"Chick, chick, chick." "Tobe, stop that doggone racket." "Quiet, Tobe." "How far to Lordsburg?" "It's about ten miles that way." "Thank you." "Good afternoon, ma'am." "Six sacks of grain." "My horse limps." "Take him over to the smithy and tell him I'll be along in a few minutes." "Sure." " Yes, sir?" "What'll it be?" " I'd like a room." "A room?" "We don't get much hotel business... around here this time of the year." "Sign right there." "Planning to be around long?" "Not long." "That'll be room number seven, to the right at the top of the stairs." "Oh, that's a buck and a half in advance." "I'll pay when I leave." "Okay." "Forget I mentioned it." "We change sheets on Friday, Mr. Grant." "The name is Gant." "John Gant." "Did I hear right?" " Did he say" " He said "Gant."" "Him?" "That kid?" "That's him." "Sid." " Sid!" " Yes, Mr. Reeger?" " Go tell the sheriff." " Yes, sir." "Whoa, there, Sid." "Somebody finally catch you watering' the whiskey?" " Can't stop, Earl." "I gotta go!" " What's the rush?" " It's Gant." "John Gant." "He's here!" " What do ya mean?" "He just rode up." "I gotta tell the sheriff." "Gant, here?" "What's he want here?" "Don't you know?" "Same thing he wants anywhere." "Fixed the lock." "There wasn't anything serious wrong with it." "Buck!" "Oh." "Buck!" " He's here." "He's right here in town." " You don't say." "Who's that, Sid?" "Gant!" "John Gant." "He just took a room at the hotel." " He just get in?" " Just this minute." " Well." " "Well"?" "Is that all?" " You want me to cheer?" " Who's John Gant, Buck?" "Well, you've got to do something about it!" "Mr. Reeger said" "I don't care what Mr. Reeger said!" "There's nothing I can do." " Well, if you can't, who can?" " Who's he talkin' about?" " You mean you really don't know?" " I asked, didn't I?" " He's a killer." " So what?" "We've had some pretty good ones." " We've been able to handle them." " No, no." "A gunman is one thing." "Gant's another." "Why, he's killed 20 or 30 men." "For money!" "He just goes into a town and kills 'em!" "Like that." " He's a-Well, an assassin." " How come he's still loose?" "He prods them into it." "You know as well as I do." "You can make any man fight if you try hard enough." "He makes them draw first... then he kills them in front of witnesses." "Sid, did he say how long he was gonna stay?" "No, he-he didn't say nothin'." "Buck, who do you suppose he's after?" "Oh, I don't know." "Maybe he isn't after anyone at all." "Mmm." "He took a room." "He's not just passing through." "Yeah." "Well, it could be anyone." "Anyone that has an enemy that hates him enough." "Why don't you tell me who he's after?" " What are you gonna do?" "Pick him up?" " On what charge?" "Because he makes Henry Reeger nervous?" "Let me tell ya." "You watch some of our respected citizens from now on." "You're gonna learn something." "And I'll tell you something else." "I've been a lawman here for a good many years." "I can think of quite a few people that'd like to see me dead." "Everybody steps on somebody else's toes sometime." "You're the boss, but if he's as bad as you say... it's not gonna be nice havin' him around." "I know it." "But we'll just have to wait him out." "If I can pick him up or run him out of town, I will." "If I can." "But I can't do it without an excuse." "We just have to wait him out, that's all." "You gonna play or aren't ya?" "Hello, Dutch." ""Dutch"?" "Who's Dutch?" " I don't know." " Well, aren't you a Dutchman?" "What's that got to do with it?" "He wasn't talking to me." "What are you worried about, then?" "What do you think?" "He makes me nervous!" "Well, you're not the only one." "That's all for me." " Well, are we playin' or ain't we?" " Without me." "Me too." "Think he's after you, Henry?" "What would he want with me?" "I wouldn't know." "Thought maybe you would." "Could be after anyone." "What are you pushing me for, Ben?" "Maybe he's after you." "Maybe you're right, Dutch." "Maybe he is." "Howdy." "I'll be right with ya." "There." "That your horse?" " That's right." " That's a beautiful animal, well cared for." "You can tell a lot about a man by examining his horse." " I'm Luke Canfield." " Doc!" "Doc!" "You know who just came into town, big as..." "life?" "I-I'm sorry, Doc." "I-I didn't know you was busy!" " That's all right, Sid." "Who came into town?" " Well" "Never mind." "I-It ain't important." " My horse all right?" " He's fine." "Just needed a shoe." " You can take him now, Mister-Uh" " Gant." "He called you "Doc."" " That's right." " Hey, Luke!" "Gimme a hand." " All right." " Clear that stump for me." "My father, Asa, Mr. Gant." " He's the blacksmith." "I'm just a helper." " Your name's Gant?" "That's right." "John Gant." "Howdy, Mr. Gant." " Your son's a doctor?" " That's right." "I'm what passes for one here in Lordsburg." "Don't let him fool you, Mr. Gant." "He's the best in the Southwest." "That boy, he'll fix you if you're ailing'." "Or if your horse is ailing'." "I'm also the vet." " You stayin' here in town?" " The Soledad." "I'm goin' that way." "I'll walk with you, sort of show you around." " Have to rebuild that wall every year." " Nothin' like workin' in a smith's, Mr. Gant... to keep your body in trim." "Dad is a perfect example." " You comin' home?" " No, I'll clean up first." "Mr. Gant, I'll take your horse over to the stable." "They'll take good care of it." " That'll be fine." " Are you ready?" "It's a