"Well, well, well." "Don't tell me the price of eggs has gone up... so we're gonna raise chickens?" "I hadn't thought of it, Brother Nick, but now that you mention it, it's a pretty good idea." "Plain to see that you haven't tried raising' chickens." "Fruits of my labor, my boy." "From a grateful client temporarily short of funds." " What could be in these jugs, a little corn?" " Aged red wine." "If you don't mind." "Oh!" "Much obliged." "Behold." " Heath, Nick-Why, that's a pig." " Yeah, that's what it is." " And these are chickens." " The spoils of the Dascenzo case." " You won it for him." " And against impossible odds." "Believe me, I'd rather have these little trophies than a $1,000 fee." " Oh, I'm so glad" " Oh, this is a telegram for you." " Oh." "Thanks." " Would you mind telling me what I'm to do with these?" " Learn to love them, Nick." "Mm." "Jarrod, I'm so happy you won your case." "I" " What is it, Jarrod?" " It's from Don Gordon in Sacramento." " Do you remember Keno Nash?" " You prosecuted him." "Convicted him of murder." "But he didn't do it." "Well, mistakes happen." "They're ugly, but... they do happen." "This little mistake cost him nine years of his life." "I was so positive he was guilty." "But I can still hear him screaming at thejudge, "I didn't do it. "" ""I didn't do it. "" "And threatening to kill you if he ever got out." "Mind a bit of friendly advice, Mr. Barkley?" "It'll be better for everybody if you don't see the prisoner." "Just leave a few dollars for him, whatever'll ease your conscience... and let it go at that." "And just forget that an innocent man was convicted of murder, is that it, Warden?" "Keno Nash was an habitual criminal." "A member of the "Hounds. " And there's nothing innocent about them." "And he's been nothing but trouble the nine years he's been here." "That doesn't change the fact that he wasn't guilty of murder." "Come in.!" "Well, Nash, today's the day." " Did you think I'd forget you?" " I was only doing my job." "I've come to offer you any help you may need." "I'll be leaving on the 1:00 train for Stockton." "If you happen to decide you need a friend." "Keno, what makes you so sure that this friend of yours in Stockton... is gonna be willing to help you get a fresh start?" "Barney owes me a favor or... two." " When do they bring the bucket around?" " The what?" "Drink of water." "There's a water cooler down at the end of the car." "Why don't you go help yourself?" "What are you laughin' at, you fancy dude?" "All right, now." "Don't flood the whole car." "I'm a free man!" "Keno!" "Keno, let him alone!" "Well, here we are." "He'll think it's my ghost comin' back to haunt him." "Now, look, Keno." "You'll, uh" "You'll probably want to buy him a drink or something, and maybe... get yourself a new suit of clothes." "This'll help out." "Oh, get out of there!" "You've ruined my picture!" "Meg?" "Meg!" "It's Keno!" "Don't you remember me?" "Oh, Keno!" "W-What are you doing here?" "How did you get out?" "Well, they just found out I didn't kill that fella, and they showed me the front door." " Why did you come here?" " I come to see Barney!" "Where's he hiding'?" "He's in the churchyard." "How 'bout Charley?" "Charley Trumbull." "Do ya ever see him?" " Gone." " Joe Pritchard?" "In prison." "And so's Hawkins." "O'Sullivan was hanged down in Mexico." "None of'em left?" " None of the men from the river?" " None of the Hounds, you mean?" "What did you expect?" "A hundred of the worst thieves and bullies that ever hit San Francisco." "Oh, I remember." "Take what you want and laugh at them that lost it to you." "Burnin' boats on the river." "Unless you was paid to leave 'em be." "Break a man's head for half a cent, and- and a woman's heart for nothin' at all." "Takin'and hurtin'and... never thinkin' the day'd come when you wouldn't be the biggest and the strongest." "Well, that's what happened to Barney." "He got old, and he picked a fight and got his ribs stove in." "Wh-What did you expect?" "There's nothing left!" "Keno." "Let's go." "She was always... full of smiles- mischief in her eye." "Yeah." "Well, nine years can change things a lot, Keno." "I guess people, most of all." "Not you." "I remember you from the trial." "You ain't changed