"Well, lookie here." "Lindsey?" "Megan!" "Lindsey?" "Megan." "Help me put up the tent." "It's unfair!" "Those sow-wallowing monkeys' asses." "The Lord is my shepherd." "I shall not want." "But I do want." "He leadeth me beside still waters." "He restoreth my soul." "But they killed my dog." "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..." "I shall fear no evil." "But I am afraid." "For thou art with me." "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." "But we need a miracle." "Thy loving kindness and mercy... shall follow me all the days of my life." "If you exist." "And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." "But I'd like to get more out of this life first." "If you don't help us... we're all gonna die." "Please?" "Just one miracle?" "Amen." "Quitting, Mr. Barret?" "I'm not quitting, Eddie, just going into town." "Well, ain't that kind of dumb, Mr. Barret?" "You remember what happened to you last time." " Are you quitting, Mr. Barret?" " Just going to town, Teddy." "Ain't that kind of dumb after what happened last time?" "It's Barret." "Good afternoon, Mrs. B." " Well, Hull." " Mr. B." "Damn fool." "Couldn't you wait till the smoke cleared away?" "We seem to need a few supplies." "All new camp, the way I hear it." "You got sand, boy, but you ain't got the sense God gave a sack of beans." "Yeah, well, we don't have much choice." "They ruined the McPherson shack." "Bust up a couple others." "If it's gonna snow, the children'll catch their deaths." "Clarence." "Go on." "I expect you're gonna pay for all this in gold, right?" "Yep." "Soon as I put together a couple ounces, I'll bring them in." "It'll take a damn sight more than a couple ounces." "Mother, throw me that ledger." "The last payment you folks made... was eight months ago, when old Lindquist brought his dust in." "There ain't no color left in Carbon Creek." "If there wasn't, why is LaHood set on driving us out?" "Maybe he ain't used to being said no to." "Oh, there's color." "There's nuggets too." "Spider panned one out this morning big as your thumbnail." "Spider Conway?" "Tell that son of a bitch..." "I got him down here for $85.33." "Forty-three cents." "He wants some cyanide to bleach his dust." "Oh, that tears it." "You tell Spider and the rest of them that this is the end of the line." "The tit's gone dry." "No more credit, you hear?" "You're a decent man and, you know, I..." "Well, we're all grateful for what you've done." "Don't coddle me, son." "I ain't doing this for you." "Hell, I'm the only merchant in town LaHood doesn't own." "It does my soul good to see a few extra thorns in his side." "One day we'll strike it big." "And when we do, I'll pay you off myself." "With interest, Mrs. B." "Barret... you just get your goods in that wagon and skedaddle." "Just keep moving no matter what they say, all right?" " So long." " You take care, Hull." "We got a beef with you, Barret." "When we rode through the canyon, you plumb forgot to say hello." "Told you to stay out of town a while back too." "When he kicked your head, it must've jarred your memory." "Kick him again, and maybe it'll come back." "Tell us about your Wheeler women, Barret." "Now, are you humping just the growed one or both?" "Probably both at the same time." "I mean, that little one, she's just out of knickers, ain't she?" "Yeah." "I'll bet you she's about as juicy as a freshwater clam." "What does it take to get you to fight like a man anyway?" " I didn't come here to fight." " Then you shouldn't have come here at all." "You made a big mistake, tin pan." "You know that?" "Mind if I take a look at your goods?" "You leave them be." "Come on down off of there." "How you like that, panner?" "God." "Get out of there." "Get out of there." "Canvas, burlap and wood." "Looks like the makings for a good fire, right?" "Yeah." "You shouldn't play with matches." "Goddamn." "There's nothing like a nice piece of hickory." "Much obliged." "Damn." "Go on." "Hey..." "Hey, there." "Hey, there, Hull Barret's my name." " You from hereabouts?" " Nope." " Are you just passing through?" " I hadn't really thought about it." "After what you did back there, I wouldn't stay in town if I were you." "My cabin has two rooms." "You're welcome to one of them, if you like." "I wouldn't wanna be a burden on you or your family." "Well, all I got is a kind of fiancée, is all." "But it'd be a pleasure, not a burden." "Three hots and a cot, it's the least I owe you." " So long, Hull." " Where you going, Ulrik?" "Going." "Getting out." "Where the hell to?" "Away." "Can't fight no more." "I'm not the only one either." "Good luck, Hull Barret." "You'll quit too, if you're