nice town-small enough to be comfortable, but large enough to have a future." "You seem to like it here." "A town worth livin' in is a town worth bein' proud of." "Luke the Physician." "You were well named." "That's my father's idea." "He made up his mind I'd be a doctor before I was born." "I never had a chance." "What's your line, Mr. Gant?" " Hi, Doc." " You might say we're in related fields." "I cure things too." "A smithy's an unusual place to find a physician." "I've got an office over the bank, but it's pretty hard to get a sick horse up those stairs!" "Well, you old mummy." "There you go, sleepin' again." "Wake up!" "I wasn't sleeping'." "I was thinkin'." "Well, then do it with your eyes open." "You been 20 minutes!" "Hey, Luke!" "You got time for a game?" "This old coot can't stay awake." "Wish I had, Charlie." "I can't now." " Do you play chess?" " Oh, I play at it." "Well, I'd like to play you a game, Physician." " You'd make a good opponent." " You gonna be in town for a while?" "Why not?" " I'll be here for a while." " We've got a date." "Did you lose something, Anne?" "Luke Canfield, since I was here last week... how could a house get so messy?" "It's a wonder you don't tether your horse on that table." "What's the matter with the table?" "If you don't know, it's not gonna do any good to tell you." " Where's your father?" " He'll be along." "So we've got to hurry." " What's for supper?" " Oh, you're going to be a romantic husband." "I've had a hard day with one dyspeptic old woman... one small boy's stomach-ache, a gashed foot and a limping horse." " That makes a man hungry." " I hope Asa hurries." "The roast is ready." "He wouldn't miss a Tuesday night supper for anything." "That makes his whole week." " How's your father?" " Oh, he had another bad night." "He seems to be better during the day." "Sometimes the climate here does remarkable things for consumption." "Sometimes." "I'm doing everything I can, everything I know how to do." "I wish I knew more, but I don't." "Let's take a look at the roast." "You ought to be as fat as a bull, the way you keep shoveling it in." "After a week of what you do to food, this is heaven." "Why is it everything you cook tastes like a prescription?" "What makes you think it isn't?" "I suspicioned it." "You better watch him after you get married." " He'll slip cod liver oil in the soup." " Cod liver oil is good for you." "I'll get it." " Good evening, Doc." " Oh, come in, Sheriff." " Oh, you're just havin' supper?" " We just finished." " Hi, Asa." "Hello, Anne." " Evening, Sheriff." "What's on your mind, Sheriff?" " You talked with John Gant today." " That's right." " You know who he is?" " Uh, he's John Gant, I guess." " I know." " Am I supposed to know something I don't?" "That's right." "You spent a lot of time back East in school." "All right." "Who is he?" "He's a killer, Doc." " Didn't act like one." "Cup of coffee, Buck?" " Yeah, please." "He's a hired assassin." "He was sent here to kill somebody." " That's his job." " You sound mighty positive." "You know the man's reputation, Asa." "Sure, but that's all I know." "I don't know the man." "Well, in this case the reputation is the man." " I doubt that, Buck." " What makes you so sure?" "Because he always works the same way." "He comes into a town, checks into a hotel." "Sticks around a few days, sizing up the situation." "Then he picks a fight with his man." "He's never lost yet." "Just hearsay, Buck." "You can't condemn a man on what you hear about him." "No, Asa." "It's common knowledge." "Every lawman knows about him." "I got a stack of reports from other states on him." "I'll admit I've never seen him, but..." "I'm convinced." "You sound awfully sure he's after somebody here." "Who do you think it is?" " I thought maybe you could tell me." " What makes you think I can?" "You talked to him." "Maybe he dropped a hint." "Did he mention any names, ask about anyone?" " No." "We talked about chess." " Chess?" "Yeah." "We're gonna play a game." "Yeah, that figures, all right." "Someday, Doc, you're gonna start living in the same world with the rest of us." "Half of this town is scared that Gant's gonna kill 'em, and you're gonna play chess with him." "Why shouldn't he, Buck?" "Until we know better, Gant's just another man." "Even if he's what you say, he's not after Luke or me." "Maybe." "It's a rare man that hasn't made an enemy sometime in his life." "A man's guilt's his own burden, Buck, and you can't do anything about it." "I might have to." "Doc... if Gant stays here, somebody's gonna die." "Now, that might be the least that could happen." "Well, you go ahead and play chess with him." "Maybe you'll learn something." "Assuming what you say is true, why don't you move against him now?" "I can't." "I've got to have a legal reason." "Gant isn't a wanted man." "Anyhow, I" "I'm not sure I could stop him, even if I had a reason." "Don't let yourself get stampeded, Buck." "I'm sure everything can be worked out peacefully if you really want it that way." "It takes two to make peace." "Gant's like a disease that they haven't found a cure for." "Except for this." "He's supposed to be better with this kind of medicine than anyone." " Goodnight, Doc." " Goodnight, Sheriff." "Gant." "John Gant?" " Yeah." "Do you know him, Judge?" " Well, I know of him." "So he's here." " What's the matter, Judge?" " Huh?" "Nothing." "I guess I should have taken