"Hey, get out of the way!" "Watch out.!" "Watch out.!" "Get out of there!" " I'm not gonna faint or anything, I don't think." " I wouldn't blame you if you did." "All I wanted, really, was to get a closer look at that black stallion." "Oh, he was beautiful." "I, uh, didn't mean to get that close." "I did." "I was trying to catch him." "Oh, I'm sorry." "No hurry." "Tomorrow's another day." "I'll get him." " For yourself?" " For sale after I break him." " Is that your work?" " Right now it is." "Hey, Lloyd!" "We better get after them horses." "You should get out of those wet clothes as soon as you can." "That's exactly what I was thinking." "Thank you." "Whoo-wee!" "I reckon I'd risk my own neck for a gal as fetching' as that one." "You got a one-track mind, Turk." "Maybe." "But if I'm gonna be tramped on by horses... there better be some more pay in it than just a thank you." "We're new in this valley." "We can use a good reputation." "You mean that's the reason you saved that gal, for a good reputation?" "It's getting late." "Let's forget the horses and get back to the others." "We'll hit that farm as soon as it's dark." "Sorry I'm later, Mother." "Audra, your hair, it's all wet." "Where have you been?" "Riding." " Through the swamp?" " Alongside the stream on Mokelumne." "Well, surely you didn't fall in?" "As it happens, I was- well, pushed in, by a young man." "Who?" "I guess it was probably the most thrilling experience of my whole life." "It, uh, wasn't Amos Carver's son, Tad, was it?" "It sounds like the kind of trick he'd pull." "I don't think it's anyone you know, Nick." "Oh?" "Well, try me." "There's not many people in this valley I don't know, you know." "Now, uh, let's see." "Was it, uh, Chet Beamish?" "Why must you assume it has to be someone you know?" "Audra, if you were dunked, we are merely trying to find out who did the dunking." "He didn't dunk me." "He saved my life." " Saved your life?" " From a herd of wild horses." "Well, why in blazes didn't you say so?" "Because you didn't give me a chance!" "As usual, you were all more interested in finding out whether your little sister- who happens to be well able to take care of herself- was pushed into the water by the right kind of man." "Your kind, not necessarily mine." "All right, all right." "Audra, we're very sorry." "Uh, but who was he?" "Whoever he was, I'm very grateful to him." "I'd like to meet him and tell him so." "I forgot to ask his name." "Lloyd, I think." "But I'd know him in a minute." "I mean, you just can't forget what he looks like." "I don't know, just- There's something so different about him." "How'd he happen to be up there on Mokelumne?" "He catches wild horses, sells them when they're broken." "You seem to know quite a lot about him." "I'd like to know more." "How much more can a man take?" "I was workin'on my books when it come through the window like a thunderbolt." "When I got out there, they was gone." "Has this happened to anyone else, Harry?" "Two, three of my friends" "Graff, Bauer, Jamie Drumm." " I don't know of anyone else." " How did they answer?" "Like the note said, I guess." "What choice have we got, Nick?" "You either pay or you see your lifetime of sweat go up in smoke." "And that's still your choice?" "I don't know, Victoria." "I... paid them all I've got." "When you hear that pack of hounds comin'... your blood turns to water." "And you pray for God's wrath to strike 'em dead." "I'd say you better start shooting first, pray later." "They'd wipe me out." "And Margaret and the kids." "Well, this won't solve any problems, but it might settle that stomach of yours." "You're all saying the same as Nick?" "Shoot it out with 'em?" "It may not come to that if they know you have help- my boys, some of our hands, the sheriff." "Jamie Drumm went to the sheriff last week." "They got wind of it." "Burned his barley field and fouled his well." "The sheriff ain't even a notion who they could be." "Nor you?" " All I ever seen was notes like this." " Not even a guess?" "You're welcome to this if you feel you have to pay." "They'd burn me out if I didn't." "Oh, I know they did damage, enough to frighten you." "But I believe men like that back away when they see you're determined not to yield." "Now you were free the first time, but once you pay" "Well, here's the money." "I don't believe I'll be needin' that, Victoria." "Harry, first thing tomorrow... we'll find that pack and drive 'em right into the river." "I'll be waitin' for you." "I guess all I ever really