"Little heavier in the shoulders?" "That's from slinging that ten pounds sledge." "They all get it." "It's all there." "Do you mind if I look?" "It's just that." "I don't know." "I keep my eye on all that stuff myself." "Deveraux!" "Let's go." "Where?" "The Governor wants to see you." "I don't want to see him." "I'm thorough here." " Let's go, partner." "Here's your grub." "Sidewinder." "Thanks." "Good gun." "Nice balance." "Come on over." "Joe Deveraux." "Yes, it'll be just a minute." "The Governor'll see you now." "Good luck, Joe." "Thanks a lot." "Glad you came, Joseph." "I couldn't do anything else." "I wanted to talk to you." "The simplest way was to bring you here." "Sit down." "You look different, Joseph." "More mature, I guess, and changed." "Three years brings changes." " You're not interested in what prison did to me." "Yes I am." "I'm very interested." "Barbara still hasn't married." "Anything else?" " Yes, there is." "There's considerably more." "Sit down." "I brought you here to keep you from being killed." "You can think I'm hypocritical." "But for the respect I had for your father and your mother..." "My mother?" "Never mind." "There's been enough violence in the ranch." "I won't have any more." "I won't have any more." "Your brothers are in the next room." "They've a proposition to make you." "A business proposition." "They assure me it's a good one." "I'd like..." "I'd advise you to take it." "Come in." "Hello, Joe." "Joe." " Joe." "I told him and I tell you, Ben." "I'll stand for no trouble." "There won't be any trouble." "We don't want any and I'm sure Joe doesn't." "I'll give you ten minutes." " Fine." "You look good, Joe." "I'm glad to see it wasn't too tough on you." "I know it wasn't easy but..." "The Governor said you'd a proposition for me." "He told me to take it." "What?" "Before you'd even heard it?" "Why he should know better than that." "Besides, this is a family matter, Joe." "We're still your brothers." " Just tell me the proposition." "All right." "You see, Joe there have been a lot of changes since you went in." "I can see some of them right here." "What kind of..." " I'll do the talking, Denny." "Sure, Ben." "That's one of the changes." "The other is that we run the ranch from town now." "It's gotten too big to operate from home." "What did you do with my mother?" "You know, Joe, she doesn't like town." "She went back to her own people, Joe." "That's all she wanted." "Anything else we'd have done it, just as we will for you, but I think you ought to realize that we've got different responsibilities now." "Deveraux Ranch isn't just cattle any more." "We've got oil leases, mineral rights and stockholders we have to protect." "Just tell me the deal." "All right, I'll tell you the deal." "It's Oregon." "Brand new territory." "We'll buy you a spread, stock it and cover your losses for three years." "Or else?" "There is no 'or else'." "That's it." "I think that'll get you started." "What if I don't like Oregon?" "You'll like it." " I hear it's real nice country." "We worked it out for you the best we could, but if there's something else..." "There is something else." "Three years." "Three years out of my life." "Three years I spent in that stinking jail." "Can you give me back those?" "No." "Not even if I had them to give you." "I lost mine sweating out chores for Pa before you ever born." "I'm not crying about them." "I'm just telling you." "You've got our offer and you've got our money." "The train goes through here at six." "Be on it and the deal stands." "That's not very smart, Joe." "But the rest of the deal stands if you make that train." "He's real hot, ain't he?" "He'll cool down." "When he does, he'll take the deal." "He's too smart." "Ain't that right, Ben?" " I don't know." "Anybody that throws 10,000 dollars in a spittoon makes me nervous." "Pick it up." "For the price, he'll get you three and back." "You sure you want that saddle?" "Another couple of dollars and I give you a better one." "What's your hurry?" "Ben said find out where he was going." "I know where he's going." "Get on your horse, fellow!" "Joseph!" "It is you." "Hello, Two Moons." "The gods, they smile on us this day." "I guess they do." "You missed me about three inches." "Maybe you're getting old." "If I want to hit you, I hit you." "You come home to stay, Joseph?" "I don't know." "Your mother is at the meeting place of our people." "Is she all right?" " She is the same." "She waits for you." "Yeah." "There's something else I got to settle first." "You are alone." "I have 20 men..." " And have your tribe destroyed?" "No." "Where you go?" "To the home place." " Good." "Talk to Running Wolf." " I'm not talk to anybody." "The Old Man's dead." "Do you listen to that medicine man too?" "At night, I hear wolf calls." " You always hear wolves." "Pa never let anybody kill them, you know that." "You want to ride in with me?" "Well?" "It is fitting you go alone, Joseph." "Superstitious old fool." "Hello, Pa." "I came back." "The old men said you wouldn't rest easy till I did." "I've heard the medicine men think you're running the hills with the wolves." "Maybe you are at that." "What should I do, Pa?" "Have you a sign for me?" "Or are you to let me figure...?" "Hold him still." "Just brand him, don't barbecue him." "'¿Cómo está, señor?" " Muy bien, Francisco'." "'Señor' Matt all goes well?" " Yes." "We'll have the other camps cleaned up by sundown." "Here too." "We'll drive the beef herd toward home tomorrow." "Take them slow." "They're running off stock on the east range." "Johnny was riding herd last night." "They shot his horse under him." "He walked and told Two