a bit." "Not a whisker." "Keno, I'm not gonna make any excuses for that trial." " I believed you were guilty." " You were wrong." " You hungry?" " My belly's growling'." "Look, you see that restaurant right over there?" "Canton Palace?" "Why don't you go on over there and get yourself some supper?" "I'll join you, right after I check in at my office." "We'll sit down and talk, and see what you're going to do." "Hey." "Dollar says he's fresh outta prison." "Yeah." "San Quentin." "You see that gray jacket he's got on?" "That's what they give ya when you leave San Quentin." " And what do you say, Yankee?" " Ah, it ain't none of your business, anyway." "Come on, let's drink up." "Get that load of barbed wire back to the ranch... before Nick comes looking' for us." " Rum." " No rum." "Whiskey or brandy." " What do you like, please?" " Gimme the best you got." "You wouldn't try to pass off a bottle of coffin varnish on me, would ya?" "Very good!" "Kick like mule." "Barney, here's to you." "Wherever you are." "O'Sullivan too." "What do you do?" "What do you do?" "No break glass." "Leave that here." "If you want to smash things, mister, you've come to the wrong place." "There's no harm intended." "I'm gonna pay for the glass." "That was a drink for two old friends." "I'd sure hate to see it spoiled by any trouble." "If you don't cause any, you won't have any." "Fair enough." "I've always hated drinking' alone." "Let me buy you a drink." " No, thanks, I got my" " Bring your friends along." "Bring another glass!" "Those friends- the ones I was drinking to- half alligator, half horse." "Both of them, they had a hollow leg." "Many a times when we would sit around" "Thank you for the drink, and thanks for havin' us over here." " We don't like to drink alone either." " It's all right." " You come off the Mississippi, do you?" " Yeah, I used to be." " How'd ya know?" " Well, you were sayin', "Half horse, half alligator. "" "Well, that's what it took to work on the river." "You fellas ever work on the riverboats?" "No." "But I used to know a lot of'em that did... when I was growin' up around San Francisco." "A lot of river men come west lookin' for gold." "I never found a one that found any." "That's right." "Then most of them'd turn into bein' "Hounds. "" "That's right." "It was better than goin' hungry." "You know, my mama used to run a boarding house in San Francisco." "She had six Hounds live in that house." "Well, I tell you, we Hounds, we live very high." " Must have been a nice place." " It was a nice place." "Till they burned it down." "And they killed my mama for the rent money." "You know, my mama's life was worth just about $28." "Now maybe you better tell us where you got this money, Hound." " You just take it easy, boy." " I think you ought to tell us... whose throat did you cut." "Back off, Jack." " If there's any accusations, the sheriff'll make 'em." " That's just where we're goin'." "Come on." "We gonna see the sheriff right now!" "No trouble.!" "Stop it!" "Stop it!" "Stop that!" "All right." "Move!" "Here they are, Jarrod." "All patched up and free to go." " We sure want to thank you for squaring'" " Don't thank me." "The fines and damages to that restaurant will come out of your pay." "It wasn't our fault, Mr. Barkley." "When we saw that Frisco Hound..." " flashing' all that money around, we figured" " You figured wrong.!" "Now, the way I hear it, you acted like a bunch of self-appointed vigilantes." "I'm ashamed to say you work for me." "Now get back to the ranch." "What are ya gonna do, send me back to San Quentin?" "He paid your fine so you wouldn't have to spend the night in jail." "Come on, Keno." "We'll find a hotel room for the night." "Jarrod, do you realize what you're doing?" " Taking responsibility for that one?" " Sheriff" "He's trouble." "Nothing but." " Let's go, Keno." " Look at that." "They used to lock us up at sundown." "Quentin." "First time in nine years I've seen it." " You got one of those?" " One what?" "A star." "I've got one." "Can't see it." "Never have, and I never will." "My ma used to say..." ""Keno, you was born under a dark star." ""You was born into this world owing' two dollars..." ""with your neck already sized up for the hangman's