"You're getting old, Larker." "Sooner or later, someone will best you, and then you will have to go too far, and they'll have to hang you." "It'll happen... one way or the other." "So I got up on the floor of that convention downstairs, and I told 'em." "I said, "This is 1875." "It's modern times."" "I told the whole Cattlemen's Association, "We got to bury the past and live up to the promise of the future."" "I said, "You gotta bury the past."" " You said..." " That's not the point." "Mr. Hughes, exactly what is the point?" "The point is Jess Larker." "Jess Larker?" "I thought he went out of style when they buried Tom Cane." "So you're finally ready to close the books on Jess Larker, too, are you?" "Well, what's the final count?" "How many killings for Cane and Larker in the ledger?" "Well, we had to teach the rustlers a lesson." "Besides, it was good business." "But now..." "Larker did your dirty work for years." "Now he's an anachronism, and you want him killed." "Well, if you've got to kill him..." "Sam!" "We don't want anyone killed." "That's just the point." "Two years ago, the association put $500 on the head of a rustler named Cabell and forgot about it." "Now, Larker's the only one who knows him." "He's located him, and he wants to collect." "So, I find Larker and keep him from killing Cabell." "Is that it?" "And the association's hands are clean until next time?" "There won't be a next time." "There's got to be an end to Larker's way." "Now, we know that, and we believe we can stop it." "You've got to believe it, too." "Step down, son." "Have some beans." "Jess Larker?" "Mm-hmm." "I was the last time I looked." "My name is Paladin." "The association hired me to give you a hand with, uh, Cabell." "Well, now, that's right thoughtful of them." "But I like to work alone." "So do I." "That's not what we're being paid for." "Want some beans?" "No, thanks." "I think I've got enough cold duck for both of us." "What a good-looking horse you got there." "Fast, huh?" "You think I could shake you?" "No chance." "Yep." "You know, them conventions ain't for me." "I'm getting too old." "The boys are just too good for me." "A man like my age can't eat and drink and carouse all night and get up with the chickens." "You drink much last night?" "No more than usual." "If I was to throw down on you now, it'd give you the edge, wouldn't it?" "Yep." "Give you the edge, all right." "You know, Tom Cane used to tell me about a place over on Madison." "It's called the Madison House." "Boarding house." "Serves food family style." "Nice clean bed." "A good place for rest, a man to rest up before he moves on to work." "We could make that by tomorrow night." "You know, it took me eight months to locate this fella Cabell." "That's about $70 a month." "If I have to kill you, I don't get a nickel more." "Where's that duck you said you had?" " In the saddlebag." " Sure." "You together?" " Well, now, madam, I wouldn't exactly say..." " We're together." "No doubles available." "Two singles might, uh, cost you a mite more." "A dollar and a half a night, meals included." "Well, now, that's a fair price." "Well, they ain't gonna be adjoining rooms." "Well, now, don't you trouble yourself about that, ma'am." "Yes, ma'am, you trouble yourself." "207, 209." "Thank you." "Upstairs." "We don't, uh, normally cater to transients around here, only, uh..." "Supper's at 8 sharp." "One helping of meat and two of vegetables or potatoes." "Thank you." "Larker." "Very interesting old place, isn't it?" "Son of a gun." " Ain't you the smart one." " Stop it, Larker." "You could have climbed out that window up there and shaken me easily." " You didn't do it." "Why?" " I don't know." "I never had a head for figuring." "Cabell's here in this building, isn't he?" "You had to get me out of the way before you could make your move." "You thought I'd start looking for you outside." "Well, now, if you're through showing off, suppose we go down and get something to eat?" "All right." "And, Paladin, next time around is gonna be for the blue chips." "Well, it feels like we may have a little rain." "My husband never set any store in talking at mealtime." "Overworks the digestive juices, he said." "They've got enough to do as it is." "After he passed to his greater reward, we made it a house rule." "Mashed potatoes." "You've already had your seconds." "This is delicious." "My compliments to the chef." "Well, the fact is, we don't really have a chef." "I do most of the cooking myself." "Oh, just simple food but good and filling." "You do yourself an injustice, Mrs. Madison." "Oh." "All my regulars call me Emily." "Emily, this is a culinary oasis in a vast wasteland." "I'm sure you attract followers from all over the countryside." "Well, we don't really cater to transients, as I said before." "Most of my little family's been with me quite a while now." "Oh, that is, except for Mr. Parsons." "He's a traveling man." "Well, that's astonishing." "I would've guessed that you were a store owner, sir." "No." "Been on the road 12 years now." "Simpson there... he's the storekeeper." "Store owner." "Never took another man's wages in my life." "Well, that shows how looks will deceive." "Now, you, sir, I would guess that you're a, uh, trail boss." "Excuse me, ma'am." "All this talking and chatterboxing is turning my digestive juices over something