Moons." " Ben!" "Get a horse!" "You want I get some boys?" " No, we'll handle it." "Not a sign of them." "They rode in the stream." "You can't tell where they went." "Horse slipped, no?" " Which way, do you think?" "Let's go." "Two, three four, five, I count, Pa." "Six!" "It's Pa!" "Get out of here!" "Let's go!" "Get out of there!" "Get up, you're not hurt." "Let this steer loose." "Could you change the brand without botching it?" "I've seen these two before." "We fired them last year." "They're no good." "Well?" "We didn't mean nothing, Pa." "Just a couple little old steers." " Why?" "I don't know." "We needed the money, that's why." "Money?" "But you got money." "If you mean that lousy 40 a month..." "Don't ever use that tone to me." " Pa, we didn't mean nothing." "No, you didn't." "You figured you've steal some cattle and sell them." "Anybody would know that brand, even though it had been raised." "But you figured nobody..." " Pa, we didn't even think of that." "I don't think you did." "You two together couldn't have figure that out." "But somebody did?" "Who put you up to it?" "Nobody." "It doesn't make any difference." "You did it." "Be sure it wouldn't be a secret you had to drag these two lunkheads in with you." "They no talk." "Let them be." "They're not to blame." "Just these two." "What should I do with'em?" "They were caught rustling cattle and changing the brands." "If you notify the Sheriff the whole state'll know it." "We could hang them or shoot them..." " Cut it, Pa." "He thinks I'm fooling." "Lots of fellows felt that way until we taught them that you don't steal cattle from Deveraux Ranch." "But the cattle are as much yours as they are mine." "And they would have been yours too, but..." "What do you think, Ben?" "You don't pay them enough." "Or you either, Ben?" "They get the same as you." "If you ask me, I'll tell you, you get twice what you're worth." "There ain't a man living who can say that he stole cattle from me but you two mushheads thought..." "You wanted them so bad, take them and get out." "The money you get for them'll keep you until you can steal more." "But remember this: . ." "...don't steal them from here." "We can't let him do this." "Why not?" "I warned them they were only asking for trouble." "Pa, you don't mean this." "They're your own sons." "They're a couple of cheap tinhorn cattle thieves." "Two men are dead because of them." " You just can't do it." "I did." "Let go, son." "You should have had all this yesterday." "If I'd been half smart I never would've let you see it." "I don't know why it is but every wife thinks..." "What are you trying to do, kill me?" " Finish the telling." "Nothing to tell." "I just sent them packing." "Money they said they wanted." "I pay'em, don't I?" "They have all they needs on the ranch, haven't they?" "Haven't they?" "Perhaps." "But I don't think it is money they need." "They were stealing cattle to get it." "What is it they do need?" "They are not my sons." "It is difficult to say." "I think it is you, my husband." "You have never given them anything of yourself." "That's a lot of!" "That kind of talk!" "I got a big ranch to run." "The biggest of the country." "Besides, I've built it all up for'em, haven't I?" "Al right, I built it for myself." "But it's theirs when I die." "Suppose I haven't given'em time." "Does that mean they've to grow up to be cattle thieves?" "You are the father." "They want to be part of you." "If you do not give yourself, they take." "Even if it means stealing something that is yours." "That's Indian talk, squaw talk." "I don't understand you." "You understand." "That's what makes you angry." "That and because you've sent'em away." "They are your sons." "They're not yours." "If Joe had done a thing like that..." "Because they're not, I have tried to love them as much as my own." "And you have too." "That must take a power." "I know nothing about." "But as I say, Joe..." "Joe wouldn't do that." "He's my son, yet I don't know what he would do." "He is yours, and you do not." "Bring them back." " No!" "I sent'em away and that's that." "Let me." "Sore at me?" "No." "It's only because I don't understand." "You didn't get a very good bargain, my little Princess." "I have never regretted it." "No all these years you haven't?" "How have you stayed so beautiful?" "Am I?" "Still?" "You know, the first day I saw you riding that little paint pony with the antelope skin shirt and the beads and the feather in your hair I though there was nothing in the world so beautiful." "I didn't know the half." "We have guests for dinner." " Send them home." "But they're already here." "You go downstairs and pacify them." " Without you?" "What's the matter?" "Are you afraid?" " No." "They'll bow and smile and be very polite." "They'd better." "They know that too." "Are you afraid of them?" "I'm afraid of no one, but you my husband." "Princess." "That sounds like it has a little of the old Irish." "Are you sure you haven't any Irishman before I came along?" "There is no other Irishman like you, my husband." "Princess." "Did you?" " No!" "I..." "Please don't." "Matt!" "'Señora' Deveraux." "We've been waiting for you." " Horace, my apologies." "Sorry." "Clem, nice to see you." "Where's Grace?" "Couldn't she come?" "It's her back again." "Hasn't been out in a week." "Must be two weeks since I've seen her." "I haven't met this young lady." "I should never forget it if I had." "Of course you have, uncle Matt." "It's not Barbara!" "Why it can't Barbara, when you went east you were this high." "I was a little taller than that." "Good evening, 'Señora'." "Not very much." "My, if the years had just done for me what