rope." ""Your pa with his hands in somebody else's cash box... and your ma a common woman. "" "She used to say, "Keno, you got a life of lookin'through prison bars ahead of ya... unless the Lord's gentle enough to let 'em hang ya when you're still young. "" "That's what she used to say." "And she was right." "She sure had the power." "Will ya look who's comin'?" "Whoa!" "I didn't hear anybody call quitting' time." " Come on, Keno." " Turp, you get on that pry bar." "Follet, you give 'im a hand." " Well, welcome home, Jarrod." " Glad to be back." "This is Keno Nash." "My brother Heath." "He's signing' on." "Well, we got plenty of work for ya." "It's all right over there." "That's the fella that had that run-in with Yankee and the boys?" "Yeah." "It wasn't his fault." "As I understand it, the odds were three to one." "Let's hope he can handle those stumps as well." "This is Keno Nash." "You can pass out your names later." " Now what do you say we get this stump pulled up?" " Ain't this job enough... without you askin' us to work with a Frisco Hound?" "I ain't asking' ya, I'm tellin' ya." "With all respect, Mr. Barkley, there's plenty of good men for hire... without hiring' a nobody that's bound to cause trouble." "Everybody in this valley got reason to hate the Hounds." "Ain't never been a one of'em any better that a wild animal." "Since when is the hiring on this ranch put up to a vote?" " It ain't that, Mr. Barkley, it's just that" " It's just that we ain't... about to go to work with no Frisco Hound, that's all." " Jarrod, you got any cash on ya?" " Some." "Any man that wants to pick up his time, see my brother." "All right." "Pick up your pay or get back to work." "Not much of a welcome, Keno." "Better than a poke in the eye with a stick." "I've never been poked in the eye with a stick." "Give 'em a hand with that stump." "Say, uh-Just keep him here with you this morning... and I'll" " I'll try and find him somethin' around the ranch." "All right." " Sure you won't stay and pull a few stumps with us?" "See ya at the house." "Let's go!" "Yankee!" "Come out here, will ya?" "I want you to look over these traps." "Fix any that need it, huh?" " Them bears still plaguing' the cattle up in the foothills." " That's right." " And that's why I want you to get on it as soon as possible." " Uh, which first?" "The traps?" "That busted thresher?" "Shoes for your mother's saddle horse, or that windmill that's broke down over" "Yankee, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were complainin'." "The ranch has grown, boss." "There's just more blacksmithin' than my two hands can do." " Yankee, I'd say you need some help." " Oh, Jarrod, he" "And I think I've got just the man for him." "Hyah!" "Hyah!" "Hyah!" "Come on, Keno." "Let's get you set in the bunkhouse, and I'll show you around." "Keno?" " How'd it go?" " Wasn't much different than the rock pile." "Why, he did more work than any two men put together." "Keno, this is Yankee, our blacksmith." "What would you say to going to work for him as his helper?" " Mr. Jarrod" " Yankee would be more than willing to teach you the trade." "Guess we got off on the wrong foot yesterday." "What do you say we forget and start fresh?" "Got no quarrel with you." "Come on into the smithy." "Take a look before you decide." "So that's what nine years in prison does to a man, huh?" "I was in the courtroom the day the jury convicted him." "Have you forgotten how wild he became when he heard that verdict?" "How he screamed?" "Screamed he'd kill you if he ever got the chance?" " Well?" " Well, what?" "Kinda foolish, isn't it?" "Bringin' him here?" "It's like puttin' your head in a lion's mouth." " Oh, he hasn't tried anything." " That doesn't mean he won't." "Nick, I helped rob this man of nine years of his life." "I figure I owe him." "I need you and the family to help me repay him." "Can't very well say no, now can we?" "Oh, I just hope it's never the choice of... easing your conscience or..." "saving your life." "Put your foot there." "The first thing you learn in this smithy is you do like I tell ya." "When I tell ya." "Now, step on the other bar." "And try to pull open its mouth." "That's the hard way." "Now I'll show you the right way." "It ain't