needed was to open up to folks who don't scare." "Thank you." "Good night." "You been visitin', mister?" "How'd they treat you, those folks at the big house?" "Were they understanding'?" "How much they give you?" "Nothin'." "You get no more from me." "Is that what those Barkleys told you to say?" "Maybe you forgot to tell them how we've been protecting' you." "By sucking' the life out of me... like you done to the others." "You pay only for protection." "You're not being very sensible accusing us of anything else." "I'll accuse you, all right." "You're all a bunch of thieving' hoodlums!" "Scum!" "I'm gonna prove it." "I" " I know you." "I've seen you in town." "Tomorrow morning, I'm gonna go" "Harry!" "Harry!" "Oh, dear God in heaven, no!" "Oh, Harry!" "Oh, Harry, no!" "No!" "You look tired, Lloyd." "Have some coffee." "Reckon you need somethin' stronger tonight than coffee, Lloyd." "You nervous, Turk?" "'Cause I'm not." "Wasn't what you planned, killin' that farmer, was it?" "Anyone else worrying about what happened tonight?" "Ain't worried, Lloyd." "But they're gonna be looking for his killer." "They won't look here unless we give 'em cause." "We're following our respectable trade as mustangers for a couple of days." "We'll be busy breaking 'em for shipment to the cavalry after that." "What about them other farmers, Lloyd?" "You gonna forget about them?" "I'm forgetting nothing, Turk." "And I'm gonna make sure they don't forget us or talk back like Coleman did this evening." "Those words were put in his mouth by the Barkleys." "Just as soon as we're ready, we're going after them." "Might be shootin' a little high, Lloyd." "They own half this valley." "And if we get them, we'll own the other half." "Farmers around here don't think for themselves." "They turn to the Barkleys the way Coleman did." "There's nothing can stop us once we get the Barkleys." "Big plan like that just what I've been waitin' to hear, Lloyd." "We're startin' out early after those ponies." "Let's get some sleep." "Lloyd." "The boys are all with you, Lloyd." "They'd better be." "They know where they'd be without me." "Where we goin' when we leave here, Lloyd?" "Don't tell me you're homesick." " Ain't you?" " For what?" "There's nothing left in the South for any of us, Francie." "Don't you ever think about it?" "Your home?" "Your family?" "I only think about tomorrow, not yesterday." "I'll find what I'm looking for right here." "It'll be big." "It's gotta be big or I might as well be dead." "Leaving our dead in the hands of the all-loving Father... we pray for his strength to endure and his guidance on the way." "The Lord bless you and keep you." "The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and bring you peace." "Amen." " Margaret." " Don't touch me." "You just leave us alone." "You Barkleys are to blame that he's dead." "He come to you for help." "Instead, you told him to stand up to them." "Like a fool, he listened to you." "All-All the help he got from you was a bullet." "And you killed him just as sure as if you'd shot him down yourselves." "Come, children." "Let's go home." "She had no right to say that." "All we did is tell him how we felt about it." "And besides, you offered him the money." "Would that change the fact that we influenced him not to accept it?" " I don't think we can blame ourselves." " What else could we have done?" "I don't know." "But what we did was too easy." "We weren't in Harry's shoes." "We didn't have to face what he faced or live with his fear." "I thought I understood how he felt." "I didn't." "All right, if we went too far, then there's only one thing to do now." "Go further." "Now I don't know how much Harry knew about that gang... but it's certain the others he mentioned must know a little." "If they'll talk after this." " They've got to talk." " Asking men to risk their lives... and without any more law to protect them than Harry had?" "No." "No, I don't think you can expect that of them, Nick." "I do, because I expect it of myself." "And I'd say the same thing to Harry right now if he were alive." "They might talk if every farmer in the valley agreed to stand with them." "But that would take time." "And there's bound to be holdouts to frightened to join in." " No." "No, I think one man might be enough." " One man?" "How?" "If he had the courage to refuse to pay and knew that we were with him... he might act as a decoy and bring 'em out in the open." "Sweet as honeysuckle, Graff." "What are you getting for Tokays now?" "Price don't