they've done..." "You've met my sons." " Yes, all four of them." "I expected you two would still be out with the cattle." "I thought they ought to be here, so I brought them in." "I see." "Are they entertaining you properly?" "They've been most gallant." " A fine set of boys, Matt." "Yes, Madame Deveraux taught them their manners." "If they smack of the range still, that's my fault." "I think they resemble you amazingly, Uncle Matt." "So handsome and charming." " Your manners weren't neglected." "Shall we go in to dinner?" " May I?" "Joe." "What about them?" "It was tough, but I got'em drunk..." " I'm not talking about that." "You heard what I said'em..." " You were mad, Pa." "I figured once you..." " You figured!" "You've more courage that brains." "One of these days..." " Not tonight, Pa." "You got your good shirt on." "Besides, I think I could lick you anyway." "That'll be the day, son." "Get in there." "Dear, that old heifer never did come back." "That was in the days before I had a seat in my pants." "But they were pretty good days at that, eh Horace?" "What are you eating, Uncle Matt?" " These?" "They're pickled cactus grapes." "Cactus grapes?" " Yeah." "I don't think I've seen'em." " They don't have'em in the east." "They're wonderful appetizers, eh Ben?" "Yes, If you like them." "They're real good, Barbara." "Try it." "Don't!" "It's a Mexican pepper." "It'll burn the roof of your mouth." "One of Pa's funny jokes." "The Mexicans grind them for cayenne." "Is that right, Uncle Matt?" "Yes." "They're not that hot though." "Joe has a tendency to be tender hearted." "But you eat them." "I eat anything that doesn't eat me." "Not bad at all." "Holly smoke!" "Not hot?" "A little!" "A little!" "She would deny it if it tore her mouth off." "Quite girl, Horace." "Why I didn't see before her, if she's been here for a month?" "If you came in town often you might have." "I had to bring her out here." " He doesn't come to town." "You've to run a ranch from the back of the horse, not from a chair." "You find out about mineral rights, though and beef prices." "I get as good a price as the next man, isn't right, Ben?" "No." "I can show you the figures." "The boys are given me a bad time tonight." "Where did you get tem?" "I asked them." "Most of them are averaging a 100% and a half a pound better'n we are." "What should we do?" "Open an office in town, like the rest of them." "Watch Chicago prices and..." " And who would run the office?" "What about Ben?" "He could do it." "I don't know, he hadn't mentioned it to me." "Now..." " Wait a minute!" "Let Ben talk for himself." "Go ahead, Ben." "Mr. Deveraux our friends need more wine." "My apologies, Madam." "And you, Barbara." "'Vino'." "Sometimes the task of managing four sons, is..." "They look like they're able to take care themselves." "They've been raised to." "Why wouldn't you to let one of them take over for you in town?" "Barbara, I think we should." "Let her alone, she's perfectly right." "Matter of fact, I think that Ben could take over in town." "That means giving up part of the control of the ranch to him." "And you don't like that a bit." "And what's more, I won't do it." "I tell myself he's not ready for it." "That's one problem when you raise a flock of sons." "You must remember when some man gains your hand in marriage." "Remember to have daughters." "Simpler and much prettier." "I would be better advise in the choice of who's to be their father." "The pepper was hotter than I thought." "What's that?" " Cold milk." "It's the only thing tha'll cool that pepper." "They burn like a fire." "I thought my teeth would melt!" "Heavens!" "Now if the rest of me'd cool off." " Shall we walk in the patio?" "The wind's died down." "You don't have to be afraid." "Now why should I be afraid?" "I don't know." "They think that we'd turned out to be quite a family." "That's way you came out here, isn't it?" "I suppose so." "Well, do we come up to our reputation." "Your father certainly does." "Does he always act like that?" " Pretty much." "He's a bearcat, ain't he?" "He's and old tyrant." "But you're crazy about him, aren't you?" "Why yeah." "Yeah, I guess I am." "You're not afraid of him." "The rest of them are." "I don't know." " I do." "Ben is, and so are the others." "And so is my father." "It's ridiculous." "It was the peppers that made you jump him." "He's stubborn and spoiled and mean." "You all let him get away with it." " You like him too, don't you?" "They said in town you'd turned out to be smartest of the lot." "What else did they say?" "That you'd inherited all his charm." "But I don't see it." "Look closer." "Was that to maintain the Deveraux tradition?" "No." "Maybe we'd better go back in." "Joe, I want you." "There's something wrong with the herd." "Mrs. Deveraux'll show you the rooms." " All right." "Take off that Sunday's clothes." "We're going to work." "Loco weed, maybe?" "They'd be all swelled up." "The tongues looks funny though." "They got funny looking tongues even when they ain't dead." "How may do you think?" "Must be thirty eight or forty." "Pa!" "This water smells funny." "What?" "Tastes funny too." "Like when you was a kid and one put a penny in your mouth." "Like copper." "They're dumping stuff in this stream." "That may be it." "What do they call that..." "Whatever it is." "They're dumping it in my stream." "Get your horses." "Where we going?" "To the copper works." "Where do you think we're going?" "Keep the cattle away from this stream." "The copper mine!" " What of it?" "We haven't slept." " You didn't think of that when you were in the east range changing the brand." "All right, rest them." "Good