"As long as I have this gun, you can't take me alive, rigaldo." "Either you take me dead," "Or I take you." "Now, it is my turn, señor don pablo, eh?" "Hey, after all I have taught you, don pablo," "You have so little confidence in my skill, eh?" "You know, each time you move, you lose a wager." "Rigaldo, I will not pay." "If I did not move, this knife would've killed me, no?" "Give me the money." "All right, pablito, take the money." "You see?" "That is the risk you take when you gamble with your employer." "Have you no better manners than to laugh at don pablo?" "Huh?" "Huh?" "You know, your father has doubts even now" "That you are ready to lead the next silver convoy." "Never mind the convoy." "Look, there's an apparition." "The sands of the sonora desert have taken shape and walked?" "Señor, what tragedy brought you to this pitiful condition?" "I lost my saddle and canteen." "Two days without water." "Two days without water in the desert?" "Tsk, tsk." "Rigaldo." "Two days in the desert without water." "It is remarkable that you survived, señor." "Oh." "Ah-ah, señor." "Your manners, señor, your horse is thirsty." "No true caballero drinks until his horse is watered." "But you're filthy, señor." "Were you to touch the water now, you'd make it unfit for the animal." "When he is finished..." "Rigaldo!" "Can you not keep discipline here?" "I will show you discipline." "Stop, rigaldo." "This is childish." "I am don francisco reyes." "The young man you embarrassed is my son." "Who are you?" "My name is paladin." "As for your son, I suggest you teach him" "It's unwise to mock a man" "That's been on the desert for two days without water." "My son is young." "Do not judge him too harshly." "Rigaldo, you were to go on an errand." "Had you been about that business," "This incident wouldn't have happened." "Pablo, change your clothing and go with rigaldo." "Our pardon, señor." "Will you accept my hospitality?" "It is remarkable that you are alive." "Very few men dare to cross the sonora desert alone." "If you do not mind my inquiring," "Why did you attempt this hazardous passage?" "Thank you." "Business." "And, what is your business, señor paladin?" "I believe this just about sums it up." "When I watched you in the courtyard," "I sensed that you were a man with capabilities." "Now that I see you are a professional man with capabilities," "I should like to discuss hiring you." "For what purpose?" "I have a large quantity of silver from our mine," "Which must be transported across the sierra de juarez to san faustino." "That's not a difficult journey, with pack mules and adequate supplies." "There are many bandits," "And it is a very rich cargo." "I am too old to lead the convoy myself." "My son is very anxious to do this," "But, as you may have observed," "He's not yet mature enough to handle such a venture." "Why don't you send, um, what's his name?" "Rigaldo?" "Mm." "Oh, he's needed to keep order at the mines." "You see, I have an arrangement with the governor of the province." "He needs a place to keep certain prisoners of the estate." "I need workers for the mine." "I know something of your arrangement." "Do you pay these prisoners?" "They receive a small wage," "Payable in a sum at the end of their sentence." "Why do you ask?" "Just curious." "Sounds like a profitable arrangement for you." "Ah, señor," "The world has too little silver," "And too many prisoners." "Don francisco," "I was hired to find a young californian named james becker." "I traveled into monterey," "And I learned that he'd been arrested, given a jail sentence." "I also learned of your private penal colony," "And that becker had been sent here six months ago." "Ah, yes, I recall him." "For he was the only one we've had from north of the rio grande." "Is he still here?" "There was a cave-in at the mine." "He was trapped with four other men." "Efforts were made to save them, of course, but they all died." "It is regrettable, but perfectly legal." "Well, if, as you say, it's perfectly legal," "Then it would appear my work here is finished." "It need not be." "I offer a good price for your services." "Will you answer a question?" "Do many of your prisoners live to collect their wages?" "But, what has that to do with you, señor?" "It would have something to do with me if I worked for you." "Do not concern yourself with such matters." "You have been several days in the desert." "At least remain