change much- 45 cents a crate, about." "Less what you pay those jackals for letting them ripen, huh?" "Graff, how long are you gonna stand still and let that gang of killers squeeze you dry?" "And they will, you know, just like that." " Nick, I got a little place." "I work hard." " Graff... we could trap that gang... if someone were willing to go along as a decoy, and you wouldn't be alone." "We'd be there waiting for 'em when they came." "It ain't that I'm scared, Nick." "But I got to think of Lottie." "I don't want to have her left a widow like Margaret Coleman." "You can't say for sure she won't." "No, I can't." "I wish I could." "You're askin' too much of me." "'Twould be willin' enough I'd be to do it if I was a single man, but none of us is that." "'Tis a big valley, this." "And there's nights with not a body for miles around." "There won't be any more nights like that, Jamie." "We'll have all the guns we need." "Aye." "But they're shrewd." "Never a sight of'em do you see when you expect to." "Jamie, have you ever seen any of them face-to-face?" "Never." "Just the masked and hooded men coming at night asking pay to protect me." "A man must be prepared to die if he's to be the decoy, and I'm not brave enough for it." "We'd do it in your place if we could, Jamie." "Aye." "But they would na go after a Barkley." "In their evil way, because their dirty hands are in my pocket... they let me live." "I'm just mortified, sir, but my dance program's filled to the very last waltz." "Some other time?" "Whoo!" "Oh, declare." "I'm just about the most sought after belle at the Governor's Ball." "Buy it for me, Lloyd, honey." "How much?" "Well, that one's kinda high- $14." "Ain't too high for someone you love." "Put it on the bill." "Looks like you recovered." "Oh." "Yes." "No ill effects at all." "And you?" "I never felt better." "I was going to look for you." "My mother would like very much to thank you." "Well, I-I'm not much of a hand at being thanked." "Well, I think she'd understand that." "Reckon she would, if she's at all like you." "Order's all ready for you, Miss Audra." "You got the buggy outside?" "No." "Just my horse." "Might be a little too much for just the one horse." "But not for two." "Where do you live?" "Oh, it's not for me." "It's for the Colemans." "That's the man that was shot the other night." "I'm just taking a few things over for his family." "That's, uh, very thoughtful of you." "Oh, I" " I guess we forgot to introduce each other." "I'm Lloyd Garner." "I'm Audra Barkley." "Mmm-mmm!" "I'll see if she's at home." "Hello, Mrs. Coleman." "I" " I brought some things I thought you might need." "Your family's conscience bothering' 'em, Audra?" "Gifts won't heal it." "You just take what you brought and get off this place." "And don't any of you Barkleys ever come back here again." "Don't take it too hard, Audra." "She didn't mean it." "She does." "And she has every right." "My family told her husband to stand up to those men who shot him!" "She'll feel different about it tomorrow." "Will she?" "She just needs a little time, that's all." "I'd still like you to meet my mother." " Would you have supper with us?" " All right." " Tomorrow night?" " It'd be a pleasure." "Do you know where we live?" "It's the first thing you learn when you come into this valley." " Yes?" " Miss Audra?" "Won't you come in, please?" "Lloyd." "Dinner's going to be late." "I" " I hope you don't mind." "The family's busy with a visitor." " Whiskey?" "Brandy?" " No." "I don't drink much." "Thank you." " Cider." "How's that?" " Just fine." "Why don't you sit over here?" "It was my father's favorite chair." "Mmm." "Who are you, Lloyd?" "What are you doing here?" "Oh, I know you catch wild horses, but where's your family?" " You really do want to know about me?" " Everything." "Well, for one thing, I have no family... nor a home since I was 10." "What kin I did have died or was killed... when the South was overrun... and the Union Army marched to the sea." " I'm sorry." " That was a long time ago." "How did you live?" "Same way as the soldiers- off the country, foraging... sleeping in fields and caves." "Running." "Always running." "Just anywhere." "To get away, to hide." "There was a few of us stuck together." "Safety in numbers, we thought." "We kept moving." "Always moving westward." "Have you stopped running?" "Perhaps." "Guess I could settle in a place like this." "It reminds me of home." "Where do you live now?" "We have a camp, out that way, beside the Calaveras." "It's