smart." "Come on, Wilson." "Come on." ""And power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth..."" "and that they should kill one another." "There was given unto him a great sword." "And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, 'Come and see."'" "Very good." "Fetch me some butter and some syrup." ""And I beheld, and lo, a black horse..."" "and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand." "And I heard a voice... in the midst of the four beasts say, 'A measure of wheat for a penny... and three measures of barley for a penny... and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.'" "And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say:" "'Come and see.' And I looked... and behold a pale horse, and his name that sat on him... was Death..." ""...and hell followed with him."" "Here's a towel for you." "Dinner will be ready pretty soon." "The way he waded into McGill and his men, you should have seen him." "Well, he sounds no different than McGill or Tyson or any of LaHood's rough men." "At least he wasn't afraid of them." "That's what we need here, someone they can't scare." "You scared of them, Hull?" "Well, he should be." "But he's too all-fired stubborn." "But I was scared and that's the point, they knew it." "LaHood's got us all scared." "Lindquist left and he didn't even know where he was going." ""I'm just going," he said." "The colony is beaten, Hull." "The only one who doesn't know it is you." "And me." "I'm not leaving until LaHood's men are whipped." "Every last one." "Hush, Megan!" "Now, see what you're doing, Hull Barret?" "You got her talking more like your daughter than mine." "Tell her this is nonsense, this business about fighting." " Who said anything about fighting?" " You did, talking about this stranger." "What is he, a gunman?" "I half hope he is." "I'd sure chip in an ounce of dust for a little protection." " From a hired killer?" " Who said he was a hired killer?" "Megan, we're going home." " Sarah, please." " Then get rid of him." " I will." "I promise I'll..." " Today." " No, right after supper." " No, not after supper." " Now!" " Sarah, he saved my life." "Good evening." "Hope I'm not the cause of all this excitement." "Do you mind?" "Oh, go right ahead." "There's nothing like a shot of whiskey... to whet a man's appetite." "Fine looking fricassee there, ma'am." "Don't want it to get cold." "I apologize." "I mean..." "I didn't realize..." "I'll be damned." "Here, come right down here." "And I'll get you some biscuits here." "There's your stew, some butter and syrup." "Is there anything else you want?" "Just some company." "Aren't you gonna join me?" " Ma?" "Hull?" " Well, of course." "Well, how do you do?" "And thank you for helping on Hull's behalf this morning." "I'm Sarah Wheeler." " This is my daughter, Megan." " Megan." "I guess we kind of got carried away there... but from the way you handled those men, I never would have thought..." "Will you say grace?" "Certainly." "For what we are about to receive, may we be truly thankful." "Amen." " Amen." " Amen." " You should've started over an hour ago." " I apologize, Josh." "We'd have been here, but we got tied up at the sawbones'." "What the hell happened?" "Well, we had a little set-in with Barret, boss." "We's in town and..." "And you got whipped?" "In LaHood, California, by a tin pan?" "Well, there was a stranger who kind of give him a hand." " A stranger?" " A big guy." "Who're you talking about?" "He left with Barret." "He didn't stick around to chat." "McGill, take the sluice." " Jagou, Tyson, Elam, take over the monitor." " Yes, sir." "Club?" "This man, LaHood, I take it he's the one you all are feuding with." "Yeah, well, him and his son." "Old Coy LaHood, he's a powerful man." "He come up here..." "I guess in '54 or '55, I think it was." "And he was the first man to strike it rich." "He saved himself a poke, then he'd stake new claims and he'd mine them out... and then buy some more." "Last couple years..." " ...he's been using big hydraulic monitors." " Oh, yeah." "They blast a place to hell." "Excuse my French." " Morning, Meg." " Hello." " Good morning." " LaHood's more powerful now than ever." "But Carbon Canyon's the only place his crew hasn't ruined yet." "He's greedy for it too." "Does he have any lawful rights to your canyon here?" "Oh, no." "My claim is filed in Sacramento." "Same as everybody else's." "The only way LaHood can take this land legally is if we leave it." "I take it he's been kind of persuasive." "I don't care if they all leave, I'm staying here." "He killed my dog and my Grandpa." "Isn't there any law around, someone you can take your