"Put it back, Billy." "I said put it back." "That's nothing for you to fool with." " Oh, can't I just shoot it once?" " No." "No, I told you before." "I don't even want you to touch it." "But you let me fire the rifle." "The rifle's for shooting buffalo and your brother Ben will be proud you're getting so good at it." "What you bring down with a.45, the skins aren't worth a cent." " Mr. Masterson..." " Yeah?" "Mr. Masterson, what's it like to kill a man?" "Well, Billy, I'll tell you." "It's not so good." "First you're standing there facing him and you're scared." "And you want to run and hide, hide anywhere." "But you don't, because you can't." "And you can't because you know if you make even the slightest move, he's bound to draw." "So you watch his eyes, praying to God Almighty he'll back down or say something, anything to give you a chance to get out of it." "Then you try to make yourself say something." "But before you can, it's too late." "He's not there anymore." "He's on the floor and the cuspidor's spilled and it's running all over him and people are screaming and they run in and want to buy you a drink and tell you he drew first." "And then you break away and run outside somewhere where no one will see you and vomit." "Hello, Bat." " Dave?" " Yeah." " BAT:" "What are you doing way out here?" " Well, I ain't chasing buffalo." "How are you and the half-wit doing?" "Well, looks like all right." "Where do you plan to sell them?" " Hays City?" " Sure." " How've you been doing?" " Oh, not bad." "I drew a straight flush last week." "Billy's brother there like to died." "I don't know, Bat, it ain't as much fun taking him as taking you." "You'll have your chance." "With all these hides I got, I aim to buy the place back." "Oh, I wouldn't if I were you." "Why not?" "Ben doesn't want the place, just the money I drop to him." "You take my advice, now." "I'm an old friend of yours, aren't I?" "Sell them hides in Dodge and stay out of Hays City." "All right, Dave, let's have it." "You didn't ride way out here just to pass the time." "Well, the fact is, I've got a message for you." "A sergeant fella by the name of King, he wouldn't feel too kindly if you came back to town." " Says he's going to kill you." " King?" "Never even heard of him." "Well, he came after you left but he certainly has heard of you from Molly." " Molly Day." " Oh?" "It seems she talked about you too much and at the wrong times and the sergeant, he's just fit to be tied." "You know, he paid me $15 to come out here to tell you this." "Molly's all right, but she means nothing to me." "Tell the sergeant to cool off." "I already did." "I said "Cool off, Sergeant King." ""Bat ain't going to risk getting himself killed over Molly."" "I'm coming in day after tomorrow." "You're crazy, Bat." "You're as crazy as he is." "Sell them hides in Dodge City." "All right, Dave, drink your coffee and get moving." " Like I say, I'm your friend, Bat." " Mine or King's?" "Hell's fire, Bat." "Sergeant King ain't no friend of mine." "He's my cousin." "What ails you, half-wit?" "Do you want to get your fool head blown off?" "I guess he don't like that kind of talk." "I don't either." "Good night, Dave." "Come on, Billy." " Ben." " Billy." "Take over." " I bet you thought we'd never get here." " Oh, I figured you'd be along about now." "Say, buffalo hunting agrees with you." "Well, it doesn't with me." "There's not enough money in it." " Besides, it stinks." " Yeah, I see what you mean." "Go on out back and wash up, Billy." " I want to see what you look like." " All right, Ben." " Dick, let's have a bottle." " Yeah, Ben." "Bat, I sure am grateful to you for taking Billy along with you." "He doesn't belong in a place like this." "It's too easy for him to get into trouble." "Well, let's have it." " How did you do?" " Oh, pretty good, I guess." "I've got a wagonload of hides out there." "I notice you didn't change the sign." "All I'd have to do is take that sign down and have another one painted and one night you'd waltz in, play me a little acey-ducey or one-eyed jacks, and I'd be out looking for buffalo." "Hey, look, there's Molly." "What's she doing here?" "I didn't know Ernie ever let her out of his sight." "I sure would like to hunt a little of that quail." "Look, that sergeant's a pretty mean boy." "You better stick to hunting turkey." "Want to see some fun and get off KP forever?" "I'm way ahead of you." "Come on, let's go." " Hello, Molly." " Oh, Bat, didn't Dave see you?" "Yeah, he told me about the engagement." "When's the happy day?" "Please don't joke." "You shouldn't have come." "This whole town's military, Bat, and the sergeant said..." "Come on, come on, sit down." "You've got to listen to me, you've got to go." "I don't want to see you get shot up on my account." "I'm not fixing to be." "But I hear you've been doing a little talking in your sleep." "Well, I guess I mentioned you some, but..." " I like you, too, Molly." " Maybe you two want to be alone." "Bat..." "You Masterson?" "Oh, listen, Ernie, he doesn't mean anything to me." "I told everybody what I'd do if you came back here." "Ernie..." "All right, that's all." "I'll kill the first man who points a gun." "Get him out of here." " Move." " All right, give a hand here." "I shouldn't have come here." " Now, don't go blaming yourself." " I shouldn't have come here." "Let me take a look at that arm." "No, Dave." " He was my own flesh and blood." " He was shooting at me." "Go on, Dave, you've got things to do." "Sit down." "Bat, you've got to light out of here right now." "This is a soldiers' town." "Whenever one of them gets it, no matter how hated he was, the whole platoon suddenly falls in love with him." " Yeah, how about Dave?" " Oh, he'll cool off." "Listen, this whole thing will blow over in a month, but it won't if you stay here, so go any place." "Go to Dodge City, your brother Ed's there, and don't worry about this place or your skins." "I'll sell them for you and deposit the money." "Oh!" "Put it down, Billy." "All right, here you are, my friends." "Here's a nice green fat cigar there for you and a vote for Sheriff Regan, I hope." "Now, you look like an intelligent man, I can talk to you." "Talking to some people