"Telegram for miss cameron." "Nat, we're late,terribly late." "Right." "Telegram for me?" "No, for miss lutie." "I'll take it up to her." "Miss lutie up in her room?" "They're all up there." "Wouldn't you think they'd get tired" "Of looking at themselves?" "Weddings!" "I'll be so glad when it's over." "Hurry up, rachael." "What for?" "It ain't till 3 days." "Rachael, have you ever been married?" "Yes'em-Here and there now and then." "Where's lutie?" "She's in there." "She's trying it on." "More beautiful than you can imagine!" "May I see you, lutie?" "One minute, father!" "Let him in, rachael." "You look fine." "Then smile!" " Smile?" "You haven't smiled once since I got engaged." "Why, lutie, I..." "The two longest things in st." "Louis" "Your face and the mississippi river." "Well, I only want your happiness, lutie." "And I just keep thinking one thing:" "Jim brewton is all right." "He's great in salt fork territory of new mexico" "And you're all right in st." "Louis, missouri." "Stop it, darling." "And then I think of the two of you together," "And neither place" "I know it's going to be right." "And, lutie, such a a short courtship." "A cowman!" "But such a cowman." "Remember what you said when you introduced us." "That's right, I did introduce you." "Here's a telegram for you." "Oh, thanks." "It's probably from him." "He must have left." "He said he'd wire" "The minute he got on the train." "Delayed." "Can't" "Get to st." "Louis fcr wedding." "Take first train" "Be married here." "Love, jim." "Well!" "Father, this is not funny." "Well, you asked me to smile, didn't you?" "You done it" "Train's early, 3/4 of an hour!" "And 33 seconds." "I got a stopwatch." "What are you going to do if sam doesn't meet you?" "Don't worry." "You heard the conductor" "Train's early." "Your man ain't showed up, neither." "Sammy!" "Sammy!" " Selina!" "Hello, sprout." "You've growed!" "Regular buster, ain't she?" "Sam, this is lutie cameron." "We kept each other company on the road out." "She spelled me with molly." "Happy to know you, sam." "I've heard a lot about you." "No more than I heard of her man." "Maybe I know him." "Homesteader?" "Cattleman." " Oh." "Name of jim brewton." "Colonel brewton?" " Mm-Hmm." "Yes, I know him." "I sure thank you for helping the wife out, ma'am." "Come on, honey." "All right, sam." "Goodbye, lutie." "Goodbye, selina." "Good luck to you." "We'll see each other." "Be a good girl, button-Nose." "There's a-A hotel?" "Sure." "Exchange house over there." "Thank you." "Colone brewton will call for this luggage." "Yes, ma'am." "I'm sorry to disturb you" "But will you help me, please?" "Oh, thank you very much." "I'll be a son of a gun." "I beg your pardon?" "I said, I'm a son of a gun." "It isn't possible." "Of course now, is it?" " What?" "That you are miss lutie cameron" "Of st." "Louis and points east." "She arrives on the 3:00." "They're sending up rockets then." "The train was early." "Trust jim brewton to pick a woman" "With hair the color of chili pepper." "Well, don't worry, I like it." "Well, if you know colonel brewton, you can help me." "Everybody knows jim brewton, some to their sorrow." "Your impending arrival has created quite a stir" "In salt fork, miss cameron." "Breaths have been well-Bated." "I shall now bate mine again." "You're making the mistake of your life, you know." "There's a train out of here tomorrow." "If I were you, I'd be on it." "Who are you, anyway?" "The name's brice chamberlain." "However, "what," not "who," is the important thing." "I, miss cameron, am an idealist" "A practicing idealist." "Look around you, miss cameron." "You're out of place." "The wine of the cow country is redeye, not champagne." "Redeye..." " Redeye." "A very inferior brand of whiskey." "Never touch the stuff myself." "Understand brewton does, though." "I should be very angry." "I guess I am." "On the other hand, maybe I'm not." "I don't know." "This is such a place." "Come on, mr." "Chamberlain, jury's coming in." "We better get over there." "Brewton ain't showed up yet." "Sure, andy." "Meet you at the courthouse." "Is that where colonel brewton is, at the courthouse?" "That's where I left him." "Why, you're his enemy, aren't you?" "His natural enemy." "We're making history in salt fork today, miss cameron." "I hope it will be the right kind." "If brewton has his way it won't be." "Quiet down, folks, quiet down!" "Quiet in the courthouse, boys." "The court's in session now." "Gentlemen of the jury" "Hav e you reached a decision?" "Yes, sir, we have- Unanimous." "How find you?" "Are the defendants guilty or not guilty?" "We find that andy boggs here" "Was shot and run off the land he filed on" "By parties unknown." "Well, that verdict don't settle anything." "How about the defendants here" "Ike randall and bill roach?" "You mean, the boys what done the shootin'?" "They ain't guilty." "Defendants released." "Court's adjourned!" "Just one moment, gentlemen!" "This trial's over, but as attorney for the plaintiffs," "There are still a few things sticking in my craw." "Swallow quick, and maybe they'll go away." "Colonel brewton, I wonder, now that we've lost" "If you'd oblige me by answering a few questions." "Let's say, as a sporting proposition." "Trouble with you is, you don't know when you're licked." "No, he doesn't, mac." "We'll have to give him that." "All right, sir go ahead." "Just remember, I've got a 3 o'clock train to meet." "Thank you, I'll be brief." "Colonel brewton," "How much cattle range do you control?" "I've heard it runs into a million or more acres." "I've never counted them." "Then again, I've heard that it's 100 square miles." "In any case you will admit" "That's a lot of land for one man." "Well, I run a lot of cows." "Is it true that of this vast amount of property" "You actually own only a few scattered water holes" "That are filed on" "Either in your name or those of your men?" "And that by far the greater part of it" "Still belongs to the government." "Legally, yes." "Is it true, then that million or more acres" "Still belonging to the government," "Is the same land from which andrew boggs" "Who merely wanted 160 acres for a homestead." "Was run off and severely wounded" "By parties unknown." "Boggs was not run off because" "He wanted to settle the 160 acres" "But because of what he wanted to do with the land." "Let's forget about this case." "Andrew boggs is only a single man," "And the court has already disposed of him." "But waiting at the edge of salt fork" "To hear the outcome of this trial are other settlers." "Men with families," "Who've driven their wagons more than 1,000 miles" "Across the plains and left their dead" "From the mississippi to the rio grande" "All with one purpose- To find homes" "For themselves in this great territory." "I want to ask in the names of these families" "If you won't let them settle undisturbed on a few acres" "Out of the millions or more of government land on your range." "Chamberlain, I have sympathy for the early pioneer" "Who came out here and risked his life" "And his family's among the indians," "And I hope I have a little charity for the nestor" "Who waited until the country was safe and peaceable" "Before he filed his homestead on the range" "Of someone else who had fought for it." "But when that nestor picks land like my big vega," "Which is 7000 feet above the sea" "Which was naturally intended for" "Grazing land, and always will be grazing land," "When he want to plow it up to support his family" "Where there isn't enough rain for the crops to grow," "When he only kills the grass that will grow," "And then, when his crops starve for water," "Supports his family by killing my beef," "And becomes a man without respect to himself" "And a menace to the territory," "Then I have neither sympathy nor charity." "And if I know the temper of the people around here" "What andy boggs got is just a sample of" "What will happen if others try it." "They told me there was no justice here" "And that you dominated the country." "They were right." "Well, we won, jim." "Boys, I've got a train to meet." "Jim!" "Jim!" "Jim!" "Pardon, pardon." "Jim, the train broke a record." "I'll make up for that later." "Oh, I want you to meet a friend of mine, doc reid." "How