case to?" "Even if there was, LaHood would own them like he owns everything else." "And there's not much a lawman could do even if we had one." "Because LaHood, he ain't killed anyone yet." "Meg's grandpa's heart gave out." "I've been sort of taking care of Sarah and Megan ever since." "You know, it ain't that we're living in sin... and it ain't that I don't wanna marry her." "It's just that, one day a few years back, her husband..." "Megan's father, he lit out on her... and left her with a half-growed child." "Since then, getting her trustful of a man has been..." "Well, you know, it ain't been easy." "But when we get hitched, how about you doing the hitching?" "If you're waiting for a woman to make up her mind, you may have a long wait." "Yeah, I guess so." "Meantime, why don't you put me to work?" "Oh, no, I couldn't ask you to..." "Well, I mean, maybe if there was something spiritual." "Well, spirit ain't worth spit without a little exercise." "Now, you tell me where." "Yeah?" "Well, okay." "You know, I always thought that if I could split that rock there... and get to the gravel underneath... there's gold been waiting since the beginning of time." "Now, every morning for two years, I've been coming out here, and you see... it's like this rock and me, we have a kind of agreement." "I'm gonna do it in or it's gonna do me in." "Well, I'd hate to lay odds on who's gonna win." "Yeah?" "Well..." "You know, I thought of drilling it and blasting the son of a gun, but that would..." " That would wreck the stream?" " Yeah." "Dam it up, be the end of everything." "Well, there's plain few problems can't be solved with a little sweat and hard work." "Hull?" "Mr. Preacher?" "Somebody's coming." "You recognize them?" "The one on the left is LaHood's boy, Josh." "The other one..." "I ain't never seen him before." "Barret." "Megan." "A friend of yours, Barret?" "Yep." "He's our new preacher." "Preacher?" "I hear you messed up some of my boys, preach." "Nothing personal." "I hope you won't take it personal when we tell you to get the hell out of Carbon Canyon." "Well, there's a lot of sinners hereabouts." "You wouldn't want me to leave before I finish my work, would you?" "Club." " Jesus." " Your work done now, preacher?" "Part of it, leastways." "All right." "All right." "Get up." "Take it easy." "Put it in a little ice, and that'll take care of it." "Thanks for stopping by, son." "You think you can make it?" "Ice." "Ice." "Well, now... the Lord certainly does work in mysterious ways." "Preacher, my ass." " Hey, come on." " Split it to hell." " Good day, Mr. LaHood." " Whitey." " Watch that step, Mr. LaHood." " Why?" "Damn thing move since we left Sacramento?" " Thank you, Mr. LaHood." " Welcome home, Pop." " Morning, son." "McGill." " Boss." " How was Sacramento?" " Paradise." "Two politicians for every Chinese laundry... and two whores for every politician." "If there was gold in the delta, I'd go there." "How's business?" "We're still pulling low-grade ore out of number-five shaft... but that vein's about played out." "We went another 20 foot down 12 shaft, pulled nothing but manganite, shut it down." "And that plaster vein in Cobalt Canyon is wearing kind of thin too." "What about Carbon?" "Well, we ran another raid through there a few days back." "Put a damn good scare into them, didn't we?" "Yeah." "We damn near run them out this time, lock, stock and barrel." "Seems a stranger sort of came through and pulled them together." " Ain't that the way you see it, McGill?" " Yeah, he kind of pulled them together." "This one stranger did that?" "Hell, I expect you boys didn't explain to him just who we are." "I expect that once you explain things to him, he'll decide to move on." "Yeah, there ain't much for a preacher to do around here." "A preacher?" "You let a preacher into Carbon Canyon?" "We didn't invite him." "He took up with Hull." "What the hell's wrong with a preacher anyway?" "When I left for Sacramento, those tin pans had all but given up." "Their spirit was nearly broken." "And a man without spirit is whipped." "But a preacher, he could give them faith." "Shit!" "One ounce of faith, they'll be dug in deeper than ticks on a hound." "You boys..." "You go throw a rope around that man." "You bring him to me." "No, don't." "If we get too rough, we'll make a martyr out of him." "Don't wanna give them a martyr." " That's true." " You didn't get no help from Sacramento?" "Sacramento ain't worth moose piss!" "They didn't sign the writ, I take it." "Not only that, some of them bastard..." "Hold there." "Some of them bastard politicians wanna do away with hydraulic mining altogether." ""Raping the