coffee with a stick in it." "What you aiming to do, Pa?" "Stop them." "Big outfit." " So we are." "Are you nervous?" "Nope." "I just thought we might get smart for once." "How?" "Get some law in." "Law!" " Get an injunction and stop them." "They're on our land." " Sure, that's right." "In the mean time we lose four maybe five hundred head of..." "What's the matter with you?" "That was a wolf." " He wasn't doing any harm." "He'll kill a steer." " Only if he's a hungry." "I've told you..." " How long as he's around a coyote won't come within 10 miles." "They'll pull down an animal just to be doing something." "The river's full of it." "It's from the mine all right." "Hold it." "Sorry boys, not today." "I'm Matt Deveraux." "I want to see McAndrews." "Not today." "They're paying off up there." "I got my orders." "I don't care what you got." "I'm going up there." "Stand aside." "You ain't going through this gate, don't try..." "Better get McAndrews." "Round up the other boys." " Sure, boss." "Deveraux good to see you." "You don't come here very often." " I'm here now." "I'll tell you why." "I lost forty head of cattle." "That stuff you're pouring poisoned'em." "Poison!" "That doesn't sound right." "A stream's supposed to purify itself every few yards..." "I don't know what a stream is supposed to do but it's killing my cattle and want it stopped." "Where you going, boys?" "I can see how you might be annoyed." "Tell you what you'd better do." "You keep your herds away from the stream for a while and I'll write to the office in Chicago and if they'll stand still for..." " Listen to me." "Don't worry about writing any letters or about my moving my cattle." "The river is on my land." "You're on my land." "You close this operation down till you clean that stream or I'll close it for you." "And just how do you propose to do that?" "The first thing I'll do is get an injunction against you in the Federal Court." "Then I'll get a Deputy Marshal to enforce it." "That's a fair idea." "If you did that, you'd throw all these men out of work." "They wouldn't like that." " You're breaking our hearts." "Another thing." "Remember that the Government's got contracts for our ore." "You think the court would give you an injunction?" "That's the second time I've wound up with a busted head." "The first time when I forgot to check the mineral rights and the second, of course, when I didn't realize that they wouldn't send a fool in charge." "Coming from you, that's a very pleasant compliment." "We'll just see who's right." "Now listen to me, you pasty-faced Eastern tinhorn." "You close this operation down or I'll pull it down around your ears." "I'll be waiting here for you." "You're right about one thing." "The company didn't send me here to be buffaloed by a loudmouth farmer with a sqaw for a wife and a half..." "Go ahead pull it." "Draw and I'll blow your head off." "Cut it out, Joe." "Put it away, Ben." "There's not going to be any shooting." "You've been warned." "Close it down or we'll be back." "If I come back I'll be looking for you." "Let's go." "Stay close to me." "Walk slow." "Get them!" "We ain't got a chance, Pa." " Shut up!" "Rush them, you fools!" "Rush them!" "Shoot at their feet!" "Make for the horses!" "Wreck it!" "Tear it down!" "Go!" "All here?" " Some hurt, not bad." "Where'd you come from?" "I think maybe trouble." "We follow you." "We wait, hear shooting, we come." "All right, go ahead." "They're not going to like that, Pa." " I'll bet they're not." "They'll think twice before they dump in my stream." "They won't think twice about starting legal action." "That's not my worry." "Let Lawton about that." "Ride back to the ranch and tell him." " Right." "If he's not there, go into town and find him." "I'll ride in with you." "Me too." " You're going to ride herd." "We got keep the stock away from the stream." "Holy crow, don't he ever give up?" "What're you doing here?" "Looking at your horses." "Isn't it allowed?" "You mean you were there with King?" "He's a stallion." "He could kick your head." "You sound as if you wished he had." "He happens to know a lady when he sees one." "Which is more than you can say for the rest of us." "You're saying it, not me." "Where's Lawton, up at the main house?" "No, he went into town with Dad early this morning." "What about you?" "I just didn't feel like getting up that early." "You didn't figure we might be riding today, did you?" "Well of all the gall." "For your information I've already asked for someone to drive me in." "Yes." "Might I ask how you happen to be here?" "Me." "Pa wanted me to see Lawton and I just had a feeling that you might still be here." "And you're, aren't you?" "Yes, I'm here." "And you did figure that I might ride in, didn't you?" "Why?" "Why did you ride in?" "Ma, tell Pa I'll try and make it back by suppertime." "I've got a feeling your mother doesn't approve of this." "Or me either." " Lf she didn't, she'd say so." "She never says anything." "She always seems to know just what you're thinking." "I thought that too when I was a kid." "It's only because she's Indian." "I'd almost forgotten that." "But everyone call her 'Señora'." "Why?" "People like to pretend she's Spanish, thinking it looks better." "Pa likes it." "Pa don't give a rip what they think." " What do you mean?" "You know." "If I did, I wouldn't have asked you." "Well." "Though you've been away you should know that a white man doesn't marry and Indian even the daughter of a chief." "They call him a sqawman and his kids breeds." "I'm a half-breed." "All right." "But does anyone call you that?" "No since my first day in school." "But it still bothers