your advice and gone to bed." "I'm a little tired." "Now you're being smart." "Take your medicine and get some sleep." "No." "No more medicine." "You've gotta take it, Judge." "You may as well face facts." "This medicine is- Well, you're still alive." "Yes, I'm still alive." "But does it really matter how a man dies, or when... when he knows it's gonna happen?" "You see that he takes it." "Gant ain't done a thing, Ben." "Last night he sat over there drinking coffee until late." "Didn't talk to anybody at all." "Yes, Mr. Gant?" "Give me some silver for this, will ya?" " I'd like some coffee." " Right, Mr. Gant." "There." " You sure?" " Of course I'm sure!" "I just saw them talking together." "I told you we shouldn't have tried to force Chaffee out, Earl!" "He found the mine." "We only financed it." "Stop sniveling." "It's a perfectly sound business deal." " Chaffee doesn't think it's just business." " He'd do the same thing to us." "So that's why he hired Gant." "He wants sole ownership of the mine." "Use your head!" "If he gets rid of us, he's got it all!" " What are we gonna do?" " How do I know?" " I should never have listened to you in the first place." " Oh, shut up." "The money isn't worth it!" "Money?" "That might do it." "Money brought Gant here." "Maybe it can get him to leave." "Come on." " Where to?" " To see Gant." " Why do I have to go?" " You wanna stay alive, don't you?" "This is your only chance!" "Yes, Mr. Gant?" " Some more coffee." " I'll have to make some fresh." " Then make it." " Yes, sir." "I'll be right back." "Mr. Gant?" "I'm Earl Stricker." "This is Thad Pierce." " We've come to talk to you." " Talk." "Well, can we, uh" "All right if we sit down?" "We know why you're here." "You do?" "I'll, uh, get right to it, Mr. Gant." "We wanna make a deal." "You don't say." "What kind of a deal?" "Whatever you were paid to come here, we'll-we'll double it... if you'll leave right now." "Why?" "I-Isn't it obvious?" "Yes." "It's obvious." "If it isn't enough... you can name your own price." " Do you run a business?" " Yeah." " A couple of 'em." " I own the bank." "You heard I'm for sale, and you think I can be bought off." "What makes you think I'd be interested in you?" "No!" "We didn't say we thought anything of the kind!" "That's right." "You didn't." "You're just doing this as a favor to the rest of the town." " We can add two and two together." " Congratulations, banker." "No deal." "You're making a mistake." "You'll never know, banker... unless I have come for you." " How about that coffee?" " Yes, sir." "Comin' right up, Mr. Gant." " Thad!" "Thad!" " I knew it wouldn't do any good!" " We've got to figure some other way." " There is no other way!" "Thad!" " Mr. Pierce, I" " Shut up!" "I don't want to see anyone." "Understand?" "Anyone!" " Hi, Doc." " Hi." " Afternoon, Doc." " Hello, Ben." " How's your boy?" " Seems much better today." " How'd that new vein pan out?" " Oh, vein's fine." "It's not the vein that's worryin' me." "Anything happen in town?" " Such as?" " Gant." "No." "Think something's going to happen?" "Don't you?" "Milly's inside." "Ben, I just saw Stricker and Pierce." "They were talkin' with John Gant!" " Where?" " In the Soledad." "They were real chummy." "Look, I think Charley's down in the shaft." "Go get him." "We've got some talkin' to do." "He's doing fine, Mrs. Chaffee." "This little Indian'll be out catching lizards in a couple of clays if you keep him in bed." " But I hate it in bed!" " Oh?" "You wait till you grow up." "You'll change your tune." "Just keep forcing these down his throat." "He's about back to normal." "I know by tomorrow I'll have to strap him in bed." " All right, young man." " Ma, I hate those awful big pills." "No need my coming here again." "Bring him in the office next time you're in town." "Thank you, Doctor." "Come on, honey." "Sit up." "We can't stand still for it." "If they get me out of the way, you don't think you'll be safe!" "There's one thing to do:" "Beat Gant to the punch." " Looks that way." " Hiya, Doc." " Hello, Hugo." "Charley." " How's the boy?" "He's gonna be fine." "Doc, when you were talkin' with Gant yesterday... did he tell you anything?" "Buck Hastings asked me the same thing." "Gant isn't very talkative." "Earl Stricker and Thad Pierce hired Gant... to kill me." "I doubt that, Ben." "Yeah?" "Then how come they were meeting' with him this morning?" "Hugo saw them." "I was talking with Gant yesterday, and I certainly didn't bring him here." "That's different." "Stricker and Pierce have every reason for wantin' me dead." "Everybody knows it." "Now, I ain't a troublemaker... but I'm not standin' by and do nothin' with Gant fixing' to kill me." "Ben, I wouldn't do anything rash." "Why don't you leave it up to Buck Hastings?" "He's a good man." "Sure, he is." "But I don't think he can handle Gant." "I don't think anybody can." "There isn't much sense in trying anything on your own, is there?" "Well, maybe I can't handle Gant, but Stricker and Pierce are somethin' else again." "What do you mean?" "We're not lettin' those crooks take over the mine." "And you can tell Stricker I said so!" "That ain't just talk, Luke." "Come on." "You're lyin'." "You're a-lyin' just as sure as you're sittin' there." " You're lyin' in your teeth." " What teeth?" "Well, you're lyin', anyhow." "Why, I see'd it myself, right outside of Veracruz." "Just one teeny little shot, and the