do you do?" " This is judge white." "How do you do?" " How do you do?" "Floyd mccurtin." "How do you do?" " How do you do?" "Well, we won, didn't we?" "Whatever it was." "We had to." "Did we, jim?" "Well, I don't know." "We won today, but I didn't like" "That beat look in andy boggs' eyes." "You get enough men looking like that.." "Well, I don't like what I see coming." "What do you mean?" "Oh, the doc- He doesn't mean anything." "You'll get to know the doc." "I hope I get to know all of you." "And that you're going to like me" "As well as I'm going to like you." "There you are, boys, do you see now why I did it?" "Sure do." "But now we're wondering why you waited so long." "Come on." "Such a hurry, jim." "6:00 in the morning." "Come on." "You'll be the first woman in the territory" "Ever married in her sleep." "We made it." "What did we make, jim?" "Where are we?" "The greatest place I know." "Come on." "There it is." "It's all grass." "Yeah." "Well, it's just..." "It's so empty, so quiet." "Quiet?" "More noise out there than there is in st." "Louis." "I don't hear anything." "Well, you have to listen for it before you can." "I'm listening, jim." "All I hear is that little whistle of a sound." "The wind?" "There's a lot more than that out there." "Tell me, jim-What?" "Well..." "No, please tell me." "I'll try to understand." "What do you hear out there?" "Well, first of all, I guess I hear the buffalo." "Buffalo?" "But they aren't there anymore." "That's right." "Oh." "What else, jim?" "I" "Indians." "Gone, too?" "Herded into a reservation." "I can remember the first time I saw her." "We'd come a long way and nobody was telling us" "About any surprises, either." "We just came over the hill and there she was" "Sort of lying there all alone." "Nobody wanted her then..." "Except the antelope and the buffalo and the indians." "So we took her, and we set her up right for cow country." "We fought for her." "Our blood's sunk in every mile." "Indian blood, too." "I'm not so proud of some of that." "My brother's out there." "I suppose I sounded hard to you back at the trial" "And to everybody else." "And I suppose it's hard to understand" "That all that out there is anything but just a lot of grass" "Made to order for farming." "Yes, I suppose it is just grass to most." "But not to you, jim?" "To me, it's land the way god made it" "And wants it to stay." "And I may be wrong but I've got a hunch" "That he wants me to help him keep it that way." "I know it's too soon to expect you to see it that way, lutie" "But you will see it some day." "You've got to see it." "I want to, jim." "Well, there she is." "The ranch." "And a house." "Hurry, jim." "It's better inside." "You bring my shortening?" "I brought you something better than shortening." "Here it is." "Jeff, our cook." "What are you thinking of right now, jeff?" "I'm thinking of my shortening." "Banty, come here." "This is banty our horse wrangler." "How are you, banty?" "I'm fine, ma'am." "You're welcome, ma'am." "Thank you." "That's a wonderful word, "welcome."" "Get those bags will you, jeff?" "Come on, I'll show you the layout." "Fine." "Can't wait to see the kitchen." "She's sure nice to look at." "She better keep out of my kitchen." "And you can take them bags in." "My..." "This will fix up nicely." "The storeroom?" "No, no, this is the parlor." "The living room." "Who lives in it, dear?" "Well, nobody, really, very much." "You see, we're not here very much." "I, uh..." "I suppose if this stuff was moved out of here," "It eventually would get to look" "Like a living room, wouldn't it?" "Yes, I suppose it would." "I wonder why I didn't have this stuff" "Moved out before you came?" "Do you know?" "No, I really don't." "Well, I'll be doggone, neither do i." "I want to see the kitchen." "It's at the end of the hall." "Uh, take it easy with jeff." "Judas." "May I come in?" "Just looking around, I'll get right out." "I'd be much obliged." "Lorenzo, I'm waiting on that cabbage." "Oh, biscuits!" "What do they look like?" "Look like biscuits, good biscuits." "Taste like that, too." "Nothing like sour milk and a big oven, is there, jeff?" "Baking soda went in first- You can tell that." "Shortening in just right too..." "And dough rolled just enough." "Jeff, how would you like to have a dollar" "For every biscuit you've made?" "I'd take a nickelof grass and I'd own the place." "Not that I'd want to." "Not anymore." "Not now." "It's too crowded." "A man needs elbow room." "I won't even come inside your kitchen until you ask me to," "Honestly, I won't." "She ate one." "She knew what she was eating." "Tougher than whang leather." "She can lie faster than a dog can trot." "Wait!" "Was you brung up in a barn?" "Now, listen, I don't want no reaching," "Nor eating with knifes nor drinking out of saucers." "This here woman's a lady." "I'm scared." "You're scared?" "What do you think the boys are?" "Come on." "Up!" "Lutie, these are the boys." "Boys, this is mrs." "Brewton." "Howdy, ma'am." "I'm very glad to meet you." "There." "Sit!" "That's your piece right there." "Ma'am..." "Yes, banty?" "Mrs. Brewton, the boys..." "We've been thinking," "And if there's anything you want that we can do," "Well, we'd all-Fired glad to." "Well, um.." "Thank you, banty." "That's nice." "Anything, ma'am." "Well, i, uh..." "let's see..." "Oh." "You know those trees down by the brook?" "Brook?" "Creek." " Creek?" "Creek." "I wonder if you could pull them out for me." "Why, sure, ma'am," "If they're bothering you any" "We can throw a rope around 'em" "And yank 'em out by the roots." "Oh, no." "No, I meant could you dig them up" "And plant them around the house" "So that we could have some shade?" "It would be lovely to fence in the whole yard." "Fence?" "We'll do it, mrs." "Brewton" "All the ornery trees you want." "We'll do it." "Won't we, boys?" "Uh, sure will." "Thank you." "Thank you very much." "Good night, mrs." "Brewton." "Good night." "Did I do something wrong?" "No, no, no." "You said "fence." "That's a cussword on the open range." "Oh, my!" "Colonel, I just been down at the barn." "Pete says that new bull's been fighting again." " Oh?" "Cut up pretty bad." "Oh, I'll go right down." "You'll be all right, won't you?" "I can't take a chance on that new bull." "Jeff, just how important is a bull?" "Well, this one is sure a beauty." "There's a neighbor." "Huh?" "Where?" "There." "Oh, that's just headquarters camp." "Oh." "We got a neighbor, though." "Mcgee ranch, lays right over about 15 miles." "15 miles?" "Is there a mrs." "Mcgee?" "No." "Mcgee's an old bach." "Oh." "Well..." "good night, jeff." "Lutie." "Yes, jim?" "Have you been crying?" "No." "Have you been feeling like crying?" "No, jim." "What have you been feeling?" "Oh, I've been..." "just thinking." "What about?" "Oh, about... about all the things I'm going to do" "How I'm going to fix up the house." "I'll get you everything you need, lutie." "You're sure you're all right?" "Very sure." "Lutie..." "Only..." " Only what?" "One thing:" "I wish you looked at me" "The way you look at that out there." "Cut all them copperwoods out of the herd first" "Mrs. Brewton don't want no mixed breeds at this end of the range." "Just yew and tamarind." "Hey, this here's a maverick, ain't it?" "Sure 'tis." "Brand her and let her go." "Commence planting them now, clear around the house." "Yeah, like a fence!" "Pat the dirt up nice around them roots." "They're kind of spindly." "I'm afraid the first good wind" "Will knock 'em flatter than a flitter." "Don't you worry about them little trees." "They're skinny, but they're awful stubborn." "Thank you, banty." "I saw selina hall in town yesterday." "She's still living in that lean-To behind the saloon." "Should've left when the other squatters did." "She's taking in washing now." "The water's like lye her hands were bleeding." "What's the matter with her man?" "There are plenty of jobs in salt fork if a man wants to work." "Oh, he's working in the saloon." "He smells exactly like beer." "Jim, sam hall's a farmer." "He's not a man to be smelling of beer." "And selina has to carry all the water she uses for blocks." "Well, you can't expect to find much water around a saloon." "Oh, jim." "She's having another one, you