good grazing for the horses, till they're ready for sale." "I'm glad you changed your mind, Jamie." "You're a very brave man." "It's not so brave I am as practical, but I must keep my self-respect." "You won't be alone, Jamie." "We promise you that." " Thank you." "I've kept you from your supper." " Won't you join us?" "Thank you." "But I'll eat at my own hearth and enjoy it for the first time in many a day." " Good night." " Good night, Jamie." "We're late." "Do forgive us." "Audra's made the time fly, Mrs. Barkley." " This is Lloyd Garner, Mother." " I'm glad to meet you." "And you must know how very grateful I am to you." "Audra told me" " Don't embarrass him, Mother." " Well, a mother's gratitude." "Thank you." " This is my brotherJarrod, Lloyd." " How do you do?" " And Nick and Heath." " Hello." " Howdy." " Hello." " I hear you have a way with horses." " I think so." " May I offer you a drink?" " No, thank you." " Well, now, Mr. Garner, where are you from?" " Georgia." "Georgia?" "Well, you're a long way from home." "Well, home has been most any part of the country with me for quite some time now." " Tennessee, Kansas, New Mexico." " New Mexico?" " Have you ever been to Santa Fe?" " Yes." "I have a very good friend there." "His name is Miguel Escobar." "Raises cattle." "You don't by some chance know him?" "Please stop interrogating him, Jarrod." "Well, I certainly hope it didn't seem like an interrogation to you." " Not at all." " Come on." "You must be starved." " Like it?" " Not now, Francie." "That all you can say?" "I bet it isn't what you tell that Barkley gal." "That's enough, Francie." " Hey, Lloyd." " What do you want?" "We're riding out to the flats tomorrow to pick up the money from that farmer." " You goin'with us?" " You can forget it." "I saw him." "He was at the Barkleys." "And they're setting a trap." "We go up there, every farmer, every deputy in the valley will be waiting for us." "Does that include the Barkleys?" "They won't stay away from a chance like that." "Well, then, maybe this is our chance to hit 'em, while they're gone." "You was after information up there, Lloyd." "Looks like you got it." ""Nothing can stop us once we got the Barkleys. " Ain't that what you said?" "No." "No, it's too soon." "Well, maybe we can do it ourselves, if it's that Barkley gal that's bothering you." "She's got nothin' to do with it." "The only thing that girl means to me is information." "The more she talks about her place, about her brothers... the easier it is for me to know exactly how to handle them." "And I say we wait." " Where did you find him?" " About a mile from where you saw him." " We had quite a chase." " Oh, he's beautiful." " That's why I caught him for you." " For me?" "I've had a saddle on him, but he'll need careful handling for a few more days." "Of course, he's gonna cost you." "How much?" "A couple of hours in town tonight having supper with me at the hotel." "Tonight?" "I don't know." "It's- It's very short notice." "There's a pleasure in doing things on impulse." " I love being impulsive, but" " Are you afraid of me, Audra?" "How could I be?" "You saved my life." "I" "There's a special reason why I want you to have supper with me." " What is it?" " Well, it's kind of a celebration for us." " For us?" " If it hadn't been for him, we'd never have met." " Well, good-bye, Jamie." " All right, Lloyd." " Well, where'd he come from?" " He's mine." "A gift from Lloyd." "Yeah, that's a fine-looking animal." "Saddle broke?" " Close enough for Audra to handle the rest." " Uh-huh." "We'll see." "I'll call for you at 6:00." "You, uh, goin' someplace with him tonight, are you?" "Mm-hmm." "To town for supper." "Sure does work fast, don't he?" "Didn't have to say that." "No, but it is true." "And you think so too, I suppose?" "Well, I don't know about that... but he sure doesn't stint on the size of his come-on, now does he?" "You're impossible, both of you!" "Heath, round up the men." "I'll getJarrod." "Oh, and, uh, make sure they have supper." "I got a feeling it's gonna be a very long night." "Is something bothering you, Lloyd?" "No." "No, nothing." "I thought perhaps I wasn't as good company as you'd hoped." "Oh, don't ever think that, Audra." "It couldn't have been nicer." "You're wonderful." "Thank you." "You're so beautiful." "Until now, I... never felt really free of the past." "Knowing you makes me forget it ever happened." "It's getting late, Lloyd." " Oh, you're all right." " Yes, I'm all right." "It happened so