Eighth Illinois "et" dirt." "There you go, lying' again." "Ed, you're just a natural born liar." "It's a habit with you." "Oh, I got you now." "You can't prove a thing!" "Why, you simple-minded, flea-bitten old coot!" "If you weren't so old, I'd-I'd" "Hey, sonny." "Would you mind movin' aside a little bit?" "You're cuttin' out the sun." "Now, let's see." "What was we talkin' about?" "Well, by George, I forget." "So do I, but whatever it was, you was lyin' about it." "Come on." "Let's go pitch some horseshoes." "Dad, what do you do when you run up against a disease that you're not equipped to cure?" "What are you gettin' at?" "I went out to Chaffee's mine today." "I think Ben is gonna try and kill Earl Stricker and Thad Pierce." "He thinks they hired Gant to kill him." "Buck Hastings is scared." "I know he is." "I hear that Thad Pierce has locked himself in his office." "And Henry Reeger is wearin' a gun." "It's the first time I ever saw him with one." "Everybody you talk to is jumpy." "What causes a thing like that?" "The whole town is comin' apart." "I shouldn't have to tell you what fear does to people." "Fear, that's one thing." "A man's a fool not to be careful around a rabid dog or a wolf... but he's more foolish if he panics." "Well, it's gotta stop." "Only I don't know exactly what it is that has to stop." "Let it develop." "Wait and see." "I wouldn't let a cold develop into pneumonia if I could help it." "Why not?" "You can't cure a cold, but sometimes you can cure pneumonia." "You'd make a fine doctor." "Where you goin'?" "Gonna play a game of chess." "Look at him." "The way he just sits there." " Who does he think he is?" " Shut up, Lou." "I'll shut up when I'm ready." "I've about had it." "I'm tired of running!" "I told you Sam would catch up with us someday." "Then why didn't he come himself?" "I'll tell you why." "Because I'd kill him, and he knew it!" "Sure, you would." "He was just scared to death of you!" "He was a hundred times the man you are." "Yeah?" "If you think so much of him, Why'd you leave him?" "I wish I knew." "I-I keep wondering." "You keep wondering!" "That stupid sawbones!" "What's the matter with him?" "I'm not gonna just sit back and wait." "That's for sure." "Lou Fraden don't eat crow." "No, Lou Fraden just runs and runs and runs" "You think I'm afraid to go out there and call him down, don't you?" "Just because I've been clerking' for Stricker, you think I forgot how to be a man?" "You never knew how to begin with." "Anyway, Gant doesn't want you." "Yeah?" "I know better." "No." "Sam wouldn't dirty his hands with you or me, either one." "Lou, you're not even worth killing." "Go ahead, Lou." "Be brave." "Go on." "Hmm." "Mr. Gant, why have you come to Lordsburg?" "Physician, I didn't ask you how many tonsils you removed today." "Well, you're welcome to." "It doesn't interest me." "You've been here less than 24 hours." "Do you realize what your coming here has done to this town?" "I've done nothing." "But you've got to admit that as the only doctor in town..." "I have a certain interest in what we might call "the municipal state of health."" "Did it ever occur to you that you might be wasting your life?" "I'm not wasting my life." "They're gonna die anyway." "Best you can do is drag out their miserable lives." "Why bother?" "Death is inevitable for all of us, Gant." "But we all try to put it off for as long as possible." "It's occurred to me that the real sicknesses, the most important ones... are seldom physical." "I think I've had more experience with those than you have." "Well, you sound more like a preacher than" "Than a killer, Physician?" "I don't know." "You think you've got a mission?" "Yes." "I try to keep people alive." "I've got a mission too." "I don't suppose you know why he's locked himself in his office all day." "He's afraid of me." "Should he be?" "I know nothing about the man, except that he's a coward and a thief." "That's ridiculous." "Thad Pierce has done a lot for this town." "Who'd he steal from?" "I don't know... but he is a thief." "Hmm." "You play a very interesting game." "I think you'd better get over to the bank, Physician." "It's Mr. Pierce." "He shot himself." "Wilson, what's goin' on in there?" "It's awful, Mr. Stricker." "The doc's tryin' to keep him alive, but... his head." "It was because of Gant, wasn't it?" " What makes you think that?" " Couldn't be anything else." "He thought Gant was after him." "Poor Thad." "Doesn't make any difference." "No matter who Gant came after, we gotta do something about it." "I can't feel his pulse any more." "He's dead." "I couldn't stop it." "It's a miracle you kept him alive as long as you did, Doc." "How can they do it?" "How can they throw this thing away?" "The whole world struggles to live, and some men kill themselves." "Or did he?" "You were expecting it to happen, weren't you?" " I wasn't surprised." " You killed him." "You're wrong, Physician." "He started killing himself long before I ever got here." "You've got it all figured out, haven't ya?" "You look at Gant, and you say he's a murderer." " Well?" " I've killed." "But the important point is, who have I killed?" "It doesn't make any difference." "My price is high." "The man who hires me makes a considerable investment." "The death of a man without guilt is seldom worth that much money to anyone." "You don't understand me, do you, Physician?" "Are you trying to tell me that the