you." " No, why should it?" "Yeah I guess it does sometimes." "Was your mother really the daughter of a chief?" "He ran this whole territory." "I was named after his father Tuekakas, Chief Joseph." " I've heard of him." "They didn't want Pa to marry the Princess." "A wild Irishman with a few head of cattle and three motherless kids." "The old chiefs were opposed to him." "So?" "Pa'd tell it to you with the trimmings how he, rassled a bear, and whipped six braves so they allowed him to marry the Princess." "Wonderful." "I'll bet he did it all too." "What about his family?" "I never did hear much about them." "Ellen, his first wife, died right after they came out here." "Came out from where?" " I don't know." "East, I guess." "His father, a farmer, left Ireland during the famine." "Dirt farmer or something." "Were kicked by a mule when Pa was just a pup and..." "What're you laughing at?" "I thought you were worried about being an Indian." "You just don't like being Irish." "If I were you I wouldn't try to rush things." "Let me talk to Deveraux myself and see if..." "There's one of them now." "Yes, so it is." "Isn't that your daughter?" "Yes, it is." "You're making too much out of this, Horace." "They're a little hot under the collar, but they'll calm down." "Talk to'em nicely and they'll settle." "They want no trouble." "I tell you they're going to sue you." "They're mad, Matt." "You wrecked a building banged up half their crew." " They killed 40 of my cattle." "What should I do, kiss'em?" "I'll pay for the damages, if they're fair." "And if they put in a sump and stop polluting my stream." "Going to court is a waste of their time and mine." "They don't care about that." "They're out to get you." "This is a big company." "They dislike the shooting in their property." "They'll make an example of you." "Do you think they can?" "Well." "That depends on what happens in court." "What lawyers they bring in and who the judge is." "You know." "Well you could do something about that." "This is a federal case with eastern lawyers, the papers will pick it up." "If this was just a local thing, we could handle it." " Horace I don't know but something sounds sour to me." "You made the wrong move with the wrong people." "I've mad a lot of wrong moves, Horace." "You know, it isn't that, it's you, Horace." "Sometimes you helped, sometimes you couldn't." "That's all right, but you're not even pretending now that you want to help me." "You could appoint the judge, couldn't you, Horace?" "I suppose I could." "It couldn't be quite ethical but..." " Never mind about that." "Let's talk about you and me." "You want something." "What is it?" "What do you want?" "I want your son Joe to stay away from my daughter." "I ought to kill you, Horace, right now." "No!" "No!" "Not you." "After all these years." "Matt!" "I don't care what the newspaper and the town say or the fact that Lawton's wife is sick every time we ask them." "You!" "You never could understand why I married her." "And you never liked this country out here, did you, Horace?" "That's why you sent the girl back east." "To get her away from the dust, the cattle the Indians and the half-breed." " Matt, don't." "I like the boy, but this is something that's born and bred in me, I'm 56." "I tried to change but..." " You're 56 and you're Governor of the state!" "And who made you Governor?" "I took you off of a accountant's stool and pulled a pencil out from behind your ear and made you a politician." "I made you mayor." "I sent you to Congress and I put you in that chair." "Fifty-six years..." "Fifty six, you owe me thirty of them." "You're right, I do." "You've done everything but change me." "I wish you had." "And maybe I will." "Maybe I will." "I can still pull that chair right out from under you." "Maybe I will." "But I'll do something else first." "I'll tell my boy that if he wants your girl, to take her if he has to pull her out of the house by the hair of her head." "Dead beat?" "I guess so." "I'll show you something." "Go on." "That's wonderful." "And cold!" " Comes from away up." "It's beautiful here." "How did you ever find it?" "I've known it since I was a kid." "This is where Pa'd his first powwow with the tribes and saw my mother." "There used to be a stone that marked the place where the old Indians made a deal for the land." "I don't come frequently." " Don't you come here often?" "No, it's sort of out of the way." " Then why did you bring me here?" "I don't know." "We were out this way and..." "No other reason?" "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea." "I just don't understand you." "Four days ago you behaved as if I were a girl in a dance hall and now..." "Four days ago I wasn't in love with you." "Was it that hard to say?" "You don't know about what you're finding out of what they'll say..." " Yes I do." "Just as your mother did." "Should I go in and talk to him?" " Nope." "Don't you start getting honourable." "I need time to work on him." "Unless you really want to?" "I'd rather rassle a bear." "Joe!" "Come in here, this concerns you too." "The Mining Company has filed a claim against us in the Court." "Clem thinks we're in real trouble." "You'll be if they get a judgment against you." "I don't know if they..." " Then why bother with it?" "Because no lawyer guarantees what a jury'll do." "As I said, if Horace were appointing the Judge..." "He isn't, and I'm not gonna ask him to." "I still think we've got a good case." "If I didn't I've told you so but I want you to be protected against any eventuality." "You insure yourself against accident and death." "No." "What is it, Mr. Lawton?" "If he splits the property