is just like pouring water on a duck's back." "Comes in one ear and out the other." "A cigar, there, my friend, and a vote for Sheriff Regan, I hope." "Thank you, my friend." "Here you are..." "Oh, wait a minute." "Not you, sonny." "You may not be too young to smoke but you're certainly too young to vote." "Now go on home and cut that kindling, boys." "You go with your big brother." " Looking for the Marshal?" " Yeah." "Well, he should be back any time now." "He's over at the church, working up the Bible vote." "What?" "Running against a man like Regan, he shouldn't be singing the Rock of Ages, he should be throwing them." "You're welcome to wait in my office if you care to." "Thanks." "Have a seat." " Are you a doctor?" " No, I'm the doctor." "And I'm getting a little old to be hauled out of bed every night to sober up drunks and set broken jaws." "That's why I'm backing Ed Masterson." "Maybe if our so-called fair city gets cleaned up, I can get a little sleep." "If you're not too tuckered out, how about re-bandaging this arm?" "Sit over here." "Gunshot." " How did it happen?" " Just bandage the arm." "Well, Sam, you missed another meeting." "What's your excuse this time?" "My excuse is I wasn't there." "Bat, what the devil are you doing here?" "Getting my arm bandaged, I hope." " Hello, Pauline." "Sit down, folks." " Yeah, I heard about that." " Good news travels fast." " Yeah." "It was nothing I could help, Ed." "I'd never even seen the man before." "Oh, Bat, I want you to meet my fiancée." "This is Pauline Howard and her father, the Reverend Howard." " This is my brother." " How do you do?" "Bat Masterson." "No one's introduced us." "I'm Sam Tremaine." "It's going to be one beer for this dressing." " You've got it." " Bat Masterson." "Now, I've heard that name recently." "Oh, Reverend, Bat was mixed up in that shooting in Hays City." "Oh?" "Now, I never connected that name with you." "Well, we don't often run into each other, Reverend." "What's all this about you running for Sheriff?" "Hold still." "Well, Regan, he's the Sheriff here, and his crew of deputies are all ex-outlaws and gunmen." "Well, there's nothing unusual about that." "There are a lot of lawmen that have been wanted at one time or another." "It never hurt a sheriff to have a reputation with a gun." "That's not the point." "Anything goes in Dodge City because Regan lets it." "In fact, he encourages it." "Bat, I want to get rid of the crooked dealers and the gunfights and the robberies." "What about that badge you're wearing now?" "Fact is, being City Marshal around here is like a watchdog without teeth." "As soon as I throw the crooks in jail, they get out by order of the County Sheriff." "And I'm just a little annoyed by it." "It's like a merry-go-round." " Well, I wish you luck." " He'll need more than that." "In my opinion, if the Reverend will excuse the expression, he doesn't have a prayer." "Oh, Doc, you ought to be ashamed." "Oh, so that's the girl you wrote me about." "That was months ago." " How come you're not married?" " We plan to be in the fall." "Well, what are you waiting for?" "The corn to ripen?" "If I had a girl like this, I'd kick her door down." "Well, how would it be if I'd make some coffee?" "I haven't had breakfast yet." "Maybe you'd like something stronger?" "Sam's been trying to shock me for the better part of 30 years, but he hasn't succeeded yet." "Some other time, Sam." "We really have to go." "Oh, Mr. Masterson, whatever else you may be, you are Ed's brother, and if you're here in the fall, we'd like to have you attend the wedding." "Well, whatever else I may be, I'm much obliged." "As a matter of fact, I'm thinking of going into business here." " Oh, what sort of business?" " Why, I thought I might buy a saloon." "Oh, yes..." " Well, we must be going." " I'll take you to the carriage, dear." "Bat, I'll be right back." "Mr. Masterson, you can forget about that beer." "The dressing is on the house." "I understand the boys of the Bar K are coming in later tonight." "We ought to have some fun!" "Looks like I picked the right business to go into but the wrong time to come here." "Just before election, I mean." "Bat, don't worry about it." "It's all right." "You start a reform platform and your brother the gambler comes along and shoots craps on it." "It doesn't matter." "The people around here, they know me." "They know what I stand for." "What they stand for, you mean." "It seems to me it's quite a lot." "Well, it's you I'm worried about." " Me?" " Yeah." "I manage to do all right." "Well, you've never settled down." "You're like a ball in a roulette wheel, jumping from one place to another." "You know, one of these days, if you keep getting into scrapes, you're going to land on number 13 black." "That looks like a nice quiet place." " How about a drink?" " No." "No, thanks, Bat." "Come on, we haven't had one together in years." "You know, I've missed you so much," "I'll even let you nag me about settling down." "No, you go in." "I've got to make my rounds." "I'll meet you back at the room, huh?" "Well, since you insist." "You look like the whiskey type." "Evening, Bat." " Good evening, Doc." " Here!" "Let me pay for that." "Charlie, this is Ed Masterson's brother." "His name is Bat." "Sorry, my mistake." "Now, what ails him?" "Oh, I'd diagnose it as a case of hyper-timidity." "You may not know it but there are rumors about you all over town." "About me?" "They say you deal blackjack with three fingers: thumb, index and trigger." "Oh, that's crazy." "I've never done anything but defend myself." "Sure, but how often?" "Well, you know, Bat, that's the way it is with a reputation." "It's built up by hearsay, wild rumor." "When you go to dig into it, well, all too often you find out it's true." " Is that a professional opinion?" " I know your brother pretty well, Bat." "You have no idea how much he worries about you." "I've often heard him say he'd be the happiest man alive if you'd take root in Dodge." "Wouldn't that just be great for him politically?" "I'm not speaking politically, I'm speaking spiritually." "You see, he has a reputation, too, as the loneliest man in town." "Oh, I know, you're thinking about Pauline, but I don't think