"How long you think this is gonna keep up, pa?" "Hard to tell, son." "I've seen these storms bury everything' that moves." "Hey, don't start any bad habits," "That ladder doesn't mean a thing." "Just don't get kicked." "Pa, I know one thing, this cold sure works up an appetite." "Well, let's you an' I go get supper started." "Ah!" "Man:" "Luke!" "Pa!" "Hallo, mr." "Scotty." "Howdy, boy!" "Hallo, scotty!" "Can't make it to north fork tonight." "Road's near closed with drifts, animals about to give out!" "You wanna stay here, scotty?" "Ain't got no choice." "We're near froze to death." "Just someplace to keep warm, an' wait it out." "Let's get 'em inside." "Son, you build up the fire, I'll help out here." "You bet, pa." "Thank you, luke." "All right, step lively, folks, we're stayin' here tonight!" "Howdy!" "Can't you wait 'til I get out of the way!" "Yeah, that's the one, that's the only one I want." "Now, hand it down." "You can leave that one, it's mine, I won't need it." "Well, girlie, looks like this is where we spend the night." "Scotty:" "Hup!" "There's hot coffee on the stove, folks." "Excuse me, ma'am." "Supper will be ready in about an hour." "Hope you all like beef stew." "It's very kind of you, to put up with us, mr..." "Mccain, lucas mccain." "That's my boy, mark." "My name's ryan." "Now, this is miss miller, I believe you said?" "Yes, teresa miller." "I'd like to add my thanks." "I hope we won't be too much trouble, mr." "Mccain." "Well, it'll be a little crowded, but I'm sure we'll make out." "Medford's my name, vince medford." "Hello, mr." "Medford." "A drink?" "No, thanks." "I sell this stuff." "These samples sure come in mighty handy," "A day like this." "I don't like to drink alone, what 'bout you?" "Where're you goin'?" "Uh, the driver might need some help." "Mark, you better start peeling' the vegetables, huh?" "Yes, pa." "This your bag, miss miller?" "Yes." "I'll take it into the bedroom." "Oh, please" "Oh, you'll be more comfortable in there." "Yeah, get comfortable, girlie." "Storm like this, we're in for it." "I'll do that, vince." "Mr. Medford and I are old..." "Acquaintances." "This is your room, with your boy?" "That's right, ma'am." "Well, he could stay here, I certainly wouldn't mind." "We could hang a blanket or somethin'." "Thanks, ma'am." "It would make things easier considering' the circumstances." "He sure must have been cold." "It's gonna be almost like a huntin' trip," "Sleepin' in our bedrolls tonight." "What's the matter with your bed?" "Oh, but pa, she..." "Don' get excited, we can hang a blanket between the beds," "You'll have your privacy." "Well, just a blanket?" "Son, this is no time to be wastin' food." "After you finish the vegetables, bring in some more firewood, huh?" "Careful." "Mr. Ryan, I sure appreciate this help you're givin' me." "What's the matter?" "Are you all right?" "Yeah." "Must be the cold, just got a stitch on my side." "Oh." "Well, we might as well go on in the house." "I can feed these animals after we've had our own dinner." "You go ahead, I'll be along." "Well, here, toss it down, I'll carry it in for you." "It's perfectly safe here, isn't it?" "Sure." "Well?" "Can I help?" "You can hand me that salt." "Thank you." "Where's mrs." "Mccain?" "My wife passed away some time ago." "Don't you find it hard livin' here like this?" "Raising a boy, all alone?" "We manage." "Vince:" "Careful, mccain, she's drawin' a feed on you." "Never did see little tess girl here when she didn't go" "For them tall ones." "Well, near every time I seen her" "Mr. Medford, we're liable to be stuck here together" "For a few days." "Why don't you make" "Yourself useful, like everybody else?" "That table needs setting." "Mr. Medford?" "Why don't you set the table?" "Oh, what a night!" "Funny thing about mr." "Ryan," "Not wanting his luggage in the house." "Opened it right out there in the barn," "After he made sure I'd left!" "Oh." "What's the matter?" "I interrupt somethin'?" "Only the sensitivity of an unsensitive woman." "You know, vince, someday you're gonna choke on that" "Stuff, an' then no one will have to listen" "To that nasty mouth of yours anymore." "You see what I mean?" "I can remember a few years back," "When tess girl here, all she had to do was flutter her eyelashes." "Vince." "'course, things