awful." "Oh." "Mr. Larker is quite right." "We've had quite enough talking for one evening." "Well, before we finish our little game, would anyone like to guess how Mr. Larker makes his living?" "I don't think any more conversation is..." "Notice the eyes..." "that animal look about them." "Scavenger animal look." "That aura of death all around them." " Go easy, Paladin." " No takers?" "Well, then, let me introduce you to Mr. Jess Larker." "He kills people if the money's right." "Right now, he's looking at one of you." "But when Jess Larker looks at you, he doesn't see a human being breathing, eating." "No." "No, Jess Larker sees $500 worth of cold meat slung over a saddle horn." "You folks will have to excuse me." "I'm just a simple man easy to deceive by clever talk." "My friend here has almost got me believing that we both don't work the same side of the street." "But we do." "A man can't, uh..." "can't sit down and eat." "Well, if a man can't sit down and have his..." "Paladin, are you coming with me?" "Or do you want me to play the little game by myself?" "Hmm?" "What's all this mean?" "It means that Jess Larker has been hired to bring back an ex-rustler." "Oh, well, that's only right." "A man like that should be brought to justice." "Problem is, in this case, justice is Jess Larker's justice..." "his personal justice... and I don't even know about anybody that ever survived to complain about it." "Now, I think the man that Larker's looking for is one of you." "He knows." "I don't." "That's your problem, not mine." "But it brings you to a very interesting decision." "You can come back safely with me and stand trial, or you can gamble on Larker." "You can gamble on Larker and try and win the whole pot, but your life will be on the table." "I'll be in room 209." "I suggest that you do not gamble." "Emily." "Ladies, gentlemen." "Well, I don't know what he means." "Who could it be?" "Who do you think it could be?" "Come in." "I was getting lonesome." "Sit down." "You know how to play spade euchre?" "Aw, nobody plays that game anymore." "What's the matter?" "Ain't you never seen a handsome man like me before?" "I was just wondering, after Cabell, where is your next one coming from?" "The Lord will provide." "He always has for a lot of years now." "It's my understanding that you help the Lord along a little." "Well, you see, Paladin, I come into this business late in life." "I can't take the chances you young fellas take." "You scared of me?" "Well, I don't know yet if you're trying to kill me." "And I'm scared of you, plenty." "In India, when a tiger is too old to run down deer or fight for game, he turns on a more helpless prey... man." "That's when he's most dangerous." "What are you driving at?" "Well, I'm just wondering how much of a chance you're gonna give Cabell when and if you find him." "If you're gonna go too far, and they'll have to hang you." "Or do you give him one notch too much of an opening?" "He'd beat you to the draw." "It'll happen one way or the other." "How many men have you talked to death?" "Your leg getting tired?" "A little cramp." "Come on." "Let's play cards." "No, you better get some sleep." "You'd better grab every minute you can that keeps you from thinking." "Breakfast in five minutes." "Nobody can say that they missed mealtime at Madison House from oversleeping." " Morning, Emily." " Good morning." "The..." "Allysons." "Emily, where are the Allysons?" "Mr. Allyson rode out this morning on an errand." "His missus is still in their room." "What's all that racket?" "Madam, I'm gonna check out, and I wanna pay my bill." "There." "And you'd better take Mr. Paladin's out of that, too, because he'll probably wanna..." "All right." "Where'd you get it?" "Paladin, we're gonna meet again someday." "And when we do, I'm gonna buy you a drink, because I've got a good joke to tell you." "A good joke... on you." " What room are the Allysons in?" " The privacy..." " What room are the Allysons in?" " 204." " Oh..." " What happened?" " What's the trouble?" " I don't know..." "Mrs. Allyson, where's your husband?" " He's gone for the day." " Mrs. Allyson, I'd better..." "We don't have any more money." "I gave it all to your friend." "You'd better collect your share from him." "Mrs. Allyson, I am not here to kill your husband." "Doesn't it mean anything to you that he was tried and acquitted?" " Tried and acquitted when?" " Five years ago." " Under what name?" " Under his own name..." "Allyson." "And he's not coming back." "Nobody cares anything about your husband, Mrs. Allyson." "Least of all Jess Larker." "You just gave Jess Larker at least $500 and a free hand." "Get outta there!" "Get out!" "Get a doctor and close those doors." "Go on!" "Larker, which one?" "I come in too fast." "Always wait, think, then move." "But this time, too fast." "Right in the back." "Jess, which one?" "I got a joke on you." "You're smart, high-stepping, better than I ever was." "But we're out of the same stable, Paladin..." "you and me." "You'll get old, and you've got a day coming." "That's the joke." "Now you laugh." "Larker, which one?" "You guess." "This is a little bit short." "You paid Larker's room rent for one day." "That's all." "Perhaps you'll also pay for the funeral." "Excuse me." "That's the way they live." "They expect that." ""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"