land," they call it." "We gotta move on Carbon, and move fast and dig deep." "The way the wind's blowing, in another couple years, we may be out of business." "And those tin pans have gotta go." "And that preacher." "We'll have to find a way to deal with him." "Were Grandma and Grandpa happy when you got married, Ma?" "I'm afraid they didn't have a thimbleful of choice in the matter." "Were they surprised?" "Your grandpa took the measles, and your grandma got drunk." "I suppose you could say it surprised them some." "Because they thought you weren't old enough?" "Your grandma was 15 when she got married." "No, I think what riled them was who I married." "Think you'll be happy married to Hull?" "Who says I'm marrying Hull?" "Hull's nice enough, isn't he?" "Yes." "He's nice." "Do preachers get married?" "I don't see why not." "How do I look?" "You look lovely." "You are the prettiest daughter..." "I could ever have." " Break your hand there, Hull?" " It's a nugget!" "It's the biggest damn nugget I ever seen." "Look here." "Look at that." "Isn't that beautiful?" "That's almost as beautiful as Sarah?" "Sarah!" "Megan!" "Look!" " Yeah, it figures." " Sarah!" "Megan!" "Look!" "Hull's hit pay dirt." " It come from underneath that boulder." " He found it under the boulder." "I was right." "You know, I was right." "It must weigh all of 4 ounces." "That's a quarter pound of gold." "See that?" " Look at that." " Is that real?" "Real?" "Just look at it." "Come here." " So how about we celebrate?" " Can we go into town?" "I don't think that's a very good idea." "That would go a long way to clearing your credit." "It would, at that." "It would clear it and then some." "Can we, please?" " Well, what do you think?" " Why not?" "We've got as much right in town as the next person." "Come on." "You going to town again, Mr. Barret?" "That's right." "You wanna come along?" "No, our daddy wouldn't let us go to town." "Sure is a nice day for it, though?" "Have a good time." "I'll be right back." "I'll go and square things with Mr. Blankenship." " Take care of the ladies." " That won't be hard." "We'll get a soda after I'm done." "Look." " I'll go get Hull." " That's all right." "He'll be fine." "Mrs. Wheeler, Megan." "My papa wants to see you, preacher." "He does, does he?" "All right." " Don't go." "I know it's a trick." " I'll be all right." "Good day." " What if they hurt him?" " Shut up, Megan." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "It's all right." "Preacher, my name is Coy LaHood." "I know." "Do you imbibe, Reverend?" "Only after 9 in the morning." "When I heard a parson had come to town..." "I had an image of a pale, scrawny, Bible-thumping Easterner..." " ...with a linen handkerchief and bad lungs." " That's me." "Hardly." "Your health, sir." "You know, it occurred to me it must be difficult for a man of faith... to carry the message on an empty stomach, so to speak." "So I thought, why not invite this devout and humble man to preach in town?" "Why not let the town be his parish?" "In fact... why not build him a brand-new church?" "I can see where a preacher'd be mighty tempted by an offer like that." "Oh, indeed." "First thing you know, he'd be thinking about getting himself a batch of new clothes." "Why, we'd have them tailor-made." "Then he'd start thinking about those Sunday collections." "Well, hell, in a town as rich as LaHood, that preacher, he'd be a wealthy man." "That's why it wouldn't work." "Can't serve God and mammon both." "Mammon being money." "I opened this country." "I made this town what it is." "I brought jobs and industry." "I built an empire with my own two hands." "And I've never asked help of anyone." "Those squatters, Reverend, are standing in the way of progress." "Theirs or yours?" "Here, look, look." "Just look at that writ!" "Comes hot from Sacramento... and it tells me I've got mineral rights to that whole damn canyon." "Well, that hardly seems likely." "If you had those rights, you'd have exercised them." "No, I think those people have legal claims." "You can't mine that canyon until they leave." "Damn it!" "Come on, read that writ!" "If it was worth the paper it was printed on, you wouldn't be trying to bribe me." "What's your business with those tin pans, Reverend?" "Nothing." "They're just friends." "Well, you and your friends got 24 hours to pack up and leave... or my men will ride through that canyon and run you out." "I've been a law-abiding man, but now I'm out of patience." "And any blood gets spilt will be on your hands." "You're a troublemaker, stranger." "You spell "bad cess" in letters that stretch from here to Seattle." "Thanks for the drink." "Preacher..." "I