here a while as my guest." "Until you regain your strength." "Ndale." "Rigaldo, what is this errand that takes us to the village?" "I've discovered the one who helped the prisoners to escape." "No, who is it?" "Remember carlos, the young peasant" "Who brings the food from the village to the barracks kitchen?" "Carlos, huh?" "Ha." "Does he know we suspect him?" "He must." "He has not come to the barracks for three days." "Pablito," "We may be lucky enough to have a chase." "And a kill." "His house is along one of these winding alleys." "Go slowly and be ready, eh?" "Carlos!" "Where have you been?" "They tortured one of the prisoners." "They know everything now." "What have you heard about my brother?" "I wish I had time to tell you more gently, lupita." "Your brother has been shot." "He is dead." "Why?" "Why?" "For what reason?" "Do they need a reason?" "Look, we must leave here now." "I, I cannot go." "There is something I am going to do first." "Quickly, run." "You stay here." "I will lead them away from you." "Hey, rigaldo!" "Ah, got a prize for ourselves." "Now we can go back." "Carlos is the one we want." "Not this one." "With this baiting the trap, carlos will come to us." "Rigaldo, you're a dangerous man." "But sometimes you don't know how to think." "Our lands extends to the peaks of those hills, you see." "It is an original grant from cortez the conqueror To my ancestor who was his lieutenant." "I see your son still has a great deal to learn about manners." "I do not know her." "She's quite beautiful." "Aren't you going to stop him?" "why should I?" "She's a peasant girl." "Don francisco," "I've considered your offer about that silver convoy." "Good." "And you will deliver the silver to its owners?" "I'll try." "But first there's another matter I should attend to." "Excuse me." "Well, pablo, I realize you don't know anything about handling men." "I'm surprised to see you don't know anything about handling women, either." "You're not concerned with the matter, señor." "I choose to concern myself with this "matter."" "Pablo, you don't seem to be very attractive to her." "Ha!" "Attractive?" "She's bait to catch an animal." "Well, she's much too beautiful to be bait." "Do not force the use of guns in here, señor." "The many guards will assure your death as well as hers." "Do not be killed because of me, señor." "You, lock her in the room down in the wine cellar." "Then stand outside the door." "Make sure no one gets in or out." "You, post a day and night guard around the house." "When the rat comes for the piece of cheese, kill him." "Rigaldo." "Eh?" "Don't let anything happen to that girl." "No, no." "I don't understand what's all this to you, señor." "You had your water." "You have no more business here." "Now, why don't you go?" "Your father has graciously asked me to stay." "My father has better taste in choosing his friends." "And in the men to whom he assigns responsibility." "Your father has asked me to take the silver convoy in your place." "I don't believe you." "Ask him." "Good evening, señor." "That's a very attractive girl in there." "You know her name?" "Lupita is her name." "You are not supposed to be here." "Only a moment, señor." "Lupita, you say?" "Now, pablo..." "He doesn't see her as a woman, does he?" "It is not my business." "He uses her to serve another purpose." "Surely you, as a man, see the waste here?" "That's a beautiful girl." "I'd like to know her better." "Why don't you loan me your keys?" "No." "My orders are that no one must come down here." "Go now, señor," "Or I will make you go." "I understand." "You have your orders." "Come on, lupita." "Come on!" "I don't want help." "I want to remain here." "Content in this cell?" "I will take what I have to take." "Lupita, I can get you out of here." "Come on." "I believe you, but I stay." "Why?" "They have killed my brother." "That is not something to be whispered into the wind and forgotten." "You must know how vulnerable you are here." "Only the living can avenge the dead." "At least I'm in their house and I can reach them." "You sure this is what you want?" "Yes." "You must understand." "They have killed dozens of people here." "You know an american named james becker?" "Yes." "He is dead, too." "How did he die?" "They said he was trying to escape." "He wouldn't try that." "He had a short sentence." "He'd be ready for release now." "Don't you understand?" "There is no release