hard, Keno." "It just takes knowing' how." "Made ya think you was back in prison, didn't it, Hound?" "Huh?" "Kinda jumped there." "Sounded kinda like the jailer... clackin' his stick alongside the bars, didn't it?" " Huh?" " No trouble." "Ooh, I don't want any trouble either, Hound." "No trouble at all." "But are you sure you don't want any trouble?" "Huh?" " Have I got a choice?" " Ooh." "You got a real choice, Hound." "You can stick around here where you ain't wanted... or you can get out, go on down the road." "You ain't gonna run me out with no ax handle, boy." "Oh, I wasn't thinkin' of doin' that." "I wouldn't try and run off nobody with an ax handle... least of all somebody's been hired on personal by Mr. Jarrod." "But I got to thinkin', Hound." "You know, that, uh, jail could work against a man." "You know?" "What I mean is that, uh, if things was to start happenin' around here... that a person that's been tojail might get blamed for... why, that poor old soul could be right back behind the bars... of San Quentin again, couldn't he- huh?" "Ain't that right, Hound?" "Lookee there, Hound." "Kinda give you the willies, don't it?" "Huh?" "Miss Audra." "Sure is good to see you again." "Thank you." "Came to see if you finished that collar for him." "Keno's workin' on it now." "Good morning, Keno." "Do you like working here?" "You know, when I was a little girl, this was my favorite place." "I'd pretend I was a princess, and the- the wicked king... had locked me up in a deep, dark dungeon." "Who was the wicked king, locked you in the prison?" " The lawyer?" " Jarrod?" "Heavens, no!" "Why would you think that?" "You mustn't blame him for the mistake, Keno." "It wasn't any more his fault than- than the judge or the 12 men on the jury." "What's it matter?" "What's done is done." "What's goin'on around here?" "See how that's been filed down?" "So it'll break apart as soon as you try to set it." "The same thing with three other traps." "Well, what are you gonna say?" " You deny you done this?" " Keno, what possible reason could you have had?" "You had no cause!" "No cause at all." "Ain't I been fair with you?" "Ain't I been teachin' ya blacksmithin'?" "Then why?" "Maybe you just wanted to see what you could get away with." "Is that it?" "You pull a trick like this up at the prison... you'd be hauling' iron for six months." "You know what these traps cost?" "$ 11.00." "You ain't never carried iron on your leg before." "You" "Keno, put your foot up here." "Do like I tell ya." "Put your foot up here." "Oh, Nick." "Can you blame him?" "He had no right to shame me like that." "He had no right!" " Keno, you mustn't!" " I'm not sorry about them traps." " They're mean, cruel things." " But necessary." "The bears have been killing our cattle." "Well, then shoot 'em!" "Don't let 'em bleed their lives out in a trap." "Would you put that puppy of yours into a trap?" "I wouldn't." "Would you hold him for me, please?" "He's a... scrawny little fella, isn't he?" " He got a name?" " No, not-not yet." "You know, I had a dog once." "Named him "Bosko. " A fine friend." "Did better than most of them walked on two legs." "I'll have his collar for you soon." "You know, Keno, I" " I really haven't got the proper time to take care of him." "What I'm trying to say is- I want you to have him." "Well, lookee there where Keno hides out." "Hi, Keno." "Hey, you better watch out for that puppy there." "What if one of them bales o' hay should kinda... fall off and crush him in his head?" "Huh?" "Then on the other hand... he might get hold of some rat poison." "Or maybe he'll walk over and... fall in a horse trough and drown hisself." "You touch a hair of this dog's head and I'll kill ya." "Oh?" "You sure you'd want to, Hound?" " I ain't a woman." " I had nothin' to do with your ma being killed." "Sometimes a man's better off forgettin' the harm that's done him." "You tell me how, hear?" "How does a man forget seeing' his mama lay face down in her own blood?" "That's for you to do, boy." "That's just what I'm gonna do, Keno." "Hey, you" " Let go!" "Let go!" "Had enough?" "All right, all right." "Now, who started this?" "Him!" "Well, he's had a grudge against us ever since that fight in town." " Hejumped us without