they'll ever get married." " What makes you say that?" " I just don't think she's too sure of Ed." "I agree with you." "Pauline and Ed aren't suited to each other." "Ed's a dreamer." "Half the time, he's living in the future 20 years from now and what she needs is a man who'll beat her brains out every morning before coffee." "All right, Lily, I won't argue." "No one ever wins with you anyway." " Meet Ed's brother." " I've heard a lot about you." "I was wondering when you were going to pay me a visit." " Pay you?" " This place, I mean." "See, I've been running it ever since my husband died." "Not too successfully, I'm afraid." " You want to have a drink, Lily?" " I don't mind if I do." "Charlie!" "Last year, Lily's husband was shot by a person or persons unknown for a reason just as unknown." "To everyone but our friend, Mr. Regan, of course." "I've been hearing a lot about your sheriff." " Haven't you met him yet?" " No." "He's a very clever man, our sheriff." "He's got two hats he keeps taking off and putting on." "The white one is for making speeches, kissing babies and attending rodeos." "The black one is for funerals and collecting his percentage of every business in town." "My husband was a stubborn man, Mr. Masterson, with more than his share of pride." "He refused to pay." "The next night we had no dealers." "Then, when he wouldn't reconsider..." "So, that's why this place is so salty?" "There hasn't been a wheel turned or a hand of Faro dealt since it happened." "Regan is just waiting now till I have to close my doors, which could be any minute, so he can walk in and take over himself." "No, he won't." "I'll speak to all your steady customers and get them to drink twice as much." "Well, if you don't mind my saying so, Mrs..." " Just Lily." " Lily, then." "If you don't mind my saying so," "I think you're handling this thing all wrong." "It's not enough just to say no to anyone who is threatening you." "You have to make it very clear to them that every street runs both ways." " I'm afraid I don't understand." " Maybe I could help you out." "I'd like to make you a business proposition." " Oh?" " I've got $6,000." "I'd like to invest it all to redecorate the place and back the play for a half interest in the Lady Gay." "It sounds like good sense to me, Lily." "Why, operating straight, you could pack them in here." "I know I'm through unless I..." "Unless I get help." "Well, what do you say?" "If you open that mouth and mumble something about thinking it over," "I'll have a very positive professional opinion about your head." "You could probably strike a harder bargain for yourself." "I'll stick by my first offer." " I'll take it." " I hope you won't regret it." " Where are they going to get dealers?" " We'll see tonight." " Well, Ed, how does it look to you?" " Just fine, Lily." "I sure wish you all the luck." " Hey, that's quite a dress." " Too extreme?" "Not for me, it isn't, and not for our customers, if any." "Let's have a drink before we open the doors." "All right." "Bat, I sure hope you know what you're letting yourself in for." "I might say the same thing about you running against Regan for Sheriff." "But win or lose, Ed, I want you to have half my share in the Lady Gay." "No, I couldn't do that, Bat, but thanks anyway." "Why not?" "I don't think the Reverend and Pauline would approve." "Well, it's partly that, but mainly because I don't have much interest in anything but my job." "What is it that makes a man want to wear a badge?" "Bat, I don't know about other men, but with me it's just Dodge City." "This used to be a nice town, a good place to raise a family, but it isn't anymore." "Could be." "To you." " Well, watch out for Regan." " I will." " Drop in later." " I will." "Good night." "We'd better get ready for some customers, huh?" "Hey, cowboys!" "Howdy, Texans." "I'll be a dirty name if it ain't Sue Ann." "What y'all doing, honey?" " Oh, not much." " Not much is right!" " They're doing pretty good." " Yeah." "It'd be a shame if the place caught fire tonight." "The paint's hardly dry." "If that place burns, you'll put it back up board by board." "The idea is to get rid of them, not the saloon." "All right, get your bets down, get your bets down." "And around and around she goes and where she stops, nobody knows." "All right, gentlemen, place your bets!" " I'm on the number 6." " Place your bets!" "There we are." "Nine and black." "All right, folks, get a hunch and bet a bunch." "Hey, Doc, what happens if somebody gets sick?" "They get free medical attention if they're in here." "If they're somewhere else, they're out of luck." "Well, look who's paying us a visit." "Our handsome popular sheriff." "All right, gentlemen, place your bets." " Masterson." " Good evening, Sheriff." "The house would like to buy a drink for you and your friends." "Now, that's nice of you, Masterson." "I'd like to talk to you when you get a minute." "I don't know when that'll be." "It looks like I'm the only dealer here." "You win, son." " It's important." " I'm sure it is, Sheriff." "These are all my friends, I don't mind if you talk in front of them." "Place your bets, gentlemen." "One of my men will take over the deal for you." "I don't know what would be wrong with that, Sheriff." "What could be more honest than a dealer with a badge?" "Don't take advantage of him, boys." "Purley, take over the deal for Mr. Masterson." "It's not that I don't trust you, Mr. Purley, it's just that the box is full." "Put your cash in the slot there, there's plenty of chips for the bank." "If you need any more, holler." " This way, Sheriff." " All right, place your bets." "All right, get your bets down, get your bets down!" "And around and around she goes and where she stops, nobody knows." " Would you mind waiting outside." " What's the idea?" "You said you wanted to see me privately." "This is about as private as we can get." "Jim!" "Jim!" "If he breaks that door down, you get the first bullet." "I advise you to tell him to wait quietly." "Jim, you all right?" "He's all right now, but he won't be if you try to come through that door." "Forbes, just wait there." "You're pretty jumpy, aren't you, Masterson?" " Just average." " Mind if I sit down?" "I came