"Whatever happens, Nathan, we let nothing disturb the wedding." "And remember this." "It isn't you who is on trail today, it's your neighbors." "For Mr. Paladin, huh?" "I take it." "You expect a tip for a message not delivered?" "Excuse me." "All right, Hey Boy, let's have it." "What?" "The message, come on, come on." "Oh." "Almost forgot." " Here." " Thank you." " Hey Boy." " Yes." "That's for the messenger, and you better run if you're gonna catch him." ""With the aid of the Lord, the 12th day of Tammuz," ""in the year 5639 from the creation of the world" ""to the beloved Mr. Paladin," ""beacon of learning, defender of the orphaned," ""lover of peace, and hired killer," ""may his light shine for 120 years." ""In the first place, may I say that I am well, praise be the Almighty."" "Is that a telegram, or one of the Lost Scrolls of Isaiah?" "With the aid of the Lord, the message will follow very shortly." "Nathan Shotness is a man who likes to do things in proper style." "What things?" "You remember Rivka?" "Oh, the pretty little girl that sat down with us here and wouldn't have anything to eat, but a drink of water?" "That's right." "Rivka is going to be married this Sunday." "And since the bride groom has no family," "Nathan Shotness would like me to be best man." "Well, aren't we going to eat?" "Well, if I leave right now, I'll just make it in time." " Excuse me." " But..." "Nathan." "What a way to greet a friend." "Excuse me, my eyes are so bad" "I can't tell a guest from a rustler." "You carrying a gun..." "Now, am I that late for the wedding?" "Wedding." "What wedding?" "I thought you were that low-life, Billy Buckstone." " You remember him?" " Buckstone?" "I thought your testimony got Billy Buckstone hung six months ago." "Oh, yes." "The judge was an honest man." "He sentenced him." "But there was higher judge, and I don't mean the Almighty." "He let Billy go free for insufficient evidence and $5,000 cash." "Well, what's happened to the wedding?" "Billy Buckstone invited himself to the ceremony." "He and his Cossacks." "Why kill a man when you can worry him to death?" "Nathan, surely your neighbors are not gonna allow Billy Buckstone to come in here and wreck your celebration." "Six months ago, you were the hero of this whole county." "So what does that make me, a saint in a fur coat?" "Nathan, have you asked your neighbors to help you?" "My neighbors?" "Mr. Paladin, you know this country better than I do." "When an outlaw goes free, does every man in town strap on his gun and go chasing?" "Or does he say, "It isn't my cow that stolen." "It's not my brother that was killed."" "Of course not" "Why scratch where it doesn't itch?" "A peasant is a peasant, the world over." "That's why there'll be no wedding." "Not here." "I'm sending them to San Francisco to get married." "And you?" "Mister, it took me two years to build this house with my own hands and with my own sweat." "If I where to go away from here for one day," "I would come back and find it a pile of ashes." "I'm too old a man to start over again." "Nathan, I know your daughter Rivka and I have great picture of her going off to San Francisco or any place else and getting married without you being there." "What do children know?" "Rivka says, "Here is my home." "Why can't I be married where I belong?"" " Sit down." " Thank you." "American children, you say something is blue, they say it's green." "American children, eh?" "What about the bridegroom?" "A young man of silk, but a golem, a fool." "Anything Rivka wants is all right with him." "Fine way to start a marriage." "Sounds like an excellent way to me." "Since when are you such an expert?" "Where are they, Nathan?" "I'd like to meet this 'golem'." "Faivel Melamed of Ostropol." "A golden character, but how is he gonna survive in a place like this?" "A man who can't slaughter a chicken, can't control a woman." "I wonder what's taking them so long." "It's three hours since they went to town in my wagon." "The shlemihl, I told him to take my rifle." "Nathan Shotness, you know as well as I do, a rifle is a very dangerous piece of equipment if you don't mean to us it." "I'm worrying about my daughter and he gives me philosophy." "Come in the kitchen." "We'll have a glass of tea." "No, sir." "No, sir, I will not drink with a man who is worried about the time." "You keep the water boiling." "I'll go see where they are." "Faivel!" "Faivel!" "Faivel." "Oh, Faivel." "Excuse me." "Hey, leave him alone." "Let me go." "What is this for?" "This is for nothing." "And the next time it'll be grabbing off the juiciest gal in the county." "And the time after that, well, that'll be for making you wish that you was back where you come from." "Pig!" "Now, you gonna start even." "Now you boys all seen how I give him an even chance." "Come on." "Come on, Faivel." "I ain't got all day." "I might have me a young widow woman to console." "Now, Buckstone, you want to start over from beginning?" "Oh, you remember that fellow I tell you about?" "Paladin." "The hired killer?" "Oh, but a very decent fellow." "Mazel tov, you've got yourself a fine girl, and I am not a hired killer." "First the Midrash says, "Anyone may slaughter animals in foul,"" "and at once, in the same breath, it makes difficulties." ""Anyone, except the deaf, the idiot, and the child."" "Why disqualify the deaf and not the blind?" "Eat, eat your soup." "The Law won't get cold." "You've actually killed people with that?" "When I had to." "How did you feel afterwards?" "Very bad at first." "Ah, but after that, it became