know." "Husband?" "Baby." "Oh." "She can't have it in that lean-To behind the saloon." "Selina says they've been talking about filing" "On a spot near mule creek flat." "Right smack in the middle of my headquarters range." "Yes." "Nice and close to us, isn't?" "What is nice about being close?" "Jim, selina's my friend." "She's the only one I've got out here." "She'd be a neighbor." "Your work takes you away so much." "I'm not complaining, darling." "But she'd be someone to talk to." "Women like to talk a lot." "Yes, I know." "No, thanks." "They could be settled before the baby comes." "That'll be in april." "I'll have mine in may." "You'll what?" "Have you seen doc reid?" "Mm-Hmm." "Lutie!" "Good girl, lutie" "Good boy, jim." "Selina says she wants a boy." "I'll buy you a whole floor of the best hospital in denver." "What for?" "Home's the place to have a baby." "Wonder where selina will have hers." "Out under a bush somewhere, I suppose." "I have a hunch it's going to be somewhere on mule creek flat." "Oh, jim!" "You'll like the halls when you get to know them." "I don't expect to get to know them." "Why?" "I don't think they'll be here long enough." "Don't be cruel, jim." "I won't have to." "The country here takes care of itself, lutie." "I don't know just how it will happen," "But I'll give them about 6 months." "You're going to have to find out all that" "For yourself, aren't you?" "All right, go ahead." "Tell them to file," "And as long as they're here, I'll be nice to them." "I love you very much, colonel brewton." "Kind of took advantage of me" "You know that, don't you, mrs." "Brewton?" "That's what an advantage is for." "This kid better look like you, or I'll drown it." "Hi!" "Hello, selina!" "Whoa." "We're getting a sod house up." "What a country- Man needs a house," "He just digs it out of the ground." "Yes, quite a country and getting better." "Why, mr." "Chamberlain." "Mrs. Brewton." "Say, I didn't know you folks was acquainted." "Oh, yes." "Mr. Chamberlain is an old, old friend and advisor." "Did he advise you too, selina?" "Showed us how to file on this land," "If you call that advising." "I brought a present for little molly." "His name is redeye son-Of-A-Gun." "Here, molly." "Here's a present for you." "I hope you can use all that stuff, selina." "Why, honey, I can use anything" "From a buttonhook to a kitchen range." "Colonel brewton sent us over a side of beef." "This buffalo grass sure goes down deep." "Hello, sam!" "S" "I'd feel a lot easier if you'd take that beef back, mrs." "Brewton." "We don't need it." "Shut up sam, sure we need it." "Well, maybe we do- For eating purposes." "But I'd sure choke on it if I figured taking it" "Gave anybody any wrong ideas." "We're here because we got a right to be here." "Nobody's letting us do anything." "We're just doing it and we can take care of ourselves." "I know that, sam." "You want lutie to feel she ain't welcome?" "That ain't what I mean, and you know it." "You want to come to see my wife here on our place," "You come, and most welcome, mrs." "Brewton." "Thank you, sam." "Don't take sam serious." "He's just being a man." "I know." "They're rather peculiar people" "Sometimes, aren't they?" "Sometimes?" "!" "You know, I owe you an apology." "When you first drove up today, I thought" ""Here comes lady bountiful."" "I take it back." "You're really fond of sam and selina hall." "Selina was my first friend out here." "I'm awfully glad she doesn't seem lonely." "Did you expect her to be?" "Well, this is the place for it." "Hardly a woman'country." "It could be." "It should be, and someday it will." "When?" "How?" "Why not?" "It's happened in other places." "First the covered wagons, then the houses," "Then the farms-Families, children growing up." "Sure, it will be a woman's country then." "Women will help make it theirs." "Do you hear that, mr." "Chamberlain?" "The hear it?" "The people, I mean, out there." "Thousands and thousands of selinas and sams" "Really, isn't it?" "Colonel brewton hears something so different." "I'm afraid you've got me wrong." "I don't hear any voices." "I only know this is good land that doesn't mean anything" "Unless people get their living out it." "Use it, live on it." "That's where I come in." "I'm going to make sure that happens." "Anyway, I'll make a stab at it." "I turn back here." "Maybe then, this would be my country too." "And you- What do you hear?" "I've been told that a good wife" "Hears only what her husband wants her to hear." "Well, what an old-Fashioned idea." "Don't be unfair, mr." "Chamberlain." "You must admit that colonel brewton's" "Made it easy for selina and sam." "One side of beef?" "Conscience money." "You are unfair." "I'm realistic." "Don't forget it's only one sam, one selina" "And one side of beef." "You speak of thousands." "I'm wondering why brewton even helped one." "He's a pirate, you know." "You don't know him, that's all." "I do." "Why do women insist on loving men" "For what they want them to be instead of what they are?" "Good day, mr." "Chamberlain." "You know, I envy brewton very much." "You mean, you envy the pirate his loot?" "Not all of it." "Just one thing." "I'll get around to telling you what it is some day." "Come now, mr." "Chamberlain, I'm not a child." "I dislike this scurrying about." "If you think I'm attractive, why don't you say so and get it over with." "That isn't what I meant, but now that you mention it" "You are attractive." "You're veryattractive." "I know it, and you know I know it." "You've known it since the first time I looked at you." "Yes, I-I have mr." "Chamberlain." "And now you've said it and we're done with it." "Are we?" "I don't think so." "The company's all here." "Ain't that baby asleep yet?" "Now, you go on and get out of here" "You're keeping her all riled up." "And keep her out of my way too" "If you want me to get this child to sleep." "Everything ready downstairs, jeff?" "Well, of course it is," "Else why I've been over that stove since daylight?" "Now, go on, git!" "Good night, sarah beth." "You too." "Now go on." "Get out of here." "Vamoose!" "Sure is light-Footed, ain't he?" "Light-Fingered, too, it begins to look like." "Gentlemen, I give you the lady from st." "Louis." "A good toast to remember in this house." "Drink hearty, gentlemen." "I know you of old" "You robbed my poor father of silver and gold." "Oh, whiskey, rye whiskey..." "What are you singing?" "It's a lullaby, and it won't do much lulling" "If you people keep coming in here and stomping around." "How do I look, jeff?" "Real pretty." "Go to sleep, baby..." "Jeff, do you ever get tired" "Of cooking for all these parties?" "I wouldn't worry about that if I was you, colonel." "Women got a certain number of parties in their system," "And they just got to get 'em out." "Go to sleep baby..." "go to sleep now." "Jeff, you're a wonderful mother." "You know, being stirred up must be good for you, lutie." "Been married a whole year and still don't look like a wife." "Stop it, brice." "What keeps you so stirred up, lutie?" "You've got everything you want, haven't you?" "Stop it." "Stop it, brice." "You can stop me easy." "Just tell me you've got everything you want." "Tell me you've got even part of what you want." "Oh, come on, lutie, why don't you answer me?" "I'll tell you why" " Because you don't lie very well." "There's nothing you can say that you're not afraid to say." "Just white sand, just as soft as" "Hello, nick." "Dance with me, jim." "What's the matter, lutie?" "Nothing." "This is your dance, that's all." "Please." "Made you some tea." "Thank you, jeff." "Maybe it will warm me up a little." "A real heavy snowfall." "Snowfall?" "It's a blizzard." "I'm worried about the colonel, jeff." "He hasn't been home for 48 hours." "Oh, I wouldn't worry about him." "He's all right." "He's always all right." "I'm worried about the cattle." "Hey, keep them away from that barbed wire!" "Head 'em off!" "Fence!" "Keep 'em out of the halls'" "What are you going to do, sam?" "I told brewton's men the next steer that busted down my fence" "Was gonna get blown to pieces." "But, sam, them cattle don't know where" "They're drifting in this storm." "Maybe they'll head the other way." "Don't go out there, sam." "It's only looking