mean, I've reasoned with you and bargained with you... and I've come up short." "What's mine is mine, and if you make me fight for it, I will." "There's a man, a marshal." "He keeps the peace, if you take my meaning." "His name is Stockburn... and he won't be as patient as me." "These people in Carbon Canyon... would you be willing to pay cash for their claims?" "Buy them out?" "Well, hell, I'd do anything to prevent bloodshed." "How about $100 a head?" "How about 1000?" "I'll tell you what." "I'll come up to 125." "Stockburn and his deputies will cost you a lot more than that." "How would you know?" "How much is it worth to have a clear conscience?" "A thousand dollars per claim, then." "But I want them out of here in 24 hours!" "I paid off all accounts in full, Sarah." "I even had enough to pay off Spider's." "Where is he?" "In there." "Well, do something, Hull!" "What were you doing in there?" "LaHood was buying me a drink." "Thanks for the thought." "So we all vote in favor?" " Yeah." " Say "aye."" " Speak up." "All those in favor?" " Aye." "Are any opposed?" "Me, dang it." "Me and Coy LaHood seen a lot of ground together, starting back in '55." "He may be greedy, but he ain't no fool." "If he's willing to cough up $1000 a claim, it's because it's worth five times that." "The way LaHood works, maybe it is." "The way we work... we're lucky to see $1000 a year." " I say we take his offer." " Yeah." "Suppose you struck 1000 bucks in nuggets." "Would you quit and blow town?" "Or keep digging?" "What do you say, preacher?" "What I say doesn't matter." "It's your sweat he's buying." "Why don't you sleep on it, make the decision in the morning?" "What if we don't decide in the morning?" "What happens if we can't decide?" "Well, then I suppose LaHood'll take that as no." "And then what?" "He said he'd call in a marshal." "What kind of threat is that?" " We have nothing to fear from the law." " Law abiding." "This is no ordinary kind of marshal." "His name is Stockburn." "He travels with six deputies." "And they uphold whatever law pays them the most." "Killing is a way of life with them." "I'm telling you this... because in case you decide against LaHood's offer, you're gonna meet him." "You know this Stockburn?" "I've heard of him." "I don't know." "Well, we all know what we're up against." "LaHood ain't just saying, "Take my offer." He's saying, "Take my offer or else..."" "We're family men, Hull." "We're no match for seven guns." "Yeah, but how many of us are there?" "Twenty?" "I heard the preacher." "I know these men are professionals." "But it's still 20 against seven, ain't it?" "And we know how to pull a damn trigger, don't we?" " Yeah." " Yeah, we do." "Look, if it comes down to it, I'm willing to fight before I'll quit my claim... but, damn it, LaHood's offer's fair." "I still vote that we take his money and we start afresh somewhere else." "Oh, starting fresh always sounds good when you're in trouble... but before we vote to pack up and leave..." "I think we ought to ask ourselves why we're here." "Because if it's no more than money, then we're no better than LaHood himself." "Spider here asked a question." "If any one of us turned up $1000 worth of nuggets, would he quit?" "Hell, no!" "He'd build his family a better house... and buy his kids better clothes... maybe build a school... or a church." "I mean, if we were farmers, we'd be planting crops." "If we raised cattle, we'd be tending them." "But we're miners... so we dig and pan... and break our backs for gold." "But gold ain't what we're about." "It ain't what I'm about." "I came out here to raise a family." "This is my home." "This is my dream." "I've sunk roots here." "Now, we all have buried members of our families in this ground." "And this is their dream too, and they died for it." "Now we're gonna take $1000 and leave their graves untended?" "We owe them more than that, don't we?" "We owe ourselves more." "Because if we sell out now... what price do we put on our dignity next time?" "Two thousand dollars?" "Less?" "Or just the best offer?" "I say to hell with LaHood." " Yeah." " I'm with you." " We stay." " I..." "I ain't a brave man, but I ain't no coward neither." "We took our chances this far." "I vote we keep it up." " Yeah." " Yeah." "To hell with LaHood." "Let them come." "We're ready." " To hell with him." " Yeah." "We'll stand together." "See you in the morning." "I'm gonna turn in now." "That's it for me." " Hello." " Hello." "I buried my dog over here." "Well, that's hallowed ground, then." "I said a prayer for her." "It was after the raid." "I prayed for a miracle." "Well, maybe someday you'll get