easy, no?" "No, it's never easy." "I'm glad to hear you say that." "Mr. Paladin, will you teach him?" "No." "Why not?" "Because I don't believe in a man having to imitate his neighbors in order to justify his existence, especially when he has neighbors like you people have." "Excuse me, please." "May I see this?" "You use a lighter grade of oil on the trigger assembly than on the hammer stud." "That is interesting." "Very nice, but you're still going to San Francisco to get married." "And leave you here alone to wait for Billy Buckstone to come some night and burn you alive?" "Oh, Mr. Paladin, you talk to him." "He will not listen to us." "Nathan, if I may quote Hillel?" "Go ahead." "It costs money." ""Al tif-rosh..."" ""Min he-tzee-bur."" "Exactly." "Do no separate yourself from the community." "She's just as stubborn as her mother, rest in peace." "Boychick, you better take a strong hand to her before she's be dancing around on your head." "What can I do?" "I happen to agree with her." "Well, then it's all settled." "We'll hold the wedding right here." " And if Billy Buckstone..." " No." "It's very easy to put out a fire with a hand of another man." "I invited you here as a friend, not as a gunfighter." "Billy Buckstone won't try to kill me in front of two dozen witnesses." "He'll try to spoil the wedding, to destroy the property, to drive me away." "Very well." "If my neighbors will stand in silence to see that..." "Papa, eat your soup." "It shouldn't get cold." "Might be a good idea to keep that thing handy." "What?" "Carry a gun at sacred thing like a wedding." "Well, there is some kind of a chance that Billy Buckstone will try to get some of his own back here today." "Why, there's no bad blood between me and Billy." "Well, you were pretty happy when Nathan's testimony sent him to jail, weren't you?" "Yeah, but when a man makes his bed, he shouldn't start crying for help when it comes time to lie in it." "Any sign on Buckstone?" "They'll come all together from up there." "A small bunch on high ground can dominate a whole company of infantry." "Even in the army the Czar's army, may a black ear take him, they taught us that much." "A dominating position isn't much use without a covered line of retreat." "Even at West Point they taught us that much." "Can we start?" "I still have a dying man to visit tonight." "Why not?" "You're expecting a disturbance, aren't you?" "Now, Nathan, remember, you're not on trial, they are." "No matter what happens that ceremony is not to be disturbed, all right?" "I'll call the witnesses." "Witnesses." "Perhaps you will take this off until after the ceremony?" "Rabbi Elya, you have a lot of faith." "Not enough, not nearly enough." "Faith seems to come only when we have no other choice." "Well, they say that no choice is also a choice." "You have a good head." "If you gave up your unfortunate profession and grew a beard, who knows what great things you might yet achieve." "Well, they also say that a head with no beard is better a beard with no head." "Have a heart." "My daughter is rapidly becoming an old maid." "Nathan." "Howdy, huh?" " Welcome to the party." " Come on in." " Well, let's join them." " Why not?" "Nathan!" "Nathan, you got guests." "Nathan, come on out." "Out, Nathan." "You got you some guests." "Come on out, Nathan, and join your party." "Aah, come on, Billy, you and your friends go someplace else and have your fun." "Now, you just stay out of this." "This is Nathan's party." "If he wants to ask to leave, he can do it himself." "All right, Nathan, come on out." "All right, Nathan, coming out?" "Amen." "Amen." "Amen." "Blessed art Thou, O Lord, ruler of the universe who has sanctified us with thy Commandment of chastity." "Let me have that apple." "Come out, Nathan, and join your party." "The ring." "The ring." "Ha-ray ott m'ku-desh-es lee b'ta-baas zu..." " Come out, Nathan." " H'dos moshev'yisroel." "Once more shall it be heard in the cities of Judah and the courtyards of Jerusalem, the voice of gladness and the voice of joy, the voice of bridegroom and bride." "All right, Nathan, if you don't come out we're gonna burn you out." "Nathan!" "Nathan." ""With the aid of the Lord, on the 16th day of Tammuz," ""in the year 5639 from the creation of the world," ""the bridegroom Faivel, son of Yitzhak Moishe, made the following declaration to the maid Rivka, daughter of Nathan."" "All right, touch off the house." "I'll cover you." "Nathan, Nathan, they're burning the house." "All right, Nathan, you coming out?" ""I faithfully promise that I will be a true husband unto thee," ""to honor and cherish thee, and provide all that is necessary for thy due sustenance."" "Nathan, they're burning the house." ""He who shames his neighbor in public, is as though he had shed his blood."" "All right, Nathan." "That showed them!" "They won't come back here no more!" "Let's get 'em!" "Well, Boychick, it's time to get married." ""And the said bride has plighted her troth unto him in affection and sincerity."" "And now, in our moment of joy, let us also commemorate the destruction of our holy temple." "Mazel tov." "Mazel tov!" "Hey!" "Come on." "Now, wait a minute, shouldn't she be dancing with him?" "She'll be dancing on his head for the rest of his life." "Come on." "Hey!" "Ho!" ""Have Gun Will Travel"" "Reads the card of a man" "A knight without armor in a savage land" "His fast gun for hire" "Heeds the calling wind" "A soldier of fortune" "Is the man called Paladin" "Paladin, Paladin, where do you roam?" "Paladin, Paladin, far, far from home"