for trouble." "Trouble?" "It was trouble last summer" "When them cattle trompled our rye crop" "Before we could harvest it, wasn't it?" "I got fall wheat planted out there" "And I ain't gonna stand by and see it get ruined!" "Selina, with the new baby coming" "If we don't make this crop we got to give up." "No, sam!" "Don't!" "Sam, stay here!" "Sam!" "Come back!" "Sam!" "Keep them cattle out of my wheat!" "Get 'em out of there!" "Sam, look out!" "Come on, let's get him!" "Kill that yellowbelly!" "Sam!" "Sam." "Sam..." "Sam." "Sam." "Sam!" "I'll be all right, selina." "Jeff, jeff!" "Is jim back?" "No, mrs." "Brewton, the colonel ain't home yet." "Well, then what's happened, jeff?" "Some of the boys just got in." "I heated up some coffee." "Now, you get back to bed." "It's cold." "No, I'm not going back to bed until you tell me what's happened." "It was nothing much." "A little blowup over at halls." "Hall shot one of our steers," "And the boys kind of worked him over." "Now git." "Worked him over bad?" "Well, the boys said "good."" "I'm going over to the halls." "You ain't going nowhere." "There's drifts." "You get me a horse." "Selina's expecting another baby" "I'm going to see if she's all right." "Well, wrap up warm." "Sam!" "I've come to see selina." "Is she all right?" "Let me in, sam." "No." "What's happened?" "She tried to help me." "The baby's dead." "No, sam..." "Make her go away, sam." "I don't ever want to see her again." "Send her away!" "Selina" "You heard what she said." "Now, go on back to brewton." "Tell him he's won." "Tell him hes won a big victory." "We leave now." "Now go on." "Get out." "Whoa." "Good." "Look after him" "Sure, colonel." "Lutie, I heard about the halls." "Yes." "It was a bad night all around." "I lost a couple of hundred head." "Sorry, jim." "Well, it's nice to home again with you." "Jim, selina's baby is dead." "I know." "Too bad." "Jim..." "Jim, she's so bitter and so lost." "We've got to let her know how sorry we are." "We've got to help them." "The best way to help them is to stay away from them." "Jim, they say they're leaving." "Let them go." "I made a mistake before, lutie." "I shouldn't have given in to you." "I won't again." "The time I did those people harm was when let them file." "My fault, lutie not yours." "Jim, if you won't help the halls" "For themselves, then do it for me." "I love selina, and right now, she hates me." "There's nothing I can do, lutie." "This would only happen again, or something similar." "It figured to happen." "This tough country, lutie." "This country, I'm sick to death" "Of talking about this country." "You really think it's more important" "Than the people in it." "Well, that depends, it depends on" "Who the people are and what they're up to." "You let selina and sam hall stay here" "Because you wanted something like this to happen" "To show me, to show everyone" "You don't care how many people die." "Just so long as you keep the grass for yourself." "Lutie..." "Lutie..." "I'll try to tell you, lutie." "It's hard to say but..." "The halls don't count for much, lutie." "Neither do we." "But that out there does..." "And men like chamberlain, they want to farm it." "They want to dig it up and draw the water out of its veins," "Let the sun get at it, way down deep." "It would curl up and die then, lutie," "It would be dead, and so would the whole country," "It would never live again." "I tried to tell you, lutie, but you didn't hear it, did you?" "We won't about it anymore." "That's right no talk, just you and the grass the out there." "That's really the way you want it, isn't it?" "No, lutie." "I want you with it, too." "You don't need me, you never did." "Lutie..." "You've never lived with me." "I've been here." "You've been out there." "Jim, I'd like to go away." "I've got to." "It might be a good idea." "You could do a little shopping in denver." "Some thinking too." "Denver paper!" "Rocky mountain news!" "News?" "Denver paper?" "Call for mr." "O'connor!" "Call for mr." "O'connor!" "Well, sir, I figure if we're ever going" "To break the hold of the cattlemen," "We'll have to make salt fork a federal district court." "And see to it that an impartial judge is appointed." " Right." "Hope you enjoy your stay at the brown palace, mrs." "Brewton." "The marshall always winds up on the right side." "Excuse me, gentlemen, one moment." "Lutie!" "In denverof all places!" "But not for long." "Long enough to take pity on me at dinner tonight." "I'm afraid not brice, my train goes in the morning, very early." "There's no train leaving for salt fork in the morning." "This train goes to st." "Louis." "Oh, I'm sorry, lutie." "I understand, of course" "You don't want to see a lot of people." "Lutie..." "I have a sleigh with a driver." "Consider it yours if you'd like some air." "Thank you very much, brice." "That's very sweet of you." "Without me, of course." "Call for me at 8:00." "Brewton's a big man, I've never denied it." "But, well, it just doesn't leave room for anyone else" "For you, in this case." "I used to wonder how long" "It would take you to admit that to yourself." "You never really expected him to change, did you?" "What I'm saying is," "It was really your fault." "You knew it was hopeless." "You knew it the first time I saw you." "You knew it in the courtroom." "It's been written all over your face every time since then." "The halls were your fault, too." "You insisted on plunking them down right in the lion's den." "And sat around hoping nothing would happen." "Well, it happened." "It was bound to happen brewton being brewton." "Oh, lutie, I'm sorry, I'm terribly sorry." "I just want to cry, that's all." "I didn't mean to hurt you." "It's all right." "It's fine," "Only, only..." "I feel that it's the first time" "That anyone has spoken to me" "In months in months in months" "I mean, about me." "Anyway, what you say is true." "And I don't mind looking at it at last." "It doesn't leave me much," "But I don't mind looking at it." "It leaves you me, lutie." "Come in." "Come in, brice." "The st." "Louis train leaves in half an hour." "I know." "I have a little more packing to do." "When people pack, they're going somewhere." "When they're going somewhere, it's better to know where." "Well, what do you mean, brice?" "I mean, what's it going to be, lutie?" "I'll give you time." "I'll wait for you." "I'll stand back until you send for me" "Or I'll take that train to st." "Louis with you." "It will be what you want, lutie, whatever it is." "It will be your way, all the way." "Brice..." "I'm so ashamed..." "And so sorry." "Ashamed for me, sorry for you." "And jim." "Brewton's all right." "He's got you now as he never had you before." "No, brice." "You're hanging on to yourself right now" "To keep from running back to him." "No, brice." "And you're going." " No." "Yes, you are." "Nothing on earth can stop you." "I don't understand it." "I know he won't change." "I know I'll go hating what he does." "And it will always hurt me." "But no matter what he does or what I think..." "No matter where I go..." "I'll keep feeling that most of me is there with him." "It means that you love him." "Yes." "And if I do," "Then I've got to believe in him..." "And go along with him." "I'll go back." "Tell him what I've done..." "If I have the courage." "I'm sorry for you, lutie." "I got a big fire in the living room, mrs." "Brewton." "Thank you, jeff." "Has sarah beth been all right?" "She's finer than than fuzz." "I got a real nice fire downstairs." "All right, jeff." "Colonel traded joe netherwood out of it." "It's the only piano in the territory." "Gave him his best whiteface bull." "Good fire, ain't it?" "Yes, jeff." "Thank you, jim." "Just a fool idea I had." "Kind of like having you around." "Play me a tune, lutie." "Sad music or happy music?" "Up to you." "You know what kind of tune you've got in your head." "Like it?" "Pretty." "Kind of a surprise, though." "I thought it would be sad." "It was sad when you went away." "Come here, jim." "Stand behind me." "Jim, when I went away, I didn't intend to come back" "Except to get sarah beth." "I was going to st." "Louis." "I felt it was still my town, that I would be right there." "Yeah." "Trees in st." "Louis." "Yes, trees you