have changed." "Why, all the way up here from yuma," "Handsome guy like that ryan," "Wouldn't even give her a tumble." "Medford!" "No, let him finish." "I'll have you finish, if not I'll say it for you." "Five years ago, I came out here to get married," "Only I never did." "My man was killed in" "A fight, an' I was stranded in a place called la paz, arizona." "You know what it's like for a girl to be stranded penniless," "In la paz, arizona?" "You do, don't you, vince?" "That's where I met him!" "He took pity on me, he gave me money." "Not enough ever to go" "Home, just enough to keep me from goin'." "Now, it's been" "Five years, there have been other towns, other places," "And I've saved enough money, an' I'm goin' home." "Wouldn't you know we'd have to be on the same stage together!" "Pa!" "Pa, come quick!" "It's mr." "Ryan." "He was just layin' here, like this." "All right, let's get 'im inside." "Close the door, son." "Now, let's take 'im over here." "What's the matter with him?" "Miss miller, there's a bottle o' brandy in the kitchen" "Cupboard, would you mind?" "Mr. Ryan?" "Come on, mr." "Ryan." "Mr. Ryan?" "Thank you." "Hey, his name ain't ryan, this says christopher rolf." "Christopher rolf?" "Mccain, this man's a gunslinger, he's a killer." "What'd you want me to do?" "Throw 'im back in the snow?" "Here, take some more of this." "I'm all right." "Oh, you must rest." "What happened to you anyhow?" "I must've slipped in the snow." "I..." "Remember falling', very hard." "How long has it been?" "Oh, just a few minutes." "The boy found you." "Thanks." "He should've left you there." "Your wallet fell out of your jacket." "Here you are, mr." "Rolf." "I'm sorry." "Sometimes my presence creates an undesirable atmosphere," "Through no fault of my own." "Through no fault of your own?" "You're a killer, eight men, maybe more." "Eight is an exact figure, mr." "Medford!" "Mr. Rolf, this is my home." "I want you to respect it." "I have every intention of doin' so." "That goes for you, too, medford." "Are you sure you're alright?" "Yes, thank you." "Lord, make us truly grateful for these thy gifts." "Bless this table, this house, an'..." "An' all the people in it." "Amen." "Sure be surprised if that storm lets up by tomorrow." "Well, maybe I won't have to go to school." "You've got your books here, son, you can study." "Never neglect your lessons, boy, for any reason." "Where'd you go to school?" "Don't pay any attention to him, he's drunk." "Best way to be, under the same roof with a murderer." "That's enough, medford." "Don' get high an' mighty with me, mccain." "You heard what she said about herself," "An' you know what he is." "Well, just take a good look at 'em." "What's the matter, tess girl?" "Couldn't score with mccain?" "So he's next in line." "You..." "All right, now you listen to me." "I didn't ask for you people to stop by here." "Where you came from or what you are is no concern of mine." "But as long as you're in our house, eatin' our food," "An'..." "Acceptin' our hospitality, you'll act like decent human" "Beings, or somebody may find themselves walkin' to north fork" "An' this isn't a very a good night for walkin'." "Do I make myself clear?" "Ah, nobody says I gotta eat with a killer." "Where did you go to school, mr." "Rolf?" "As a matter of fact, at one time, I was a schoolteacher." "Oh." "But..." "Why did you quit?" "Well, there was a useless gunfight at my town," "A bullet killed my wife." "Guns were my hobby, I collected them." "I also knew how to use them." "I went after that man, to bring him back to trial." "He tried to gun me, I was faster." "He said he was good," "That I'd outdrawn one of the best." "So word got around," "Others came, laughing', to try the schoolteacher." "They still come, an' I'm trapped." "He's right, I am a killer, but not by choice." "Mr. Rolf, did you ever try backing' down?" "If I had, I'd be dead." "I wanted to live, I felt I had somethin' worth giving'," "Knowledge to children." "But it's too late for that now." "Why?" "You can't just give up." "Everybody gets a second chance." "A second chance would be impossible for me." "Is somebody after you now?" "You- you can put it that way, yeah." "Excuse me, I'd..." "Like some fresh air." "Strange man." "You know I" " I bet he