"I'll be wanting your apology, owen." "Since you're going to need me." "You're going to need me badly." "Six citizens arrested in three winds." "Six citizens of three winds, wyoming territory" "Were arrested today by their newly elected sheriff," "Owen deaver." "They had been celebrating the sheriff's election victory" "By firing their pistols into the air." "Sheriff deaver has instituted a set of municipal ordinances" "Patterned after those of the city of..." "Philadelphia!" "Owen deaver's the son of..." "Barry deaver." "Former sheriff of three winds," "Who died of consumption last fall." "Ahhh." "Hey boy." "Will you go back to the opera house please," "And tell the lovely lady with the red hair" "That I won't be able to see her this evening." "I've been called out of town on business." "But opera company leave tomorrow." "You not see her again, maybe never." "I know, hey boy." "But I've just read in this paper" "That an old friend of mine died in bed," "And his son is apt to die on his feet," "Unless somebody does something." "Excuse me." "Afternoon." "Afternoon." "I'll take that one on the end, please." "Sure thing." "You better step into the sheriff's office" "Next door and check that gun, mister." "Nobody allowed to carry arms in three winds?" "Or in philadelphia either." "Sounds like a reasonable law for philadelphia." "the law's the law." "Mister, you gonna check your gun?" "You gonna check your gun, french?" "I don't think so." "Please fellas, like I asked you." "Turn 'em in." "The sheriff'll" "Hold me responsible, being as you're strangers." "Let 'em be, cal." "Maybe they're good enough to make it stick." "And let owen get shot up?" "After all, he is barry deaver's son." "I don't know..." "Oh, you don't know!" "What you want to do, wait two more years" "For an election for sheriff?" "Two more years, why..." "Another six months like this" "And I'll have to close down the store." "Don't tell me there's laws against selling." "Municipal ordinances." "Yeah, we got a sheriff that can read the law." "I don't know what to do now that the ranchers" "Don't come in anymore." "What's to stop them?" "What's to bring 'em?" "Sheriff won't let 'em do nothing." "I got 26 hands on my place." "They sweat all month on the range." "They look forward to payday, come into town and let off a little steam." "It can get pretty rough." "Nobody ever got hurt." "A little split lip or two." "Now they gotta ride 80 miles into northfork." "I'm liable to lose those hands!" "They'll go someplace where the town's more hospitable." "Didn't he tell you he was going to" "Institute these reforms before he was elected?" "No, he made everything sound so nice." "Anyways it seemed perfectly natural" "For barry deaver's son to inherit his badge." "Sit down, boys." "I'll buy you another drink." "You heard the man." "Had four." "That's the limit." "City ordinance." "I don't count so good." "Fill it up." "Sorry, I can't." "Don't argue with me." "There's no argument." "They've had their quarter for the day?" "I told 'em, owen." "It's not my fault." "You tell him about his gun?" "He told me." "But I don't figure on givin' 'em up, mr." "Sheriff." "So?" "And you?" "I'll abide by your law." "First time, a stranger gets a warning." "Next time you show a gun you don't turn in..." "It's lock-up for one week." "Well done." "Very neat, very orderly." "That was your one warning, mister." "I just came by your store, harry." "No one's tending it." "Door's open." "I just stepped in here for a drink." "If anyone wants anything," "They know where they can find me." "A place of merchandising" "Cannot be left untended and unlocked." "It invites thieves." "Come on, french." "He dropped his knife, sheriff." "You're sitting on it." "This one you can arrest, this time." "Sheriff." "Thanks." "I'll have to take that one too." "Well, since you've challenged" "Every gunfighter in the west to step into this town," "Don't you think you oughta allow the decent people" "To keep enough arms to defend themselves?" "What are you talking about?" "Don't you know what you did when you advertised that" "Three winds is being run by the laws of an eastern city?" "You waved a red flag in the face of every man" "In the west who thinks he's bigger than the law." "Now this one and his friend..." "Get up!" "They're just the first two taking you up on the dare." "And you're another?" "Perhaps." "You get out of this town, right now!" "No, I'll stay." "If you do, it's gonna be in my jail." "I'll accept that as an invitation" "Not graciously tended but graciously accepted," "And later on I'll expect your apologies." "You're gonna be needing me, sheriff." "Sheriff, you're gonna be needing me badly." "Ma, two more to feed." "The way you're going everyone in three winds" "Will have a prison record before long." "Ma deaver, how 'bout some of that potato soup?" "Chitlins, bacon and the lot." "Paladin!" "Well!" "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" "You know him?" "You've heard us talk of mr." "Paladin." "He was here while you were back east." "Him and your pa teamed up to go after the wild bunch." "Your folks told me all about you." "I heard about you too." "I read about barry." "I'm sorry." "I know." "Thank you." "What are you doing here?" "Well, right now owen's putting me