don't have to plant and cherish and protect." "I didn't know you ever noticed." "Why did you plant them, lutie?" "Were they to shut something out or to shut yourself in?" "Jim, I was jealous" "Plain mean jealous of this country and the grass," "And I tried to fight it." "Yes, with the trees and with selina and sam" "And with a lot things." "I won't fight it anymore, jim." "I'll know that it's there, and I won't cry about it." "And I won't say bitter things," "And I won't run away." "I..." "I'm back, jim, if you'll have me." "I'll have you, lutie." "Jim, don't you want to ask me how denver was?" "Ah." "Denver's always denver." "But, jim..." "I'll make it up to you, jim." "What is there to make up?" "You're here." "There's really no reason to worry, lutie." "Just do the way you did with sarah beth." "I'll go tell jim you're fine." "Yes, doc, I'm fine." "When do you know when it's tuned?" "I just know." "Doc, what's holding up science?" "When are you going to be able to tell a man" "Whether it's a boy or a girl?" "What do you want, jim?" "Well, we got a girl." "Come on!" "Cheer up, doc." "Jim, you've got to realize lutie's out of her head," "Bound to say things we can't understand." "Just-Just don't think about it." "Go on downstairs and let jeff get you a cup of coffee." "Oh, jeff pour him a cup of coffee." "I got a pot on the stove." "And me, too." "You'd better come in, doctor." "She's quit that wild talk and" "I think the baby is getting close." "I never heard such carryings-On." "Did you hear what she said" "Mrs. Ryan, none of us heard anything in that room worth repeating." "Of course not." "Certainly not." "I hope you rememeber that, mrs." "Ryan." "Well, lutie, we've got a son." "Mack, want to have a smoke?" "Thanks, jim." "Only get these when I come here." "Doc?" "No thanks, jim." "Mrs. Mccurtin was saying only yesterday, lutie," "Before brock was born we used to see a lot of you in town." "The past year or so, you've been holing up on us." "She spends too much time" "With them children, she's bound to spoil them." "Sure both babies got over the croup right?" "They got over it all right," "Not on account of that medicine you gave them." "You going to take this or aren't you?" "That so, jeff?" "What cured them?" "Baking soda, and lots of it." "Cure any kind of a cold." "Doctors!" "We gave them your medicine behind jeff's back." "Don't ever let him know about it, though." "Well, come on, mack, let's have it." "What?" "The bad news." "How'd you know?" "All over you ever since you got here." "I've got a hunch chamberlain's up to something." "How'd you know that?" "All over him the last time I saw him." "And you're right, jim." "He's up to plenty." "I'll leave you to your business and your brandy." "No, no, sit down." "Mack's a lawyer." "He likes an audience." "Chamberlain's got salt fork made a federal district court." "Got himself elected judge." "What about judge white?" "Only local matters now." "Oh, is that so?" "And heres chamberlain's message to you, jim." "Tomorrow he's sending notice to every squatter in town" "And there's a whole the wagon train of 'em" "That the government's represented here now" "And will them full protection." "You'll have a hundred claims on your range before the week is out." "What do you think we ought to do, mack?" "I've been looking for a chance" "Any chance of any kind" " To head it off" "But there isn't any." "It's the federal government now," "The law of the land, and it's obeyed." "It's got to be." "What do you think, lutie?" "I?" "Well, I think mack has said it, jim." "It had to happen, jim." "Everyone knew it." "I think you did in your heart." "No." "No, I didn't, lutie." "Well!" "Good." "Good night dear." "How is your finger where you cut it?" "You told me it wouldn't hurt." "Well, it won't hurt, either." "Anything you say goes, huh, jim?" "Sure." "She's jim's girl." "Her first crush." "Come, sarah beth." "Good night, dear." "Good night." "Good night, lutie." "Very nice dinner." "Thank you." "Good night, lutie." "Good night, jim." "Good night, dear." "Don't get lutie wrong, jim." "She's a woman, and, well.." "I don't get her wrong, doc." "It's just that I keep wishing she was really on my side." "Well, help yourselves, gentlemen." "What are you going to do, jim?" "Right now?" "Going for a little walk." "Is that cold?" "Banty, bring joe." "Hold her a minute." "Can I go under there?" "Andy, you take the davis place and mcgee's ranch." "Tell them I wants to see them." "Tell them it won't hurt to bring their winchesters." "Wake, you take valez's ranch and the outfit south." "You bet, colonel." "Get going." "You were going to put me to bed." "Yes, darling." "I'll come right back and put you to bed." "I'll be right back." "I could cry for you, jim" "Don't waste it on me, lutie." "Why don't you go up and try to get some sleep?" "Because that's not what I need." "Why do you keep looking at me?" "What do you keep wanting of me?" "Nothing, lutie." "Nothing anymore." "I don't expect it." "What are you going to do, jim?" "If chamberlain wants to declare war, he's going to get it." "You're really going to go out and shoot" "The first homesteaders that come over?" "That's right." "In cold blood?" "If that's what you want to call it." "Don't do it, jim." "Give up on it." "Who are you protecting?" "You, jim." "You." "I don't believe that." "Why do you want me to lose?" "I didn't say that." "But you do, don't you?" "Well, I-I guess so." "Maybe I do." "Why?" "Why?" "I... i... maybe then I'd have a chance." "Maybe you'd turn to me-To me alone." "Is that the only reason?" "Jim, it's murder, killing people." "I don't know if I could bear it." "I..." "I've tried to fit in, I've tried to be what you want, but..." "You have done that." "I've seen you trying." "But to go out in cold blood..." "But I've seen other things I've said nothing about." "They're innocent people, jim." "I'm going to do what I have to do." "All right, jim." "All right, what?" "Do what you have to do." "I've nothing more to say." "And what will you do?" "Nothing." "I'll wait." "Nothing more to say?" "No." "You'd go on living with a murderer, lutie?" "Why?" "Why do you owe me that?" "That's a lot." "You wouldn't have done it once." "You've changed" "What changed you?" "Why do you owe me so much?" "The trip to denver, maybe?" "You never really told me why you came back here." "Do you want to tell me now, lutie?" "Nothing more to day." "Well, I guess that says it all." "It took a long time but it's all set now." "I tried, jim." "I tried." "More than once." "But you just looked at me." "You just looked at me and stopped me." "I couldn't." "I couldn't." "But now I'm glad it's out in the open." "I don't care what happens." "I'm glad it's out after 2 years." "I'm glad it's out." "When do you want to leave, lutie?" "I don't want to leave." "Then when are you goingto leave?" "You can catch the next train." "You'd better go up and pack." "We'll start in the morning." "I don't see how, with all the children's things." "The children's things?" "You won't have to pack those." "You think I'd leave them here?" "I'm sure of it." "I couldn't leave them." "You can take one of them, lutie." "One?" "You can take brock." "But if you take him" "You take everything that goes with it," "And so does he." "If you leave him" "I'll bring him up, and I'll do for him." "A man wants a son." "All right, jim." "I thought you'd see it my way." "But i..." "I won't let you keep them forever." "I'll fight." "That's one fight I wouldn't lose, lutie." "You still carry him in your heart." "Don't you?" "I carry you in my heart, jim" "I love you." "Can't you see that?" "I love you." "You couldn't love me and be against me." "You'll both have to be very good for jeff." "And sarah beth, darling." "You'll take care of brck, won't you?" "Oh, darling, you're so little." "You won't remember, you can't." "I'll remember." "The colonel's ready now, mrs." "Brewton." "Can I go for a ride too, too, mama?" "Not today, darling." "Remember, I'll be back sooner than soon," "With a double present for both." "Good-Bye, jeff." "You've been a friend." "Don't you worry, mrs." "Brewton." "Say nice things about me to my children, jeff." "Goodbye." "Goodbye, doc." "You be good." "Ready?" "Doc gave me