between you he won't be the sole owner." " You're wasting your time because he doesn't trust any of us with more that 40 a month!" "Sit down!" "What about Ma, couldn't she...?" "No, Joseph." "Well..." "You see, Joe, it's..." "The government doesn't allow an Indian to hold land." "What about me?" "That's different, you can." "He won't turn a thing over to us." " I'll make decisions around here!" "Get out of here!" "I'll think it over." "Joe!" "Come here, will you?" "There's something I want to ask you." "Yes, Pa?" "Never mind." "It's not important." "I take it the death of these 40 cattle was important to you?" "The death of one cow is important to a cattleman, sonny." "Important enough to send you to the mine where 12 men were injured?" "Yep." "You consider 40 cattle more important than the lives of 12 men occupied in making..." " Objection." "Prosecution is trying..." " Let him go." "I'm willing to answer any questions." "That sound like pure nonsense, sonny but I know the difference between cattle and people as any man can tell you." "Thank you." "How many head of cattle have you at this time, Mr. Deveraux?" "45,000 or 50,000." "You don't know exactly?" "There're the books of my Ranch." "Why don't you look it up?" "I don't want to look it up." "I want you to tell me." "Then you'd better change the tone of your voice, sonny." "Will you ask for a directly answer?" " I already have." "Mr. Van Cleve, unless you have a a specific reason for pursuing the book..." " I've a specific reason." "The defense has stressed the importance of 40 animals." "Yet the witness can't tell me..." " Objection." "Prosecution wants to discredit the witness by indirect examination." "Sustained." "Your Honor, I don't understand this legal hocus-pocus but I'm willing to tell this fellow about my cattle." "I don't keep any books in my head but every cow on my Ranch is important to me." "Important to other people too." "I ship 10,000 head to Kansas City every year." "My cows goes into every city in the East." "It feeds over 200,000 people." "That's may line of work, sonny." "We're all very grateful for this additional information." "But could we confine ourselves to specific answers?" "Thank you." "You've stated you built up you ranch over a period of 25 years?" "Approximately." "During this time you've had other disputes over prior claims and water rights?" " Plenty." "Were they settled in court?" " No." "This is the first time I've ever been to court." "Usually the men I had to deal with were men enough to stand up and argue it out." "I see." "Do you happen to remember the name of Lucius Hennaberry?" "Yes, I remember him." "Do you remember shooting him in White's saloon?" "In a fair fight." "Objection." "Your Honor, I can see no reason for this line of question." "I demand." " It's an integral part of the case." "If the Court allow me to proceed I'll so demostrate." "Proceed." "Thank you, Sir." "The dispute between you and Hennaberry was over a water right." "No." "Not over water rights just over water." "Luke said he was going to water his herd on my ranch." "He didn't." "Judging from the results, that seems obvious." "Water seems to play a important part in your life." "I don't quite understand this." "Seeing as how you came here on a train, all nice and comfortable like, why, I can understand that." "But you see, I didn't." "I packed in here with a wife and three kids." "The first year I lost my herd and the second I lost my wife because there was no water." "Water's important to me like it is to everybody else in the state." "Without water there'd be no state!" "Your Honor, please..." " You asked me, I'll answer." "You can bet your hat water's important to me as it is to everybody else in the state." "Every drop on my ranch I either dug for or channeled in." "When you're back on that train riding out of here over the right of way that I gave'em think it over." "I concede Mr. Deveraux's contribution to his state but that does not give him the right to flout the laws of this state." " Object." "Sustained." "Just keep to direct questioning." "I'm sorry." "Do you remember the names of Charlie Munger Red Dog Johnson, or Carlos Ramirez?" "No." "The incident may be too trivial to recall." "But isn't it true that you summarily hanged all these men on June..." " They were stealing cattle." "Did you just remind'em?" " I didn't ask'em their names." "You just hung them." " They were thieves." "I see." "Wasn't Charles Malone sheriff at that time?" "I guess he was." " Did you try to contact him?" "No." " Why not?" "He was 40 miles away and drunk." "Do you know this for a fact?" " I knew Charlie Malone." "Have you ever, during your years on Deveraux Ranch called in legal authorities?" " Lf I've needed them I've asked for them." " Why didn't you ask for 'em two weeks ago?" " It wasn't necessary!" "Order!" "¡Order!" "If there's any more of this, I'll see you in my chambers." "If you can't restrain yourself, I hold you in contempt." "Proceed." "You say you've asked for the authorities." "That's right." " Did you attempt to notify the present sheriff this time?" "No." " Why not?" "I didn't think it was necessary." "You stated that it was your intention to discuss with McAndrews and arrive at a sensible solution." "Do you still say that this was your intent?" "Yes." " Then how it happened that 20 minutes after you arrive at the mine your formal appear with 30 armed men?" "Maybe he thought there was any trouble." "Did he know there was any and you warned to be there?" "No, I did not." "I see." "Is it customary on Deveraux Ranch to proceed without orders?" "It isn't customary but..." " Yes, Mr. Deveraux?" "I didn't