warning." " I warned you, Mr. Barkley." "What about it, Keno?" "Is that true?" " What do you think?" " When I ask you a straight question..." "I want a straight answer." "Go ahead." "Call us liars." "Keno?" "I'm not finished with you." "Nick?" "Let him go." "All right, Jarrod." "What are we gonna do about him?" "Fire him!" "Is that what you'd have me do?" " I don't think you should have brought him in the first place." " That's plain and simple." " Now, come on, Jarrod!" " Nick!" "Jarrod, do you still believe you did the right thing, bringing him here?" "What else could I do?" "I owe him." "Something." "A start." "Something!" "Because you prosecuted him to the best of your ability?" "I took nine years of his life." "Well, you were judge, jury and all, huh, Jarrod?" "Heath, if I didn't put out a hand to him, who would?" "The people in Stockton?" "Why?" "He was a Hound, and all the Hounds ever did was terrorize the storekeepers... and pirate goods on the river- or maybe I should have sent him to San Francisco." "That would have been worse for him, and them." "He would have been completely alone." "You're all talking about him like he's some kind of animal." "A stray to be picked up, or let wander." " He's a gentle man." " Why is he gentle?" "Because he likes dogs?" "Well... the decision to bring him here is behind us." " What now, Jarrod?" " Give him time." "To do what?" "Fix bear traps?" "To put nine years of prison behind him." "Oh!" "Hi." "I never did like to drink by myself." "Remember?" "Look, Keno, I came to bury the hatchet." "And also to inform you about something which I overheard that really concerns you." "I got to thinkin'there this afternoon 'bout what you said." "About a man bein' better off if he could forget the things... that been done wrong to him in the past?" "And it made a great deal of sense to me." " What'd you hear that concerned me?" " Well, first, let me tell ya." "You know, you should know better than anybody about forgiving' grudges." "And things that've been done wrong to ya in past years." "'Cause here you are workin' for Mr. Jarrod Barkley... and he's the very one that sent you up behind the walls at San Quentin." "And for somethin'that you didn't even do.!" "Yet, here you are, back workin'for him." "And also because... you didn't have nothin' to do with what happened to my mama." "I'd have hung those men myself, killin' a woman." "Please, let's drink to that." "Let's just forget what's happened between us, okay?" "Keno, don't- Don't be so suspicious." "You know, you're suspicious of the wrong people." "Come on." "You're gonna need it, really, when you hear what I got to tell ya." " Just what did ya hear?" " Please take a drink." " What did you hear?" " Keno, look." "I don't think that I should tell ya... if ya don't take a drink- I think it's only fair that way." "That makes me feel more secure." "Mr. Barkley's gonna send you back to jail." "He" " He can't!" "Well, you think he can't, but he can, and he will." "Now, Keno, every one of us done heard how you threatened... to kill Mr. Barkley in the courtroom." "Now, Jarrod Barkley ain't one to leave loose ends untied." " I haven't done anything!" " Of course you ain't done anything... but that didn't make any difference the last time... and that's what you said too, and you was innocent!" "You know where he's at right now?" "He's right up there in that big house... eatin' dinner with all them fancy people." "And you know what he's doin', Keno?" "He's laughin' at you!" "He's laughin'at you.!" "You know what I'd do if I was you?" "I'd go up there to that house, and I'd cram that laugh right down his throat!" "Just a minute!" "He said he was my friend!" "I know he said he was your friend, Keno." "But you know what's gonna happen?" "It's gonna be the same thing all over again." "The jury's gonna say, "Guilty"... you're gonna go back to prison, you gonna go in the punishment box... in the sweat hole, and they're gonna beat on ya- every day, they're gonna whip ya.!" "And you know what you're gonna be sayin' all that time?" "You're gonna be sayin', "I had me a chance to get even with Jarrod Barkley... and I didn't do it!"" "Now, you think about that, boy." "All right, Keno." "Just take it easy." "You said