quickly..." " there was nothing we could do about it." " Was anyone hurt?" " We lost three horses." " Four." " How did it happen?" " We found this on the porch." "They want $2,000 or next time it'll be the house." "But I'll tell you what they're gonna get- nothing." "They've gone as far as they're gonna go." "Would you excuse me, Lloyd?" "I think I ought to be with my family now." "Sure." "May I call on you tomorrow?" "All right." "Take that horse over to the vet first thing in the morning." "In fact, now." "He's pretty badly singed." " Nick." " What?" " Could be I'm not making sense, maybe not even worth mentioning." " What?" " Garner." " What about him?" "When was the last time we saw him?" "This morning, when he- when he brought that stallion." "Yeah, and the time before that was when he was here for supper." "What are you getting at, Heath?" "Both times he was here so was Jamie Drumm." " Now he could have overheard us talking in the hall." " So was Silas in the hall." "Nick, who else but our own could've known where we'd be this evening except Garner?" "Well, he-he was with Audra." "Well, the rest of his pack of coyotes weren't, if they are his." "Well, that's mighty little to go on." "It's more than we had till now." "Audra, we saved that stallion Garner gave you." "I'll tell him when he comes by tomorrow." "Aren't you moving pretty fast?" "Why don't you slow down, little sister." " You hardly know him." " But I do." " Yeah, what's it been, a week?" " That's long enough!" "Or am I still too young to see him again without getting your permission?" "Look, we've had a little bit too much on our minds to be pestered with callers." "Now, we're all overwrought." "Audra, come on." "Let's get a good night's sleep." "Nick, what was that all about?" "I don't know." "I don't know, Jarrod." "Heath has got some wild idea that Garner is mixed up in all of this." "You got anything to go on?" " I do, but not enough." " Let's hear it." "Hey, Lloydy boy." "Whoo.!" "Hey, Lloyd." "We lit up the countryside for miles around." "I bet we got every little old sodbuster in this valley just a shaking in his shoes tonight." " But not the Barkleys." " Mm." "Yeah." "We'll know about that tomorrow." " I know now!" " Funny thing about you, Lloyd... being so sure you could get the Barkleys." "Looks like the only thing you can be sure of now is you can't." "Well, me and the boys happen to think different." "Since when have you or anyone else started to do the thinking for this outfit, Turk?" "Ever since you been gettin' the information while we been takin' the risk." "Well, you just remember this." "I taught you how to stay alive." "Without me, you'd be starving in some southern swamp... sniveling about what those Yankees did to you." "Don't try doing the thinking again for this outfit, Turk." "Turk, you think them Barkleys will pay tomorrow?" "If they don't, we'll burn their house." " Would you tell Miss Audra Lloyd Garner is here?" " Oh, yes." "Won't you come in?" "This way, please." "Well, hello there, Mr. Garner." " Mr. Garner, may I get you a drink?" " No, thank you." " Mm." "You're here to see my sister?" " Yes." "And her brothers aren't tactful enough to get out of the way." "Well, she should be down directly." "Why don't you come on over here and sit down, Mr. Garner?" "Right over there." "Say, by the way, I imagine you'll be happy to hear..." " we managed to save that fine stallion you gave Audra." " I'm glad, for her sake." "Must be worth quite a bit of money." "Would have been, I guess, if I'd put him up for sale." "You know, I don't like to offend you, but it kind of makes me uncomfortable... to see a young man giving gifts he can't really afford." "What makes you think I can't afford it?" "Well, we hear you've got quite a little family down by the river." "Keeping 'em fed must cost quite a bit." "We live a pretty frugal life." "We've been living that way for a long time now, and we're not complaining." "Well, now, that is a rare virtue, especially for around these parts." "Isn't it?" "Mm." "Well, I'll go see what's keeping Audra." "Well, what about it?" "He's got the right speech." "It could be him." "And that horse out there looks like the same sorrel." "All right, Jamie." " You won't be seeing Audra today, Garner." " Is something wrong?" "Whatever's wrong is not with Audra or this family, but with the valley." "And it's been wrong ever since you and your gang of mustangers got here." "Is that coincidence, Garner, or would you happen to know why?" "Do the Barkleys always