here to make you a proposition." "I'd like to buy the Lady Gay." " Oh, you would?" " Is it for sale?" "Everything is for sale at the right price, you ought to know that." "Well?" "For my half, $50,000." "$50,000?" "Yeah, it's the best location in town." "I figure the take ought to go $500 a week, that'd be $50,000 in only about two years." " Make that $75,000, Regan, cash." " What are you, smart?" "No, come to think of it, a man would be stupid to give up a good place like this." "I don't believe I'll sell after all." "I'm not going to bother closing you up, Masterson, because you're not going to live through the night." "Just a minute." "I'm not much like the former proprietor and what I said before still goes." "If I see one of your men make a move or even cough, you'll get it first." "Nice of you to drop in, Sheriff." "Come on, honey, let's go over to The Silver Dollar and get another drink." "Better sleep it off, friend." "$800." "Yeah, and I got a lot more here." "Charlie probably picked up a couple of hundred over at the bar." "That's more than this place has made in the last six months." "Bat, if I live to be 90, I'll never be able to thank you enough." "Well, if you live to be 90, I'll be too feeble to care." " You're asking for trouble here, you know." " Maybe." "Maybe I am, too." "Oh, I know, women are supposed to be timid." "They're not supposed to enjoy life at all, I guess." "They're brought up to leave something on their plates." "Even though they're hungry, they say no." "You better keep counting your money." " Hello, Doc, Bat." " Hello, Ed." " Howdy, Miss Lily." " Hello, Ed." "Well, it looks like you had quite an opening." "Yeah, and when we get dealers, we'll do even better." "What do you mean?" "I'm thinking of giving up my practice." "I haven't had so much fun since the Reverend showed up one day with a carbuncle." "Oh, I'm sorry, Ed." "It was only on his neck." "That's all right, Doc." "How are things outside?" "Well, you know how it is on a Saturday night." "It gets awfully quiet just before it explodes." " Well, maybe they'll skip it this one time." " Doc, I doubt it." "They haven't missed a Saturday night shoot-up in over a year." "In fact, it's 10 after 2:00." "Why, this time last week, it was over with." "Well, don't worry about it, Ed." "We'll douse the lights and sit it out." "Charlie." "Lily, get back there with Doc." "Ed." " They're just letting off steam." " But somebody always gets hurt, though." "Bat." "Ed." "Doc, Ed's hit." "Take it easy, take it easy." "Don't move him any more than you have to." "Lily, get me a light." "Bat, look out." " He's hurt badly, Bat." " I'm all right." "I tell you, I'm all right." "I just had the wind..." "Well, he was sure well-liked." " Everyone was there." " Everyone but Jim Regan." "Oh, I hear he's left town till this blows over." "It's not going to blow over." "Let's go in." "Hello, Bat." "Hello, Dave." "There's no need for that, Bat." "I just got into Dodge this morning." "I heard about it." "I'm sorry." "I know how you feel." "But I just want you to know that there's no more hard feelings as far as I'm concerned." " What do you say?" " All right, Dave." "All right." " Dave, can you still deal Faro?" " Sure." " Want a job?" " Working for you?" " When do I start?" " Tonight." "Well..." "You've got yourself a dealer." "Who was that?" "Dave Rudabaugh, a dealer I just hired." "Maniac if I ever saw one." "What do we need him for?" "I'm going away for a while." "I'm not going to wait for Regan to get back." "Oh." "Pauline, what are you doing here?" "I came to ask you if I could have those pictures of Ed and myself." " Why, yes, of course." " Thank you." "I think there's something else I ought to say to you." "I hold you directly responsible for what happened to Ed." "I hold myself responsible." "I don't know what it is, but everywhere I go," "I seem to make trouble." "One thing you must believe, though, I did love my brother." "It's too bad you're not more like him." "Ed was an exceptional man." "He was better than I am." "He was better than you." "But he's dead, so let's both try to stop feeling guilty." "Why, what do you mean by that?" "Why should I feel guilty?" "When he was alive, were you sure of your feelings toward him?" "Sure enough to marry him?" "Well, now you've confessed and so have I." "Maybe we both ought to feel better, I don't know." "But there's something I have to do, so please go." "I..." "I know what it is you're about to do." "It's all wrong." "Please go, Pauline." "The place is closed, come back tomorrow." "Ben." "Ben, it's Bat." "Bat?" "Bat Masterson, wait a minute, I'll be right down." "Billy, light the lamp, then you go on back to bed." "Hello, Bat." "This is a surprise." "What are you doing back in Hays City?" "Just passing through." " I see you've changed that sign." " I had to." "Ever since that Sergeant King business, just the sight of your name is enough to start a riot." "Hello, Billy." "Bat, I heard about your brother." "I'm sorry." "I'll get us a drink." "Something to eat?" "No, thanks." "But if you've got a bed I could use for a few hours," " I'd sure be obliged." " Why, sure, you can use Billy's." "He can bunk in with me." "Hey, you sure look beat." "I've been riding all over Kansas, looking for the man that killed Ed." "The paper said there were two of them and you got them both." "Paid guns." "I'm looking for the one who paid them, Jim Regan." "Bat, you kill a county sheriff and you're going to be running for a long time." "You're wasting your breath." "Election is in Dodge next week." "He'll have to come back there for that." "Look at the pretty girl!" "Ain't she darling!" " Now, there's a pretty lady!" " Oh, you are pretty!" "Why don't you come on down to the Long Branch Saloon" " and have a drink with me, honey?" " Oh, she is a pretty little thing!" "Look who's back." "Father, I wish you'd reconsider." "I have, dear." "I still feel the same." "Now it's up to him." "I'll leave you at the doctor's office." "Bat, I'm glad to see you." "You've been gone so long, I was afraid" "I'd never speak to you again without tea leaves." "Has Regan come back?" " Yeah, I saw him in town yesterday." " Good." "Bring some black coffee up to my office, will you?" "Bat?" "All right, I'll go get him." "No, I think that we should go to see him." "You mean, you're actually going into the Lady Gay?" "Now, you wait here, Pauline." "Come along, Sam." "Will you pardon my expression, Reverend, but I wouldn't miss this for a month of Sundays." " Bat?" " Yeah?" "Don't do this." "This time it could be you and I couldn't stand that." "Lily, you talk too much." "So she says, "Absolutely not."" " Yes?" " "Not until we're married."" "That's just what she said to me." " Let's have another drink." " Excuse me." " Hey, a minister." " Could we get through, please?" "And look who's with him, the Doc." "Hey, this is your lucky day." "You can get married and have your head examined at the same time." "Let's get another bottle, come on!" "Number 3. 