men you've killed deserved to die?" "Let's say, uh, most of them." "Even if I admit that there are men who have done things deserving punishment..." "I wouldn't grant you or anyone else the right to punish them!" "That's up to the law." "Take two men." "Say they have robbed and lied and have never paid." "A man whom one of them has robbed comes to me and says..." ""Kill that man who has robbed me."" "And I kill him." "The other man becomes ill and would die, except for a physician... who returns him to health- to rob and lie again." "Who's the villain in this piece?" "Me or the physician?" "Don't look as though you think I'm insane." "You think about it." "Stop telling' me what you want me to do, and tell me how to do it!" "Now, what am I gonna charge Gant with?" "You know as well as all of us." "He's responsible for Thad killing himself." "And you're worried he'll be coming after you next." "We're not asking you to jail him." "Just get him out of town." "Oh, sure, Henry, sure." "I'll tell him you haven't been sleeping nights." "That oughta do it." "He's got a cute answer for everything." "Buck, we're through arguing." "It's up to you and your deputy to handle this situation... and if you can't do it, we've been paying the wrong men long enough." "Don't tempt me to turn in my badge, Earl." "That idea's been running through my mind." "I'm not a bit proud of it." "Hal, it looks like you're elected along with me." "Whatever you say." " Let's go see how we make out." " Buck." "Whatever you have to do, I'll see that the town council backs you up and makes it official." " Can I depend on that?" " Yeah." "Well, that gives me an idea." "Thanks." "Mr. Gant, I'm Sheriff Hastings." "I'm gonna have to ask you to leave town." "Why should I leave?" "We've just put a law on the books against a public nuisance." "Mr. Gant, you're a public nuisance." "Go away." "If you won't leave of your own accord, then I'm gonna have to" "Why didn't you kill me?" "I wasn't paid to." "Let's put this on." "All right." "There you are, Buck." " You'll be as sound as a dollar in a few weeks." " Sure." "Even now it won't interfere with your work, if you're careful." "Oh, I'm always careful." "Didn't you know that?" "Well, Luke, what do we do now?" "We don't even have any law." "Of course we do." "What's a bad arm to you?" "Oh, no, it isn't the arm." "It's what it stands for." "Word gets around, you know?" " I understand, Hal." " Buck, I'm sorry." "It's all right, son." "I don't blame you at all." "I'll take it." "Buck's twice the gun I am." "I'm not gonna get myself killed!" "I sure wish I could hand my badge in that easily." "No, you don't, Buck." "We couldn't do without you." "No, Luke, I'm no good." "I can't help you." "The law can go only so far." "But you know, in a way I ought to be kind of glad about this." "It means he didn't come here for me." " Maybe he didn't come here for anyone." " Maybe not." " Men are startin' to die anyway." " 1 know it." "He could be as innocent as a baby, but the things that are happening are still his fault." "You're right." "Well, it's out of my field, anyhow." "It's more your kind of a problem than mine." "The most useless man in town right now is a man that's good with a gun." "I can't tell you or anyone else what to do." "All I can tell you is that my way isn't good enough." "If we're gonna get rid of Gant and stop these killings... we've just got to find some other way, that's all." "Oh, uh, thanks for patching me up, Doc." "It's too bad about Buck." "He's a good sheriff." "We'll never find another one like him." "But I wouldn't blame him if he resigned." "And now you want to know what to do." "With Buck helpless, we've got to do something." "Because if we don't" "Well, I've told you the way things are in town." "I'm getting tired of coughing." "I'm sorry, Judge." "I wish there was something else I could do." "You've done all you can." "Luke, I haven't sat on the bench in ten years." "The laws on the books may have changed, but the law itself hasn't." "Law is the manifest will of the people... the conscious rule of the community." "And when the mechanics of law enforcement break down, they must be re-established." " Nobody would take Buck's job now." " Of course not." "So it's up to the citizens as a whole." " You mean vigilantes, Dad?" " That's mob rule." "I don't like it." "It doesn't have to be." "It usually winds up that way." "Well, here's an alternative, I suppose." "What?" "Make it easy for Gant to finish what he came here for." "He'd leave then." "That's ridiculous." "He came here to kill." "It would be one man's life against the life of the town." "Wouldn't it be worth it?" "Of course it wouldn't." "You're not serious." "What sort of a man is Gant?" "I don't really know." "Why?" "Just curiosity." "I don't like that vigilante idea." "There's gotta be another way." "Well, if you find one, let me know." "Luke, how" " How long did you say I've got left?" " Dad!" "I don't think we ought to talk about it." "Let's be adult, Luke." "Anne knows all about it." "Well, anything can happen." " It was about six months, wasn't it?" " Maybe, if you're careful." "You're not thinking of doing anything foolish?" "I quit doing foolish things long ago." "Judge, I'm sorry I worried you with this." "You forget about it." "It's a hard thing to forget." "I like this town." "Luke, I'm glad about you and Anne." "So am I, Judge." "You try those new