have to say anything to him." "I see." "Suppose I didn't believe that." "Suppose I say that you deliberately caused the trouble to bully and force McAndrews in a opened fight." "Suppose I say to the jury you're lying, aren't you?" "Then I would tell you to get a gun or leave town because when I leave here I'll chase you until your heels smoke!" "Got get'em" " Thatta boy, Matt." "Order!" "Order!" "Mr. Deveraux, I hold you in contempt." "This court will be in recess for an hour." "One more disturbance and the rest of the proceeding will be made to closed door." "Matt, come on." "That did it." "He hasn't got a chance." "What're we going to do?" "What can we do?" "Lawton said they'd to prove him solely responsible." "He was, wasn't he?" " We were all with him." "I never asked to go." " Me neither." "They'll put him in jail." "Look, Joe I'd do anything to help him..." " So would I, Joe but we can't just say..." " They'd arrest us for perjury." "That's right." "Yeah." "I'm going to get a smoke." "Me, too." "We got to do something, Ben." "Why?" "They'll put him in jail." " No." "Not him." "We got to do something, we owe it to him." "Maybe you do, Joe, but not me." "You heard him up there..." "You heard him telling about his cattle and his wife, and going it alone with three kids." "What do you think we did while he was building up the state?" "I worked 16 hours a day for him when I was ten years old." "And all he ever did was treat me like a hired hand." "Ben, listen..." " You don't know about that." "You came along later when things were good." "So you figure you owe him something." "All right, go ahead, do anything you like." "You're his little pet you always were." "It looks bad, doesn't it?" " Yeah." "I'm sorry about the judge." " Yeah, he's tough." "I mean about Dad." "What about him?" "Why, about him having the fight with your father and refused to appoint the judge." " He fought with Pa?" "What about?" "Us." "Well, was it?" "I thought he must have told you." "Where are you going?" " I've got to see Lawton!" "Well?" "It's all right." "I made a deal with them." "You'll have to give up the land the mine is on." "Give up the land!" " Then you'll got to jail." "Look." " Will you listen to me!" "All right." "You give'em the title to the mine and pay the injured men and the costs on the wrecked building." "We can work that out later." "That wrecked building is worth..." " There's one more thing." "I'm going to put Joe on the stand." "Why?" " Somebody must be responsible..." "Not Joe!" " Wait a minute!" "I just talked to him." "He wants to do it." "He says McAndrews called him a half-breed." "He says..." " Joe is not going on the stand!" "Look, Matt..." "This is a deal." "Somebody has to do this." "You just destroyed any chance you had." "If they convict Joe, we can appeal it." "If you give up the land, they won't contest the appeal." "The worst that can happen is that Joe will be held for a few weeks." "I don't like this." " I don't ask you that!" "I'm just asking you to take some advice!" "The court is now in session." "Please come to order." "I'm going to call the boy to the stand." "If you say one word until after the appeal it'll mean at least ten years behind bars." "Call Joseph Deveraux." "Defense calls Joseph Deveraux." "Take the stand, please." "Do you swear to tell truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" "We can't do anything more, Pa." " Get away from me!" "I don't want to talk to any of you!" "Get away from me!" "You are making yourself ill, my husband." "Please!" "This will pass!" "Two Moons said Lawton brought some papers." "They're here, I will get'em." "And food." " No food, just the papers." "But you must eat." " I sent Two Moons to look for 'em." "They're still your sons." "Please send them to me when the come, 'Señora'." "You wanted us?" "No, I don't want you." "I told you to come here." "Sit down." "All right." "What is it, Pa?" "Papers." "Lawton wrote'em." "It's an agreement to keep Joe out of jail." "You own the property, so you sign them." "Here you, make your mark." "I can write." "How much, Pa?" "80,000 cash and the mine property." "Sign it!" "No." "Is too much, Pa, get them to cut it down." "Why you...?" "This is to keep Joe out of jail." "Sign it!" "No!" "We are not gonna sign it, Pa." "You'll sign these papers or I'll kill skin the lot of you!" "We decided we're not gonna sign, it's too much money." "Joe'll only get 7 or 6 month." " Sign it!" "Take it easy, Pa." "It won't do you any good to get yourself wound up..." "Get him to bed." "I'll send for the doctor." "You, Deveraux!" "Come on down." "You got a visitor a pretty one." "No." " Joe, don't give me no trouble." "Joe!" "Yeah, it's me." "Get out!" "Orders are to stay with prisoner." " Get out, now!" "Joe, ¿what's the matter?" "What are they doing to you?" " Nothing!" "Nobody's doing anything to me." "I was working and it's hot." "I don't understand, Joe." " I'm a convict." "I work and eat here and sleeps in these stinking clothes." "My darling as if that could..." "You shouldn't have come here." "Don't do it again." "Shouldn't have come?" "Why not?" "Three years isn't forever, Joe." "No matter how hard it is, I can..." " It isn't hard." "It's just being here, and not being able to get out." "Is it your father?" "He's been sick but he's been..." " I know about it." "Two Moons has been here." "I know what they're doing to the old man." "They killing him, just little by little, day by day they're tearing him apart." "While I'm in this..." " Joe, stop it!" "Stop thinking about your father and your brothers and the crazy ranch." "Forget it, you've got your own life." " Forget