in jail." "Now that's too much!" "You've gone too far." "Hold on, ma..." "Who do you think you are?" "You can't arrest a man like this." "Now ma..." "You turn paladin loose." "You turn him loose or so help me!" "I never whipped you when you were small." "I'll take a belt to you now!" "The law is the law." "The law!" "Will you listen to him?" "We sent him to philadelphia for one year to study law." "And this is what he brought back!" "Five books." "Five books!" ""municipal code of philadelphia."" "Been beating this town over the head with these..." "Since his election!" "Ma, whoa." "Whoa, whoa!" "Whoa, ma!" "Nobody's gonna tell my boy what to do but me!" "Ma, let me handle it!" "Huh?" "Now go on, it'll work itself out." "She's got quite a temper, hasn't she?" "You resemble her in many ways, owen." "For the records, what's your name?" "Smith." "John smith." "What does your friend call you?" "The one you call french." "You know, someone someday's gonna learn you" "To mind your own business." "You'll find a poster on the french kid" "Who's reputed to be very handy with a knife." "Even in san francisco we've heard of the enfield gang." "Yeah, the enfield gang." "Wanted dead or alive." "French kid's one of 'em, all right." "You're this one." "Mason enfield." "Am I now?" "French'll undoubtedly bring the rest of 'em to meet you." "There's amos enfield, this one's brother." "And a pair of insane killers" "Named john rogers and dolemite." "Yeah, french ain't gonna sleep until he gets a knife." "Sticks it in your throat." "Four of 'em, owen." "Any one of them is probably a match for you." "Together they'll chew you up and swallow the pieces." "Maybe not." "No maybes about it, you're gonna need help." "I'll get help." "A few deputies." "Then let that bunch come." "We'll see who feeds on who." "What will we do with owen" "And his foolishness of these books?" "Well, it's a problem." "But he's barry deaver's son," "He must have learned something." "His father taught him how to fight." "Hand, gun, knife." "Owen can hold his own with the best of them." "Or the worst, if you will." "But his father's sense he never had." "He's young, ma." "Like most men his age," "He's intolerant of the human failings of others." "We have to keep him alive until wisdom sets in." "He just won't listen to anyone." "Unless I miss my guess, he's finding out right now." "That he's gonna have to compromise somewhere." "If I read your face correctly," "You failed to enlist any deputies." "Inside." "You don't have to if you don't want to." "It's all right, ma." "The soup's delicious." "He's under arrest." "Don't ever let him out of that cell again." "And what will you do?" "Arrest me?" "You stay on the other side of that door." "When your father ran this office," "And very well too, he wasn't afraid" "To take advice from anybody." "Not even a woman!" "I'm not like pa." "I don't even want to be." "You couldn't be." "He was respected, well-liked." "Why shouldn't he be?" "He never stepped on anybody's toes." "He didn't need five books to tell him right and wrong." "Just mind your own business!" "Don't you ever speak to me like that!" "So you're jealous of your father's reputation?" "While you were gone I was browsing through those books." "What made you pick the philadelphia municipal ordinances?" "Because I think they're good ones." "I'd like to live in a community" "Guided by laws like these." "What about your fellow townsfolk?" "They also have to live in your utopia." "What's the matter with you?" "What's the matter with everyone?" "Can't you understand what I'm trying to do here?" "I do understand." "Do you?" "Do you know how a town like this is run?" "There's no mayor, no town council." "All they've got is a sheriff and..." "A judge that comes through once a month." "There's no written law." "Only a loose set of morals," "Based mostly on "thou shalt nots."" "Thou shalt not kill a man, unless he's armed and facing you." "Thou shalt not steal a man's horse." "Thou shalt not rob at a gunpoint." "Yeah." "That's just about as far as it goes too." "It's mainly left up to the sheriff," "To decide what is a crime in any given area." "Yeah, that's right." "Sherrif might get up on the wrong side" "Of the bed one morning and everything's a crime." "Might wake up smiling, then nothing's illegal." "Nobody's arguing with what you're trying to do." "But aren't you rushing it just a little?" "No." "There's no reason why we can't have" "A legal, written code in this town today." "While I was browsing through those books," "I came across some statutes I meant to ask you about." "For example, there's one that states" "A man can be arrested for spitting on the sidewalk." "What about it?" "Owen, there are no sidewalks here in three winds." "Frustrating day, owen." "I guess nobody'll help you." "Nobody but me." "You?" "That's right, I'll be your deputy." "You know that's out." "I can't deputize an arrested man." "You don't have a choice, there's nobody else." "Somebody else'll come around." "Why should they?" "This town wants to get rid of you." "You're the enemy." "You're smothering them" "With those five books." "Those five books..." "Are the best things to ever come their way." "They'll see that yet." "Won't be any town of three winds by then." "That's enough!" "Is