compounds and try and get some sleep, huh?" "I'll wake you for dinner." "All right, what's on your mind, Henry?" "I'm fed up with this guessing game of who Gant's after." "Now that Hastings has bungled the job, we've got to do something." "Got any ideas?" "Some of your drivers are good men." "I've got a few friends." "We get everybody together, Gant won't stand a chance." "Maybe, if everybody goes with us." "Mr. Reeger, you'd better come back." "Lou Fraden's getting himself liquored up for trouble." "He says Gant's here after him, and he's getting drunk enough to try to take him on." "You go on back, Sid." "We'll be over in a minute." "There's a good chance that Lou may be right." "I don't know much about him." " Maybe Gant did come after him." " Who'd pay good money to have him killed?" "I said it was a small chance, buy why interfere?" "Suppose he does go against Gant." "He just might get lucky." "Lou." "Lou, I want to talk to you." "Gant!" "I'm through running." "I've taken all I'm gonna." "Sam Ellis never was a man." "He wasn't man enough to keep his own wife!" "Now he ain't man enough to do his own killing'." "He's gotta send you!" "You'd better go away, little friend." "Sendin' a vulture like you won't get him back." "You tell him that!" "No, you can't tell him that." "You'll be dead." " Lou, don't be a fool." " Shut up, Doc!" "If nobody else is man enough to stop this murderer, I'll do it." "Why do you want to kill me, friend?" "You know why." "All right." "If you think you can do it, go ahead and try." "Look at my hands." "They're on the table." "You could beat me to the draw." "I couldn't possibly outdraw you." "So go ahead and shoot." "I'll shoot." "You think I'm yellow." "Be a shame to waste all that whiskey." "Go ahead." "I thought you wanted to kill me." "You want me to." "You want me to draw." "Oh, no." "Oh, no, you don't." "You want a chance at me." "You want to kill me!" "Everybody, look." "You see?" "I didn't go for my gun!" "He's got no excuse!" "He can't kill me now!" "Physician." "I'm sorry about your sheriff." "He had courage." "What you did wasn't necessary." "I wouldn't have done it if it hadn't been." "You're brewing' big trouble for yourself." "Who from?" "Men like him?" "Gant, I'm a healer." "I've devoted my life to it, and I intend to continue." "Right now I've got one big public health problem, and I'm looking at it." "I like you, Physician." "You're like me." "You and I may well be the only two honest men in town." "Don't compare us." "We've got nothing in common." "Everybody dies." "I didn't hear any shots." "Start packing." "We're leaving town." "Sam must hate us even more than I thought." "He's gonna let us stay together." "Well, cheer up, Lou." "After all, we got what we wanted:" "each other." " I kinda wish it was official-like." " Who's gonna make it official?" "You want Hastings to help?" "He's already tried." "Maybe you want old Judge Benson to give you his blessing?" " Well?" " Gant's still sitting on the porch." "I ran into Asa, and he's going after Luke." "Wants us to wait until they get here." "We're not waiting for anybody." "We all know why we're here, and we know what we've gotta do." "I'd feel better with Luke and Asa with us." "There are enough of us to handle Gant without them." " He's only one man." " That?" "right." "He's only one man." "What are you doing here, Hastings?" "Trying to keep you from being a pack of fools." "You keep out of it, Buck." "We'll handle it our own way." "With guns?" "I can tell you all you need to know about goin' against him with a gun." " I think there's enough of us." " I doubt it." "Buck, you got eyes." "You can't expect this town to just sit back and let him have his way." "The town?" "Well, just what has the town got to do with it?" "Some of you people have been sold a bill of goods." "Earl isn't worried about the town, he's worried about his own skin." " Just take it easy." " And Reeger!" "He has his own reasons for bein' worried." "Ask him about 'em." "If we let Gant go on, we won't have any town to live in!" "Buck, maybe you're right, but it don't cut ice." "You can't do anything about it, and it's up to the rest of us." "I don't like it much, but what else can we do?" "All right." "We've talked enough." "Let's go." "Oh, listen to me!" "A mob isn't the answer!" "You couldn't wait, Earl." " You're determined to get somebody killed." " Only Gant." "We're gonna tell him either he gets on his horse right now and gets out of town... or we're gonna gun him down." "Who's gonna do the talkin'?" "You, Earl?" "Why not?" "You think you can do any better?" "Well, maybe I can." "At least I can try." " Asa will go with me." "The rest of you wait here." " No." "We're stayin' right behind you." "He'll listen better lookin' down the muzzles of a dozen guns." "There's time for that later, if we have to." "Give me a chance to try and work it out without bloodshed." "You'll have your chance." "You can do all the talkin' you want to." "But when you fall flat on your face, then we're gonna do it my way." "It's either that, or you can stay out of it altogether." "Gant won't dare go against all of us." "You're goin' with us?" " All right." " Come on." "Gant?" "You're an organizer as well as a physician." "I've come to ask you to leave." "And you come alone and unafraid." "We're not gonna argue with you, Mr. Gant." "We ask you to leave quietly." "And if I don't?" "I'm tryin' to stop