that miracle." "It was the day you arrived." "I think I love you." "There's nothing wrong with that." "If there was more love in the world... there'd probably be a lot less dying." "Then there can't be anything wrong with making love either." "I think it's best just to... practice loving for a while before you think about the other." "If I practice just loving for a while, will you teach me the other?" "Megan, most folks around... kind of associate that with marriage." "I'll be 15 next month." "Mama was married when she was 15." "Will you teach me then?" "Ninety-nine out of 100 men'd be proud to say yes to that, Megan." "But a young girl, a young woman like you... you wouldn't wanna spend your future on a man like me." "Why not?" "That's just the way it is." "I don't understand." "I don't believe you." "I don't wanna believe you." "Whatever you're saying, it isn't true." "It isn't fair." "Come on now." "That's no way to pass a test." "Test?" "Trust." "If you love someone... you gotta try to... trust what they tell you is true." "Even if it means they can't be together?" "Someday a young man's gonna come along, the right man." "Then none of this'll matter anymore." "Now, if I was your mama, I'd be worried about where you are." "It's my mama you love, isn't it?" "Your mama's a fine woman, and so are you." "The way you look at her and the way she looks at you..." "It's true." "I don't care." "You can have her." " I never wanna see you again." " Megan." "I hope you die and I hope you go to hell." "Tell your father they turned him down." " McGill." "You're just in time for the mail." " Hell with the mail." "The boss wants this telegram sent right now." "All right." "Preacher?" "He's gone." "What?" "Who?" "The preacher." "Packed up and left." "But why?" "Where to?" "I don't know." "He must have left before sunup." "Well..." "He must have gone to tell LaHood about the vote last night." "With his bedroll and coat?" "Well, I can't believe that he's gone." "I mean, it's not like him." "He would have said something to us." "Well, I reckon we'll survive." "All this talk about fighting, no wonder he's gone." "What's that supposed to mean?" "LaHood and Marshal Stockburn be damned!" "Isn't that what you decided last night?" "I spoke my mind, if that's what you mean." "You got the rest of them to vote your way, didn't you?" "They voted their conscience." "They voted to fight!" "Damn right!" "If that's what it comes to." "You think they'd have voted that way before the preacher came?" "Or if they knew he wouldn't be here?" " They voted to stick together." " The preacher was holding them together." "They knew he helped you in town." "They watched him stand up to that animal LaHood sent out here!" "They were counting on him to beat LaHood himself!" "I reckon I did all right by you before he came." "Didn't I?" "Damned if that don't cut it." "LaHood dammed up the creek." "If you'd accepted LaHood's offer, this never would have happened." "Ten, 20... and 30." "Thank you, Miss Halper." "Come back and see us." "Reverend." "What can I do for you?" "There you are." "Well, I reckon it's time to pack up the missis and light out of here." "Sure don't seem like we got much choice." "How about you, Barret?" "Any ideas?" "Where's the preacher?" "He'll know what to do." "He ain't here." " You mean he's gone?" " He..." "He went to tell LaHood that we turned him down." "But before he left... he said that if anything happened, that he hoped we'd do like he'd do... if he was here." "Shit." "I don't know." "I suppose we could dry-pan for a couple days, come to think of it." "I know he'd hate to see us quit, without we gave it our best." "Let's play it out a couple days." "What can we lose?" "One nugget." "I'd like to find me one big nugget." "I'd shove it so far up LaHood's ass, it'd wink at him when he washes his teeth." "You got sand, Barret... but you can't lie worth a damn." "With the preacher gone and LaHood on the warpath, your life won't be worth spit." "If I was you, I'd pack them two ladies and git." "Hull?" "What?" "You angry at me?" "No." "Whatever gave you that notion?" "You angry at Mama, then?" "Well, I wouldn't say that." "Not angry." "She hurt your feelings, didn't she?" "I know how that feels." "Yeah, well... let's talk about it later?" "Hull, can I borrow the mare?" "Can you saddle her?" "I already did." "Sure, take her out for a stretch." "Rich, by Christ!" "Sweet Holy Ghost, I've struck it rich!" "Gossage, look at this!" "Henderson!" "Rich!" "Look at this!" "Eddie!" "Teddy." "You pair of clodpolls." "Come see what your daddy pulled out of the stream." "LaHood!" "You sugar-legged toad, I beat you!" "Look at