3 the winner!" "Oh, Reverend Howard, what are you doing in a gambling place like this?" "Well, if you're not too busy," " we'd like a word with you, please." " Sure." " Hello, Doc." " Good to see you back." "Lily, perhaps the Reverend would like a drink?" " Oh, no." "No, thank you." " I'm sure Doc will take a beer." "Yeah, I will." "I never drink during office hours unless I have the opportunity." "Well, I'll leave you gentlemen alone and I'll send Charlie up with some beer." "Sit down." "Well, we'll get right to the point." " Sam, would you care to fill him in?" " No, I'll leave that pleasure to you." " Why don't you flip a coin?" " Please, this is a serious matter." "The committee that was backing your brother for County Sheriff has voted to run you in his place." "Well, I can't think of a less likely candidate." "There, you see?" "This is a waste of time." "Well, to be honest, that's exactly what I thought at first." "You want to stop drunkenness so you run a saloonkeeper." "Worse than that, you're a professional gambler and a gunfighter." "But your name is Masterson and that seems to mean a great deal in this town." "As Doc says, you're wasting your time." "Well, if you want my honest opinion, I think Bat would be crazy to run." "He'd be sure to win, I'd like to see it, but he'd hate the job." "Anyone in his right mind would." "Sheriff Regan has been feeding on this county like a vulture." "His influence has been so corrupting that Dodge City is now a synonym for vice and he must be defeated." "And while under normal circumstances I would oppose your candidacy, the people here admire the way you defied Regan." "As a matter of fact, you're the only person we have any hope of electing." "I'd be the lesser of two evils, is that it?" " Yes, sir, that's about it." " Well, at least you're honest about it." "Well, I have a sneaking suspicion you are, too." "Why not?" "In my business, the percentages favor the house." "No, Reverend, you tell the committee I'm highly honored." "The Masterson they need is on Boot Hill." "As far as Regan is concerned, tell him not to worry." "He may be a candidate today, but he won't be tomorrow." "Now, you listen to me." "If you've an idea of avenging Ed, that's not the way." "The sermon's over, Reverend." "But this type of lawlessness and irresponsibility is the very thing that Ed fought against all of his life." " Good day, Reverend." " Come on." "Mr. Masterson, a moment ago I told you that I thought you were an honest man." "If you are, ask yourself this question:" "Am I doing this for my dead brother or am I doing this because I've become a wild animal?" "Morning Reverend, Doc." "I understand you've been looking for me?" "Too bad about your brother." "Too bad about my deputies, too." "I've been in Wichita, I wasn't here when it happened." "But that's all ancient history." "We can either call it a standoff or settle it." "Whichever you say." "If you'd come in here five minutes ago, Regan," "I'd have killed you." "Now I'm only going to half kill you." "Well, Doc, you'll have to patch me up if..." "If I'm going to run for Sheriff." "Why..." "The people of this miserable town don't deserve you." "Mr. Masterson?" "Yeah?" "Mr. Masterson, if you don't mind, I think I'll take that drink now." " Congratulations, Sheriff." " That's fine." " Congratulations, Masterson." " Thank you." " Congratulations." " Thank you very much." "Congratulations, Mr. Masterson." "All right, let's have a little quiet, eh?" "Now that our erstwhile Sheriff, Mr. Regan, has graciously conceded and sent over his badge, which I've taken the precaution of disinfecting," "I think a few words from Mr. Masterson are in order." "But before this, before the Reverend decides to introduce him," "I have it on good authority he's prepared a long speech, a sermon he had left over," "I want to tell you how moved I am by this landslide victory." "In fact, tonight, I feel young again." " Almost as young as I felt..." " MAN:" "All right, Doc, all right." " That's enough." " Let's hear from Bat." "Sit down, Doc, sit down." "I give you our new sheriff, Bat Masterson." "Thank you." "Thank you very much, everyone." "I've never made a speech in my life and I'm not going to try to make one now." "I'd just like to tell you what I have in mind concerning law enforcement." "There'll be law and there'll be enforcement." "Thank you." " Hey, what about Regan?" " What about him?" "As of now, he's a citizen, same as you or anyone else." "If he breaks the law, I'll deal with him." "And the Saturday night shoot-ups?" " There'll be no more of them." " There'll be saloons?" "Yes, ma'am, there'll be saloons, but they'll be run in an orderly manner and shut up at midnight." "And how about the gambling?" "Well, the way I see it, there'll be gambling as long as there are people." "Aren't you in the life insurance business?" "Yeah." "Are you going to sell your saloon now that you're Sheriff?" "I intend to be Sheriff 24-hours a day, but I'm also going to hold onto what I've got." "For your information, there's a town marshal in Wichita by the name of Wyatt Earp who seems to be doing a pretty good job." "He owns three saloons." "Well, all right, we've elected a sheriff, not reached the millennium." "Let's let the sheriff have a little refreshment." "What's the matter, Pauline?" "You don't seem very happy about my election." "Well, I'd like to see what kind of a sheriff you'll make." "You're a