this check from you." "All aboard!" "Is this the way we say goodbye?" "You said good-Bye, lutie." "Two years ago." "He's just turning in the door." "Come in, jim." "Glad you could make it." "What did you get me here for, doc?" "Well, jim, I got a funny feeling" "There's a lot of people going to be killed." "But you two can stop it." "As far as I'm concerned, doc." "The law's going to be enforced." "That's all." "I'll see you later doc." "Don't be a fool, brewton." "Go after her." "I never had a chance." "I tried." "I tried in denver and again yesterday before she left." "You were in the way." "You still are." "Hi, colonel!" "We're all set." "Everybody's all here, colonel-Every cowman who could set a horse." "There's more ammunition." "Tell them to help themselves." "I'll be with you in a minute." "Right." "Here's more ammunition, boys." "Come and get it!" "Come and get it, boys!" "There's more ammunition here." "More ammunition here..." "Phelps, what are you doing out here, practice march?" "No, I wish it were." "I'm here to see that the homesteaders are let alone." "Oh?" "Now, don't look at me like that, jim." "I'm a cowman myself." "I settled out here the same time you did." "I don't like this." "But my orders come from the president of the united states" "And they say to keep the peace out here." "So I guess I'm going to have to try." "That so?" "The men I've got are good men." "They'll do as their orders read." "A lot of them may die." "You've got good men, too." "Looks as though you outnumber us." "So you'd probably win today." "But nothing would stay won." "They'd send a regiment out here" "If it was necessary and all your men would be dead." "Not only you-You've got a right to decide that yourself-But them too." "As I said before, jim." "They're good men." "They're real good men." "Well, boys, I'm afraid we're not going to fight," "Unless somebody feels different about it." "So, I guess we'll just go on home." "Maybe one of these days we'll be sorry we did." "They can keep the nestor from being blown away" "But only god can help the prairie." "Now, um, uh, let me understand this clearly, mr." "Crane." "Uh, you believe that I may be able to gain custody of my son" "But to do this, I must establish in the court" "Under oath the identity of his father?" "In order to have him legally, it's the only way." "And-And it is also your opinion that if I do prove my right to him" "I may forfeit my right to my daughter?" "I'm afraid that's the size of it, lutie." "You would, in the eyes" "Of the court, forever prove your unfitness to have her." "But with luck, you could have brock." "Yes, with luck, I'd succeed in branding one," "Separating them for the rest of their lives." "I'm sorry, lutie." "What are your plans?" "Are you going to stay in st." "Louis, my dear?" "Well, I don't know, mr." "Crane." "Since my father died" "I don't seem to belong here anymore, either." "Good-Bye." "Thank you very much." "Write to me, doc." "Let me know about my babies." "How they are and what they do." "Keep in touch with me please." "Love, lutie." "You are missed, lutie." "It's like somebody blew out a light, and it's a little" "Darker for all of us." "Jim had the children in the other day for me to look over." "And they're healthy as goats." "You wouldn't know salt fork, lutie." "The town's jam-Packed every day." "Storekeepers are trucking to the homesteaders, now." "Hardly ever see a cattleman" "Anymore, unless it's when they come in to fight" "And lose one of the lawsuits that's always being" "Slapped on them by farmers." "The court therefore fixes damages." "For the full market value of the matured crop." "Chamberlain was heard to say that god was" "On the side of the homesteaders." "I don't know as I could speak" "For him but I've got to admit that the crops are good." "The heads on the wheat are" "So heavy, they'll knock a man's head off." "And the corn can swallow up a horse and rider." "This is rich land, all right." "And the sodbusters are reaping its first flower." "Maybe that what god ordered, I don't know." "You ask about jim." "Well, he never says much" "But his back's a little straighter" "And his head's a little higher than ever." "Sarah beth follows her father around like she was a lonesome pup." "I got to admit that jim treats her about like she was a pup." "Not that he isn't good to her." "I guess it's this way." "Sarah beth gives all to jim." "And he gives it all to brock." "And brock... well, brock's like he always was" "Temper like a buzz saw and a smile like a feathered angel." "Oh doc, I am lonely," "But I know I should stay away, and I will just as long as I can." "Just as long as I can." "Doc!" "Lutie!" "Oh!" "Oh!" "I'm glad to see you." "Rig is right over here." "It's all changed." "Yes..." "Tell me, lutie, why did you really come?" "Just to see the children?" "That mostly." "It's been pretty bad, doc." "Where's jim?" "Waiting at the hotel." "Waiting?" "To take the children home after you've seen them." "Oh." "Did he mind about my seeing them?" "He didn't say one way or the other." "Doc... what about jim?" "Where I'm concerned, I mean?" "Tell me." "Honey, it's pretty hard to say." "He's just never mentioned your name one way or the other." "Thank you." "All right, mrs." "Smith." "Doc... they don't know me." "They're very young." "It's been two years, lutie." "You can't expect it." "No, I don't expect it." "I only hoped." "Do you remember?" "I said I'd bring a double present for both of you?" "Do you remember, sarah beth?" "No." "But you'd like to have a present, wouldn't you?" "Yes." "Then you wait." "And look at what I have in my bag." "Now, you look in the bag." "Saw her off getting off the train as big as life." "Went right over to doc reid's." "You must leave at once, brice." "Do you realize I've never even touched him before." "Never been close enough to look into his eyes." "He's a fine boy." "You shouldn't have come here." "Brock." "Jim." "Come on, kids." "Time to go now." "I'm sorry, lutie." "I shouldn't have come back." "I've brought everything to life again." "And the children, brice, they don't know me." "I'm not sure they even like me." "They were just waiting for the time to go home." "They don't need me." "They don't need anything from me." "Listen to me, lutie." "You and i, we could get brock." "He's ours." "Let brewton have sarah beth." "We could take brock away he belongs with you and me." "We can get as far away from here as trains could carry us." "This is our last chance, lutie." "The last chance for the 3 of us." "I can't go away with you, brice." "I can't have brock." "And I can't have sarah beth." "So I'm going to go, but I'll go alone." "And you've got nothing for me." "Not enough, brice." "Not enough for that." "Come on in." "Doc?" "Glad mack got you here, jim." "Haven't been seeing very much of you lately." "I haven't been looking for you." "So I noticed." "I used to love you like the son I never had." "Not anymore." "You know why?" "Maybe you better not talk about it now, doc." "I got to." "I'll tell you why-Lutie." "I can say it now-Lutie." "You wouldn't let anybody speak her name, would you, jim?" "But you got to humor me." "Last wish, you know." "All lutie needed was..." "was a little help... from you." "She had better coming than she got." "She never forgot her children." "She was all right." "And you sent her away twice." "Your fault." "That's right." "Yours." "People don't tell you that much, do they, jim?" "Jim." "Jim!" "Do you hear me?" "Yes, doc, I hear you." "You'll-You'll never change." "You've still got that same look in your eyes." "You'll never change." "The doc... out of his head, I guess, jim." "No." "He was right." "Just right." "He's gone gentlemen." "Colonel brewton, I have no idea." "Are you sure?" "Very sure." "I wonder how she's fixed for money." "Mr. Cameron left very little." "I see." "I might add one thing." "If I did know where your wife was" "You are the last one I would tell." "Why don't you leave her alone now?" "Brock!" "Brock!" "Wait a minute, sister let them-Let them finish!" "Jeff!" "Jeff!" "Brock's fighting again!" "Jeff!" "Brock!" "Stop that fighting!" "Hey, ed, I'm betting on the chamberlain kid!" "What's that you said?" "You heard what I said." "I'm betting on