this!" "Old Spider's struck it rich." " What you got there, Daddy?" " What's it look like... you brainless barn owl?" "It's gold!" "Go get the mules." "We're going to town." " Us?" "We're going to town." " We're going to town." "Sarah, I wanna apologize if anything I've said or done... is gonna stand between us." "Can't think of any such." " Sure looks like Spider's payday come." " Yeah." "Maybe it's just his turn, like it was your turn a couple days ago." "Well, at least someone will leave Carbon Canyon a few dollars richer." "Looks like." "When we all pack up... there's room in my wagon for anything you're wanting to take with you." "Are you asking us to leave here with you?" "Well, I reckon we're all going, aren't we?" "Damn it, Sarah, ever since your daddy died..." "I've done the best I could to help you and Megan... without putting any conditions on it." "I'm putting one on." "You owe me the truth." "Now, what do you have against me?" " Nothing." " Is there a chance for us being together?" "You are the decentest man I ever met, Hull Barret." "The answer is yes." " Sarah." " Hull..." "I apologize... for being so high-strung lately." "It's just that I..." "I've been so confused." "With everything that's been going on, it's a wonder we all ain't crazy." "But we've got nothing more to worry about." "We'll start all over again someplace new." "The three of us." "And the first town we get to, we'll find ourselves another preacher." "Yes." "Another preacher." "Come to see how the rich folks do it?" "Maybe." "Your mama know where you are?" "I don't tell her everything." "She wouldn't like it much if she knew you were here." "I'm 15, same age as her when she got married." "I can do whatever I want." "You want me to show you around?" "That is why you came here, isn't it?" "Three-quarters of a mile up the stream, we diverted half of Cobalt Creek." "It flows through a ditch along the contours of the slope." "It ends up about 100 yards up yonder." " It can't just end." " Well, it doesn't really." "It flows into a length of 3-foot pipe... and then that flows downslope real steep... and then that narrows to a 2-foot pipe... and then a 1-foot pipe." "All that time, that water's going down slow... but picks up speed... and it picks up force by going into a thinner pipe." "It hurts my ears." "By the time the water reaches the monitor..." "I got about 200 pounds of pressure per square inch." "I could blast that gravel out of that cliff... then it washes down into the bed and then it travels through the sluice." "It looks like hell." "You know, I can get 20 tons of gravel a day on this rig." "So, tell me, what did you really come up here for?" "I was just riding." "Figured I'd take a look around." "Yeah?" "I'm wanting to take a look too." "At you." "Real close." "Look what I got me, boys." "A tin pan's daughter." "No, please, stop!" "No!" "Get up on her, Josh." "Come on, Josh." "You got her, you got her." "Come on." " No." "No." " Get up on her, Josh." " Come on." " Stop." "Stop, please." "Stop." "Stop." "LaHood!" "It's old Spider!" "Come on out and have a drink... with an honest man, you skunk's butt!" "Is he one of them?" "A piece of trash." "Named Conway." "Used to work for me." "It's too bad." "For a while there, I had them buffaloed." "Then this preacher come along and shot them full of sass." "Preacher?" "You take care of him... along with the rest." "Made me look bad in front of my men." "He whipped four of them." " A preacher did that?" " You're damn right he did." "What did this preacher look like?" " Well, he was tall and lean." " You're gonna pay for it." "His eyes..." "Yeah, his eyes, something strange about them." "That mean something to you?" "You're gonna lose it all, Coy!" "Sounds like a man I once knew." "Might be." "He recognized your name." "It couldn't be." "The man I'm thinking about is dead." "I got you, Coy." "I know you're in there, Coy!" "I got something to show you." "Come on out and have a drink... you old sow belly in bloat!" "Sounds like your daddy's running out of steam." "You better take him home now." "No." "Hell, Mr. Blankenship, we only get to town here once a year." " Where's LaHood?" " Inside." "What is it you want?" "You're Stockburn." "Yes." "These are my deputies." "Gentlemen, say hello to Mr. Conway." "I have no grief with you." "It's Coy I wanna talk to." "He's listening." "LaHood!" "You creepy-legged lizard." "I don't think Mr. LaHood wants to talk to you... tin pan." "Maybe he'd like to watch you dance." "I don't know how to dance." "It's easy." "You just move your feet... to the rhythm." "Daddy!" "Stay where you are, boys!" "Some music, gentlemen." "No!" "Pop?" "Take