suspicious nature." "No, it's just that" "I'd hate to see father and all those other people disappointed." "All I can do is my best." "Now, Ed would have been a fine sheriff." "He was firm but he was also kind and considerate." "He understood people." " Pauline?" " Yes?" "Ed's dead." " I know." " I didn't ask to step into his shoes." " All right." " But if I did..." "Yes?" "I'd step into them all the way." "Howdy, Jim!" "Oh, howdy, Sheriff!" "Howdy, Jim." "I didn't expect you back so soon." "We wouldn't miss the new sheriff's first Saturday night." "No, sir!" "I've got to see this." "It's been a long time since Dodge had a sane Saturday night." "Let's start getting in the mood, boys." " Sorry about the election, Jim." " Can't win every time." "Hear Masterson's pretty good with his gun." "It only holds six shots, like anybody else's." "Now, that's just what I was thinking." "Maybe you won't have to wait till next year to get your badge back." " That's him now, ain't it?" " Yeah." "I see you've given up firearms." "No need for a gun now that I don't have to enforce the law." "Did you ever?" "In case you missed the newspapers, there'll be no hurrahing tonight or any other night." " What's that got to do with me?" " Just a friendly warning." " They all know about it." " Well, that's good." "Because the fine for not knowing about it will be $100." "Give me a drink." "Hey, Bob, how are you?" "Looks like you folks went and elected yourselves a crazy sheriff." "Figure he'll last a week?" "I don't know." "We'll find out tonight, I reckon." "Ain't nobody ever tried to stop the doings around here on a Saturday night." "Well, if he does, he's just asking to be shot up." "Yeah, and it'd be a shame, too." "He seems like a right nice fella, doesn't he?" "Here, have a drink." "Let's get things started!" "Come on, y'all." "That's for having a fight out in the middle of the street, you understand?" "Come on, let's go back in and have a fight." "Come on, men..." "Bat, you can't stop them." "Get back inside, I don't want you hurt." "Hey, Bat, you are in about the best place to get stampeded." "Take her back inside, will you, Dave?" "Come on, honey." "You don't belong out here either, Doc." "I know when a man needs a doctor." "Thanks, but I have to do this alone." "You don't have to do it at all, but since you're going to do it anyway, you're better off with me along." "Most of these crazy punchers know me." "They'll think twice before they shoot the only doctor in town." "Get off the street." "Ed was my friend and so are you." "Thanks, Doc." "But either you get off the street or I will." "Oh, all right, Bat, you win." "You promised them you'd stop the hurrahing." "If you don't make a try, you might as well throw away that badge." "I'll tell you what, if things go as planned, I'll be making a few arrests." "I'll need someone at the jail." "How about it?" "Fine." "Now I'm the only combination roulette croupier and jailer with an MD." " Good luck!" " Thanks." "Hey, Sheriff, here's a present for you." "Let's have a little quiet out here!" "Let's go!" "It's about that time." "What are we waiting for, boys?" "If you want to ride up and down the city streets, take your guns off." "Well, listen to the sheriff, boys." "He's going to kill us all with six shots." "Oh, out of the way, Sheriff, this thing is bigger than all of us." "There'll be no hurrahing tonight." "I've got just five shots left." "I can't guarantee they'll all be as straight as the first one." " Somebody may get killed." " Come on, let's rush him." "All right, you and you, pick them up and carry them to the jail." "Can you get up?" "The jail's that way!" "Put them in there." "You and I are quite a team." "But next time, try to avoid the bone." "I was lucky to avoid the horse." " Shall we eat over here?" " All right." "You know, I could never understand why people take their food off nice clean kitchen tables and then eat on the dirty ground." "Here, help me with the blanket." "I guess it's an old tribal custom like drinking and gambling and marriage." " How come you never got married?" " Oh, I almost did once." " Oh, really?" " Sure." "Found a ranch and even looked at furniture." " Well?" " Well..." "Then I got a good offer to do some scouting for the Army." "Oh, you're impossible." "Look, I made some potato salad." "Well, this was a good idea of yours." "It's really nice out here." "It's good to get away from people, sometimes." "Oh, I didn't mean it that way." "You don't really like people very much, do you?" "I guess I'm a little afraid of them." "It was quite a while before I understood that about you." "Oh?" "When a man would say good morning to you, you'd snap back at him as if he'd asked you to meet him back of the barn." "I think we'd better eat." "Here." "Are you afraid of me, too?" " Yes." " Why?" "I don't know why." "Maybe it's because you're..." "You're the exact opposite of Ed." "He was comfortable to be with." "But you're different." "Maybe it's because I don't quite understand you." "Oh, don't worry about that." "I don't think I quite understand myself." "For instance?" "For instance, one part of me says, remember Ed." "Another part says, she's an awful lot of woman." "And a third says, she'll tie you down." "And still another, the tallest one says, don't be a fool." "Oh, I..." " I shouldn't have let you do that." " Why not?" "Well, you've..." "How can you expect there to be anything between us?" "I'm a minister's daughter and you're the owner of a saloon." "Is that all that stands between us?" " Who is it?" " Bat." "Oh, just a minute." " Something wrong?" " No, I just..." "Oh, I'm sorry I woke you up." "I've been walking around just trying to figure something out." "Yes?" "Lily, I'm going to give you back my half of the Lady Gay." "Oh?" "Things have settled down here and you don't need me anymore and I've taken out much more than I invested, so let's just call it even." "That's generous of you." "I suppose this is Pauline's idea?" "Why?" "Does it show?" "You wear it like that badge." "You sure you know what you're doing?" "Yeah, I'm sure." "Men usually don't, you know." "Sometimes they can only see one side, the side that shines the brightest." "They think of love as something that