suspect a stranger when something happens?" "Only when there's good reason." "According to this telegram, the same thing that's been happening to the people in this valley... happened in Santa Fe this winter." "That's where you were last." "Or is that a coincidence too?" "It's not proof of anything else." "Looks like questioning any man who's friendly with your sister... is one of your favorite pastimes." "Excuse me." "Tell me something, Garner." "Whose money paid for Audra's supper at the hotel last night?" "Was it the money you got from Mr. Graff?" "I'm not answering any more questions." "Now if you'll get out of my way." "It couldn't have been Harry Coleman's." "He turned you down." "How about Hank Bauer?" "I know he's been paying." "You're wasting your time if you think you can trick an admission out of me." "I don't know those men." "You're a liar." "A liar, Garner." "A cold-blooded liar." "You put the squeeze on Coleman just like you did the rest of'em." "And when he stood up to you, you shot him down." "Isn't that the truth, Garner?" "Admit it?" "Isn't it the truth?" "Admit it or I'll beat it out of you!" " Get up!" "Get up!" " That's enough, Nick." "All right, you're gonna tell me the name of every farmer... you put your filthy hands on." " Nick!" " Now tell me, Garner." " What are you doing?" "Let him go!" "Leave him alone!" " Audra, stay out of this!" "You gonna tell me?" "I think you better tell the sheriff." " What are you doing to him?" " Tell her why!" "Tell her why!" "Let her tell you." "She knows me better than you ever will!" " Let him go!" " It's all right." "He won't get far." "How could you?" "Audra." "Audra, he- he's a cold-blooded killer." "He'd kill his own father for a dollar." "He killed Coleman." "Audra." "I told ya." "Y'all get packed and saddled up... then we'll head north across the line to Klamath." " We'll meet at the falls." " That's a far piece, Lloyd." "I" "Don't argue." "Just do as you're told." "Then you're givin' up on the Barkleys, is that it?" "And all that talk about ownin' half the valley after we got 'em..." " wasn't nothin' but talk." " I misjudged them." "They won't pay." "You don't know that for sure." "All we did was burn one barn." " They'll change their tune after we burn their house." " I told you we're moving out!" "Movin' out is what he says, but what he means is we're running." "Hold it.!" "Hold it.!" "Someone's comin'.!" "What are you doin' here?" "I couldn't believe what they said without asking you." "You shouldn't have come." "You said I know you better than they ever would." "Do I, Lloyd?" "Do I?" " Lloyd?" " Sure." "You know me better than they do." "Better than anyone." "But it's no use, Audra." "It just won't work." "Well, I think I should know the reason." "Forget it." "Just mount up and go home." "That's all." " But why, Lloyd?" "Why" " I said that's all!" "Kind of stupid letting' her go, Lloyd." "The Barkleys pay now." ""Put the money in a saddlebag and leave it at Oak Flats before noon tomorrow." "Do not tell the sheriff or anyone else if you want her back alive. "" " I should've killed him." " It seems we have no choice now." "We have a choice." "The same one Harry Coleman had." "I know now how he felt and how much courage it took for him not to give in." " There must be something, something we can do." " What time is it?" "2:00." "Quick with the answers." "Smart-aleck answers." "Shooting off my mouth of what I'd expect from myself... if anything like this ever happened to us." "Big, brave, Nick Barkley." "Big-mouthed Nick Barkley!" " Oh, Nick, don't." " Don't?" "Don't what?" "Don't admit we're human beings?" "Because we are, and that's a fact." "We're as human as anyone else." "And when we're pinned to that wall, we pay!" "We have till noon tomorrow to do that, Nick." " Jarrod, we can't take the risk of" " I know the risk, Heath." "Looks like the number two man in this outfit... has just been promoted to number one... permanent." "Got it." "And without no information." "Hundred." "See this?" "Hundred." "Twenties." "Look here." "Got it." "Got it." "Huh?" "You can go now." "Fifty, fifty" " I didn't say she could leave." " You don't need her now." "That's right." "I don't." "In fact, she'd be kind of a nuisance all around, her knowing who we are and all." "Let her go, Turk." "We can be out of the state before they even know we're gone." "Get down." "I said get down!" "Go on!" "Go on!" "Get going!" "Drop it!" " Where are the others?" " Answer him." " Where are they?" " Waiting at camp."