the chamberlain kid." "You want to cover my bet?" "What's going on here, jeff?" "What was said here, bill?" "If anybody's got anything to say" "Now's the time to say it." "Come on, brock." "Don't worry, lutie." "I'll keep on writing to you." "I know you've turned to me only because doc reid is gone." "And that you want nothing from me" "But news of your children." "In this letter, I'm sending you a likeness of sara beth and brock." "I obtained it by devious methods" "From the local photographer." "You ask about brewton, lutie." "I know very little about him." "He seldom comes to town," "Except to do some buying for the ranch now and then." "It would break your heart" "To ride through this country now, lutie." "It's all drying up and blowing away." "Brewton was right about one thing." "This land was not ready for the plow." "It needed help from us." "During those first years when the rains came," "We should have been at work" "Planning against the time when nature would fail us." "We should have built dams and brought our own rain" "And irrigation ditches and culverts and diverted streams." "Someday we will do these things and the land will come back." "The hope of seeing that keeps me here." "And something else holds me, too." "Brock is growing up, lutie," "And the way it's happening worries me." "When sarah was home, she used to look out for him." "But now that she's away at school," "Brewton makes no move to curb brock in anything." "It's almost as though he were trying to make up to him for someone else." "You, lutie." "Whatever it is, it's bad for brock and I don't like it." "But I'm forced to stand by helpless to do anything," "And watch the wildness in the boy grow stronger." "Everyone likes him." "Maybe that's the trouble." "He's right at home everyplace." "Whether he's joshing the girls at clancy's dance hall," "Or playing the blue danube on myra netherwoods' new grand piano." "He's a prime favorite." "But he's a walking contradiction, too." "One day he'll be dealing" "Western euchre from the best horsehair furniture in town," "And the next he'll be prancing" "Up and down the streets in his new red-Wheel buggy" "With a homesteader girl beside him." "You may see him buying out a showcase of jawbreakers" "At the kingman mercantile co." "For a bunch of runny-Nosed kids," "Gentle as a woman," "Or keeping a tomato can rolling at 50 feet with a six-Shooter." "It gives me pause, lutie, to see him." "There's such a lot of recklessness under that crazy charm." "There's a danger in him and a kind of violence." "It's hard for me to keep my hands off." "Sometimes when he looks at me as we pass" "There's never more than a flick of his eye" "I feel that he must know something, and that he must hate me for it." "I understand sara beth graduated last week with high honors." "Sarah beth brewton." "Hazel sawyer." "They tell me she'll be home soon." "I wonder how salt fork will seem to her now" "After her years of schooling?" "Pardon me, ma'am." "I'm looking for a little, sawed-Off, freckled, ugly runt of a girl." "I'm looking for a handsome young gentleman." "Well, you found what you're looking for, but how about me?" "You went and changed on us." "Oh, brock!" "Hello, sarah beth." "Where's papa?" "Papa!" "Papa!" "Good to see you, sarah beth." "Oh, I might have known you'd be like this, both of you." "Like what?" "Oh, good-Looking." "A couple of years do a lot for a young lady, don't they?" "What did you expect- Of me, I mean?" "Not as much as we got, eh, brock?" "Not half." "I don't know though." "Looks stuck up to me" "Probably won't even like our town anymore." "Your town?" "My town." "Oh ho." "Maybe you'll do, huh, colonel?" "Well, it's the same old place." "Same..." "Yeah." "Well, I'm gonna leave you here." "Where are you going?" "Right here." "Charley's." "Cards are pretty hot for me today." "You better not get fresh with charley." "He can teach you." "Yeah?" "Charley said you were pretty good at cards, but I was better." "I can take charley the best day he ever lived" "With you standing on his shoulders." "Try it anytime you say, colonel, anytime at all." "I'll bet the women spoil him silly." "Yeah." "Not only the women either." "Jeff says he can charm the gold right out of your teeth." "How is jeff, papa?" "Well, he's like everything else around here," "Lost his bite." "Not much like the nightgown you wore when I put you to bed." "Oh, jeff." "Well, how do you like the way I fixed up your room, honey?" "Oh, it's beautiful." "Ain't it, though?" "I got my idea from one of them magazines." "Well, if you want anything, yell." "Oh, don't go." "I want to talk to you." "I want to know about brock." "What you want to know?" "Oh, just how he's been." "What he's been doing." "Same as always." "Brock's been having a good time for brock." "What you doing?" "Where'd this come from?" "I've been saving it." "Why don't you ask me some more questions, sarah beth?" "About what?" "About her." "Ain't you curious about your mother?" "You never think of her?" "What for?" "She's your mother." "I don't know who she is." "Don't you ever wonder why she's never come to see you?" "You've always tried to say good things about her." "You've always stuffed your ears when I did." "She gave up a lot when she went away." "And she hasn't got much left now." "How about papa?" "Has he got anything left?" "He's got you." "He's got brock." "Yeah-Brock." "Please stop whistling." "10." "10." "I'll raise you 20." "20." "3 treys." "3 deuces" "You can't beat that, boy." "Nobody can beat that, kid." "That's right, charley." "Nobody ever has." "You ought to know that, bill." "Yeah, I know." "6." "Misdeal, isn't it?" "Oh, have you got 6, too?" "5." "I could have used another." "Look, kid, gambling is my business." "Yeah." "And I know my business." "After this, if I've got 6 cards, I'll make it known." "Sure." "You bet." "You deal." "Any of you boys seen chamberlain around?" "Judge chamberlain?" "No." "What do you want with him?" "His office wants him." "Try the bank." "Forget it, joe." "He didn't mean anything." "It's all right, charley." "All right, kid." "You're the judge." "Judge of what?" "Go ahead." "Deal." "3, judge." "Thank you, judge." "3 for the judge." "$10." "I'll let you off with a light sentence." "Pair of 9s." "Pair of dogs." "I didn't know you had a twin brother, judge." "All right, brock, the door's open." "Temporary anyhow." "Who opened it for me, bill?" "Suppose I ought to say thanks." "I don't know the party." "Brock, you're home!" "Papa, brock's home." "Well, were you still as lucky?" "Oh, sure." "I'm always lucky." "Stop that." "Play something else." "Like?" "Oh, anything but that funeral march." "Play something with people in it." "Can't have a funeral without people." "Had dinner?" "Yeah, ate at beatty's place on the way out." "Brock said he was lucky again, papa." "Really?" "That's funny." "Looks to me like the boys took him." "They tried." "I was playing with joe horton." "Horton?" "He's a bad boy." "You want to look out for him." "I did, in one hand, especially." "We both drew one, only I drew first." "Got him right in the belly." "You mean you shot him." "Not conclusively." "He's going to live." "What happened?" "How'd the fight start?" "Ah, I had a few too many, I guess." "I don't remember." "I never saw you that drunk." "Then I'm a-Lyin'." "How long were you in jail?" "Not long." "Who got you out?" "Mccurtin?" "Hasn't he always before?" "Yeah." "When are you going to tell me how the fight started?" "I told you." "I was drunk." "Now, if you'd rather I hadn't come home, I'll get out." "I'd rather you didn't lie, brock." "Now, come on, let's go into town." "And face whatever's got to be faced." "Not me." "I'm going to denver." "You're going to salt fork, brock," "And get this thing over with and then you're coming back here." "And it might be a good idea" "If you spent a little more time here in the future." "You can't run me anymore!" "I wasn't cut out for living your way and I'm sick of trying." "I'd rather be stuffed in a coffin!" "I don't mind the shooting so much" "I wouldn't give much for you if you couldn't defend yourself" "But jumping bail is another thing." "It isn't square." "I want you to go into town and stand trial on your own feet." "Clear