it?" "That's what keeps me going." " But it's insane to brood for 3 years." "Joe please when you get out, we'll go away." "Just the two of us, any place..." " Stop it!" "You're going to be on the outside, with people, free to move around." "I can wait." "Maybe you can." "I'm not so sure about me." "When I see you..." "Now do you understand?" "Don't come here again." "Stay here." "He's coming." "I know he's coming, but when?" "I want him now." "He's here." "Please, my husband no more quarrels." "Try to understand him a little." "Hello, Ma." "Pa." "Leave us alone, will you 'Señora'?" "Sit down, Ben." "This is all right." "What's on your mind, Pa?" "The land." "They tell me you're selling some to an oil company." "That's right." "Why?" "We need the money to operate with." "To operate that office in town?" "Yeah." "Why didn't you tell me?" "You wouldn't like it and the Doc says it's bad for you get riled up." "Yeah." "You're real concerned about my health, aren't you?" "I don't like it." "I don't like selling the land." "It's good business for the ranch." "I'm selling it, Pa." "It's yours to sell." "I spent my life building it for you and the others, but..." "I've been rough on you, Ben, because you were the oldest." "I guess I felt I could expect more from you." "I never did this before, but I'm doing it now." "I'm asking you, Ben." "Give up this sale, will you?" "No." "It figured." "I always knew there was something between us, some way." "What is it, Ben?" "What is it?" "Joe, maybe, Ben?" "Joe?" "Because he's smarter than the rest of you?" "Because he stood up to me when the rest of you were afraid to?" "You hate Joe, don't you, Ben?" "No, I never hated Joe." "Me, then." "I'm no trouble to you now." " No, not now because you're old and crippled and sick." "So now you call me in and ask me something." "You're a little late." "Did you ask me how I'd like and Indian stepmother after Ma died?" "Or how I liked doing all the chores and caring for Mike and Denny?" "Or how I liked quitting school to work for you?" "Did you ever in your life ask me how I felt or what I thought?" "What I wanted?" "No, you didn't." "So, it's it's a little late for asking now, Pa." "But the gate is always open, Ben you could have left." "I would have understood that I did it myself." "I always used to think there was too much of me in you for us to hit it off." "But I know now that was wrong." "There wasn't enough of me in you." "Now I'm telling you again." "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you." "You're not going to sell any of the Deveraux Ranch." "Because I'll stop you, Ben." "I'll stop you!" " Sit down, Pa." "You're not telling anybody anything anymore." "I run Deveraux Ranch and I run it the way I like." "And right now I'm riding into town to sign a deal." "'Señora'!" "Two Moons!" "Two Moons, get my horse." "'Señor' Matt, to ride the horse is death." "He's right." "It will kill you, my husband." "What difference does it make?" "If you die I die." "'Señora' this must be done." "You understand?" "Ben!" "Ain't that Pa?" "Yeah." "He's trying to head us off." "Come on!" "He's got us, Ben!" " Hold it still!" "Mike!" "Is he dead, Ben?" "I wonder how long?" "Go on back to the ranch and get a buckboard." "Do you wan't that we stay here?" " No, go on back." "Both of you." "I'm sorry it had to be this way, Joe." "No!" "No more of this!" "You are brothers." "Joseph." "Ma!" "Ma!" " My son!" "My son!" "You've changed." "Not much." "What about you?" "These clothes..." "When your father died I went back to my people." "To die, too, I think." "But I knew I must see you." "What do you do with the gun?" "It's his." "It's all he had when he started." "I'm starting too." "That's not a start." "It is the end." "To take that is blood." " They killed him." "Ben did." "Slow death!" "You saw it happen." "You know what they did." "You're speaking like a boy, my son and you should already be a man." " You don't understand." "Listen to me." "He was my husband for 25 years." "I loved him more than anything in the world." "Perhaps even more than you, Joseph." "I know, Ma." "You think to take up his gun and his life." "You cannot, Joseph." "It is finished with him." "You must make your own life." "Go away." "Take the girl with you." "Barbara?" "She has come to me may times." "For her, too there can only be one." "Take her away, Joseph." "And when you're together you'll now there's not need for blood nor for him nor for that." "Give it to me." "What about you, Ma?" "There is no longer need for me, my son." "Keep riding, Joe." "Get going." "There's no need for this, I made up my mind." "I'm pulling out." "You missed your train." " I' don't need any." "I said I'm leaving." " I believe you." "But for how long?" "What do you mean?" " Just that." "I could never be sure when you might get an idea." "There's always that lance you threw at my feet that day..." "That was an old Comanche sign." " Sure, I know that." "You see, I'm mighty superstitious." "I got to thinking about it." "I figured I might not sleep good nights, worrying about you." "I slept awful good these past years." " You're crazy, Ben, you..." "Take it easy, Joe." "Just swing off there we'll get up into the hills." "Move!" "You won't get away with it." "You could cut your own throat." "May be." "No sense you worrying about it though." "What about Denny and Mike?" "You can't keep'em quiet." "I sent them into town." "I know better than to let them in on anything like this." "I could have saved you the trouble, Joe." "It's lovely and peaceful here." "Doesn't seem to go with Pa, somehow, but you can't tell." "Do you think he'd like these?" "I know he would."