you was my friend, you" "All right." "All right." "I am your friend." "Come on over here." "Sit down." "Right over here" "Watch it, now, Keno!" "Watch it!" "I said, watch it.!" "Easy." "Easy.!" "Lock him in the spring house." "All right." "Let's go." " Morning, Mother." " Morning." "Sit down, Jarrod." "We have a decision to make." "Oh?" "Looks like the jury's already reached a verdict." "Pass the coffee, will ya, Nick?" " He tried to kill you, you know?" " He was drunk." "You offering that for an excuse, huh?" " An extenuating circumstance." " We know how you feel, Jarrod... but it just doesn't make sense to let him stay on." "We thought of getting him a job on another ranch... but that would only pass the problem onto someone else." "All right." "What would you have me do?" "Swear out a complaint?" "Charge him with attempted murder?" " Send him back to San Quentin?" " Could be murder the next time." "I thought we agreed to leave Keno to me." "Last night changed that, Jarrod." "Is it unanimous?" "Well, I vote no!" "There's got to be some way to reach him, and I intend to find it!" "Keno didn't seem to be holding a grudge againstJarrod." "I wonder what could have happened." "Fire Bell!" " What's wrong with you?" "There ain't no fire." " What's goin' on?" "The Frisco Hound done broke out of spring house." "What are you talkin' about?" "I seen Keno not half-hour ago." "Where was he?" "Comin' out of the barn, with that pup tucked under his arm." "Went on towards the old foothill road." "Come on!" "Y'all ain't gonna stand here and let Mr. Barkley... go out and catch that Hound by himself, are ya?" "What is this all about?" "What's Keno done?" "He got drunk last night in the spring hou" " How did he get drunk?" " Don't look at me like that." " You know I wouldn't give him no whiskey." " Maybe you did." "That looks like the bottle of sour mash you bought in town last weekend." "Well, that's what I been tryin' to tell ya." "He found it... he stole it, and then he got drunk on it." "Sure, everybody knows that Frisco Hounds are thieves and liars, right?" "Ain't that what I've been tellin' y'all all along?" "And don't last night prove it, that he got the bottle?" "After he stole it, he got drunk." "And then he went in and he tried to kill a lawyer." "You put him up to the killin'." "I never thought you'd go that far." "That's a lie, what he's sayin'." "That ain't true." "It's true, all right, Jack." "You're a miserable excuse for a man." "I hope he finds him, and I hope they kill each other." "Oh, you" "Miss Barkley." "Now, listen to me, Keno." "There's nothing to run from, and there's nothing to be afraid of." " You're a stinkin' liar!" " All I want to do is talk to you." " Liar!" " Keno!" "Wait!" " I'm not goin' back to prison!" " Keno, nobody wants to send you to prison!" "Keno!" "Keno!" "Keno.!" "Keno, help me!" "Keno!" "Help me.!" "Keno.!" "Keno!" "That's just the way I seen it." "They threw me in the punishment hole." "I seen you with iron on your leg." "Just as it was on mine." "And you beggin'for God's mercy and gettin' nothing'back but the devil's laugh." "Then go ahead and watch." "You paid enough for the privilege." "I believed you when you said you were my friend." "I believed it." "I was, uh, willing' to forgive." "I been an animal for so many years." "You made me wanna be a man again." "Then forget the past." "Help me, Keno." "Help me!" "I don't suppose you'd want to be seen having' a drink with me in town." "I mean, considerin' the company I used to keep." "Afternoon, Keno." "Honest wages." "Mr. Nick said I earned every penny of it." "Our Nick always says what he means." "Mr. Heath said he could teach me to write my name, so I can sign the receipt book proper." "Bosko's certainly growing." "He won't be a puppy much longer." "Keno!" "You comin' or not?" "Say, Keno." "Why don't you get the pup's picture taken?" "If you happen to be going anywhere near the photographer's shop in Stockton." "I just might." "Ma'am." "Miss." " Was that suggestion as innocent as it sounded?" " Nope." "The photographer's name is Meg, and she talks with a smile..." " with mischief in her eye." " Why, Jarrod Thomas Barkley, Esquire!" "Well, when you rejoin the human race, you rejoin the human race!"