violence, Gant, not cause it." "I ask you to consider what will happen if you refuse." "I've thought of it." "Ask him who he's after, Doc." "It doesn't make any difference who he's after." "We're not gonna sacrifice anyone." "All right, Doc, you've talked enough." "Now we'll do it our way." "There are many of you!" "Yes, you could kill me, if you're willing enough." "But it's only fair to tell you first that I'll kill you, Stricker... and you, Dutch Henry... the physician, his father... and there might even be time for you, storekeeper." "You surprise me, Physician." "I didn't expect to see you running with the pack." "You've come against me once." "Now I warn you." "I'll stay here until I'm ready to leave." "I use my gun for money, and I don't like to work for nothing." "But you trouble me again and I may have to break my rule." "That's my prescription, Physician." "You'd better have it filled." "You're not making any progress." "Keep working at it." " I thought you were going into town." " After you finish breakfast." "You've only been at it an hour." "We still have the rest of the day." "Who's that?" "It's Luke." " Good morning, Anne." " Hello." " You all right?" " Why shouldn't I be?" "We don't live on the moon out here." "I know about what happened in town, and I know that you were part of it." "Nothing came of it, honey, so there's nothing to be excited about." " Good morning, Judge." " Good morning, Luke." "But Buck Hastings said that Gant threatened to kill you." "That's a foolish thing for Buck to say." "When was he here?" "He was sitting on the porch waiting when I got up." " I don't think he had much sleep." " Why did he bother you?" "He was hoping I could suggest something to do about Gant." "I couldn't." "I was with Buck until almost 2.00 this morning talking about the same thing." "We couldn't come up with any new answers either." " Maybe we'd better go back to the old way." " You tried that last night." "No, last night Asa and I were angrier with Stricker and Reeger than we were with Gant." "We were the ones who insisted on trying to talk with him." "Luke, please don't get involved in this." "But I am involved in it." "We all are." "Can't sit back and have people afraid to walk the streets." " Would you like some coffee?" " Oh, fine." "I'll heat it up." "Trouble is, I can't make my mind accept that..." "Gant is the vicious killer I know him to be." "I've played chess with him." "I've talked to him." "I found myself liking him." "Viciousness in men, Luke, is inside." " Deep inside." " But why?" "What caused it?" "I keep wanting to know what makes him tick." "Well, it's usually a kind of logical progression." "A youngster starts running with a gang." "Sooner or later they're killed off or sent to prison... until he's the only one left." "He's gotten away with killing and he keeps going with it, alone." "Pretty soon he's everybody's enemy." "He can't let himself even like someone... because someday he might have to kill them." "By then there's no turning back." "Even if he wants to throw his gun away, he can't... because he knows that just around the bend there's someone that'll kill him." "A lot of that could be just in his mind." "Maybe he can quit and get away with it." "Maybe this killer around the bend isn't there at all and is just something he's afraid of." "You're still wrestling with the idea that, given half a chance... you could talk him into a different kind of life." " I wish I could." " It wouldn't do any good, Luke." "A man can't escape his past." "Here we are." "Just the coffee, honey." "I've got some patients in the office." "If you can wait till I hitch up the buggy, we can go to town together." " I've got some shopping to do." " All right, that's fine." "Look at it." "And don't argue with me, Jim Merts." "That was cracked when you sold it to me." "Then why didn't you say so then?" "You can't hold me responsible for" " Here." "Excuse me." " Well!" "About last night, Mr. Gant, I hope you don't think that I had anything" "Some shaving soap, please." "Yes, sir." "Good morning, Miss Benson." "Good morning." "Excuse me." "You're a very lucky young woman, Miss Benson." "I like the man you're going to marry." "I find him remarkable." "But he told me- Well, last night" "I don't meet very many honest men." "I respect them when I do." "Mr. Gant." "Mr. Merts, would you send this on over to the house?" " I should be getting back to Dad." " Sure, Anne." "Excuse me, Mr. Gant." "Miss Benson?" "If I may, I'll walk with you." "If you like." "I understand your father's an invalid." "Yes." "I'm sorry to hear that." "Nothing serious, I hope." "Well, I'm afraid so." "Luke's been treating him." "He's a wonderful doctor." "I'm sure of it." " Your father's bedridden?" " No, not entirely." "But he is too weak to leave the house." " He's a judge, isn't he?" " He was once." "Why?" "Judges interest me." "They have the power of life and death." "So do physicians." "Mr. Gant, who have you come to see?" "Perhaps anyone, Miss Benson." "I don't quite understand." "Everyone has enemies, Miss Benson." "Everyone." "I'd rather go the rest of the way myself, Mr. Gant." "Good day." "Remember, it's Stricker we want." "If Gant or anybody else butts in, do some shootin' and do it fast." " How about Buck Hastings?" " He won't be botherin' anybody." "Come on." "Let's go." "Dad, I'm home." "Secrets?" "Not from you." " What's the matter, honey?" " Nothing." " It's