only happens in a garden." "They pretend to themselves it's bigger than time." "Well, it's not." "It's got to survive every rotten condition..." "You told me what you came here to tell me." "Now I wish you'd go." " Lily, I..." " Please, just go." " Ben." " Hello, Bat." "What are you doing in Dodge?" "I'm in plenty of trouble and I'm here to unload half of it on you." "Anything I can do." " Let me get you a drink." " Thanks." "I sure could use one." "It's my brother, Billy." "He shot a deputy in Hays City." " Bad?" " Yeah." "He died a few hours later." "I don't know how it happened or where he got the gun." "I was sitting in a game." "All I can tell you is, there was a lot of loud laughter over at the bar, then this shot." "Poor kid, they were probably ragging him." "I ran over, Billy was standing there, white and trembling." "I'd never seen him like that before." "Then he ran out back and started to get sick." "One of the deputies in the place ran after him and shot him in the shoulder before I could take his gun away from him." "Billy was lying there still trembling like a cottontail in a trap." "Bat, they're going to hang him day after tomorrow." "Well, they can't do that." "The boy's sick." "He belongs in a hospital." "If they hang anybody, it should be me." "I know, I should have had him put away before, but I figured maybe with me to look after him..." "Well, any way you look at it, they're not going to hang him." " I'm going to break him loose." " You're going to what?" "The execution will be in Wichita." "Two deputies are taking him up there on the stage tomorrow morning." "I figure I can get him off at Culpepper, but it'll take two of us." "Ben, you're crazy." "You can't do that." "What you should do is appeal and ask for a stay." "Yeah, there's not time for that." "Billy will be in his grave before there's a decision." "Well, I know..." "I know, Bat, it's asking a lot, but will you help him?" "I can't do that, Ben." " I'm not asking you to use your badge." " I know." "It'd be easy." "I've got it all figured out." "The stage stops at Culpepper for 10, 15 minutes." "No, no, shut up, Ben." "I don't want to hear." "I'm sheriff of this county, sworn to uphold the law." "The law?" "The law?" "What kind of a law takes a feeble-minded boy and hangs him?" "Why, he doesn't know up from down, much less right from wrong." "All I want is time." "Time will save Billy's life." "I'm sorry, Ben, I'd like to help you, but if I did, I'd be unworthy of the decent people who trust me." "Bat?" "Is that you?" "Yeah, it's Bat." "Will that make you quit crying?" "What are you doing here, Dave?" "Well, Lily, I just came by to sort of cheer you up." " You get out of here." " Oh." "Now, is that nice?" "If you don't get out, I'll call someone." "I can scream loud, Dave." "Why, don't be scared, Lily, don't be afraid." "I'm not going to hurt you." "I've just been meaning to tell you something." "I go for you." "Do you know what that means?" "That means that I am in and everybody else is out, including and especially Bat Masterson." "You're crazy." "You talk fresh." "I don't like a woman that talks fresh." "I just like a woman." "Now, don't fight and don't make a sound, because if you do, Bat will come through that door and I'll have to finish him just like I finished his brother, Ed." "You killed Ed?" "Tell you what, we'll talk about it in the morning." "That's Lily." "Ben." " Lily, are you all right?" " Yes, I'm all right." " Dave killed your brother." "He told me so." " What happened?" "Do you think it's possible?" "I don't know." "I guess so." "It doesn't matter now." " Somebody get Doc Tremaine." " I'll fetch him." "Don't worry, Ben, it doesn't look serious." "You're wrong, Bat." "It hardly grazed me, but it sure killed Billy." "No, it didn't." "It missed him by 20 miles, by about from here to Culpepper." "I ought to have my head examined, letting you talk me into this." "You know you're probably throwing your career right out the window." "Anyway, what good can we do here?" "He's coming through under an armed guard." "Well, the stage stops here for 10 minutes." "Maybe we'll get an idea." "I've got an idea." "Let's go back to Dodge and forget the whole thing." "Quiet." "Here they come." "Stay with the boy, Joe." "We'll get some coffee and we'll bring you some." "All right." "Would you like a drink, son?" "Yes, please." "All right." "This is going to be easier than even Ben thought." "What do you mean?" "You get in with Billy and keep him quiet." "Leave the rest to me." "What happened?" "I don't know." "I was getting some water for Billy and someone took off with the stage." " Looked to me like Bat Masterson." " Let's get some horses." "All right, Doc." "That hurt, sonny?" "No, sir." "Yesterday, it hurt something fierce." "Now I don't feel anything." " Does that mean I'm going to die?" " Hmm?" "Does that mean I'm going to die?" "Now, what ever gave you that idea?" "It just means you're getting well, that's all." "My brother Ben said when you die you don't feel nothing." "Yesterday I felt something but today I don't feel anything." "You feel that fire, don't you?" "You feel the breeze in your face?" "Don't worry, Billy, you're going to be all right." "None of us will be all right if Ben doesn't hurry up and get here." "He'll be along." "Fact is, I hear someone coming now." " Is Billy all right?" " Yeah, Doc's been fixing his shoulder." " Ben!" " Billy!" "Say, you look good to me." "I don't want to break this up, but you two better get moving." " Yeah, that's right." " When you get to Fort Leavenworth, go right to the commandant and give him this." "It'll admit Billy to the government hospital where no one can touch him until he's been examined." "Thanks, Doc." "Bat, I hate to have to tell you this, but the reason I took so long getting here, I was followed." " What?" " Yeah." "Everybody in town knew I was leaving." "I had to take a round-about route." "Then they know." "I'm sorry, Bat." "Those two deputies rode into town looking for you." "And when the council found out what you'd done, they voted to take away your badge and arrest you." "Malfeasance in office, they called it." "I see." "You paid a sweet price for helping me." "Not half the price