it?" "You fool." "You blind, stupid fool." "Stop it." "What'll you do, hit me?" "Shoot me?" "You can't maltreat a prisoner, it's against the law." "Oh, you're a joke." "You and those five books." "Be funny if it weren't tragic." "You say nobody can carry guns in this town." "So the only people who have guns" "Are the outlaw scum who will continue to come through here." "You can't protect the people in this town," "But you take away the only means they have" "Of defending themselves." "The ranch hands can't come into town on payday and drink." "Well, what can they do?" "That'll come." "Three winds will grow." "Right now, three winds is struggling for existence." "It's hard enough without imposing the restrictions" "Of an organized, developed city like philadelphia." "The people of this town don't have the comforts," "Conveniences or advantages of philadelphia." "I'm gonna stick to what I believe." "Well, I've said it and you proved it." "You're a childish fool." "Why don't you leave" "The making of this world to men?" "Men like your father." "You angry, owen?" "Are you really angry?" "Angry enough to open that door and fight me?" "Go ahead, open the door." "Open the door, owen." "Come on, fight me." "That's right." "I'm waiting, owen." "Come on, fight me!" "Is that your trick, paladin?" "Bait me into a fight." "You think you'll win," "Then step out and take over." "Why not?" "The people of this town" "Would back me if I went out to fight the enfield gang." "It won't work!" "Careful of that knife, sheriff." "French kid's gonna be wanting it back." "Are you going out so early?" "I need some breakfast eggs." "You didn't sleep last night, I heard you tossing." "It was too hot." "I needed two blankets." "Are you scared, owen?" "Yeah, a little bit." "Let paladin help you with this." "Even your pa wouldn't take on a fight like this alone." "I'm not like pa." "Not the least bit." "They're here." "Where?" "Outside." "There's one in front of the kitchen door." "Two in the street at either end of a wagon." "The fourth one is near the saloon doors." "They'll hit you from four angles the minute you step out the door." "Go out there and tell 'em they're breaking the law." "It's your last chance." "Let me go with you." "In two minutes, mason and his friends" "Will own three winds and you'll be dead." "You think it's dying that I'm afraid of?" "Owen, it's not your courage that's being tested," "It's just your sense!" "What good'll it do to leave me here?" "How will that help three winds?" "I can't back down now." "I made a stand to enforce the law in those five books." "If I back down a little bit, I've gotta back down" "All the way." "All right." "Ma, take my gun and go with him." "You can pull the trigger." "Maybe you'll hit one of them." "You want to get her killed?" "You stay here." "I won't stand by!" "There's nothing you can do." "I can draw their fire, give you a chance." "You can't do anything!" "I can wait 'till you step outside." "They'll kill you." "Don't you understand?" "Now stay right here." "Not this time!" "I'm stubborn, you know that!" "That's where you got it from." "All right, owen." "Who's going with you?" "Your mother?" "Or me?" "They're waiting for you, buddy." "Thanks, ma." "Now you keep down and stay out of this." "Owen..." "Take the kitchen door." "On the count of three," "I'll go through this one." "Draw their fire, all right?" "Ma..." "Keep your fingers crossed." "Ha!" "Where's the other one?" "In the saloon." "I'd likely miss..." "Hold it!" "Let me have the shotgun." "Must be behind the bar." "Yeah." "There." "Keep it off the ground." "I've seen injured men before." "You ought to be in bed." "Well, it's your fault." "You told me where I got my stubborn streak." "Yes, but look what your stubborness did for you." "You got your leg shot and..." "Mr. Paladin broke his hat." "Fortunes of war, ma." "I guess I needed a new hat anyway." "I brought you some company." "I'm glad you came, harry." "I didn't want to come." "He pushed me all the way up the street." "It's time the law had some backing in this town." "Back him?" "I'm sorry you caught a bullet, owen." "But I'd welcome anything that would take you" "From behind that badge." "Wait a minute." "Owen, you backed down once before," "When you let me out of that cell to help you." "That didn't hurt much, did it?" "It would've hurt a lot more if I didn't, I guess." "You're gonna have to back down again." "There's a basic unwritten law of jurisprudence." "You can't enforce a law that goes against" "The will of the majority." "For those who try," "There's a name." "They're called tyrants." "But I..." "I didn't do this for my own sake." "He's a stubborn boy." "Just ain't no use." "Harry..." "You sell all kinds of things in your store." "You think you can find a customer for these books?" "I'll buy them myself." "They'll be ashes in five minutes." "Now wait a minute, harry." "Wait a minute." "Owen, why don't you put these" "Up in the attic for a few years." "Perhaps someday three winds may have sidewalks." "¶ have gun, will travel, reads the card of a man ¶" "¶ a knight without armor in a savage land ¶" "¶ his fast gun for hire heeds the calling wind ¶" "¶ a soldier of fortune is the man called...¶" "¶ paladin ¶" "¶ paladin, paladin, where do you roam?" "¶"