here but death." "There isn't a man in the mines who has not served his full sentence." "But they remain." "There's a chance they won't have to remain much longer." "They have an army to guard the mines." "Unless you had fifty armed men, you could do nothing." "The governor of this province is an honorable man." "I'll send a messenger to him in the morning." "Choose your messenger wisely." "Or he will be in the mines beside them." "Please, when you go to the village," "Try to find somebody who can lead you to carlos." "They're holding me here to trap him." "You must warn him not to come." "I don't think anything I could say would convince him." "And now I shall go to your friend rigaldo" "And tell him what an excellent guard you are." "Please, señor, do not tell him!" "He will kill me!" "You'd like to keep it a secret?" "Please, do not tell him." "Your plight touches me." "I'll keep your secret." "Señor?" "Don't make a sound." "I just killed a guard with this knife." "I won't hesitate to kill you." "Where is lupita?" "I know where she is." "Has she been harmed?" "No." "Take me to her." "I think you'd better listen to me first." "Don't talk, take me to her." "If you're carlos, you're walking into a trap." "The girl's being held just to lure you here." "Then the trap may succeed." "But you die first." "Show me where she is." "All right." "Cut it, cut it loose!" "Drop it!" "Drop it!" "You are going to kill me?" "Not unless you force me to." "I'm trying to help that girl," "And those men in that mine." "My father died in that mine." "I do what I can to help the prisoners." "Are there other people in the village that feel as you do?" "There are many." "They don't fight, they're helpless." "We suffer from this family since the time of cortez." "How many men can you get to help us?" "I'd be lucky to get two dozen." "Get them." "Armed with guns, knives, rocks, whatever they can get." "Tell them to surround this hacienda at midnight tomorrow night." "Why should we do this?" "There'll be a cargo of silver waiting in the courtyard." "Silver?" "I can get many more men then." "Get them." "There'll be armed guards." "Tell them not to fire until I give the signal." "Two quick shots." "How do I know the signal will come?" "How do I know this is not a trick to get us all massacred?" "Carlos." "There's one more thing." "Get the most trusted man in that village," "The most trusted messenger you can find and send him to the governor." "Let him tell the governor when he gets there." "We should be ready just before sunrise." "I hope so." "The keys." "Go, get out." "I have sent the guard away." "You're not surprised to find me here?" "I have expected you," "Since you brought me here." "This is why you were so willing to stay here" "When that fool interfered, huh?" "You read my thoughts." "And since your lover is so slow in arriving," "Perhaps you can provide some pastime, huh?" "You lack warmth." "I shall show my feelings." "Believe me." "The guards are coming." "Take that way, I search here." "Amigo." "Guard." "Guard!" "V monos!" "All right, you take the positions now." "Wait for the signal." "We attack from there as a fake." "Then, we go right through here." "Two shots." "Good luck, boys." "Hey, luis, through there." "Hey!" "Paladin, this way." "I want that man alive." "Do you hear?" "I want him to die slowly." "The signal!" "V monos!" "Hold your fire!" "Where are you, paladin?" "Rigaldo!" "You won't take me alive." "Stay low." "Stop!" "Stop!" "Lay down your guns!" "My son is dead." "There is nothing more to fight for." "The charges brought against you by sr." "Paladin have been fully confirmed." "I have here the records of the men consigned to you." "And each one was detained beyond his legal sentence." "I have spoken with these men." "They told me of murder and brutality." "Do you have any answer to make to these charges?" "I have none." "As official emissary of the governor of this province," "I order you to accompany us to the capital," "To stand trial for your crimes." "Take the prisoner away." "Colonel, will you give the governor my thanks for his prompt action?" "It is he who thanks you for revealing this injustice." "This is a large province and difficult to govern." "And the silver?" "It will be distributed amongst the men being released" "As payment for their suffering." "Good." "Don francisco hired me" "To see the silver reached its rightful owners." "It will."