I would have paid if I had refused." " You'd better get moving, Ben." " Thanks." "Come on, Doc." "Come on, Billy." "So long." "Have a cigar on Jim Regan, and if it don't make you sick, cast a vote for him at the polls on next Tuesday." "Jim is for law and order and he don't turn any dirty murderers loose." "Have a cigar." "Have a cigar on Jim Regan." "Honest Jim." "He'll be the next sheriff of Ford County." "There you are, sir." "I never would have believed it could happen so quickly." "You mean Regan getting back in?" "No, there will always be Regans waiting for us if we show one sign of weakness." "No, I mean the way Dodge City is slipping back to what it was." "You wait until Saturday night." "They'll shoot up the place and we'll wish we had Masterson back, no matter what he did!" "What Masterson did was to commit a crime, but worse than this, he violated his sworn oath." "He'll have to live with that." "And we'll have to live with this." " Good afternoon, Sheriff." " Not till Tuesday." "It might as well be right now, seeing they got nobody running against you." " Oh, they'll run somebody." " Can you beat it?" "Some of those folks are so desperate, they're going to nominate Masterson." "He's a wanted man, he won't come back here." "But if he does, any man-jack has a right to gun him down." "Well, we'll be in in a minute, Bat." "Have you made up your mind what you're going to do?" "It seems to me I've already done it." "I'd do it again, I'm not sorry at all." " You're not sorry about losing your badge?" " Yeah, strangely enough, I am." "You know, Doc, this job was pushed on me." "I never wanted it, I never asked for it." "But for the first time in my life, I really felt good." " I don't know how to explain it." " Well, you don't have to." "You've displayed all the symptoms of a man doing something unselfish." "That's the only way anyone ever comes down with a case of happiness." "But I'll tell you one thing, when we arrive, I personally am going to have plenty to say." " Yeah?" " I'm as guilty as you are." "When they take away your badge, they can take away my stethoscope." "There are enough chronic ailments on that council to make them think twice." "Doc, we'll be at the Reverend's in a minute and there's a few things I'd like to attend to before the fireworks start." "Would you mind riding on ahead?" "Certainly." "I've been wondering when this was going to happen." "Why, what do you mean?" "Well, people are always so surprised by events and by themselves." "They should read more chemistry." " Oh, hello, Bat." " Pauline." "I didn't think you'd come back here." "No?" "Why not?" "Certainly you've heard what's happened." "You've been removed as Sheriff and I'll be very much surprised if you're not arrested." "I'm on my way into town now to give myself up." "I feel that people will understand when I explain the circumstances." "There can be no circumstances." "What you did was inexcusable." "Pauline," "Billy Townsend's mentally an infant, but because it was an officer he shot, they're railroading him." "I don't want to hear." "Somehow I knew, even before I came here, how you'd react." "You'd sit there and read me a sermon and never drop a stitch of that embroidery." "I don't like that kind of talk, Bat." "I may as well talk plain." "I don't think we're the same kind of people." "We'd do nothing but make each other unhappy." "Don't feel too badly about it." "It was only a question of which one of us would admit it first." "Goodbye, Pauline." "Mr. Regan!" "Mr. Regan!" " Masterson's back." " You're out of your head." "No, I just saw him riding past the church yard." "Do you think he's going to run on Tuesday?" "He's going to be in jail, ain't he?" "No." "No, he's not going to be in jail because this is going to be settled today." "Do you want me and the boys to back you up?" "If we bushwhacked him, I'd never be able to show my face in this town again." "No, this is something I'm going to have to do myself." "There he is now." "Bat." " Hello, Lily." " You look tired." "Yeah, I could use some of that coffee." " Well, I'll get some more." " Thanks, Doc." "I can use the exercise, anyway." "Well, I sure made a mess of things." " You only did what you thought was right." " Yeah, I don't know." "When I was riding down the street, everybody looked at me as though I was some kind of a wild animal or something." "Maybe I am." "Doc doesn't think so and neither do I." " You're prejudiced." " Yes, I guess I am." "As I told you, I'm giving you back my share of the Lady Gay." "Oh?" "Only this time it has nothing to do with Pauline." "You thought when you took me in as a partner" "I'd be some help." "All I've done is make things worse." "Bat, shut up!" "Funny how a man has to sweat out the whole deck before he finds the ace." "Masterson?" "Regan is waiting for you out in the street." "Bat, you're not going out there." "Don't be a fool, Bat." "Do you think Regan's out there alone?" "He's got half a dozen gunslingers on his payroll." " I know." " Well, are you coming?" "I'll be there in a minute." "Doc, I don't know much about legal stuff, but I want everything I own to go to Lily." "Everything except this." "Give it back to Dodge." "No matter what they think, I did my best." "Don't go out there, Bat." "I don't want to, Lily." "But the distance between here and the street is the difference between a rabbit and a man." "Mr. Masterson, what's it like to kill a man?" "You're scared." "And you want to run and hide, hide anywhere." "But you don't, because you can't." "And you can't because you know if you make even the slightest move, he's bound to draw." "So you watch his eyes, praying to God Almighty he'll back down or say something, anything to give you a chance to get out of it." "Then you try to make yourself say something." "But before you can, it's too late." "I cleared the street, Masterson." "But everybody in Dodge is watching." " Will you call it or shall I?" " Either way you say." "Why not let the people call it at the election?" "You'd like that." "This town has grown up quite a lot in the past few months, Regan." "No matter what happens out here, you're through." "Draw!" "Well, as far as I'm concerned, that takes care of Tuesday's election."