him back to Carbon Canyon." "You tell that preacher to meet me here... tomorrow morning." "Stop." "Who are you?" "You know which end of that thing the bullet comes out of?" "Preacher." "You won't believe what's happened." "LaHood dammed up the stream." "Spider found a lump chock full of nuggets." "The Wheeler girl's horse come back without her." "Everybody's out looking." "I'll be damned." "She got caught up at LaHood's, but she's fine." "You're home now, Megan." "Your mama's here." "Preacher?" "You better come outside." "Then him and his men... they shot him." "Forever." "The bullets kept hitting him forever." "It was him, wasn't it?" "It was that marshal you warned us about." "Stockburn." "Stockburn and his deputies." "He said, "Tell the preacher to come in the morning."" "Why you?" "The night you warned us about this Stockburn, it sounded like you knew him." "Spider asked you that himself." "Is it true?" "The vote you took the other night showed courage." "You voted to stick together." "That's just what you should do." "Spider made a mistake." "He went into town alone." "A man alone is easy prey." "Only by standing together are you going to be able to beat the LaHoods of the world." "No matter what happens tomorrow, don't you forget that." "You've got a brave man there." "Give him a decent burial." "Preacher?" "You are going into town tomorrow, ain't you?" "How can you say that?" "Megan feeling any better?" "She's sleeping." "Thank you for what you did." "Well, there's no need." "I'm just glad I happened by." "That first day, when Hull told me... what happened in town..." "I knew you were a gunfighter." "Lots of people carry guns." "Megan told me what you did with Josh LaHood." "Who but a gunfighter could have done such a thing?" "Would you care for some coffee?" "The folk here tell me... that you're planning to go to town and face that marshal and his deputies." " That's right." " Don't." "Please." "It's an old score and it's time to settle it." "I wish there was something I could do or say to change your mind." "When you left the other day... it reminded me of a time when someone left me." "After that, I swore I would never be hurt again." "Or love again." "Then you rode into our lives." "I couldn't help what I felt." "Oh, God, I wish I could control my feelings." "After you left, I thought you'd gone for good." "It forced me to grow up... see things differently." "Appreciate what I have." "I need a man who would never leave me." "Can you understand that?" "And you would leave again one day, wouldn't you?" "Yes." "Then it's best this way." "I'm gonna marry Hull." " Hull is a good man." " Yes, he is." "This is just so I won't wake up at night... for the rest of my life... wondering." " Goodbye." " Goodbye, Sarah." "Preacher!" "Who was that?" "A voice from the past." "Preacher!" "Sarah." "Close the door." "Who are you?" "Who are you... really?" "Well, it really doesn't matter, does it?" "No." "Preacher!" "Good morning, Barret." " Little early, isn't it?" " A little." "Good gun for buffalo." "The problem is, there aren't any hereabouts." "I'm going with you." "There's no buffalo where I'm going either." "I know." "Even with that rifle, you wouldn't stand much of a chance." "That's for me to decide, isn't it?" "Suit yourself." "Oh, Jesus!" "Run, damn it!" "Run!" "Yeah." "Get out!" "Move it!" "Move it!" "Out of my way!" "Let me out!" "Get out!" "Get out of the way!" " Run for it!" " Move it, move it, move it." "What the hell are you doing?" "You're a good man, Barret." "You take care of Sarah and the girl." "So long, preacher." "I thought you were still sleeping, and you're dressed." "The preacher's gone, isn't he?" "Yes." "Did you tell him you loved him?" "He knows we both love him." "Did you say goodbye to him?" "Yes." "I didn't." "Megan!" "Yeah, that's him." "That's the preacher, all right." "You ever seen him before?" "Can't see his face from here." "I'll be damned." "What's he up to?" "Well, son, coffee?" " Ma'am." " There we are." "Piping hot." "I think you and Mr. Blankenship ought to take a stroll." "The son of a bitch is sitting there drinking coffee." "He's even got his back to the door." "Well..." "I reckon all of us don't need that marshal, do we?" "It appears you won't have to bother with the preacher." "Are you through?" "Jesus." "What the hell is he up to now?" "He's inviting us to join him." "Fan out." "Find him." "You." "You!" "Long walk." "Yep." " Where is he?" " He's gone, Megan." "Child, he's gone." "Megan, you can't drive these horses anymore." "You'll kill them." "Preacher!" "We all love you, preacher!" "I love you!" "Thank you." "Goodbye." "Come on." "Come on."