was a good schoolteacher." "I still don't see why I can't sleep out there with you." "Suppose the fellas at school hear about this?" "The fellas at school won't hear about it," "Unless you tell 'em." "Now let's go to bed." "Oh, come on, pa!" "For a while, I thought we were gonna have to spend the night" "In a snowdrift." "Instead you have all the comforts of home." "I said the wrong thing." "Home, it's just..." "Home." "I wonder, if I'll ever have another home." "Weren't you headin' east?" "I mean that" "Yes." "Yes, I'm goin' to st." "Louis, that was my home." "But after all these years out here," "Do you think I'll have a" "I wonder if I'm foolin' nobody but me." "Perhaps you belong out here." "I'd like to think that..." "If somebody wanted me." "You see, we're much alike." "I, too have..." "Little purpose left." "Good night." "Nice try, girlie." "Mark's in bed, I think it's safe now." "Thank you, mr." "Mccain." "Good night." "Good night." "Listen, girlie." "You know I always meant to do right by you." "You couldn't do right by your own mother." "Oh now, don't be like that." "I heard you talkin' to him." "You know, you an' me used to do all right together, too," "You know that?" "What do you want?" "Him." "The way he keeps goin' out in the barn." "He left again," "Just a few minutes ago, after everybody was asleep." "So?" "You know what I think?" "I think he's runnin'." "Aren't we all?" "Men like him can't work," "Can't work 'cuz what they are." "I say he's runnin'." "And I say" "He's got money hidden on that bag he has to keep him goin'." "Remember that stage hold-up a couple of weeks ago," "Outside of yuma, driver was killed?" "Rolf, he was in yuma." "Go on." "There was army payroll money on that stage." "Now there's a reward, $5,000!" "You think rolf did it?" "You're out of your mind," "If he had money, he wouldn't leave it out there." "It would be safer out there than in here with us." "I say" "That's why he goes out and checks on it," "To make sure it's there." "You drink too much." "Now, tess!" "Listen to me." "You watch him while I go out there," "Just see if I'm right." "If I find the money," "We turn him in next town." "Now, what do we lose?" "If he wakes, stall him, keep him here." "It won't take me long." "That's little enough to ask." "And just think what we could do with 5,000!" "5,000, just you an' me." "There's not enough money in this whole territory" "To make you respectable." "Oh!" "What is it?" "Tell me." "Please, leave me alone." "Mr. Mccain." "What's the matter?" "Rolf's outside, he needs help." "What's the matter?" "It's nothing- nothing." "But you're ill." "Oh, I just needed some fresh air." "Feel all right now?" "Yeah." "Where's medford?" "In the barn, lookin' through your things." "He's a fool!" "Get away from there." "Stay away from me, mccain, or I'll kill you." "I've been waitin' all my life for a chance like this." "There's money in here, money that rolf stole!" "There's a reward, a big reward, it is mine." "You ain't gonna get any of it, nobody is!" "Stay- stay away from me, rolf." "Stay away from me, rolf!" "You haven't got enough liquor" "In that whole suitcase to give you the guts to kill me." "There is nothin' in this case but medicine." "Six months ago," "I was shot, a doctor removed the bullet, but somethin' happened" "Inside." "It didn't heal." "Since then, the pain has been getting worse." "I was told I have three months to live." "Oh!" "There's a surgeon in st." "Louis, he says there's some hope," "Maybe just a..." "Little hope." "Stays clear like this, we'll make it easy." "I guess I'd better ride up in the boot." "Get in the coach, vince." "Why not?" "Go on, they mean it." "Thank you." "Good luck." "You too, mark." "I hope everythin' turns out for you." "Well, it will." "He said there was hope." "I think that's all any of us need." "Until last night, I felt safe behind my reputation," "Didn't want anyone to see me in pain or takin' medicine." "But I guess it really doesn't matter now." "Then you won't need your gun in st." "Louis." "Bye." "Come on, move the bags." "Ha!" "Scotty." "Boy, wait 'til the kids at" "School hear that chris rolf spent the night at our house." "Oh?" "You're gonna tell 'em?" "Sure I am." "About everything'?" "Well, maybe I better not tell them about..." "Everythin'."