yourself or take the consequences." "Because that's the only way to work it out, brock." "When you've got something more to say to me, I'll be around." "That was nice." "That was fine." "Take it easy." "You know you can hurt him more than anyone." "You know that, don't you?" "Take it easy, sarah beth." "I thought you were leaving." "I got to think." "How can a man think without a little music?" "Jim here?" "Around some place." "Out back, I guess." "Where's brock?" "Hello, mr." "Mccurtin." "You tell him about the shooting, brock?" "Oh, hello, mack." "Sure I told him." "What's the matter?" "Horton died." "Figured he was too mean to die." "I can get you off once more, maybe." "You must have had a good reason to shoot a man." "You had one, didn't you?" "Good reason?" "Why, sure-The best." "Better come back in with me." "Have you told the colonel?" "I can't face him." "I've gone that one time over bringing him bad news." "Are you coming?" "No." "Then I'm finished, brock, as far as you're concerned." "Too much for me." "One last word" "I advise you to get in town fast." "Sarah beth, tell your father I couldn't wait." "You can get out of this yourself or the way you got out of jail." "What did mr." "Mccurtain mean, "the way you got out of jail"?" "He got you out, didn't he?" "No." "Who did?" "Chamberlain." "I guess he figures the young and foolish" "Should have another chance, or something." "All right, brock, you don't have to cover up with me." "I've known for a long time." "When?" "For sure when I was 15." "How?" "A lot of things put together." "And before I went back to school the last time, I knew you knew it" "And I knew papa did." "I could kill chamberlain." "That's what the trouble was about." "This fellow I was gambling with, he said a few thing." "That's why I couldn't tell the colonel." "I couldn't let him know that I know." "Oh, brock." "We've been around a lot together, the colonel and me." "And he never let anybody even think anything once," "At least not out loud." "Don't I know." "I'm glad I know that, too- I mean, that you love him." "If I hated him, I'd be all right." "Then we could walk down the street together" "And I wouldn't mind feeling him cringe-Never let on." "Oh, I should have gone movie away from here a long time ago." "But he's hard to leave." "Now I got to get out of here fast." "Don't run away, brock." "Mr. Mccurtin could get you off, couldn't he?" "Oh, sure, easy." "The jury wouldn't even leave its box." "Then face it like papa wants you to." "Ever been to a trial, sarah beth?" "Lots of things come out of trials." "Whole mess comes out." "Salt fork would eat this up with a spoon," "And he's had enough." "Go on, sarah beth, sit down and play a tune by yourself." "You'll have to get used to it." "And tell the colonel nothing." "Jeff said mccurtin was here." "What did he want?" "Nothing." "Where are you going?" "First lap of my trip to denver." "Get down off that horse, brock." "Get out of my way." "Well, sarah beth, I'll try to understand why he had to go." "I didn't try with someone else a long time ago." "I've always been sorry." "Well, colonel, then if brock ain't here" "We just gotta find him and take him in." "Why?" "I thought mccurtin told you." "Horton died." "Sorry, colonel." "Things fall that way sometimes, bill." "Yeah." "You sure he ain't here?" "You can look." "I..." "I shouldn't have asked that, colonel." "Good night." "Why is brock frightened, sarah beth?" "Doesn't he know mack can get him off?" "But he knows he can't get you off." "The man brock shot, he called brock names." "Not pretty names, either." "They'd sound awful at a trial, especially when they're true." "Brock thought-He wanted to spare you something." "He can't spare me anything." "It seems none of us can spare the others anything." "You go to bed." "I've got to find him." "I've got to get to him before he does something." "I've got to get to him before some sheriff gets him." "He's a good boy, sarah beth." "Yes." "I'm glad we know how good." "You find him, papa." "I'll find him." "Get your afternoon star- Here's your change, lady." "Lateafternoon star." "Thank you, sir." "Right over here- Get your late afternoon star!" "Afternoon star!" "Latest news and the latest paper!" "Right here." "That the idea." "Thank you, sir." "Late afternoon star!" "Right over here!" "Get your late afternoon star!" "Here comes the colonel." "He's in that cabin, colonel." "You can't go down there, colonel!" "The boy's gone crazy!" "Go on back!" "No one's taking me, and that goes for you, too!" "Stay there, or I'll drop you!" "I mean it!" "Your last chance to turn around!" "I'll count 3!" "1... 2..." "3." "Hurry it up!" "Oh, dad." "Why am i calling you dad?" "You used to call me that, brock." "Not since I got old enough to know better." "Growing up-That's great, isn't it?" "Don't talk." "Don't talk." "You don't scare worth a nickel, dad." "Docs always try something." "Lie still, kid." "Lie still." "Not while I'm still breathing in and out." "Lying still comes later." "Not much later, though, huh, doc?" "Hello, sheriff!" "Somebody left a note for you." "Right side of you." "Brock." "Your sister sends her love, son." "The good girl." "Good, bright girl." "She told me, brock." "She told me why you ducked out." "And, brock..." "Your mother..." "There's something..." "Dad, let's go down to charley's, hmm?" "Let's drink all the place under the table." "And then when there's just me and you left" "I'll drink you under." "Ask charley." "How about it?" "Da-Dad..." "Dad." "I got it for you, last stop, ma'am." "Got anything for me to pick up?" "No." "Nothing today." "I beg your pardon, is there a train leaving" "For san francisco tomorrow?" "One at 11:00 o'clock tonight." "Thank you." "And so we'll come to pay our last respects" "And to say goodbye to brock brewton" "Beloved son of james brewton and lutie c." "Brewton." "This young man has departed from our midst." "The lord gave." "The lord hath taken away." "Let us pray." "Come in." "Just put the coffee on the table, please." "You're sarah beth." "Yes." "Please sit down." "There's no need for that." "I have something to say, and then I'm going to go." "How did you know I was here?" "I have a room at the hotel." "The clerk told me." "I'm not going to let you hurt pop anymore!" "He can't stand anymore." "Maybe you couldn't hurt him, even if you tried." "Maybe there's not anything that can hurt him," "Not after brock." "I hope so." "Because nobody can stand anymore, even him." "So maybe the pain's over now." "Unless you brought him more." "Have you?" "What do you want of him?" "Nothing." "I came to help brock." "I didn't know he" "I..." "I didn't know until the train was almost here." "I'm not even going to see your father, sarah beth." "I might try if I though I could make up" "A little to him." "And to you for all the years," "But I know I couldn't." "He tried to tell me how he felt," "How the grass was somehow godly to him." "He tried to tell me and I didn't hear." "And he was right." "Those years are gone," "And my chance with him." "I'll leave tonight, sarah beth," "But I'm not sorry I came now," "Because I'll take something back with me" "Which means a great deal to me:" "The knowledge that he has you" "You to fight for him," "Be there when he needs you," "To be what I wasn't strong enough to be." "He didn't come to st." "Louis for nothing." "And now, when he's lost it all, everything," "When he needs something human at last," "You come into the field." "No, he didn't come to st." "Louis for nothing." "And all at once that gives me... peace." "A kind of happiness even." "I haven't felt that for a very long time." "Just one thing." "Some night when he's sitting on the porch, sarah beth," "Give him a kiss from me." "Oh, don't..." "I'm glad you're home, colonel." "The buckboard with sarah beth get in?" "I missed seeing her start." "Maybe you'd better go on in the house, colonel." "Sarah beth?" "Papa, come here." "Papa, come here." "Mother wanted to be waiting for you here, papa." "The way she used to be." "Lutie?" "You're well?" "Yes, jim." "And you?" "You look as you always did." "Do I, jim?" "It was a hard thing for her to go through," "But she's one in a thousand." "No one else will ever be like her."