funny." " What is?" "You'll never guess who I was talking to today." "Don't tell me Luke has competition." "It was John Gant." " What did he want with you?" " I don't know." "He just walked up to me in the store and started talking." "Oh, Dad, you don't think it's me he's after?" " No, no, no, of course not, but" " Anne?" "In here." "I saw you from my window talking with John Gant." "You too?" "What's the matter with you men?" "I don't like it." "I don't want you to have anything to do with him." "You're being jealous, Dr. Canfield." "You actually are." "Don't be silly." "It's just that it's dangerous to be around him." "Somebody might decide to take a shot at him any time." "Hello, Judge." "How do you feel?" "Fine." "Sit down." "All right." "Luke, I've been thinking." " I know how to stop your man for good." " You do?" "No one's been able to convict Gant of murder... because he's always been able to prove self-defense." "He's never shot down a man in cold blood." " That's my understanding." " Yes." "But suppose the man Gant has come after, whoever he is... would be willing to die to stop Gant for all time." "I don't follow you." "Suppose his man this time refuses to defend himself... would willingly sit there and force Gant to commit murder." "That's a little farfetched, isn't it?" "Nobody in his right mind would let himself be murdered." "No, I suppose not." "It would be a hard thing to do, to give up even a moment of life." "Everybody wants to live." "Isn't that what you say?" " That's right." " What are you doing?" "Now look, Judge, I thought we agreed there'd be no more smoking." "It was a bad bargain." "You got me in a weak moment." "Judge, I won't take the responsi" "It's Chaffee." "He's headed for Stricker's place." "I'll see you later." "Gabe!" "Frank!" "It's Chaffee!" "Cover me." "Stop it, you crazy fools!" "Stop it!" "Stop it!" "Stop it!" "Doc, guess Stricker" "Guess Stricker didn't need Gant after all." "You're gonna be all right." "Earl's dead, Doc, and Frank's got hit." "He's inside." "In a minute." "Get my bag off my horse." "Easy, Ben." "Easy." "I knew this was gonna happen." " I could have stopped it." " It wasn't your fault, son." "No, it wasn't." "It was Gant's." "You're a doctor, boy." "This is where you're needed most." "All right, Dad." "Bring him inside." "Make out my bill and get my horse." "I'm leaving." "Oh." "Yes, sir!" "What are you doing?" "Just tidying up a little." "Why was the door closed?" "I didn't realize they were." "I have to go out for a while." "You just came in a little while ago." "Well, I forgot to go to the dressmaker's." "I won't be long." "Well, Miss Benson." "Where can I find John Gant?" "Why, he's up in his room, number seven." "But I wouldn't go up there if I were you." "Who is it?" "Anne Benson." "I want to talk to you, Mr. Gant." "I'm gonna kill you, Mr. Gant." "Would you mind telling me why?" "Because I know now that you've come to kill my father... and I'm not gonna let you do it." "Then you should have loaded your gun." " What was that?" " Anne Benson's up there." "We'd better get the doc over here." "You stay here." "I'll get him." "Mr. Gant, please, I beg you, don't do it." "He hasn't long to live." "I'm sorry about that." "Oh, no, you're not." "You like to kill." "But it won't do any good." "He's not going to defend himself against you." "He's going to make you murder him, and they'll hang you!" "He told Luke that that was the only way to stop you." "Kill him, and you'll hang!" "Then I'll have to do something about that, won't I?" "Luke." "Luke!" " My bill." " Yes, sir." "Luke!" "She's still up there, but Gant left." "Anne?" "Anne?" "Anne!" "Anne, it's Luke." "What happened?" "I'm all right." "It's Dad!" "He's gone after Dad!" " Take it easy." " No, it's true!" "He admitted it!" "Please, Luke, you've got to stop him." "Please!" "Stay with her, Sid." " What happened?" " Gant's after the judge." "Is the buckboard hitched up?" "Yeah." "Mr. Gant?" "Some of your former associates back East send their regards." "So I see." "You're not afraid?" "I've been dying for a long time." "Death's an old friend." "But some of your other old friends are impatient." "They always were." "What are they afraid of, Gant?" "I didn't ask." "I know anyway." "No one knows the structure of an edifice better than the architect." "If I were to tell what I know... it would send the governor and the mayor... and myself to jail." "The two of them would make distinguished convicts." " Perhaps." " But killing me won't silence me." "It'll all come out, anyway." "That's their problem." "Well, go ahead, Mr. Gant." "I don't intend to resist you." "Other men have warned me that they wouldn't defend themselves... but they all wound up trying." "You have a lovely daughter." "I found her very pleasant company... but I'm afraid the feeling wasn't mutual." "What are you talking about?" "I thought you might like this little remembrance of her." "What did you do to her?" "What did you do to her?" "Gant, I'll" "Gant, I'll" "Gant, I'll kill you!" "Gant, I'll" "I have no quarrel with you, Physician." "Stand aside." "Gant!" " Luke, are you all right?" " I'm all right." "Luke, he didn't shoot the judge." "A lot of people would like to kill John Gant... but it took a healer with a hammer to make it easy for them." "Gant." "I could take a look at that arm." "Don't worry about it, Physician." "Everything comes to a finish."