighter" "When I told her that she was swell" "She said you're swell as well" "I just don't know who was politer" "Then my arms just seemed to invite her" "And the moon grew brighter and brighter" "So I rounded up some kisses to delight her" "And she roped me tighter and tighter" "And the moon grew brighter and brighter." "Talked about her eyes are blue, talked about the preacher, too 'twas the preacher talk that seem to dynamite me." "She said she could tie the knot and tie it tightly" "And the moon grew brightly and brightly" "And brightly." "And brightly." "Top 'em up again, Duckbill!" "Drinks for everybody!" "You know, honey, looks like you're gonna leave town without your boots, too." "Come on, pretty girl, I'm gonna buy the next dance with you." " Please." " Let her alone." "What did you say, kid?" "I said get your dirty hands off the lady." "It's way past sonny's bedtime." "Get your hands off her!" "He asked for it, Demps." "And you gave it to him." "Why, you little killer." "Why, you...!" "Ow!" "So you learned how to kill." "And you like it, huh?" "He had a good teacher." "We're even, you and me." "But you had to use a kid to square it." "Come on." "Demps, wait!" "Whose play was this?" "Mine." " What's your story?" " Self-defense." "I'll go along with that." "He was one of my men." "All right, but don't leave town till I tell you." "If you want him, he'll be out at the ranch." " And I'll go his bail." " All right, Miss Bowman." "Jeff, take me home." "Yeah, trot along with her, kid." "I'm not a kid." "Oh, that's right, Texas." "You've grown real tall." "And tonight you killed two men." "The first 'un was on your own." "But you needed the help of an alley cat to kill the second." "Take him up there and bury him." " Who was it this time?" " Tom McCloud." " We found him up on Casper's Ridge." " Leave any signs?" "Paid killers never leave any signs." "Well, we're right back where we were last week." "Except there's another man dead, and they've torn down the rest of our wire." " They, who's they?" " Steve Miles and his crowd." "Well, aren't you gonna do anything?" "Yes, I'm going to ride out and have a talk." "Could be some of the decent boys might know something about this." "You still got Little Waco and Fancy Joe and some of the others out there." " Not anymore they ain't." "They quit." " Why not sign them on?" "Well, they ain't gunfighters, John, they're working cowhands." "Why, there ain't no ten of 'em could stand up to one of that bunch from Texas." "Besides, I wouldn't ask 'em to." "You sign 'em on." "Let 'em start stringing wire." "I'll ride out and see they don't get hurt." "Whoa." "John, your wife don't speak to me, not that I blame her ... but I still wouldn't like to see her be a widow woman." "Against that Miles bunch, you ain't got a chance." "Well, if he can't stop 'em, who can?" "You knew the answer to that before you asked me, didn't you, Cassidy?" "Yeah, maybe I did." "By golly, I'm going to have a talk with that wife of mine." "Seems like she don't know a good woman when she sees one." " Idonee?" " Mm-hm." " Did you get a bottle?" " Yup, two of 'em." "Wonderful." "Gimme a little drink." "Sure I will, honey." " Not so much water in the second one." " You call and I've got it." "Aye, it's just as bad." "Gimme the bottle." "Anything you say, honey." " What'd you do that for?" " Well, it's time to get up!" "Why didn't you tell me the train's here?" "Honey, there been eight trains in since you decided to leave." " And you missed all of them." " I'm going to make this train." "No, you ain't making any train." "Demps, why don't you admit it?" "You're stuck on that gal." "That's why you're letting her take that kid and make a killer out of him." " Don't blame her for that." " No?" "Maybe you're right." "But who do I blame for that Miles bunch killing two men ... and then tearing up all the wire on Little River?" "What did you expect them to do?" "It ain't what I them to do, the count is what I expect you to do!" "Know what I'm gonna do?" " I'm taking the next train out." " Ha, you're taking the next train out." "That's the story of your life, Demps." "No, I guess there's nothing a man like you can do except keep on running." "But no matter where you go ... you're gonna run into that same fence ... and it always has wire on it." "You know them killings is gonna go on and on ... until the wire's come here to stay." "And you know it better than anybody in the world." "Demps." "Forgot something." "It ain't rightly mine." "I'll be seeing ya." "Come on, Yaqui, bring the bottle with you!" "Come on!" "Yeah, Davy can drink that all by himself." "Cassidy, I'm moving the Triangle cattle in on Little River." "If I find any wire up that way, I'm gonna make you eat it." "What's the matter, Dempsey?" "You look sick." "It's what I'm looking at that makes me sick." "Come on, let's see him dance." "That's the prettiest wrapped package I ever saw." "You may be needing that, honey." "Pull up on it." "Get down!" " Ben?" " I've done worse for the razor." "Start down the hill and move carefully." " Demps, you mean you gonna stay here?" " Go on." "Hey, Concho, look!" "Old man Cassidy." "I think we better dump him." "I don't." " Don't shoot." " I didn't intend to." "Step down, Concho." "I want you all in one piece." "Dempsey, you all right?" "Couldn't be better!" " Cut off the other end of that wire." " What for?" "I got a package to deliver and I don't want it to fall apart." "Looks like it's your play, kid." "Go get your boss lady." "Do you hear me?" "I got a package for you." "T,hank you." "And the next time one of your man touches our wire ..." "I'll wrap a strand of it around your pretty neck." "Thinking of trying it once for a dollar?" " If I do?" " Don't do it, Texas." "Afraid I might get hurt?" "Either way it breaks." "That's real nice of you." "And you can tell Steve Miles, from now on I'm wrapping the packages." "Take it easy!" "You better go in the house." "I'll take care of him." " How'd this happen?" " Dempsey." " He was waiting at the wire." " Dempsey brought you in?" "Yeah." "You were here?" " Yes, I was here." " And you didn't go for your gun." " Would you have?" " Yeah." "If you were a man, I'd kill you." "Strange, I thought you only shot at boys." "But Dempsey says to return his call any time you feel like it." "That's not a bad idea." "Only this time we'll bring a few thousand head of cattle with us." "Texas style." "He'll understand that." "Never step down till you're asked." "Take it easy, Jeff." " Who won the dollar?" " Steve Miles." "He's coming here, now." "Texas style." "Texas style, huh?" "Everything is going to be all right, Jeff." " Can you handle him?" " Of course I can." "What does he mean, Texas style?" "You'll learn, or you'll be up to your armpits in beef." "Come on." "They're waiting at the wire!" "Well, let's not disappoint 'em, then." "Send 'em along!" "They're not going to stop until they reach the river." "And they'll take the wire with them." "They're not going to hit the wire." "We're going to turn 'em." "You mean you gonna turn a stampede, when it's coming right at you?" " Got any better ideas?" " No." "Come on, it's your grass!" "Head 'em north!" "Keep heading 'em north!" "... now that you saved our grass, seems like you're entitled to use some of it." "Yeah, we've been talking it over, Demps ... and we figure on setting you up with a few hundred head." "Now, there's a lot of good range beyond Little River." "In no time at all, you'd have a big place of your own." "Look, thanks, but I just don't like barb wire." " What are you doing?" " I'm doing what you're doing." "Ain't you learned better?" "Don't do like I do, do like I say." "Better yet ... do like she says." "I'll be seeing ya."